Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
She gathered all the strength she could muster, though her roiling stomach cautioned it wasn’t enough.
“I need to tell you the truth,” she said.
“You need to tell me why you left?” he corrected her.
She didn’t hesitate. “I left because I love you.”
“That’s a strange answer.”
“You asked for the truth, I gave it,” she said. “If I stayed with you, it would have endangered your life. I couldn’t bear the thought if you being harmed because of me.”
“So, you sacrifice yourself?”
Her eyes pleaded with him to understand. “I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You could have trusted me.”
“Aye, I know that. But I also could have lost you.”
“You left, isn’t that a loss?” he demanded, his anger flaring.
“But I left you alive to live your life,” she insisted.
Frustrated, he ran his hand roughly through his hair. “Life would be meaningless without you. These feelings I have for you intensify by the day and when I woke and found you gone, I felt my heart shatter—then I got angry that you would throw our love away so easily.”
“I thought it was the right thing to do,” she said, thinking now it may have been a mistake.
“You were wrong.”
“You may think differently when you know the truth.”
“Aye, the truth,” He nodded slowly. “It’s about time you were truthful with me.”
Fear struck Dru, having sworn to herself never to let the words past her lips.
She lifted her chin and said, “I’m Autumn.”
He glared at her. “Do you think me that much of a fool?”
She was shocked that he didn’t believe her. “I speak the truth. I am Autumn.”
Knox shook his head. “You don’t think I know that?”
Dru was stunned, words failing her.
“Not at first. Not when I agreed to wed you. But it didn’t take long to put the pieces together. The need for you to keep people at bay with your odorous attire, leaving you to hide more openly, gather information to protect yourself, pretty, not beautiful—though that’s not accurate—it all started to slowly come together. Things Mave told me about you and your mum and how you protected the young lad, Owen. You have a penchant for doing that. It was confirmed when we took the path Mave told me to take to reach the village. You walked it with confidence, never once questioning if we were going the wrong way.”
She displayed false courage, keeping her chin raised. “What now?”
His brow narrowed. “Are you asking me if I intend to turn you over to Lord Torrance?”
“What choice do you have? If you don’t, he will see you dead and force me into an unwanted marriage.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
He spoke with such confidence that she almost believed him, wanted to believe him.
“Torrance is a cruel man,” she said.
“So am I.”
Tears rushed to her eyes. “I love you, Knox, and I don’t want to lose you. But I fear one way or another I will and my heart breaks at the thought.”
“And I love you. We are meant to be together. Fate has decreed it and as Mave would say… you don’t question Fate. I will not let you go, and you will not leave me again and remember what I have repeatedly told you. I will always find you.” He walked around the table and caught her tears with his finger before they could fall. “And now, wife, we seal our vows never to be parted.”
He swept her up into his arms and carried her to the other room.
CHAPTER 19
Knox lowered her to her feet by the bed. “I never yearned for a woman as I do for you, Dru, and for now that is who you will remain. I will not use your given name until it is safe for me to do so.”
She turned a wicked smile on him. “So, you’re telling me that you get to make love to two women.”
He shook his head, though he smiled. “Only you would look at it that way.”
“Of course, it gives Autumn something to look forward to when she finally emerges from hiding.”
His hand went to the back of her neck pulling her forward as he brought his head down to kiss her. “Then I will be sure not to disappoint her.”
His kiss captured her with such intensity that she gasped, then she got lost in it. This kiss was different from the others, more commanding, more personal, more loving. And she never felt safer, more comfortable, and more loved.
His hands began to strip her of her garments, and she did the same until they were caught in a web of plaids and tumbled down on the bed together laughing.
“One at a time would be better,” Knox said, kissing her quickly but in need of so much more with her.
“If we each tend to ourselves it would go that much faster,” Dru suggested.