Highlander's Trials of Fire

As she picked up a cake, he asked, “So little faith in yer own cookin’ that ye dinnae want to risk it, did ye?”

“Precisely.” It truly was a

s good as he said it was. Jonet reminded herself to buy something nice for Christal when she had the time. It had been a little while since she had ventured out into the village, but with her current conviction on the rumors circulating about her, she supposed a visit was long overdue.

They enjoyed the calming breeze, offset by the afternoon sun. Within a matter of hours, the sun would set and Jonet was suddenly hit with the urge to stay out here longer than she had planned to. She wanted to watch the sky burn orange with Matthew by her side.

“I dinnae ken ye were such a romantic soul, Jonet,” Matthew said after a long moment.

She looked over at him. He seemed at peace, yet so strikingly handsome that it did many things to her. Her heart fluttering, her face going hot, her body responding in ways it had not in such a long time. “Consider this another token of me gratitude for what ye did for me earlier. I had become such a mess and… ye helped.”

“Ye daenae need to thank me…”

“Oh, but I do.” Against her better judgment, she crawled closer to him. She knew she should keep some distance between them if she wanted to keep her head straight, but at the same time, she could not resist. “I want ye to ken how much that meant to me and… and I also wanted to say somethin’ to ye.”

Matthew’s brows furrowed. He had been reclining back on the heels of his hands, but sat up at her serious tone, turning slightly to face her. “What is it?”

“I…” How could she say this? It had been some time since she had last confessed her feelings. With Murdock, it had become natural, borne from the innocence of first love. With Henry, she had been kind with her affection and appreciation of him, wanting to make him feel welcomed into her family.

Still, she had never felt anything like this before. So intense. So passionate. So… frightening.

Christal’s words today made her remember the woman she used to be. She had always been the kind of person who never shied away from a challenge, never allowed daunting outcomes to hinder her progress. She would not let that woman remain in the shadows any longer.

“I ken I havenae been very kind to ye when we first met each other,” she said. “I was very adamant that I would not marry and so I saw no reason for us to see each other. But yer insistence was very admirable, I must say.”

Matthew grinned, but it did not hold the shine it usually did. Jonet felt a twinge of uncertainty.

Perhaps I am bein’ too forward?

“If ye are plannin’ to apologize, then ye daenae have to. I already ken that ye regret what ye did before.”

“That’s nae what I’m tryin’ to do,” she insisted. In the spur of the moment, she took his hand in his. She noted surprise in his eyes, but she did not let it stop her next words. “I wanted to tell ye that… I have begun developin’ feelin’ for ye. And, if ye are still willin’, I would like to accept yer proposal to be yer wife.”

Jonet had never seen his eyes grow this wide. She would have laughed if she was not already riddled with anxiety.

“Do ye truly mean that, Jonet?” Matthew whispered, as if in disbelief.

She bit her lip, nodding. “I do.”

He slid his hand out of hers. Jonet’s heartbeat spiked as he slid the hand up to caress her cheek, bringing himself closer. She let out a sigh of relief as her eyes drifted close, accepting his kiss.

She had expected it to be tender, but it was so filled with overwhelming joy that it consumed them both. He banded his arms around her, and she wrapped her arms around his, deepening the kiss instantly. It was a few more moments before they pulled away, leaving her heart racing.

“I dinnae think that when ye finally accepted me proposal, I would be at a loss of words,” he murmured, still holding her in his arms.

Jonet giggled. “Well, that is certainly a first.”

He released a long shuddering breath. His eyes were cloudy with a heat that made Jonet’s loins tense.

“I think I need to cool meself down,” he smiled at the thought.

She unwrapped her arms from his neck, tilting her head to the loch. “Well then, go right ahead.”

“Do ye want to join me?”

She thought about it for a moment. She too felt hot with need, and if she stayed so close to him for any longer, she was bound to do something that she might regret. She wanted him, badly, but she also wanted to take things slowly between them, give her heart more time to heal while she continued to fall in love. She wanted their first time to be special.

“Aye,” she said after a moment. “I think that will help me some.”