She could feel his muscles flex against her lips. And oh saints above, she loved it. “What will Torin think when I show up in your arms like this?”
“I don’t care.” Kiernan’s voice was rumbly and did strange things to her stomach.
How was this even possible that Kiernan was her husband? She had to be dreaming, and any moment she’d wake up and find herself without him.
She tightened her arms around his neck.
The motion brought him to a halt in the center of the hallway. “What’s wrong?”
She breathed him in again and ran her fingers through his hair. “I’m afraid this isn’t real.”
He pulled back so that she could see into his dark blue eyes. The intensity within them made her tremble. “You’re mine now, Alannah.” His tone was low and raw. “And I’ll never leave you.”
“I know you won’t leave me.” Her whisper came out with a little embarrassment. “And I don’t ever want to be apart from you. If I could have my way, I’d spend my every waking and sleeping hour with you.”
“Now you know why I don’t want to put you down.” His thick lashes fell to halfway, but not before she saw the fire in his eyes and knew he was feeling the same way she was.
She smiled. “But you have to put me down for a few minutes. I don’t want to surprise Torin too terribly.”
“He’ll be happy.”
“Oh aye, I think he will.”
“Then he’ll have to deal with me holding you.”
She couldn’t contain her laugh of delight as Kiernan finished crossing the distance and entered Torin’s room without even a knock.
As he stepped inside with her in his arms, she flushed a wee bit knowing Torin would take one look at them and realize something was different ... except that Torin wasn’t in his bed. The covers were tossed back and rumpled, several pillows on the floor, and a blanket dangling off the side of the bed.
Her heart pinched with sudden worry. “Torin?” she called as she pushed against Kiernan to lower her to the ground.
The passion now forgotten, she landed on her feet and then flew to the bed, pulling back even more covers, bending and looking underneath, and then scanning the rest of the room. But he wasn’t anywhere.
All that remained of his presence was the machine that he and Donahue had been working on earlier in the day. And there was a note attached to it.
With her heart thudding harder, she crossed to the contraption and picked up the folded piece of paper. “Do you think Shaw found him?”
Kiernan had tossed open the closet door and was shoving aside clothing. “I pray to God no.”
She flipped open the paper to find Torin’s handwriting and a few simple sentences:Alannah, thank you for marrying Kiernan. I’ve left in peace, knowing you’re happy. This invention is your dowry. The brick dryer will help Kiernan increase production of his bricks so that soon he’ll be the biggest and best brickmaker in the country.
Torin had obviously heard about the wedding plan—likely from Winston. Now he was gone, no longer needing to worry about her.
Her heart ached for her older brother. She hadn’t wanted to lose him, but in some ways, her marriage to Kiernan had set him free to live his own life without having to take care of her any longer.
She handed the letter to Kiernan and let him read it. As he finished, his eyes widened with wonder, and he crouched and began to examine the brick dryer.
She bent beside him. Although she didn’t know anything about the machine or bricks or how to dry them, she guessed that Torin’s invention might possibly revolutionize the brickmaking industry. “What do you think?”
“It’s nothing short of amazing.” Kiernan’s voice contained awe.
“Does this mean you don’t need to sell the glass factory anymore?”
Kiernan ran a hand across the top of the complex contraption. “I don’t know.”
“Torin seems to think this will make you pretty successful.”
“Maybe I’ve changed my definition of success.” Kiernan smiled at her softly. He’d told her about the conversation he’d had with his da, how his da had said he was proud ofhim even after all the losses. What mattered most wasn’t what he accomplished but the kind of man he was becoming.
