by Allison Shaw
Euan chuckled and kissed her hand. “As my lady commands,” he responded. Returning to the task at hand, he caressed her arms and torso and then ran his hands down and up her legs until he reached the apex of her thighs. His fingers sifted through the soft brown thatch, already wet with her renewed desire as well as that from their earlier tryst, and the scent of her feminine musk tantalized his nostrils. A groan of anticipation rose up from deep within his chest.
Gently prodding her to spread her legs slightly apart, Euan hooked one over his shoulder. Parting her feminine folds as gently as one unfolds the petals of a rose, he traced the slick rim of her sheath and then slipped two fingers inside her as he caressed her clitoris with the pad of his thumb. He felt a rush of masculine pride as she trembled, her breath caught, and her head fell back as she gave a throaty moan.
It took all of his strength to keep from taking her right then and there on the bathroom floor.
Euan put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer so that her breasts were lifted towards his mouth. He swirled his tongue over one dusky peak and then the other with relish, grating them with his teeth and groaning as he felt her pelvic muscles tighten. She urged him on with bluntly earthy language accentuated by staccato breaths and whispery sighs as he pleasured her. Her responses excited him to fever pitch and his shaft ached with the need to bury itself within her heat. Determined to see to her pleasure, he denied himself in order to concentrate on bringing her to climax and took satisfaction in what he was giving her.
Callie’s body shook and trembled from the sensations of Euan’s erotic ministrations. Her breasts were as full as ripened fruit ready to burst their skins, her nether lips were swollen, and her bud pulsed as shockwaves of raw sexual need sheeted through her. And then there was a high-powered jolt that ran through her as his fingers hit that spot in her sheath. Her knee buckled and if he hadn’t been holding her around the waist, she would have dropped to the floor. She struggled to keep from crying out as her body rocketed towards climax and she pleaded with Euan to just go on and take her.
When her climax came, it felt as if her very bones had melted away in a nuclear explosion. A keening noise arose from her and Euan covered her mouth with his to muffle it. She felt his strong arms about her as her body convulsed and rocked in the throes of release. He won’t let me fall, she thought and she felt the warmth spread between and around them like a blanket fresh out of the dryer.
She collapsed against him and he held her tight, whispering his love into her ear and breathing in her woman’s scent. Even more aroused than before, he found himself calculating just how many different ways he was going to enjoy her body before he buried himself in her sweet heat. And aye, all the ways he was hoping she would enjoy his as well. Their lovemaking could be the stuff of legend even if they were the only ones privy to it and there was so much more to be added to the tale.
Callie rested in Euan’s arms, her body limp and as relaxed as a cat’s. She felt the length of his shaft beneath her as she straddled his thighs and the strong tattoo of his heart thumped beneath her cheek. “Aren’t you going to get some, Euan?” she asked dreamily.
He chuckled, the sound rich and deep in her ear. “Och, aye lass!” he drawled silkily. “But nae on this hard floor. I wouldna want t’ hurt yer back or m’ knees.”
“But you did me on the kitchen counter,” she reminded him. “Where we fix everyone’s food.”
With a laugh that was deliciously deep and sweetly sinful, Euan cupped her cheek and kissed her. “Well, ye arre quite a delectable tidbit, lass!” he teased. “I couldna help m’self!”
“Oh, God!” she sighed. “You’re as horny as a whole herd of rutting stags, Euan Wallace. What am I going to do with you?”
“Ye could fook me fit braw,” he suggested, grabbing her hand as she swatted at him. “But ye should ken tha’ it’s only ye I’m randy for, Callie Hawken.”
She looked into his eyes and nibbled her lower lip. “You’ve had others.”
He nodded. “Aye, to my eternal shame, Callie. But it’s always been ye in m’ heart. There’s ne’er been a day tha’ went by tha’ I didna think o’ ye. I couldna fall asleep wi’oot dreamin’ o’ ye, an’ while I may hae cursed ye for it, I couldna stop lovin’ ye.”
Tightening his embrace, he vowed, “There’ll be nae others from noo on, Callie. Yer the anerly ane, the only one. Ye hear me, lass?”
She nodded. “Aye, Euan,” she replied. “There’s never been anyone but you.”
“I ken tha’,” he said. “An’ I’m nae worthy o’ the honor bu’ I’m damned thankrif”
He was thankful. Callie could have chosen to get over him in the arms of another man the way he had tried to get over her with other women but he knew that wasn’t her way. As long as she loved him even just a little bit, there would have been no room for any other in her heart. That thought made him realize even more just how little he deserved her and he was more determined than ever to make up for it.
He lifted her up and rose to his feet. Cupping her face in his hands he smiled down at her and said, “Ye’re sae bonny, Callie. M’ home is where e’er ye be, ye an’ our bairns.”
“Are you sure about that, Euan?” she asked, searching his dark eyes for the answer. “Because forever is a long time.”
Euan looked into those extraordinary eyes of hers and was never more certain of anything in his whole life. “Aye, lass,” he replied. “Evendoun siccar.” Absolutely certain.
They shared a kiss and then Euan started the shower. There was a knock at the door and without thinking both of them answered, “What?”
A long silence ensued before Darlene’s voice drifted through from outside. “I, uh... I was just checking to see if you made it home, Callie. I’m, um… going back to bed.”
Callie blushed furiously right down to her upper chest. “Oh, God!” she groaned as she buried her face in her hands. “You think anyone else knows?”
Recalling Papa’s admonition about the nosiness of mountain folk, Euan took a deep breath and shrugged. “If they doona ken noo, they soon will,” he said. “An’ if we planted a seed tonight there’ll be nae denyin’ it.”
He put his hands on her shoulders. “Callie, there’s nae shame in this. I love ye an’ ye love me. We hae twa bairns already. Twa bairns who hae said more than once tha’ they want us tae be a family. I’m keen for it if ye be.”
Callie couldn’t look at him. She felt like a teenager who’d been caught having sex in the backseat of a car rather than a grown woman sharing pleasure with the father of her children. It was irrational to feel like that, but emotions weren’t always rational and hers had been up and down and way out of bounds for the past ten days.
“Come on, lass,” Euan said gently. “Let’s clean up.”
He guided her into the shower. The water was soothingly hot and Callie turned her face up to let it wash over her. She could feel Euan unbraiding her hair and she remembered the first time they had bathed together in the big claw-footed tub in the cottage’s washroom. Bathing hadn’t been all they had done in that tub, either, and there had been water all over the floor by the time they were through. Callie had slipped when she stepped out of the tub and had Euan not caught her, she would have struck her head on the rim. The next time they filled the tub only half-full and made sure they had plenty of towels around it to soak up any water that managed to slosh out.
She turned in the stream to get her hair soaked and then stepped back to let Euan get wet. Instead, he had poured some shampoo in his hands and began working it through her hair. Her scalp tingled as he gently massaged it and she all but purred like a contented cat.
When he was done she turned around to rinse it clean. He reached around her to help spread her hair out so that the water could rinse away all of the shampoo. His proximity was both comforting and arousing to her.
“Turn aroon, lass,” he directed softly as he reached past her to shut the water off. As she did she smelled the conditioner a s
econd before he applied it to her hair and began kneading it through. She felt his fingers gently combing her hair, smoothing out the tangles from the bottom up.
Euan had always loved Callie’s hair, and while there were those who might think that brown hair was not as glamorous or dazzling as blonde or red shades or as exotic as black, he had always thought her hair suited her perfectly. She had a quiet, earthy kind of beauty reminiscent of deep woods and secret hollows where colors were soft and subtle.
Callie turned the shower back on to rinse her hair and Euan once again reached around her to assist in that endeavor. She hadn’t felt this pampered in a very long time and was enjoying it immensely. His arousal butted against her belly and she took it in her hand to stroke it, massaging the hard shaft and smooth dome.
“Wha’ are ye doin’ there, lass?” he teased. “Ye should be careful aboot snakes in the water. Ye might get bit, ye ken.”
Without missing a beat, she teased him back. “One-eyed snakes don’t have any teeth.”
Euan laughed. “Och, but tha’ makes ‘em e’en more dangerous!”
Callie looked up at him. “Why do men put so much stock in this thing? All it can do is piss and poke.” He laughed out loud and Callie tried to shush him. “You’ll wake everyone up!” she scolded in a hoarse whisper.
“Then ye shouldna say such outrageous things, Callie!” he chuckled. “Besides, ye hae ne’er complained aboot the pokin’, lass. Or the strokin’.”
“You’re awful, Euan!”
Euan picked up the bar of soap and lathered his hands up as he began running them over every inch of Callie’s body. “Ye’ll change yer tune in a bit, lass,” he teased. “I’ll hae ye dancing atween the sheets wi’ this pipe o’ mine. An’ if yer a gude lassie, I’ll e’en let ye play it yerself!”
Callie smacked him playfully. “Boy, you’ve got a dirty mind!” she scolded.
“Sae do ye, m’ bonny lass,” he shot back. “But the rest o’ ye is clean as a whistle. Now let’s get ye rinsed off sae we can wash m’self doon.”
His hands flowed over her body with the water. Once she was thoroughly rinsed off, he moved around her to wash himself. With her assistance of course.
Callie’s hands trembled as she soaped up Euan’s skin. It was as if she was touching him for the first time even as she remembered how often and how intimately she had touched him back then. She didn’t know if it was from fear or desire.
Maybe both.
Euan felt her hands trembling and saw the conflicting emotions in her face and eyes. Taking her hands gently in his, he kissed each one and then held them against him. When she looked up at him he said softly, “Ye hae me in the palm o’ yer hand, lass. D’ ye feel the tattoo o’ m’ heart, Callie? Evra beat says tha’ I belong t’ ye an’ ye alone. Always hae. Always will.”
Her heart swelled and tears came to her eyes as his words reverberated through her. She tried to speak but the words wouldn’t come. They were caught in her throat along with her heart. Her lower lipped trembled and she bit it nervously. The layers of protection she had encased herself in were crumbling, leaving the raw essence of her innermost self naked and vulnerable before him. As Euan cupped her face and bent down to kiss away her tears, she dissolved into his arms and sobbed softly against his skin. The residuals of the anguish, anger, and sorrow she had felt for the past four years seeped out to wash down the drain so that her wounded heart could begin to heal.
“Shh, mo cridhe,” Euan crooned as he held her tight. “Evrathin’ will be alright, lass. Ah, Callie! Would tha’ I could take all o’ it upon m’self an’ ye wouldna ha’ e’er felt a bit o’ pain. But I’m here for ye an’ I’ll ne’er forsake ye again.” Tears stung his own eyes and his heart grieved for the pain he had caused her even as it swelled in gratitude for the trust she was giving him by showing this most vulnerable part of herself. He knew how difficult it was for her to open up that way.
When she had quieted, they both rinsed off thoroughly. Euan shut the water off and then pulled back the shower curtain. Stepping out first, he offered her assistance with one hand and a fresh towel with the other. She took his hand as she stepped out of the tub and he wrapped the towel around her and began patting her dry.
Callie sighed as Euan rubbed her down with the towel, especially since he christened each newly-dried part of her skin with a kiss and a whispered offering of his love and desire. Her face and neck. Her shoulders. Each arm and breast. He left a trail of kisses down her back and belly, each side of her curvy fanny, and just above the thatch of hair at the apex of her thighs. When she cupped his face as he knelt before her, he lifted each hand to his lips, kissing backs and palms and each finger.
The tenderness in his actions made her melt like sugar in a cup of tea and at the same time kindled her deepest fires.
Her breath caught as he stood up and towered over her. Desire glittered in his dark eyes, burning her blood with its intensity and holding her in thrall. Euan was a very primal male, his sexuality raw and even less tame than a panther. When he focused it on a woman, she was done for. Callie sure was at that moment. She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, and honestly didn’t know if she was even breathing. There was nothing but the two of them being drawn towards perfect union.
Euan’s heart swelled as he gazed into Callie’s eyes. They were glittering with passion and tender with love for him, just like they had once been. He didn’t know if it would last until morning but he was glad for whatever she was willing to give him. He stroked her cheek with his fingers, enchanted by the moment.
Her hair was still dripping wet and getting cold. She shivered as cold droplets ran down her back and legs. Euan moved behind her to towel-dry the length of her tresses. It was longer than it had been four years ago, falling almost to her knees. He remembered the silky thrill of it falling across him and brushing his skin and hoped to God to feel that again soon.
“Where’s yer comb, Callie?” he asked.
“In the bedroom,” she answered.
“I hae m’ ain in m’ room,” he said. “Which one d’ ye want tae use?”
“Why should it matter which comb I use?” she asked. She preferred to use her own. Rules for good hygiene generally frowned on mutual use of grooming implements.
“I meant which room d’ ye want tae use?” Euan clarified. “My bed or yours, it makes nae difference which one we share.”
She whirled around, her eyes wide with shock. “Share a bed?” she asked. “Together, you mean?” She’d made the same response the first time he’d asked her to stay the night with him.
“Tha’s usually wha’ people do when they sleep together,” he replied. “An’ we’ll both need to sleep after I’m done makin’ love tae ye.”
Her mouth fell open. Not leaving anything to chance, Euan pulled her to him and kissed her soundly. He wasn’t about to give her time to think things over, the consequences be damned! Invading her mouth with his tongue, he pressed his erection into her belly as his hands kneaded her flesh. She tried to push him away at first but was soon clinging to him and running her hands over his skin.
Without breaking contact, he opened the bathroom door, picked her up in his arms, flicked off the light, and carried her to his room. The door stood slightly ajar and he pushed it open with his shoulder, stepped through, and then shut it with his foot. He didn’t bother to turn the covers back but lowered Callie down on the bed with his mouth still on hers and then covered her body with his.
Once he was certain he’d kissed her absolutely senseless he gently broke contact long enough to turn the lamp on and retrieve his comb. “Sit up, mo leannan,” he commanded gently as he grasped her hand and pulled her up. He moved to sit behind her and braced her between his thighs in case she decided to bolt.
As he combed her hair out he whispered his desires into her ear and kissed her neck and shoulder. Still damp, her tresses were rather cool to the touch and felt like ice water when they fell across his skin. He moved her hair to one side to
avoid that bit of discomfort and continued the gentle seduction of his children’s mother.
In response her hands caressed his thighs down and up and over again. Her breaths were rapid and her body swayed as if she was drunk, but he knew desire was the only intoxicant in her system. He smiled in masculine satisfaction.
Callie knew she was in Euan’s room, sitting naked on his bed between his legs with his erection poking her in the back but couldn’t think clearly enough to consider any reason why she should be anywhere else. He was whispering things in her ear that made her burn sooo deliciously. Oh yes, she wanted him to do that to her, and that, too!
She wanted him to just flat-out fuck her over and over and over again.
Euan braided her hair to keep it from getting tangled. One of his hair ties was on the bedside table and he reached over to get it. “There, lass,” he whispered as he put his arms around her. “All done.”
He nuzzled the nape of her neck, brushing first his lips and then his teeth over the satiny skin. Her head tilted to give him greater access and he accepted the invitation. As he kissed and nibbled her neck, he cupped her breasts with his hands and rolled the nipples between his fingers.
His efforts were rewarded with her sighs of pleasure and the feel of her responding body. When she reached behind her back to grasp his cock and massage it up and down, he responded with a growled oath conveying his own pleasure before slipping a hand between her thighs to share in kind.
“Ah, m’ honey-love,” he groaned in her ear, “Ye taste like heaven. Gi’e me a bit o’ nectar from yer garden, lass.” With that he slipped from behind her and laid her back on the bed. Bending over her, he kissed her lips and then worked his way down to her breasts, then her belly.
At last he reached the valley between her legs and nuzzled the soft hair as he breathed in the scent of her feminine musk. His tongue dipped into her cleft and he savored the sweet taste of her. He gently parted the silken folds of her sex and sought the pearl therein. Finding it, he laved it eagerly with his tongue, bringing her to one peak of pleasure after another as her hips bucked and she writhed in ecstasy, calling his name and begging him to take her.