My Fair Lily(85)

Ashton had a wild gleam in his eyes. “Bastard! She’s mine! You can’t have her. No one ever will.” He fought with the madness of a wounded boar, but Ewan was stronger and barely able to contain his own mad rage. Ewan subdued him with relative ease, and then hauled him to his feet.

“I’ll kill you,” Ashton hissed at Lily, the venom in his voice startling Ewan. “You meant to ruin me, whispering your lies about me in the Duke of Lotheil’s ear.”

Lily struggled to her feet, hurt and confusion clearly reflected in her eyes. “I’d never do such a thing!”

Ewan supposed this was why he was so fond of her. She was generous and loving by nature, too innocent ever to feel malice, envy, or hatred toward anyone, even those who wished her ill.

“Ignore him, Lily. He’s out of his mind.” Ewan wanted to twist Ashton’s arm until it broke, anything to shut up the bastard.

“That’s right. Ignore me.” Ashton let out a crazed laugh. “I’ll still come after you. You’re mine. You’ll never make it out of Sparrow Hall alive.”

Ewan silenced him with a punch to the jaw that knocked him out cold. “Guard him, Jasper.”

Jasper crouched low and let out a soft, feral growl, ready to lunge at Ashton if he so much as batted an eyelid. The hairy lump had never obeyed so readily before, but he adored Lily and probably meant to show off to her.

With Ashton no longer a threat, Ewan turned to Lily. Was she hurt? How badly? He gazed into the beautiful blue depths of her eyes and saw fear and relief all muddled together. She was exhausted, had been crying. She was shivering. He shoved out of his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Och, lass. I’ve never been so glad to see anyone in all my life. It’s over. Let’s go home.”

He swept her into his arms, and as a tidal wave of relief washed over him, he lowered his lips to hers in a long, desperate kiss. She was safe. She was alive! It was a hard, possessive kiss. A Highlander’s kiss. Not at all gentle, but filled with ache and yearning. Not at all refined, just hot and roughly tender. His lips crushed against hers, teeth scraping and tongue delving into her soft, inviting mouth. Lord! He’d almost lost her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back just as fiercely. “I knew you’d find me. I never gave up hope.” Then she completely fell apart, sobbing against his shoulder, her sweet, perfect body heaving and shuddering with a heart-wrenching ache that tore him to pieces. Tears cascaded down her cheeks, and though she tried to say more, she couldn’t. Instead, she took in great gulps of air.

He held her close, kissed her again, gentle and messy, for Lily was crying and finally laughing, and he could taste her salty tears against his mouth. As much as he wished to hold on to this moment, he felt the whoosh of air around them, heard the light rain pattering against the leaves above them, and knew they had to get out of here. The trees would offer them some protection from the rain, but not for long. His boots sank into the moist underbrush that was already soaked from the earlier torrent. “Lily,” he said gently, though there was nothing gentle about his feelings for this slip of a girl.

She smiled at him, waiting for him to say something more. Her lips were blue, and her nose and ears were red from cold. Despite the warmth of his body against hers, she was still shivering. Her dark hair was damp and curling wildly over her shoulders, the effect enhanced by the leaves and a few twigs caught amid the long strands. She looked spectacular. “Lass, you’re a beautiful mess. And you’ve somehow turned my life upside down. I haven’t had a quiet moment since you walked into my life.”

She snuggled against his chest. “Oh, Ewan! I’m so sorry.”

He kissed her on the forehead. “Don’t be. Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Jasper let out a howl, a long wrooolf, wrooolf, as though to proclaim that meeting Lily was the best thing to ever happen to him as well.

“Quiet, ye looby,” Ewan said. “I know you love her. I—”

He stopped himself, realizing what he’d been about to say. Bollix. He couldn’t tell her, not here with that insane bastard lying unconscious at his feet and Bow Street runners chasing down the other culprits who’d abducted her.

No, whatever he planned to say to Lily would have to wait. And hell, he wasn’t sure what he would say to her. He’d figure it out once she was safely out of Ashton’s reach.

“I had Ashton’s report at home,” Lily said, her voice heartbreakingly soft. “I would have given it to him, let him put his name on it. I was willing to give him all the credit. Why did he take me captive? What could he gain by it?”