Page 92 of Vision of a Highlander
Now that was the most sensible thing her friend had said all night. Reid laughed and then held out his hand.
“Would ye care to join me, my lady?”
“I think I would.”
She took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. He led her out of the great hall, but to her surprise didn’t head for the stairs to their room. Instead, he turned left, escorting her through the castle gates and onto the road that led down to the river bank. It was dark now but she could see a torch burning on the landing stage down by the pier.
“Where are we going?”
“Patience, love.”
There was a barking behind them and Bo and Whitefoot came haring after them padding by Reid’s side as they walked down the path to where the boats were tied up. Here, they found Captain Drummond waiting for them. Ah, so this is where he’d been.
He grinned at Reid and gave Abi a bow. “All is ready.”
“What’s ready?” Abi asked looking between the two men. “What have you two been up to?”
“My thanks,” Reid said to Drummond. “Keep the dogs here, will ye? They’ll try to follow if they can.”
Drummond nodded and took hold of the dogs’ collars as Reid led Abi down the jetty to where Drummond’s barge waited. Except it didn’t look like Drummond’s barge anymore. Gone were the piles of cargo and instead it had been decked out in garlands of flowers. Lanterns hung all the way around the railing, lighting the craft with a soft glow. In the center of the deck a pot-bellied stove had been set up, carefully laid on a bed of slate to reduce the risk of fire, and there were thick furs and rugs thrown over the deck.
“Oh my,” Abi said, taking it all in. “It’s beautiful.”
“And it’s ours,” Reid said. “For tonight at least. Drummond will want it back tomorrow.”
He took her hand and led her on deck. She settled herself by the stove and Reid threw a thick rug around her shoulders. He cast off, pushing the barge into the middle of the river where he let it drift with the gentle current. He came and sat beside her, putting an arm around her.
For a while, they just floated and Abi was content to sit there in her husband’s arms, listening to the sounds of the river and watching the stars gliding by in the sky above.
“What are ye thinking, love,” he said at last.
“I was thinking how far we’ve come,” she replied. “From the first time we met and you set your dogs on me.”
She felt him wince. “Aye, not the most auspicious of meetings. Still, it will be a tale to tell the grandchildren.”
She turned to look at him. “Oh, going to have grandchildren are we?”
“Of course we are. Who else will look after us in our dotage?”
The thought of growing old with Reid sent a warm wave of contentment through Abi. Around them, the river gurgled softly as the barge slowly drifted. The last time she’d been on this boat she’d been fleeing for her life. How things had changed. Yes, they’d come so far, further than she could have imagined.
She smiled at him. “To have grandchildren we’d need to have children first. And there are certain things you need to do to make that happen.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Whatever do ye mean by that, my lady?”
“I mean this,” she said, kissing the end of his nose. “And this,” kissing his forehead. “And this.” She kissed him on the lips.
Reid’s hand cupped the back of her head. “Oh, is that what ye mean?” he said. “Perhaps ye ought to explain it again.”
So she did just that. Scooting closer so she was sitting in his lap facing him, she put her arms around his neck, wrapped her legs around his hips and kissed him, kissed him like her life depended on it. God, it felt so good.Hefelt so good. His lips on hers, his hands on her back, the bulge of his erection that pressed through his plaid. He was everything she wanted. Everything she needed.
She grabbed his tunic and pulled him down on top of her. They had a whole new life waiting, a whole new set of adventures and challenges. But they had this night first, their wedding night.
And Abi planned on making it an adventure in itself.
THE END
