Fergus inhaled Davina’s sweet aroma as he held her. Her head was tucked neatly under his chin, and her curves fit him just right. How could he make her believe that they deserved a chance at happiness? How could he help her overcome the wounds of the past?
He’d asked Jake Grant about his wife Aline, who’d been abused by a bastard. Not wanting to reveal his intentions, he’d simply made a comment about how difficult it must have been to handle such a situation.
Jake, not usually a talkative man, had given him only one word—slowly.
So he vowed to take the same approach. He’d hold her forever if she wished for it.
She shoved at his chest and stepped back. “Leave me be. Forgive my weak moment, but I don’t need a man in my life.”
“I will do as you wish.” He stepped back and put his hands behind his back in a totally non-threatening stance. “Is there anything I can do to help you?”
“Nay. Go. I allowed you your one request.” She glanced up at him, but wouldn't meet his eyes. “I’ll thank you for holding me and allowing me my moment of weakness.”
“Forgive me for disagreeing, but crying is not a weakness. You have every right to feel emotional. I expected to still find you at Lochluin Abbey. Why did you leave?”
“I didn’t exactly have the same view of life as the nuns. My entire existence is for my daughter, and I will do anything for her. I was grateful they took us in when Raina and I needed it most, but I could not stay there forever.” Her gaze drifted away from him.
He wondered what her thoughts were. What did she think of her living conditions? She lived in a small cottage with a dirt floor, covered with old rushes, a musty smell permeating everything. It was uncluttered, illustrating that she had few belongings. An old kettle hung over the hearth with something simmering inside, but there was little aroma to tempt him. The wood bin next to the hearth was empty.
The cottage had one table with two chairs, a small bed in the corner with a few furs and a threadbare plaid. The only other item was the cradle, where her daughter still slept under a fox fur. Davina wore a shabby silk dress, one that had probably been regal before it was stained and wrinkled by her hard life.
She was the only daughter of the once-mighty Glenn of Buchan. The man’s ambition had twisted his mind and ruined his family, and now his only daughter wore rags and her glossy hair was plaited away from her face.
She was still as beautiful as ever to Fergus.
“Please just go.” She didn’t look at him as she said it. Rather, the words were whispered at the far wall.
Not knowing what else to do, he bowed to her and took his leave. She never said another word, allowing him to walk out of her life.
His worst fear had just happened. He had finally found her, but he’d failed to move her. He’d failed to persuade her that they could live a good life together, that they should be given a chance for happiness. Once outside the cottage, he thought of the empty bin by the hearth. True, Bor probably would send some lads down to cut wood for her, but then he was perfectly capable, wasn’t he?
Would she turn him away for cutting wood?
He decided to do it anyway. He walked to the rear of the cabin, found an axe, and searched for the best tree to drop.
***
Davina let a breath out as soon as the door closed. Fergus MacNicol didn’t realize how much she wished for him to stay. In her dreams, a man loved her, cherished her, and adored her daughter. After meeting Fergus at the abbey, her knight had come to her with red hair. He would be a wonderful father, and a protector. He’d keep the men with wandering hands and expectant gazes away from her. He’d love her for who she was and not for the size of her breasts and what lay between her legs.
Ranulf had taught her what love could be, how special it could be to be held by a man, to feel worshipped, to love another through your body.
To feel.
She wanted that again, but with a man who would not turn daft over revenge and greed. She wanted a simple life, a safe haven to raise her daughter away from cruelty and leering gazes.
Did such a place exist?
She’d let Fergus go, fearful he would be like nearly every other man she’d ever met, but the dreams stayed with her…they argued that she’d been wrong to send him away. That this was a mistake she would not stop regretting. A loud sound caught her attention. After glancing to be sure Raina still slept, she moved to the window in the back of the house and pulled the fur back to see what had made the noise. If it was a wild animal, perhaps her screams would reach Fergus’s ears before he was too far away.
She peeked out of the window, shocked to see Fergus had found an axe and felled a tree.
The man was a beast. He’d stripped down to his tunic and plaid, though how he could withstand the cold, she knew not. She watched him lift the axe over his head and bring it down on the tree in one smooth move, the muscles in his back rippling with every effort and movement he made. The lines of his body could be seen through his tunic. Och, how she wished to reach out and remove his tunic so she could watch him in his glory—all strength and brawn, the cords in his neck even standing out with each swing of the tool.
From where she stood, she could see the fine sheen of sweat bead up and trickle down the side of his face. An unexpected thought surfaced in her head. She could stop it from dripping onto his tunic by catching it with her tongue.
A small moan escaped her lips, and somehow he heard her. Spinning around, he lifted the axe over his head as if to strike an enemy down, only to drop it to the ground upon seeing her.
He stared at her, but she couldn’t move. A paralyzing moment stretched between the two of them until she dropped the fur and reached for the back door, flinging it open. He reached her in two steps, the heat of his gaze and his body drawing her to him until her hands cupped his face and she whispered, “Love me.”
He took her in his arms and kissed her, a searing kiss that woke her entire body up, rousing a rippling need that had long since died. Passion coursed through her with such persuasive power that she gave in, allowing it to take over her thoughts. She ran her hands over his muscular body, dropped his plaid to the floor and tugged at his tunic until he removed it and flung it off to the side. He lifted her and carried her to the bed, standing her up long enough to remove her gown and chemise before lowering her to the bed and covering her with his body.
His hands moved to her breasts as he moaned, lifting one mound to take it into his mouth, suckling her nipple until she cried out. He raked his teeth across the sensitive peak and she thought she’d climax right then, but he played with her a bit longer, his hand settling between her legs until he found her slick entrance.
She touched him everywhere she could, reveling in the hardness of his body, finally reaching for his cock and settling it between her legs.
“Now,” she gasped. He entered her swiftly, plunging into her again and again, pausing just once.
“I knew we would be wonderful together. I knew it.” He kissed a trail up her neck before he took her lips in his, ravaging her with his tongue.
He kept the rhythm up, and she nudged his hip just a bit to get him exactly where she wanted him. His response was to reach down and caress her nub, causing her to cry out as she climaxed, her legs spreading wide with a need she still didn’t understand but didn’t fight.
He clutched her hips and came with a roar, her name on his lips moments later as he did his best to calm his panting.
“I love you, Davina,” he declared as he nuzzled her neck, his breath still hitching. He kissed her forehead and whispered, “I know we haven’t known each other long, but I know you’re the only woman for me. I promise to love you and protect you forever. Please give us a chance.”
Her hands still clutched his shoulders as she rocked him just a bit more, locking him inside her woman’s place, not wanting their moment to end.
Then she gazed up at him and said, “I’ll try.” Her fingers caressed his bottom lip, then fingered his beard.
He nodded and said, “That’s all I ask.”
With a coldness that even surprised herself, she whispered, “Fair warning to you. If you ever hit me or my daughter, I’ll take a blade to you in the middle of the night.”
The man just never stopped. He kissed her forehead. “I would take a blade to myself before that would ever happen.”
The faintest glimmer of hope lightened her heart.