Page 13 of The Lyon and the Lass

With the pulsing of her release clenching his cock, it took only a minute before he shouted her name and poured his seed into her.

He collapsed, then remembering her wee body, rolled over, bringing her against him. The only sounds in the room were the two of them attempting to control their breathing. Kerrigan closed his eyes and immediately a sense of rightness washed over him. Lady Christine Lindsay was his now, always, and forever. They would raise bairns together, watch his clan grow and flourish, and hopefully years later, hold hands when the first of them left this earth. He tugged her close and reached down to cover their cooling bodies with the bedcovers. Tucking her against him, nice and snug, he was just settling in for a nice nap when her voice slid over him.

“Can we do that again?”

Chapter Seven

Kerrigan helped Christineinto the hackney he’d had Stevens summon for him. Now that her uncle knew they were married and where they were staying, he had to be aware of their surroundings. It would not surprise him if Lord Allenby hired men to follow them and grab Christine.

Still, Kerrigan insisted on visiting a jewelry shop to purchase a proper wedding ring for her. It pained him that he’d been forced to sell all the Lindsay jewelry to feed everyone last winter, but when he reluctantly sold his mother’s wedding ring, he was more concerned with taking care of his people than about what his future wife would wear.

He’d brought the last of his coin to London, hoping that the arrangement he’d made with Mrs. Dove-Lyon after the introduction from his friend, Lord Devon, would result in filling his coffers. As much as he had hated the idea of taking money from his future wife, he had no choice.

But this ring he would pay for.

They arrived at Bond Street, not a place that Kerrigan was familiar with since he’d only made a few trips to London in all his years. However, Stevens, who seemed to be a butler extraordinaire, told him it was the place to go.

“Do ye have a favorite jewelry store, lass?”

“I do. Rundell and Bridge on Ludgate Hill is a fine place. It is only a few miles from here.” Although she had decried him buying her a ring, she appeared excited.

He tapped on the ceiling of the hackney and gave the driver instructions to continue on to Ludgate Hill. The man maneuvered his way through the traffic and soon they were at their destination. The driver jumped down from the driver’s bench and opened the door. “Is this where you wish to stop, my lord?”

“Aye,” Kerrigan said, stepping out. He took a quick scan of their surroundings, then reached into the carriage and helped Christine down. He paid the driver and extended his arm for her to take.

“It feels lovely to be out and about again. After being locked in my room, then hiding at The Lyon’s Den, then at Mr. Kendall’s brother’s townhouse, I feel as though I am a prisoner being let free.”

“Just a couple more days, lass, and we’ll be on our way to Luffness Castle.”

“Oh, I never even asked you the name of your home. Luffness Castle. That sounds very proper.”

He couldn’t help but feel there was nothing proper about Luffness Castle right now with the loss of their sheep, and income. Hopefully, things would change once Christine’s money was transferred to his bank in Edinburgh. There were things that needed fixing in the castle, and several of the clan cottages needed new roofs and other repairs before winter set in.

The store was obviously meant for the upper crust of London society. London was a place he would never have visited if it hadn’t been for his necessary marriage. However, besides the lovely wife he’d wed, he had enjoyed his time here with Devon. The clubs they’d visited had been an eye-opener. He couldn’timagine gambling until you lost everything. Some men were fools.

“Good afternoon, Lady Christine. What interests you today?” The man eyed Kerrigan speculatively.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Chester.” She turned to Kerrigan. “May I make known to you Mr. Robert Chester? Mr. Chester, this is my husband, Laird Kerrigan Lindsay.”

“Husband? What a surprise. It is a pleasure to meet you, Laird. You are a very lucky man to have married Lady…Lindsay.” He laughed. “I must get used to that.”

Kerrigan smiled at her. “Aye, I certainly won the prize.”

The jeweler nodded his agreement. “What are you interested in, my lady?”

“My wife needs a proper wedding ring. As ye can see, the one she wears does no’ fit and I’d rather if she had something she liked.”

“Of course.” He looked at Christine. “Do you have anything particular in mind?”

Christine shook her head. “No. I never thought much about wedding rings. What do you suggest?”

The man brought out trays of rings. There were no prices on them, which made him a tad uncomfortable. Most likely those who shopped here were unconcerned about prices, but there was a good chance the ring would wipe out the rest of his coin.

“This one is particularly lovely,” the jeweler said, holding up a gold band with a large stone in the center—he wasn’t sure what it was since he had very little experience with purchasing jewelry—surrounded by diamonds.

He held his breath, wondering if insisting on purchasing her a ring now had been such a good idea.

The lass scrunched up her nose in a most delightful way. “No. I don’t think something that fancy would suit. My life is changing, Mr. Chester.” She beamed at Kerrigan. “I will beliving in a castle in Scotland. I won’t have cause, I am sure, to wear such fancy things. Do you have something a bit more—practical?”