The Highlander's Bride(82)
Her cheeks had been flushed like that early this morning, he recalled, when she woke him with an exploring hand. Their mating was slow and lazy, as it had been since the night they first made love. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. One touch and passion was sparked.
Sara could be a tempest or an angel when it came to passion, and he liked the vast opposites in her. It made for never-ending pleasure and satisfaction more potent than he’d ever imagined.
He bent his head with a shake. Another thought that irritated him. Making love with Alaina had been beautiful. Making love with Sara was memorable. How did he rationalize both, or did he need to?
“That scowl tells me something troubles you,” Sara said, stopping in front of him.
He reached out and tugged her between his legs, his arms snaking around her bottom. “I forgot to tell you how beautiful you were today.”
She shoved away from him. “That certainly isn’t going to help us.”
He stared at her, empty arms extended.
“Play dumb,” she snapped. “And don’t talk to me until you apologize.” She stomped off mumbling to herself.
He stared after her, confused, and then it dawned on him. She had reminded him just this morning that they best begin the demise of their marriage. Their agreement had been fulfilled and it was time.
He, however, wanted more time, though he knew that wasn’t possible. The longer he remained, the more dangerous it could be for him and his son and the McHern clan if he were found with them.
The thought annoyed him, and he stood and went after his wife.
“I want to talk with you,” he said, grabbing her arm.
She yanked it out of his grasp. “Not now.”
Cullen grinned, and in one swoop he lifted her off her feet and tossed her over his shoulder. He whacked her backside once and said, “Now we talk.”
He wasn’t surprised when her only retaliation was to spew some venomous words his way. She probably was pleased with the attention-getting scene, and sure enough when he deposited her a safe distance in the woods away from curious eyes, she was smiling.
“That was perfect.” She adjusted her dark blue shawl and pushed ringlets of hair away from her eyes. “A few more like that and the villagers will be gossiping up a storm.”
“I don’t like fighting with you,” he said honestly.
She reached out, her fingers lightly stroking his palm before her fingers locked around his. “It is necessary.”
“Is it?”
“What else are we to do?” she asked as if she looked to him for a different solution.
He brought their entwined hands to his mouth and kissed each of her fingers before answering. “I don’t know, but I don’t feel comfortable with it this way. I don’t wish to fight with you whether real or merely play. It doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel like something we would do.”
“It does feel strange,” she admitted. “But you need to leave soon.”
He slipped his arm around her waist. “I could go away due to a family matter, and you could receive a message a week or so later that I perished in an accident.”
She shook her head. “That would leave me a widow, able to wed again, which my father would expect of me eventually.”
He couldn’t bring himself to suggest that it would give her more time to find a good husband. The thought of another man touching her angered him and made him pause to think of the quandary he was in, and with little time to do much about it.
“I could just disappear,” he snapped.
“For what reason? My father would search for you and could very well discover the truth. If he merely believes my actions sent you running, he’d leave it alone, not wanting to embarrass the clan.”
She made sense; she always made sense, which didn’t make things any easier. But who had made the situation more difficult? He had, he thought, with his confused feelings. Had he remained firm to their agreement and simply done it without involving himself with her, none of this would be an issue.
That, however, hadn’t happened. He was very much involved with her, and wanted to remain involved with her. Even now he wanted to rush her to the cottage and make love with her and forget their problems, just feed their passion.
“We must stay the course and see it through,” she said softly and not at all convincingly.
“Let’s go see my son,” he said. It was the one place they could be themselves, and right now he wanted them to be themselves. No fights. No talk of separating. Just Sara, Alexander, and him. Her sister more often than not left them alone.
Sara smiled. “He’s such a joyful lad and has grown attached to you, but then you spend much time with him. He will go easily with you when the time comes.”