Page 45 of The Highland Heir

Remembering at the last moment what he’d beentold about spending his seed in a woman, he pulled from Ella’sbody, despite his desire to let go deeper inside her, as wasnatural.

Spending on the blanket next to them seemedwrong. But it was the best he could do to protect her, and he wouldalways protect Ella.

For all his strength, he was suddenly weakand slumped next to her, his head resting on her chest, where hecould hear the hammering of her heart.

He was sure his own heart raced in the sameway. He’d never felt anything so wonderful. He’d seen to his ownpleasure countless times, but it was so different with a warmwoman. The way she moved, the sounds she made. The way shesmelled.

He finally understood why the warriors spentmost of their time talking of it.

As their bodies calmed, she reached up andran her fingers through his hair. It was nearly as wonderful beingheld and caressed as it was being inside her.

Maybe not, but at this moment when he couldbarely move, he was happy to just lie there with the sun warminghis bare back as she touched him.

But as their hearts slowed and theirbreathing returned to normal, he began to wonder what would happennext.

They always made plans. They knew when andwhere they would meet when they set out on an adventure. This wasnew and unexpected.

But mayhap it shouldn’t have been such asurprise. All their lives seemed to lead them to this moment.Whatever this moment turned out to be.

Except he knew what it could never be. Itcouldn’t be their future.

In a few months, he would marry another, andonce he gave his word to be faithful to his wife, he would be. Nomatter how much he wanted Ella.

They couldn’t be together.

*

Ella and Kieran had never been so closebefore. They had rarely touched, and never like this. Casualbrushes of their fingers as they passed things back and forth.Occasional touches when they shared a bench or log and their hipswould meet for a moment until they adjusted.

“I can’t think of the last time anyone hastouched me,” he said as if he’d heard her thoughts. He liked totease her when she seemed to read his mind, but if she was a witch,he was able to do the same kind of magic himself.

She considered his words while her fingerscontinued to brush through his soft black hair.

“I guess I take such things for granted. Myda has always given me hugs or patted my head affectionately.”

“I like this,” he said, settling againsther.

She liked it as well, but she imagined it wasdifferent for him, being starved for any kind of affection from afather who seemed incapable of loving this dear person.

“I’m sorry your father treats you the way hedoes.” How many times had she said those words over the years?

She wished she could hate the laird for thepain he’d caused his son, but deep down she knew the older manacted out of his own pain. It didn’t make it right. But it madeElla hurt for them both. For the way they might have been able toheal one another if only they could see past their heartache andfear.

Kieran shrugged off her concern, but shedidn’t let it go. Her friend saw himself as lacking, and she neverwanted him to believe it. It wasn’t true.

“For all it isn’t right, you might even bebetter off for it. For you’ve become a fine man, Kier. A good man.A kind man.”

He raised his head and looked at her. Thesilence between them grew, their eyes locked on each other.

Once again, she struggled to breathenormally.

And then in a movement as natural as theblink of an eye, he leaned forward and pressed his lips tohers.

Their dance began anew, but he rolled to pullher on top of him.

For a moment, she wondered why he would dosuch a thing, but when she felt his cock lurch under her in theplace where they would join, she realized it would be easy enoughto rise up enough to settle back down with him inside of her.

She did just that, thinking she was quiteclever, but then she realized she probably hadn’t been the first todiscover such a thing could work between bodies.