“Wait.” She lifted her hands.
“Running from me isnae acceptable.” He stopped in front of her, unfastened his sword belt and set it aside, kicked off his boots and heaved his white tunic over his head. In naught but his kilt, the front tenting something wicked, he murmured, “I love you.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, I love you, infuriatingly so.” He pressed her back against the door then with his hands planted on the paneled wood either side of her head, he leaned in and touched his forehead to hers. In the softest whisper, he murmured, “I’ve broken my betrothal agreement and right now I intend on speaking handfast vows with you. Will you do me the great honor of marrying me, my fiery empath?”
“What?” She swayed and he pressed his body firmer against hers, his cock jabbing through his plaid and stabbing into her belly.
“None can ever learn of our relationship outside of this keep, no’ until after John has secured another betrothal for his daughter, but he shall do so quickly. I’ve no doubt about that.”
“I—I—”
“John’s agreed we’ll speak again and discuss other ways of strengthening our allied bonds.”
“But—”
“I’ll begin with our vows.”
“Wait.” Shock swarmed through her. “I love you too.”
“I want a full joining, to complete our bond in every way, and I want it now.”
“You truly believe there’s now a bond?” For so long he’d denied it, and she needed to hear him say he believed her one more time.
“I believe you. There is a bond, and I promise to apologize every day for ever disagreeing with you, as well as to find interesting ways in which to make those apologies.” He pushed her cloak from her shoulders, unlaced her bodice’s front stays and tugged the blue velvet of her sleeves down her arms. Then with a quick pull at her waist, the fabric whooshed to her feet.
She stood in naught but her shift, and never had anything ever felt so right. “I must be dreaming.”
“There’ll be no more dreaming for either of us. This is real, and neither shall we be leaving these chambers until I’ve ravaged you senseless.”
“That hardly sounded like a threat if that was your intention.”
“’Tis time for that ravaging to begin, right now.” With painstaking slowness, he grazed one finger from between her breasts to her belly, his sensual touch making her blood heat and a heady warmth flutter to life in her core.
“I really love how you touch me, Coll.”
“I’m going to come inside you this time.” He skimmed his hands over her waist and around to her bottom, lifted her up and carried her into his own chamber where he laid her down on the soft fur bedcovers and slid in over top of her. Gently, he pressed his mouth to her lips. “Do you agree?”
“Aye, I agree.”
“Good.” He picked up one side of the bedsheet, tore a strip from it, clasped his right hand with her right, and wrapped the white cotton around both their wrists. With them bound together, he touched his lips to hers again. “I, Coll Duff MacKenzie, of Carron Castle, pledge my troth to Fiona MacKenzie. With this handfast, I take her as my wife for the next year and a day, and as the woman who holds my soul for all time to come.” He threaded his fingers firmly through hers. “The moment I can procure a clergyman to oversee our formal marriage vows, I shall.”
“I cannae believe this is happening.”
“Believe it.” He hoisted her shift up and settled it over her belly as he spread her legs.
“Oh, you’re so close.” More heat flooded her below, her hunger for him rising so swift and strong. “I, Fiona MacKenzie, of Carron Castle, pledge my troth to Coll Duff MacKenzie. With this handfast, I take him as my husband for the next year and a day, and as the man who holds the other half of my soul for all time to come.”
“Perfect.” Grinning, he striped his kilt away, rocked his hips against her hips, his cock pushing against her entrance and his gaze heating to a smoldering hue, “Are you ready to seal our vows with a kiss?”
“I’m ready to seal them in whatever you desire.”
“You’re my wife, now, always, and forever.” He lowered his mouth to hers and took her lips in a searing kiss, one that completely muddled her mind.
“Come inside me.”
“Soon. First I intend on preparing you. I’ve no wish to hurt you and I am no’ a small man, in case you missed that.” He pulled the binding free of their wrists, eased her shift fully over her head, tossed it aside and drifted down her body.