Gripping her hips, he lifted her onto her knees. She watched as he leaned forward to capture her breast in his mouth. Warmth covered her flesh and she cried out. His tongue circled over the taut peak, and she dropped her head back and closed her eyes. After one last nip to her sensitive flesh, he feathered kisses across her chest and latched on to the other breast. With each strong pull, she resisted crying out at the sweet torture of his mouth.
As she grasped his hair in her fists, his hand moved to the junction between her thighs. Once his callused fingertips brushed her center, she clamped her legs tight against his thighs in surprise.
“Calum,” she whimpered.
Saints alive, what was he doing to her?
Another swirl of his tongue and caress of his fingers, and he released her breast. His mouth grazed her ear. “Relax, Sweetness. I’ll take care of you. Always.”
The sensual promise sent a flood of heat straight to her core. She tugged his mouth to hers and kissed him. He thrust his tongue inside just as one finger breached her body’s damp entrance. His mouth devoured her startled gasp.
Calum swept his thumb over the bundle of nerves at her center, and taut sensation pooled below her belly. With each stroke of his fingers, embers of desire spread throughout her limbs, and she began to move against him, seeking his caress.
“That’s it.” His teeth nibbled at her neck. “Do you enjoy my touch?”
“Aye, Calum.” The husky sound of her voice surprised her.
As he pressed his thumb against the bud at her core, he eased a second finger inside. Pressure built in her body and her hips moved of their own accord. Each graze of his teeth and stroke of his fingers sucked her further into a blissful fog. She strove to reach some unknown peak. What, she knew not, but her body coiled tight, building to meet a foreign end.
Her husband’s murmured words pierced her mind. The rhythmic stroke and slide of his fingers pushed her closer to the edge until the pressure in her sex snapped, hurtling her into an overload of sensation. She cried out as a wave of pleasure washed over her.
Weak-limbed, she slumped against Calum’s chest. He held her close and rubbed her back while tremors racked her frame. As her pants subsided, she listened to the steady thump of his heart beneath her ear.
Painfully aware of the dampness between her legs, she glanced up at her husband. A sensual grin tugged at his lips and heat gleamed in his eyes. She raised her hand to brush over his wounded cheek. Before she could tell him how much he’d pleased her, he shifted beneath her and rose to his feet with her cradled in his arms.
Calum carried her across the chamber and settled her atop the furs on the bed. He made quick work divesting her of the rest of her gown and shift, leaving her bared to his view. As his lax gaze roamed over her body, her shyness returned. She reached for a fur to cover herself, but he stayed her hand.
“Nay, do not hide from me. I wish to look upon you.”
He raised a hand and plucked the small flower from the jeweled brooch holding his mantle in place. He bent forward and ran the soft petals over her breasts, and she shivered from the slight touch. Passion rekindled in her lower belly, and she watched as he placed the flower over her heart.
Straightening, he unfastened the brooch at his shoulder and set it on the bedside table. As he unwound the mantle from his shoulders, letting it drop to the floor, he never glanced away from her. His tunic promptly followed. Her gaze traced over the wound marring his chest and moved down the track of hair that ran to his lower belly. Tanned skin stretched over his strong form, and she itched to touch him.
Arabella watched with avid interest as his hands strayed to the lacing of his braies but he paused. She glanced up to find him peering warily at her. Doubt flickered in his light eyes, and her heart ached for her kind, caring husband. Regardless of his flawed exterior, the man was sheer perfection in her eyes. She wished to show him how much he meant to her. She longed to please him as much as he did her.
Heedless of her nudity, she rose to her knees and lifted her hands to his bare chest. Her husband sucked in a sharp breath but stood motionless as her fingertips glided over his warm skin. Lowering her hands to his braies, she gazed at him as she fumbled with the lacing. Once free, she sat back on her heels and bit her lower lip as he inched the buckskin material over his thighs. His braies slid to the floor with a faint thud, and his manhood sprang free. Startled, she gaped at the sight.
Sweet Mother Mary, she’d never seen that in her youth.
Perhaps, ’twas her evident surprise, or she might’ve even spoken the words aloud, but Calum was quick to assure her.
“Believe me, my lass. We shall fit together. Please…” She tore her eyes from the thick member between his legs and met his gaze. “Touch me. I’ve waited to feel your touch.”
Unable to refuse him, she bit her lip and reached a hesitant hand toward him. Her fingers barely brushed his hardness when he released a guttural moan from deep in his throat. She snatched her hand away, sure she’d hurt him.
“Nay,” he pleaded. “Do not stop.”
Gathering her courage, Arabella exhaled and gently grasped his warm flesh in her hand. Marveling over the contrast in hard and softness, she moved her fingers over the silken skin, circling the swollen tip. She shifted her gaze to his and the breath caught in her throat. His eyes glittered with undeniable heat. In the blink of an eye, she found herself flat on her back with Calum’s massive body covering her.
“I cannot wait any longer. I need you.” That longing need wavered in his rough voice.
Arabella’s heart thumped in anticipation. She lifted her hand to caress his cheek. “Then do not. Make me your wife, Calum.”
She shifted her hips, allowing him to settle between her thighs. His manhood brushed her damp center and she trembled. Braced on his elbows, he peered down at her.
“This may cause you pain, Sweetness.”
She framed his face in her hands. “I trust you.”
Guiding his face to hers, she slid her tongue past his parted lips. She raised her knees to better accommodate him, urging him to make her his wife at last. The tip of his staff eased past her entrance and she tensed at the invasion. Despite the slight sting, she wrapped her arms tight around his neck. Seizing her lips in a carnal kiss, he thrust his tongue in her mouth the same moment he surged forward, seating himself fully inside her. Digging her nails into his shoulders, she ripped her mouth free and cried out from the initial shock.
“Forgive me, my lass.” He held his big body taut, and a pained looked marred his features.
Even with the faint twinge, Arabella caressed his jaw to soothe his concern. As the uncomfortable fullness grew bearable, she lifted her head and placed a kiss on his mouth. The firm press of their lips renewed her passion, and she stirred restlessly beneath him. Running her hands down his backside, she beckoned him to move. Instead, he remained motionless, his face hovering above hers, as if waiting for a sign.
“Please.” She breathed against his lips.
Calum responded to her plea, pulling out and slowing easing back inside, filling her completely to the hilt. A slow burn sparked low in her belly, the odd feeling of her husband moving inside her nearly more than she could bear. Moaning, she closed her eyes.
He slid his arm beneath her head and nipped at her ear. “Look at me, Sweetness. I want to see you.”
She struggled to keep her eyes opened as he set a rhythm with his movements. Each deep stroke increased the ache in her sex. Her body reacted of its own accord, awkwardly moving against him. With each hard thrust of his hips, he groaned against her mouth as she clung to him.
Scoring his back with her nails, she shifted her thighs to accept each stroke. As he ground himself against the taut bundle of nerves at her core, pressure built in her core and hummed through her body. When he quickened his pace and his thrusts became more urgent, thoughts flew from her mind. Close to the edge, she focused on her husband’s handsome, strained face and yielded to desire.
&
nbsp; Just as quickly, the tension low in her belly snapped and she shattered in his arms, crying her pleasure against his neck. Passion consumed her, plunging her into a sea of bliss. She was vaguely aware of her husband’s shout beside her ear. Clinging to him, she rubbed his back as shudders racked his frame.
Once her breathing returned to normal, Arabella opened her eyes and met Calum’s worried gaze.
The back of his finger brushed over her cheek. “Are you all right? Did I hurt you?”
Her heart skipped a beat at his concern. Tugging his head closer, she placed a gentle kiss upon his mouth. She smiled against his lips. “’Twas perfect. You were perfect, Calum.”
His brows eased and his lips split with a playful grin. “Do you think we’ll suit, Lady MacGregor?”
She laughed. “Aye, Laird MacGregor. I believe we just might.”
“Might?” Chuckling, Calum kissed along her jaw. “Mayhap, we should try again, just to be sure.”
*
Aaron shot a quick glance over his shoulder, certain no one lingered in the passageway. He crept through the dimly-lit walkway toward the servants’ entrance and kitchens. Peals of laughter rang out from the great hall as the wedding feast continued on well after MacGregor retired with his bride, but damned if he could take part in the revelry.
Not with Mairi twirling the night away in other men’s arms. And more importantly, not with Connor’s fate looming over his head.
Christ, he must’ve cursed Longford a thousand times throughout the day. He was no closer to figuring out how and when to grab the woman than he was the day before. Unease pressed in around him, gripping his chest in a constraining vise. What the devil was he to do?
He turned the corner to the kitchens and stilled. Shadows played over the wall, signaling someone’s approach. Sucking in a breath, he retreated to the dim passageway, slipping in a dark recess between a tapestry and the wall. He pressed his back against the chilled stone, hoping it might cool his heated body.
As soon as a pair of chattering maids swept past carrying trays up the servants’ stairs, he released the breath he held.
Saints, this would get him nowhere but caught at the rate he was going.
Frustrated, he slapped the tapestry aside and stepped out into the passageway. What he needed was a bit of solitude, away from the clamor in the hall and away from Finn’s frigid stare. Perhaps then he might clear his head and devise an actual plan that wouldn’t end with his brother’s blood on his hands.
Headed for the herb garden, he rounded the corner to the kitchens. A soft body bumped into his and he cursed his rotten luck.
“Aaron?” Mairi’s startled gaze met his.
Of course, she would be the one to discover him. “Aye, my lady.”
“I did not see you in the hall.” Her ebony brows pulled with a frown. “What are you doing out here?”
Sifting his mind for an excuse, he chose to feed her half-truths. “I desired a bit of privacy. I thought I might slip through the kitchens and pay a visit to your herb garden.”
Her pale blue gaze narrowed. “More solitude, my lord? Have you not enjoyed the feast?”
“Nay,” he admitted. In fact, ’twas the truth.
“Why?” Concern creased her comely features. “Is something amiss?”
“Nay, ’tis just that I…” Again with another half-truth. “Seeing you dance with those other men, I’ll admit I was jealous. I wished to dance with you.”
Surprise flared in her wide eyes and an appealing blush bloomed on her cheeks. She pushed an errant lock of hair behind her ear.
“Naught would please me more than to dance with you, my lord.” A slow smile formed on her full lips. She lifted her hand to him. “Will you join me in the hall?”
Grateful for the reprieve, he affixed a charming smile and accepted her smaller hand. “It would be an honor, my lady.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
As darkness faded and sunlight drenched the chamber in light, Calum laid awake with Arabella sprawled over his chest. He tightened his grasp on the precious bundle in his arms and placed a kiss atop his wife’s tousled curls.
His wife.
Throughout the eve, he roused often to ensure she was not a mere figment of his imagination. His poor, weary lass had slept through the night tucked tight against his side, snoring loud enough to wake his long-dead clansmen buried beyond the kirk where they’d wed. Though, he cared not. ’Twas a small burden to bear in exchange for spending the rest of his days with his lady wife.
Christ, he’d never felt the grip of passion as he had in Arabella’s arms. As soon as she’d touched him, his control abandoned him. He’d utterly lost himself inside the silken heat of her body. His manhood stirred at the thought.
Her soft skin brushed his as she roused from her slumber. Her leg moved over his hip and his hardened length nudged at her inner thigh. Smooth fingertips traced the wound on his chest, while she pressed gentle kisses along the damaged flesh. She raised her head and gave him a sleepy smile. He nearly spent himself, then and there.
“Good morning, my lord husband.”
“Good morning, my lady wife.” He stroked his fingers back and forth over the smooth curve of her spine. “I trust you slept well?”
“Aye.” She yawned. “And what of you?”
“Aye, even with all your blasted snoring.”
Propping herself upright, she gasped in outrage and poked him hard in the chest. “I do not snore!”
“Oh, Sweetness.” Hauling her closer, he made a point to drag the soft curls shielding her sex over his length. He pulled her mouth to his. “I find your snores enchanting.”
Calum captured her lips in a passionate kiss, drinking in her sweetness. She shifted to straddle his hips as their tongues entwined. Too soon, she placed her hands on his chest and sat upright.
She tartly insisted, “I do not snore.”
His guffaw boomed through the chamber. She seized upon his distraction and tickled his sides. Unprepared for her attack, he released a squeal, surprising the both of them. She tossed her head back and laughter bubbled out of her.
’Twas his turn to seize upon her distraction. Gripping her wrists in his hands, he tumbled them around on the bed until she lay on her back beneath him. He settled in the cradle of her thighs, lining his staff at her heated center. Rising over her, he eyed the plump mounds of her breasts as her chest rose and fell from their labors. He lifted his hand to caress the soft flesh, rolling a tight peak between his thumb and forefinger. Her eyes darkened with desire, and her lips parted with a sigh.
“Calum.”
Needing no further encouragement, he dipped his head to latch on to her breast, catching the hard tip with his teeth. She grabbed his forearms, sinking her nails in, and moaned in pleasure. With each hard pull of his mouth, she writhed beneath him. Her damp core brushed his staff, and he bit back a groan.
Calum released her breast and kissed a path to her belly. Eager to learn every inch of his new wife, he pressed kisses down her abdomen until he reached the soft curls shielding her femininity. Grasping her hips, he nudged her legs wider and lowered his head between her thighs. The heady scent of her arousal filled his nose, sending a rush of blood straight to his aching length. He swept his tongue over the tiny bud and she bolted upright.
“Calum, wha—”
“Shh.” With a hand on her belly, he guided her back down. “Lie back and rest easy, Sweetness. Let me have a bit of fun.”
Studying him warily, she sank onto the bed and grabbed a handful of furs.
Ignoring his throbbing member, he dropped his head and parted the folds of her sex with his tongue. He laved at the tender flesh, circling the sensitive bundle of nerves. Gripping her backside in his palms, he pulled her closer and licked at her hot center. He speared his tongue in her entrance, wringing a strangled moan from her.
Calum growled in approval and captured the taut bud, sucking at her sensitive core. Thighs trembling, she fisted the hair atop his head a
nd moved against his mouth. With a final sweep of his tongue, he lifted his head and slid his gaze up her body to her face.
Cheeks flushed and eyes bright with desire, Arabella was utterly breathtaking. And more important, his. Suddenly, the sweet torture was more than he could bear. He had to be inside her.
Shifting upright, he settled between her thighs and rubbed the tip of his member along her damp folds. As soon as she lifted her hips to accept him, he thrust inside with one swift motion. Their moans filled the quiet, sun-drenched chamber.
Her tight sheath surrounded his length in a fiery embrace, and he nearly spent his seed too soon. Dropping onto his forearms, he seized her lips, delving his tongue deep in her mouth. He set a relentless pace with his strokes, each slide driving him deeper into the haven of her body.
“Wrap your legs around me, Wife,” he commanded in a rough whisper.
Arabella complied, digging her heels into his backside. Her nails raked down his sides, inflaming his passion and hurtling him closer to release. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he increased the force of his thrusts. Stark need to possess her—mind, body, and soul—drove him onward.
Soon, his control splintered and he moved with uneven strokes. He ground himself against the swollen core at her center, pushing her closer to the peak. Her fingers dug into his flesh and her sex tightened around his length as she shouted his name in his ear.
Tingles raced up his spine and the tension in his body snapped, sending him over the edge. With one last, hard thrust, he buried himself to the hilt. A ragged groan tore from his throat as he spent his seed deep in his wife.
The fierceness of the release robbed the air from his lungs. Void of strength, he collapsed on his forearms and dropped his head in the cradle of Arabella’s neck. She rubbed a soothing hand over his back as his body shook. Fearing he might crush her, he rolled onto his back, taking her with him. Boneless and replete, he lifted a trembling hand to brush his fingers over her bare skin.
My Reckless Love Page 21