She turned from staring at the bed and bumped into her husband. She tilted her head back to look up at him. His intense green eyes could easily intimidate but she was beginning to understand what she saw there in them; caring, concern, delight, passion. Though this time, there was something else there she wasn’t quite sure of, something deeper and perhaps darker, that sent an uncomfortable chill through her. And Rory’s warning sounded in her head.
Don’t trust anyone.
Her husband brushed at her stray strands of hair, something that had become a habit of his and one she favored. His fingers always managed to skim her cheek or over the edge of her ear and it would send a delightful tingle through her. It also reminded her of how tender he was with her, and for his size one would never expect that from him.
He patted his chest and pointed to the door, then tapped her nose playfully and pointed to the bed.
She understood that he was giving her time alone to prepare and get in bed.
He kissed her gently, lingering a bit, then left the cottage. He walked to the end of the lambs’ pen and wasn’t at all surprised by the voice that reached out in the night.
“It’s about time. I’m freezing my arse off out here.”
“Who?” Saber demanded.
“Your voice has improved. It’s stronger. That’s good,” the man said.
“Who, Finch?” Saber demanded again.
“I see your patience hasn’t improved any.”
Saber took a quick step toward him.
Finch jumped back. “All right. All right. You know who it was. He needs you.”
Saber shook his head and spoke with more ease than he had in a while. “So he takes my wife?”
“He knew you wouldn’t come any other way. He is pleased to hear that you have a wife and is eager to meet her.”
“Not yet,” Saber said.
“He does truly need you.”
“In time.”
“Sooner rather than later,” Finch warned as he stepped back. “Or he’ll send another.”
Saber didn’t care about his throat. He wanted what he had to say made clear. He spoke slow and with a bit of effort. “Tell him that I will kill the next one he sends who tries to take my wife.”
“I thought you might threaten that. I will let him know,” Finch said and disappeared into the darkness.
Saber took a steady breath, not wanting to return to his wife on the verge of anger. He knew his father would have been alerted to his marriage. He thought he had time. He didn’t want to deal with this yet. He wanted time with his wife, time for her to get to know him, time for her to judge him for herself.
His da was not an unreasonable man and Saber knew his clan suffered because of him. He rubbed his face, trying to wash away the invisible stain, a stain he never wanted, never knew how to deal with, always wished would go away. But it never did.
How did he enter the cottage and make love to his wife and commit her to a life that would bring anything but happiness? It wasn’t fair to her and yet he wanted so badly to join with her, make them one forever.
He lingered, hoping she would be asleep, then he wouldn’t disturb her. But as the darkness closed around him, the urge to escape to her gentle nature and kindness was too much to ignore. He entered the cottage to find her sitting up in bed, a nightdress covering her and the blanket tucked up to her waist.
There was no voice of reason in his head. There was only desire for his wife. He yanked off his boots at the door and stripped himself of his garments as he approached the bed, leaving them fall where they may.
He leaned over and tugged at her nightshift and one word fell from his lips. “Off.”
Chapter 9
Elysia hesitated. She hadn’t considered that he would want her completely naked, though the thought had hit her when he shed all his garments. Her previous thoughts of his considerable size swirled once again in her head.
She pressed her warm hand to his cool cheek. “I trust your word, husband, that you won’t hurt me.”
He felt an arrow to his heart. He should walk away now, not consummate their vows, free her to live a good life away from him, away from his deceit. And yet the thought of another man touching her intimately as he was about to do sent a rage through him he could barely contain.
Elysia belonged to him and after tonight she would be bound to him until death, since hell awaited him but not so his sweet wife.
He shook his head, wishing he could tell her he’d never hurt her, but that was not true. The day would come when he hurt her and her pain would be his only ten times worse. He kissed her gently.