Starry Knight (38 page)

Seconds later, she felt the breathless break of his climax and the bursting of his seed deep within her. When he stilled, he captured her mouth and kissed her with feeling. She untied her trembling legs and let them drop to the floor. He released her mouth, pulled out of her, and stepped back, eyes glassy and dark.

“Promise me you’ll still want me this much after we’re married.”

Heart wrenching, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him hard. “Oh, Callum. I’ll want you so much you’ll have to beat me off with a stick.”

He squeezed her hard and kissed her neck before letting her go. After zipping up and straightening his clothes, he released the lock, sending the car on its way. When it stopped a few seconds later, they emerged from its dark womb into the bright hallway, rubber-limbed and love-drunk. A quick survey of the ornately framed paintings lining the walls told her all were Scottish portraits and landscapes.

Draping a possessive arm around her shoulder, he pulled her along, his weight and mass making walking difficult. At the door to the bridal suite, he let her go and pulled out the credit-card key the clerk had given him at the registration desk downstairs.

Anticipation fluttered in her belly at the thought of his romantic surprise. As he inserted it into the slot, she noticed the portrait on the opposite wall—a full-length depiction of an 18
^th
-century Scotsman dressed resplendently in tartan from head to toe. A thrilling realization broke through the euphoria clouding her mind.

“Callum,” she said, touching his arm, “what did you have Hamish send you to wear?”

“What do you think?” His feline grin warmed her to her backbone. “You’re marrying a Highlander, lass. Don’t ever forget it.”

—THE END—

Nina Mason is a hopeful romantic with strong affinities for history, mythology, and the metaphysical. She strives to write the same kind of books she loves to read: those that entertain, edify, educate, and enlighten. When not writing, Nina works as a communications consultant, doll maker, and home stager. Born and raised in Southern California, she now lives in Woodstock, Georgia, with her husband, teenage daughter, two rescue cats, and a Westie named Robert.