Aileas’s laughter rang out and filled Luke with a joy that warmed him from the inside out. He loved hearing her laugh almost as much as he loved seeing the smile on her face. Aileas’s smile made her even more beautiful than she already was. Hers was the sort of beauty the poets wrote about, and singers penned ballads to.
He remembered reading an old Greek poem once about Helen of Troy… the face that launched a thousand ships, he recalled. If that was true, Luke believed Aileas had a face that would launch ten times as many ships.
“Ye shouldnae be jestin’ about thae Bodach,” Aileas warned. “He may come out of those woods, snatch ye up, and carry ye away.”
Luke put on an expression of faux hurt. “And ye’d let him dae that then? Ye’d let thae ol’ beast carry me off?”
“Thae Bodach? Oh absolutely,” she grinned. “I’m nae goin’ tae fight him.”
They laughed together, and Aileas pulled him back down to her. They lay side by side, holding onto each other and staring into each other’s eyes. The world around them seemed to fall away, and the air between them crackled with intimate energy that made his heart swell to the point he thought it might burst.
He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her soft, full lips. Aileas leaned into him, pressing her mouth to his. She forced her tongue between his lips, dashing it against his. She was more forward than any woman he had ever known, and Luke liked that about her. He liked that she knew what she wanted and was not afraid to take it. And he liked that she enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh as much as he did.
Luke ran his hands through her hair, gently pulling on it as their tongues swirled around one another, their kiss passionately languid. The warmth that filled his belly spread outward, filling him entirely with a carnal heat. He felt himself lengthening and thickening, his desire for her building ever higher.
He knew he should be doing what he was tasked with. Knew he should be getting information out of her to report back to the baron. But pumping her for information made him feel guilty. Made him feel as if he was betraying her. More than that, though, he simply wanted to enjoy the time they had together.
Although they’d carefully avoided the subject of what came after she’d settled her blood feud, Luke had given it some thought. A lot of thought, actually. He couldn’t see a scenario where she stayed in Sowkirk with him. She was the captain of a ship, used to life out on the open ocean. And by all accounts, that’s where she loved to be. Luke didn’t think she would give that all up. Not for him.
It was a thought that sent a lance of pain straight through his heart, and he’d tried to broach the subject with her several different times. But something had always held him back. Luke assumed it was because he truly didn’t want the answer to that question. He didn’t want the pain he knew would grip him if he forced her to say that when her task was done, she would be sailing away from him. Forever.
All he wanted to do was enjoy the time he had with her. Luke had no idea how long that might be. For all he knew, she could board her ship and sail away tomorrow. So he was determined to wring every ounce of joy out of their time together that he could. And along the way, he hoped to give her some reason to stay. Some reason that made her hesitate about boarding the Selkie and leaving. He wanted to make her decision as hard as possible for her.
“Ye’re wearin’ a dress,” Luke murmured. “I’ve never seen ye in a dress before. I wasn’t sure ye owned one.”
She flashed him a mischievous grin. “I am a lady, after all.”
“Aye. That ye are. Ye’re a lady through and through.”
“Besides, it was cold thae last time we were up here,” she said, a twinkle in her eye.
“That happens when ye’re naked.”
“Exactly. So I thought I’d do somethin’ about that.”
“Ye’re a practical woman.”
“Aye. That I am. Always and in all things.”
She pushed him over onto his back and quickly climbed up on him, straddling him. Aileas looked down, a sultry light in her face. She ground herself down on him, sliding up and down his rigid length.
“A dress allows me tae dae this without freezin’ me bleedin’ nipples off,” she said.
Luke looked up at her, feeling himself growing impossibly hard as she slid up and down on him. She leaned down, bracing herself above him on her arms, and their mouths crashed together. Her tongue probed the inside of his mouth, and he swallowed the small whimpers that escaped her as she continued grinding her sex against him.
He slid his hands up her taut stomach and quickly unlaced her bodice. He pulled it open, allowing her breasts to spill out in his hands. He kneaded the soft flesh and gave her stiff nipples a hard pinch. She gasped, then grabbed him by the hair and pulled him to her. She sat back, forcing him to sit up, and his mouth found her breasts. Aileas cupped the back of his head, intertwining her fingers through his hair as he licked and nipped at her chest.
Luke slid his hands down to her backside, pulling at her skirt until he had it up around her waist. His desire… his need… to be inside of her was overwhelming. Aileas reached down and gripped him through his breeches, stroking him. Their mouths crashed together, tongues whirling in a frenzy as he lifted himself up enough to pull his own breeches down.
And then his staff was in her grip. Her fingers, so warm and so delicate, encircling his shaft, stroking him up and down. Luke leaned forward and bit her shoulder, drawing a long gasp of pleasure from her. She tightened her fist around his manhood and ground her bud against it, a shudder running through her entire body.
Luke groaned with pleasure as she slid herself up and down on him, the length of his shaft parting her lips. Aileas bit her bottom lip, her body warm and the light of desire burning in her eyes.
“I need tae be inside of ye,” he said, his voice husky and low.
Aileas smiled and raised herself slightly, nestling the tip of his stalk between her slick folds. She lowered herself down on top of him, taking him into her inch by inch until she was fully seated on top of him. She felt so warm and tight inside. Luke could feel tendrils of fire snaking through him.
She started to roll her hips, her movements slow and sensual. She gripped Luke’s hands, interlocking her fingers with his, and began to ride him faster, thrusting herself down harder. Aileas’s eyes blazed with desire as she took him into her. She leaned down and kissed him again, passionate and intense, nearly stealing his breath. Luke’s hands found her breasts again, and he caressed them, giving her nipples a sharp pinch that made her moan.
Luke thrust his hips upward, driving himself into her even harder. Aileas threw her head back and called out his name. The moonlight shone down on her, making her skin seem to glow with an inner light. She was ethereal, looking like an angel made flesh, and Luke wanted nothing more than to worship her until the end of time.
Aileas writhed on top of him, arching her back, a long, shuddering groan passing her lips. Luke’s body was tight, his muscles tightening as she bounced up and down on his staff, the sound of flesh slapping flesh blended with their cries, creating an erotic symphony that pushed Luke closer to the brink. The pleasure coursing through him was unlike anything he’d felt before, and that familiar tightening in his groin was growing ever more insistent.
Aileas leaned down, bracing herself on her arms, her face hovering scant inches from his. Luke slid his hands down and took hold of her waist, his fingers pressed hard into her skin. He raised his hips and started to drive himself into her. Aileas’s eyes widened, and her face contorted with pleasure as he pierced her molten core over and over again.
The moan coming from her was loud and salacious as Luke continued driving himself into her in a hard, steady rhythm. He felt his muscles stiffen, and her sex tighten around his shaft. He gritted his teeth, feeling as if his entire body was aflame. His cock swelled within her, and as he drove himself into her, Aileas howled as her body trembled wildly.
She grabbed hold of his chest, digging her nails into hi
s skin as she climaxed. Luke held onto her hips as she leaned back, thrashing with a feral abandon as she gave herself over to her release. Watching her writhe on top of him was the most intensely sensual thing Luke had ever seen, and it made the fires inside of him burn ever brighter.
His staff swelled and twitched, and with one final thrust, he exploded. His cock throbbed and pulsed inside of her as he erupted, filling her with his seed. They clung together, their breathing ragged and hearts thundering wildly, yet seemingly in unison, enveloped in a golden glow of sheer bliss.
“I think I could die happy right now,” he said.
Aileas laughed softly. “Ye better nae die just yet. Nae until we do this a few more times, eh?”
He smiled softly. He liked hearing her say that… thinking about the future. Most of all, a future that included him. He knew it could have been merely one of those things people say in the throes of ecstasy, but there was something in her voice, a certain earnestness he heard, that made him wonder if there was more to it than simply that.
Aileas finally rolled off of him, snuggling up next to him. He wrapped an arm around her as she nuzzled close, resting her head on his chest. Luke stroked her hair gently and smiled, reveling in the quiet intimacy between them.
Though he had no desire to, he really did think he could die happy at that moment.
Chapter Fourteen
Aileas listened to the hard, steady rhythm of his heartbeat. She found something strangely comforting about it. Perhaps because she was usually surrounded by so much uncertainty and death in her life, something about the steady beating of his heart made her feel stable. Secure. It filled her with almost a sense of permanency. Those were things she had not felt with any sort of consistency in her life in so long. She’d almost forgotten what they felt like.
Deep down, those were things she craved. Longed for. She loved her life on the sea and loved being the captain of the Selkie. Loved being a pirate and all that went with it. Though unpredictable, it was a life that was free and open. She didn’t have to answer to anybody, could go where she wanted, when it suited her, and do whatever struck her fancy.
But if she were truly honest with herself - and Aileas prided herself on never lying to herself - there was a piece of her that longed for a stable life on land. Logan had long encouraged her to seek it out, and though she had teased him endlessly about his desire to retire to a life of stability on land, there was a piece of her that craved just that.
Though she sought vengeance, and that was what had driven her to Sowkirk in the beginning, Luke had managed to reignite those dreams she had buried deep within her. Or at least, thought she’d buried deep within her. She was going to take Bruce Pringle’s head. Of that, there was no question. But until Luke stumbled into her life, she’d had no thought of the future beyond that.
Being with him made her want to indulge those dreams again. Made her want to reclaim her birthright, her family lands, and live a life in peace. Made her think about perhaps doing as Logan did and finding a mate to raise a family with. They were strange dreams to have for one of the most feared and notorious pirates ever to sail the ocean blue, but they were hers.
Aileas never thought that she would be on the cusp of achieving any of them. Never thought they would be a possibility for somebody like her. She was a child born of fire and blood, and Aileas had long thought those would be the touchstones of the rest of her life.
Luke, though, had blown into her life like a wicked storm, tossing her about, and leaving her without any sense of direction. He’d taken everything she had held as truth and turned it on its head, and as a result, she didn’t know aft from stern. But rather than angering and frightening her, she felt exhilarated. Excited. And for the first time in her life, she felt truly alive.
Aileas had spent a lot of time thinking about it. Trying to figure out how one man she barely knew, all things considered, could wreak such havoc in her life. How one man she had only met a short time ago could challenge all of her beliefs and resurrect desires and dreams she’d thought long dead.
She hadn’t been able to come up with a reason. Hadn’t been able to come up with an explanation. It just was. Sometimes she thought the heart knew what a person wanted more than the mind. Or that their mind often got in the way of the heart, overriding and subjugating their true desires.
All that mattered to Aileas was that she had what she wanted at that moment. She was going to hold onto it tightly and wring every last bit of enjoyment out of it that she could. Once she’d accomplished her task, the reason she was in Sowkirk to begin with, she would think about the future. Plan for it. But not until after. Until then, she would simply enjoy what she had right in front of her.
“Are ye all right?”
Luke’s voice cut into her thoughts and brought a drowsy smile to her lips. She nodded, riding high on the currents of joy.
“Aye. I’m well,” she replied.
“What were ye thinkin’ about?”
She shrugged. “Just about everythin’. About how crazy it is that I feel thae way I feel for ye, when truth be told, I barely ken ye.”
Luke’s laughter was a deep rumble in his chest. She rolled off him and laid on her side. He did the same, propping himself up on an elbow, and stared into her eyes. His expression was light, but she could see the earnestness in his eyes. Not only that, but she could see the depth of his feeling for her as well. It was overwhelming but filled her with a bright, white light inside that made her feel positively giddy.
“I’ve kent the same thing,” he said. “But I’m nae goin’ tae question it. I’m just goin’ tae enjoy this for as long as we can.”
His words made Aileas realize that he, too, had wondered what the future held in store for them. She understood that he had probably wondered how long they had together and whether or not she would put out to sea once more when her task was complete, leaving him and Sowkirk at her aft.
Aileas reached out and ran the tip of her finger along his arm, making him smile. He took her hand and raised it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on the back of her knuckles, sending a pleasant shiver through her.
“Why did ye come tae Sowkirk?” he asked softly. “I mean, the real reason.”
Aileas picked at the grass beneath her, tearing blades of it out of the ground. Her heart skipped a beat, and her stomach suddenly began to roil. It was the question she had wanted to avoid. And the way he was looking at her, those intense green eyes of his boring into hers, told Aileas that he was not going to let this go. He would not be denied.
And as she thought about it, searched her feelings for him, she knew she wanted to trust him. Wanted to believe that he wouldn’t think ill of her for seeking vengeance for seeking - at least in her mind - righteousness. If her feelings for Luke were true - and his for hers were also true - surely, this wouldn’t snuff out those embers of love growing between them. Surely he would understand her desire to avenge the murder of her family and the destruction of her clan.
The only thing that stayed her tongue was that Luke was the current baron’s man. He was in this Baron Begbie’s favor, and as such, he would be required to tell him everything if he thought it a threat to his power. And surely there would be no way the baron would see the remnants of the clan who once ruled these lands rising again as anything but a threat to his seat.
But Aileas had no desire to rule. She did not seek to usurp the baron’s power nor threaten his rule. All she wanted was her revenge and her family lands restored. Those lands had belonged to her family for countless generations. They belonged to her, and she wanted them back. It was a position she knew could result in conflict with the current baron if he was not disposed to returning what was rightly hers. And as such, she knew that could bring her into conflict with Luke.
On the other hand though, she knew that Luke cared for her every bit as deeply as she cared for him. And he had the baron’s ear, as well as his favor. If there were anybody in this world who could make the baron see tha
t she was not a threat to him - as well as argue for the rightful restoration of her family’s land - it would be Luke.
He could very well be the key to her completing her mission, having her vengeance, and reclaiming that which was rightfully hers.
But still, she hesitated, simply because it was so uncertain. Because she did not know if even Luke could convince the baron of anything, from what she had learned, Baron Begbie was a stubborn and willful man. Though most lauded his reason, judgment, and compassion - they also added it was his wife Ivy who encouraged those things - they also acknowledge that he had a temper and loved to fight.
She did not know if rolling the dice on the temperament of a man she didn’t know was worth it when she was this close to achieving her goal and exacting her revenge. But she was afraid that if she were not truthful with Luke, she would lose him. And though she didn’t yet know what the future held for her, she didn’t want to close the door on something she thought could be special either.
Every Highland Sin: Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance Page 12