Katie’s heart sank. His confession was far worse than she had anticipated. “But why didn’t you tell me all of this earlier? Why did you hide this from me?”
Aiden paused, exhausted by his admission. “I became a shell of me former self. I was lost, haunted, and bitterly ashamed of the horrible things I’d done to many innocent people. I’d become cold, evil, and filled with dangerous demons. I also have many dangerous associations and enemies as a result.” He hung his head in shame.
Katie’s hands clenched into fists at her sides. “And you think abandoning me was the solution? You think leaving me alone was better than being forthcoming?”
Aiden looked up, his eyes filled with desperation. “I was tryin’ to protect ye. I didnae want ye to be dragged into me world. I thought ye’d be better off without me. But now I see I was wrong.”
Katie’s voice trembled with frustration. “So what now? How can I trust you again when you’ve already left me once?”
Aiden stepped closer, his hands reaching out but stopping short of touching her. “I ken I’ve betrayed yer trust. I tried to stay away, but I didnae succeed. Ye’re everywhere in me mind, Katie. I love ye more than I ever thought possible. And I want to be better for ye.”
Katie’s heart ached with conflicting emotions. She had imagined this moment countless times, but the reality was far more painful than she’d anticipated. “But how can I believe you? How do I know you won’t leave me again? That you won’t put me in danger?”
Aiden’s expression was a mix of anguish and determination. “I ken I’ve failed ye afore, and I’m askin’ for a chance to prove meself. For me, ye are everythin’. I dinnae want to be the man I was afore. I want to be the man ye deserve.”
Katie’s eyes filled with tears, and she took a shaky breath. “You say now that you love me, but how can I trust you won’t change your mind again? How do I know you won’t leave me again?”
Aiden closed the distance between them, his hands gently cupping her face. “I willnae leave ye again. I belong to ye, just as ye belong to me. I’ll fight to be the man ye need, and I’ll prove to ye that I’m worthy of yer love.”
Katie’s resolve began to weaken as she looked into his eyes, seeing the sincerity and pain etched there. Her heart yearned forthe love they had shared, despite the hurt. “You’re right. I do love you. But if you ever think of leaving me again…”
Aiden cut her off, his voice firm but tender. “I willnae. I promise ye, Katie. I’m here to stay.”
CHAPTER 26
The intensityof their conversation overwhelmed them both. Aiden’s lips found hers, and his kiss was passionate and desperate, a mix of relief and yearning. Katie responded with equal eagerness, her fingers gripping the collar of his shirt tightly as if to anchor herself to the certainty of his words.
As they kissed, their surroundings seemed to fall away. The desk, the room, the pain of the past weeks all disappeared, leaving only the raw, powerful connection between them. They pulled away slightly, their foreheads resting against each other, their breaths mingling in the dim light of the study.
Katie looked into Aiden’s eyes, her voice barely above a whisper. “I want to believe you. I really do.”
Aiden’s hand gently stroked her cheek, his eyes filled with both love and determination. “Then, believe me, Katie. I’ll show ye that I’m worth it. I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right between us.”
Katie’s heart swelled with a mix of hope and caution. She wanted so desperately to trust him, to believe that he could be the cornerstone that would rebuild their future. Their lips met again, and Aiden poured his passion and commitment to her into their kiss.
Their embrace was both tender and fierce. Aiden traced Katie’s face with his finger, delighting in the softness of her dewy skin and wide eyes. He gently grasped the back of her head and drew her to him, stroking the shell of her ear and tracing a seductive line down to her breasts. Katie groaned as his touches left trails of heat and goosebumps.
His kiss was intensely penetrating. His tongue darted inside her waiting mouth, making her moan and sigh with pleasure. Her hands cupped his head, and she played with the whisps of hair at the nape of his neck as his lips trailed across her jaw. His rough but quick fingers quickly unbuttoned her cloak and tossed it aside.
He kissed down her neck, and both of his hands grasped her hips before pulling her outer gown down to reveal her petticoat and bodice. He groaned longingly as he pulled the sleeves down her shoulders and kissed her bare flesh.
Katie cried out as his rough but vibrant caresses lit a fire inside her. She wanted more and greedily pulled his face against her flesh as a quiet, knowing laugh escaped his lips. It was then that his tongue found the swell of her breasts and licked mercilessly as he quickly untied the back of her bodice. She shivered as heslipped it off, his hungry eyes taking in the sight of her breasts under the thin cotton slip.
He raised his head, nodded in approval, and smiled at her before capturing her lips again. This was her first time being completely bare before Aiden, and he could sense she was nervous. However, his reassuring kisses, his touches, and the gentle way he lifted her onto the edge of his desk made her smile seductively at him.
When his hands cupped the swell of her breasts over her slip, she gasped at his brutish but intentional touch. He teased her erect nipples with his fingers and sucked on them through the fabric. He grinned as she moaned, gasped, and cried out while he nipped her tender buds.
“Ye’re beautiful,” he whispered as he rose and removed her thin slip, and buried his face in her neck.
As his hands reached down to loosen and drop his breeches, Katie eagerly pulled up his soiled shirt and ran her hands from his muscular, scarred back to his lean chest. Her fingertips brushed against the soft hair there, and she breathed in the scent of his sweat mingled with freshly cut wood. His hands encircled her waist as she looked down in awe and met his eyes with sudden trepidation.
“Can ye manage it, lass?” he asked, stepping between her legs as he pushed her slip up over her hips to reveal her bare thighs.
“Manage it?”
“Aye… touch me.”
Katie nodded, her hand slipping down his chest and abdomen until it rested just above the nest of hair that could not hide the power of his arousal. He nodded in encouragement as she slowly wrapped her fingers around him, his eyes closing at the sensation.
