Highland Grace

by K. E. Saxon

  Jesslyn’s heart pounded with dread. Without thinking how absurd the exercise would be, she looked around for anything else she might use to cover him. Of course, there was naught. What else could she do to warm him other than to do as he asked and use her own body’s heat? Jesslyn stood up.

  Bao opened the mantle and his arm quaked as he did so. “I’ll better feel your heat this way,” he explained when she hesitated. “But hurry, I grow ever colder and I need your warmth.”

  Jesslyn shrugged and nodded jerkily. Lifting her skirts, she settled herself on top of him, laying her head down on his chest. She could feel his chill through her garments. Even his manhood was cold—and very hard, she noticed—where it pressed against her belly. Was that a reaction to the freezing water to which he’d just been exposed? Lord! What if it was frozen? Was that possible? She knew not. She knew dangerously little about the symptoms of overexposure to the cold, nor how to hasten recovery from it. She only knew that, in spite of that worry, her body responded to the contact, softening and readying for his masculine invasion. She ignored the reaction, concentrating instead on her patient. It worried her that, even after quite a few moments, he continued to tremble beneath her, and his skin remained like ice. She feared leaving him to get help, but what if she wasn’t able to warm him enough? Mayhap it would be better for her to get Daniel here. He would know exactly what to do to hasten his brother’s recovery.

  A severe quaking took over his previous trembling and Jesslyn held him tighter. “I should find Daniel, he’ll know what to do,” she said anxiously.

  “Nay!”

  Jesslyn lifted her head and looked at Bao.

  “Nay,” he said less forcefully. “I’m sure I shall be warmed enough in no time by your own ministrations.”

  Jesslyn stared at him, mentally struggling with the quandary of what would be best for her to do, but finally, she nodded. She placed her cheek back on Bao’s chest. Unable to think of any other way to warm him, she began to furiously rub his arms with the palms of her hands. “Is this helping?” she asked after a moment.

  “A bit, but I can’t feel your heat through all these layers you wear,” he complained. “Mayhap if you took them off and we were skin to skin?”

  “I don’t think that a good idea.”

  Bao shuddered and groaned.

  Jesslyn sat up and quickly untied the strings holding her gown together before lifting it over her head, with Bao’s rather eager help. Then came her chemise. She tensed, fighting back a shudder of delight, when Bao’s fingertips accidentally grazed the sides of her breasts as he lifted the thing up and over them before bringing it over her head as well. She felt his hot, moist breath against the sensitive peak of the left one in that split second when the material covered her eyes, making her nipples pucker and her passage throb in reaction. In moments they were lying entwined beneath her gown, with the mantle wrapped around both of them. This time, she lay on her side, halfway on top of Bao, with one arm and one leg draped over him—a much more comfortable position for her and her babe. She was overcome with guilt. While Bao was fighting for his life, her body betrayed her own good intentions with its piercing response to his nearness. With extreme effort, she cleared her mind of all the carnal thoughts his unintentional touch had incited. After a bit his quaking stopped, but he was still trembling, and his breathing was too rapid for her liking. Without lifting her head from his shoulder, she placed her hand to his brow. It was warm, but not hot enough to indicate fever. “Are you warming up?”

  Bao, who had his chin resting on the top of Jesslyn’s head, grinned broadly. Aye, he was warm—mayhap a bit too warm. “Aye, I’m not so cold now, but I think ‘twould help if you rubbed my skin, as you were doing before.”

  Jesslyn nodded and tried to rise up in order to use both hands on him, but Bao wouldn’t allow it. Shrugging, she began her massage using just the one hand. She vigorously rubbed his arm, his chest, his abdomen, and the top of his thighs, careful to stay clear of the area she desired most to touch the longer she stroked his body. Lord, he was magnificent. All sinew and smooth, golden skin. And the battle scars only added to his masculine beauty. They were proof of his might, proof of his prowess as a warrior. She pressed her lips together to keep from caressing the dark brown nipple directly in her view with the tip of her tongue. How she craved to cover his massive chest with moist open-mouthed kisses.

  * * *

  Bao fought to keep his breathing at an even meter, but was rapidly losing the battle. With every new sweep of her hand, he grew more aroused. He moaned. A shudder of intense pleasure traveled through him.

  “Are you growing chilled again—is your manhood frozen?”

  Bao snorted and started to laugh but quickly turned it into a brief cough followed by a clearing of his throat. “Beg pardon,” he said in a strained voice. “Aye. I think it must be. Will you warm it?”

  She rose up, resting her arm on his chest and gave him a questioning look. “But I thought it bothered you to be touched there.”

  He sighed. “Aye, it does,” he said, feigning sufferance. “But I cannot allow it to remain frozen for much longer. It serves a duel purpose, if you recall?”

  Her eyes widened in understanding and she nodded.

  God, he loved this woman. “I have an idea,” he said with false humility. “Mayhap, I could put it inside you and thaw it in that way?” he asked innocently. It was a struggle, but he managed to keep a serious mien when he rushed to add, “You wouldn’t have to move, or anything—we wouldn’t really be doing the deed.”

  There was a very long pause and then: “Al...All right,” she replied. But he could see in her eyes that she struggled with her doubt at the intelligence of her decision.

  Bao trailed his hand down her waist toward the junction of her thighs, with the intention of beginning his assault on her senses to prepare her for his entry, but when she straddled him, he positioned the head of his erection against her opening, and she gently pressed down. With only a bit of resistence, he slid right up inside of her tight, wet sheath. Sucking in a breath through his teeth, he bit back a groan, his heart pounding so hard in his chest he thought it would surely burst. She had been more than ready for him, it seemed. An acutely pleasurable surprise.

  She shuddered. “It’s cold…hard and cold.” Placing her hands on his shoulders, she wiggled in an effort to get him as far inside her as she could. He felt her passage tighten in reaction, before she forced it to relax. “How does that feel?”

  “Hot. Good,” Bao croaked. His hungry gaze wandered to Jesslyn’s full, white breasts. The rosy peaks were so turgid, partially from the chill air of the cave, he assumed, that they were little more than tight, pink balls. He craved to caress them, to put his mouth on them, but he dared not. At least, not for just a few more moments. He had to maintain the facade just a bit longer, else she’d surely bolt.

  She threw her head back and closed her eyes, tossing her long, golden hair off her shoulders. The movement caused a bit of a glide up his shaft and he sucked in a breath. She settled back and pressed down, clearly intent on keeping still, but then her canal pulsed and he felt the hot dew of more of her juices warming him. It was evident that she bit her lip to keep from crying out. He watched her breasts rise and fall with her rapid breath, felt her feminine channel tighten around him.

  Bao bit back a groan of agonizing desire, but managed to remain silent as he continued gazing at his wife. Whatever she was thinking of, he wanted to be part of it, for it was evident that it was extremely arousing to her.

  She squirmed and a throaty moan burst from her throat.

  Bao’s heart slammed against his ribs and he ground his teeth together in an effort to stay still. He wanted to move so badly now, to stroke inside her until they both found completion, that hot and cold chills ran rampant along his nerve endings.

  She opened her eyes and he captured her gaze. When he saw that her pupils were so dilated with desire that her eyes appeared to be as black as midnight
, his blood flamed higher still. Past reason now, he sat up, brought his arms around her and feasted. First on her left breast, and then on her right.

  * * *

  Jesslyn moaned in delight, too far gone with desire to think clearly any longer. She straightened her legs and wrapped them around his waist, just as she’d imagined doing a moment before, and then she twined her arms around his shoulders and curved her back, giving him better access to her aching breasts.

  Bao eagerly obliged, bringing his hands around and molding them in his palms. He laved the tight peak he’d just kissed and then rolled it between his teeth, tugging it slightly at the same time.

  Jesslyn jerked at the sharply pleasurable sensation and then groaned when he took it into his mouth and suckled, softly tickling it with the tip of his tongue as he did so. She started to pant and mewl, every muscle atremble, the longer he worked on her until, finally, unable to control her own body’s compulsion another moment, she began to move. When he grasped the cheeks of her buttocks in his hands and rotated her hips several times, pressing the head of his cock against her womb, she shattered. “Bao!” she cried out, her head thrown back as thousands of tingling shocks traveled from her convulsing center out to her limbs and even to the tips of her fingers and toes, her skin pebbling in their wake.

  * * *

  Bao arched, tugging Jesslyn’s hips up and down rapidly as he shot to the stars, finding his own release in her hot, moist, pulsating channel.

  Collapsing back on the ground, he brought Jesslyn with him as he limply helped her position her knees at his side once more. They were both winded, their breath coming in jagged gasps and their hot skins damp with the dew of their exertion.

  Bao’s mind was in a state of blissful peace, blank of all thought, his body and heart in that same condition as well. They were mates, truly husband and wife once more. He rested in a dazed stupor with his eyes closed as his breathing slowly returned to a normal meter.

  * * *

  Jesslyn’s mind, however, was anything but restful. Thoughts were flying at lightning speed, zipping from one event to the next, connecting each thing that had happened, and ‘twas not long before she’d worked everything out, come to a somewhat slanted form of the truth. With a jolt of pure fury, she sat up and scrambled off of Bao and onto her feet. “You tricked me!” she said, grabbing up her chemise and throwing it over her head—backwards. Dammit!” she shouted in frustration and then quickly readjusted the garment, ripping seems in the process.

  Bao opened his eyes and sat up, crossing his forearms over his bent knees. His eyes were glazed with slumber. He’d evidently dozed while she’d boiled. “What?” he asked.

  Jesslyn tossed her gown over her head and battled to pull it down over her body. “I said: You tricked me, you spawn of Satan!” Her voice, tho’ muffled inside the gown, was strident enough, she was sure, for Bao to hear and understand it.

  Luckily, she had her shoes on—she’d never taken them off! Nay, she’d been much too concerned with Bao’s welfare, and he’d evidently been much too concerned with tricking her into coupling with him! But it worked out beautifully for her now, for she was fully dressed—except for her mantle—and would leave him here with at least a crumb of her dignity still intact. “Get up, you black-haired deceiver!” She grabbed the edge of the garment and tugged hard, shouting, “Give me my mantle!”

  Bao tried to rise, but with her yanking on the material he was resting upon at the same time, he lost his balance and stubbed his toe on the ground in the process, breaking the skin covering the joint. Good. He deserved it, she thought. Finally, he managed to stand. Hopping on one foot and rubbing his abused digit, he said, “Jesslyn, I beg you, do not leave without allowing me to explain! I was desperate, can you not see that?”

  Pressing her forefinger into her chest, she retorted, “Aye, I see! I do indeed see! You hadn’t had a woman in—how many days? Six? Not even a sennight! But that must have seemed a century to one such as you. You’re clearly not used to celibacy,” she continued sarcastically. “Which is why, I’m sure, you enjoyed servicing all those women in court. One of your lovers liked you so well, she even put a brand on you!”

  “That is not—”

  “Aye, do not deny it—Lara told me all about it. And now you’ve used my concern for your health as a means to satisfy your own lecherous lusts!” How he must have reveled in her foolish and lack-witted conclusion regarding his manhood! Mortified and furious, unable to face the proof of her mental blunder that was bared, and clearly healthy, before her, she whirled and rushed toward the entrance of the cave.

  * * *

  “‘Twas not like that—I swear it!” Bao scrambled to find his clothes and put them on. They were still damp, wet through in some places, but he cared not. He had to follow her, make her understand that he had been desperate to find a way to reconcile with her. That he hadn’t tricked her only as a means to mate. His boots were wet and stiff, but he managed to get them on his feet with only a bit of added effort, ignoring the pain it caused his sore toe. He quickly doused the fire using snow from just outside the entrance and, after gathering up Jesslyn’s wimple, ran to catch up to her.

  * * *

  Jesslyn stumbled blindly ahead, her only clear thought, to reach her cottage and bar the door from Bao before he could intercept her.

  Bao raced as fast as he was able with stiff boots, a sore toe, clammy clothes, and deep snow drifts, but he did finally reach her. He slowed his gate and walked silently beside her, gazing at her fury-filled countenance. He handed her the wimple.

  Jesslyn growled low in her throat, but took it. Fortune was not shining on her this day. She looked straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge his presence any further.

  Bao was at a loss as to how to soothe Jesslyn’s temper enough so that she would listen to him, for he could see that her intent was to ignore his presence. “The brand is from no lover, Jesslyn. ‘Tis one my father gave me to show the world that I was his slave.”

  It took everything in her not to bend, not to look in his direction, not to forgive him just a little, but she must remember: he’d use her for his own pleasure until the inevitable discontent set in and then his eye would begin to wander. Just as Graeme’s had done.

  “I love you,” Bao said into the silence.

  She snorted. “There is more to love than coupling.”

  Bao turned toward her and, walking in a sideways fashion, continued to stay beside her. With hands palm-side up, he said, “I know that. I do! I love you, Jesslyn, and all I want is for you to love me, to trust me.”

  Jesslyn ground to a halt and turned to Bao, her hands clenched into fists. “Trust! You want trust from me after the foul way in which you tricked me into warming your”—she glanced down and vaguely pointed in the direction of his groin—“you know what!” she replied coldly, her cheeks heating with chagrin. “You use sex as a weapon. You use it to manipulate, not as a means of showing your deeper feelings. You’ve used my desire for you against me for the last time.” She turned and stormed ahead once more, angry that she’d broken her vow to herself to not speak to him ever again.

  Bao rushed to catch up. He sneezed, and then sneezed again. And then, he sneezed again. He sniffled and coughed. Blood of Christ, but it was cold out here! It felt as if he were wearing sheets of ice from neck to foot. He shuddered and cleared his throat. It felt a bit raw of a sudden.

  Jesslyn ignored him, convinced this was yet another ploy to gull her into attending him.

  Bao realized his attempts to explain, to gain her understanding, had actually deepened her anger toward him, so he decided to say no more until her temper had cooled. He continued to walk beside her however, unwilling to abandon his nearness to her, no matter how bitter was her manner toward him.

  They’d nearly made it to the door of the cottage when another sneezing fit caught him by surprise.

  Jesslyn took the opportunity to hastily step over the portal and slam the door behind her, barring it to keep
him from entering.

  “Jesslyn!” Bao croaked, pounding his fist against the wood.

  Crossing her arms over her chest, she leaned against the door, her heart racing.

  “Jesslyn, open this door or I’ll break it down!” Bao rasped, his throat feeling thicker and achier with each passing moment. But at least he wasn’t cold anymore. Nay, in fact, he was burning up. He pressed his forehead into the door as he leaned against it for a moment, placing his forearm above his head and resting it on the portal for additional support. Sweat beaded on his brow and he absently wiped it on his sleeve. The cloth was nice and cold, so he decided to cool his cheek on it for a moment as he awaited her reply. His head had started pounding a few moments past, but he reasoned that it was because he hadn’t had a meal in more than half a day. The notion that he might be truly ill had yet to sink into his muddled brain.

  Jesslyn finally noticed the change in Bao’s voice and her concern for his welfare once again overrode her better judgement. She turned and slid the bar from its rest and then opened the door a crack.

  Bao stumbled and fell forward.

  Jesslyn shrieked and moved out of the way of the door before it hit her as it swung wide with the force of his massive weight.

  Bao landed with a thud face down, half in and half out of the doorway to the cottage. He groaned in pain.

  “Bao!” Jesslyn exclaimed, squatting down and placing her hand on his brow. “You’re burning up with fever!” Guilt assailed her. She should never have allowed him to walk all the way back home in these wet clothes.

  “Nay, I just got a bit hot from the walk home,” Bao said, rolling over with a grunt and then rising to his feet.

  Jesslyn allowed Bao to assist her to rise and then rushed over to grab her bucket from its position by the hearth. “You must change into dry clothing without delay.”

  * * *

  Bao was feeling a bit lethargic now, but he was more than ready to get out of his clammy garments and into fresh, dry ones so he moved slowly toward his bedchamber. Once there, he took a dry shirt out of the chest at the end of his bed and, with a bit of strain to his aching muscles, was finally able to get himself out of his boots, tunic, shirt and braies.