Free In the Kingdom's Name (Guardian of Scotland Book 2) by Amy Jarecki Page A

draping the gown over a chair, Madeline curtseyed then slipped past William and out the door.
    Once they were alone, all he had to do was grin.
    Swarms of butterflies attacked her stomach as Eva flew into his open arms. “Can you believe it? I stayed behind for an entire fortnight and nothing bad happened. I wasn’t kidnapped. There was no attempt on my life.”
    They both shook with the force of his laugh while he lifted her and spun in a circle. “And ye didna don men’s clothing and try to come after me.”
    Her toes touched the floor. “Right. You did have to bring that up.” When he’d found her at Fail Monastery, she’d been dressed in jeans and a month later, when he tried to break up with her and leave her at the same monastery, she’d put on a monk’s habit and had gone after him—which didn’t work out well for her at all. She coyly twisted a lock of hair around her finger. “But I promised not to try anything rash as long as you vowed to return.”
    “Mm hmm.” His gaze dropped to her lips. “I missed ye.” Lordy, he could melt marzipan with that sexy Scottish burr.
    With a dip of his chin, he brushed a kiss across her mouth. Hot tingles spread down her back. Eva moved closer and pressed her body flush with his toned, muscular form. If they hadn’t been born so many centuries apart, she could have believed they were made for each other, fitting together perfectly as if molded from the same clay. Closing her eyes, she drank him in, allowing her senses to take over. Hot, spicy male kissed and held her in a tender embrace with arms that could crush a man, let alone her fine bones. Yet he cradled her with incredible tenderness.
    Pressing friction made her breasts swell and ache with pent up desire she hadn’t even been aware she’d suppressed. The forceful demand of his mouth filled her with spiraling pleasure. Rubbing from side to side, her nipples hardened and her need for him grew like an addict’s craving. She dug her fingers into his back muscles, needing to savor him. Oh no, no opportunity to hold him in her arms, memorize every curve of his flesh, could be allowed to pass.
    Eva’s limited time was too precious.
    William’s body responded in kind, his erection hardened against her mons as his hips swirled in a seductive rhythm.
    Taking a breath to clear her swooning head, Eva arched her hips firmly against his as she smoothed her fingers through his wiry red beard. It had grown during the fortnight of his absence. “I missed you every waking moment. I don’t like it when you’re gone.”
    He placed a gentle kiss upon her forehead. “But ye ken I’ve no choice. ’Tis why…”
    She nodded her understanding as his voice trailed off. It was why they lived in the moment—why they refused to make promises to each other—the reason she couldn’t sleep at night when he lay beside her.
    She halted her wandering thoughts and smiled. “Did you see me riding Ryn?”
    His expression brightened. “Ye’ve given the mare a name?”
    “Aye, and why not? I like her.”
    Brushing her hair away from her face, his eyes twinkled tawny from the candlelight—sexier than sin. “I suppose there’s no harm in it. I named my first horse.”
    She trailed her finger from his collar down to the laces of his shirt where a tuft of chest hair teased her. “What happened to him?”
    “He grew old.” After another kiss, William lifted Eva in his arms and carried her to the bed. “But I dunna want to think on it now.”
    Oh, how she loved that he could whisk her off her feet like she was a petite young thing. Not only was she tall, Eva had never been a string-bean either. Her curves rivaled Beyoncé.
    He set her down with her feet dangling. “I brought ye something.”
    “A present?” Eva’s heart fluttered. Though she never expected anything from William, from time to time he surprised her. She looked between his empty palms, biting her bottom lip. “What is it?”
    With a devilish grin, he drew a