She needed no encouragement.
As they entwined their hands she lowered herself onto his erection and began to move in a sensual dance of bend and sway that forced his release much sooner than he would have chosen.
“We’re good at this, are we no?” he asked when he could speak again, needing to hear her confirmation of what he’d seen in her face.
“We are,” she said, her head tucked against his neck.
“I canna live without this,” he confessed. “I canna live without you.”
She leaned up on one elbow, tracing her finger over the mark of protection on his chest, taking her time before she spoke again, obviously choosing her words with care.
“But you will. You must in order to save your people. We both will do what we have to do, but it makes it easier knowing you love me as much as I love you.”
That knowledge made nothing easier.
“I will speak to the MacKilyn. I will explain. It’s as simple as that. Yer the one I want to wed. You and no other.”
She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his cheek before she withdrew. “We’ll both do what we have to do,” she repeated, one lone tear tracking down her cheek.
He wiped it away with his thumb, realizing as he did so that, in spite of all they’d been through together, it was the only one he’d ever seen her shed.
“Dani,” he began, feeling the need to question what was on her mind, but a pounding at his door prevented his asking.
With a curse of frustration, he rose to his feet, picking up his plaid and winding it loosely around him as he crossed the room.
Eric waited on the other side of the door.
“Yer pardon, my laird, but the MacKilyn and his party have arrived. He sends his apologies for the hour of his arrival, but insists upon speaking with you now. He awaits yer audience belowstairs in the great hall. Him and those what travel with him.”
“A moment.”
Malcolm closed the door, stopping to retrieve a dry shirt from the chest by his bed before he crossed back to where Dani sat.
She’d already slipped into her shift when he reached her, her eyes as closed off from him as her body.
“You’ll wait for me here, aye? I’ll deal with this and we’ll have it over and done with.”
“You’re the laird of the MacGahan, Malcolm. You don’t have the luxury of dealing with it as you might like. You’re responsible for an entire clan. Their welfare comes before yours. Or mine.”
“I’m no going to argue the point with you now. You wait here. When I return we’ll have time for all yer blether.”
He leaned down and kissed her forehead before heading back to the door, tucking in his shirt as he went.
“Malcolm?”
He turned once again to see her smile.
“We both do what we must. I just want to make sure you know that I’ll always love you. No matter what. No matter when.”
He returned her smile, easy enough since she brought such joy to him. Closing the door behind him, he followed Eric down to the great hall.
Forty-three
NOPE. THIS DEFINITELYwas not going to work.
Dani tied the last lace on her dress and moved around the room, blowing out candles as she went.
Oh, she had no doubt that Malcolm had honestly meant what he said about refusing to marry the MacKilyn girl. But once he got downstairs in front of all the clan, he wouldn’t be able to go through with it. She knew him too well. He would never be able to put his own interests ahead of those who depended on him. He had too much honor.