They hadn’t wavered like she thought they would. “We need tae take it tae a vote,” she called out. “All those in favor of working with the new laird of the McPearson clan, raise yer hands.”
One by one, a few raised their hands until over half of the room was in favor of Irvine’s plan.
“All opposed?” she asked. The rest of the hands shot up but even after a careful count, it wasn’t enough to not move forward. “We will leave in the morning then,” she finished, feeling some pride that she had decided all this without her father. “And bring back our leader.”
There was a chorus of ayes, and Bridget couldn’t help but glance over at Irvine, a smirk on her face. They had done it. They had garnered the support he needed.
She just hoped she hadn’t made a mistake in trusting him again.
A bit later she, approached the hut that Irvine and Malcolm were staying in, knocking softly on the door. It opened immediately, and Bridget found herself staring into Irvine’s eyes.
“’Tis cold out there, lass,” he said softly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Wot are ye doing, Bridget?”
“Can I come in?” she asked instead, her teeth chattering. She had gone to her hut but found the silence deafening, and it made her miss her father even more.
She didn’t want to be alone.
Irvine moved aside, and Bridget walked in, her eyes growing accustomed to the darkness that greeted her.
“Where is Malcolm?” she asked, seeing that he was alone.
“First watch,” Irvine replied as he shut the door.
“Oh,” Bridget said, her cheeks heating. They were alone, and she was suddenly nervous as to what to do about it.
When Irvine closed the distance between them, she forced herself to meet his gaze. “Wot do ye want, lass?” he asked, placing his thumb under her chin.
Bridget drew in a breath, giving him the most honest answer she could. “I want tae forget, Irvine.”
He stilled. “I dinnae think that’s a good idea, lass.”
“I dinnae care,” she fought back, reaching out to grasp his forearm. “We nearly died today, Irvine, and had we done so, mah heart would have been saddened that I hadnae told ye that I care for ye.” She had wrestled with herself on what that meant and if she still cared for him like she had before she knew the truth about Irvine.
The truth was, his family’s name didn’t change the fact that she cared for him greatly. She wanted to care for him.
He was what mattered in her life, the future she had pictured before all this happened.
She still wanted that.
“Bridget...” He shuddered before his lips were covering hers.
Bridget gasped at the insistence of his kiss, finding herself meeting him thrust for thrust.
When the backs of her knees hit the narrow bed, she fell upon it, breaking their kiss.
“Look at ye,” he whispered as he knelt next to the bed. “Ye are lovely, lass, and I dinnae know if I deserve ye.”
“Ye do,” she said simply, reaching up to cup his cheek. “I dinnae care who ye are, Irvine. I only care aboot ye.”
He pressed a kiss into her palm before his hand brushed over her cheek, then to her shoulder.
“I’m dying tae touch ye, lass,” Irvine said roughly. “But I wilnae take yer innocence. Not now.”
Bridget’s breath caught as she heard the gravity of his words. He wasn’t going to do it now but in the future was what he was referring to.
“Show me wot ye will do,” she said boldly, wanting to feel his hands on her bare skin.
Irvine’s mouth worked, and his fingers found the laces at the front of her dress, pulling on them to free them from their confines. Bridget simply forgot to breathe as he loosened the laces until they were gaping open to bare her breasts to him. She helped him push the material away from her shoulders, flushing under his intense gaze.
