Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Elinor closed the door to the solar behind her and leaned against it, finally allowing herself to breathe.
The day had been endless. The Regent’s arrival. The interrogation—because that's what it had been, really, despite the polite language. The wedding sheet displayed like evidence in a trial. Dinner where every word had to be measured, every smile carefully calibrated.
She was exhausted.
"There ye are."
She opened her eyes to find David already in the solar, two glasses and a bottle of whisky on the small table between the chairs by the fire. He'd removed his formal clothing, was down to his shirt and trews, looking more relaxed than he had all day.
"I thought you might need this," he said, gesturing to the bottle.
"God, yes." Elinor moved to the chairs, sinking into one gratefully. "I need something stronger than wine, honestly."
She accepted the glass he poured for her, taking a drink. The liquid was good, rich and warming.
David settled into the chair opposite her. "Ye did well today, lass."
"I was terrified the entire time." Elinor took another drink, feeling some of the tension start to ease from her shoulders. "When ye came with the wedding sheet, I thought I might actually be sick."
"I'm sorry ye had tae go through that."
"It's nae your fault." She gestured vaguely with her glass.
"Aye." David's expression was grim. "And it's done now. And the Duke believed us. That's what matters."
"For now." Elinor set down her glass, suddenly feeling the weight of everything that had happened—not just today, but over the past months. "What happens when Langley makes more accusations? When he sends more men?"
"Hey." David leaned forward, taking her free hand. "Dinnae borrow trouble from tomorrow. Today was hard enough without worryin' about what comes next."
"I can't help it." Her voice was small. "I keep waiting for everything to fall apart. For someone to discover the truth. For the Duke to change his mind."
"Elinor." David moved from his chair to kneel in front of hers, his hands on her knees. "Look at me."
She did, meeting his dark eyes.
"The Duke is satisfied. Our marriage is legitimate in his eyes and in the eyes of the crown." His thumbs traced circles on her knees through her gown. "Whatever comes next, we'll handle it. Taegether."
"You keep saying that."
"Because it's true." He squeezed gently. "I'm nae leavin' ye tae face anythin' alone. I'm nay shuttin' ye out anymore. Whatever comes, we face it taegether."
Elinor felt tears prick her eyes. "I was so scared today. Not just for me, but for you. For what might happen if he didn't believe us. If he decided our marriage was a fraud. They could have taken you. You could have been facing bad consequences."
"But I wasnae." He reached up, cupping her face. "We're both fine. We're both here. And we're safe fer now."
"For now," she echoed. "I hate those words. 'For now.' Like everything good is temporary. Like happiness has an expiration date."
"Maybe it daes." His smile was sad. "Maybe that's why we have tae hold ontae it when we have it. Why we cannae waste time worryin' about when it might end."
"That's very philosophical for a Highland warrior."
"Even Highland warriors have deep thoughts occasionally." He stood, pulling her up with him. "Come here."
She went into his arms willingly, resting her head against his chest. She could hear his heartbeat—steady and strong. Feel the warmth of him seeping into her cold, tense body.
"I'm proud of ye," he murmured into her hair. "The way ye handled the regent. The way ye've handled everythin' since comin' here. Ye're stronger than ye give yerself credit fer."
"I don't feel strong. I feel like I'm barely holding it together."
"That's what strength is, lass. Nae fallin' apart when everythin' inside ye wants tae." His arms tightened around her. "And ye havenae fallen apart. Ye've kept goin'. Kept fightin'. That's strength."
Elinor pulled back enough to look up at him. "You really believe that?"
"Aye. I dae." He brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Ye're the strongest person I ken. And I'm lucky tae have ye."
"I'm the lucky one." She rose on her toes, pressing her lips to his. It was meant to be a gentle kiss, a thank you for his support and understanding.
But the moment their lips met, something shifted.
The kiss deepened. David's hands moved to her waist, pulling her closer. Elinor's fingers threaded through his hair, holding him to her.
All the tension from the day—the fear, the stress, the carefully controlled emotion—it all came pouring out in that kiss. Desperation and relief and need all tangled together.
"Elinor," David breathed against her lips.
She kissed him again, harder. "I don't want to stop. I don't want to think about the Duke or Langley or anything else. I just want—" She stopped, not sure how to put it into words.
"What dae ye want?" His hands were already unlacing her gown, his fingers deft despite the urgency in his movements.
"You. Just you." She tugged at his shirt, frustrated by the fabric between them. "I want to forget everything else for a while. I want to feel something good. Something that's just ours."
"Aye." He pulled back just enough to shrug out of his shirt, then returned to her laces. "I can dae that."
Her gown pooled at her feet. His hands found her waist again, sliding up her ribs, making her shiver.
He kissed her again, walking her backward until her legs hit the settle. They fell onto the cushions together, limbs tangling, hands exploring. The whisky sat forgotten on the table.
"I love ye," David murmured against her throat. "God, I love ye so much."
"I love you too." Her hands traced the muscles of his back, feeling them flex beneath her touch. "Show me. Show me how much."
So he did.
David’s hand cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw as he leaned in, his lips brushing hers in a tender kiss.
Elinor melted against him, her hands sliding up to grip the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer.
His kiss deepened, hungry yet gentle, his tongue teasing hers as he wrapped an arm around her waist, lifting her against him.
She could feel the hard length of his manhood pressing against her, a silent promise of what was to come.
Breaking the kiss, David murmured “Let me show ye how much ye mean tae me,” his breath hot against her ear.
His words sent a shiver down her spine. The flames from the hearth cast a golden glow over their bodies, the warmth enveloping them like a lover’s embrace.
Laying her down on the sofa, David trailed kisses along her neck, giving her breasts a hungry gaze.
“So beautiful,” he growled, his lips closing around a nipple, sucking and teasing until she arched her back, moaning his name.
Elinor’s fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as she whispered, “Take me, David. Now.”
He smiled, a wicked glint in his eye, as he shed his plaid, his muscular body a sight to behold. His chest was etched with the scars of battles fought and won, each one a testament to his strength and resilience.
He pressed a kiss to her core through her shift, his beard scratching her sensitive skin.
“Ye’re so wet fer me, lass,” he murmured, his fingers hooking into the fabric and tearing it away, baring her glistening core to his gaze.
Elinor gasped at the boldness of his action, her cheeks flushing with desire. He kissed his way down, his tongue tracing her folds, his beard rasping against her bud as he lapped at her greedily.
“Oh goodness, David, don’t stop,” she panted, her nails digging into his shoulders.
His hum sent vibrations through her, heightening her pleasure until she was teetering on the edge of an earth-shattering orgasm. But just as she was about to fall, he pulled away, leaving her breathless and aching for more.
Positioning himself above her, his throbbing manhood aligned with her entrance, he commanded, “Look at me, Elinor.” His voice was thick with need, and she obeyed, her eyes locking with his.
In that moment, she saw everything—his love, his desire, his unyielding devotion. He thrust into her in one smooth motion, filling her completely.
“Aye, that’s it,” he groaned, his hips snapping as he began to move, pounding into her relentlessly.
Elinor wrapped her legs around his waist, meeting each thrust with a desperate hunger, her folds clenching around him as pleasure built to an unbearable crescendo.
“Harder, David,” she demanded, her voice raw with need. He obliged, his hands gripping her hips as he slammed into her, the furs rustling beneath them, the room filled with the wet sounds of their bodies joining.
The rhythm was primal, urgent, each thrust a declaration of their love.
“Come fer me, lass,” he growled, his thrusts becoming frantic as he felt her walls flutter around him.
They moved together, finding a rhythm that was familiar now but no less intense for it. Elinor felt the tension building inside her, coiling tighter and tighter with each movement.
"That's it," David murmured, his forehead pressed to hers. "Let go. I've got ye."
Elinor’s eyes rolled back as she called out his name, her orgasm ripping through her like a storm. David followed, his hips stuttering as he emptied himself deep within her, his seed marking her as his own.
Collapsing onto her, he pressed a kiss to her sweat-dampened hair, his heart pounding against hers.
Elinor’s fingers traced lazy patterns on his back as she whispered, “I love ye, David.”
He smiled, his lips brushing hers. “And I ye, Elinor. Ferever.”
They lay tangled together on the sofa for awhile, both breathing hard, skin slick with sweat despite the coolness of the room.
"That was splendid."
"Aye." David's laugh was breathless. "It was."
They stayed like that for a long time, neither wanting to move. Eventually, David shifted enough to pull a blanket over them both, wrapping them in warmth.
"Better?" he asked.
"Much." Elinor traced patterns on his chest, feeling his heartbeat slowly return to normal. "Thank you."
"Fer what?"
"For being here. For understanding what I needed even when I didn't know how to ask for it."
"Always, lass." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "That's what marriage is, aye? Being what the other person needs. Even when they dinnae ken they need it."
Elinor closed her eyes, letting herself accept that maybe, despite everything, they'd found something genuine in the midst of all the lies and deception.
"I was so worried today," she admitted quietly.
"About what would happen if the Regent didn't believe us.
If he decided to annul our marriage. I realized—I realized I didn't want that.
Not because of the practical implications or what it might mean for my safety. But because I didn't want to lose you."
"Ye'll nae lose me." David's arms tightened around her. "I promise ye that. Whatever comes, whatever happens—ye're stuck with me now."
"Good." She snuggled closer.
He shifted, adjusting their position on the sofa so they were more comfortable. "We should probably move to our chamber."
"In a minute." Elinor didn't want to move yet. Didn't want to break the moment. "Just, let me stay here a little longer."
"As long as ye want, lass."
They lay together in the firelight, the world outside their solar temporarily forgotten. Tomorrow would bring new challenges. The Duke would still be there, watching and assessing. Langley would still be out there, plotting.
But for that moment, they had each other.
And that was enough. More than enough.
It was everything.
"David?" Elinor said eventually, her voice drowsy.
"Aye?"
"Do you think it will always be this hard? Proving ourselves? Fighting to keep what's ours?"
He was quiet for a long moment. "I dinnae ken. Maybe. Maybe the fight never really ends. "
"That's exhausting."
"Aye. It is." He kissed the top of her head. "But if I have tae keep fightin' fer the rest of me life, at least I ken what I'm fightin' fer now. And that makes it bearable."
"What are you fighting for?"
"Ye. Us. This." He gestured vaguely at the space around them. "A life where we get to choose. Where we're nae controlled by kings or faithers or anyone else. Where we're just us."
"I want that too." Elinor's eyes were growing heavy. "So much."
"Then that's what we'll have. I promise ye."
"You can't promise that. You don't know what will happen."
"Nae. But I can promise I'll never stop tryin'. Never stop fightin' fer ye. Fer us." His voice was fierce. "That's a promise I can keep."
Elinor believed him. Despite everything, despite all the reasons she shouldn't, she believed him.
Because he'd proven himself, over and over. He'd defended her. Protected her. Given her freedoms and choices. Let her in when it would have been easier to shut her out.
He'd become her partner in truth, not just in name.
And that was worth fighting for.
Worth everything.
“Now rest. Tomorrow's another day, and we'll face it taegether."
"Together," she echoed, the word becoming a promise.
A vow. A declaration of everything they'd become to each other.
And as she drifted off to sleep in his arms, the Duke temporarily forgotten and the world's problems pushed aside for a few precious hours, Elinor felt something she hadn't felt in a long time.
Hope.
Real, genuine hope that maybe—just maybe—they were going to make it through it all.
That their love was strong enough to survive whatever came next.
That together, they were unbreakable. She didn't know if it was true. But lying in David's arms, warm and safe and loved, she let herself believe it.