by Mary Wine
“I wish to tell me husband meself,” she admitted. “And I am no’ sure why it concerns ye. There is no threat from waiting a few days more before saying anything.”
“Providing ye do nae do anything foolish.” His gaze dropped to her belly. “That is me blood growing there. MacPherson blood, which I’m sworn to protect.”
She gasped, slapping her hand over her mouth to smother her horror. “I would…never…” She gagged.
She wasn’t so sheltered she didn’t know what he was talking about. There were ways to unseat a growing babe. Plants that would see the job done.
“Well then.” He straightened up. “I suppose I can stop having yer maids watched. But I do confess to being curious as to why ye have nae told me brother. The pair of ye do seem to be getting along far better than anyone might have hoped for. I simply wish to be sure, before raising yer brother’s hopes.”
And that was the very root of why she hadn’t told Bhaic about the baby growing inside her.
She knew it was true now, even if she hadn’t yet felt it move. It had been over two cycles since she’d bled, and her queasy belly still hadn’t settled. She couldn’t stand the sight of raw meat. Even after it was cooked, her belly still rebelled most of the time.
The midwife claimed it would pass as her belly began to round. Bhaic would know when that happened. The question that weighed on her mind was what would he do? Would he put her from his bed? Consider his duty satisfied?
It shouldn’t have bothered her so much. Men often did such things.
But it tore at her heart. Just the thought made her eyes sting with tears.
She climbed up the stairs, the sight of the chamber she’d first used making her sniffle.
Men had so many more rights than women when it came to marriage. No doubt if Bhaic put her from him, she would have to be content with her place.
Stop it! Ye are convicting the man without evidence…
She tried to concentrate on the fact that Bhaic had always been kind to her.
Well, he’s always wanted ye in his chamber too…
Yet, it still seemed like his chamber as she entered it. Even though rooms didn’t have genders, she looked at the large wooden chairs and tables and just felt like it suited a man. The bed was huge, the canopy a dark green.
Once she’d disrobed and crawled between the sheets, she noticed Bhaic’s scent. It was soothing as she drifted off to sleep. But her mind was still full of turmoil, picking and poking at the unknown future coming her way.
But her dreams were kind. Full of sunshine and bliss. She warmed as though in the middle of an August day, feeling perspiration break out on her skin.
And it felt good.
So very delicious.
She was twisting in the grip of pleasure, craving it, straining toward it. All of it centered under her bud.
She gasped and opened her eyes, realizing she was more awake than asleep. The room was only faintly light, the predawn light falling over Bhaic’s head of raven black hair where it was nestled between her spread thighs.
“Bhaic…”
Her voice was a raspy whisper.
“Hmmm?” He swept his tongue along her open folds, sending a jolt of intense need through her. She wanted to argue.
Needed to say…something…
But he was teasing her little pearl, worrying it with his tongue. She was arching up, lifting toward him, her hands twisting in the bedding as her eyes slid shut.
It had to be wrong.
But it felt so good. She was on the edge of climax, her own little sounds of enjoyment filling the chamber. Her body drew tight as he sucked on her, adding just enough pressure to send her spiraling out of control. The pleasure gripped her and wrung her like a wet cloth. She forgot to breathe because it was so intense, twisting and jerking as it spread through her.
When she came to her senses, Bhaic was watching her, his fingers still playing softly over her tender folds.
“Ye…should…nae have…done that.”
He rose up, giving her a glimpse of his hard body. The sheer erotic nature of the moment made her breathless once more. Details fell aside, becoming meaningless. She lifted her arms in welcome, earning a growl from him.
He came to her, covering her and settling into her open thighs. He nuzzled her hair, the scent of her own body clinging to him as he seated himself deeply inside her.
His member was hard, but she was so wet from his attentions, he slid smoothly into her. He was breathing hard, the sounds harsh and so very male. She lifted toward him, feeling him draw tight, his member hardening further before his seed was flooding her.
“Sweet Christ…” He rolled over, pulling her along with him and settling her head against his chest. “Ye have become an addiction, Ailis.”
She traced one of the ridges of muscles on his chest with her fingers, trying to absorb every detail about him. Tiny things she had never noticed about other men fascinated her when it came to Bhaic. She felt as if time was slipping through her grasp, just as the grains of sand flowed through an hourglass.
It might be their last moment together before he learned of the babe growing inside her.
“I am going to do that to ye again, lass…”
She tapped his chest with her fingertip. Shyness gripped her, but so did the unmistakable knowledge that she’d enjoyed it full well.
She’d be a hypocrite to argue.
His chest rumbled with amusement. “No agreement? Good. Me charms are working on ye.” He stroked the hair back from her face.
“None that would nae make me a liar.”
He made a low sound under his breath, one that said he was unmistakably pleased. “As I noticed when I met ye, ye are most definitely a woman.”
She choked on her amusement. “And as ye informed me on our wedding night…ye enjoy companions who are women enough to enjoy being intimate with a man.”
He rolled her over, coming up on his elbow while she was on her back. His blue eyes were pensive. “Would ye rather have cold duty?”
She fought the urge to look away. It was a private moment, and yet, one she realized she needed to share with him if she didn’t want to feel the bite of loneliness. “No. Truly.”
His lips curved, victory shimmering in his eyes.
“Do nae be so smug now,” she warned him.
His grin became only more roguish. “I earned it. No’ just any man can take the time to be a good lover.” He leaned down, hovering over her lips as he cupped one of her breasts. “And ye enjoyed it full well,”
She ended up looking away, uncertain. He reached out and stroked her cheek, gently bringing her face around to him again.
“We truly need a honeymoon.”
She laughed. “This is the Highlands, not some palace.”
He looked up at the stonework that formed the tower they were in. “Still, it’s a fine chamber, is it no’?”
She realized what he was asking. “Finer than the one I was raised in. But me brother has ideas about adding to Robertson Castle.”
He nodded, toying with her hair as the room brightened with the dawn.
“I enjoy most of all that ye took the time,” she said. It was a confession, one that came from her unsteady emotions. One born inside her desire to find herself at home in his world.
His expression became sensual, his eyes flickering with pleasure. In that moment, she felt settled and cherished. She lifted her shoulders off the bed, seeking his mouth with hers. Kissing him to keep any thoughts from spoiling it.
Reality would return soon enough.
* * *
Ailis looked up in the late afternoon. There was something happening in the yard.
“What is that?” Ailis asked.
Duana surprised her by answering, �
��A party of Grants. Looking for shelter for the night, no doubt.”
There was still a line of clanswomen waiting to see her. Most of them had children with them that they intended to discuss apprenticeships for. Serving in the castle started young because it instilled loyalty, and those who knew no other home were far less likely to agree to poison the laird. She couldn’t leave them without hearing their cases, but failing to welcome guests would also be looked on as a slight. The women watching her knew it, their expressions becoming strained. Some of them had spent days on the road, traveling from the villages that dotted the MacPherson land.
“Duana, please welcome our guests and tell them I shall attend them as soon as my duties permit.”
The Head of House hesitated for a moment, but her features remained serene. She slowly lowered herself. “Yes, mistress.”
It wasn’t so much what the Head of House had done or said as the reaction to it. The women turning bread nodded, the young lads who helped out in the kitchens watching it all with their impressionable eyes.
Three months. So short a time.
Well now, ye did get shot…
She smiled and focused on the little girl in front of her.
Ailis didn’t make it back to the hall until the cook was setting out supper. Her belly was still queasy, but she had to make an appearance. Near the high ground, there were Grant retainers tonight. Only about a dozen, but their plaids stood out.
She’d almost made it to the stairs when she spotted the woman sitting at the high table. Whoever she was, she was stunning, her cheekbones high and her skin flawless. She had sparkling blue eyes and a head of auburn hair that looked as though the setting sun was trapped in it. Men were watching her, enchanted by her. She had a soft laugh and seemed to know exactly how to mesmerize the men.
But what chilled Ailis’s blood was that she was aiming her eyelash flutters at Bhaic.
And her husband was enjoying every moment of it.
Someone cleared their throat, and then several others did the same. Bhaic looked up, catching sight of her.
“Ah…me wife, at last.”
He got up and pulled a chair out for her. Ailis settled into it, happy to be between the woman and Bhaic.
* * *
Supper seemed to last for a small eternity. Tonight it was Brenda Grant who made Ailis long to escape the high ground. She toyed with her meal until at last she could excuse herself without drawing too much attention.
She didn’t escape Bhaic’s notice, though. He followed her into the passageway, catching her wrist and pulling her to a stop when she’d been intent on going above stairs to hide.
“Ailis?” His keen stare was cutting into her. “What’s wrong?”
She bit her lower lip, trying to find a way to state her concerns without sounding jealous.
Well, ye are jealous…
Still, she didn’t want to sound like a harpy. But she certainly felt like one. Brenda was beyond lovely. Half the men in the hall had drooled over her fair features. What had bothered Ailis the most was the way the woman seemed to know exactly how to keep those men hanging on her every word.
So, there was no reason to be a harpy. She swallowed and smoothed her expression as Brenda had been doing. Bhaic’s lips curved into a grin. A little spark of victory warmed her, burning away some of her concern.
At least until Brenda arrived.
“Oh…there ye are. There is going to be music,” Brenda said. “A delightful way to spend the evening. Come, Bhaic.”
Her voice was sweet temptation. She walked out into the hall, the candlelight making her hair shimmer. She gave Bhaic a come-hither look over her shoulder.
It was the first time Ailis truly understood what a come-hither look was.
And it was aimed at her husband.
“Ye do nae need to be jealous of Brenda,” he said.
There was a touch of amusement in his voice, but his attention remained on Brenda. It tore something inside her. White-hot pain piercing her heart.
“And there was no reason for ye to be so concerned about me dancing on the green with Lye Rob,” she said.
He snapped his attention back to her.
“Ye’re missing the fun…” Brenda’s voice was lyrical. She stepped into the passageway, taking a moment to glance over her shoulder. When she turned her attention back to Bhaic, her lips were set into a sensual smile, which froze when she spotted Ailis.
“Shouldn’t ye be off to bed?” Brenda asked. “Ye’ve both done yer duty well enough. So long as ye are strong enough to carry that babe to term. Best take yerself off to sleep now. Do nae worry about yer husband’s needs. I’ll see to those.”
Of course she would.
It was the thing Ailis had feared and had told herself not to worry about. Men had more rights in a marriage. It was simply fact.
Yet it did bother her. So greatly she turned around and headed up the stairs, tears filling her eyes. She stopped at the second floor, pushing in the doors before her breath caught on a sob.
Ye’ll no’ cry!
She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and drew in a deep breath to clear her head.
“What are ye doing here?”
She turned around, finding Bhaic in the center of her chamber. He pushed the door shut behind him, blocking Helen outside.
“What are ye doing here?” she echoed his question.
“Wondering why ye are here and no’ in our chamber.”
He stepped closer, something flickering in his eyes. “Are ye with child?”
She couldn’t help but smile a bit. “The midwife believes so.”
“Christ, Ailis.” He closed his eyes, his expression tightening. “Ye should have told me…before I handled ye so roughly.”
The memory of him coming up the road teased her cheeks with heat. But it also filled her with lament, for it might have been the last time he paid her such attention. “Ye did nae give me much chance.”
He stepped toward her. “I would have listened to ye. ’Tis never been my way to be harsh with ye.”
There was a hard note in his voice, one that reprimanded her justly.
She shrugged. “I was as heated as ye were.”
And worried that he’d no’ want ye if he knew his duty was satisfied.
He muttered an oath in Gaelic and caught her close, wrapping his arms around her and holding her when she tried to wiggle away.
“Do nae be jealous of Brenda. I can nae change what I did before we wed.”
She pushed him back. It was like trying to move a wall, but he snorted and released her.
“Are ye planning to take her as a mistress?”
Surprise flashed across his face before his expression hardened. “No. But I’m planning on carrying ye back to me chamber, since ye seem to be trying to escape it again.”
He scooped her up and carried her past Finley and Helen. The flight of stairs between the two floors was gone in a flash. Bhaic didn’t let her down until he’d moved far into the bedchamber.
“It bothers me to see ye doubting me, Ailis.”
“Well, it bothers me to see ye flirting with yer mistress.”
Bhaic crossed his arms over his chest. “Brenda is no’ me mistress.”
“She was yer lover,” Ailis retorted. “And she clearly came here the moment she heard I was carrying. There is only one reason for her arrival.”
Bhaic suddenly chuckled, his lips splitting into a grin. His amusement frayed her already sore feelings. She swatted him and slapped his arms when he tried to enclose her in his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her anyway, pressing soft kisses against her temples and cheeks until she quieted.
“It is not…amusing,” she said at last, horrified by the rough sound of her voice.
He cup
ped her chin and raised her face so their gazes met. “No, lass, the fact that ye care for me is no’ amusing. It is precious. Very precious to me. Never doubt it.”
She pushed against him, hissing when he wouldn’t release her, but the sound came out as more of a whimper.
“I did nae invite Brenda.”
Ailis stilled and searched his eyes. Nothing but sincerity stared back at her. “Then why is she here? And so certain ye will put me aside now that yer duty to me is finished?”
“Because everyone in the Highlands seems to think they need to be involved in our marriage,” he exclaimed. “Why should this moment be any different?”
She couldn’t help but smile at his words.
He grunted. “Me duty to ye will never be finished. Not in this lifetime or the next.” He placed a soft kiss against her lips. “And I am going to have the bed taken out of the chamber below us so ye understand I will nae be having ye anywhere but by me side.”
It was everything she’d been so sure she’d never hear from him. She rested her hand against his chest, feeling the beating of his heart and trying to make herself believe him.
“Ye are the keeper of me heart, lass. I must hold ye near and hope ye’ll soften toward me.”
The tears she’d tried so hard to fend off trickled down her cheeks. He caught them with his fingertips. “Ye’ve already stolen me heart, MacPherson.”
His lips curved into a roguish grin. “In that case, be very, very sure that I have no intention of ever returning it.”
She reached up and stroked his cheek, settling against him completely. “I’ll just keep yers in its place.”
“Ye do that.”
She would.
Because there was nothing she craved from him more than his love.
Eight
“Ye likely have harsh things to say to me.”
Brenda was waiting for her the next morning in the passageway, out of sight of the retainers breaking their fast in the great hall.
Ailis touched her foot down from the last step and considered the woman. She was beyond striking, a true beauty.
Brenda smiled knowingly. “I came here because I’d heard ye were breeding. It’s true. I’m not going to run away and pretend I did nae. I suppose it’s no’ very important to tell ye how clear it is that Bhaic is content with ye, but I know he never looked at me the way he does at ye. So here I am. Say what ye will.”