Ciaran wasn’t sure that she did see. “But you still loved her.”
“I did, with all my heart-but that was something that grew over time,” Duncan said carefully. How could he make Ciaran understand that just because he had loved another woman it didn’t mean his heart wasn’t hers now? He had spent so much of his first marriage living in the shadow of his dead brother. He couldn’t bear to put Ciaran through the same thing now! “And-” he wavered, conscious that he might be wronging Aileen memory, but then he plunged on regardless “-and that was before I knew you.”
Ciaran drew in a startled little gasp. Could Duncan truly mean what he was telling her? Could he really love a woman like her? “I don’t-” she said hesitantly, but before she could finish that sentence Duncan had claimed her lips in a silencing kiss. Only when she was too breathless to speak did her husband free her mouth.
“I don’t ever want to hear you putting yourself down again,” he said fiercely. “You’re my wife and I love you. You are the most precious thing in my life.”
“And the children,” Ciaran corrected him, but a small smile was beginning to blossom on her lips. She was starting to believe him…
“You gave me the children,” Duncan murmured, stroking his fingers over her face. “You came into my life and made me want to live again.”
“Duncan-!” Ciaran gasped.
“No, listen,” said Duncan urgently, as though he had to speak quickly now that he had found the words. He had picked up her hand, but hardly seemed conscious of the fact he was mapping little circles onto her skin with his fingertips. “I had started to think my life was cursed. I lost so many people I loved.”
“Aileen and Thomas?” Ciaran prompted gently.
“Aye, and my parents, and at Sheriffmuir almost every one of my friends.”
Ciaran had heard the other Scots mention Sheriffmuir between themselves sometimes, but she had never known Duncan to talk about the battle. She had worked out for herself this was where he had lost his beloved brother though, and that this was when the fortunes of his ‘clan’ began to unravel.
“I watched my home burn… I was hunted out of my own country… I accepted the fact I would never be a father… I buried Aileen…” Duncan’s voice was haunted and low as he listed off the tragedies, but then he lifted his head to look at his wife, and there was a warmth and light shining in his eyes. “And then I met you. I had to go through hell to find you, Ciaran, but if I had to do it all again I would.”
“Duncan!” Ciaran choked. There were tears glistening in her eyes and her heart was beating almost painfully in her chest. “Me too,” she whispered. “Me too.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him tightly. “All the bad things in my life, as terrible as they were, they led me to you,” she told Duncan breathlessly. “So-so even if I could, I won’t change a thing, because it would mean losing you!”
“Ciaran, love-” he paused for a moment so that he could bestow a fierce kiss. “My angel,” he murmured adoringly, gently stroking his hands down her body, as if to reassure himself that she was really real. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy,” he promised her ardently.
Ciaran couldn’t help from giggling. “You don’t have to try!” She sighed happily and snuggly against his chest. “Just love me,” she whispered, still smiling. “That’s enough, that’s all I ever needed… for as long as we both shall live.”
Duncan shook his head and grinned. “For much longer than that…”
THE END
Also by Stephanie Sterling
The MacRae Series:
A Beautiful Lie (Lachlan and Muira – Book One)
A Year and a Day (Ewan and Cait – Book Two)
On a Cold Winter’s Night (Novella)
Runaway Love (Maisie and Alec – Book Three (Coming Soon!))
Another Lifetime (Duncan and Aileen – Book Four)
His Greatest Treasure (Cora and James – Book Five)
Stand Alone Novels:
The Perfect Candidate (Modern Romance)
Just One Kiss (Regency Romance)
Written as Chelsea Scott:
Hungry For More (Modern Romance)
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