A logical question, and her blush must have answered it for him, because he snorted. But fortunately, Lachlan entered the room at that moment…
“So you dinna love my daughter, Lachlan MacGregor?” Ian demanded abruptly.
Kimberly’s face went up in flames. She couldn’t believe Ian would actually say that, even if they had just been discussing it. And Lachlan had been smiling when he came in, but he certainly wasn’t now.
“O’ course I do. Who says I dinna love her?”
“She does.”
Those light green eyes came to her and there was surprise in them, then disappointment. He sighed. And then he was bending to her and lifting her over his shoulder.
Between her gasp and her father’s chuckle, Lachlan said, “You’ll be excusing us, Ian, but I’ve a few things tae be explaining tae your daughter, like the difference ’atween bedding a lass and making love tae her. Apparently, she doesna know there is a difference.”
“You didn’t just say that to my father!” Kimberly wailed. “Youdidn’t.”
Lachlan had carried her just one room away, into their bedroom, and dumped her on the bed there. He was now leaning over her and looking too serious by half, but Kimberly was still too embarrassed to care.
“Och now, I heard the words myself. He did as well. Mayhap you’re the only one who didna hear me say it?”
“But how could you?”
“Your da is a lusty mon, Kimber. Proof is the time I’ve just spent scrounging sleeping space for his brood. Only you were embarrassed by what I said, and well you should be, because if you tellmeyou’ve never heard me say I love you, I’ll be blistering your—”
“You haven’t. Not one single time, so I defy you to point out even once that you did.”
“The day we arrived here I told Nessa, and I know you heard me say it. But that is beside the point. How could you no’ realize I love you, darlin’, when every time I look at you or touch you, and especially when I make love tae you, I’m telling you how much I love you?”
Her mouth opened for another denial, but closed slowly as it sank in, exactly what he’d just said. At that moment, it didn’t matter a bit to her when or how he’d told her before, because he’d just told her now.
“You love me?”
He gave her an exasperated look for sounding so surprised. “You still want that blistering, do you?”
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “No, but I’ll take some of that loving you were talking about, the kind that tells me things I’m apparently too dense to pay attention to.”
He chuckled. “’Tis that English blood in you, no doubt. But lucky for me that I’m no’ as dense. I knew long ago that you’ll be loving me forever.”
“Forever is an awfully long time, Lachlan. Could you settle for fifty years or so?”
“Nay, darlin’, wi’ you, ’tis forever I’m wanting.”
52
“Good God, this is positively medieval. Will you look at that, Megan.”
Megan peered out the coach window, then leaned back against her husband. “Looks like a castle to me, and what were you expecting, with a name like Castle Kregora?”
“Just because a bloody name has castle in it, doesn’t necessarily mean—”
“But usually does.”
He glared down at her. “If I have to bathe in a wooden tub, I’m leaving.”
She chuckled. “Will you stop complaining, please. I’ve been looking forward to this visit with Kimberly. You aren’t going to spoil it for me by looking disgruntled the whole time we’re here, are you?”
“I might.”
She lifted a brow at him. “Very well, be stubborn if you must. And I might just tell Lachlan that the matched breeding pair we’ve brought along for Melissa’s christening gift wasyouridea.”
