Eight weeks had flown by, and so much had happened since her capture. But the happiest occurrence of all was her father’s recovery. As stubborn as any mule, he had remained in bed for the least amount of time possible, and determined he was fine, had been up and walking about far earlier than Dara had suggested. But Benedict had been right. Her father was a warrior, and thus, day by day, his health had improved until eventually, he was in far less pain than before.
He was still not entirely well, of course, and there were days he had to take things a little easier. But he was far better than anyone could have expected in such a short time, and Yvaine and Evelyn had spoken often of how grateful they were for Dara, and her skills as a healer.
The previous night her father had knocked at the door of her bedchamber, and when she had invited him in, Evelyn had said, “Please dinnae tell me ye are here tae give me the talk again, Father. I ken I am getting married tomorrow, but truly, the last time was just mortifying.”
Donald had chuckled, while at the same time, wincing, for laughing caused him pain.
“Have nae fear. I am here only tae have a final drink with my daughter before she becomes a married woman.” He grinned.
“Thank all the gods in heaven for that,” Evelyn blurted. Which had only sent her father into further laughter.
“Stop it,” he chuckled, “or I’ll nae be fit tae give ye away on the morrow.”
They had settled in front of the fire and talked about the good times. In fact, Donald spoke lovingly about Mary, his wife. Evelyn was both surprised and moved, for it was the first time he had done so since her death. He shared memories and they laughed together for a while, before her father, after finishing his drink, said that he wanted to let her get her rest for the big day.
“I love ye, me darling,” he said, as he left her bedchamber. “Get a good night’s sleep. Ye have a big day tomorrow.”
“I will, Faither,” Evelyn said, kissing his cheek.
Half an hour later, another knock came on her door, and upon opening it, Evelyn was surprised to see Benedict standing there holding a bottle of wine.
“Ye cannae be here,” she said, even though she opened the door wider for him to enter.
“And yet, ye are bidding me entrance,” he had said, grinning down at her. “Now, come on. Get us some glasses. We are going tae celebrate the fact that we survived long enough tae get married.”
He had poured glasses of wine, and they had sat close together on the sofa by the fire. The conversation was light and easy, with times when neither of them spoke at all.
After a while, Benedict had said. “It is time ye got some sleep. Off ye go and get intae bed.”
Evelyn had stood and walked to the door to bid him good night, but Benedict had not moved.
“What are ye doing?” she had asked.
Gazing at her from his firm position on the sofa, he had said, “I’m staying.” By his tone, it was clear he was not joking.
“But Benedict—”
“I dinnae care what ye say, Evelyn,” he had replied stubbornly. “Ye’re nae budging me from this room.”
This shift in him had gone on since her kidnaping, and no matter how many times she had tried to reassure him, her soon-to-be-husband was still overprotective. She had hoped it would wane, somewhere along the way, and yet two months on, he was still as hyper alert as ever.
“We cannae spend the night together before our wedding,” Evelyn had stated.
“Then I will sleep on the floor.”
“Ye’ll dae nay such thing,” she had balked.
“Well, I’m nae leaving. And that’s final.”
Evelyn had heaved a sigh, and eventually they had compromised. They had slept in the same bed, his arms wrapped around her, their only intimacy being a passionate kiss, and then, the two had fallen fast asleep.
When Evelyn was wakened by Yvaine, Benedict was gone, but the bed was still warm, so it had not been long ago that he had left.
“I was sent in here by yer soon-to-be-husband and ordered nae tae leave ye alone,” Yvaine smirked. “Fer god’s sake, dinnae tell faither he spent the night with ye before yer wedding day.”
“I couldnae get him tae leave,” Evelyn defended.
“Well,” Yvaine said, pulling the drapes open and letting the light spill into the room, “I can sort o’ understand his point o’ view.”
“I dinnae ken he’ll ever let me out of his sight again,” Evelyn said, pushing herself from the bed.
Yvaine turned and gazed at her sister sympathetically. “It’ll pass eventually, Evelyn. He was just so terrified that he’d lost ye. We were all distraught on that day, but Benedict was beside himself.”
Evelyn was about to reply when there was a knock on the door. Yvaine hurried across the room, and a moment later, her bedchamber was flooded with maids.
Two hours later, Evelyn walked out of the castle with her father by her side. People had travelled from far and wide, including many from Clan Sinclair. Unlike last time, where the wedding had been rushed forward for Evelyn’s safety, everyone had been given plenty of time to arrive. The castle could not accommodate them all, and thus, most of the guests were camped just outside of the castle walls.
The chapel was too small to hold all the guests, and so instead, as suggested by Killian, of all people, the wedding was being held in the rear gardens on the huge lawn.
Chairs decorated with flowers and ribbons stood in rows on either side of the aisle she currently walked down. Her stomach felt like a hundred butterflies danced in it. It was not nerves, but rather, excitement that this day had finally come.
Benedict stood a little way ahead with Audor by his side, and when she and her father finally reached them, her father handed her off to Benedict, who, upon seeing her, beamed with astonished delight.
“Ye take me breath away, Evelyn,” he murmured.
She could only gaze up into those beautiful green eyes of his and smile with blissful happiness.
When the ceremony was over, a great cheer came from the crowd behind them, and after many congratulations from all those present, the whole party moved inside, where the great hall awaited them.
Tables were laden with every sort of meat, from boar to venison, from chicken to quail. There were breads and biscuits, there were bowls of berries and seasonal fruit, there were jellies and cakes.
Audor gave a rousing speech, and, after another roar from all those present, he made a toast.
“Tae Benedict and Evelyn. May the wind be always behind them, and may the road come up tae meet their feet.”
Soon afterwards, the musicians began to play, and dancing commenced. Benedict and Evelyn hardly had a chance to catch their breath after their first dance, for they travelled around the room, thanking each and every one of the guests for coming.
Then, they came across Killian and Yvaine, who were, as usual, arguing about something or other. Benedict grinned down at Evelyn, and after shaking their heads and laughing, they swiftly moved along.
After some time, Benedict bent to Evelyn’s ear. “Would ye like tae get out o’ here fer a while?”
Evelyn widened her eyes and nodded her head. “I would love tae get out o’ here fer a while,” she said emphatically.
Nodding his acknowledgement, he took her by the hand and, threading his way through the bodies that surrounded them, eventually led her outside onto the terrace.
“Oh, me God,” she sighed. “What a delight tae feel the fresh air on me face.”
Benedict slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close. “I think this is the first time all day I have actually got tae spend a moment alone with me wife.”
“I like the sound o’ that on yer tongue,” she said, gazing up at him.
“As dae I.”
For a long moment, the two stood there, leaning on the terrace wall, gazing out into the night sky. The closed doors muted the music and raucous laughter, but not by much, and yet, it was enough that they had managed to put some space between themselves and the madness in the great hall. At least everyone was having a good time.
“I have one question that has been niggling at me for some time,” Benedict said.
“Ask it,” Evelyn replied.
“When Audor left, and I took his place, how did ye ken fer all that time I was pretending tae be him, that it was really me?”
Evelyn beamed and smiled, and then snaked her hand up his huge chest. She reached behind his ear, and softly rubbed the scar that sat there. She then raised her eyebrows playfully.
“A scar?” he balked. “Ye kent it was me because o’ a scar?”
“When ye kissed me in the library on that first night that we met, I threaded my fingers through yer hair. I felt the scar back then. And when we sat at the table on the first night we arrived, ye turned tae speak tae Killian. When I saw it, I kent it was ye.”
“And so, ye saw the scar after that? When Audor went away?”
Evelyn shook her head. “Nae. At first, I only sensed something wasnae right. But then ye showed yer hand by making that quip about having the most wonderful adventures in a library. That, as well as the suspicions I already had in my gut, was what gave ye away.”
“I cannae believe it,” he gasped, still clearly amazed. “Naeone else has ever been able tae tell us apart. Never, in all our lives.”
“And I hope,” she murmured, pulling him down to her, “that nae other woman will ever try,” she said teasingly.
“What about a man?” Benedict grinned flippantly.
“Well, if ye choose tae kiss a man over me, then we definitely have a problem.”
“I can assure ye, me love,” he growled, his lips hovering over hers, “there will be nae other lips on mine but yers.”
Benedict pulled her in closer and pressed those very lips against hers. As his love wrapped around her, she allowed herself to be swallowed by it. After everything they had suffered, they were finally together. Together forever, with nothing ahead of them but a future they could carve for themselves.
It had been two days since Lilith and Aaden had made it to Castle MacEwan after Evander’s invitation, and only now did they have the time to rest. The first two days of their visit had been spent with Lilith meeting everyone in the clan and Aaden reacquainting himself with them, spending time with Evander and Janice, and attending feasts and dinners and meetings, one after the other.
Now, though, Aaden had brought her to the river that run through the MacEwan lands—a wide, deep one with crisp waters that formed a small lake right under a rushing waterfall. It was a beautiful place, the likes of which Lilith had never encountered before, and she stood by the bank, watching in awe.
As the sunlight hit the waterfall, it splintered into a rainbow, its colors bright against the dark, jutting rocks. She could hear nothing but the sound of the water pouring unbridled into the basin below. She could feel nothing but the gentle breeze and the cold water that sprayed on her face.
“It’s bonnie here, isnae it?” Aaden asked as he slid up next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. There was no one else there; just the two of them and the birds that flew overhead. “I used tae come here when I was a bairn with me faither. I didnae even remember the place until Maither reminded me of it an’ told me I should bring ye here.”
“Dae ye remember it now?” Lilith asked, leaning her head on Aaden’s shoulder. “Is it still the same?”
“I think the waterfall wasnae as wide when I was last here,” said Aaden. “Though from what I remember, it seemed much taller. Perhaps because I was a wee laddie.”
It made sense, Lilith supposed. Aaden was much smaller back then so everything in his memory would have been much bigger. She couldn’t help but wonder what else had changed for him, what else was not as familiar anymore as it once had been.
“There really is only one thing tae dae here,” Aaden said and then proceeded to tear off his clothes in a few fluid movements until he was standing entirely nude in front of Lilith. She hardly had the chance to do anything but stare at him in disbelief, a surprised chuckle escaping her.
“What are ye doin’?” she asked.
“I’m goin’ fer a swim,” said Aaden, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
Lilith raised a dubious eyebrow. “In there? Is it nae cold?”
“Very much so.”
The thought of freezing in the water didn’t seem to bother Aaden, though. If anything, he seemed excited for the plunge and he reached out for Lilith with a hand, one that she didn’t take.
“Ach, I think I’d rather stay here,” she said, looking at the water distrustfully.
“Come, lass,” Aaden urged her, wiggling his fingers a little. “Surely, ye willnae let me be cold on me own.”
“Why should I be cold just because ye have nae common sense?” If anything, Aaden deserved to freeze half to death if he was foolish enough to go in that water.
“It truly isnae that bad,” Aaden insisted, “I used tae swim here all the time when I was a bairn.”
“Ye said ye didnae even remember this place.”
“Aye, but there’s nae other place tae swim around here, so I must have been swimmin’ in this water just fine.”
It wasn’t enough to reassure Lilith, but the hopeful look Aaden gave her was too sweet to resist. As much as she would rather stay in the relative warmth of the sun and the air around her, she doubted Aaden would budge until she had agreed to join him.
With a long-suffering sigh, Lilith began to remove her clothes, leaving everything on a small pile under the shade of a large oak. Once she was fully nude, she tried to cover her body with her arms, even though it was far from the first time Aaden had seen her like this, and he chuckled, walking over to her to pull her into his arms.
“Why are ye hidin’ from me?” he asked as Lilith sagged against him, relaxing for a moment. “Have I nae seen ye like this ‘afore?”
“Ye have,” Lilith said. “But it’s usually at night, in our chambers. Nae in the middle o’ the day, out in the open.”
“There is nae one else here,” Aaden assured her. “Nae one else but us.”
Lilith knew that, of course, but it didn’t stop the paranoia from infecting her like a disease. She looked around her, worried that someone would come by and see them, but they truly were alone.
“Come,” Aaden urged her, pulling her towards the water. Lilith followed him reluctantly, letting him step in first and watching for his reaction. For several moments, Aaden froze entirely, to the point where Lilith feared he had even stopped breathing, the air seizing in his lungs. Though he was facing away from her, he could tell by the sharp, tense lines of his shoulders and his back that the water was, indeed, colder than he had imagined.
“I’m nae goin’ in there,” Lilith said, trying to tug herself free from Aaden’s grip, but he refused to let go.
“It’s alright,” he said, voice strained. “It’s nae that cold.”
Still doubtful, Lilith let Aaden pull her into the water. The first splash of it over her ankles was hardly felt. It was only when she stayed there for a few seconds that the cold truly got to her, like a thousand pins sticking into her skin. She tried to endure it; she truly did. She just couldn’t imagine plunging in with her entire body. It sounded like too much torture.
“Well, that was enough fer me,” Lilith said and this time, Aaden allowed her to pull free from him, perhaps because he, too, simply could not stand the cold. She quickly climbed out of the water, and the numbing sensation continued even after.
Soon, Aaden was by her side, shivering, and Lilith couldn’t help but laugh as she pulled him to their horses, grabbing the blanket they had brought with them and wrapping it around them both as they huddled together for warmth.
“Are ye ready tae admit it was colder than ye thought?” Lilith asked, looking up at him smugly.
“It truly wasnae that bad,” Aaden insisted, and before Lilith could say anything else, he kissed her, effectively silencing her. Lilith could protest, she thought; she could try to get him to admit the truth, but she wasn’t as invested in it as she was in the kiss. Her arms came to wrap around his neck as Aaden’s hands found her hips, their bodies pressed flush together, and that familiar heat spread through her body instantly, her desire for him demanding her attention.
They hadn’t been with each other for several days, both of them too tired from the trip and their duties to do anything more than sleep once they retreated to their chambers. Lilith wanted him desperately, her body aching for him, and if she were to judge by the way Aaden was responding to her kisses and her touch, then he was just as desperate.
Lilith traced Aaden’s body with the tips of her fingers, running them gently over his shoulders, his back, then up his stomach and chest until he was shivering with more than just the cold. Before long, he pulled back to lay the blanket down onto the grass and pulled Lilith to sit next to him, before capturing her lips in a kiss once more.
As they kissed, Aaden’s hand trailed up her thigh, teasing the crease of her hip until Lilith’s legs fell open, a silent plea to touch her where she wanted it the most. Chuckling against her lips, Aaden brushed his knuckles over her opening, the touch offering no relief. It was only even more maddening, too soft and gentle to provide any real pleasure.
“Touch me,” Lilith demanded, her own hand finding Aaden’s to guide his fingers between her thighs. Any embarrassment that had gripped her earlier at revealing her body like this was now gone, replaced with nothing but lust and need, an urgent, unstoppable desire that she had to fulfil right that instant.
Aaden groaned against her as he was led by her hand. He let her guide his fingers, both of them moaning softly at the first touch of his hand. Slowly, he began to scatter kisses down her neck, stopping where it met her shoulder to suck and nibble on the sensitive skin there, before moving even lower to draw her nipple between his lips. At the same time, under Lilith’s guidance, he rubbed that sensitive spot that tore moan after moan from her, her voice echoing in the air around them.
When Aaden slipped one of his fingers inside her, Lilith’s eyes firmly shut, her hips trembling as she rolled them in an attempt to take him even deeper. Soon, it was joined by another, the slide of them against her walls slow and torturous and just what Lilith needed. When Aaden’s teeth grazed over her nipple, her back arched off the blanket, her body chasing the sensation, and Aaden took the opportunity to thrust his fingers all the way to the last knuckle, hitting a spot inside her that had stars exploding behind her eyelids. Those clever fingers pushed and prodded at her, coaxing more of her wetness to gather between her thighs, coating her folds and Aaden’s hand.
“Please,” she said, reaching for Aaden to pull him closer. “I want ye inside me.”
“Look how intoxicated ye are already,” Aaden said. It didn’t sound like a taunt. If anything, he sounded as though he were in awe, as though Lilith losing herself to her pleasure was the best thing he had ever witnessed. “Ye’re so wet fer me. Dae ye want me?”
“I dae,” Lilith said as she reached between them for his manhood. When she grasped him in her hand, Aaden sounded more intoxicated than she was, the mere touch making his entire body shudder. Lilith stroked him slowly from base to tip, just to see him tremble as he braced himself over her, so close already to losing all self-control.
Lilith knew neither of them would last. They had been teasing each other too much the past few days only to never resolve the tension between them, and now that they finally had the chance, they were both already close to the end. It didn’t matter, though; she was certain Aaden would be more than happy to make up for all the days they had missed just in that afternoon alone.
When Aaden removed his fingers, Lilith watched with wide eyes full of hunger as he took himself in his hand and spread her slickness over himself. The sight had her moaning, her legs coming up to wrap around his waist as he finally entered her, her folds parting easily for his length. In one smooth thrust, he was seated all the way inside her, reaching impossibly deep. His fingers dug into her hips, holding onto her as he gave another thrust, this one harder, its force pushing Lilith up the blanket’s length.
Aaden set a punishing pace, one that pushed the air out of Lilith’s lungs. Lilith could only moan and cling onto him with every movement of his hips, the sounds of their coupling filling the air around her and making her cheeks heat. It was just as embarrassing as it was intoxicating, hearing Aaden groan unrestrained above her, looking into his eyes as he hovered over her, his gaze never wavering from hers.
When he reached between them, his fingers tracing the place where they were joined, Lilith couldn’t help the shudder that spread through her entire body. Lust coiled deep in her core, liquid pleasure flooding her belly as she felt the drag of Aaden’s length inside her and the gentle touch of his fingers around her folds, until they finally came to settle on that sensitive spot once more, pleasuring her relentlessly.
“Let me see ye come apart fer me,” Aaden said, his voice barely audible over her moans and the sound of the rushing water. “I wish tae feel ye around me when ye dae.”
That voice, combined with the pleasure he was giving her, was enough to send Lilith over the edge. She shook as wave after wave of her climax washed over her, her fingers curling into Aaden’s shoulders, her body clenching tightly around him, until he was following her in her zenith, spilling hot inside her.
For a few moments, they did nothing but share the air around them, trying to catch their breaths. Aaden’s hips were still moving lazily, drawing out the last lingering impressions of her climax until it was all too much for them both and he collapsed on top of her instead, pillowing his head on her shoulder.
Lilith laughed softly, her fingers brushing through his golden hair. Aaden was a big man, heavy to the point that she was struggling to breathe, but she didn’t mind staying like that for a while. It was comforting, feeling him so close, his manhood still nestled inside her, his body still bracketed tightly by her hips.
“If ye give me a few minutes, I can go again,” Aaden mumbled against her shoulder, his words muffled by her skin.
Lilith couldn’t help but laugh again, stopping her gentle petting for a moment to give the back of his head a gentle smack. “It wasnae enough fer ye?”
“Nay,” said Aaden, half-heartedly trying to bat her hand away, but letting his own drop by his side again when he didn’t manage to hit his target. Lilith only stroked his hair again and he stretched like a giant cat over her, clearly enjoying the attention. “An’ I doubt it was enough fer ye, either. I ken how voracious me wife is.”
As he spoke, Aaden tilted his head to kiss her neck and Lilith let her head fall to the side, indulging him. He seemed to love that part of her, always returning there to kiss and bite and nuzzle, and it wasn’t rare for Lilith to have to come up with creative ways to hide the marks he liked to leave behind.
It was the same for Aaden, though. Ever since one of her father’s men had asked him if he had fought a cat after seeing the marks on his shoulders and his back, he had stopped removing his shirt whenever he practiced on the training grounds.
Once Lilith struggled a little too much to breathe with Aaden on top of her, she pushed at him and he reluctantly rolled over to his back, pillowing his head on his arm. With the other, he pulled Lilith close to him again, their limbs tangled together, their faces only inches apart as they stared at each other.
“I’m so lucky I married ye,” he whispered in the air between them, voice soft and quiet. “I cannae imagine me life without ye.”
Lilith couldn’t help but tease him a little. “I thought ye said… what was it? That ye wished tae be free fer the rest o’ yer life.”
“Well, I was a fool back then,” Aaden said. “If bein’ married tae ye means I’m a prisoner, then I’m the happiest prisoner there is.”
“If ye’re a prisoner,” Lilith said, taking a pause to kiss him, “then ye can never escape me.”
“I would never dream o’ doin’ such a thing.”
Lilith looked him in the eyes and knew he was being truthful. She had no doubts about whether his words were true or not anymore; she knew he would never lie to her again.
“I love ye,” she told him, as she laid her head on his shoulder, sighing softly when his hand came to rest on her crown.
“I love ye too, mo ghraidh.”
Lilith had turned soft, she thought. In fact, it was Aaden who had turned her soft. Now they would have to find another nickname for her—Snow Lass hardly seemed like a fitting description anymore.
“Tae me wife,” Tad said, raising his goblet in the air.
“Tae Lady MacBean!” a chorus rang out.
Catreena was still laughing at Tad’s toast as he sat down beside her at the feasting table and leaned toward her.
“Some toast,” she whispered as the pipers began to play their music and the dancing recommenced around them. They had only been married a couple of hours, and already she and Tad were teasing each other mercilessly. She was loving every single second of it. “I think it said somewhere in there that ye loved me.”
“It definitely did.” He laughed and threaded his arm around her waist. “And dinnae look at me like that if ye want me tae behave. We are here tae feast and celebrate the wedding.”
“What look?” she asked innocently, though her hand had gone wandering beneath the table. She raised her hand up the inside of his thigh, watching as his gray eyes darkened with lust.
“That look,” he said simply, fighting his smile. “Or I shall be taking ye intae the garden tae consummate this marriage right now.”
She was still laughing and snapped her hand away, not wanting the intimate touch to be seen, when Bran and Dunn wished them well and many happy years together.
“Speaking of happiness,” Dunn said. “Catreena, take a look.” He elbowed her, jerking his head toward their brother, Evander. Enna was not with him today, and Catreena didn’t think she had seen Evander this happy in a long time. He was smiling and laughing with Alec as the two of them got rather drunk, sharing a jug of mead. Nearby, Ilyssa and Kira were dancing together.
“He’s happy,” Catreena murmured in amazement. “If only he could be like this all the time.”
“Nay chance of that without May around,” Bran said with a heavy sigh.
“Dae ye think she’ll ever come back?” Catreena asked, thinking of the woman who had left her warrior brother heartbroken. “Or that, maybe, he’ll one day forget her?”
“People are never forgotten, nae really,” Tad said, something of wisdom in his tone as he sipped his mead and looked at Evander across the room.
“Speaking of women who shouldnae be forgotten, me wife wants me tae dance,” Bran said with a laugh as he pointed through the merrymakers toward Ilyssa who was now begging him to join her with rapid movements of her arm. “Congratulations tae ye both.”
“Thank ye, Bran,” Catreena said, as Dunn took his leave too, moving to find another woman in the room to dance with.
Catreena stared after Bran as he parted, comforted that despite all his fatherly ways toward her, he had at last taken a step back. It seemed that as of now, she would be another man’s responsibility.
“What are ye thinking?” Tad asked with interest, his hand threading around her waist. She smiled at the sudden intimacy as she fell against his side.
“I was thinking that it seems Bran has handed me intae yer care. He may nae reprimand me as much these days. Perhaps he thinks I’ll listen tae ye instead of him.”
“Listen tae me?” Tad said with raised eyebrows.
“I already told ye, I will nae follow yer orders.”
“Maybe in just one regard.” He winked at her and lowered his lips to her ear. “The bedchamber, or wherever we choose tae make our bedchamber.”
“What dae ye mean?”
“I mean…” He trailed his hand from her waist down her back. In this part of the room, there was no one behind them except tapestry-clad walls. No one to see what he was doing as his hand gripped her rear through the skirt and squeezed. “Come outside.”
“Maybe I’ll listen tae just a few orders. Very occasionally,” she whispered.
He smiled and stepped back as they made their way through the crowds toward the nearest door. Many stopped them on the way to congratulate them, but they never tarried for long.
Outside, Catreena stepped into the chilly air.
“It’s so cold,” she murmured.
“Fear nae. I’ll warm ye up.” Tad took her hand and led her far away from the windows of the great hall. They made their way through formal borders, ending up near a stone bench that overlooked the village in daylight. This dark at night though, with no light around them, they could not be seen. “Trust me?” Tad asked, moving his lips toward her.
“Ye ken I dae,” she repeated the promise she had made before as she felt him move through the darkness and kiss her.
The kiss was one of need, testament to how long they had stayed away from each other with her brothers watching over her all of the time.
Their grabbing hands came next, pulling at one another, trying to reach one another as best as they could.
“Tonight,” he murmured between kisses. “I want ye in that bed, without a stich. Ye will be wearing nothing fer me when I come tae ye in.”
She gasped at the heat of his words, tipping her head back as he trailed her neck with searing kisses.
“But fer now… the first time now we’re wed, it will be fast,” he promised, nibbling a spot at the base of her throat. “It will be hard.”
She panted, needing his touch, thinking only of the promise of his words and the way his hands were tipping her down to that bench.
“It will be everything ye and I have wanted tae dae fer this last month.”
“Ah, Tad,” she moaned as he gripped her through the skirt. It was a tease of how he could touch her, but not enough. Nowhere near enough to satisfy the ache between her legs. “Please,” she begged him.
Flattened suddenly to the bench, she felt her body jerked toward the edge, her legs lifted high as he bundled her skirt around her hips. In the moonlight, she watched his eyes, that gray intense gaze now looking silver in that light. She bit her lip, watching as he growled, clearly as intoxicated by the sight of her as she was by him.
“Tell me what ye want,” he ordered, talking to her in that seductive way he could do so well as his fingers teased the tops of her legs.
“Tad,” she whispered. His fingers brushed her center, but they didn’t give her what she wanted. “Please, make love tae me,” she begged. “Make love tae me.”
A sensual smile appeared on his lips as he reached down to his trews and released his length. He teased her at first, nudging her entrance, but not quite taking her.
“Tad, please,” she whispered. He bent over her, finding her lips as he entered her.
He had not lied when he said it would be hard and fast. It showed just how much he had missed her that the last month, although they had of course secretly met a few times. With no pain at all this time, Catreena was quite delirious from the pleasure in seconds. She couldn’t keep quiet. She had to bite her lip and sometimes Tad muffled her moans with his kisses.
He moved her body increasingly toward the edge of what she could handle, then he slowed, just as she was building up to that release. Infuriated, she pulled him closer toward her.
“Dinnae stop,” she begged. “Tad!”
“There’s something else I want tae hear first,” he said, breathlessly. One of his hands traced her waist through the dress as the other went to her hair. He pulled playfully on those tendrils, just enough to make her gasp. “Tell me what ye wanted tae say last time, but couldnae quite say.”
Her eyes opened wide.
He remembers.
“Tell me what ye feel,” he pleaded, rocking his hips gently into hers. His movements were like a soft caress now, a sizzling pleasure, deep within her abdomen.
“Tad,” she said softly, reaching up toward him. She traced her fingers down his chest then up toward his cheek, cupping it softly. “I love ye.”
He halted his movements, bending down toward her, catching her lips with such an all-encompassing kiss that she could scarcely draw breath.
“I love ye too,” he murmured as he pulled back. Then he flipped her skirt even higher, taking hold of her thighs as he rocked into her harder.
“Oh, Tad!” she screamed out in pleasure, praying no one else had escaped into the garden that night as he drove her fast into oblivion. When she released, she felt him do so at the same time, only on this occasion, he did not pull out. The perfect picture of pleasure erupted into his features as he thrust into her repeatedly, sweat beading around his jawline as he moaned her name, the sound mixing with a growl that sounded purely animalistic.
When they came to a stop, Catreena stared up at him, unable to stop herself from smiling as she realized what he had done.
We risk a child.
She laid a hand to her stomach, softly trailing her fingers across her skin.
“I have never done that before,” he confessed, his voice utterly breathless.
A happiness overtook Catreena that she had not known it was possible to feel. Here was something that Tad had never shared with another woman. It was unique to the two of them.
“Tad, I love ye so much.” She pulled him down to kiss her again, and as they lost themselves in their embrace, Catreena had a feeling they would not be returning to the feast any time soon.
On the day of the wedding, Isabelle stood in her mother’s old bedchamber with Keelin, Cara, and Edith. The three women had been invaluable in assisting her with the wedding preparations. A few weeks before the wedding, Isabelle and Madden’s family and friends had gathered on MacKay lands for the cordadh, the pre-wedding agreement between the bride and groom.
A friend of the groom would stand in his place and the female friends of the bride would be brought before him. Each woman would be rejected until the bride herself was presented. It was a humorous custom with ribald humor and plenty of food and drink. Such events were usually held in the home of the bride’s father, but since Rory Mackay was dead, Arran acted in his place.
The Laird Braden Hamilton acted as the groom’s friend who was to select the proper bride. Every woman in attendance, whether young or old, married or not, was brought before him. Jokes were made a plenty about each woman’s appropriateness or lack thereof, all done in good humor with the women joining in on why or why not they were the right choice. When it was Edith’s turn to be presented, Braden stood up, lifted her into his arms, and placed her firmly in his lap proclaiming that she would wed Madden over his dead body. When Isabelle was finally brought out, a great cheer went up among those gathered and Madden claimed his bride with Braden’s blessing.
About a week after the cordadh, the reiteach was held, the betrothal ceremony. While Madden and Isabelle were already betrothed to one another by their own words, the reiteach set the betrothal with the families wherein a friend of the groom officially asked the father of the bride for her hand on behalf of the groom. It was traditional to ask for the bride bey referring to her, not as a person, but as a symbol of the family or the family’s profession.
Once again, Braden acted as the friend of the groom in this capacity. Braden came to Arran, as the bride’s closest living male relative, and asked for Isabelle to be Madden’s bride. Some families spoke of the bride as a lamb, or a mare, or a cow, or whatever they felt was the right choice. Madden had spoken with Braden ahead of time and told him to speak of her as a priceless necklace. When Isabelle had heard Braden refer to her as that, tears of joy and remembrance sprang to her eyes. It had been her mother’s necklace that had brought them together. It was an extremely romantic gesture. Once Arran accepted the terms of the betrothal, then the families would have a feast with toasting, singing, and dancing. These celebrations would often last well into the night, sometimes till dawn.
After the cordadh and the reiteach were completed, then the feet- washing and blackening would occur. Isabelle’s female friends gathered around her and gently washed her feet. Isabelle knew that it was a symbolic Christian gesture, but she viewed it as a washing away of the past so that she could step into the future with a clean heart and soul. Madden was not so fortunate. His friends covered his feet in black soot and placed feathers between his toes. The soot was to represent the heart of the home being the hearth, but the feathers just made him look ridiculous. Isabelle had never laughed so hard in her life. That night, Isabelle had lovingly bathed his feet in the loch, after which they had made love in the water.
Now as she stood, looking at her reflection in the Venetian glass that the king had sent as a wedding gift along with a letter relieving her of any responsibility for her past actions and Arran for having protected his sister from a cruel and abusive husband who had tried to kill her, she felt a moment of nervousness. “Arran must have made an impression upon the king when he went tae speak with him about Bain’s death,” Keelin observed, admiring the rare and precious gift.
“Me braither has that effect on people,” Isabelle noted.
“Aye, he does,” Cara nodded in agreement.
Isabelle turned back to the mirror and sighed.
“What is troubling ye?” Edith asked, coming up behind her cousin to smooth the back of her hair.
Isabelle shook her head. “I dinnae ken. I am nervous.”
Keelin wrinkled her brow in question. “Why are ye nervous? Ye were married afore this and ye and Madden have shared a bed together.”
Edith gave her sister a chastising glare. “Kee.”
“What? She has and they have.” Keelin shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the edge of the bed frowning.
“It is nae the same thing,” Isabelle replied. “What I had with Bain was nothing but pain and misery.”
“Ye dinnae believe that yer life with Madden will be like that, dae ye?” Edith asked, her brow furrowed in concern. “Ye ken that he is nae anything like yer previous husband, dae ye nae?”
Isabelle shook her head. “I ken that Madden is nae as Bain was, but Bain was nae always brutal towards me. It was nae until he learned that I could nae give him a child that he turned violent. Madden says that he is marrying me and nae me ability or inability tae provide him with an heir. But it saddens me that I cannae give him a child. I sometimes doubt that I will be enough.”
Edith shook her head. “Ye are more than enough. Trust Madden’s love fer ye. Trust yer love fer him. All will be well between ye. And ye dinnae ken that it was ye that couldnae procreate.”
Cara came to stand beside Isabelle, her brow furrowed in thought. “What is it?” Isabelle asked her, turning in concern.
Cara shook her head. “It is only that I remember hearing the maids talking about how they had not seen evidence of yer courses on the sheets or on yer clothing in some time.”
Isabelle’s brows rose in surprise. She had not thought about it. There had been too many other things on her mind. “I have nae had me courses.”
Edith raised a brow in question. “When did ye last have yer courses?”
Isabelle shook her head. “It was right after Bain was killed.”
“That was over two months ago,” Cara pointed out.
Keelin jumped up from the bed. “Are ye with child?”
Isabelle’s eyes grew wide. “I dinnae ken.” She brought her hands to rest on her lower abdomen, her heart beating faster at the thought. “Is it possible?”
“Oh, aye, it is possible,” Edith nodded, her eyes twinkling with excitement. “Have ye been ill? Have yer breasts been tender? Have ye been noticing smells that ye didnae before? Have ye been wanting certain foods more than usual?”
Isabelle’s eyes widened further. “Call fer the healer,” she commanded, her excitement and fear warring with one another.
Cara nodded and rushed from the room to do as bidden. When she returned with the healer in tow, Isabelle was so overcome with emotion that she could hardly speak. “Am I with child?” she asked without bothering with an explanation.
The healer smiled gently at her in understanding. “Let us see, shall we. Lie upon the bed if ye would.” The healer did a quick examination, asked her a series of questions, then stood back and smiled. “I can safely say that ye, me lady, are indeed with child. May God’s blessing be yers.”
Isabelle’s eyes were as giant moons in her face. She had thought such a thing was not possible. Edith stepped in to speak with the healer. “Dinnae speak of this tae a soul. It is her lady’s choice as tae when tae tell the faither and her family.” With that, she curtsied and left.
The healer nodded in understanding. “As ye say, me lady. I will nae breathe a word of this tae a soul.”
Edith turned to Isabelle. “How dae ye feel?”
“I dinnae ken,” Isabelle breathed. Her heart was beating very quickly in her chest. “I think that I need tae speak with Madden.”
Keelin nodded. “Aye, I can go and get him.”
Isabelle nodded her consent.
Keelin left the room and was gone for a brief moment before there was a knock at the door. “Enter,” Isabelle answered.
Keelin entered with Madden. “Is all well, me love?” Madden asked as he came towards her, concern in his eyes.
“I am well, but there is something I would like tae say tae ye afore we are wed.”
“We will await ye in the corridor,” Edith announced motioning for everyone else to leave the room.
“Ye are making me nervous,” Madden admitted, eyeing her uncertainly. “Ye have nae changed yer mind, have ye?”
Isabelle shook her head. “Nay, I have nae changed me mind.”
“What is it then?” he stepped forward, taking her hands in his.
“I thought that it was best that ye kenned the truth afore we were wed,” Isabelle began.
“The truth?”
“That our family will be bigger than we expected.”
“How so?” Madden asked. “Has Keelin decided that she is coming tae live with us?”
Isabelle laughed, shaking her head. “Nae, our family,” she repeated again, taking his hand, and placing it on her lower abdomen.
It took him a brief moment to understand what she was saying, but once comprehension dawned, his face split into a wide smile. “Truly?”
“Truly,” Isabelle nodded.
Madden let out a shout of joy, then picked Isabelle up and kissed her soundly. “We are going tae have a bairn of our own!”
“Aye, me love, we are going tae have a bairn of our own.”
The couple hugged and kissed, with tears of joy in both of their eyes. Neither of them had ever believed that such a day would come for them given Isabelle’s history, but it had turned out that Bain Sutherland had been the barren one after all. Unable to contain their excitement, they laughed and cried together, until a knock sounded on the door. Edith poked her head inside. “The priest is ready,” she announced.
“Tell him that I will join him momentarily,” Madden replied, not taking his eyes from his future wife.
Edith nodded and left the room to deliver the message.
“Ye had best go. The priest will nae wait forever. The king was most kind tae send us one of his own priests tae perform the ceremony,” Isabelle remarked.
“We can thank yer braither fer that. His paying the Clan Sutherland’s taxes went a long way tae making the king more amenable tae our plight.”
“Money has a way of doing that,” Isabelle admitted. “I owe me braither much.”
“Ye owe me nothing,” Arran’s voice announced from the door behind them. Madden and Isabelle turned to greet him with a smile. “It is time. Are ye both ready?”
Isabelle nodded and moved forward to give her brother a hug. When she pulled back, she looked up into his face. “Ye are going tae be an uncle,” she announced.
“What?” Arran asked, taken off guard by the announcement.
“Ye are going tae be an uncle,” Isabelle repeated.
“An uncle?” Arran questioned in a daze then looked down at her stomach. “Ye are with child?”
Isabelle nodded. “I am.”
Arran looked up at Madden in question. “Is it…?” He could not finish the thought.
Madden nodded in reassurance. “It is mine.”
Arran let out a giant sigh of relief, then scooped his sister up into a hug. “I am going tae be an uncle!”
Isabelle laughed with him in joyous celebration.
“Put her down or ye will ruin her dress,” Keelin entered the room, chastising the laird.
“I am going tae be an uncle!” Arran announced with pride.
“Aye, I ken that, but now it is time fer these two tae get married. The bairn should be born in wedlock.” Keelin gave Isabelle a wink of encouragement.
Arran put his sister down. “Aye, indeed.”
Madden stepped forward and took her into his arms. He kissed her sweetly on the lips. “I will see ye soon,” he murmured. “I will be the happy man waiting fer ye in the chapel.”
Isabelle smiled and returned his kiss. Madden left the room to go and meet with the priest. Isabelle and her retinue followed behind, preparing to make their procession to the nearby church. Minstrels had gathered in the great hall awaiting the bride. Isabelle had not experienced anything like such fanfare when she had wed the first time to Bain Sutherland. It was like she had never had a wedding before. Arran had gone out of his way to make certain that everything be done right this time, that every tradition be observed. He would not have her miss out on any element of the festivities. It had been a whirlwind of love and laughter.
Arran nodded to the minstrels, and they began playing. The wedding procession exited the castle, crossed the courtyard, and made their way down the road to the nearby church. The clan’s men, women, and children lined the road to wish their lady well. When they reached the church doors, the minstrels stopped playing music. Isabelle took a deep breath to steady herself. “Are ye ready?” Arran asked, his eyes filled with love and compassion.
Isabelle nodded. “Aye, I am as ready as I have ever been.”
***
Madden stood inside the church at the altar with the king’s priest, Braden Hamilton, and Lorcan standing beside him. His heart was beating swiftly with joy and excitement. “Ye are glowing with joy like a fire on a dark night, Kinnaird,” Braden noted with a smile.
Madden turned and gave him a grin. “Isabelle is with child,” he announced to his dearest friend, unable to keep the good news to himself for another moment. The priest pretended he had not heard.
“That is wonderful!” Braden gave Madden a congratulatory slap on the back. “Well done.”
“I believe that it is Isabelle who deserves the praise here,” Lorcan noted, laughing. He also gave Madden a congratulatory slap on the back. “She deserves tae be happy after everything that she has endured.”
“Aye,” Madden nodded in agreement.
“It is a good thing that ye two already agreed tae marry,” Braden mused. “How will the Clan Sutherland take the news? Is there any risk that it is Bain Sutherland’s child?”
Madden shook his head. “Nae, it is nae Sutherland’s bairn, it is mine. He was dead before she came with child.”
Braden nodded in approval. “Good. Ye dinnae want any more trouble over that sack of shite.”
“The Clan Sutherland can dae naught about it. They are under orders from the king tae accept Isabelle as their lady, and as her husband, I become their laird. It was unexpected, but we have agreed tae it fer the people of the clan. The grand nature of this wedding is as much fer them and the king as it is fer us,” Madden admitted. “I would have married her in her mother’s rose garden without fanfare if that was what she had wanted, but the king and Arran had other ideas.”
Lorcan nodded. “Arran was quite adamant that his sister have the very best. She was denied tae much when she was wed tae Bain Sutherland. He would nae have her be cheated once more.”
Madden nodded. “I saw the entirety of the Clan MacKay outside as I walked tae the church. They were lined up on both sides of the road awaiting their lady. I pray that the Clan Sutherland will treat her with the same respect.”
Braden nodded. “There can be nae question that yer child is indeed yers in the eyes of the Clan Sutherland or they could use him tae foment an uprising. It will be a delicate matter tae keep peace within the clan. There will be those who supported Bain and will wish tae see any usurpers tae his lairdship ousted. Dinnae give them legitimacy by leaving the paternity of yer child in question.”
Madden shook his head. “There is nae doubt tae be had. Any man who says otherwise can meet the edge of me sword.” He spoke with such passion that he actually tightened his fist around the hilt of his sword hanging at his waist. His eyes challenged either of them to disagree with him.
Braden raised his hands in surrender. “I only wished tae warn ye of what might happen.”
“I thank ye fer yer concern, but Isabelle and I will weather any storm and come out the other side stronger fer it. As long as we are together, we can face anything.”
Braden and Lorcan smiled at him. It was clear to all with eyes and ears that he loved his bride to be. A rustling at the door, followed by excited chatter, announced the arrival of his bride. Madden turned towards the door and awaited his love with bated breath. Many of the Clan MacKay’s elders, fighting men and families had managed to squeeze into the limited space of the church. Those who had been unable to enter, stood outside of the door in the hopes of catching snippets of the ceremony and to wish the bride well as she entered the church to take her vows.
The priest waited silently at the front of the church, his facial expression never changing, while everyone turned towards the doors. When they finally opened and Isabelle entered the church on Arran’s arm, there was a collective gasp and she walked down the center aisle between the pews to stand in front of the priest. She was a vision, in a blue and silver gown that brought out the grey of her eyes. Isabelle smiled at Madden radiantly, as Arran placed her hand in his.
“Be good tae me sister, Kinnaird, or I will hunt ye down and kill ye,” Arran warned in jest.
“Aye, I believe that ye would,” Madden nodded seriously in acceptance of the trust that Arran was placing in him.
Arran bent and kissed his sister on the cheek. “I love ye, ye wee lassie. I always have and I always will.”
“I love ye, braither. I thank ye fer this. Without ye, I would nae have such joy in me life.” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
“Our time as a family was cut short. It sorrows me that I was nae here fer ye before, but I will be from this moment forward. I would nae surrender ye tae any other man less worthy.” He gave herhand one last squeeze, before he stepped back and took his seat.
Madden smiled down into her eyes. “Are ye ready tae wed me, lass?” He asked, his heart pounding so hard he felt as if it might burst from the joy of it.
“I am ready,” she answered, her voice steady, her eyes bright.
The priest cleared his throat. He raised his hands for everyone to settle down and be still. “We are ready tae begin,” he announced above the crowd. Once every one was quiet, he turned his attention to Madden and Isabelle. “Have ye both come here freely, and without reservation, tae give yerselves tae each other in marriage?”
“Aye, we have,” Madden answered with a proud smile.
“And ye, me lady?”
“Aye, Faither, we have both come here of our own free will tae be wed before the eyes of God and man,” Isabelle answered, her eyes sparkling back at Madden.
“Very well then, we will proceed. One can never be too careful.” He gave each of them a stern look. “Will ye honor each other as man and wife fer the rest of yer lives?”
“Aye, we will,” Madden and Isabelle answered as one.
The priest nodded in acceptance of their answer. “Will ye accept children lovingly from God, and bring them up according tae the law of Christ and his Church?”
Hearing these words, Madden turned to Isabelle smiling down into her eyes with all of the love that he felt in his heart. Isabelle placed his hand covertly on her stomach in a gesture of acknowledgment, as if to bring the growing life inside of her into the ceremony. “Aye, we will,” they both proclaimed in unison. Madden wanted more than anything to kneel down and kiss her stomach right then and there, but he refrained from doing so as he did not wish to bring her embarrassment or shame in front of all those gathered.
All those in the audience who were aware of the child in her belly smiled.
The priest, accepting their answer, nodded. “Then ye may exchange vows here before God and yer clan.”
Madden nodded and turned back to Isabelle. He took both of her hands in his, meeting her eyes with his own. “I, Madden Kinnaird, take ye, the Lady Isabelle Sutherland nee MacKay, tae be me wife. I promise tae be true tae ye in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I swear that I will love ye and honor ye all the days of me life, from now unto eternity.” Raising her hands, he kissed each of them in turn.
Smiling, with tears in her eyes, Isabelle plighted her troth. “I, the Lady Isabelle Sutherland nee MacKay, take ye, Madden Kinnaird, tae be me husband. I promise tae be true tae ye in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I swear that I will love ye and honor ye all the days o’ me life, from now untae eternity.”
The priest nodded in approval, then motioned for Braden to step forward.
Braden obeyed and stepped forward to stand between the couple opposite the priest. He took out his sgian dubh from its scabbard, and made a cut across Madden’s wrist, then turned and made another cut on Isabelle’s wrist. Madden took Isabelle’s arm with his hand, aligning their cuts one with the other so that their blood would be mixed together. Braden bound them both with an embroidered cloth of red roses that had belonged to Isabelle’s mother that had been blessed by the priest for the purpose of binding the couple together.
Madden held her arm firmly but gently. He was reminded of their first night together when he had pulled her up through the window into her room at the inn. He had seen bruises on her wrists then. She would never have to endure such bruises ever again. Madden held her eyes as he spoke the words that had been used by their people for generations. “Ye, Isabelle MacKay, are blood o’ me blood, and bone o’ me bone. I give ye me body, that we two might be one. I give ye me Spirit, ’til our life shall be done.” The ancient words resonated in the air between them, the power of their ancestors and the divine carried with them.
The king’s priest stepped forward and placed his hand on top of the cloth that joined their hands together. He eyed the crowd in stern warning. “What God hath joined together, let nae man put asunder.” He removed the bindings and took a step back. “I present tae ye, Madden Kinnaird, and his lady, Isabelle Kinnaird, man and wife.”
A cheer went up from the gathered crowd as Madden pulled Isabelle into his arms and kissed her soundly on the lips. His heart was so filled with joy that he thought it might explode out of his chest. Their family and friends rushed forward to congratulate them, pulling them apart from one another in their enthusiasm. The men of the clan hefted Madden and Isabelle up onto their shoulders, led by Arran and the women, and carried the newlywed couple back to the great hall for the wedding feast.
As they walked back towards the castle, Arran and Braden tossed out coins to the children waiting on the sides of the road. The children laughed and cheered, scrambling about to retrieve as many of the coins as they could manage. Such customs were meant to bring good luck to the newlywed couple and the family that they would create together. Madden and Isabelle laughed in delight as they bounced along the bumpy road to the cheers of the clan.
Once they had entered the castle, they were carried to the dais, where they were given the seats of honor. The rest of the family joined them, and the feast began. Platter after platter, bowl after bowl of food poured forth from the kitchens. The cook had spared no expense in providing for the wedding celebrations As Madden sat upon the raised dais with his new wife by his side, and his friends who had become his family, he was struck with awe at how his life had changed. Raising Isabelle’s hand to his lips, he kissed it.
“What are ye thinking about?” Isabelle asked him, smiling up at him sweetly.
“I was thinking about how much my life has changed. I am nae longer the bitter womanizer that I once was. Having an angel fall intae yer lap can change yer life, ye ken,” he murmured with a smile, kissing her fingers.
Isabelle laughed. “When we parted company that night in the inn, would ye have ever thought that we would be sitting here as we are now?”
Madden shook his head. “I would nae have thought such a thing tae be possible. I thought that I kenned what love was at the time, but now I am aware that I didnae fully until I met ye. Yer are me life, me love, me light.”
Isabelle fought the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. “I didnae believe that such a love was possible. All that I kenned before was misery. Ye saved me from that.”
Madden shook his head. “It was ye that saved me from a life of bitterness and disillusionment. What happened with Bain was justice that was too long in coming, nothing more. Had it nae been me, ye would have found a way tae save yerself. It was ye that was brave enough tae tell Arran the truth. Without ye, I would ne’er have changed me ways.”
Isabelle smiled up at him. “Then we both saved each other.”
Madden smiled. “Aye, I suppose that we did.”
Arran stood, drawing their attention back to the festivities around them. “I would like tae make a toast tae the bride and groom. Tae me sister, who has at long last been returned tae us, and tae me new braither. May they live long and in happiness. Tae Isabelle and Madden!”
“Tae Isabelle and Madden!” The clan cheered in response. They drained their cups dry and clammed them down on the tables. Excited chatter once again filled the room while the minstrels played lively music.
Isabelle and Madden held the other’s eyes as they drank their own silent toast. “Tae love,” Isabelle murmured, as she drained her own cup.
Madden smiled, pulling her into his arms. “Tae eternity,” he murmured, then lowered his head to drink from her lips.
***
Sutherland Castle, Scotland, Seven Months Later…
Madden, Arran, Lorcan, and Braden all paced the floor of the corridor outside of Madden and Isabelle’s bedchamber. Screams of pain tore through the air, making it feel as if Madden’s heart was being ripped from his chest. Edith, Keelin, and Cara were inside of the room with Isabelle and the clan’s healer. The healer had banned Madden and Arran from entering the room, in spite of threats of violence. It was the closest that either man had ever come to hitting an innocent person.
The coppery smell of blood filtered out from beneath the wooden door, filling the air of the corridor beyond. Madden wanted to break the door down. He was tempted to do just that and opened his mouth to ask Arran to assist in the matter when another scream tore through the air and all of the blood drained from his face.
“God in heaven keep me angel safe,” he prayed. “Dinnae take her from me.”
Another scream rent the air causing Madden to break out in a cold sweat. His mind whirled around in violent circles with thoughts of what might be going on in the room beyond the closed door. His stomach churned in fear and anxiety. He did not know much about childbirth, but he knew that many women did not survive the experience.
“What if she dies and I am nae there with her?” Arran growled in fear. “I told her I would never abandon her again. I cannae stand here and wait nae kenning what is happening on the other side of this door!” he said this last part with such force it echoed down the corridor.
Madden turned to his brother-in-law, their eyes meeting in their mutual anguish. “She cannae die, Arran. She cannae die. The thought of having tae live me life without her is more than I can bear.”
“Isabelle will get through this,” Braden reassured them both. “I felt the same when Edith gave birth tae our son. I was in the same agony that ye are both in now.”
“I recall,” Madden nodded.
“Ye were with me then and ye reassured me that all would be well, that I needed tae live in faith that all would be well.”
“And Edith made it through just fine,” Madden noted.
“Aye, she did,” Braden nodded in encouragement. “And now I have a braw son and me bonnie wife is as healthy as ever she was. The same will be true fer Isabelle.”
“Aye, the Lady Isabelle is as strong as any man among us,” Lorcan reminded them. “She survived nearly daily beatings fer years from the time that she was a wee lassie until the day that Bain Sutherland died. She is as strong as any warrior.”
“Aye, she is at that,” Madden nodded, pride in his wife’s strength filling his heart. “Me warrior wife is indeed strong, and I dae her a disservice tae believe otherwise.”
Another scream tore through the door, sweeping over them, and echoed down the corridor. All four men tensed as if ready for a fight, but there was no enemy to be defeated that could be assaulted by blade or bow. “Battle is less terrifying than this,” Arran exhaled in frustration. “At least in battle ye can kill the thing that is causing ye pain. How dae women do this?”
“Only God kens that answer tae that,” Braden murmured. He shook his head. “Edith, bless her, is all too eager fer us tae have another bairn. Had I endured the pain she endured, I would nae be in a rush tae repeat it. Our women put us tae shame.”
Another scream rent the air, then silence fell over them all. In the stillness that followed the scream, Madden’s hairs stood up on the back of his neck. He leaned forward; his ears attuned to the smallest noise coming from the room beyond. The men held their breath in anticipation, equal parts fear and excitement. The sound of a smack, skin on skin, filtered through the air, and then a weaker cry echoed across the stones as Madden and Isabelle’s bairn took its first breath. The next cry came stronger and all of the men looked at each other in relief.
“He is a lusty lad like his faither,” Lorcan clapped Madden on the shoulder in congratulations.
“Aye, he or she has nae qualms about making his or her demands known,” Braden corrected, chuckling. He leaned forward embraced Madden. “Welcome tae being a faither. Yer life will never be the same again and ye would nae trade it for anything.”
Madden grinned widely. “I am a faither.”
The door to the bedchamber opened and Cara stepped out with a smile on her face. “Madden, would ye like tae see yer wife and son?”
“Aye,” Madden breathed in awe.
His heir!
Cara stepped back and allowed Madden to enter the room. Madden pushed past her into the room to find Isabelle lying on the bed, her back against the pillows. She was exhausted, drenched in sweat, her hair plastered to the side of her face, and yet she was still the most beautiful thing that Madden had ever seen. She looked up at Madden, her face glowing with happiness, as she pulled back the blanket to reveal the wrinkled, red, tiny body of his newborn son.
“Madden, meet yer son. Me wee braw laddie, meet yer faither, Madden Kinnaird,” Isabelle murmured softly.
Madden broke out in a grin and came to stand beside his wife and bairn. “He is braw,” he breathed.
“Just like his faither,” Isabelle smiled up at him.
Madden sat down on the edge of the bed. Leaning over, he kissed his wife, then leaned down and kissed the feathery soft whisp of blond hair that scattered his son’s tiny red scalp. He heard a sniffling sound at the door and turned to find his brother-in-law with tears in his eyes. Madden smiled and motioned for Arran to join them.
Arran entered the room and came over to stand on the other side of the bed. Isabelle smiled up at him. “Uncle Arran meet yer nephew and namesake,” Isabelle introduced them, “Tavish Arran Madden MacKay Kinnaird.”
Arran’s eyes widened in surprise, as a wide grin spread across his face. “Ye named him after me?”
“Aye,” Isabelle nodded. “He is named after Madden’s faither as well. I wanted him tae be named after the best and gentlest men that I have ever been blessed tae love. Though I never met, Madden’s faither, he helped tae make Madden the man that he is today. Fer that alone, I love him.”
Arran looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms with love and awe in his eyes. “Welcome tae the world, wee Tavish Arran Madden MacKay Kinnaird,” he murmured. “Ye will always have a place in me heart and by me hearth.” He reached out a tentative hand and smoothed the babe’s downy head. “Ye will always have me protection.” Arran looked up at Madden. “How does the Clan Sutherland feel about their future laird?”
The healer, turned from cleaning her tools to answer his question. “He will be a better laird than the one we had before, and the one before that. He will be as his maither is, strong and able tae persevere through any hardship. While nae all men of the clan feel as I dae, there are many more that dae.”
“I am glad tae hear it,” Madden gave the healer a nod of respect. The healer returned the nod, finished gathering her supplies, then turned to leave. “Let us give the new faither and maither a moment alone with their son.” Nodding, all those present followed her lead and left the room closing the door behind them.
Madden, moved around to the other side of the bed and gently slid in next to her. He was careful not to jar Isabelle and their newborn son as he did not wish to cause her any more pain than she had already endured. “How are ye feeling, me angel?” he asked, smoothing the hair back from her face.
“I am tired, but I am well,” she smiled.
“Ye have blessed me with far more than any man deserves,” he informed her with gratitude in his heart.
Isabelle smiled up at him, her eyes glowing with love. “Ye deserve everything and more, me love.”
Madden smiled and gently wrapped his arms around her. “I did nae ken true love until I met ye, and now ye have given me an entirely new love, the love of a faither.”
Isabelle nestled her head in the curve of his shoulder, snuggling against his side. “It took finding ye tae learn the true meaning of love. I shudder tae think what me life would have been like had I never met ye. Falling out of that window was the best thing that ever happened tae me. It was nothing short of a miracle that ye were there tae catch me at the right time in the right place.”
Madden chuckled. “Had ye fallen but a brief moment earlier, I would nae have been there. God kenned what he was doing when he gave me ye, me angel.”
“Then he blessed us with our own sweet wee angel.” Isabelle reached out a finger and caressed their son’s tiny round cheek.”
“Aye, he did at that. He will grow tae be strong and brave like his maither.” Madden spoke with pride in his voice, kissing Isabelle on the forehead. His mind and heart were filled with more hope for the future than he had ever felt before.
“He will be strong and handsome like his faither,” Isabelle replied. “He is so bonnie that I cannae stop staring at him.” Isabelle confessed, laughing at herself. “I could remain happily in this moment forever. I never believed that I would ever be blessed with a child, and now that I have been, I dinnae want tae stop holding him.”
Madden nodded and brushed the babe’s forehead with his fingertips. “I was afeared fer ye when I heard the screams. Fer a brief moment, I thought that it would have been better tae nae have bairns, if it meant that I might lose ye, but when I heard this wee laddie cry out, I kenned that all would be well. It was the greatest relief of me life. I could nae have borne the pain of losing ye, let alone being the cause of yer passing.”
Isabelle shook her head. “Had I perished, it would nae have been yer fault. We made this beautiful wee bairn together in love, and I would nae change that fer anything, even a longer life.”
“However, the long or short of it, as long as me days are spent with ye, I will be the happiest of men. I dinnae ken how I ever lived without ye.” Madden pulled her close and kissed her lips. “Me light, me life, me love, me angel. I am forever yers, untae eternity.”
“Life is nice and peaceful now, without Rollo in it, is it nae?” Maddison asked.
“Ye can say that again,” Odhrán agreed with a contented sigh. “Me life now is so different than before ye came intae it, Maddy. ’Tis like a dream that I never could have even imagined.”
He pulled her head down and gently kissed her eyelids, then her nose, then her mouth.
“Here I am, laird of me own clan, in the King’s good books fer bein’ such a sensible fellow, with the most beautiful, clever lassie in the world as me wife—”
“Who adores ye,” Maddison put in, stroking his hair.
“Who adores me,” he agreed, smiling. “And a wonderful new family. Och, I never thought such happiness could exist.”
He was lying with his head in her lap on the grass, by their little private beach by the loch. Though it was late October, the weather was unusually clement, with a pale, lemon-colored sun peeping through the scudding clouds. Small waves slapped at the edge of the water, spurred by the chilly breeze blowing in from the distant mountains. The occasional honking of the geese now making the loch their winter home echoed in the surrounding air, adding to the birdsong coming from the trees behind them.
He closed his eyes, reveling in the feeling of her fingers softly brushing through his hair. He had let it grow it even longer because she said she loved it like that. She told him he was handsome so many times a day, he was starting to believe it might be true.
“Aye. They say if we have a warm summer, then the winter will be especially cold. ’Tis a good thing we have each other tae keep warm,” she jested.
“Och, I’ll be keepin’ ye warm and toasty all right, me bonny lass, have nae doubt about that,” he promised her, giving her a lascivious look, delighted when she laughed. “With Rollo gone, I have a lot more time tae spend with me wife, and that makes me very happy. Winter will be good this year. I feel it in me bones. There’ll be lots of cuddlin’ up in bed, and in front of a nice, roarin’ fire, or in a lovely steamin’ hot tub. I’m lookin’ forward tae it fer once.”
“Sounds like we’ll be busy.”
“Ye ken me, I always like tae keep active and on top of things. Especially ye,” he said teasingly. Then he stopped, entranced afresh by her beauty and sweetness.
“Are ye happy, Maddy?” he asked.
“Happier than I ever thought possible,” she assured him. “But I think it could be possible fer us tae be even happier.”
Odhrán frowned. “What d’ye mean?”
“Well, we’re happy now, with just the two of us, are we nae?”
“Aye.”
“But d’ye nae think we could be happier if we were… three?”
He sat bolt upright and stared at her. “Are ye tellin’ me what I think ye’re tellin’ me?” he asked, hope blossoming in his chest.
“Aye, I am,” she told him, giggling, her cheeks pink.
“A bairn?”
“Well, I’m nae takin’ about getting’ a new puppy. Of course, a bairn.”
He jumped up and lifted her, covering her with kisses and swinging her around, elated by the news.
“Dear God, Maddy! That’s incredible!” he crowed. “I can hardly believe it, I’m gonnae be faither!”
“Aye, and a wonderful one too, I’ll wager,” she said, her face glowing with excitement as she cupped his face and returned his kisses joyfully.
“We’re havin’ a baby,” he sang as he whirled her about, her skirts billowing. “We’re havin’ a baby. I’m gonnae be a faither! Och, wait ‘til I tell Liam and Tadgh.”
“Ye could ask them tae be godfaithers tae the bairn. Would ye like that?” she asked.
“Would I like it? Jesus, after marryin’ ye, Maddy, this is the best day of me life!” he whooped, dancing her across the grass. “Wait until I tell the council. It means I’ll have fulfilled the stipulation in me faither’s will, about bein’ married and having a bairn on the way within the first year of me lairdship.”
“Aye, I ken. That’s grand, eh? I ken ye were a bit worried about that, even though Rollo’s dead. So ye naturally inherit the lairdship,” she said, her arms around his neck.
“Aye, it’s ben botherin’ me a bit. It just seems like I got the lairdship by default rather than because I’m legally entitled tae it. Dinnae get me wrong, Maddy. That’s nae why I’m so happy. First and foremost, I’m over the moon at bein’ a faither. But meetin’ the terms of the will lays everything tae rest properly. There’ll be nae doubt about the validity of me position, and the bairn will have the best start in life.”
“Ye dinnae have tae explain it tae me, Odhrán, I understand completely. ’Tis natural that ye should care about it. I ken ye want the best fer our bairn. Besides that, ’tis a nice way tae foil yer faither’s final attempt tae undermine ye.”
He gave a small laugh. “Ye dae understand. I hope the old bastard is spinnin’ in his grave.”
“On a spit in hell, more like,” Maddison corrected drily, eliciting a belly laugh from him.
“Aye, ye’re right.” He stopped spinning and thought for a moment, his head filled with all the possibilities of fatherhood opening up in front of him. “We should get back. I have somethin’ I have tae dae.”
“Oh? What’s that?” she asked.
“I cannae tell ye, but we have tae get back, now.”
“All right. Let’s go then. Are ye gonnae put me down so I can walk?”
“Walk? Ye’ll nae be walkin’; anywhere fer the next few months, me lassie. I’ll be carryin’ ye everywhere. I’m nae taking any risks with ye and the bairn.”
“Ye great fool,” she said laughingly as he insisted on carrying her all the way back to the horse. Then, he walked the horse slowly back to the castle, making sure to lift her down again once they arrived, and carried her all the way up the stairs to their chambers, kicking the door shut behind them.
“So, what is this urgent thing ye have tae dae?” she asked.
He crossed to the bed and sat her gently upon it, gently slipping off her shoes, then removing her cloak and scarf, setting them aside.
“This,” he said, kicking off his boots and socks, then quickly shedding his waistcoat and his shirt.
He began to unfasten his trews, but she said softly, “Wait, I’ll dae that. Come over here,” and she beckoned to him. Her heated look as she drank in his body inflamed him. His member already straining at the front of his trews, he obeyed, going to her. She lifted her skirts, flashing a tantalizing glance of her stockings and garters as she pulled him between her knees.
“Mmmm, ye feel so delicious,” she murmured, beginning to stroke his back, his chest and belly, running her hands over his buttocks and squeezing them, peeping up at him and smiling with mischief in her eyes, knowing exactly what she was doing. He buried his fingers in her long silky locks and sighed.
She trailed hot kisses across his skin, following the line of hair down his belly with her fingertips as it disappeared into his waistband. She gripped the hard bulge pressing against his trews and massaged it, making him groan in pleasure.
“These have tae come off,” she whispered, slowly undoing the fastenings one by one, clearly enjoying taunting him. He was having trouble controlling himself, his whole body starting to tremble with lust. But what she was doing to him was so intoxicating, he did not want it to stop.
His trews undone, she slid them down his thighs, his member springing out in all its excitement inches from her lips. Odhrán shivered and groaned, running his hands through her hair and stroking her head when she took hold of it firmly in both her hands.
“Mmm,” she murmured, “so this is what we had tae rush all the way back fer, was it?” she asked smiling as she pressed butterfly kisses along his swollen length.
“Aye, what else?”
“I thought ye might want tae tell yer councilmen first.”
“Whatever fer? They can wait. This is far more important,” he answered, his voice a mere croak.
“Is that so?” she asked, teasing him with her tongue, running it up and down his shaft at the same time as stroking him with her hands, as he liked.
“Naethin’ more so,” he whispered, his body thrilling to her caresses as she continued to excite him with her hands and tongue, taking his length into her mouth. “Och, Maddy, ye’re drivin’ me mad. I cannae wait, I have tae have ye now,” he declared, her titillations threatening to take him to the edge of reason.
He dropped to his knees and ran his hands up her legs, under her bunched skirts, pushing her backwards and parting her legs. His mouth descended on her exposed sex like a man dying of thirst confronted by a drink of cool water, devouring her soft, intricate folds, nibling, sucking, delving into her, delighting in the moans and whimpers that fell from her lips.
Her desire for him was the greatest aphrodisiac he knew, and he would have done anything she wanted right then. Maddison gripped his head, her restless fingers tangled in his hair as he delved deeply inside her with his tongue, relishing the juices that were pouring from her.
“Och, more, Odhrán, more, please!” she begged, pushing her hips up to meet his lips, her juices flowing freely. Almost at fever pitch himself, his shaft a throbbing club between his legs, he toyed with her swollen rosebud, eliciting small screams. He slid his fingers inside her as he knew she loved him to do, opening her wider and making her ready to receive him.
“I cannae stand it any longer, Odhrán, come and fill me up, I need ye!” she cried, pulling him up, her head thrashing from side to side.
“Ye want more d’ye?” he asked huskily, his fingers still working on her until the last moment before he rose up and, in one swift stroke, thrust his shaft deep into her. “Ye want this?”
“Aye, aye, I want it!” she screamed, her legs circling his waist, her nails raking his shoulders and back as she clutched him, her body thrashing as he rammed into her repeatedly.
“Ah, yes! Deeper, deeper, please, Odhrán, I need ye,” she moaned, her biting kisses inflaming him further. He felt her muscles tensing around his shaft, and knew she was approaching her peak. Helpless now to stop the intense waves of pleasure gripping him, he thrust harder and faster into her, striving to bring her to a climax before he reached his own. Moments later, their kisses frantic, their bodies soaked in sweat, they both came to a shuddering pinnacle of ecstasy.
“I love ye, Odhrán, I love ye so much,” she murmured breathlessly in his ear as she held him close.
“And I love ye, Maddy. More than ye can ever ken,” he panted, pulling back to look in her eyes. Their face pressed together, they smiled as they kissed.
“Forever,” they said in unison, with joyful laughter bubbling from their lips.
“Please, join me in welcoming the new Laird of the McDowells, and his Lady, Michael and Kyven Gregor,” Brayden’s voice echoed across the chamber of the great hall as they stepped inside.
Kyven’s face hurt from smiling so much as she looked around the room. There was not a pair of hands that wasn’t thundering applause, nor a face not cheering. She saw many of the people she loved in a quick glance.
Helen was by Aaden’s side, as she so often was, by the dance floor. Elliot was sat on a table close by with Fiadh, his wife. In her arms was a small bairn, one so beautiful, a perfect mixture of her parents, that Kyven ached when she looked at the child.
At the back of the room were Brayden and Tynan, come to celebrate the wedding and take their places at the top table, places of honor, as the newly allied clan. Tynan was in his cups already, drinking and reaching out for a dance with the nearest lass, as Brayden finished the toast and sat down, such a satisfied smile on his face that Kyven couldn’t help warming to him even more.
At last, Kyven turned to face the man gripping her hand.
Michael was dressed in both sets of clan colors. The strips of plaid over his shoulders should have clashed horribly, but instead, they looked wonderful, a shining symbol of the union of the clans coming together. He smiled, the sharp features of his angular face softening as he turned to look at her and raised her hand to his lips. He looked ready to whisper something, but the pipers were beginning their loud music once again, a tune they had been playing ever since the ceremony had finished but a half an hour ago. Dancers swarmed the center of the floor, leaving their feast behind, eager to celebrate. The cacophonous din grew so loud that Kyven laughed.
Michael pressed his lips to the back of her hand, an intimate moment in the mad and wild room.
“What dae ye think, eh?” he whispered in her ear, trying to be heard above the raucous noise. “Is it the wedding ye pictured?”
“Nay,” she answered hurriedly. He looked concerned, but only for a second, as she was still smiling back at him. “It is more than I could have ever imagined.”
He drew her toward the dance floor, such purpose in his steps that she hastened to follow him. They lost themselves in the crowds with the other dancers, occasionally switching partners, so sometimes she ended up dancing with Aaden, other times Elliot, and at one point, Tynan, though Michael rather hastily grabbed her back at this point.
“Ye are more worried about him than ye are Aaden,” she laughed pointedly as he turned her under his arm.
“I ken Tynan,” Michael said with a deep laugh. “I think between him and Aaden, every lass here is in trouble.”
“Nay chance.” She giggled and fell against him. “In case it passed ye by, love, I just declared tae love ye tae me dying day in a church.” She stood on her toes and kissed him. “It’s a vow I intend tae keep.”
The smile that appeared on his face was unlike any other she had ever seen in his features. It made her wonder why they had wasted so much time in that library closeted away together, enjoying one another’s company, yet choosing not to tell each other how they felt.
When they were too tired to dance anymore, they retreated to the top table where Brayden sat talking politics with some of the councilors. He and Theo seemed to be getting along very well, though Brayden turned their way as they approached to talk to them.
“Well, well, congratulations, baby brother.” He stood and clapped Michael on the back.
Kyven laughed, thinking how strange it was to call Michael a ‘baby brother’ when he was so tall and broad.
“I couldnae be happier fer ye.” Brayden held tightly onto his shoulder. “But promise me one thing now. Nay more hiding from us, aye? Nay matter what yer worries, we face it as a family. All of us.” He looked pointedly at Kyven too and offered his hand. She gladly gave it to him as he kissed the back, not with intensity, as his brother did, but with reverence and respect.
“I promise,” Michael said with feeling. “Ye ken why I hid though.”
“Aye, I do.” Brayden sighed heavily as he reached for his goblet. “It pains me tae say it, but I fear in yer shoes I would have done exactly the same thing. Now, something else I must say…” He glanced around his shoulders, making sure they weren’t being overheard. “I imagine the last thing ye two want tae do is spend the whole night here. I’ll run interference with the others, if ye like.”
“How is it ye read minds?” Michael grunted, shaking his head.
Kyven laughed as Brayden simply smiled.
“Ye forget, I am yer brother. Now go, quickly, before Tynan and Aaden can drag ye both back to the dancefloor.”
Kyven parted her lips to thank Brayden, but before she could, Michael had tugged on her hand. They jumped down off the back of the platform where the top table had been raised, and he hurried her toward the door, heading out into the hall. She laughed loudly as they toppled together against a nearby wall, unable to hold in her happiness as Michael kissed her neck.
“Should we nae stay a little longer?” she asked breathlessly. “They have all come tae celebrate with us.”
“Aye, they have, but it’s time we had a celebration of our own.” He pulled her again through the corridor.
“I cannae keep up with ye. Yer legs are too long!”
“We can solve that issue.” He turned to face her, pulling her to stand, then promptly thew her over his shoulder.
“Michael!”
Yet he didn’t put her down. She could feel him chuckling warmly as he carried her all the way up the stairs.
They didn’t go to her chamber but made their way through candlelit hallways to his new chamber instead. Far away from the barracks, it adjoined her own chamber through a secret door. He opened the door and strode inside fast, reaching straight for the bed, where he promptly threw her down on the mattress. She was still laughing, pushing herself up into a seated position, when he returned to the door and locked it tight.
The fire was roaring in the hearth. The plush new bedding, decorated with wolfskin furs, glistened in the light, and across the mantelpiece were white winter flowers, beautiful in their iciness and the way they contrasted the warmth of the fire.
“Ye’ve been planning this,” she observed, nodding at the hearth.
“Oh, I have.” He leaned on the door, turning to face her with a mischievous smile.
There was a nearby meow, and something jumped up onto the bed.
“Lottie,” Kyven said with a smile as she turned to greet the cat. The kitten had grown a little bigger in the last two months, and around her throat was a trail of flowers. She greeted Kyven by nuzzling her with her head, then purred contentedly. “She is beautiful. I cannae believe ye got her just tae try and get me attention.”
“Well, it worked. Damn Aaden. He kens what he is doing with women, I’ll give him that.” Michael walked back across the room and suddenly swept the cat up in his arms. He stroked Lottie affectionately, then placed her down on the floor again. “Sorry, Lottie, but ye willnae be needed fer our next celebration.”
As if she had understood him, she meowed and darted to a small wooden flap which had been inserted in his door, zooming out quickly.
The moment she was gone, Michael’s lips were upon Kyven. She reached up toward him, pulling the plaid off his shoulders as quickly as she could, trying to get access to him.
The last couple of months in the castle, they’d had to be good, only sneaking away together from the prying eyes for the occasional moment. Now, married, they could spend all the time together in a chamber they wanted, without questions from anyone.
“Stand,” he urged. She did as she was instructed.
“Ye ordering me around now?” she asked playfully.
“Well, as the new laird, this is the only place I will order ye around.” There was mischief in his tone as he winked at her. “As beautiful as ye are in that green gown, take it off.”
Slowly, she untied the laces and slipped it from her shoulders. The whole time he watched her, that gaze hungry.
“Next, the chemise, but… leave the stockings on.”
She raised her eyebrows but didn’t question him. She let the chemise drop down and stepped out of her court shoes, leaving the stockings on.
“Come,” he urged with a crook of his finger.
She crawled back onto the bed, thinking that he was wearing far too many clothes. She straddled him on the bed, pulling at his shirt in order to get to him.
“Say it,” he urged in her ear as he kissed down her neck.
“I’m yers,” she whispered, knowing by now exactly what he liked to hear. It was a thrill to her, to know that this was what he loved. “I am yer wife now, Michael.”
He growled under his breath, in the most animalistic and seductive way. She practically moaned aloud, pleasure in her gut coiling at the sound alone.
She was flicked onto her back fast, falling onto the cushions of the bed. He knelt before her, taking off the last of the shirt then reaching for his trews. It was a sort of pleasant torture to watch him. At one point, she tried to reach up, to explore him, but he playfully took her wrists and held them above her head, pinning them to the pillow. She whined in pleasure, her body writhing. It caught his attention, and he looked down her body, gazing at her breasts and hips.
When he had nothing on, he released her wrists and placed his hands on her thighs, parting them and lifting them high. Her body was wet and ready for him, her hands shaking. She didn’t need any preamble tonight. All she wanted was to feel all of him.
He slid into her fast, without hesitation. To feel his full penetration made her back arch off the bed. She gasped, gazing up into his blue eyes as he moved slowly at first. Once more, she tried to wrap her hands up around him, but he took her hands and held them either side of her down to the pillows. He had full control, and she loved it, yet even as he controlled her, his fingers entwined with her own. There was care at all times. She reached up to him, showing what she wanted, arching her back, and he gave it to her, bending down and kissing her.
As he did so, he increased the pace of their movements. It was consuming, so fast, the pleasure reaching every part of her, that she couldn’t stop the tingling sensation that spread through her body. She felt at once that her end was near, and even though she told herself she did not want this night to be over yet, her body had other ideas.
She tightened around him, and her cries of pleasure were muffled against her lips. He moved fast still, even harder, riding out her pleasure and shifting his hands so they were flat to the pillow. He had complete dominance now, leaving her a writhing mess on the bed beneath him.
She was still coming down from her high when she noticed the sounds he made changed.
“Kyven. Ah…” He groaned and grunted aloud, the sound even more animalistic than before. He reached up, gripping the bedhead with one hand as his other hand reached for her thigh and held her leg wider. He seemed to be reaching a different part of her, new scales of intimacy, when he suddenly moaned her name loudly. “Kyven.” He bucked repeatedly into her, and she felt a warmth spreading through her connection.
She realized at once what had happened, such a smile spreading across her face as he came down from his own high, catching his weight on his elbows on either side of her.
“Michael, ye…” She was breathless, struggling to say what she felt.
“I couldnae pull out –”
“I didnae want ye tae pull out,” she said. They both smiled at the sensation. She raised her hands up around him, embracing him tight. “Just think, there may be a baby Michael running around this castle in a year’s time.”
As he kissed her again, Kyven sank into his arms, having no wish to rejoin the celebrations downstairs. She was in the best place she could possibly imagine being, with a future ahead of her that once, she had only dreamed about.
Lottie meowed at the door and they both broke off from their kiss, laughing together.
One month later…
There was no doubt in Tegan’s mind that this was going to be the best day of her life. How could it not be? She was marrying Ciarán, and they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. Just a few months ago, she would never have imagined she would ever fall in love. Now though, against all the odds, the dream she had never dared to dream was finally coming true.
As the wedding day dawned bright and clear over Castle Kincaid, Tegan was a bundle of nervous excitement when Ailis, and her future sisters-in-law Lillie, Diarmaid’s wife and Lady Kincaid, and Maddison, joined her for breakfast. They were all to serve as her bridesmaids.
Lillie was a lovely young woman with a warm personality, about the same age as Tegan, and they had quickly bonded. The pair had soon become firm friends once Ailis and Tegan had settled into Castle Kincaid. In the short time the sisters had been there, the four young women had formed a close and supportive relationship that Tegan loved being a part of.
“Well, me dears, there’s much tae be done,” Lillie said with a smile, replacing her empty teacup in its saucer. “We should finish our breakfast and make a start on getting Tegan ready if she’s nae tae be late tae her own wedding.”
“Aye, ’tis eight o’clock already,” Maddison pointed out, “and the weddin’s at noon. Ye must get a shift on, Tegan.”
“What?” Tegan exclaimed. “’Tis four hours tae go. ’Tis nae gonna take me all that time tae get ready. All I have tae dae is put on the dress and get me hair done.”
The other three looked at each other and burst into laughter.
“I told ye she’d say somethin’ like that, did I nae?” Ailis said, still chuckling.
“Aye, ye did, and ye were right,” Maddison said, giving Tegan a mischievous look. “I’m surprised she’s even agreed tae wear a gown. I thought she’d be goin’ up the aisle in her usual clothes, dressed like a man!”
They laughed some more, and even Tegan could not help joining in. Then Lillie told her gently, “There’s a lot tae dae tae make sure ye look yer best fer Ciarán on yer big day. Ye want tae look nice fer him, de ye nae?”
“Of course, I dae she said, “but I’m nae used tae so much fuss bein’ made about what I look like.
“Ach, come on,” Maddison teased, “I’ve seen how Ciarán looks at ye when he sees ye wearin’ a fine gown. He can hardly keep his eyes off ye, let alone his hands.” Tegan blushed while she laughed.
“Aye, I’ve noticed that as well. But I bet it willnae stay on long when ye’re alone,” Lillie added, sending Ailis and Maddison into fresh paroxysms of quite unladylike hilarity, while Tegan’s cheeks burned.
“Wheesht, Lillie, ye’re terrible!” Ailis cried with tears in her eyes.
“Well, Ailis, I’m wed tae his braither, so I ken what I’m talking about!” Lillie answered with a saucy wink at the bride, eliciting more chuckles.
“Now, Tegan,” Maddison told her when they had stopped laughing. “Ye can relax and let us dae everythin’ fer ye. First ye must bathe in scented oils, so ye smell nice, then have yer hair curled, then ye have tae get into yer wedding clothes, and that takes a wee while, ye ken, with three petticoats, and yer headdress and all that.”
“And jewels, she must have her jewels,” Ailis put in. “And some perfume.”
“And yer shoes. Ye must nae forget yer shoes,” Ailis said, making them all laugh again.
Tegan, secretly tickled by their mirthful mood, curbed her smiles and with mock severity pretended to scold them. “Come on, then, what are ye wastin’ time chatterin’ fer? There’s a lot tae be done in a mere four hours, and yer makin’ me late fer me own weddin’ already!”
And so, the long preparations to turn Tegan into a bride began.
“I think she’s just about ready,” Lillie said at about a quarter to twelve. Tegan, who felt she had been moved about and posed like a living doll for the last few hours, had been growing increasingly excited, nervous and impatient all at the same time.
“Aye, she looks like a beautiful bride in a painting,” Ailis agreed. Then, she grinned at Tegan and asked, “Are ye really me sister? I dinnae recognize ye.”
“Wheesht!” Tegan said, looking at the lovely woman in the looking glass with amazement. “I dinnae recognize meself.”
The gown was unlike anything she had worn before, even as Ailis’s bridesmaid. The full, wide skirt was supported by a complicated underpinning, with three lace petticoats to add volume, and finished by a pale lilac overdress richly decorated with embroidery and encrusted with tiny glittering pearls. Her waist had been cinched in by Maddison until she feared she would never breathe again.
The sleeves were short and puffed, and the fashionable square neckline plunged lower than any she had ever worn before, putting the top half of her breasts on show. Tegan felt a little exposed and very daring, but she was secretly thrilled to imagine how much Ciarán would appreciate it. She admired her pretty headdress of lilac silk roses and the same pearl beads. It perfectly set off the mass of curls pinned atop her head. Her pearl earrings, necklace, and matching bracelets, presents from Diarmaid and Lillie, glimmered softly against her white skin.
I actually look beautiful! I just hope Ciarán thinks so too.
“Och, ye certainly make a bonny bride. I swear Ciarán’s eyes are goin’ tae pop out of his head when he sees ye comin’ down the aisle,” Lillie put in, dabbing perfume behind Tegan’s ears.
“Shoes!” Ailis ordered, helping Tegan to put on her embroidered silk slippers.
“There, ye’re ready,” Maddison finally declared with a last circuit of the bride. “Ye ken, ye all look lovely too, in yer bridesmaids’ dresses,” Tegan told them,
admiring them in their matching cream silk dresses, as per ancient tradition. “Ye dae me credit, and I cannae thank ye enough fer all yer help.” She air kissed them all, wanting to avoid smudging the light application of rouge on her lips.
“I cannae believe the way ye’ve made me look. I’m so grateful. I hope me groom kens who I am when he sees me!” she joked despite her nerves. They were really starting to set in as the hands on the clock crawled closer to noon.
“’Tis ten tae the hour. We must go down,” Lillie said. “Are ye ready, Tegan?”
Tegan took as deep a breath as she could in the tight corset. “Aye, I’m ready,” she replied. “I wish Faither and Maither were here tae see this,” she told Ailis, feeling sad that they were not there with her on that day.
“Ye ken they’re lookin’ down on ye and burstin’ with pride,” her sister assured her with a reassuring smile. Tegan squeezed her arm affectionately, hoping it was true.
Lillie opened the door, and they went downstairs, flanked by a bevy of excited maidservants. Finally, after moving gracefully along the beautifully decorated hallways, they came to a halt outside the doors of the great hall. There, they were greeted warmly by two smartly dressed servants. While they waited to be summoned, Tegan’s heart fluttered in her chest, and she found it hard to breathe. All she could think of was that she was marrying the man she loved.
After what felt like an eternity to her, the doors were opened, and a smiling equerry peeped out at them.
“We’re ready for the bride,” he said. Tegan swallowed hard as she looked over his shoulder into the packed room. The murmur of conversation stopped, and a hushed silence fell over the congregation. Then came a soft rustle of clothing as many guests turned their heads to look at her. The walls were adorned with colorful decorations, and a galaxy of lamps and candles cast warm, amber light over the vast chamber, lending the scene a dreamlike, magical air in Tegan’s eyes.
She stepped onto the carpet that formed the aisle, and she and her bridesmaids set off at a regal pace, as they had rehearsed several times, towards the makeshift altar at the opposite end of the hall.
When she spotted Ciarán’s tall, broad figure standing there before the minister, her heart fluttered madly, and a smile burst forth onto her lips to see he had turned and was smiling back at her. When she finally came up to join him, she thought she might swoon, for he looked so handsome in his clan regalia and fine clothing, his long dark hair caught up behind his head, revealing his sculpted features and dark-gray eyes. They exchanged loving looks, gazing deep into each other’s eyes and grasping each other’s fingers tightly.
The ceremony began, the minister intoning the service gravely. At last it came to the part where Ciarán made the small cuts on their wrists with an ornamental dagger and pressed them together to mingle their blood. Diarmaid was there to bind their hands together with strips of cloth of their respective clan tartans. Then, he pulled them tight, to form the marriage knot that would be preserved as the symbol of their union and the union of the two families and clans. When Diarmaid carefully slid the knot away, releasing them, and the minister pronounced them man and wife, Tegan thought she would explode of joy.
“Ye may now kiss the bride,” the minster pronounced. Ciarán wasted no time in taking Tegan in his arms and kissing her thoroughly in front of the assembled congregation of distinguished clan families, the allies and friends of Clan Kincaid. Tegan kissed him back with enthusiasm, pouring all the love in her heart into it.
Now married to the man she adored with all her heart, Tegan’s nerves dissipated, and the fun began as they embarked on the wedding breakfast. There were traditions to follow, of course, like drinking the whisky from the quaich, the two-handled cup that signified unity, from which the whole company must drink after the bride and groom to ensure good luck.
Then, before the feast officially opened, Ciarán had to pay the piper his due, a dram of whisky. They were then piped into dinner and thus guaranteed good luck their whole lives through. For Tegan, the party passed in a blur of wine, whisky, food, laughter, chatter, dancing, and being whirled around the dancefloor by her husband.
In between times, she sat on Ciarán’s lap, stealing more kisses, before they were eventually carried by a good-natured, well-oiled crowd, led by Diarmaid, up to their newly appointed wedding chambers. It took some time before the well-wishers could be persuaded to return to the party.
“Ach, I’ve been waiting all night tae get ye alone,” Ciarán murmured as he shut the door on the last of them and turned to his bride. He grabbed Tegan around the waist and danced a little jig with her over to the enormous bed, where they fell onto the coverlet side by side, giggling like children.
They lay facing each other, nose to nose.
“I love ye, Husband,” she whispered.
“And I love ye, Wife,” he whispered back as they stared into each other’s eyes.
“This has been the happiest day of me life, Ciarán. Thank ye, fer everything.” She stroked his face tenderly, her heart bursting with love for him.
“’Tis the same fer me. I feel blessed tae be married tae me lovely lassie at last. And now, I’m going tae make love tae ye all night long.”
“Are ye? Is that a promise?” she teased excitedly, already filled with desire for him.
“Aye. Well, maybe we’ll just have a wee nap first, eh?” he told her with a grin, snuggling close to her and wrapping his arms around her. “I must admit, I feel a wee bit tipsy. ’T’was all that drinkin’ and dancin’ that did it.”
“Mmm, I ken. I feel a bit sleepy too.”
So, they fell asleep on the coverlet, cuddled up like puppies, after a very busy, very important day. But wine and whisky have a way of wearing off. In the wee small hours of the night, when the lamp was burning low, they awoke. They wriggled out of their fine wedding clothes, helping each other with the various fastenings. Then, they lay naked, breast to breast, lip to lip, and were soon overtaken by an insatiable passion.
Ciarán pulled Tegan closer, their breath mingling together. She closed her eyes as their lips collided, savoring the taste of him as her husband for the very first time. It made her dizzy to think he was hers, and she was his.
Slowly, delicately, they explored each other’s lips and mouths, their tongues entwining in a leisurely, erotic dance. Tegan smiled into his mouth to feel his manhood already throbbing hard against her thighs, never tiring of how she loved the power she had to excite him. It spurred her own passion. She pressed her hips and breasts against him as their kisses deepened, emboldened by his need for her. He made her feel beautiful, desirable, and she wanted to give him everything and take everything he had to give.
Sliding her hands across his broad chest, she shivered to feel the soft, springy dark hairs covering it. While their kisses grew more fervent, her hands wandered across his muscular back, tracing with her fingertips the snakelike scar she had come to love so much. Intoxicated by the power and strength he exuded, Tegan’s breath quickened as she marveled at his sheer magnificence.
On an impulse, she straddled him, rubbing her moist, burning sex against his already throbbing member provocatively. She took it firmly in her hand and guided it to her entrance. Slowly, groaning deep in his throat, his eyes dark and hungry upon hers, he let her impale herself upon him. Tegan let out a small scream of ecstasy as he filled her, letting him linger deep inside her for a few moments before she began moving her hips up and down, with Ciarán’s hands gripping them, carefully regulating the rhythm of her movements to tantalize him, wanting to give him pleasure as well as herself.
“More,” she breathed, increasing her rhythm as her desire demanded. Her hands gripped his shoulders as she bounced in his lap, smiled into his eyes. Needing no second bidding, Ciarán smiled back, thrusting his hips upwards to match her pace until they were moving in perfect harmony.
Tegan moaned and thrashed as desire moved up her body in waves, spurred on by Ciarán’s groans of pleasure. Their movements quickened as they began chasing the pinnacle of their mutual passion. Finally, they peaked at exactly the same moment, clutching at each other, their lips clashing, sweating and panting.
“Och, Ciarán, I love ye so much!” Tegan exclaimed into his neck.
“I love ye too, Tegan, with all me heart and soul,” he breathed raggedly against her hair as he shuddered to a climax inside her.
In the afterglow, they lay tangled together on sheets dampened by their passion, content and sated, sharing kisses and gentle laughter. Tegan could not recall a time when she had felt so happy and complete as she did at that moment, lying in Ciarán’s arms.
“I didnae think I could ever be happier than this,” she murmured against his chest.
“Me neither, but we have the rest of our lives together to find out if we can be,” he replied with a small chuckle, kissing the tip of her nose and gazing lovingly into her eyes.
Tegan stroked his cheek tenderly. “Aye, the rest of our lives. I cannae wait.”
Much to the bride’s delight, the day of Lillie and Diarmaid’s nuptials dawned clear and bright over Castle Murdoch. When Lillie looked out of her chamber window on waking and saw the waters of the loch glittering in the morning sunlight, it felt like a very good omen.
As tradition dictated, she and Diarmaid had spent the night before the wedding in separate chambers, it being considered bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the ceremony.
“I’ll miss ye next tae me in bed,” he had grumbled good-naturedly when she had reminded him of it, “so I suppose I’ll just have tae make up fer it on our wedding night,” he had added with a glint in his eyes that had made Lillie shiver even as she giggled.
At an early hour, Lillie’s chambers were bustling with female activity as she prepared to look her best when she walked up the aisle with Diarmaid. To add to her pleasure on the special day, she was surrounded by all her best friends, old and new.
Her sisters-in-law Ciara and Lara, had arrived at Castle Kincaid several days before, along with their husbands, Lillie’s beloved brothers, Aiden and Darragh. Reuniting with her family after so long had been a joyous and emotional affair.
Her best friend Hannah and her mother Maria, the healers at Castle MacDonald, had traveled along with her family in a carriage provided by Aiden.
“Och, so there ye finally are,” Hannah had teased Lillie when they had embraced at long last, though she had tears in her eyes. “Me and Ma have been wondering where ye’d got tae.” Lillie cried a little too at seeing her best friend after so long, remembering how they had parted on the day when Lillie had been kidnapped by Caelin McIrving.
When she told them the story as she showed them to their guest room in the castle, Hannah gave her a sound scolding for her foolishness going to the market alone that day.
“Why, anything could have happened tae ye,” she said, full of frowns.
“Aye, well, it sort of did,” Lillie had to agree, wiping her friend’s frown away and turning it into a smile.
And as for Maddison, while she and Lillie had only met a short while before, their shared experience of captivity and love of Diarmaid had enabled them to form an instant bond. They had been spending a lot of time together, with Maddison finding that keeping busy with helping Lillie to prepare for the upcoming wedding was just the kind of cheerful distraction she needed in the aftermath of her captivity.
“Ye’re helping me tae get over me experience,” she had told Lillie several times. “Ye understand what ’tis like, fer ye’ve been through it yerself. I dinnae have tae explain me feelings tae ye, Lillie, and I couldnae ask fer anyone better tae understand me now I’m free. I’m so very grateful ye’re here, and that ye’ve been here all this time, helping Diarmaid.”
Lillie had been deeply moved by Maddison’s words and had hugged her tightly, holding back tears.
“I feel the same about ye, Maddison. I’ve never really had anyone tae talk tae about me own captivity. Aiden and Darragh were wonderful, but if ye havenae had the experience of being locked up day after day, in the dark, being fed scraps, and sleepin’ on straw, never kenning if each day might be yer last… well, however much folk may care fer ye, they cannae understand ye dinnae simply walk away from something like that unscathed.”
The women had since shared their darkest moments during captivity, and Lillie had been able to comfort Maddison when the nightmares and reminders of her terrible time in the dungeons at Lennox Castle tormented her.
Their bond had only been fortified by the arrival of Ciara and Lara at the castle for the wedding a few days before, something which Lillie had been very much looking forward to. She had missed them all so much!
After an emotional reunion, Lillie was overjoyed when they all got on right away. Lara and Ciara shared their stories and experiences with Maddison, which seemed to create a special bond, a link between the four of them that, to Lillie, felt unbreakable. The four women were united in their past sufferings at the hands of evil men.
Ciara, who had saved Lillie from her imprisonment by her own father, the evil Laird Keir MacNeil. She had been subjected to his cruelty since her mother’s death in childbirth, for which he blamed her. He had ultimately tried to murder he, and she had almost died getting away from him, only to be rescued by Aiden.
Lara, daughter of Laird Harris MacLean, had been locked up in Keir MacNeil’s secret dungeon just before he was killed by Aiden. She admitted she would have likely perished in her cell if Darragh had not been sent to take over the MacNeil castle and found her by accident.
“’Tis like I’ve kent ye all fer years,” Maddison had told the two women after only a few hours in their company.
“I always wanted a sister, and now feel I have three, and that I’m part of a sisterhood of wonderful lassies who all understand me, and help me, and will always have me back,” Maddison had told them all the evening before at dinner, with a sincerity that had made Lillie’s heart glow.
“Aye, I dae as well,” she had said, squeezing Maddison’s hand. “’Tis just like we’re sisters.”
“’Tis the same for me too,” Lara piped up, beaming.
“And me,” Ciara agreed. “Should we nae drink a wee toast tae ourselves?” she suggested, her pretty hazel eyes sparkling with good humor.
“That’s a grand idea,” Lara had put in, taking up a jug of wine from the table wine and topping up their goblets. “Now, ladies, raise yer glasses high,” she had urged them. “Maddison, ye dae the honors.”
“Tae the sisterhood!” Maddison declared, a broad smile lighting her still pallid face as she raised her goblet along with the others.
“Tae the sisterhood!” the others intoned, clinking their goblets together and downing their wine before bursting into laughter and giving themselves a cheer for good measure.
And so, on the day of her wedding to Diarmaid, having her best friend and honorary sisters with her in her chambers, helping her to look her very best for the ceremony, was very special indeed.
“’Tis nearly time, m’lady. They’re all waiting fer ye,” Penny said, pink-cheeked with excitement as she appeared in the doorway of Lillie’s chambers.
Lillie turned her head from where she was standing in front of a full-length looking glass, being fussed over by the sisterhood, which now included Hannah.
“But ye look bonny in yer new gown, Penny,” Lillie said, smiling at her faithful maid. “That emerald-green suits ye well.”
“Well, I thought I’d better take the opportunity tae look me best, fer a wedding’s a good place to find a man,” Penny observed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “I’m hoping tae have some luck tonight.”
That elicited general laughter.
“Aye, me and the laird made sure tae invite as many single lads as we could think of, so ye and Sheila and Lorna will have the pick of ‘em,” Lillie joked.
“Keep yer head still, will ye?” Hannah murmured through a mouth full of hairpins adorned with tiny diamonds. “I need tae make sure this headdress doesnae come loose.” She was carefully pinning a headdress wound with pink wild roses and white and purple heather to the top of Lillie’s head, fixing it firmly.
The rest of her hair had been brushed out to shining perfection beforehand and rippled down her back to her waist in a shining cascade. “There ye go. I think that should hold,” Hannah murmured at last, stepping back to survey her handiwork. She smiled at Lillie in satisfaction. “I reckon ye could dance a hundred jigs and nae come tae harm,” she assured her.
“Now, we just need to make sure the train willnae catch on anything when Lillie walks down the aisle,” Lara said.
“We’ve got it, Hannah,” Maddison chimed in as she, Hannah, and Ciara took up their positions side by side behind the bride and carefully took hold of the edge of the richly embroidered, cream-colored lace train as Lara gently unfurled it.
“Right, wait fer me,” Lara said when she had finished, coming to take her place next to them. Together, they held the train clear of the floor.
Each of the girls was wearing a lovely, embroidered overdress of sky-blue satin over an underskirt of a slightly darker hue, with a square-necked bustier trimmed with lace, and long, trailing sleeves cut on the diagonal. The style echoed the cut of Lillie’s own dress, which was a very dark blue and more richly decorated with embroidery and seed pearls.
“The lasses all look very elegant,” Penny observed from the doorway, her tone admiring.
“Aye, they certainly dae,” Lillie agreed, smiling at the view in the looking glass as her bridesmaids held her train.
“But the bride, what a beauty, m’lady!” Penny added, shaking her head in mock disbelief.
“Ye’re right, Penny, she looks truly elegant, Lillie,” Ciara said as they all four smiled back at Lillie in the glass.
“Aye, such a bonny bride,” Lara agreed with a nod and a smile.
“Ye look absolutely stunnin’,” Hannah said with a small sob, her eyes shining with tears.
“Aye, I reckon me braither’s nae gonnae wait fer the ceremony tae be done when he sees ye lookin’ like that, Lillie. He’s just gonnae pick ye up and run off with ye,” Maddison jested, lightening the mood. However, Lillie could see she was juts holding back tears as well.
“Thank ye all, Sisters,” Lillie told them, a bundle of nervous anticipation and excitement herself. She brushed the folds of her skirt lightly with her fingertips and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had never worn a gown like it.
“Och, I hardly ken meself!” she told them breathily, hardly able to reconcile the beautiful woman in the mirror with herself.
I just want tae look me best fer Diarmaid!
The lovely gown clung to every curve of her body in the most flattering way, and the lace train gave it a touch of elegance such as she felt she had never possessed before. Maddison had arranged for her favorite seamstress down in Harrowby to make it, as a wedding present for her new sister-to-be. Lillie thought the woman had done a fine job.
“Ach, yer face is glowing,” Maddison told her, dashing a small, happy tear from her eye.
“Aye, ye look radiant,” Lara chimed in. “Ye have the look of a bride who cannae wait to get tae the altar.”
“’Tis true, I have tae admit. I cannae wait tae be Diarmaid’s wife–again,” she told them with a girlish giggle. “I feel like I’m havin’ a wonderful dream.”
They laughed. “Dinnae worry, lass, ye’ll nae be wakin’ up any time soon,” Ciara assured her, eliciting laughter all round.
“I’m so excited I just pray I dinnae forget me words! At any rate, I want tae thank ye al fer helpin’ me get ready,” Lillie told them, kissing all four women on the cheek.
“We must go, m’lady,” Penny urged. ’Tis time.”
“D’ye have yer strip of cloth fer the hand-fasting?” Maddison suddenly asked as they began to move toward the door. “Ye cannae be wed without it!”
“Aye,” Lillie replied, holding up her wrist, where a strip of MacDonald tartan cloth was loosely tied. “I think I’m ready,” she added, fresh excitement surging through her at the prospect of seeing Diarmaid at the altar.
“Come then, let’s go,” Maddison said decisively. At last, the bride’s procession to her wedding began, and the ladies walked elegantly along the hallways of the castle and down the staircase.
“Are ye nervous?” Maddison asked her.
“A little,” Lillie said. “But I think they’re happy nerves. I just wish me Maither and Faither could be here tae see me wed. I hope they’re looking down on us from heaven today.”
“I’ve nae doubt they are, and they’re very proud of ye, I’m sure” Maddison told her. “Just as I’ve nae doubt our parents and our brother Rónán are all looking down on Diarmaid as well.”
“Thank ye, Maddison, that is such a lovely thought,” Lillie said, touched by her words.
Her nerves were beginning to take over, now that they were approaching the doors of the great hall. Slowly, two guards swung open the doors. Lillie gasped to see the chapel pews were packed with people, all dressed in their best finery for her wedding. Over a hundred pairs of eyes turned to look at her as she began her slow walk down the aisle. Murmurs of admiration arose from the congregation, and the guests smiled at her as she passed.
However, Lillie did not see them. Her attention was fixed upon the tall, broad figure waiting for her at the altar, with the minister standing behind him. Her heart swelled with love and pride as Diarmaid turned his head to look at her, his eyes darkening when he caught sight of her approaching.
He looked incredibly handsome in his full clan regalia, and when he smiled at her, a smile full of love, her heart skipped a beat to know that the Laird of Kincaid would soon be hers forever. And she would be his.
The hilt of his sword glittered in light of the candles that flickered on the altar, the candles that signified their union. Around his wrist, Lillie spied the strip of tartan cloth necessary to complete the handfasting ceremony. The breath left her body at the magnificent sight of him, her heart beginning to pound as she drew ever closer.
She thought she would swoon, but somehow, she gathered the strength to walk the last few steps to stand at his side. She so wanted to do him proud. He took her hand gently in his, looking deeply into her eyes. In those green depths, Lillie could clearly see the love he bore her. She felt like the luckiest woman alive as she smiled up at him tremulously, telling him with her eyes that her heart was full of love for him.
The minister took up his position, and the ceremony began. Most of it was a haze for Lillie, for it was hard for her to concentrate with Diarmaid’s beside her, squeezing her hand tightly. Finally, it was time for the most important part of the ceremony, the handfasting.
Ciarán brought forward a velvet cushion on which lay a wicked-looking dirk. He removed the strips of fabric from both their wrists and waited while Diarmaid took the knife and, without hesitation, deftly made a shallow cut across his wrist. Blood seeped out as he quickly turned Lillie’s hand over and gripped it tightly as he did the same to her wrist, making her gasp slightly.
Then, he pressed their wrists together, mingling their blood, while Ciarán carefully tied their joined hands together the two strips of fabric, trying them in a loose knot before standing back. Then, Lillie and Diarmaid pulled gently against the knot until it tightened, and looking deeply into each other’s eyes the listened to the minister declare them man and wife.
Ciarán came forward and gently slid the knot from their hands, freeing them, placing the knot aside for safekeeping. It would be carefully preserved and displayed as another symbol of the joining of the clans and the joining of Lillie and Diarmaid.
“Ye may now kiss the bride,” the minister announced with benevolent smile. Lillie thought she would burst with happiness when Diarmaid bent down and kissed her lips, and she responded with fervor. The congregation roared their approval, and she and Diarmaid smiled into each other’s eyes as they turned in unison to greet everybody as a married couple.
Lillie’s heart overflowed as she clung to Diarmaid’s arm, looking out over all the people who had come to help them celebrate their wedding. Truly, she could not imagine it was possible to be happier than she was at that moment.
The memories of the ceremony were something she knew she would always cherish, but the wedding feast was also very memorable, and it lasted until the early hours of the next day.
Ciarán, Aiden, Darragh, Lara, Ciara, and Maddison all gathered around the Laird’s table in the dining hall when Lillie and Diarmaid drank the traditional dram of whisky each from the ceremonial quaich, the two-handed cup that signified the bonding of their two clans. With the quaich being passed around for all to take a drink, Diarmaid paid the piper his traditional dram, upon which the man began to play, and the party began in earnest.
“Ye look absolutely beautiful, Wife,” Diarmaid whispered in her ear as they danced an elegant galliard to open the dancefloor. Diarmaid may have been huge and muscular, but he was also very light on his feet and cut a fine figure, never missing a step as he and Lillie smiled at each other all the way through the dance.
“Look, look!” Lillie nudged Diarmaid’s elbow when they were having a rest and getting a drink. He looked where she was pointing among the couples on the crowded dance floor.
“Well, well, that’s a wee surprise,” he said, his brows rising. “I cannae remember ever seeing him dae that before.”
“I ken. Is it nae exciting?” she asked, watching closely as Finian danced elegantly with Hannah, who was beaming at him, while his eyes were fixed intently upon the lovely young healer.
“Och, I hope somethin’ comes of it. I’d be able tae say we brought them together then,” Lillie said, fancying the idea of a bit of matchmaking. “Ciarán certainly appears tae be enjoyin’ himself,” she added with a chuckle, watching her brother-in-law expertly tripping a galliard with a small, curvaceous young woman with long, black curls down her back and flashing blue eyes. “He’s been dancin’ with her most of the night,” she pointed out.
“Ach, well, there’s a very good reason for that. What ye see there, me darlin’ wife, is Lady Betty Andrews, the daughter of the Laird o’ McKee,” Diarmaid informed her as he handed her a brimming glass of wine. He took a long sip of his own as they watched the handsome young couple cavorting. “He’s been sweet on her since they first met aged about ten.”
“So, why are they nae together?” she asked curiously, sipping at her drink.
“Well, she was supposed to be getting betrothed tae Rónán at one point,” he explained. Lillie’s face fell.
“Och,” she said, wishing she had not brought the subject up.
“Aye, exactly. Though it was nae a love match, although they got on well enough. Rónán loved another lassie, and I think, in truth, Betty would have preferred being betrothed tae Ciarán. But she had nae say in the matter, of course. It was a political thing.”
“So, d’ye think anybody will object if they get together now then?” Lillie asked, thinking what a difficult situation, fraught with sorrow and guilt, it must have been for the would-be lovers, with Rónán being murdered so heinously.
“It depends on whether her faither thinks he’d dae better tae marry her tae a laird, I suppose.”
“Nay! That would be terrible. Poor Ciarán. Poor lassie. Can ye nae have a word with her faither about it?” she asked, looking up at Diarmaid. “It breaks me heart tae think of a good man like Ciarán bein’ in love and nae being’ able tae have his chosen bride. I want him tae be happy, as we are.”
“So dae I, but I dinnae want tae interfere. If me braither asks me tae speak tae McKee, aye, I will, but ’tis up tae her faither at the end of the day who she weds,” he said. “Now, Wife, let’s go and dance.”
They danced la volta, a dance where they circled each other with elegantly enticing movements, until they eventually came together, and Diarmaid hoisted Lillie up in the air by her waist in the “jump” that gave the dance its name. However, in complete disregard for the steps, he then refused to put her down and continued to whirl her about in the air, eliciting giggles from her and much laughter from the other dancers.
“’Tis a grand party, tae be sure,” he whispered to her even later when they were in the middle of a particularly energetic country jig, “but I have tae admit I can hardly wait tae get ye alone.” They were dancing between two columns of clapping, whooping couples before they reached the top and had to part, to run down to the start and meet again.
“I have tae admit I feel the same, Husband,” she whispered back, panting with exertion as she planted a kiss on his lips. It was simply impossible to look at him and not want him. “When can we decently take our leave, d’ye think?” She added with a mischievous giggle.
“Well, I think because everyone’s gone tae such trouble tae make this a happy day fer us, we owe it to them stay at least another five minutes,” he said with a suggestive quirk of an eyebrow.
“Husband!” she cried, pretending to be scandalized. “Ye ken very well it would be rude not tae stay a wee while longer.”
“Five minutes?” he shot back as they threw themselves back into the fray, his laughter vibrating against her cheek as she clung to him tightly, giggling.
It was well into the night when they finally decided they could wait no longer and announced their departure. They were then serenaded to their chambers by raucous shouts and vulgar songs from their family members, headed up by Ciarán and accompanied by Aiden and Darragh, all three being merry from drink.
Eventually, Diarmaid decided he wanted Lillie all to himself and shooed everyone else away, firmly shutting the door behind them. The noise receded as the roisterers returned to continue the celebrations.
“Alone at last,” Diarmaid rasped, taking his wife around the waist and gazing at her so hungrily, Lillie melted into him, entwining her arms around his neck. He carried her over to the large bed and laying her down none too gently. She laughed and did not care, for the flame he always kindled inside her had ignited with force.
“Kiss me,” she whispered, reaching up as he kneeled over her, pulling him down on top of her, wanting to feel his weight on her once more. It excited her beyond words.
He obliged with enthusiasm. “I intend tae kiss ye all over all night, Wife, ye can be certain of that,” he told her huskily when their lips finally parted.
“And I intend tae dae the same tae ye, Husband,” Lillie promised, yearning to feel his warm, naked body against hers. “Now, will ye get me out of this dress?” she begged, turning so he could undo the fastenings of her gown. He skillfully started undoing her laces.
“Ye dinnae need tae ask twice. I was just thinking the same thing meself,” he told her with a wolfish grin, his fingers nimbly working to free her. Before long, she felt the dress loosening and wriggled to help Diarmaid slide it down over her hips.
“How many damned petticoats are there tae this thing,” he grumbled.
Lillie giggled. “Three,” she told him.
“Ach, I’ll be here all night at this rate,” he complained but set to undoing all the strings and pulling the petticoats away one by one. Then, he started on her stays, until her wedding clothing formed a pile on the rug, and she was dressed in nothing but her chemise and stockings.
“Ach, ye’re a sight for sore eyes, me Lillie,” Diarmaid breathed in frank admiration as he ran his palms over her exposed flesh, making her tremble with desire. She reveled in the deep groan that came from his throat as he fondled her behind.
Deftly, he flipped her onto her back and made to pull the chemise over her head. Lillie lifted her arms to help him, smiling up at him, eager for touch. Soon, she was naked but for her stockings. He lifted himself up and rolled them down carefully, tracing a molten hot trail of kisses and nibbling bites up and down her legs, teasing her and making her moan and wriggle beneath him. Already, she felt the desire pooling between her legs.
“I notice ye’ve still got yer clothes on, m’laird. Will ye nae take them off so I can get at ye?” she invited in between the small moans prompted by his caresses that were escaping from her lips. She was desperate to feel his naked skin against hers. The moans became squeals of delight as his kisses reached her inner thighs and brushed teasingly across her sex before moving upward to her belly.
“Mmm,” he mumbled, his hands now on her naked breasts, cupping and squeezing them in a leisurely fashion, with obvious enjoyment. He sucked and nipped at the peaks playfully as they hardened with desire, watching her through slitted eyes, to see the effect of his caresses.
Lillie moaned louder and pulled him closer. His body lay atop hers, and she could feel the length of his aroused manhood pressing against her. The urge to have him inside her was so powerful, it was overwhelming.
“I want ye, Diarmaid, please,” she murmured softly, her hands pulling at his clothing.
“Yer wish is me command, me lady wife,” he said, a devilish glint in his eyes as he stood up from the bed. His gaze never left hers as he tore off his sword belt, tartan plaid, and coat and threw them over a chair, missing it completely. With a comical shrug, clad only in his shirt, he kicked off his boots. His tipsy stumbling had Lillie laughing despite her lust.
Finally, he tugged off his shirt and heedlessly tossed it aside. As always, Lillie’s insides burned to see his magnificent body revealed to her. The sight of the broad expanse of his chest and the hard, bulging muscles of his arms and shoulders thrilled her. But it was his fully aroused manhood that stood up proudly to greet her she craved the most.
Diarmaid joined her on the bed again, resuming his sensual exploration of her body with his hands and lips. His manhood nosed gently against her thighs, and she abandoned herself to the luxurious pleasure of his ministrations, eagerly returning his kisses and caresses.
She slid her palms across his smooth skin, her fingers tracing the battle scars that were enow so familiar to her and which she found so sensual. She delighted in the feel of him, marveling at his strength. Her fingers meandered down his belly, taking his now rigid shaft in her hand, eliciting a loud and satisfying groan that made Lillie burn with wanting.
“Love me, Diarmaid, please, I cannae wait any longer fer ye tae fill me,” she pleaded softly, her other hand tangled in his hair, while the other caressed his manhood. With a provocativeness she hardly knew she possessed, she slid down, her legs encircling his waist, opening herself for him.
The way he looked at her then, such was the heat in his eyes, sent her into a kind of delirium. Slowly, he positioned his manhood at the center of her hotness and pushed into her.
As his full length slipped inside her, filling her to the hilt, he grunted low in his throat. The feel of him inside her and the animalistic sound forced a scream of pleasure from her, and she pressed her hips upward to meet him. They fell against each other, lip to lip, almost breathless, in white hot passion. Holding her tightly, his hot breath on her skin driving her to distraction, Diarmaid began to move his hips.
At the same time, he leaned above her on one elbow, freeing one hand to strum on her excited rosebud until she could only thrash beneath him helplessly, desperate for more. As her moans mounted, his rhythmic thrusts grew harder, driving into her, filling her completely. The excitement was building inside her now with every movement, a wave of heat rising inside her with his every thrust.
His groans of pleasure undid her, and she met him every time, sensing that he too was approaching the climax of their lovemaking alongside her. When it came like a racing tide, they clung to each other, bucking wildly, crying out together, united in an ecstasy that Lillie felt carried them far away from this world and into one made just for them.
“I love ye, Lillie,” Diarmaid panted in her ear as they lay together in the aftermath.
She smiled in deep contentment, hugging him to her. “And I love ye, Diarmaid. Forever.”
He rolled over, encircling her with his arm. She lay happily against his chest, running her fingers idly across it.
“We’ve come a long way together, have we nae?” he asked, kissing her hair. “I can hardly believe we’re truly man and wife now, and we can be like this every night from now on.” He gave a satisfied, happy sigh.
“Aye, I ken. It all seems like a dream. A wonderful, magical dream. I’m so happy.”
“Well, ye’re mine, forever and always.” He spoke in a tone of wonder.
“I wouldnae have it any other way,” Lillie breathed, her heart overflowing with contentment. “I’m the luckiest lassie alive, fer sure.”
“Aye, ye must be thankin’ yer lucky stars I bought ye at that auction,” Diarmaid teased her.
“Ye great fool!” she protested affectionately, laughing.
“Fool, is it?” He cried in mock umbrage, tickling her suddenly and making her shriek with laughter. “Well, now, I’m going tae have tae punish ye fer being so disrespectful tae yer husband.”
Effortlessly, he rolled her on top of him, clasping her body to his, and soon, they were kissing again, and one thing led to another. They made love again, tenderly, leisurely, before they curled up in each other’s arms, and they fell into a deep, contented slumber.
“I am starting tae think this feast was a mistake,” Braden said from his seat atop the dais while he looked at the people around, enjoying a dram or laughing wholeheartedly at someone’s joke. “I cannae recall the last time Rósmire was so loud. If ye wished tae retreat early, I could have that be arranged, mo chridhe.”
“Give the masquerade a chance more,” Edith cooed from behind her mask, and he saw those little wrinkles around her eyes he loved so much, and she despised so deeply. “It will be good fer us tae make something braw out of the tragedy of last year. Besides… I think the wee tyke likes the attention.”
Braden leaned away from Edith, accepting her answer but not before he kissed her cheek, enjoying the little blush that appeared where his lips had been but a second ago. He supposed it would have been a shame to conclude the festivities so early. The grand hall of his ancestral home echoed with laughter and music, candlelight flickering off the masks adorning the guests, as a yule log burned in the great hearth. It had taken him, Madden and fourth a dozen of men to bring it in. A difficult battle it was, but their victory was well celebrated later with mead and jokes.
His alliances had flourished since his struggle with MacLeod, many clan chieftains eager to prove themselves to the man who had felled two legends in one night. Among the most notable guests, members of Clan Leòideach had travelled down to attend. His once would-be bride, Lady Adamina, was dancing with her husband Ewan. Catching her eye, Braden nodded to her in recognition, grateful that the both of them had found their happy endings. He wondered how different their lives would be if indeed Braden married Adamina. She would not end up with her childhood love Ewan and Braden would never feel what true adoration felt now toward his wife. He looked again at Edith that was chatting merrily with the serving maid while she poured her some wine.
Empty and pointless. That was what me life would be without Eden in it.
His newfound celebrity was nothing compared to the joy he had found with Edith. She was a picture beside him that evening, dressed in a gown of vibrant red, similar in style to the one she had wedded him in, almost a year gone to the day. While still as beautiful now as she had been then, much about her had changed. Braden himself felt transformed for the time that had passed since their meeting: happier, safer, stronger.
His wife glanced down at the child in her arms. Their sleeping son, a wee babe by the name of Teigue, was as patient as a saint. All night long, the Hamilton guests had been coming up to introduce themselves to him, each one as eager as the last to see with their own eyes the future Laird of Castle Rósmire.
No one was more eager to see the babe than Edith’s own family. Casting his glance towards the back of the room, Braden smiled as he caught sight of the small Macrae convoy, accompanied, as always, by Madden as their guard. Keelin was speaking energetically with the Kinnaird diplomat, while her mother and father sat nearby.
Many speculated as to the source of Christane’s recovery. While not completely returned to health, she had been able to live a strikingly normal life since when Braden had first met her. Odart, standing nearby, claimed the greater part of convalescence, as was expected of the Beaton. Braden and Edith, of course, had their own theories…
Eventually, Christane and Keelin came to steal Teigue away, transporting him upstairs where the wetnurse awaited. Edith conceded him reluctantly, turning towards Braden and throwing herself in his arms.
He wondered how lucky he was to have her steal that mask one year ago. Or rather Keelin making her take it away. If it was not the scandal, Edith wouldn’t end up being his wife. He often thought about it. If they hadn’t kiss and exchange their fortune, would they still marry? Would this be Edith’s lucky happening too, the same way it was his?
“Grant me a moment?” he asked as the dancing wore on, and looked her into her sparkling eyes, now even marrier from the wine.
“A moment and forever,” Edith replied, stirring his insides with just four words.
Without question, she followed him as he directed her through the humid throng of masked guests, eventually leading her not to the dancefloor but outside onto the terrace, where a strand of mistletoe was hanging at the exact same place. Edith seemed to realise immediately what he had planned, but was kind enough to feign ignorance as he took her hands in his in the darkness.
Guiding her beneath the mistletoe, he turned to his wife with a soft knowing smile, leaning in to press a tender kiss upon her lips. Edith accepted him gladly, her fingers snaking into his hair. It has passed one year and still every time he kissed her, he felt as excited as the first time. They parted briefly, as Braden rested his forehead on hers, gazing gently into her eyes. The gentle strains of a bard song, performed in Gaelic, were spilling from the open doors, the distant chattering of people only adding to the magical athmosphere.
Taking her hand, Braden pulled her into a dance, earning himself a delicate laugh.
“Would that I have been more charming the first time,” he joked as Edith fell into his embrace. “Or ye liked me so exactly because it didnae take me long tae land a kiss on those mesmerizing full lips,” he whispered in Edith’s ear after he nodded at her pink mouth pointedly.
“Bampot…” She shook her head, then cupped his face softly. “If ye had done anything differently, perhaps we would nae be where we are. And I love where we are…” She paused to kiss him again. “So very much…”
“It is with pleasure, I ask ye all tae assist me in welcoming the happy couple, Elliot Faulkner, and his wife, Fiadh.”
Fiadh a new name at last. It gave her as much joy as Elliot did, as he took her hand and led her into the great hall. No longer did she have Ossian’s surname attached to her. It was a new beginning, where she would be free of him.
Together, she and Elliot stepped through the double doors and into Clan Chattan’s great hall. At the far end of the room, Laird Noah and Lady Scarlet stood on a platform behind the top table. Scarlet had her son in her arms as Noah clapped warmly, leading the applause after his announcement.
All around the room were the rest of their friends. She saw Ian and Aila by the pipers that had gathered and knew well enough that they would soon be leading the dancing. Murdoch and Eloise were at a table, sharing a drink, and Avery and Callie stood near the top table, with Callie clapping over her head in her eagerness as Avery held their daughter in his arms.
It was a beautiful sight, with so many people applauding them that Fiadh stepped back in surprise. Elliot’s hand grasped hers tighter as he laughed.
“Nae expecting this?”
“There are so many people,” she whispered as he led her further into the room. The applause faded as Noah led a toast to them. Multiple goblets were raised into the air, chinked together, before their bearers downed the mead and ale within. “It is quite different tae me last…” She trialed off, not wanting to talk about him now.
“Tae yer last wedding,” Elliot finished the words for her. “I kenned it must be. Ye never need think about him again now, Fiadh. We may have been uncertain before, but we now ken, without a doubt.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her near. “He can never bother ye again.”
“Thank God,” Fiadh said warmly, just before her sisters descended on her.
“Fiadh!” Callie cried. “Come, come, let us share a drink.”
“Fiadh, ye looked so beautiful at the ceremony,” Aila gushed. “Ye reminded me of Maither. Ye look so like her.”
Fiadh was swept away by them. Taken to a nearby table, she drank mead, though she struggled to concentrate on their conversation. She kept glancing back at Elliot, who had also been taken away by friends. Murdoch and Aaden stood either side of him, laughing about something as they drank, and Fiadh longed to be a part of the conversation.
Ever since they had returned to the Chattan castle, their secret nights together had to come to an end. Aila and Callie kept far too close an eye on Fiadh for them to manage being together. The one night that Elliot had attempted to come to her chamber, he was caught by one of the guards and accused of lurking in the castle in the middle of the night. Elliot had reluctantly gone back to his chamber and had to make his apologies to Fiadh in the morning.
Now, there will be nothing tae stop us.
Fiadh looking longingly once more at Elliot across the room, seeing him laugh with his friends. He had been more himself again since they had returned to the Chattan clan. His father’s health was improving by the day, and that news seemed to bring him greater levity and comfort. He was back to the Elliot she had first fallen for, the man who jested and joked, the man who looked for the lightness in life, but now Fiadh knew the whole Elliot, how he could be when life truly turned dark, and she loved all of him.
“She isnae listening to us,” Callie said eventually and bumped Fiadh with her elbow. “We shall have tae let her return tae her husband.”
“She’s distracted, and with good reason,” Aila chuckled. “I remember when ye and I found one another again. I dinnae recall getting much of yer attention the night ye married Avery.”
“I wasnae this bad!” Callie complained and thrust a finger at Fiadh.
“Ye were,” Aila insisted, folding her arms. “In fact, I think ye were worse.”
“Wasnae.”
“Ye were.”
“When did we retreat intae being children?” Fiadh asked with a laugh. “I’m sorry if I’m distracted, Callie. Put it down tae being truly happy at last.” Once more, she looked away. This time, she caught Elliot looking back at her. Subtly, he was jerking her head. He seemed to be motioning to the door, asking her to meet by it.
“I am delighted tae see ye so happy.” Callie stood on her toes to reach up and kiss Fiadh on the cheek. “Go on, off ye go then, and be deliriously happy. Judging from the way yer new husband is looking at ye, I’m certain ye will be tonight.”
“Callie!” Aila blushed a deep red and swiped her hand.
“Enjoy yer evening, and forgive me if I go tae enjoy mine too.” Fiadh said with finality, laughing, putting an end to the matter.
Aila giggled as Callie waved her off.
“If ye’re sore in the morning, I have a tonic that will help.”
“Shh, Callie,” Aila urged her as Fiadh walked away, eager to meet Elliot by the door.
She saw across the room that he too had extricated himself from his friends. They each circled the room, heading to the door. The moment he reached her, he took her hand. With no words, he pulled her through the doorway where they hurried to the stairs.
“We will be missed,” Fiadh pointed out, halfway up the stairs. Elliot halted and turned back to look at her, with a mischievous smile on his lips.
“Dae ye wish tae return?”
“Dinnae tease me now.” She raced past him on the stairs and dragged him behind her.
She was dazed as they headed to his chamber, stumbling into the room in their eagerness to kiss each other. She couldn’t see any candles, but she didn’t care to take the time to light them either. There was fire in the room, and that was enough to offer a little light, enough to see Elliot as she pulled back from their kiss and started tugging at his clothes.
“Dinnae stop,” she pleaded, pulling his shirt over his head after dropping his doublet to the floor.
“I have nay intention tae.” He chuckled warmly. “Ye and I have nay reason tae part from one another again. Nay reason tae hide, Fiadh. Nae now.” He kissed her once more, his hands reaching up to the laces at the back of her gown. He undid them with one swift tug, in danger of snapping them, though she would have hardly cared if he had torn the entire gown just to get to her. The heat was consuming her from the inside. All she could think of was Elliot and wanting him again, needing him.
They backed up in the direction of the bed, though she pulled so much on his trews on the way that they became tangled around his ankles, in danger of toppling the pair of them over. He laughed, pulling back from her, and tearing the gown clean off her. When she was in nothing but her chemise and corset, he turned her around, pulling on the corset next.
“Damn thing,” he muttered in her ear. “It keeps me away from ye.”
She laughed softly, loving these moments. Even when they were caught up in their passion, in their need for one another, he could still make her laugh. Throwing the corset away, he took her chemise and lowered it down her shoulders, then he moved her toward the bed, his hands on her hips, with her back still to him. When she dropped her hands down onto the bed, his hands caressed her bare rear and her back.
“God, Fiadh,” he whispered, bending over her back. He kissed every part of her that he could reach, and Fiadh writhed with her palms on the bed, just wanting more of his touch. His lips trailed a path down her spine, across one of her butt cheeks, her hips, the tops of her legs, then up her back once more and to her neck. As he raised himself up, she felt his foot nudging one of hers to the side, spreading her legs.
“Elliot… please.” She was in danger of begging him.
“How could I refuse ye anything?” he whispered, as his length touched her entrance.
When he entered her, she felt her head lurch back, a sudden moan escaping her lips. It was always the same with him. He gave her the thrill, the pleasure, that she should have always known.
He wasn’t gentle tonight, but full of need, rocking their bodies together, and she adored it. It satisfied all the longing she had felt these last weeks when they were unable to see each other at night. She rocked back into him, meeting his hips with her own, their rhythm so quick that they were soon sweating in the heat of the fire. She could feel it beading down her spine, though strangely, she didn’t mind. It was part of the moment, part of the heat that was between them.
When his hands gripped her hips hard, she felt her edge nearing. He created such pleasure within her, so deep inside of her, she couldn’t hold back anymore. Her head fell down onto the bed between the palms of her hands as the pleasure washed over her in waves. Her toes curled against the floor as the thrill spread through every part of her.
His movements grew faster. As the final moments of her pleasure washed over her, she felt him still, thrusting into her one more time. That familiar warmth spread through their connection, and she lifted her head, looking back at him over her shoulder to see him with his mouth open. One of his hands was on her back, holding onto her tight, and the other was gripping to the bed post, keeping himself standing.
“Nay need tae be apart again,” he whispered, bending down and kissing along her back.
She smiled, longing to tell him how much these moments meant to her. It wasn’t just about the passion and excitement, though she loved all of that, but also how safe she felt. In this room, with Elliot, she knew, he would keep her safe, he would never hurt her, and it was where she should have always been.
As he pulled out from her, she rolled over on the bed and reached for him, pulling him down over her and meeting his lips with her own.
“I love ye,” she whispered, between their kisses, knowing that really, this was the only thing she needed to say.
