Highland Love Song (DeWinter's Song 2) Read online

  "I need to touch you, to know you are real," he breathed against her ear. "I can live again—feel again."

  She held his face between her hands, hardly able to speak. "I still can't believe you are here."

  "Be warned, Arrian, I won't leave without you."

  "There will be no need for that, my lord."

  He searched her eyes. "Can it be that you are glad to see me?" He lifted her hand, and when he saw his ring circling her finger his heart swelled with pride.

  "Indeed," she said, pressing her face against his. "But I never thought I'd see you again."

  "You should have known I would come for you one day. Can you ever forget about the pain I put you through?"

  "It's all but forgotten," she said, surrendering to his burning lips.

  Arrian was surprised when Warrick broke off the kiss and moved away from her. "Before I lose my head over you, I want there to be a clear understanding between us."

  She folded her hands demurely in front of her and smiled. "If that is your wish."

  He moved back a few paces, as if he didn't trust himself not to touch her. He tried to appear calm, but Arrian saw his knuckles were white from clasping his hands together so tightly.

  "There is no reason you should ever trust me, Arrian. I'm not proud of what I did to you." He took a deep breath. "I didn't love you then, but I desired you more than any woman I had ever known. The fact that I wanted you fueled my anger."

  "And now, my lord?"

  "I . . . love you, Arrian. I have never said this to another person in my life."

  She moved to him and gently touched his face. "Will you say that to me often?"

  "Every day for the rest of our lives." He pressed her hands in a warm grip. "I cannot say the hour or the day I came to love you, because I would not even admit to myself how I felt about you. I was in my own secret hell, loving you and thinking you loved Ian. I now know that was not the case."

  "Are you sure you want me, Warrick?"

  He spoke in a painful whisper. "With all my heart, Arrian."

  Happiness rushed through her like a gathering tide. "And you have put pride aside and come to me with humility. Knowing what a proud man you are, I can only guess how difficult that was for you."

  He raised her hand to his lips. "I would have borne anything just to look upon your face again—to touch you—to ask you to forgive me."

  Her eyes shimmered with joy. "I loved you that day in the lodge," she said. "I gave myself to you with no regrets."

  Warrick studied her hands before he looked into her eyes. "I had never met anyone like you. The more I was with you the more I felt my control slipping. One look into those blue eyes made me question everything, because I could see myself as you saw me. You will have to understand, Arrian, that I had lived with hatred for so long I had trouble setting it aside."

  "I also saw so much good in you, Warrick. You were unselfish in your devotion to your clansmen. Mother believes you allowed us to escape that day she and I left Ironworth. Did you?"

  He closed his eyes. "Aye, I allowed you to leave. It was the hardest deed I have ever done, to watch you leave, knowing I was losing the best part of myself."

  "Oh, Warrick, I have been miserable without you. I would never have left you if you had told me that you loved me. I thought you loathed me because of who I am."

  "Dearest Arrian, I could never hate you. Your sweetness touched a part of me that I thought was dead. You made me feel alive. You made me think of the future instead of looking back at the past. For better or worse you have made me a changed man. You know Ian is dead?"

  "Yes. I'm sorry for him. I remember a time when he was gallant and I'll try to remember that about him."

  "You loved him?"

  "What I felt for Ian was a young girl's fantasy. I discovered true love only from you, Warrick."

  He stared at her as if he could not believe her words. "You have no reason to love me. But I shall cherish you, dear Arrian. I hope never to hurt you again and will strive to be worthy of your love."

  "The blood feud is ended?"

  "I can promise you it died with Ian Maclvors. We'll join the best of both bloodlines, and hope that our children will never know hatred."

  She touched his hair so tenderly. "Oh, Warrick, I would like that."

  He laughed and pulled her against him. "With you and me ends the blood hate. Do you agree?"

  "It was never in me to hate you, Warrick. Perhaps because I was far removed from Scotland and was not caught in this ugliness that you had lived with all your life."

  "I want to put that behind me. With your help I believe I can."

  He stared at her for a moment as if he wanted desperately to say something and didn't know how. At last it came out in a rush. "I haven't done anything in my life to deserve you. But I love you with each breath I take. I need you to be with me to fill the emptiness in my life." He softly touched her lips. "Let me hear again that you love me."

  "I love you, Warrick Glencarin. I always will."

  He hugged her tightly. "I will need you to tell me that often."

  She glanced up at him. "What made you come after me?" she asked woman-like.

  "I got an inkling that you might have affection for me when you convinced Jamie to return my sister's dowry and the lands of Kilmouris." He raised her small hand and kissed the ring on her finger. "But what really convinced me was when Lord Jamie told me that you wore this ring for all the world to see."

  He pressed her hand to his rough cheek. "With you beside me, there's nothing I can't do. I want sons and daughters. I want you in my bed, where I only have to reach out for you." His eyes softened. "I'll change into whatever you want me to be."

  She pressed her cheek to his, and her arms slid around his waist. "Don't change too much. I like my wild, arrogant Scot, who commands the world to bow before him."

  He shook with laughter. "Except you, Arrian. I could not command you."

  "That which you could not command, Warrick, you won with honeyed words. You have the gift to turn a woman's head, you know." Her blue eyes danced. "But be warned, you will have only one woman in your life and it is to be me."

  "Pray God that I can make you happy."

  "I thank God for allowing you to love me, Warrick."

  In the distance they could hear music from Lady Mary's gala. But the sound was soon drowned out by the beating of the lovers' hearts.

  She pressed against him, her heart overflowing with love. "I have needed you so desperately, Warrick."

  "Arrian, Arrian, never leave me again. I could not live without you."

  Arrian seemed to float back onto the bed as Warrick came down beside her. "You have so much, Arrian, what can I give that you don't already have?"

  She laughed. "I would like a silver-eyed son. And that, Warrick, only you can give me."

  "It would be my greatest pleasure, my lady." His laughter was deep. "I find myself wanting to start now."

  Locked in each other's arms, Warrick was only aware of the pleasures that awaited him when he took his wife to bed.

  Arrian's thoughts were of the future when she and her dark husband would build a new world together—a world where Drummond blood would freely mingle with Maclvors blood to create a new generation.

  Lady Mary was happy, her gloominess suddenly gone. She glanced up the stairs, where the two lovers had sought refuge. A distinguished gentleman who had been a friend of her husband's bowed before her.

  "You are still more beautiful than all of them," he said gallantly. "May I have the pleasure of this dance?"

  She nodded. "Indeed you may. Tell me, Donald, have you heard how I almost lost my leg?"

  He looked at her with concern. "No, I haven't."

  "Well," she said, "it all began in Scotland. . . ."

  Table of Contents

  Chapter one

  Chapter two

  Chapter three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six
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br />   Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two