The thought that she thinks I would blame her or think that she had a part in the bloody pervert’s actions is like a kick in the gut. “Look at me, Ella. Look in my eyes. What happened was’na yer fault, and I would’na ever think otherwise. That is a sick man, and I can assure ye, he will never come near ye again. Ever. Do ye understand?”
“Yes,” she whispers.
“Good. Now, do ye trust me?”
She hesitates for only a few seconds. “Yes. I do.”
I wipe another tear away, this time, with my lips. “I want to erase the memory of what just happened to ye,” I say against her wet skin, then move to her other cheek and open my mouth to taste the salt, to kiss away the fear. “It will only take a few minutes, and ye will feel better.”
“Alright,” she whispers again.
“Give me yer hands.” She does, and I gently pull her. “Stand up.” I give her a moment to steady her legs before bringing her body to mine, wrapping one arm around her back, cradling her face with the other. I study her beautiful features as she stares up at me, eyes swollen. I will not let that bastard ruin Ella’s passionate nature. Her sensual desires will not be extinguished by that loathsome man. I sweep my thumb across her lips. “I’m going to wipe away everything that bastard did to ye. You’ll never be touched like that again.” I pause and kiss her forehead gently, resting my lips against her soft skin. I move to kiss the corners of each eye near her temples. I linger, warming the chill with my mouth. Her body continues to relax in my arms. Instinctively I pull her closer as my other hand drifts to cradle the back of her head. I move down to her cheek, crooning to her in Gaelic, “Mo leannan…tha thu sàbhailte a-nis.”
The closer I get to her mouth, the more erratic her breathing becomes. “Ella, I’m going to kiss yer mouth the way it deserves to be kissed. May I?” She nods. I want her to feel what this is meant to be, not the fear and grotesque force that vile man used against her. When our mouths connect, she turns into it with a hunger I wasn’t expecting. I must tighten my grip on her as the force of her kiss makes us unsteady. When her hands reach up and grab onto the back of my head, then my neck, then up to my face, I let her lead our mouths and tongues through their primal dance that speaks a universal language.
My God!This woman is like nothing I ever knew possible. With this kiss, she has ignited a fire in my blood that makes me want to conquer the world. Yet, at the same time, all I want to do is cradle her like a babe, rock her to sleep, and let her know she is safe with me.
She is devouring my mouth like she’s been craving this for a lifetime, her full lips warm and soft as they move around mine, her tongue sweeping through to caress my own, shooting a bolt of desire straight to my loins. I feel myself losing control. Our mutual need for each other is visceral, and I cannot help but think of the potential in our passionate connection.
Holding her head with both my hands, I slow our pace, though I wish it never to end. “Ella.” I’m breathless against her mouth, my lips pressing into hers—small kisses, gentle sucking, licking, a tender bite. “I only want ye to remember what we just shared, only this kiss. Tell me it is yer first.”
“It is,” she confirms on a heavy breath.
“Good.” I lean down and take the liberty of a chaste kiss as my heart explodes from the smile that lights up her face. “From this moment forward, when ye think of a kiss, when ye think of a man kissing a woman, this, what we have shared, is the only thought that comes to yer mind, aye?”
“Aye,” she agrees with her mock brogue, and we both laugh, lifting some of the weight off her shoulders. I continue holding her. Truly I do not want to let her go. “Are ye well now?”
“Yes. Thank you. I cannot bear to think what would have happened had you not been there.”
“Then don’t. I’ve given ye something far better to think about.”
“I certainly cannot disagree.” She looks away in shyness, but I place my hand under her chin and tilt her face back up to mine.
“Do’na be ashamed of the kiss we shared, nor the pleasure it brought ye.”
“I won’t,” she replies with blushing cheeks. “Is Lord Percy dead?”
My body tenses at the thought. “Unfortunately, no. I did’na want ye to carry any more burdens from this day. But I will tell ye, it was’na easy to spare him. I’ve never wanted to end a man’s life as much as I wanted to end his.”
We stay a while longer, holding each other, contemplating everything that has happened in such a short time. Everything has changed. She knows it as well as I do.