“Y-you love me?”
“Aye, woman, mayhap from the first moment I saw you twirling in place with your eyes closed and the sweetness of your laughter filling the air.Forgive me.I’ve given you so little cause for happiness—”
“Non, Conall, you holding me brings me happiness!Your love…” Lisette found she could no longer speak for the emotion overwhelming her, her heartbeat drumming in her ears.She might have stood frozen a moment before, but now she could not hug him closely enough as he found her mouth with a kiss that stole her breath.
Tender and yet achingly fierce as if pouring out the emotion that seemed to grip him, too.He held her as fiercely, locking her within an embrace so tight that she felt the rampant beating of his heart against her breast.
She could have remained there forever, moonlight spilling around them, his kiss making her lightheaded with elation, her knees gone weak.He must have felt her falter for she was suddenly swept from her feet, Lisette gasping.
An instant later and she was lying upon the bed and staring wide-eyed at Conall, who had stepped away to hastily strip in front of her.
A sword belt thunked to the floor, followed by the heavy thud of his boots.
A breacan went flying to land upon a chair.
A tunic was hauled over his head to reveal a masculine form so powerful, so beautiful to behold, that Lisette gasped again…feeling giddy at the intensity of his eyes upon her.
Not the deep vibrant blue that could make her breath catch whenever he looked at her, but darkened in the firelight to almost black.
He stood fully naked now, his body so formidable from the breadth of his shoulders to the tapering of his hips and his thighs thick with muscle.A single stride brought him back to the bed while Lisette could but sink against the pillows and watch him in wonder.
“It’s been too long, wife…too long.”
She knew he meant the night they had consummated their marriage, but she had little time to think further upon it at all when Conall climbed onto the bed and blanketed her with his body.
The weight of him pressed her into the mattress.
The warmth of him through her nightgown made her shiver with anticipation.
She sucked in her breath and closed her eyes, awaiting his knee spreading her legs apart…only to hear a low chuckle as Conall shifted his weight and raised himself on his elbows.
“Open your eyes, sweet Lisette.”
She did, giggling now, too, at the teasing smile that greeted her and made her heart leap and flutter.
She had never seen him look at her thusly, a playful side of Conall she had not known until that moment.
He looked younger to her in the firelight as if a great burden had been lifted from him, Lisette sending a prayer of thanks for the priest who had encouraged him to look to the future—their future!She felt as if she were witnessing another miracle as Conall chuckled even more deeply, his smile broadening, and then he rolled with her onto his back so suddenly that she cried out in surprise.
Yet an instant later and she giggled, too, his lightheartedness infectious as she gazed down at him and swept aside an unruly shock of black hair from his forehead.
“If I’d known Highlanders were so handsome, I would have prayed to come to Scotland sooner.”
“Highlanders?”he teased back, the husky rumble of his voice giving her shivers.“Or one Highlander…”
“Ah, Conall…only one.You.”Lisette had sobered just as he had, his gaze grown serious as he reached up to twirl a lock of her hair around his finger.
“I dinna wish tae press you, lass…but do you think mayhap one day you might love me, too?”
Lisette stilled atop him, so dumbstruck that she didn’t answer, her heart stuck in her throat.
Did he not know?Could he not see?Conall had sounded so hopeful and even uncertain of what she might say, which made her stare at him in utter astonishment.
“Och, forgive me for asking—it was foolish of me.Of course it will take you some time.We’ve known each other for no more than two weeks, though I would swear from how you look at me…”
He fell silent, cradling her face now with a hand that felt callused and rough.A strong hand that had wielded a sword in countless battles, only to touch her now with such tenderness, Lisette felt tears well in her eyes.
“Oh, Conall, I—”
