Instead, she closed her eyes, breathing in his scent.
His hands slid down her back, drawing her body against his. The kiss deepened and her knees turned weak. If it wasn’t for his grip on her she would have fallen. At last, he pulled away and she returned to earth from somewhere high in the clouds.
He smiled at her. “Ah thought ah’d lost you.”
“I thought you hated me.” She could still feel his lips on hers.
“Ah thought this was what ah wanted. For me father tae be free and for me to be back in ma home.” He fell silent for a moment before continuing. “Ah want you, Lindsey MacMillan.”
A laugh and a sob left Lindsey at the same time. She put a hand to her mouth to calm herself, looking down and taking a deep breath before speaking. “I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean it. I was just…I was scared.”
“No, you were right, lass. You need tae look after your mother while you have one. Ah shouldnae have been so selfish, asking ye tae stay wi’ me.”
“It wasn’t selfish. It was honest and I couldn’t handle it. I’m sorry, Tavish. Can you forgive me?”
“There’s no forgiving tae dae.”
“You don’t hate me then? I was so afraid you’d hate me.”
“Hate ye? Ah love you.”
Her heart soared out of her chest and into the air, she floated upward, leaving the floor until he grabbed her and kissed her again.
“I love you too,” she said between embraces.
It was some time before they parted again. Tavish frowned. “But what about your mother.”
“I don’t need to leave here to show her where the locket is.”
“What? But how, what are ye going tae dae?”
Footsteps sounded behind Lindsey. She glanced behind her in time to see a gaunt man in white robes walking in. “How is he?” the man asked.
“Lindsey, this is Robert, our apothecary.” He nodded to the figure by the door. “He’s still sleeping, Robert.”
“That’s good,” the apothecary replied, nodding toward Lindsey. “Go get some rest. There’s nothing you can do until he wakes up.”
“Will he live?”
“Another month in the deleterious miasma of the dungeon and I’d have said no but you got him out in time. He’ll recover soon enough. Now go, he needs peace. I will tend to him.”
“Send for me as soon as he wakes.”
“Of course.”
Lindsey looked down, surprised to find her hand entwined with Tavish’s. They walked out of the infirmary together.
“I want to stay,” Lindsey said. “If you’ll have me.”
“Ah couldnae have any other. But if you have tae go, ah understand. Ah willnae stop you.”
“I know and that means the world that you would say that.”
“I still dinnae understand what you’re going tae dae about the locket.”
She told him about her idea, writing a message in the book. “I only wish there was some way of knowing if she’ll get it.”
“Perhaps the druid might have a suggestion about that. Where is he anyway?”
“Probably waiting for his horse to come back to him. He let me borrow it to ride here.”
“Quinn let you ride his horse? Wonders never cease. Are you sure this is what you want? Tae be here with me.”
“Aye,” she said with a smile. “It’s the only thing I want.”
