Like a Laird to a Flame

by Pride, Mia

  William continued to stare at her, a solemn look on his face that spoke of both respect and pain. Was it hard to hear her speak about Alexander? “But ye fell in love with him.”

  “Aye. I did. Not right away, mind ye. He was six and ten and was already a trained warrior and helping his father manage the lands. He was older, and I was simply taken with him. But as the years went on, aye, we fell in love. This feels odd to speak about, Will. Are ye certain ye want to ken all of this?”

  “Mary…” William squeezed her hands, and his yellow-green eyes bored into hers. “I am certain. I want to ken ye. Everything ye are willing to share.”

  She had no idea why William seemed so interested in her past with Alexander, or why he worried so much about Stephan, but if they were to be married, she supposed it was worth discussing. He had been patient and supportive of her condition. He deserved the truth. “Stephan grew strong again and began to train as a Drum warrior. He had scars on his face from the pox, and I ken it embarrassed him, marked him as sickly, though he fought against it and earned a knighthood. However, he never forgave me for falling in love with Alexander. We were never more than companions, yet I ken now that he wished for more and blamed the loss of me on Alexander and his illness, but he never had me, William.”

  “And now he wishes to marry ye?”

  “He does, aye. I was afraid to tell ye, and I am sorry. Ye didnae wish to marry me, I ken that. Ye offered because it was a decent match, and my family would make a strong alliance, but ye believed I had no other options. I did, just not one I would ever accept. I am verra sorry if ye feel deceived and wish to be rid of me.”

  “Mary, look at me, lass.” Raising her gaze to his, she sighed and tried to control the ache in her soul. Speaking of Alexander hurt and always would. And yet, being here now with William and loving him with all her heart, the memory of Alexander felt more like a bruise that ached when touched and less like a gaping wound. She was healing, and William was her balm, even if he did not know it yet.

  “I am no longer marrying ye out of obligation or for alliances, and I never pitied ye. I ken ye would never wish for that. I agreed because it benefitted us both. I am staying because of all that ye are… because I… care about ye.” William cleared his throat and diverted his gaze to her door. “But I’m not certain ye are safe here. Stephan made threats at the tournament. He plans on marrying ye, and I dinnae ken how far he will go. Between him and the Black Douglas, I fear for ye and our child.”

  There were those words again. He considered the bairn his. He was a special man and she was a fortunate woman. “I have a bar on my door. I will be safe enough. Besides, Stephan is all bluster. He is harmless. Dinnae fash yerself over me.”

  “I will always fash over ye, Mary. Always.” When his eyes searched hers and his lips slightly parted, she felt her breath catch as her hopes soared. She had not felt it wise to remind him of their promised kiss, but wanted it more than anything, wishing to comfort him and show him her love even if she was too afraid to say the words.

  His mouth lowered to hers and when their lips touched, Mary reached up on her tiptoes to bring them closer together, wrapping her arms around his neck and loving the feel of his hands sliding around her waist.

  “Ye ken ye drive me mad,” he breathed just before sliding his tongue into her mouth. By all that was holy. Tingling all over, Mary groaned and wrapped her tongue around his, loving the feel of him, slowly moving her hands down his chest and feeling the hard ridges of muscle beneath.

  “Ye have driven me mad from the first moment I met ye,” she sighed when his tongue slid out of her mouth and trailed down her throat, causing delightful gooseflesh to spread across her body.

  “I wish to drive ye mad for the rest of yer life.” His mouth crashed back down on hers, and she was not certain if he meant his words or if they were said in a moment of need, but they sang to her soul and lightened her heart. There was a difference between love and lust and though she was certain of her love for him, new though it was, lust was surely all he felt for her in return. Still, when his hands moved to her belly and the bairn kicked his hand, the look of wonder on his face when he broke their kiss to smile was enough to make her legs buckle. One thing she could not deny was that William truly did wish to raise her child.

  Nothing about their situation was certain. When they would marry or leave for Dunnottar or when this child was born, she could not say. The only thing she knew for sure was that she wanted to feel his hands on her.

  Taking his right hand, Mary placed it on her breast, and he breathed heavily, moving his left hand to her other breast. He cupped their weight and kissed her neck while she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. God help her. Mayhap she was a wanton whore, after all. Nay. That was not the truth of it. She had loved Alexander with all her heart before making love to him, and she loved this man now, though she had tried so very hard to prevent it.

  For Mary, this was an expression of love, and she hoped someday he would return her affections. For now, she would settle for simply feeling him, having a connection with a man for the first time in so long.

  His mouth roamed lower, and when his soft lips grazed the sensitive flesh on the top of her breasts, William flicked his tongue out to taste her, and she vowed she would swoon soon if he went any further.

  And then he did. Sliding his hands around her back, William pulled at the tie on her gown and pushed her long sleeves down her arms until her bodice fell below her breasts, exposing both of her rosy nipples. Reverently holding her breasts, William took a moment to gently caress them in his palms before rolling each tip into hard peaks with his fingers. “Ye are more beautiful than I ever imagined, Mary,” he whispered and looked her in the eyes with a sincerity that made her love for him grow with every breath.

  Bending down, he ran his tongue over the hard pebbles, sucking them into his mouth. They were more sensitive than usual, and Mary bit back a groan, feeling dizzy with the desire he was pulling from her with every caress. “Will…” she sighed his name and placed her hands on his shoulders to steady herself.

  The hard evidence of his desire pushed against her belly, and Mary felt her knees go weak from the lust building in her core. It had been so long since she felt a man’s hands touch her, and William’s soft caresses were driving her mad with a need that had been building for so long. The need for pleasure, affection, and companionship.

  “Ye taste so good,” he murmured, sucking her breast into his mouth with so much eagerness and need that the sensation he stirred within her bordered on painful, yet made her groan with pleasure. “Mary…” Releasing his lips from her breasts, William trailed his tongue back up her throat and gripped her hips with his strong hands. “I want ye so badly, Mary.” Pressing his forehead against hers, he groaned. “I ken I am being forward, and ye are in no condition to be intimate. But, I promised to always be honest with ye and, right now, I honestly want ye more than I have ever wanted anything in my entire life.”

  She sighed when she felt his manhood brush against her once more, a shock akin to lightning flowing through her. God help her, she ached to feel him move against her. It was more than loneliness, more than the need for human connection. She was falling deeper in love with him every moment and the physical connection between them had an intensity that nearly undid her. His words sparked a fire in her heart that would surely melt her from within.

  “William. I want ye, as well,” she whispered. Pressing her lips to his, Mary slipped her tongue into his mouth and reached between their bodies, gently stroking up the hard shaft throbbing beneath his breeches. He groaned and flexed his hips into her palm and she reveled in the knowledge that she could give him pleasure with such a simple touch.

  “Ye will torture me, lass…”

  “I am perfectly capable of making love, William. ’Tis not what I am fashed about. Ye are grieving right now and not in yer right mind.”

  Mary felt William’s hand slide down her thigh and begin to bunch
the velvet fabric of her gown into his hands inch by inch as he stared into her eyes with his mesmerizing yellow gaze. “I am out of my mind for ye, Mary, but I vow I am thinking quite clearly otherwise. I grieve, aye. I have much to tend to, but I have spent the past several hours raging, crying, and interrogating men. What I wish to do right now is give my attention to the beautiful woman before me, to make her feel as beautiful as she truly is. Will ye allow me to do that, Mary? Is it safe to do? Safe for the bairn?”

  When he reached the bottom hem of her gown and his warm fingers grazed the soft flesh of her inner thigh, she quivered and felt her knees go weak. He was so close to where she ached to be touched. “Aye, ’tis safe, no matter what doctors will say. Men think they ken everything, but they dinnae.” Mary sighed when his fingers slowly dragged along her skin. The intensity in his eyes would surely set her aflame.

  “I cannae claim to ken everything, nor will I ever. But I do ken how to please ye, lass, and wish to more than aught.”

  “Oh?” Raising a brow, Mary smirked and felt her heart beating against her ribs. Never had she expected to feel this way about another man, to want his touch, to throb and ache all over for him, to love him so much that she found it hard to breathe in his presence. Yet, standing here with William, she knew without a doubt that she not only was capable of love and lust again but that she had lost herself entirely to this man. Somewhere between the fighting and insults, the walls between them had crumbled into dust and a profound respect and understanding had developed into a love so powerful, she was able to face the ghosts of her past, to push aside guilt and grief, and finally learn once more to live.

  Her dress was lifted past her hips now, and she felt the soft caress of his touch slowly inching toward her most intimate of places. When he finally grazed her needy flesh with the barest of pressure, Mary knew she was powerless to deny him anything. He could have all of her. Mary was no innocent maiden. She understood the pleasures of the flesh, knew what was building between them, and yet it felt like an entirely new sensation, one completely foreign to her as she discovered the touch of the man she was to marry.

  A sigh escaped her parted lips when William pressed the pad of his thumb against that one spot that always drove her wild and moved with gentle strokes. “William…” Knees shaking, Mary felt as if she stood at the edge of a cliff, ready to fall and shatter into pieces. And then he stopped.

  Looking at him in a daze, she felt the room spin as her body craved the release it had been denied. “Why did ye stop?” she boldly asked, frustration thrumming through her.

  “I want to see all of ye. Take off yer dress.”

  “I want to see all of ye, as well, ye ken,” she responded. “Remove yer breeches, and I will remove my dress.”

  Wasting no time, William removed his leather belt, letting it drop to the floor, then untied his breeches, allowing them to hang low on his hips. His rod proudly sprang free just as he removed his tunic, and Mary felt her breath catch. He was a beautiful man, built like a true warrior with muscles sculpting his entire body.

  The consciousness of her own body felt like cold water trickling down her spine. She had not been seen unclothed by any man aside from Alex, and never with a large unborn bairn protruding from her abdomen. She had felt like a swine for months now and suddenly worried that William would find her displeasing or worse, disgusting.

  Hesitating to remove her dress, Mary gripped the fabric and nervously ran her fingers over the soft velvet. “Ye are… perfect, Will. I am suddenly worried ye willnae find me to yer tastes.”

  “Mary…” Lowering his brow, William shook his head and stepped up closer to her, taking her shaky hands in his. “Ye are the most beautiful woman I have ever kenned and I mean that. If ye are concerned about yer condition, I must tell ye that I find it rather excites me. Ye are a fertile, breeding woman. ’Tis a beautiful and natural thing. I do hope one day to make love while ye are carrying my child.”

  His soft words soothed her a wee bit, but she still felt uncertain. “My flesh isnae the same as it once was, William. I am stretched and have the scars to prove it. I fear ye will turn away.” Mary wished to remain as confident as she had been a few moments ago, but the reality of her being nude for the first time in front of him with her extra weight and marked flesh made her feel less than worthy of the statuesque man before her.

  Placing his hands on her waist, William began to slowly pull the dress down over her belly, getting on his knees before her. When her dress and under tunic fell to the floor in a pile around her ankles, William looked up at her and sent her a sensual grin that nearly curled her toes. “Ye were concerned I wouldnae find this appealing?” Touching her stomach, William kissed it gently before resting his cheek on her unborn child. “Ye are so beautiful, Mary.” The child within decided to move at that moment, and William felt it against his cheek. Excitement filled his eyes as he looked up at her and flashed a genuine smile. “I think he has accepted me.”

  Emotions unlike anything she had ever felt began to well up inside of Mary. How had she pushed this man away so many times before? She had believed him arrogant, stubborn, and over-proud. Yet, she now realized he was simply confident in who he was, and he accepted her for all that she was. “Aye, I ken he does,” she whispered, doing her best not to shed tears.

  William gave her one more kiss on the stomach and then moved lower, softly placing his lips on the needy flesh between her thighs. A bolt of pleasure soared through her once more, and Mary groaned as his tongue flicked out. It was the slightest touch, yet her knees would surely give out if he continued while she stood before him. “By the devil, I want ye, lass.” His breath was a warm caress threatening to drive her mad with lust.

  Standing up, William guided her toward the bed, his eyes full of sensual promises. He looked like a lion with his golden mane surrounding his face, his short beard framing his carnal mouth. He looked as wild as she felt, and her heart raced in her chest, the anticipation both sweet and frustrating.

  When they reached the bed, Mary pushed him onto his back, smirking when she saw his eyes widen with surprise. She felt free, beautiful, and full of a desire desperate to release. “Is this all right?” she whispered when she climbed on top of him, straddling his legs. “I believe it shall be easiest for me.”

  “Lass, ’tis more than all right. I wish to watch as ye move against me.” His words were spoken so reverently that Mary bit her lower lip, feeling her need increasing with every beat of her heart. Sculpted muscles ran down his chest and Mary stroked her fingers over every ridge, enjoying the combination of smooth flesh and course hair leading down to where his manhood awaited her.

  Taking himself in hand and gripping her hip, William drove her down on top of him and she cried out her sudden pleasure as he filled her entirely. A shock of lightning seemed to soar through her veins the moment they were connected. A gasp escaped her parted lips, his eyes glazing over as he watched her move. “Mary,” he sighed her name and took her breasts in his palms, cupping them while she rolled her hips against him. “Ye are mine,” he growled, leaning forward to take one hardened nipple into his mouth.

  Never did she expect to connect with another man so perfectly, so freely. William looked at her as if she were a goddess and made her feel confident for the first time in many months. This was not simply the pleasures of the flesh, at least not for Mary. This was an expression of her love for this man, for all he had come to mean to her, feelings she never hoped to express again in this lifetime.

  William thrust faster, quickening his pace and panting as he reached his climax. Mary wished to cry out, the intensity building beyond her breaking point, but she bit her lip and whimpered instead as waves of ecstasy shook her body, making her turn to liquid, collapsing on top of him. Their sweat-slick legs tangled together as she rolled onto her side, feeling William’s arms wrap around her waist as he gently kissed her forehead.

  Together, they lay in a tangle of limbs for several moments, silently caressing
and stroking one another until Mary felt as if she would fall asleep in his arms. He was so tender and gentle, yet full of passion and strength. The words were on the tip of her tongue. More than aught, she wished to confess her feelings for him. If he did not love her, then she could bear that reality, as painful as it would be. But the need to express her own emotions felt like a demand her soul had given. And yet… fear. The fear of rejection still niggled at her mind. Could she survive it? William made her feel whole once more, yet she was still tender, still vulnerable. Mayhap she required more time to consider the words she had only ever once spoken to another.

  “My sweet, I do hate that I must go. I wish to lie here with ye for an eternity. Ye ken how much it means to me that ye have entrusted yerself with me, aye?” William sat up and stroked her cheek with the back of his knuckle, a look of concern on his face. “I cannae bury myself in ye for the rest of the night, as much as I wish to. I must find out who murdered Brian.”

  Grief clouded his eyes as he swung his bare legs over the edge of the bed and stood, helping her rise along with him. Quickly redressing himself, William then helped Mary replace her under tunic and dress, pausing before he covered her breasts. “Ye truly are a beautiful, perfect woman. I vow we shall marry as soon as possible.” William leaned in to kiss her lips, placing his hands on her breasts and making her shudder all over again with his reverent demeanor as he slipped his tongue into her mouth and rolled her nipples into hard peaks once more.

  Loud shouting in the hall was followed by the door to her chamber being forcefully thrown open and Mary screamed at the sudden intrusion, covering herself as best as she could with her loose bodice, feeling mortified when a group of men stormed inside.

  “Mary? What the bloody devil… so, ’tis true…”

  “James?”

  William jumped in front of her and she clung to his back, feeling as if she may collapse as her knees shook with fear. Her very worst nightmare was unfolding, and she was caught in a compromising position that she could never explain away.