Highlander's Heart (Clan Matheson #2)

“Tell me what’s going on in your mind.” He continued to circle her.

“While I’m betrothed to another, naught can happen between us. I willnae be disloyal to the man I’ve agreed to wed.”

“I applaud your loyalty, only you’re giving it to the wrong man. Yours is a betrothal that needs to end, my challenging mate, and soon. I certainly won’t walk away from you simply because you’re not willing to take a risk and accept the mated bond.”

“This has all happened so suddenly, and I have Donnan to consider, as well as you, and my entire clan.”

“You will decline the betrothal agreement with Donnan MacDonald, because I’ll never sit idly by knowing you’re about to wed another man.”

“I’m supposed to speak vows with Donnan afore the week’s end.” Stupid full moon. How she wished she could go back into hiding from him so she needn’t be forced to bring such dishonor to her clan by breaking her oath. “You’re asking me to choose you and forsake my duty.”

“What of your duty to me?” Hands on his hips, he halted and eyed her.

“I didnae have a duty to you until that silly moon rose this night.” Huffing, she brushed past him and paced the beach.

“That I can agree with, but now you do.” He caught her hand as she made her next pass and brought her fingers to his lips, nibbled on the tips.

“It willnae be easy for me to break the betrothal, Tor.”

“I’ll make it easier by speaking to Donnan on your behalf.” He leaned in, his nose a mere inch from hers and his wet hair curling damply around his shoulders. “Don’t cast me aside.”

Cast aside?

Dinnae cast aside that which is freely given, for your happiness is all I seek.

Nessa’s words reverberated through her mind and she gasped, clutched a hand to her mouth.

“What is it?” Tor demanded.

“’Tis a firm answer to a question from my godmother’s prophecy.” The bond was freely given and Nessa had told her not to cast it aside. So too she’d said, Always look to your heart, and trust only the man to whom you truly desire.

Who did she truly desire? Donnan was a man who could never steal her heart, nor bring her a lifetime of pain should she ever lose him in a battle. Losing Tor would cripple her. He held the other half of her soul, just as she now held the other half of his. Desire him, she already did, had for some weeks, not that she’d allowed herself to acknowledge it until this moment. She’d pushed those feelings deep down, told herself she found him intriguing and naught else. What a lie. Every time he’d been near, it had been impossible not to touch him in some way, and so too he’d been as free with his affections as she had been with hers. Little touches here and there. Whispered conversations during the evening meal in the great hall. Walks in the forest or along the shoreline once the sun had set and the moon had risen. She’d missed him these past three days, wished only for him to return from the village. In a way, it had hurt that he’d even left. Stupid, dratted bond. ’Twas an impossible thing, only she’d been overlooking what was right before her eyes and now she no longer could.

Shoulders slumped, she gave into the truth, squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head. “I’m sorry, Tor. I’ve been ignoring what was right before my eyes and shouldnae have.”

“You’re not the only one. So have I.” He leaned in, touched his forehead to hers. “I’ve been driven toward you time and time again since my arrival but because of your betrothal, I’ve kept myself from accepting what was right before my eyes. Now I no longer can. The full moon doesn’t lie, and neither does the truth I see so glaringly well now. You are my chosen one. Allow me to court you, Layla, to show you the truth within my heart. There is no woman I would rather have at my side than you. I’d also like to ask that you spend this night with me, right here in this cavern, just the two of us. We need the time together. Only us.”

Could she? Should she? The answer came to her lips before she could hold it back. “Aye, but no kissing.”

“You strike a hard bargain, but I agree, although if you change your mind on that count, then tell me. Immediately.” He stepped away from her, collected his pants, flapped the sand from the leather, shoved his long muscled legs into each pant leg and fastened the ties at his waist.

“Are you going somewhere?” He couldn’t leave now, not after all they’d discovered.

“Only to hunt our evening meal. I promise I won’t be long.” He swept up his sword belt, nabbed a cherry from the basket which he pocketed and strode past her barefoot. As he reached the entrance to the tunnel, with her mind alone she rolled one of the larger rocks from near it underneath the high lip and he bounded onto the rock, jumped into the passageway and over his shoulder, smiled at her. “Thank you, and stay here. Don’t move an inch.”

“I’ll be waiting.” She rested back against the rock wall at her back and softly sighed.