“Wot do ye wish tae marry for then?” he asked, his eyes searching hers.
“Love,” she said honestly. “Affection. Warmth.” There were all the things that she felt must be part of a marriage that was going to be wonderful, one like her parents had. Even her uncle had loved deeply, for him to be so consumed with the loss of his family that he was throwing away the rest of the days he had. That was the sort of love she wished for.
His gaze softened even more and he pressed his forehead to hers, the scent of rain and horseflesh all around them. “Och lass, how do ye know that isna wot I want as well?”
“But,” she said, her breathing coming in tiny gasps. “The alliance.”
“Is just one part of wot I want,” he interrupted her with a chuckle. “I never thought I could have it all, but when I am with ye, I feel like I can.”
Her heart exploded in her chest at his words, not believing what she was hearing come from his lips. He wanted it all and he believed he had found it in her.
Ian lifted his head and Ida saw the intensity in his eyes. She believed him. He wanted a marriage as she did.
“I’m going tae kiss ye lass,” he said softly, his breath on her cheek. “Like I have been dreaming of since I left ye last.”
Ida sucked in a breath as he lowered his head and their lips touched, a heat unlike she had ever known slicing through her body. She felt him nibble at the corner of her mouth and when she gasped softly, his tongue swept in, tangling with hers. For a moment she didn’t know what to do, but Ian took over, showing her how to move against his tongue, the lips melding together in a vicious tangle.
Ida had never been kissed before, but it was clear that she had been waiting all her days for the man standing before her.Somehow her hands reached out and grasped his tunic, pulling him against her until his hard planes were pressed into her soft body. She felt him chuckle but he didn’t break the kiss, his hands coming up to cup her face tenderly, as if he couldn’t get enough of her.
That was how she wanted to feel always.
It was beautiful. It crushed her. Ida never wanted to let go.
“Beautiful,” he murmured against her lips before taking her lower lip between his teeth and sucking.
Ida moaned, her stomach tightening. What else could he do to make her feel any differently than she was right then?
“Git yer filthy Wallace hands off her!”
They barely had time to break apart before uncle barreled into Ian’s midsection, causing them both to fall into the empty stall next to them. Ida cried out as the two men hit the floor, dust and hay flying into the air. “Uncle! Stop it!”
It was clear that Ian was trying to hold the old man back, uncle swinging at Ian’s head with his fists and Ida knew she had to do something. “Stop it!” she cried out again, grasping at uncle’s dirtied tunic. He was far too heavy for her to pull him off Ian and she stumbled back against the wood wall, hitting her head on the heavy slat.
“Ida!” Ian called out, finally succeeding in wrestling the old man into a position that he could hold him still. “Are ye alright lass?”
She rubbed the spot. “I’m fine.” It might be a little sore in the morning, but there was no bleeding.
“I’m going tae let ye up old man,” Ian was telling uncle, his jaw clenched. “But if ye hurt her, ye will deal with mah.”
Uncle just glared at Ian and when he let go of him, he scrambled to his feet, pointing a shaky finger at the laird. “Ye keep yer bloodstained hands off her!”
“Uncle,” Ida began but Ian silenced her with a look. What was he going to say to make this right?
“I have asked for yer niece’s hand,” Ian tried as uncle’s face mottled red with anger.
“Nay!” Uncle cried out, shaking his head. “She would never marry the likes of ye! She is a loyal lass tae her clan.”
His words tore through Ida and made her feel as if she might not have thought this through with Ian. She was a MacGregor and loyal to the clan, yet she had feelings for a Wallace, their sworn enemy. It mattered not that he wanted peace between the two clans. She had seen the way that Iris had struggled in her first few months of coming to their clan, how she had endured the looks of disdain as if they could see into her very soul. It hadn’t taken Ida long to realize that it wasn’t Iris that was the one in the wrong but the clan for judging her too harshly but it had taken her a year to win them over.
Had he really thought that she could just leave and bring her Wallace-hating uncle with her and all would be well?
“Ye are only after her tae break her,” uncle continued, his words cutting. “Ye canna marry her. I would rather have a sword ran through mah than tae watch that sickness happen!”
That was all that Ida needed to hear. Drawing in a tortured breath, she stepped between the two men, her eyes on Ian. “Ye need tae leave.”
“Ida,” he began, panic starting to set in on his handsome face. “Donna.”
She shook her head, tears clogging her throat. “This is wrong. We shouldna.”
