He stood behind her and nuzzled her neck as his hands went from her shoulders down her arms and back up to cup her breasts. He lifted and squeezed them, playing with the mounds of flesh before letting his palms slide down her flat tummy and explore her curls between her legs. He found the same maddening rhythm as in her dream, and before too long she whirled in his arms, trying to claw off his kilt in an attempt to get to him.
He tugged at the knot near his shoulder and the whole ensemble fell to the floor in a piling heap of material, and when they stepped together, they shivered upon the contact of their skin on skin. Audrina’s hand drifted southward and she wrapped her palm around his swollen erection. It pulsed in her hand as she stroked up and down, and he groaned, dropping his head into her shoulder.
“I cannae wait any longer, lass,” he pleaded. “I have tae ha’ ye now!” he demanded.
She nodded her head and he lifted her onto the bed and laid her down. His body followed hers, big, strong and powerful as he held himself above her, and his palm found her thighs, gently spreading them as he then pushed first with one knee, then both. She was so ready for him, but as she glanced between them, she was worried because he was so big.
He smiled, reassuringly when he guessed at her apprehension, and his fingers found her center again, stroking her to readiness. When he felt that she was, he slowly pushed forward, and her tightness engulfed him. He kissed away her moans and soft whimpers as she worked to relax around him. He was ever patient as he had always been with her, and when he breeched her maidenhood, he was careful not to cause unnecessary pain.
“How” he whispered.
“Magic,” she said with a smile.
Audrina breathed rapidly as her body clenched around him. He was filling her up in a way she had never thought possible. He stilled when he made the final thrust into her and allowed her to grow accustomed to him. But all too soon, the neediness erupted in her again, and she needed him to move.
He started slow, with long, easy strokes as he worked himself in and out of her. She could feel the exertion it took him to retain so much control, by the way his muscles quivered under her touch. She wondered at how it must have felt for him to be denied what he wanted for so long, content to tease Maeve until she gave in to him, only to have her snatched away the night he thought he would be rewarded for his patience with this very act. She urged him to take what he needed, faster and faster with her hips.
His resolved cracked at the same time the pressure of her need met his. He lost himself in her as she spiraled out of control around him. He plunged into her for the last time as she quaked around him in an earth shattering orgasm. She felt himself spill over into her and then collapse on top of her. He was careful not to crush her, but pulled her to his chest when he turned on his side. They laid there breathing together until the draw of sleep pulled them both under.
When Audrina woke the next morning, she discovered she was shocked that she held no reservations about calling to Colin the night before. She was content as she laid in his arms and watched him sleep.
CHAPTER 27
Colin woke a few moments after Audrina did, to the touch of her fingers on his face.
“Good morrow.” He smiled down at her warmly.
“Good morning,” she murmured. She stretched, unsure of how she would feel after her first time, and found she was only slightly sore, less than she had expected to be.
“Are ye alright, lass?” he asked as he stretched out onto his back and tucked an arm under his head.
“Yes, I’m fine thank you.” She stared down at him awkwardly. She felt the color in her cheeks begin to rise, and she looked away from him as she contemplated what she should say next.
“No’ havin’ second thoughts are ye, lass? I can prove tae ye tha’ ye need no’ be distressed.”
“How are you going to do that?” she wondered out loud before she shrieked when he tackled her.
He was just as gentle the second time as he was the first, accounting for the fact that she was sore. When she awoke the second time, he laughed at her when they both heard her stomach emit a great gurgling sound.
“Hungry, Maeve?” he asked.
She blinked a minute and then nodded her head. It was stills strange to her to be called Maeve, even though she knew she had been her in her previous life.
“I’ll go and see if I can find somat tae eat fer ye.” He rolled out of bed.
Audrina clung to the sheet and hugged it up around her chin as she watched him pad around the bed like a great predatory beast.
He made a show of bending down to pick up his kilt, which made her eyes widen as she got a view of him and his, ‘goods’ as he stood up and then folded the material, so he could begin wrapping it around his waist.
He needn’t have bothered, because when he went to the door of the chamber and opened it, he discovered that a tray of food had been left for them of breads, cheeses, fruits and dried meats. Audrina continued to clutch the sheet around her as he unpinned his kilt and climbed back into bed. He settled her on his lap, as the bed was narrow, and she was painstakingly aware of him pressed between them. The rasp of him tickled her hip and she squirmed in his arms.
“If ye doonae hold still, lass, I’ll no’ be able tae concentrate on feedin’ ye breakfast, and then yer stomach will be growlin’ at me again,” he teased her.
Audrina stilled in his arms and resolutely refused to look him in the face. She could feel him smiling down at the top of her head, and she wondered if she would ever overcome her shyness and embarrassment.
Audrina picked at the cheese and the fruit, and then she tore off a piece of bread, turning it over in her fingers.
“Where does the grain come from for the bread in the castle?” she asked.
The question surprised him, but he shrugged his curiosity at the sudden question off and answered, “Tis from a field out past the farmer’s. A man named Raibert farms the fields and o’ersees the farm.”
“Does he also sell the grain in the marketplace?” she wondered.
“Aye, he does. Why, lass?” he asked as he bit into his own bread.
“I think I saw him. The day I first came here. He was selling to another man and the man accused him of overcharging for it. I noticed the grain was mixed with the previous year’s stock.”
Colin stilled as he listened to her words. “Are ye sure, lass, tis an offense tae cheat me people. Raibert can be fined a sum for his dishonesty.”
“Well, I don’t want to get anyone in trouble, Colin. But I did see two men and they did talk about that. I would have to see him to know if it were him or not,” she replied. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable, but Colin kissed her nose.
“Doonae be upset for tellin’. Tis the mark o’a good Lady to her Laird. She’s supposed tae be quiet and observant, all traits ye possess. T’will be yer duty tae see things I doonae, or notice slights o’hand if I am tae busy w’it other aspects o’the keep. Doonae worry yerself o’er the man. He’ll be fined, but no’ punished harshly. I’m no’ barbaric like the English.”
Audrina felt better at these words. She had never meant to tell on purpose, it was just one of those things that didn’t sit well with her, and she had been trying to rid her mind of any trivial anxieties, so that she could cope with the bigger issues. She wanted a clear mind when she formulated a plan to convince Lord Weatherby that Lord Cotswold was a treacherous murderer.
“Mayhap I should go and speak w’it them now,” Colin pondered.
“No, please stay.” Audrina was drawn from her own thoughts.
“Aye?” he asked.
“Umm, yes. This is, well this is nice. It’s like the honeymoon that we never got. You and Maeve that is,” she stammered. She tried not to look away when her cheeks flamed, but under the intensity of his gaze, she looked at the window.
Colin cupped her chin and tilted her head up. “You’ll ne’er be judged by me fer the things ye ask fer or need, lass,” he said softly. “That includes anyt
hing ye might be feelin’ here in our marriage bed.”
He brought his lips to hers and she sighed as she felt part of her hesitancy leave her body. She could grow accustomed to this, mornings spent waking up in Colin’s arms.
Part of her wanted to pinch herself just to make sure it wasn’t all just a really good dream. But deep down in her soul she knew without a shadow of a doubt, it wasn’t a dream, and this was somehow the place she was supposed to be. Right here, right now.
“Well, at the risk of ruining that sentiment,” she murmured into his lips, “we need to talk about the chapel.” She felt Colin stiffen and she knew she had touched on a nerve. He sat back and looked at her warily.
“Aye?” he asked.
“Yes,” she responded. “I know it’s where it all happened. Where Cotswold beat you. I know it’s where you were betrayed, but Colin, the chapel is important. One priest who betrayed you shouldn’t make you shut out the place forever. You have a priest here, I’ve seen him around the keep. Why not let him use the chapel?” she pressed.
“Because, it’s no’ aboot the priest betrayin’ me. Tis aboot being the place tha’ I lost ye, and sometimes’ I thought I’d lost ye forever,” he admitted.
Audrina sat back and looked at him. He was so sincere, and he truly believed it was somehow cursed or something. Like the fairy rings scattered around Scotland, Colin had the adamant belief that the chapel, was somehow the grounding force that was responsible for the disappearance of his Maeve. She could understand that. But she also knew that his fear stemmed from the knowledge that he had pushed Maeve to get married. He had been the one to urge her to go on with the ceremony, when she had reservations not about him, but about the marriage rights that came after. Cotswold had weaponized those rights and in doing so, he had driven a wedge in between Colin’s faith and faith in the sanctimony of marriage.
Audrina closed her fingers in Colin’s and brought his hand to her lips. She was holding his left hand and she bent down and placed a kiss on his ring finger where a wedding band should be resting. “He doesn’t have me now, Colin. I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere,” she promised.
Colin sucked in a harsh breath and for the first time, she noticed the struggle in his eyes as he held back unshed tears over the loss of his wife. She smoothed her palm over his cheek and he bent his head to kiss it as she crooned to him. She wasn’t aware, but she began singing to him, the old Scottish folk song that her grandfather used to sing.
He swayed slightly at her words and she finished the song.
“Ye’ve always had a beautiful voice, lass,” he murmured into her palm. He blinked his eyes open and she found them clear again. “E’en when ye were singing to the coos.”
She chuckled at this and realized it would be just like her to do such a thing. She’d never heard of the phrase, cow whisperer, but she’d always been a fan of the novel “The Horse Whisperer” by Nicholas Evans. The book had been dear to her, one that she had been a fan of for its simple romance story. That made her wonder, “Colin, is there a library here?”
His brow furrowed, and she rephrased her question.
“Are there books here?” she asked.
A dawning look came across his face and he smiled. “Aye, books are scarce as many cannae read, but there are a few aboot the keep. I’ll ha’e some rounded up fer ye.”
“Oh, thank you!” she proclaimed and leaned up to kiss him.
He pulled back and had a puzzled look on his face.
“What?” she asked.
“I didnae ken ye could read is all,” he said.
She laughed and replied, “One of the many mysteries Colin MacClaran will have to discover of his strange wife, Audrina and Maeve MacClaran.”
He thought about this a moment and then shrugged, obviously not caring anymore if she still believed she was from the future.
“Aye, and the first thing I learned from ye, lass, is tha’ if I apply a wee bit o’pressure just here,” he grasped her wrists and pushed her gently toward the mattress so she was on her stomach. Without hurting her, he pinned her arms behind her back, and climbed on top of her and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “then I can ha’e ye in a most accommodating position of me liking.”
He thrust up into her, causing her to gasp in pleasure at the new sensation. The afternoon was spent in similar compromising positions as they explored one another, until a shout rang through the courtyard.
“Lord Cotswold and Lord Weatherby, hereby proclaim that the witch known as Maeve MacClaran, be brought before them to be tried and judged per their discretion!”
CHAPTER 28
Colin rose from bed so rapidly that Audrina stumbled as she numbly got out of bed herself. He hastened to wrap his plaid around him and she pulled her dress on. Audrina heard footsteps in the corridors, running toward the sounds of the shouts. She glanced out the window and gasped when she saw the courtyard full of English soldiers.
“T’will be alright, lass,” Colin said hastily, but even she knew how dire the situation was. He rushed to her, glancing out at the courtyard at the two riders who were surrounded by guards and sitting astride the finest steeds.
Colin turned Audrina away from the window. “I willnae let tha’ man ha’ ye again. I made a promise tae ye and I will keep it.”
Audrina nodded as he kissed her, and then they walked to the door.
Mary ran up to them with Donal and Alisdair. “Och, Colin, wha’ will ye do?” she cried.
“I’ll go down and meet them,” he replied.
“I’m ready tae fight w’it ye!” Donal cried brandishing his small dirk.
“Aye, I ken ye are. But I need ye tae stay and protect our mam.”
Donal looked as if he was going to protest, and then he looked at his mother who clutched him to her.
“Aye, I will. Upon me honor!” He thumped his skinny chest and Audrina felt her lips twitch despite the direness of the situation.
Colin looked at his mother. “Lock yerselves below until we come tae get ye. If we’ve no’ come by dawn tomorrow, use the tunnels tae run and make yer escape. Go tae Skye, we’ve allies there who will take ye in.”
Mary looked as if she was going to protest, but Colin stepped in, kissing her cheek. Alisdair, did the same and then Colin turned to him.
“See that there’s a group o’men on the tower, ready w’it arrows and a group along the walls. Ha’e a group waiting here to come in upon me signal, should the meeting turn fer the worst. Make sure the townsfolk are secured, send a few men out tae show them the escape through the mountains and the caves should the English o’er run the castle.”
Alisdair embraced Colin in a hug and then bowed to Audrina as he ran off with his sword drawn. He bellowed commands in Gaelic to the Scottish men who roused to their stations in anticipation of taking on the English troops.
Colin took Audrina by the elbow. “Ye ready, lass?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she told him wringing her hands.
She was anxious, as she hadn’t had time to properly formulate a plan to convince Lord Weatherby of her innocence and convict Lord Cotswold of murder. It would be Lord Cotswold’s word against hers, and from what she knew of witch trials, the accused was rarely given a fair trial. And what constituted as fair was often done at the pain and torture of the witch who was out through various tests to determine if she was a witch or not. In the unlikely event she did survive the trails and tests and came out of them unharmed and unscathed, her own people often turned on her for having the fortitude to survive and killed her or banished her anyway. Audrina felt a wave of nausea wash over her.
Colin cupped her face. “Breathe, lass, breathe,” he coaxed her.
Audrina couldn’t help but wonder what horrible torture they had in store for her. She wondered if she could somehow call the magic that Maeve had, but realized she had no idea how to.
“I’m alright,” she told him. “Really, you’re here. It will all be alright somehow.”
&nbs
p; Colin nodded as he steered her to the front doors of the great hall. There was no telling what would happen once they confronted the English Lords, but Audrina was grateful she had been graced the one night with Colin if this was to be the end. She recalled the memory and feel of him on top of her and in her. She took solace in the strength that emitted from his powerful body, because he had shown her that strength himself. Audrina placed in the forefront of her mind, the pictures he had sketched for her. The things she loved and she held important were her strength, as was Colin.
Colin’s men flanked him, and they proceeded to march out the front door and confront her accusers. Audrina was relieved slightly that she had Colin by her side. She had no doubt he would lay down his life to protect her, and that he would never let Cotswold harm her again. Audrina palmed the pin of her kilt, wondering if the spell would work a second time through the ages or if it had been a one-time deal if she was torn from him in this life again.
Colin laced his fingers with hers as he kept his hand on his sword. As they descended the steps, she was glad to see he held his head high, not being cowed by Lord Weatherby and Lord Cotswold sitting astride their horses.
When they came to about fifteen paces between them and the Lords, Colin called out, “Why have ye come tae accuse me wife o’witchcraft? What evidence d’ye ha’e o’the allegation?”
Lord Cotswold urged his horse a few paces forward, but it was Lord Weatherby that Audrina’s attention was fixated on. He was tall and fit with carrot blond hair and dressed conservatively which was in stark contrast to Lord Cotswold. His intense gray eyes were fixed on her and she would first describe him as looking down on everyone he came across, accept the appearance was precipitated by his overly large nose. He turned his attention from her to Colin as Colin asked his question.
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