Page 116 of Wedded to the Devilish Highlander
A few minutes later, he heard soft footsteps behind him, and when he turned around, his breath was taken away. Eileen wasn’t dressed in splendor, but she was there, and that was all that mattered.
“What do ye want?” she asked.
“Is that really how ye’re goin’ to speak to me?” He arched an eyebrow. “I dinnae care how ye feel about me; ye cannae speak to me like that.”
“Ye dinnae care how I feel? Then what are ye doin’ here?” she shot back.
“That’s nae what I meant, and ye ken it.”Do ye nae see that I’m here for ye? What more do ye want?“Of course I care about ye, nay matter what ye might think. I sent ye away because I care about ye, and now I ken that was the wrong decision.”
“Aye, and?” Eileen put her hands on her hips.
“Ye’re nae goin’ to make this easy for me, are ye?”
“I dinnae ken,” she drawled. “I dinnae ken why ye’re here, so I dinnae ken what to make hard for ye.”
Archer stepped forward, but she didn’t back off.
“I came here to tell ye that I love ye,” he said.
He saw the twitch at the corner of her mouth and the flicker in her eyes. She hadn’t been expecting him to say that. He’d caught her off guard, and if he kept going, he could win her over again.
“I spoke to Maither,” he continued. “I thought for the longest time that she blamed me for me faither’s death, but she never did. I always blamed meself, and whether that’s right or wrong, I always will. I didnae want to feel that pain again, so I thought it better nae to become involved with someone I cared about.
“Some people are worth the risk. Nay, that’s nae true. I only ken one person who’s worth the risk. I dinnae want to keep worryin’ about gettin’ hurt or those around me gettin’ hurt, and I cannae shut everyone out any longer. I ken I made the biggest mistakeof me life when I sent ye away, but I’m only here now because of ye.”
Eileen pursed her lips, still not speaking.
“If it werenae for ye,” Archer continued, “I wouldnae have come. I had to grow as a man, and ye were the one who helped me do it. If it were anyone else, I would never see them again, but I’m here for ye, because of ye, and I’m nae leavin’ without ye. Even if I have to throw ye over me shoulder and carry ye back to me castle, I’ll do it.”
Eileen shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I bet ye say that to all the lasses.”
Archer couldn’t help but smile.
“Ye think I would just let ye throw me over yer shoulder without puttin’ up a fight?” she challenged.
“I would expect nothin’ less,” Archer replied.
Eileen dropped her hands from her hips. “Did ye really mean what ye said? Do ye love me?”
Archer stepped closer to her until they were toe to toe. He looked into her eyes, finally feeling at home.
“I’ve never said that to anyone in me life before. I love ye, Eileen Kilmartin, and I’ll always love ye. Me love for ye will sustain me for the rest of me life. I’ve kenned it deep down for a while, but I was too afraid to acknowledge it. I’m nae afraid anymore. I love ye.”
Eileen blinked a few times, tears welling up in her eyes. She released a shaky breath through her nose.
“I tried to tell ye,” she sniffed. “I lost me courage a couple of times, and that last mornin’ with ye, I was about to say it, but ye kissed me.”
“I couldnae let ye say it and then let ye leave,” Archer admitted. “I couldnae bear that. I should have let ye say it and then said it back, but I was too afraid. I’m nae afraid anymore.”
“So what? We do it all over again? Be betrothed for real this time?”
“Only if ye’ll have me,” Archer said. “I’ve nae been fair to ye, and I wouldnae blame ye if ye wanted nothin’ to do with me, but I’ll try to win ye over for the rest of me life if that’s the case.”
“If ye’re goin’ to pester me all the time, then I might as well agree to it afore ye start annoyin’ me,” Eileen drawled.
“Aye, I can be very annoyin’.” Archer held back a smile. “I will never stop.”
“Then I guess we should try again,” Eileen relented. “Just to see if we are compatible, ye ken?”
