Page 55 of Claimed By a Savage Scot
Replete with a languorous contentment, with a feeling of security she had never thought to feel, she nestled beneath his strong, encircling arm and laid her head on his chest.
Breathing in his musky scent, the dark springy hairs tickling her nose, she listened to his slowing heartbeat, reveling in the heat of their mingled juices lying slick between her thighs as their sweat-soaked bodies gradually cooled.
She knew with certainty then that she could never love another.
But still, while she listened to his breathing slow, and she too drifted into slumber, the thought of Sinclair drawing ever nearer made her wonder uncertainly if the future she dreamed of sharing with the man she loved would ever come to pass.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Gently awakened by the early morning light creeping between the gaps in the curtains, Catriona stirred beneath the heavy blankets and smiled sleepily as she felt the warmth of Malcolm’s body beside her.
Opening her eyes, she saw he was already awake. Propped against the headboard, one arm behind his head, he was watching her quietly. The softness in his dark eyes made her heart flutter.
He had taken her on a sweet voyage into unknown pleasures that had changed her from a maiden into a woman—she could feel transformation in her body, heavy, languorous, sated, and slightly sore in places.
He had left her feeling fulfilled in ways she could never previously have dreamed of. He had roused a burning passion from deep within her that, even now, shocked her, for she had never known she possessed it. Looking up sleepily at hishandsome features and soft eyes, she knew she would never have enough of him.
However, beneath the tenderness she saw in his eyes, she glimpsed something else. Something was troubling him. Which, she supposed, with the danger and uncertainty surrounding them, was not surprising.
“Good mornin’,” she murmured, smiling up at him, silently resolving to find out what was on his mind and try to soothe his worry.
A faint answering smile touched his mouth. “Mornin’, bonnie lass.”
He bent and kissed her gently. Unlike the hungry desperation of the night before, this kiss was slow and careful, almost reverent. Catriona melted into it willingly, her fingers brushing over the hard planes of his bare chest.
But when he drew back, the worry remained upon his face in a tightness around his beautiful mouth and eyes.
Her smile faded slightly. “Malcolm, I can see somethin’s troublin’ ye. Will ye tell me what it is?”
Malcolm exhaled through his nose and looked away for a moment before returning his gaze to hers.
“What happened between us changes everythin’, Cat.”
A nervous flutter stirred low in her stomach.
He reached for her hand, threading his rough fingers through hers. “Duncan trusted me tae protect ye. I cannae pretend last night didnae happen, nor would I wish tae.” His darkly stubbled jaw tightened further. “I mean tae speak tae him properly and ask fer yer hand.”
For a moment, Catriona simply stared at him.
Marriage?
Her heart contracted. The word should have filled her with joy. And it did, in part. Yet another part of her tightened painfully.
She pushed herself upright, clutching the blanket to her chest. “Malcolm… I dinnae want ye tae marry me out of guilt.”
His brows furrowed immediately. “Guilt?”
“Aye.” She swallowed. “Honor. Duty. Duncan’s trust. All those things ye place above yer own happiness.” She searched his face anxiously, then dropped her gaze. “I dinnae want tae be another burden ye feel responsible fer carryin’.”
Pain flickered across his expression. “Cat,” he said quietly, “look at me.”
She raised her eyes to his.
“Ichooseye as me wife.”
The words struck her heart with fierce warmth.
He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss into her palm. “God help me, I’ve been choosin’ ye fer far longer than I wished tae admit and than ye ken. But I still owe Duncan honesty. He’s me closest friend. I’ll nae dishonor either of ye.”
