“Brianna had two sips of that second glass of ale and we had to tuck her into bed. Poor lass is a light-weight. If she didn’t look so much like my own children, her lack of tolerance might make me question Angus 1’s parentage.”

“She’s theirs,” Erin said, chuckling at his mock ranting. “I like her, Angus. Darcone likes her too. I want them to have a chance to work things out.”

“Me too,” Angus agreed. “Nate’s not going to let us give Mia a wedding, is he?”

“That’s a battle we’re still fighting with him, isn’t it? The Guardians can’t see us for a few weeks. Mia’s time will be up by then. Maybe they’ll grant us an extension for her sake.”

“Yes. I suppose that’s possible,” Angus agreed.

Erin dropped her clothes on the chair and climbed into the bed without anything on. If Angus wasn’t interested, so be it. She could at least enjoy being naked with him.

She pulled the covers up to her chin as she watched Angus pace around the bedroom without a stitch of clothing on his body. It was a nice show, but she’d rather have him holding her. Plus, she’d be a lot warmer with Angus cuddled up with her in bed.

Erin blew out a frustrated breath… loudly. “If ya are trying to entice me, yer luck will improve once ya climb under the covers.”

Angus turned and smiled. “I’ll be there shortly. I’m trying to think of what I want to say to ya first.”

Erin laughed. “Say to me? We talked all evening with Brianna. I’m done chatting for the night. Just come to bed.”

When Angus kept walking, she reluctantly pushed herself up, propping the pillows behind her back. She tugged the sheet until she freed it enough to cover most of her breasts. Angus at least stopped his prowling when he saw her.

“Ya look beautiful like that. A man would have to be really stupid to turn down any bed invitation from a woman who looks the way ya do tonight. But I guess I’m going to be stupid this once because I need to get things off my chest.”

His sincerity had her heart melting. “Ya look pretty nice yerself, especially when yer compass needle starts pointing north like it’s doing at the moment. I never thought I’d be the kind of woman to enjoy such a sight, but I do. Come, let me see yer cock up close, Angus. I’ve not had any real time to inspect it.”

Angus chuckled. “For all that ya joke about things, ya are the most plain spoken woman in the bedroom that I’ve ever known.”

Erin nodded. “That’s fair, I suppose. I’ve chased away many a suitor with my directness. It usually happened long before the bedding though.”

“That won’t be the case with me.”

Erin laughed again. “Are ya sure? Ya are not in bed with me yet. I’m starting to think I did something this evening that’s making ya keep yer distance.”

Angus laughed. “There are lies and secrets around every corner in this place. Yer wicked plain-speaking tongue is a godsend. I think I’ve learned that lesson well enough.”

Erin smiled. “I must be a wicked woman. That compliment thrills me as much as hearing ya say I’m beautiful.”

Angus laughed again. “Okay. I think I know what to say to ya now. Are ya ready to hear my confession?”

Erin made a face as she winced. “Confession? Och… that sounds pretty bad, Angus.”

“Well, it sort of is…” he admitted.

Shaking her head, Erin shrugged. “Okay. Just tell me. I’d rather hear it than wonder.”

“Okay,” Angus said as well. He walked to the edge of the bed and sat on it. He looked into Erin’s eyes. “I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart, Erin O’Shea.”

Erin snickered, then frowned. “Sorry for what? Did ya cheat on me, Angus?”

“No. Feck no,” Angus declared. “The women on this airship scare me. Why would ya say such a thing in this place full of strangers?”

Erin laughed. “I suppose because I’ve managed to get over nearly everything else. Such a statement probably makes me one of the dumbest women in any universe, but I see no reason to lie to ya. I’m not revealing any secrets here. Ya knew I loved ya long before Agent Black abducted us.”

Angus nodded. “Yes… I did know… and that’s the fecking problem I’m ineptly addressing here. Back in our universe, I was every bit the coward ya accused me of being. I wanted ya all the time. I just didn’t want to love ya too. But coming here I’ve realized that what I really didn’t want was to lose ya the way I lost Mary. I didn’t think I could handle losing another woman I cared about. At sixty-seven, losing ya would have killed me for sure.”

“Oh Angus…” Erin closed her eyes at his honesty, then looked at him squarely. “I knew that and I knew ya wanted me. Yer rejection after we slept together was the only reason I quit trying to charm ya into loving me. I figured I’d offered ya everything at that point. I had too much pride to push myself on ya a second time in bed.”

Angus lowered his gaze and nodded. “I know. That’s fecking all on me. That day they came for us… I was just done fighting myself. I figured if I was out of the picture for good, ya would have to move on.”

Erin shook her head. Men were so stupid. Nate. Angus. It’s a wonder anything ever worked out for any of them. “So ya weren’t planning to shoot yerself just so ya could be with Mary? Avoiding me was yer real reason?”

Angus reluctantly nodded. “Yes. I was doing it to escape the torment of wanting ya.”

“Ya know, I actually think I might have preferred not ever knowing that truth. People are not like hats or a pair of fecking shoes that ya can just tuck away without thought. The love of yer life can’t be replaced with another. When ya love someone, it's always goddess damn different from anything before it. I gave Nate this lecture just yesterday. I didn’t realize I’d be giving it to ya today as well.”

“Gods, I’m sorry I hurt ya, Erin.”

“Well, ya should be. Yer stupid confession has ruined my tipsy intentions towards yer cock this evening. Now he’s going to be brooding again tomorrow and it will be all yer fault, Angus. Make sure ya tell him it was because ya were a fecking eegit. I won’t have him blaming me for yer stupidity.”

Angus groaned. “Wait… stop yer teasing. There’s more. Want to hear the rest? Or do ya want me to go sleep in the other room?”

Erin waved a hand. “Ya are being a real pain in my impatient arse tonight. Fecking finish yer story then. Ya know I’ll not sleep a wink until ya do.”

“Okay. Well, ya see… I dreamed while I was cooking in the box,” Angus said softly. “First, I dreamed of Mary. We had a right big row and then she told me I was being an eegit about everything. Then after that I dreamed only of ya. All the times we argued. All the times ya talked me into doing the right things when it came to matching my children. And I dreamed about all the times ya looked at me with longing, while I pretended not to notice so I wouldn’t have to confess to wanting ya back.”

Erin rolled her eyes. “Is it really fecking necessary to revisit my idiocy? The people of Lisdoonvarna did a good enough job of pointing my sad life out to me every chance they got. I couldn’t even buy a loaf of bread without people asking if I’d made any headway with yer stubborn arse. After nine years, I was tired of hearing about it.”

Angus groaned again and put his face in his hand. “I’m sorry… so fecking sorry. For all that stupid shit and anything more of yer pride that I cost ya.”

“Fine. Let’s just put that shit behind us once and for all. Do ya have any good news to share? If not, I’ll be going to sleep now. Where ya sleep is yer choice, but ya have to shut up if ya choose to sleep here tonight. I’m tired of talking about the past.”

Angus put a hand on her thigh. Erin felt the heat of it through the covers.

“I do actually have some good news,” he said.

“Good… because yer touch makes all my woman parts clench in longing… and I’d rather ya be putting yer full attention on that problem instead of this.”

Erin put her hand over his. Beneath her fingers, his hand was strong and smooth. Those long fingers of his could deliver more pleasure than she’d ever hoped to have until they ended up here. She wouldn’t be wasting any time regretting their abduction.

“Spit the rest out, Angus. Purge the rest of yer shit from yer guilty conscience and let’s move the feck on with our lives.”

“When I woke up after being in the box that first time, ya were bending over me and looking at me with that same look on yer face that I was trying so hard to avoid. I felt yer concern and yer caring. I knew ya would come back to me and not just because ya said ya would. There was a moment where I grabbed yer hand and held on because I didn’t want to let ya go. By then, I understood that if ya never came back, I would suffer the worst of torments. I knew then I had been fooling myself for nine fecking years. That was more overwhelming to me than what they’d done to my body.”

Angus rolled his hand over and captured hers.

“When ya returned to get me that day, instead of being grateful, I was pissy to ya because of my conclusions. When ya sat down and cried over me, I felt like the biggest arse who ever lived. But in the sick, twisted way of most men who get lucky enough to find a caring woman, I also felt happy as hell because I knew yer tears meant ya still loved me. My only concern these weeks has been if I was going to be able to give ya what ya needed back.”

Erin rolled her eyes. “Lovely sentiments. Now climb under these covers and I’ll show ya what I need.”

“Erin, listen to me… I’m telling ya now… I know I can give it to ya. More… I want to give ya whatever ya want in life. What we have going for us is more than just great sex. Yer pussy can wait a bit longer. First, I want ya to really hear what I’m saying to ya.”

“How much ale did ya have tonight, Angus? I could have sworn ya only had one glass.”

Angus rolled his eyes and then shook his head. “I had about as much as Brianna and I’m not drunk. Bollocks, ya are a lot of trouble, Erin O’Shea. I’m trying to tell ya that I love ya. Is it getting through?”

“Ya love me?” Erin asked in mild shock. “After nine years of fighting yer feelings? Now ya are finally going to be my one and only?”

“Yes,” Angus said firmly. “I love ya. And I want to be yer husband for real, not just a fecking pretend one. I want us to be like the originals. I want us to have a love story everyone in this fecking universe will envy.”

Erin nodded. “Fine. I accept yer proposal, Angus MacNamara. Now come to bed and practice being my real husband. Talk is cheap. Show me ya mean what ya say.”

Angus pulled back the covers to slide in beside Erin. “Do ya believe me or not, woman? When it comes to affairs of the heart, I can never tell with ya.”

“Yes. And I love ya too, Angus. I have for ages so I have to believe yer words to be happy.”

Angus pulled Erin close. He kissed her forehead and brushed back her hair. “Ya are going to make me work for yer devotion though, aren’t ya? I hear it in yer tone.”

“Only for nine years or so,” Erin said with a smile. Her hand got busy between them. Soon the blood would leave his brain and Angus would forget to talk. “I may still have a bit of trouble with trusting ya not to disappoint me again, but at least I love yer cock unconditionally. Lucky for you, he and I are on the best of terms. That’s a great start to any relationship, don’t ya think?”

Angus’s sputtering laughter filled the bedroom before his mouth covered hers. When he finally rolled onto her a few minutes later, she welcomed home her perfect match.