A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (62 page)

“
Your brother and cousin are both coming and-
”
he hesitated, and Muira shot him a small questioning glance. 
“
And MacEantach is coming with them,
”
he said tightly. 

Lachlan
’
s heart clenched painfully at the look of terror that passed across Muira
’
s face.  If that bastard laid a finger on her- threatened to lay a finger on her-
looked
at her in the wrong way, he was as good as dead as far as Lachlan was concerned. 

If he had any say in the matter Tavish MacEantach wouldn
’
t even be admitted to Eilean Donan.  However, unfortunately he didn
’
t have a say in the matter, or at least, not without proving an extremely good reason against admitting the Cameron man.

“
Tavish is coming here?
”
Muira squeaked.  She stood up and took a step towards her husband.  Lachlan assumed that she didn
’
t realise what she was doing, but his heart clenched again when he realised that she was looking towards him for protection
…
even after everything that had happened between them. 

“
I won
’
t let him touch you!
”
Lachlan blurted fiercely, without thinking.  He flinched at the look of shock that crossed Muira face.  No doubt she was remembering that he and Tavish were cut of the same cloth
…
he had to fight back a shudder. 
“
I know what I did to you was just as bad- was
worse
than what he tried to do, but I-
”
 

“
Oh Lachlan, no!
”
Muira gasped, fervently shaking her head from side to side.  She crossed quickly what little space remained between them and laid her hands flat against his chest. 

Lachlan could only stare down at her in disbelief.  She was touching him.  The heat of her small hands fairly scorched through the light fabric of his shirt.  Oh God, he wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms; he wanted it so much that he ached. 

“
You said we were the same,
”
he ground out difficultly, trying not to let his mind wander to how snugly Muira
’
s new dress hugged her curves, how the low cut of the gown revealed the top swells of her breasts, breasts that were practically begging to spill out of her corset and into his waiting hands- his waiting mouth.

“
I was angry,
”
Muira whispered.

“
You were right,
”
Lachlan groaned.  Muira
’
s fingers coiled in his shirt.  She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but couldn
’
t seem to force the words out. 
“
I won
’
t stop you- if you want to return to Castle Cameron with your brother you know,
”
Lachlan ground out through clenched teeth. 

He didn
’
t know why he kept telling her this, giving her an escape route.  Perhaps it was because he wanted to be certain, if she stayed, that it was because she
wanted
to be with him?

Muira gazed up at him.  Her beautiful eyes clouded by sadness. 
“
If I told Ewan, you wouldn
’
t be
able
to stop me,
”
she murmured, but she was still clutching at his shirt.

Lachlan nodded gravely, but he could no longer stop himself from lifting a hand to Muira
’
s cheek.  He was amazed when she leant into the touch, and then he held his breath completely when she turned her lips towards his palm and dabbed a kiss against his skin.  His entire body tensed.

“
It
’
s almost healed,
”
she whispered.  Lachlan blinked, taking a few seconds to work out what she was talking about- the cut he
’
d got from the barn door.

“
Almost,
”
he murmured in reply.  She turned her face towards him again, and Lachlan couldn
’
t stop himself from leaning towards her. 
“
Muira
…”
he groaned in warning.

“
Please?
”
she whispered, standing on tiptoes to quicken the rate at which their lips collided.

It was like rain in the desert.  Lachlan couldn
’
t hold back the moan that trickled from his lips as he was finally allowed to taste her again.  He was achingly gentle.  Not daring to overplay his hand, but Muira continued to amaze him.  Her hands lifted to his neck, fingers knotting themselves in his hair as she accepted the dabbing of his tongue, before parting her lips and granting him full access to the sweet hollow of her mouth.

She whimpered.  Lachlan was
certain
that she whimpered, as his tongue once again swept possessively into its territory.  His hands moved to Muira waist as he continued to deepen the kiss, feasting upon her lush mouth hungrily and wanting so much more.

“
Muira,
”
he panted, and that was when she froze in his arms- that was when the shove against his chest came.

Lachlan dropped her immediately from his arms, feeling just about as low as it was possible for a man to feel.  He stared down at Muira, numb with shock and horror at what had just happened, but he was surprised to see that his wife
’
s face was awash with sadness, and not anger or disgust.

“
I
’
m sorry,
”
she sobbed, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“
You don
’
t have anything to be sorry for,
”
Lachlan told her brokenly.  It was his fault entirely, but if Muira couldn
’
t bear to have him touch her then what hope was there for them of being reconciled?

“
But I didn
’
t mean- I didn
’
t want-
”

“
I know,
”
Lachlan murmured, as soothingly as he could muster. 
“
It won
’
t happen again,
”
he promised, although it killed him.  Muira started and step forwards, but this time Lachlan took a disarming step back.

“
I wanted it to happen!
”
Muira blurted, causing her husband to gape at her.  She hiccupped tearfully and Lachlan wanted so desperately to pull her into his arms and ease the pain that he had wrought that his heart physically hurt. 
“
But I shouldn
’
t, should I?  I shouldn
’
t have wanted it?
”
she asked pitifully. 

Lachlan simply stared at her in complete confusion. 
“
Because you
’
re still angry?  You still hate me?
”
he tried tentatively.  If she just answered
‘
no
’
to the latter question then he might let himself hope that some progress had been made, despite the disastrous outcome of the kiss.

Muira didn
’
t answer no, but nor did she answer yes. 
“
Because it
’
s not- it
’
s not becoming of a lady,
”
she choked, bowing her head and crying harder.  Lachlan suddenly thought that he knew what she was talking about, and the realisation hit him like a punch to the gut.

“
Muira, there is nothing more becoming to a husband then a wife who is willing and enthusiastic in his arms,
”
he said carefully, casting his mind back with hungry longing to the times when it had been like that between them.

“
But-
”
Muria sobbed. 
“
But you said that I- that I was-
”

“
I said a lot of things that I shouldn
’
t have,
”
Lachlan interrupted quickly.  He couldn
’
t bear to hear Muira repeat the cruel, vicious things that he
’
d said to hurt her. 
“
A lot of things that I didn
’
t mean,
”
he added, pleadingly.

Including that he loved her?
Muira wondered sorrowfully, but didn
’
t ask.  She simply fell silent, not knowing what to say in the face of this new declaration, not knowing how to
feel
. 

When she had found herself in her husband
’
s arms it had been as though she
’
d never left.  It was as if their bodies already knew something that their minds hadn
’
t quite managed to comprehend yet.  It felt so good, it felt so
right
- but Muria didn
’
t want it to feel good or right!  Lachlan had spoilt, broken, everything that they shared, and Muira was determined to hang onto that pain, because she was afraid of what it would mean if she let it go
…