He leaned down and kissed her lips, needing to be close with her now. “I love ye too.”
“I love ye both too,” Delia chirped. “But I’m hungry. Can we go eat?”
Stone refused to laugh at that little whelp, but he gave her a kiss on the top of the head too. “What were ye doing out here?”
; Delia shuffled her feet. “Eliza and I usually walk. I was worried about her and I thought it might make me feel better.”
Stone’s heart constricted again. Delia might love Eliza as much as he did.
They all had dinner in the kitchen together and then Eliza left to go to bed. She gave him a long look as she rose. Stone watched her leave as he forced himself to remain in his chair for propriety’s sake. Tonight, however, he had no intention of sleeping by himself.
He waited a quarter hour and then sent Delia off to bed. Skulking down the halls, he arrived at Eliza’s room and pressed his ear to the door. He had to grin that he was behaving this way in own home. Though absurd, it was also rather fun.
Silence filled the room and he grimaced with disappointment. Was she asleep already? Damnation, why hadn’t he come earlier? It didn’t even matter if they were intimate, he just wanted to be next to her. To tell her privately that he loved her and that he’d never doubt it again.
Suddenly, the door opened, and he stumbled inside having been pressed against it. He nearly crashed to the floor, but caught himself, as Eliza’s surprised gasp filled the silence.
Pivoting, he had her in his arms, even as he closed the door. She was already in a night rail and he could feel every soft curve of her body.
He groaned and captured her lips with his own. “I pictured ye being in bed. I was just going to slip next tae ye so I could hold ye.”
She wiggled against him then. “I’m already carrying your child. What’s to stop us from…”
Stone pulled his head back. “Why ye little vixen,” he grinned as he said the words. But she couldn’t respond because he captured her lips in a kiss again.
Their lovemaking was slow and tender. Partly because Stone didn’t want to hurt her, but also because he loved her and he wanted her to feel it with every touch. As they lay in each other’s arms, Eliza kissed his neck. “I want to say something to you.” Her hand trailed down his chest. “You’ve saved me. I was lost until I came here. You, Stone Alban, are an angel.”
Those words made him weak and he gathered her closer. “Ye saved me lass.” He gave a chuckle. “Maybe not fer the last time. I sometimes need to be rescued from my own hard-headedness.”
She looked up at him. “Just never forget that you love me and we’ll be fine.”
“I can promise that,” he whispered. “I love ye, Eliza McLaren.”
“I love you, too.” She snuggled into his side. He’d never been more content in his life.
Epilogue
Two weeks later…
Eliza held her husband’s hand as they walked toward the fires that dotted the cliffs.
They’d married that morning in the garden of the castle, under the willow tree where they’d first been intimate.
Blair had performed the ceremony and the rest of their family had stood in a circle about them. She missed her mother, but in their loss, a new family was being forged. Her fingers fluttered briefly to her belly.
They wouldn’t share that news with their families for some weeks yet, but that was special in its own way. It was theirs when so much of their life would be shared with Stone’s family and the people he was responsible for. This, at least for now, was theirs alone.
Stone had been staying in her room every night for the past two weeks and it would be a little strange to move to his room. Though, she’d peeked in and noted his bed was far larger. A good thing, with such a large man as a husband.
She grasped his hand tighter and he smiled down at her. “Are ye all right, love?”
“Perfect.” She grinned back.
“We don’t have to stay long.” He frowned a little. “Ye need tae rest.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll lounge the entire day away tomorrow.” She didn’t bother to roll her eyes. Stone had been adamant that she do less. She had hired a teacher and school had begun for the village children. Stone had hired the men who built the schoolhouse to build seven more. It filled her heart to know she had a husband who would care for those who needed him. Care for her.