He stilled. Had he heard her correctly?
“I mean it,” she quietly said, raising herknees to wrap her arms around them. “I should have told you a longtime ago, but I want you to know it before we leave in themorning.”
His heart thumped pleasurably in his chest.“I love you too, wife.” He had wanted for so long to hear thosewords. Now that he had, Lachlan desired to pick her up, take her totheir bed, and surge inside her, yet she seemed to have much on hermind.
“I have a bad feeling about what we’re goingto find at the Campbells,” she admitted. “I can’t begin to describehow tough of a battle this will be if even just a few of their clanhas turned.” She sighed. “You saw how fast they are with your owneyes.”
“Aye. ‘Tis why I’ve practiced sword fightingso harshly these past days.”
“I know. I mean, I figured that waswhy.”
“All will be well, wife.” He frowned as athought came to him. “Please tell me you are not fearing for mysafety.”
“No, no!” She sighed again. “Okay, yes. Butnot because I don’t know how skilled you are. It’s just… how do Iexplain myself?”
He worked the lilac soap o’er her back aforerinsing it off. “I dinna ken, but please do.”
She could appreciate that. She didn’t likeher skills being questioned either. “I’ve been killing those thingsfor years. You have no experience in this. So, yeah, I’m worried.The same way you’d be worried if I went into battle with youagainst a rival clan.”
“’Tis sweet do you worry. ‘Tis mayhapinsulting,” he grumbled, “yet also sweet.”
“I mean no insult.”
“Aye. I ken that. ‘Tis why I dinna put youo’er my knee.”
“Over your knee?” Her introspective moodseemingly shifted. “That’s kind of a hot mental image.”
“Hot?”
“Sexy.”
“Truly?” He shook his head. His wee wife wasalways full of surprises. “You wish for me to spank you like achild?”
She looked o’er her shoulder and grinned.“Yes I do. Like I said, that sounds very hot.”
He couldna help but chuckle. “Then so Ishall this verra eve.”
Veronica gazed at him and smiled. “I reallydo love you.”
Lachlan’s eyes softened. “And I really dolove you too.”
Later that eve he placed her o’er his kneeand spanked her soundly. His wife reacted like a wench driven madby passion. He fucked her so hard he dinna thinkhe’dbeable to walk the next morn much less she. But then, an hour later,he made sweet love to Veronica. Long, slow, and genuine loving.‘Twas wondrous. He fell asleep hoping she was already pregnant.
*****
Veronica’s sleep started out a bit fitfulthat night, worried as she was about tomorrow’s events. Maybe itreally was just the snow keeping Douglass and Cameron away, butdeep down inside she doubted it. Highlanders, especially warriors,were accustomed to training in the conditions outside much lessriding their horses from here to there.
Snuggling closer to Lachlan, she forced herthoughts to calm using meditation techniques Master Anjali hadtaught her while learning Kalari under her tutelage. It helped. Ittook a while, but eventually she succumbed to the restful slumbershe needed if she was to be useful to Lachlan tomorrow.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Their usual party of five set out for theCampbell holding a bit before dawn. Veronica didn’t bother wearinga bliaut this morning because, if worse came to worse, she didn’twant to run into any issues over cumbersome clothing. The heavyblack cloak she wore over herMatrixattire was burdensomeenough, but with the snow still falling it was a currentnecessity.
Victor had insisted upon joining her,Lachlan, Finn, and Ramsay on the journey despite Veronica’s wishesto the contrary. The entire reason she had traveled cross-countryfrom Los Angeles to Apple Creek had been to protect her brother.Now here he was putting himself in harm’s way in what could turnout to be an all too familiar situation. She didn’t speak to Victorfor a good hour into their ride.
“Come on, Nica,” he said, riding his ownhorse this time like she was. Luckily they had grown up in thecountry so both of them were great equestrians. They weren’t usedto riding for hours on end, but they’d make do. “You never knowwhat can happen. Maybe the virus underwent a metamorphosis justlike it did in the future or maybe it didn’t. I need to be there incase it did.”
“What will you do if it did?”
