Epilogue
TWO WEEKS LATER…
“’Tis nae that much further,” Theo whispered in Lavina’s ear, sending delicious shivers through her.
His new game was doing more than exciting her; it was eliciting new sensations she wanted time to explore further.
“And just where are ye takin’ me? I feel as if we’ve walked all the way to Edinburgh,” Lavina teased, tugging on his hand.
“Well, now ye’ve done it. Might as well take it off; the whole thing is ruined. Ye found me out. I brought ye to the end of the country in a matter of minutes.”
Lavina slapped his hand, which was still planted firmly on her shoulder, guiding her to their final destination.
Her heart fluttered with anticipation.
She had heard rumors floating about the keep that Theo had made an adjustment to the renovations, one that was certain to please her. She chewed on her lower lip as ideas flashed through her mind as fast and as furiously as lightning bugs mating in the spring.
“I wasnae bein’ serious,” Theo huffed when she tried to remove the blindfold. She knew he wouldn’t let her, but the fact that she tried was certain to entice him. “Ye want me to give ye another surprise?”
“Aye,” she answered coyly.
“Then ye’ll stop bein’ a nuisance and let me enjoy this moment. ‘Tis nae every day that a man can give his wife the best gift ever,” Theo said, his voice laced with pride.
“And here I thought ye said this was for me,” Lavina muttered, just as he steered her slightly to the left.
She wished more than anything that she could see where they were going. But she couldn’t deny that it was that very uncertainty that made the moment so much fun.
“Alright. Now, before ye remove the blindfold, ye’ve got to promise me that ye’ll nae say anything bad,” Theo demanded. She could hear the smile in his voice.
“Well, that’s nae very fair. What if it’s the most god-awful thing I’ve ever seen? I’m nae goin’ to tell ye it’s the best. That wouldnae be honest.”
“Fine, but ye have to promise to use it at least once a week,” Theo insisted, piquing her interest further.
If he was giving her clues as to what her surprise was, he wasn’t doing a very good job at it. Nothing he said gave her any hints or confirmation about what she was about to walk into.
“Alright, ye can remove the blindfold,” he said.
Hesitating for a moment, Lavina reached for the thin strip of fabric that had been a torture device since the moment Theo had put it on, and pulled it down. She blinked the darkness and spots from her vision.
Her jaw dropped as she stared at the space before her.
“Theo,” she breathed, trying to find the words to express what she was feeling. “What is this?”
Slowly and deliberately, she turned to face him. There was no amusement in her eyes, no spark of excitement that followed stepping into a nook.
“Are ye givin’ me a broom closet?” she asked, shocked by the size of the room. She could barely fit in it, let alone two people.
Theo flashed her a crooked grin and leaned into her.
“I dinnae ken, I like tight places. Do ye nae?” he whispered, his voice thick with want.
Before she could answer, he crushed his lips to hers.
His hands were on her, roaming freely over her bosom. She leaned back, giving him full access to her neck.
Theo nipped her skin, his hot breath sending waves of pleasure through her.
Lavina closed her eyes. So what if she didn’t get a library? She would be fine as long as she had her husband.
“I want ye…” he groaned, clawing at the fabric of her dress. The chill of the evening air kissed her calves.
“Who am I to stop ye?” she said, returning the same longing and need.
Theo curled his hand around her head and held her steady as he kissed her deeply.
Lavina hooked a leg over his hip for balance when he dipped her back. It could have been an abyss she was leaning over, but she was certain, without a shadow of a doubt, that he wouldn’t let her fall.
“But I promised ye a surprise,” Theo murmured, his teeth grazing her earlobe. “And this isnae it.”
“Oh? And here I thought…” Lavina arched a teasing eyebrow and squeezed his butt cheeks with such force that it made him jump.
They both knew why he had lured her to this spot. It was secluded and private, a place they’d be able to slip away from the world, even for a moment.
“Me mistake.”
Lavina removed her hands from his backside and ducked under his arm to slip out of the nook. She wiped her hands on her skirts and started to walk away when Theo’s arms banded around her, pulling her back into the dark nook.
“Theo…” she whimpered, feeling his manhood pressing into the small of her back.
“I told ye, I want ye,” he growled, stoking her longing.
She grabbed one of his hands and pulled it to her crotch. “What’s stoppin’ ye from takin’ me here?” she asked, glancing out into the empty corridor.
“Oh, what ye do to me, Lavina… I love ye,” he murmured.
Lavina’s heart skipped a beat, and she froze under the weight of his words. She released his hand as the air around them grew heavy.
“Come again?” she sputtered, uncertain she had heard the words correctly.
Never in her life had anyone told her those three words. And hearing them come out of the mouth of the man she loved… it terrified her.
“I love ye,” Theo said with a shrug, as if it were the easiest thing in the world to confess.
She extricated herself from his grasp and stepped out of the nook. The air had somehow become heavier and thinner at the same time. It wasn’t until the world began spinning that she found herself reaching out.
It was Theo who grabbed her. He was the one who stopped the spinning and centered her.
Despite the chaos around them, he was her anchor.
She tilted her head as he dragged his fingers through her hair.
“I love ye, too,” she confessed.
The words tumbled from her lips without any hindrance or resistance.
It felt as if the world had shifted. Theo’s smile beamed brighter than anything she had seen before and pulled her into a world where she knew she’d be safe forever.
But then his smile turned into a smirk, and he cleared his throat.
“What are ye smirkin’ about?” Lavina asked, trying to clear the awkwardness that had descended between them.
She wanted him to say something, anything that would cement their relationship.
“Nothin’. I’m sure Maisie is dyin’ to ask ye what ye think about our time together,” Theo said, rubbing the back of his neck.
“So ye brought me out here to tell me that ye love me? In a pile of ruins?” Lavina asked, glancing around at what remained of the old council chambers.
“Aye, well, I did, but then I had another reason for bringin’ ye here.”
“Is that right? How about ye tell me what ye need to say,” Lavina said, folding her arms over her chest.
Theo shook his head and pulled in a deep breath. “Nay, that’s all right. I’ll show ye tomorrow.”
“But what if I dinnae want to come out here tomorrow? What if I’m sick tomorrow and cannae get out of bed? Then ye’ll wish ye had brought me.”
Theo glared at her through narrowed eyes. “Alright, fine.”
Lavina tilted her head and watched as he turned into the nook. He tapped his finger on the tip of his chin before reaching for the torch.
“What…” Lavina trailed off when he stepped through the wall.
“It’s an optical illusion,” Theo explained with a grin. “I wanted ye to think ye had a place hidden from the world. Come here and see for yerself.”
Lavina took a cautious step forward as he held out his hand to her. His smile was always reassuring.
“What is this? Ye didnae…” She gasped as she stepped into the room she had always hoped she’d find.
The library was bigger than the old council chambers, and where the tunnel used to be was a stone hearth.
“Ye wanted a library.” Theo shrugged. “And I try to give ye everything ye want. Now, maybe ye can teach Amber the way ye want to.”
“Ye’re amazing, do ye ken that?” Lavina squealed, throwing her arms around his neck.
“I take it ye like it, then?”
“Aye, I do. And I love ye for it.”
“Is that so? But how could anyone love a beast?” Theo asked.
Lavina’s eyes flicked to the scars she barely saw anymore.
“Ye’re nae a beast,” she declared. “Ye’re the one who killed it.”
She rose on the tips of her toes and pressed her lips ever so lightly to his.
His arms curled around her. She didn’t have to ask where he was taking her as she felt the ground fall away from her feet.
He lowered her carefully onto the couch in front of the fire and stood back. Then, she watched him drop his garments one by one, until he stood before her as bare as the day he was born.
She glanced at the silvery scars running down his ribs, a reminder of how her uncle had tried to take his life. Indeed, they only proved that the monsters in the world weren’t always disfigured and cruel.
“Ye’re starin’,” Theo noted as he kneeled before her and pulled her shoes off her feet.
“So what if I am? I can do that, ye ken.”
“Is that right?” Theo drawled, his hand slipping under her dress.
She let out a little gasp as his fingers curled around her calf.
“I am the lady of the house, am I nae?” she asked breathlessly, before his fingers slid inside her.
“Aye, that ye are, and it’s me pleasure to serve ye,” Theo said, pressing a kiss to her feet.
“I want ye, me love,” she whimpered.
His fingers slid deeper into her, as if there were more to explore.
“Then lean back and close yer eyes,” Theo whispered. “And let me love ye.”
The End?