“I do.”
“Then what do ye intend tae do?”
He looked at her, seeing how upset she was. “Nothing,” he said simply. “It seems I’ve been misled.”
Isadora wanted to believe him, but she was still shaken by the fact that he’d come into this agreement with ulterior motives. “Are ye telling me what I want tae hear or is it true?”
“It is true, Isadora,” he said sincerely. “I have been wrestling with the fact that I intended tae destroy everything ye loved and hoping that when it was over, ye could understand why. But Isuppose that deep down, I was resigned tae losing ye forever. But a man has tae do what he feels is right, even at the risk of a love he would never find again, not with anyone. I suppose what I’m saying is that I was wrong. I was hating the wrong people.”
Isadora could see his honesty. Perhaps he’d kept a horrible secret from her, but when confronted, he’d confessed without hesitation. He could have lied to her, but he hadn’t. That spoke well for the man’s character. Beneath the torment and vengeance, he was still her Cam.
She still had faith in him.
“I believe ye,” she whispered.
“I’ll work hard for ye, I swear it. And I do love ye. More than ye know.”
She believed him. Foolishly, perhaps, but she did. She was willing to believe in that sweet, gentle smithy before grief had poisoned him.
“I willna tell my da about yer motives,” she said. “But ye had better mean what ye say or I swear, I’ll kill ye myself before I let ye destroy my people.”
“I know. But ye dunna have tae worry.”
The rules were established. The trust had not been broken between them, but perhaps in some odd way, it was strengthened and the love they felt for one another had deepened. He’d been truthful with her, in everything, and Isadora understood the turmoil he’d tried so hard to deal with alone.
But he wasn’t alone, any longer.
Neither was she.
As Isadora watched, Cam stood up from his bed and made his way to her. She found herself gazing up into his face as he reached up, touching her hair, her face, running a hand down her arm until he came to the bracelet he’d made for her. It hadbecome a part of her, just as he was. Lifting her arm, he kissed the bracelet.
“Thu fhèin,” he whispered. “Only ye, Is.”
The sweetest words Isadora had ever heard.
Cam’s lips slanted over her soft mouth in an excruciatingly delicious kiss. Somewhere in the process, his powerful arms wrapped around her, pulling her tightly against him. He ended up squeezing her so hard that she grunted as he forced the air out of her lungs.
Isadora responded with abandon.
Her arms wrapped around his neck, nearly pulling him over. After he regained his balance, he lifted her up and carried her over to his mussed pallet. He went down on his knees, taking her with him.
Isadora was dressed in a cloak, a tunic, and braies, but the cloak came off and was tossed onto the ground. That left the tunic and braies, and Cam’s hands were cupping her head, holding her mouth to his while he worked her over savagely. As she surrendered to him, his arms went around her again and he laid her upon the bed, covering her up with his powerful form.
Isadora closed her eyes, savoring the sensations. His mouth moved to her collarbone and the ties at the top of her tunic were loosened. Isadora could feel him fumbling with and she moved to help him, eager for the man to touch her again. When he pulled the tunic free, exposing her nude form beneath, his mouth clamped down on a tender nipple.
He feasted.
Isadora gave herself over to him completely. The man was suckling on her breasts, dragging his tongue over them. She put her hands up, running her fingers over the dampness on her flesh, gingerly touching a nipple only to realize it was completely wet from his mouth. It was wicked and wanton. She let him doas he wished as he removed her from her braies and removed his own clothing.
Heated flesh against heated flesh had Isadora going wild with need. Her hands moved down the man’s body, his naked buttocks, and she parted her legs to accommodate his bulk. Her body was quivering with desire and he thrust into her warm, wet folds, filling her as only he was capable of doing.
Isadora wrapped her legs around him, holding him tightly against her, as he began to move.
The primal mating call was strong between them. Isadora was aggressive in all aspects of her life and this was to be no exception. She was so very new to this, but she knew what she liked, what made her feel good, and in the heat of their lovemaking, Cam ended up on his back with Isadora on top of him, straddling his pelvis. She was awkward as she impaled herself upon him, but she was led by her overwhelming desire for the man. The more she rolled her pelvis against his, the more adept she became.
The better it felt.
Isadora reached her release quickly that way, with Cam taking his pleasure alongside her. Spent, and exhausted, she collapsed on top of him as his hands gently stroked her, telling her more than words ever could how much he loved her. All of the tumult and deceit, honesty and pain, had given her the answer to her question.
