Page 45 of Highlander’s Beautiful Liar

At that, her heart plummeted. Of course. It was all just an act. She needed to remember that. Even if her feelings were growing for him, his were not.

Pulling herself back together, she busied herself with pulling two chairs up to the table while he poured two glasses of wine. The makeshift dinner table made, she sat down and forced a smile. “So tell me about the brush fires.”

“A child saw a few people just before the fires started, but he cannae say who they were or if they started the fires. ‘Tis a small village, so it could have been any of our patrols checking in or it could be arson. We need more guards,” he sighed as he buttered his roll.

“Can you ask your brother for some?”

“He has offered, but the Sinclairs have enemies as well, and I already took some of our best men with me. I must stand on my own. I know quite a few men left when Seth took over. I have tasked Kane with tracking them down.”

Cora brightened. Finally, something that she could do. “Mary’s brother is one of them. I’ll talk to her about getting in touch with him. I am sure they would want to work under you.”

“Ye have so much faith in me.”

Yes, she did. She believed in what he was doing here. She believed in his strength and leadership and his big heart.

Bloody hell, I am falling in love with my husband. It is getting a little embarrassing!

“I am your wife. I want to support you,” she said as she grabbed her wine and drank deeply from the cup.

“And apparently it makes ye thirsty.” He watched her with a chuckle. “I have been thinking about what ye said yesterday.”

When his voice lowered like that, all logic she had fled. She was certain she said quite a bit yesterday but she couldn’t quite fathom what he wanted to discuss.

“About our progression.”

Oh. She swallowed hard. “Yes. We maintain some civility, and...”

“Cora, I beg of ye not to finish that sentence,” he said. “I wilnae share ye, and I doona want anyone else. If ye want to talk about where we go from here, then ye need to understand that.”

A little relief swept through her. That was something at least. “I do not want anyone else, Alec. Only you.”

“Good. So then when we talk about progress, when we talk about the future, we talk about us. Together.”

Does he love me? She searched his face, those intense eyes, and wondered if there was maybe a spark of something for her, something that ran deeper than lust to win and lust for her.

“Together,” she agreed. Then she looked down at her plate. “Dinner looks delicious.”

“To hell with dinner,” he growled and pushed back his chair. Before she could ask him what he was doing, he’d pulled her up and sat her on the table, sending plates full of food and goblets full of wine crashing to the floor.

Want seared her, and she didn’t even mind or care of the mess that they were making. His heat, his need, surrounded her, and he gently tugged her braid, forcing her head back as he claimed her lips.

Hungry for his taste, she opened to him, drew in his tongue, accepted every stroke. Careful of his wound, she tugged at his shirt, wanting to feel his skin under her fingers.

“Ye want me, sweetheart?” he whispered as he let her open his shirt. His hands were busy pushing up the skirts of her dress, sliding over her sensitive thighs, coaxing out another moan.

“Always.” She always wanted him. In her arms. In her bed. By her side. Always. She missed him when he was gone, and she loved it when she saw him again.

His fingers found her wetness, and he stroked. “Ye can have me. Whenever ye want.” Withdrawing his fingers, much to her dismay, he gripped her ankles and pulled her to the edge of the table before he stepped between her legs.

She reached for the button of his trousers.

“Kilts,” she whispered as she fought with his buttons. “You really must wear kilts more often. All the time. With nothing underneath. That would make this much easier.”

“I will keep that in mind,” he laughed. Then he was free, warm, and pulsing in her hand.

The next thing she knew, he was inside her, and there was nothing else to say. She clutched at him, let him fill and stretch her, and the pleasure between them swept her away.

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