Alex woke a few hours later to see Robina bending over him. Her face swam in and out of focus for a few moments before he could see her properly.
“Thank God!” she breathed. “I thought you were going to die. Thank God my darling, for I could not live without you.”
“Robina...” His voice was rough and hoarse. “I did not expect to see you again!”
“What happened?” she asked, her voice breaking. Tears were pouring down her face and he tried to lift his hand to wipe them away, but he was stopped by a sharp pain in his forearm that shot all the way up to his shoulder. He looked down to see a thick bandage wrapped around and around his arm just above his wrist.
“I was ambushed,” he told her, wincing with the sting of his arm and a new ache that was throbbing in his head. “Eight riders all at once, and I thought that I had breathed my last. I dived into the middle of them and I think I killed two, but I knew they would come after me again.” He paused and screwed his eyes shut, then heard Robina ask someone for willow bark tea.
“Then the strangest thing happened,” he went on. “Another group of riders came from the opposite side, going so fast that I thought they were going to ride me down.
“I prepared to meet my maker, and I was determined not to go down without a fight, but they went straight past me at a tremendous speed and engaged the others in a fight to the death. They slaughtered them. I was afraid they were going to come back for me so I came home as fast as I could, and apparently I fainted, which is hardly a brave thing for a man to do.” He sighed.
Tears were running down Robina’s cheeks as she hugged him. “Your body may be big and strong,” she said softly, “but it is not invincible. Mistress McCallum says you have undergone some kind of shock caused by the wound on your arm and the terror of the attack. Oh, my love, what you must have suffered!” Her tears began to drip onto his nightshirt and he wiped them away with his right hand. She gave him a watery smile.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too,” she said through her sobs.
Just then, Mary McCallum came in with the tea, and both women helped Alex to sit up. “Milady, M'laird.” Mary shook her head indignantly. “This is a very bad business. I hope it doesnae mean we hae ootlaws here.”
Alex sighed. “We have guards. Our tenants do not, and they are vulnerable. We must make a plan for them.”
“You are right,” Robina said as she helped him to drink his tea, “but there is nothing you can do tonight, Alex.”
“Aye,” Mary agreed. “Ye need rest, M'laird. That is the body’s best medicine.”
“I can see I am outnumbered.” Alex sighed, smiling tiredly.
Robina rubbed her eyes. She had been sitting by Alex’s bedside all day, but was now so big in the stomach that she needed a few hours’ rest in the afternoon. However, she had none that day, and was exhausted.
“Come to bed with me,” he smiled. “You look as if you could sleep for a week.”
Robina, still fully dressed, climbed into bed, closed her eyes, and fell asleep instantly.
Mary tiptoed to the door then looked back and smiled, knowing that she would not be needed for a while. Alex had everything he needed in his arms.
After twelve hours’ sleep they were both ready to face the day again, but Alex wanted one more thing.
“I need to heal,” he said, trying and failing to look pitiful. “There is only one thing that can cure me.” His voice was a suggestive whisper, and Robina giggled as he pulled her closer.
“Let me guess,” she murmured. “Me?”
“Yes!” He kissed her deeply, thrusting his tongue into her mouth to tangle with hers. He helped her to take off her dress, then gazed at her breasts, now tender and full with her pregnancy, the enlarged nipples now a deep plum color. He found them, and even the mound of her belly, deeply arousing. When they made love now they lay side by side, because it was the most comfortable for Robina. Her desire for Alex had not lessened as she had been told that it would; if anything, it had grown more intense, as his had for her, and they were now enjoying each other more than ever before.
“You are mine forever,” she whispered as she kissed his Adam’s apple, a part of his body that she loved because it was so different from hers.
“Forever and always,” he echoed. He smiled as he eased into her, sighing with happiness.
She received him with the same joy, and it seemed that the baby did too, since it began a bout of vigorous kicking. They made love gently, with soft kisses and tender caresses, and when they came to fulfillment, for each of them it was like a gentle wave lapping onto a smooth shore.
“I suppose we had better get up,” Robina said sadly, rubbing her knuckles over his scratchy cheek. He caught her hand and kissed it, then brushed a strand of her hair from her face.
“I know,” he said sadly.
“How is your arm?” Robina asked anxiously. In the heat of passion she had forgotten it.
“Sore, but bearable,” he replied, getting out of bed. He stretched, showing her every inch of his perfectly sculpted body.
