Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
Mist swirled around her feet as Eleanor walked the perimeter of the castle. She had spent the day with Marion and had even had supper with her brother in the great hall, but there had been no sign of Callum at all.
I daenae think he wishes to see me.
She could not help but feel used, even though she had agreed to the plan from the start.
Her own feelings had grown from when they had first met, but it did not seem as if Callum had wanted her more than what duty had dictated for the good of his position and his clan.
He had laid down his arms to save her and her brother, but had that not been part of the agreement from the start?
Save her brother in exchange for her pretending to be his bride.
Her heart ached furiously as she picked a path to a more secluded section of the castle where birch trees surrounded a small garden of herbs. She enjoyed solitude, but she could not help but wish she had more closure with Callum.
If they could just see each other again and talk, she would be able to move on with her life, no matter how much her heart ached. Stopping beside a giant oak, she pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders and stared out over the castle grounds.
If only we could talk.
She was not even certain of what she would say to him.
Thank ye for savin’ me life and that of me brother’s, but can ye please acknowledge me feelings that ye never asked for?
She almost smirked at the idea of addressing the matter so blatantly without provocation from his side.
“Ye should nae be so far from the castle, lass,” Callum suddenly spoke up from behind her as if her thoughts had summoned him.
Eleanor’s heart skipped a beat as she turned to see him staring at her. She had not even heard him coming up from behind. Had he been following her, or had he been in the garden already?
As if he could read her thoughts, Callum allowed the corners of his mouth to hook into a smile. “I saw ye walkin’ the perimeter of the forest from the study window. Ye shouldnae be this far away from the castle,” he repeated his concern.
“I didnae think that it would be a problem since our arrangement has ended.” She felt the sting of betrayal in her chest despite her best efforts.
I am a fool.
Eleanor felt her heart aching as she looked at him. Did she love him? Was that why she yearned to be at his side and hear him say that he cared for her beyond their arrangement?
“Yer safety will always be a concern, lass,” he said softly as if there had been a shift between them.
“But the threat is no longer in the castle, Donald Kincaid is gone,” she mustered the strength to speak to him without crying.
Callum’s eyes searched her face for a moment before he answered again.
“The threat is far from gone, lass. I have spent the mornin’ meetin’ with the council, and only two of the members have confessed.
They had been dealt with accordingly, but it will take a while yet before we can say that Clan Fraser is safe. ”
He was busy all mornin’.
She quickly reminded herself that he had not been too busy to call on Andrew instead of her.
A surge of anger suddenly took over her chest as she lifted her chin with pride.
If he did not care for her, then she was not about to show him that his indifference had affected her so badly.
“Be that as it may, our arrangement is over; it is me business where I walk.”
Taking a step forward, Callum closed the distance between them and glowered down at her. “Ye are still on Fraser lands, lass, everythin’ that ye do is me business.” The side of his arm twitched as if he were about to lift his hand and touch her, but he remained with both arms at his sides.
The tension between them suddenly became palpable as Eleanor sucked in a sharp breath.
“The arrangement is over, I nae longer have to answer to ye…” Her voice was softer this time as she tilted her head up, looking into the eyes that had haunted her dreams for the longest time over the past few weeks.
Her heart skipped a beat, but she refused to let him know.
Tilting his head to the side, Callum glanced at her lips before dragging his eyes back up her face. “Are ye that eager to have the agreement between us be over?” The tone of his voice matched hers.
Breathing deeper, Eleanor attempted to regain her courage, but quickly averted her gaze when her legs felt as if they would give way beneath her. “Is it nae over now that the matter has been settled?” She felt her voice grow fainter with every moment that her body was so close to his.
I have to be strong.
She sucked in a sharp breath when she felt his fingers slip under her chin, pulling her face toward his.
“That isnae what I asked ye, lass. Are ye eager to have the agreement between us come to an end? Yer brother is waitin’ in the castle.
Ye need only say the words, and he will take ye back to yer father.
” His eyes once again dipped to her lips, lingering longer this time as he ran his tongue over his lower lip before drawing it back into his mouth.
Every fiber of her being longed to give in to the desires brewing in her core. She wanted to kiss him, to press her body against his and be done with the ache in her chest, but she knew deep down that she wanted more than just the physical release of a single moment in time.
She wanted a lifetime of promises fulfilled.
“Callum, I cannae…” she began weakly, but found herself melting again when he gently pushed her back against a tree and placed one hand beside her head.
“Ye cannae what, lass? Because I cannae go on if I daenae ken how ye are feelin’.
I have been driven mad this past day when I wasnae able to be at yer side.
If ye daenae feel the same, tell me now so that I may end me misery and send ye on yer way.
” His voice was thick with emotion as he dipped his head and brought his lips closer to hers.
Eleanor’s eyes widened as her breathing stopped.
Does he care for me?
Her words failed her as her chest began to rise and fall in rapid succession with each inhalation. It did not seem real to her that somethin’ akin to a confession was leaving his lips.
Swearing under his breath, Callum shook his head before looking up again.
“Say somethin’ lass, I cannae go on if ye daenae tell me how ye feel!
Ye are burned to me very soul, and I need to ken if I must sever that connection and move on with me life!
” He sounded almost desperate as his eyes bore into hers.
“Callum, I want…” Her words had barely passed her lips when his kiss seared them to silence.
Eleanor could hardly breathe as his lips lingered on hers, soft and tender at first, drawing a moan of pleasure from her throat. Her hands moved up, feeling the muscles of his chest through his shirt, until his tongue parted her lips and began to search the warm depths of her mouth.
Moving her arms up his chest, she snaked her fingers over his neck and drew him closer, savoring the kiss that burned all the way down to her core.
His body moved closer to hers, heating her skin through the fabric of her dress while his hands slid up her sides, slowly cupping her hips and kneading her flesh.
I need him.
Eleanor almost gasped the words out loud as his lips moved from hers, making their way to the line of her jaw and down to the tender flesh of her neck.
He kissed and nibbled at her throat, moaning in pleasure when she tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer. “Ye drive me insane, lass,” he growled against her skin before using his hands to lift her buttocks against the tree.
Moving instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his waist and gasped.
Callum buried his head between her breasts as he took a deep breath and pressed a kiss in the cleft. “Tell me if I must stop, lass. Ye need only say the words, and ye never have to see me again…” His voice was softer and far more tender than she had ever heard it before.
She leaned forward and placed her head on his, breathing in the scent of his hair. “Callum, I want ye… nay, I need ye…” She yearned to have his head between her thighs like he had done on that night in her chambers, but she knew that more needed to be said. “I…”
Callum suddenly caught her off guard as his hand moved between her thighs, seeking her warmth as his fingers explored her core. “How much do ye need me, lass? Show me just how badly ye yearn for me touch…” His voice was hot this time, dripping with the longing that she felt in her heart.
Moaning with pleasure, she shut her eyes and leaned her head back against the tree.
Every breath came out in a stutter when the tips of his fingers found the bud at the apex of her sex.
Thrusting her hips forward, she moaned when he pushed his body further into hers and cupped her breast with his free hand.
Her body was pinned between his solid chest and the tree when he dipped his head and kissed a path over the tops of her breasts.
She was almost delirious with pleasure when he picked up the pace and caressed her toward the apex of her pleasure that was quickly building in her core.
Her legs began to tremble as she clung to him for dear life, digging her fingers into his back as she whimpered for more.
Callum nipped at the tender skin of her breasts, making her pleasure burst from within as she cried out in pleasure and gave in to the wave of ecstasy that spread through her core.
Her breathing came rapidly as her eyes refused to open in the wake of her pleasure. The world around her no longer seemed to matter anymore as Callum wrapped his arms around her and buried his head in her shoulder, holding her tight until her legs stopped trembling.
Breathing in deeply, Eleanor allowed herself to be lowered to the ground, but clung on tightly as her legs still felt weak.
“I care for ye, macree,” he whispered in her ear before pressing gentle kisses to her neck.
Me heart.
Eleanor felt as if she would burst as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. “I care for ye too, Callum. I didnae think that ye did, but…”
Pulling away from her, Callum released her arms from around his neck and brought her hands forward, pressing a kiss into each palm, before meeting her gaze. “How could I nae care for ye, macree?”
The words made her legs buckle again, as if she were living a dream.
“Ye fought so bravely by me side, and ye were willin’ to offer up yer life for yer brother.
How could a man nae care for a woman as brave and beautiful as ye?
” His voice was hoarse with affection as he slipped his fingers through hers.
“I want ye to stay by me side, but I willnae force ye if it isnae what ye wish.”
Eleanor swallowed hard again, feeling the lump in her throat threatening to burst. “But what of the arrangement? What will ye tell the clan?”
He seemed thoughtful for a moment before letting go of her hand and placing his hand on her hip.
“If ye will have me, macree, I should like to make ye me wife.” His words hung in the air like the blast of a cannon that had unexpectedly been fired.
“But only if ye agree. I daenae wish to marry ye if it is nae somethin’ that will bring ye joy.
I want ye to be happy, and if bein’ by me side will make ye happy, then I shall be the luckiest man in the world. ”
Tears of joy spilled down Eleanor’s cheeks as she sought the right words.
“Callum, I wouldnae be happy if I wasnae at yer side. I daenae ken when it happened, but ye became the very breath in me lungs. I daenae think that I could face another day without ye. Earlier today, when I didnae ken if ye would come, I wasnae sure how I would face tomorrow.”
Tears of gratitude welled in Callum’s eyes, and he quickly kissed both of her hands again before drawing her closer to his chest. “Does that mean that ye will marry me, lass? I need to hear ye say the words or I will scarcely believe that it is true.”
Eleanor’s heart felt as if it would burst as tears of joy streaked down her cheeks. “Aye, Callum, I will marry ye, in this lifetime and the next!”
Lifting her by the waist, Callum swung her away from the tree and around his body in a circle.
The mist swirled around them like a blanket, causing a chill to rise in the air, but neither Callum nor Eleanor seemed to care.
Things were being put to right in the world, and the cold of the evening was the least of their concerns.
He placed her down again and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her deeply until the sound of footsteps hurrying in the distance drew them apart.
Eleanor quickly fixed her skirts and stepped away from Callum as if they had been caught red-handed in the act. Her face flushed with color when Iain suddenly appeared around the corner.
“Me Laird, I was wonderin’…” His voice suddenly trailed off when his gaze landed on Eleanor. “Oh, beggin’ yer pardon.” He began to back away, but Callum called him back.
“What is it, Iain?” His voice returned to its normal authoritative pitch.
Coughing into his hand, Iain looked at his boots. “The council needs ye, me Laird. Two more of the men have come forward to confess their alliances with Donald Kincaid.”
Callum looked from Iain to Eleanor with a strange glint in his eyes. “Tell the council that I will meet with them in the mornin’. The future Lady Fraser and I have matters to discuss.”
Eleanor’s heart leaped into her chest at the words, while Iain’s head snapped up.
“Does that mean…” He seemed stunned as he looked from one to the other.
Walking toward her, Callum took her hand in his and faced his trusted man-at-arms. “It means that Miss Whitacker and I willnae be disturbed for the rest of the evenin’. There is a weddin’ to be planned. I shall deal with the traitors in the mornin’. Have them placed under watch until then.”
Iain’s face brightened as he stood up straight. “Aye, me Laird. I shall see to them meself.”