Page 66 of Desire of a Highlander

They’d told each other everything. He hadn’t realized until now how good it felt to finally be free. To be unburdened by secrets he’d tried so hard to hide.

She knew about Bryce and the feud between them. About the knife thrust into his own brother. About the shame that had driven him into exile. Even Faye didn’t know all of that.

But Elodie did.

She knew about the blood on his hands. About the guilt that drove him and his attempts to make up for all the things he’d done wrong in his life. And still she had looked him in the eye and told him she loved him.

“I dinna deserve ye,” he whispered.

“No,” came a sleepy voice. Elodie’s eyes opened lazily. “You deserve to stop saying that.”

“How long have ye been awake?”

She smiled drowsily. “Oh at least half a minute.”

She laughed, the sound low and warm, before pushing herself upright and stretching. The movement loosened her hair until it spilled around her shoulders. Ronan found himself staring. He couldn’t help himself. Her every movement seemed to mesmerize him.

He felt desire stirring to life in him again. He remembered the feel of her beneath him, the exquisite pleasure of being inside her. He wanted to feel that again. He wanted to make her feel it again.

“What are you going to do?” she asked him quietly.

He knew exactly what she was referring to and the question brought him crashing back down. He looked out across the glade instead of answering immediately.

“I’ve spent years believing I could hide,” he said at last. “Faye is right. The Steading has protected us. But it canna protect us any longer.”

He turned and met her gaze. “It’s time to go home.”

Elodie smiled. “Faye will be pleased.”

Despite everything, he laughed. “Aye. She’ll love being proven right.”

Elodie’s smile faded. “But how do you go about reclaiming your lands?”

Ah, that was the question, wasn’t it? “I’ll speak to Bryce. Make him see sense.”

“And if he doesn’t? See sense, I mean?”

He was silent for a long moment. He would be lucky if his brother didn’t shoot him on sight. Yet he let none of his worry show on his face. He would find a way. He had to.

He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “I’ll figure it out.”

Elodie took his hand. “We’ll figure it out.”

God, he loved her. He loved everything about her, from her quiet strength to her determination, to her wry sense of humor and strange way of speaking.

He curled his fingers through hers. “Aye, we’ll figure it out. Mayhap we should be getting back, before someone finds us like this.”

Elodie blushed, suddenly seeming to realize she was naked. “Oh God! Quickly, pass me my clothes will you?”

Ronan laughed and did just that. Elodie quickly scrambled into them and Ronan followed her example a bit more slowly.

She brushed the bits of grass and twigs from her dress and sighed. “There’s a saying where I come from that seems apt. It’s time to go and face the music.”

Ronan snorted. “There’s a saying where I’m from too. It’s time to go and stick our finger in a hornet’s nest.”

Elodie laughed. “Very appropriate.”

Ronan couldn’t help pulling Elodie in for a long, slow kiss before they turned and made their slow way back towards the Steading.