Still gripping his hair, her entire body rocked by a fiery tingling sensation, Aileas ground herself against his face. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut as he continued licking her like a man with something to prove. He nipped her swollen bud, and her cry startled a group of birds nesting in a nearby tree. Her cries mingled with theirs as the noisily took to the sky.
And then she found herself at the precipice. As Luke took her bud into his mouth and sucked hard on it, he drove two fingers deep inside of her again, and she felt herself falling. She felt weightless for a moment. It was like when she stood upon the deck of her ship in the middle of a storm, and she crested a particularly large wave, hanging in the air for a moment before dropping down the backside of it. The rush of is was disconcerting but never failed to be exhilarating.
She pulled on his hair as she bucked and writhed beneath him. As her orgasm crashed down over her, Luke continued driving his fingers into her as he lapped at her button, prolonging the pleasure that gripped her body tighter than a fist. Eventually, though, the tide receded, and she was left with a pleasant warmth pulsing through her body.
Luke climbed back up her body, a smile on his face, her juices on his face glistening in the moonlight. She pulled him down into a long, sensual kiss. When Luke pulled back, she looked him in the eye, a mischievous grin on her face.
“Take yer bleedin’ pants off,” she said. “Now.”
“Aye aye, Cap’n,” he replied, his eyes sparkling dazzlingly.
She watched him get to his feet and pull off his boots. His body was broad and taut with corded muscle that rippled as he moved. And when he slipped out of his breeches, Aileas quickly got to her knees and reached out, taking hold of his long, rigid staff. He was thick and certainly better endowed than anybody she’d ever been with. A brief flutter passed through her belly as Aileas worried about him being able to fit inside of her.
Pushing the thought from her mind, though, she traced the tip of her tongue around the head of his manhood. He shuddered beneath her as Aileas tightened her grip on his shaft, squeezing it hard, and slowly began to pump her fist up and down. She licked and lapped at the head of his stalk, stroking him hard and fast. Luke threw his head back and moaned as he tangled his fingers in her long, curly, red locks.
She opened her mouth and took as much of him as she could in her mouth before tightening her lips around his shaft. She still held onto the base of his cock and started to move her hand and head up and down on him, working in unison to pleasure him. A shuddering breath passed his lips as she worked on him with as much vigor as he’d used when pleasuring her. Aileas stroked him hard and fast, teasing the soft underside of his tip with her tongue.
“Bleedin’ hell, woman,” he gasped. “Ye may make me heart burst if ye keep doin’ that.”
“No better way tae go though, eh?”
He chuckled softly. “I cannae think of one.”
“Good,” she replied. “I’m glad to see I learned some pretty useful things in France after all.”
“Indeed,” he groaned.
Aileas turned back to the task at hand. She sucked and stroked him relentlessly, making him shudder from head to toe. He pulled at her hair, the muscles in his body growing taut, his staff ever more rigid in her mouth. It was only when Luke physically stepped back, sliding his cock out of her mouth, that Aileas stopped. She looked up at him and grinned. He looked back at her with a half-crazed look on his face.
He didn’t speak a word, though, as he pushed her back down onto her back and collapsed on top of her. She wrapped her legs around him as he positioned himself, so the tip of his staff was nestled between her soft, wet folds. She had only a moment to worry about the size of him, but then with a gentle thrust of his hips, he was buried deep within her.
Aileas gasped, and there was indeed a momentary pinch of pain that racked her, but it was soon overwhelmed by pleasure so intense, it nearly brought tears to her eyes. He was large and filled her up completely, but he was gentle. He rolled his hips, and she cried out as his shaft slid along her slick inner walls.
Luke braced himself on his arms above her, staring down into her eyes as he moved within her. Aileas felt like he was looking directly into her soul, as if the connection of their bodies somehow bound them together spiritually as well. She grabbed hold of his thick, brawny arms as he plunged himself into her.
Their limbs intertwined, their bodies moved together in unison, as if they were one. The connection between them left her feeling dizzy. Lightheaded. But filled with a sense of ecstasy and joy she’d rarely felt in life.
As Luke continued to thrust himself inside of her, burying himself to the hilt, explosions of sensation burst within her. Aileas trembled and cried out, her nails digging half-moons into his arms. Her heart thundered in her chest, and her breathing was ragged, and the pleasure she felt was overwhelming.
A long, soft groan passed Luke’s lips, and he gritted his teeth as his muscles suddenly grew taut. His movements slowed but became deliberate and somehow more intense. Aileas felt the pressure inside of her building once more, the long, slow strokes of his staff within her pushing her toward another inevitable crescendo.
His eyes were wild, his smile wavered, and the veins in his neck stood out as he tried to hold off and prolong their coupling. She grinned back at him and thought he might as well try to hold back the tide while he was at it. Aileas gripped his arms tighter, her fingers pressed hard into his skin as she grabbed his staff with her inner muscles.
That threw him off his rhythm, and he let out a choked gasp as she made herself even tighter around his manhood. A throaty laugh slipped from her lips as she felt him swelling inside of her.
“Nay,” he said. “Nae yet.”
She locked her ankles behind him, not allowing him to move, and thrust her hips upward, taking him deep into her molten core. She was so close to an explosion of ecstasy once more, and she wanted him to feel every bit as good as she did.
She felt him twitch inside of her, and a growl that was primal and raw issued from his throat as he looked deep into her eyes. Luke’s cock throbbed, and then he exploded inside of her. Aileas gasped as he filled her with his warm, sticky seed, the sensation of it finally pushing her over the brink. Her cries mingled with his as their bodies pulsed together, each of them riding the currents of ecstasy.
And when it was over, Luke collapsed onto the grass beside her. He pulled her over to him, laying her head gently on his chest. They clung to each other tightly, and Aileas’s body felt utterly limp. Spent. But happy. Sated.
She traced circles on his taut stomach with the tip of her finger, the emotions washing over her every bit as thick as the physical sensations. It was odd for her, as she was typically dressed and out the door just as soon as the man had spent his seed. But with Luke, she found she wanted to linger and sit in these feelings with him as long as she could.
“What are ye thinkin’?” he asked softly.
“That what I’m feelin’ for ye is terrifyin’,” she said. “I’d rather face thae entire French navy… it’d be less frightenin’.”
He nodded. “I was thinkin’ along similar lines.”
“So what are we goin’ tae dae about it.”
He placed a gentle kiss on the crown of her head. “I guess we daenae force anythin’ and just see where this all goes.”
A small smile touched her lips. She was perfectly all right with that.
Chapter Ten
The flat of the practice blade struck Luke upside the head, making his ears ring, and his vision waver.
“Oi, what’s wrong with ye today then?” Conall asked. “Tis like fightin’ a bleedin’ infant, it is.”
“I’m just givin’ ye a chance tae feel good about yerself for a wee while today,” Luke replied.
Conall scoffed. “Where’s yer bleedin’ head at today, eh?”
“Dinnae sleep well last night.”
That much, at least, was the truth. After he had bid Aileas a
good night, Luke had spent a fitful night awake, tossing and turning, until he decided he’d had enough and finally got out of bed. He was restless, and his body still tingled with the feeling of her. She lingered upon his lips and filled his mind. He lay in bed, still longing for her touch. For everything about her.
He’d walked out and sat on the low stone fence that surrounded his home, staring up at the heavens. The subject that kept him restless, of course, was Alice - or Aileas, of course. Though, it was not all the pleasant memories of what they’d done together. However, it was, in truth, a large part. He found that he craved her even more than before.
But as he’d lain in bed, staring up at the thatched ceiling, more thoughts began to percolate in his mind. Dark thoughts. Worrisome thoughts. It wasn’t just that she had lied to him about her name that bothered him the most. It was everything else he knew she wasn’t telling him. And given what she had confessed to him yesterday, about her being back in Sowkirk to settle some blood feud, he could understand her desire for anonymity. Better to not tip your hand to your enemy before you’ve played it.
But that she hadn’t yet seen fit to give him her actual reasons for this feud bothered him more than he wanted to admit. It bothered him simply because he thought they shared a bond, that they were connected on more than just a physical plane. He was coming to care for her, and he knew that she was coming to care for him as well. He could see it in her eyes. And yet, despite their shared feelings, she didn’t trust him enough to tell him truly, why she was in Sowkirk.
“What’s her name then?” Conall said with a grin.
“Who’s name?”
“Thae lass keepin’ ye up at night.”
Luke chuffed, not wanting to talk about Aileas if he didn’t have to.
“There’s nae lass. Ye’re out of yer bleedin’ mind.”
Conall chuckled. “That could be thae problem with ye. Mebbe ye need a lass tae be keepin’ ye up at night. Mebbe then ye’d be less uptight, and wouldnae be gettin’ yer head handed tae ye when we spar.”
Without waiting for Luke to reply, Conall waded in, his practice sword a blur of motion. Luke got his sword up just in time to deflect a blow that would have had him seeing stars again, the wooden blades coming together with a loud clack. The bigger man was moving unusually quickly, and Luke was having some difficulty keeping up.
Or mebbe I’m just movin’ unusually slowly today.
An image of Aileas rose in his mind unbidden. The warm sensation of her mouth against his and her firm body pressed up against him flowed through his mind, distracting him for the briefest of moments; long enough to earn him a firm slap across the back from Conall’s practice sword, drawing a pained grunt from him and a guffaw of mirth from his friend.
Luke whirled around, and it took the entire force of his will to banish the thoughts of Aileas running rampant through his mind and focus on the task at hand - which at the moment, was wiping the smirk off Conall’s face.
Gritting his teeth, Luke waded in, raising his blade, and slashed down with it. Conall blocked his slash, but Luke drove his leg forward, his foot connecting with Conall’s midsection. The bigger man grunted and stumbled backward, pinwheeling his arms to keep from falling, but Luke pressed his attack, spinning and stabbing, keeping Conall moving back and off-balance.
Luke threw a flurry of thrusts and slashes at the bigger man, making him work. Conall’s face was soon red, slick with sweat, and he was huffing and puffing. Luke knew it would probably gall his friend to know he was just toying with him. He could have ended the bout a dozen times already, but he wanted to put on a show, as well as teach Conall a lesson.
Thinking he had an opening - Luke merely let him think it - Conall lunged, the point of his sword leading the way. With a feral grin on his face, Luke spun to the side and got behind him. He delivered a vicious slap on the backside with the flat of his blade, which made Conall yelp like a whipped dog, and followed that up by putting the point of his sword against the back of the man’s neck.
“I just took yer ugly head off yer shoulders,” Luke said with a chuckle.
“Aye,” Conall said, turning around with a wide smile on his face. “Seems ye got lucky for a change.”
Only when the laughter and applause began did Luke become aware of the crowd around him. Everybody had stopped what they were doing to watch their bout, and he felt himself grinning. But then Captain Headen stepped onto the field, and suddenly, everybody fell silent. He stood there, hands on his hips, surveying the crowd that had gathered around until his eyes fell on Luke.
“You could have ended that bout at least a dozen different times by my count,” he said, his voice rumbling like a peal of thunder. “Why dinnae ye?”
Luke looked down at the grass beneath his feet and said nothing for a long moment. When he raised his eyes, he saw that Captain Headen was scowling at him, and the look of disapproval on his face couldn’t have been more clear. If there was one thing Luke hated, it was being made an example of.
“I asked ye a question. Why dinnae ye finish him when ye had the chance?” Headen repeated.
“I was havin’ a wee bit of fun with him, Captain.”
“Fun.” He said the word with such disgust and contempt. It even made Luke question whether or not he wanted ever to have fun again. “Dae ye think battle is fun? Dae ye think fightin’ tae save yer own life and thae lives of those around ye is fun?”
“Tis nae what-”
“When ye’re in thae middle of a fight,” Headen intoned, addressing the entire crowd. “Tis nae about havin’ fun. Ye dispatch one man and move on tae thae next. And thae next. And ye keep dispatchin’ yer enemy until there’s nay enemies left tae fight.”
Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. Luke wasn’t sure anybody was even breathing at that point. Captain Headen was a man everybody respected… and feared. He was not a man anybody wanted to tangle with, nor be on the wrong side of. And Luke felt that, too often, he was on the wrong side of the Captain. But he did not feel what he did warranted this level of chastisement. He did not feel he deserved to be made a fool of in front of everybody. Though his face still flushed with embarrassment, his belly churned with anger.
“When ye have a chance tae finish yer enemy, ye dae it. Ye end him quick,” Headen said. “Am I understood?”
The men all nodded and muttered in the affirmative. Luke stood there, his gut tight with the anger he was swallowing down, fighting to beat back the feeling of humiliation at being called out in front of everybody. Headen’s burning gaze fell upon him, and for the first time, Luke didn’t look away. Instead, he lifted his chin slightly, defiance radiating through him.
He didn’t know where the sudden burst of confidence came from, but he wasn’t going to deny it. He thought he had spent far too long as Headen’s whipping boy, or being made a fool of by any number of the other instructors, and he had finally had enough. He’d felt something shift inside of him, and it filled him with a sense of power he’d never known before. So he clung to it.
Luke knew that in part, it was Aileas. He had been impressed by her fearlessness from the moment he’d met her. She’d downplayed her adventures out on the sea, but even if half the things he’d heard about La Renarde de la Mer were true, Aileas was more courageous than most of the men on the training field with him, and had seen more fighting than most of them as well.
He realized at that moment that when compared to her, he felt like a coward. Felt like nothing. Less than nothing. Not only had he never seen action, but he’d also run away from the opportunities he’d had, such as stepping into a challenge bout with Captain Headen. He was good with a blade, but he’d let himself be convinced he didn’t measure up to the Captain. That he would never measure up and was unworthy of being among the Black Wolves.
He did not know where that belief came from. Luke had plenty of confidence in himself, and yet, he had somehow made himself believe that he was less than they. That he would forever be their inferior. It had taken Aileas, a wo
man who barely knew him, to get him to see that he was better than he’d ever thought himself to be. Or at least, begin to see it.
Luke knew he hadn’t fully rounded that curve, but at least he felt like he was on the path. He took a moment to marvel at that revelation. That it had come from a woman he hadn’t known even a fortnight was stunning to him. It made him wonder what he’d been doing with his life and where that mindset had come from to begin with.
“Dae ye have a problem, Luke?” Headen hissed. “Somethin’ ye want tae get off yer chest?”
“Aye. I’m tired of ye mockin’ us. I’m tired of ye beratin’ us. This is a good group of lads. Loyal. Any one of ‘em will fight tae thae death for Baron Begley. But ye look at us like we’re less than horse shite and treat us even worse than that,” Luke hissed, surprised at the words flowing from his mouth.
Every Highland Sin: Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance Page 9