Seduced by the Laird (Conquered Brides Series Book 2) by Eliza Knight Page B

ye, she’s long since buried along with any memories that could have been sweet.”
    Her words speared him, tearing into his chest with such agony he wondered if her statements were tipped with poison.
    “Tell me why ye left,” he asked again. “Please.”
    For the briefest of seconds her lower lip trembled. “I did not simply leave, Gregor. I was told to go.”
    “By who?” He’d kill the man who tossed her out.
    Kirstin’s lips twisted in outrage, something he’d not witnessed from her before. “Ye canna be serious.”
    “I am.”
    She shook her head, her features distorted in exasperation. “Ye are the most dense man I’ve ever met. Either ye are simply too stupid to function—which I doubt considering ye’ve managed to stay alive so long—or ye are purposefully attempting to anger me.”
    Gregor held up his hands and took a step back. “Please, my lov—“ Old habits were hard to kill off. Gregor cleared his throat. “Please, Sister Kirstin, I meant no harm. I simply wanted an answer to a question I’ve been trying to figure out the answer to for nearly a decade.”
    “So ye are serious.” She shook her head, her disappointment palpable. “If ye were not able to figure it out in nearly a decade than clearly me telling ye straight to your face is not going to do either of us any good. Good night, sir.”
    She started to turn, and instinctively he reached out, grasped her arm. Thinner than he remembered, and not as warm. What had happened to her to steal all the light from within? “Wait,” he requested.
    She shuddered, glowered up at him and tugged free. “Dinna touch me.”
    He let her go, feeling her revulsion all the way to the very core of him. Did she truly despise him so much? She crossed her arms protectively over her chest.
    “I’m sorry.” Guilt speared his chest.
    The tip of her pink tongue was visible between her teeth as she bit it, then disappeared as she spoke. “As far as I’m concerned whatever life, whatever lies , we shared, they are nothing to me but a lapse of my memory, my sanity. I dinna wish to speak of it, and I wish that ye would simply consider me a stranger.”
    Gregor let out a low growl and ran his hands through his hair with frustration, wanting to throttle her. “Kirstin, what happened between us? Why do ye hate me so?”
    “Why do ye not remember?”
    “I remember everything. I remember every night. Thousands of nights have passed with me wishing ye were by my side and praying ye were not dead.”
    “Ye’re a fool and ye’ve wasted your time.” Her words were so cold, and contradicted the sadness in her eyes.
    “I dinna consider ye a waste of time, nor myself a fool for having loved ye.” For loving ye still .
    “Then ye are even more of a fool.”
    Maybe he was a fool. Mayhap he was a complete and utter jackhole, but that didn’t really matter to him. What mattered to him was…
    “I’m sorry, Kay.” He reached for her, his hands suspended in mid-air and her backing up. “For whatever I’ve done to make ye despise me so much, I beg your forgiveness.” He needed it. Couldn’t move forward without it.
    She shook her head. “Not even a thousand nights lying awake is enough.”
    “What is enough? What can I do?”
    Her eyes cast to the ground, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. “Ye can let me be.”
    He shook his head, his own eyes burning. “I canna. I willna.”
    “Ye have to.” She glanced up at him, pleading in her gaze that tore at his heart.
    “Nay.”
    “Gregor…”
    “I’ve been waiting for ye to say my name again. To hear it on your lips.” Gregor reached out and this time he didn’t stop, he slipped his arms around her shoulders, and she didn’t resist.
    His Kay sank against him, sweet smells of sugar and soap. Her cheek rested against his shirt, growing wet from her silent tears. Slim fingers curled into his shirt, her elbows tucked against his chest. Gregor wrapped her up tight, cocooning her in his embrace. He