“Who’s rude?” he replied with achuckle.
That did it! It was simply the lastthing she could handle. “Did you command your first wife around so? Did youdemand she ride a horse until she was so exhausted she could hardly keep her eyesopen?”
“Nay,” he said quietly. “She was agentle creature. Ye are different.”
“Is that praise or condemnation?”she asked, utterly perplexed and angry with herself for bringing up the subjectof his deceased wife when she knew it pained him.
“Praise, Sassenach,” he replied,his tone soothing.
All the anger rushed out of herwith the air she blew from her lungs. An absurd sense of happiness filled her,and she decided to somehow keep herself on the horse, upright and silent, toprove to him she was worthy of his admiration. Admiration was a stepping-stoneto respect, and from there, who knew what the future could hold for them.
Hours later, as night was falling, they crossed intoMacLean territory and Iain finally relaxed. He was good friends with theMacLean laird, Alex, and their clans were at peace. Iain slowed his horse to awalk as they climbed a steep path, and he inhaled deeply and appreciatively ofthe fresh air. He silently signaled to Rory Mac and Angus to stop. Angusglowered in return. Iain didn’t know if it was because the older MacLeod hadbeen squashed on his horse with Neil for most the day or if it was because theman had been listening to Iain’s exchange with Marion.
It wasn’t long before he found out,though. After he carefully gathered a snoring Marion into his arms anddismounted Olaf, he caught Rory Mac’s eye and then inclined his head towardAngus and Neil, the latter of whom was awake but had a stark-white face andsweat-dampened brow.
“Gather wood and ready a place torest. I’ll be back to help in a bit,” Iain said as he gazed off toward theriver in the distance and the thick trees where Marion could have some privacy.
Rory Mac nodded, but Angusdismounted faster than Iain would have thought the man capable of moving. Thesurly old Scot stalked toward Iain, and agitation rippled through him. He wastoo damn tired to exchange words, but it appeared unavoidable.
“Ye dunnae deserve her,” the Scotaccused.
Iain refused to take offense. Angusclearly thought of Marion as his own kin.
“Maybe I dunnae,” Iain said, “butshe’s mine now.”
Angus shook his head. “Ye’re ayoung fool if ye think that. She may be yers by marriage, but ye’ll neverpossess her body and soul until ye open yer heart te her.”
Iain clenched his teeth. “I dunnaewant a lesson from ye on these matters. Ye forget I’m yer laird.”
“I dunnae forget at all,” the manwhispered fiercely. “I ken ye’re the laird and that ye are due my respectbecause of it, and I ken I risk chastisement talking to ye so.”
“I chastise no man for his opinion,Angus. But dunnae lecture me. Now if ye’ll excuse me.” Iain didn’t wait for ananswer. He turned away, taking care not to let Marion’s head flop back. Heleaned her cheek against his chest and walked over to the stream in thedistance. He didn’t look back to see if Rory Mac and Angus were seeing to thehorses and gathering wood.
They knew what to do, and in truth,he could not look away from Marion’s face. Her beauty took his breath. Awake,she was a fiery fairy. A force, to be sure. One minute angry and the nextsmiling. Defiant. Belligerent. Brave. And possessing a kind heart. He loweredthem both carefully to the grass, setting her in his lap as he leaned againstthe tree. She stirred a bit but didn’t wake. Her hand came to rest by her cheek,over his heart.
As the cold from the ground seepedinto his skin, he worried she might get a chill. As carefully as he couldmanage, he moved her forward with one hand, and with the other, he took off hisplaid, now dry from the day’s ride, and laid it over her. Then he tucked itaround her legs and under her chin until only her lovely pale face showed. Thenslowly, ever so slowly, he lowered his head to hers and listened to her deep,measured breaths.
Her breaths held the ease of goodhealth. Relief made him sag a bit. He was a fool. He’d told himself he’d notcare for her at all, but the moment he’d said his vows in the chapel and she’dsaid hers, he’d felt an undeniable connection to her, as if an invisible ropebound them to each other.
He stared down at her dark lashes,which fanned her pale cheeks, and he traced a finger over the slope of onedelicate cheekbone. She shivered in her sleep but did not awaken. He’d notwanted another wife but now he had one. The only way to move forward was withcare. He’d seen the distressed look in her eyes when he’d told her that he’dnever love her. She was his wife now and he didn’t want to hurt her, yet he wasafraid he would. His past had left scars on him.
Tiredness made his thoughtsunclear, and he closed his eyes to rest.
Dreams haunted his sleep as always,but this time, Marion joined Catriona in his dreams. He was in a thick forest,searching for someone who was calling to him in desperation, as he often did.The woman turned out to be Marion instead of Catriona, though, and he awokewith a jolt.
When he opened his eyes, Marion’sface was inches from his and she was studying him. He shifted his weight, andshe wiggled her bottom. His reaction to his wife was instant and painful. Hewanted her so.
Her eyes grew wide, and shescrambled off his lap and to her knees beside him. She looked beguiling as shepulled his plaid around her and her wild hair tumbled around her face.
A sharp yearning to feel herbeneath him grew stronger. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that heneeded to be slow and gentle. She would likely be afraid at first, never havingbeen with a man, and he would likely be a bit crazed, as it had been a verylong timesincehe’d touched a woman.The year before Catriona had died, their joining had stopped when she’d becomeso weak. The idea of taking another woman had repelled him—until Marion.
He cleared his throat, realizingshe was still staring at him. “Why are ye studying me?”
She pressed her small hands to herknees. “I am trying to understand you.”
“And have ye succeeded?”
She shook her head. “No. Youconfuse me. You’ve ordered me about since I met you, and not once did youconsider my needs on the road, but when you did stop, you apparently held me inyour arms so I could sleep and wrapped me in your plaid to keep me warm. So Iknow youarecapable of being mindful of me.”
