Page 64 of The Stag & The Owl
Rose’s big blue eyes widened.“Then youmustn’t marry her.”
“It’s not that simple,” Roark explained.“I’mhonor-bound to marry her for my family’s sake and the sake of manyothers.”His gaze met Alina’s, sad, bittersweet, and determined.“Since I cannot marry who I wish, I may as well marry her and keepthe alliances formed by our betrothal intact.”
“What does yourlady lovethink ofthis?”Rose asked him.
“She doesn’t like it,” he said, flashingAlina a rueful grin.“But she understands.I think.I hope.”
***
Alina snuggled deeper into Roark’s shoulderwith a satisfied sigh, her passion spent and her skin cooling inthe dark before dawn.
“Is it this way for everybody?”she asked,playing with the auburn curls on his chest.
“Nay, lass,” he said, tucking her in tighter.“Only for a verra lucky few like us.”He placed a tender kiss onher forehead.“I’d say being madly in love is a large part ofit.”
“Don't let Rose hear you say that,” shewarned him.“She’d happily strangle me in my sleep and throw mybody in the loch if she thought it meant a chance with you.”
He chuckled, the low rumble of itreverberating from his chest to Alina’s ear.“It’s only a girlishnotion she has of me.I’m the dashing hero who saved the damsel indistress.”
“Hmmph.”
“Ach.Are you jealous, my lady owl?”
Alina lifted up onto her elbow so she couldsee his face.“Should I be?”
“Nah.”He gave her a teasing grin.“I promiseI won’t bring her into my bed until you’re well on your wayhome.”
Alina punched him in the shoulder.Hard.“That’s not funny.”
He rubbed his shoulder, pretending to pout,and then he grabbed her and flipped her onto her back in one swiftmotion, and pressed his half-hard cock against her belly.“Don’t yeken, Ali love, how you’ve ruined me for any other woman?”
“Then sail back to Sea Ridge with me.”
“You know I cannot.”
“I know you will not.”
“Ali girl.”He held her gaze, his rain eyespouring into hers.“I wish it could be otherwise.You know Ido.”
“I know,” she said with a resigned sigh.“Ido.And I understand your sense of honor and wanting to do theright thing.I respect it.”She’d promised herself she wouldn’t begor plead with him about this again, and she’d meant to keep herpromise.It was just… “I love you, Roark.So much more than I everexpected to love any man, ever.I was content with my family and myplants and animals, and then you showed up with your earth-kissedface and your rain eyes and the MacLeod woman in me came alive.”She laughed, low and throaty.“She came alive with avengeance.”
“So she did,” he rumbled, bumping his pelvisto hers.“Glad and honored I am she chose me.”
Alina ran her fingers through the soft curlsof his beard and rubbed his full lips with the pad of her thumb.“Having chosen you,” she told him, “I can never un-choose you.”Shecouldn’t foresee ever wanting to.“I hope I carry your babe in mywomb,” she blurted out.
“You do?”
“I do.Then I’ll always have a part of you.Not only memories, but a physical part of you.Of us.”
He smiled, slow and easy and heartbreaking.“I confess, I hope you do too,” he said, his voice low and rough.“For the vain and selfish reason I too want you to always have apart of me.A part of me to love and cherish, who will love andcherish you as you deserve.”He grinned.“A little girl with eyesas green as spring grass.”
“And auburn curls.”
He chuckled.“I can see her now, elbows deepin soil, planting seeds in her greenhouse, with a tabby cat rubbingagainst her legs.”
“Her rain-eyed brother scouring the sea withhis spyglass, searching for the ship carrying his father home tous.”
“Brother?”
