“I feel good,” she breathed.
Lachlan squeezed her softly. “Good. I feel the same.”
She tilted her head back just enough to look up at him. His dark hair was disheveled, falling onto his forehead, making him look younger. Less like the fearsome Laird and more like… just a man.
My man.
The thought made her heart flutter.
“What’s on yer mind?” Lachlan asked, his thumb brushing across her cheekbone.
“You,” Marian said honestly.
His lips curled into a small smile. “Aye? And what about me?”
“That you’re…” She paused, searching for the right words. “Different from what I expected.”
“Different how?”
“Gentler,” she replied. “When we first met, I thought you were the most stubborn, infuriating man I’d ever encountered.”
“And now?”
“Now, I know you’re the most stubborn, infuriating man I’ve ever encountered,” she said, her lips twitching. “But you’re also kind. And protective. And…”
“And…?” His tone was flat, but she could see through him. He was enjoying this.
She let out a small, breathless laugh.
He propped himself up slightly, looking down at her with raised eyebrows. “What’s funny,Sassenach?”
“I just…” She shook her head, still smiling. “I never imagined my first time would be in a Highland castle, with a warrior who proposed to me over a dead body.”
Lachlan’s lips twitched. “Are ye sayin’ ye didnae enjoy it?” he asked. “Yer first time?”
Marian’s face instantly turned a shade of red.
Lachlan leaned back down. “Have ye lost yer tongue?”
Marian looked at him. She had no intention of answering his question, but she enjoyed the smug look on his face.
“How did you get that scar?” she asked, pointing to his forehead.
He clicked his tongue. “Nay.” He slid a hand under his head. “I am nae tellin’ all me secrets to an English lass.”
Marian frowned, feigning annoyance. “Well, I may soon have one myself, Highlander,” she said, pointing at the wound on her temple. “Do you think it’ll make a fine scar?”
Lachlan sprang up immediately, a deep frown twisting his face. “I’ll kill Edmund twice,” he sneered, his jaw tightening as though the scar had already formed.
Marian burst into soft laughter, tapping his chest gently, and soon he was smiling again. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her temple.
When they finally settled back in bed, Marian placed her head on his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heart. The fire had burned down to embers overnight, but the room was still warm. Comfortable.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then, Lachlan shifted slightly, looking down at her.
“Ye didnae answer me question yet,” he murmured.
Marian immediately knew what he was talking about. She stayed quiet for a moment, though she did not have to think about it. She already had her answer.
