by Mary Wine
Anne sighed. Respect meant nothing when it was forced. She knew it so well that the sight of the maids scurrying to attend her made her ill. Tears stung her eyes because it was so distressing, but weeping would not help her.
Maybe confessing would…
She was tempted. But she was frightened, too. Brodick would put her from him. She knew it in her heart and it made her ache. He had the right. There was no doubt about it but she wanted to delay the moment when he’d stop looking at her so tenderly.
Stop touching her so intimately…
Anne had to blink rapidly to banish the tears before the two maids helping her dress noticed them. There wasn’t enough for them to do, but they picked at her hair and clothing, finding things to straighten. She didn’t have the heart to be ill tempered with them.
Even feeling her guilt so keenly, she could not stop herself from wanting to join Brodick. Her lust had truly destroyed her, exactly as the church preached. Having listened to the song of Satan, she was now a disciple unwilling to mend her ways.
One last time and then she would confess.
But she would lie with her lover a final time first.
A smile brightened her lips as she turned and hurried down to the courtyard. She was suddenly happy. Full of such bright joy that she felt as though she might burst with it.
The reason was simple. Brodick awaited her. The earl and master of Sterling had thought to send for her to ride with him. They would end up trysting and that made her move faster. Even if she had come to him by deception, he wanted her. He hadn’t plowed her and left her bed for that of a mistress. She would savor it. Soak it up while the spring sun warmed the earth.
It was the only thing she’d have once the bitter truth was known.
Brodick was a magnificent sight.
Strong and perfect.
Anne paused on the steps, smiling at the way he waited for her. He wasn’t in the saddle but stood waiting by the mare she’d ridden to Sterling extending a hand to her when she appeared, to help her into the saddle himself.
“I believe it’s time I showed you a bit o’ McJames lands.”
He lifted her as though she were a child, placing her atop the mare and handing her the reins.
“Thank you, my lord.”
He frowned at her, wrinkling his nose like a boy.
“I could not use your name in front of everyone.”
He mounted his steed and cast a look over the curious eyes watching them. There was a hint of smug satisfaction in his midnight eyes. He cut a firm glance back toward her.
“Do it.”
Anne suddenly understood and it reduced her to wanting to weep once more. He was making a public display of affection, dealing with the staff without ordering them to like her. It was clever and so touching she had to look down to hide the sparkle of tears in her eyes.
“You’re too kind, Brodick.”
“’Tis nae something that should be absent from a marriage, lass.” A warm hand reached across the space between them to cup her chin. “Just because ours is a noble union, that doesnae mean it must be unhappy.”
He smiled and tossed his head. “Come with me, lass. The day is fresh and ’tis time I introduced ye to a bit of Scotland. ’Tis a bonny land.”
Brodick gave his steed his freedom. As they cleared the gate, the pair of horses took to the road with zeal. In just moments the castle fell behind them, leaving her alone with her lover.
The sun was warm on her cheeks, spring finally dominating over winter. The mare felt it, too. She charged forward, her muscles flowing. They crested a hill and Anne gave the powerful animal her freedom. A valley lay below them, rich and green with new crops. Time and cares blew past her as fast as the ground beneath the pounding hooves of the horse.
Anne did not stay her but leaned over her neck, becoming one with the animal.
Brodick reached over and pulled the reins. The mare started, frustrated at having her run cut short. She pranced in a nervous circle but her husband held firmly.
“McQuade land begins over that river.” There was a serious note in his voice that drove Anne’s light mood away. His eyes scanned the ridge above them, searching it thoroughly.
“You do not get on well with your neighbors?”
Philipa’s words about Scots raiding one another surfaced. The last two months had nearly driven all thoughts of her away.
“The old lord is nae friend of the McJames.” Brodick shrugged. “He holds an old grudge against my father and in turn me. ’Twas his men I was chasing for the last month and a half.”
“I see.” She really wasn’t sure what to make of Brodick’s words; he’d told her little.
“You cannae ever cross the river, lass. Stay away from it.” His eyes swept the area once more. His hand was still in command of her reins and he tugged on the mare, turning both horses around.
“Even then, the McQuades cross onto my land as bold as be. You should nae be riding alone at all. My men know to stop ye if ye stray onto unsafe ground. I’ll be instructing the captain to nae allow ye outside the walls without good escort.”
Clearly he considered the matter closed. Anne frowned, his tone rubbing her pride. He noticed the disgruntled expression.
“Dinnae be vexed with me for protecting ye.”
“’Twas more that I do not appreciate you taking up my reins, as if I can not heed a warning. Or understand the wisdom in not questioning why you tell me to do something as understandable as remaining inside your borders.”
He scoffed at her but released control of the mare. “Ye dinnae ken, lass. McQuade would extract payment from ye for the wrong he thinks my father did him. Scotsmen can hold a grudge for a very long time. His men still burn down the farms of my people without a care for the loss it inflicts on them.”
“And what was the grievance?”
Brodick frowned, his lips set in a hard line of refusal. He shook his head, denying her question.
“If he’s angry enough to act out revenge on me, shouldn’t I at least get to know the reason why?”
Brodick led them to the top of the rise before he pulled up his stallion.
“My mother was betrothed to McQuade but he lost her contract in a game of dice to my father.”
“That’s absurd.” But it was exactly the sort of thing that she’d heard tales of at Warwickshire.
“Nae in Scotland, it isnae.” Brodick grinned in the face of her astonishment. A wicked gleam twinkling in his eyes. “Didn’t I claim ye as boldly?”
She shook her head, caught between the need to reprimand him and laugh because he spoke the truth.
“You’re a devil, I’ll agree to that much.”
His expression changed, darkening with passion. “Be careful what words ye place on me. I might decide to live up to them.”
“I can hope.”
A tic appeared on the side of his jaw. Hard need glittered in his gaze. Anne stared back at him, boldness firing her blood. An insane urge to taunt him flowed through her.
“Yet hopes will not satisfy me. I simply need more.”
“Yer a bold wench. Careful. Act so brazen and ye’ll reap the crop ye’ve sown.”
Her mare pranced in a circle, feeling the emotion. “And what might that be…my lord?” She drew his title out, knowing full well that it would frustrate him.
He glared at her, but the look in his eyes was not angry, it was demanding. “Maybe ye need a taste of what a raiding Scot does with his captured prize.”
“That is only if you can catch me.”
She slapped the reins, giving the mare her freedom once more. The animal dug into the soft spring ground, bolting forward. Leaning low over her neck, Anne laughed as she hung on tightly. Excitement surged through her veins as she looked back over her shoulder.
Brodick was hot on her heels. Just like a raider, intent on making her his captive. His midnight eyes glittered with determination as his stallion snorted. He bared his teeth and let out a yell that heightened her ex
citement.
Turning back around, she urged the mare forward. They raced up a hill and into the wooded patch. Her heart was hammering inside her chest, the blood speeding so fast through her veins it was hard to hear. She had never felt so alive.
She heard Brodick, heard him closing the distance between them. His horse surged up beside hers, the noses of the two animals becoming even. A hard arm snaked around her waist, pulling her across the distance between the animals. The ground was still flying past beneath her and her breath caught for one wild moment as she was on neither horse.
Brodick tossed her all the way across his saddle, her head sailing right over the body of the animal. He pressed a hard hand into her back as he pulled up on the reins. His stallion rose onto its hind legs, pawing at the air. A crazy shaft of need went through her clitoris, the sensitive bundle pulsing.
“Now what have I caught here?” Brodick dismounted in a quick motion, standing near her head. He grasped her hair, pulling it just enough to send little nips of pain across her scalp. In the oddest manner, she found the sensation arousing.
“A bonnie lass ripe for ravishing.”
His brogue thickened, hinting at his enjoyment of the moment. He pulled her from the horse, letting her feet touch the ground. His hand remained in her hair, holding her captive.
“Aye, I’m going to enjoy having ye at my mercy.”
His mouth pressed down on top of hers, demanding submission.
She didn’t yield.
Reaching down, Anne touched his bare skin where his kilt stopped. His tongue stabbed into her mouth, stroking across her own. Sweet need filled her, her own tongue tangling with his. Her hand slid up until she felt the sac at the base of his cock. Boldly cupping it, she teased him with her fingers.
“Christ.”
“Are you so sure who will be ravishing whom, my lord?” She gently squeezed and his lips curled back to show her his clenched teeth. “Maybe you should think again. It does appear that I hold the trump card.”
“I admit that yer telling me what to do, in private, is beginning to grow on me.”
She curled her hands around his staff. “Is it now?”
“A bit. But ye can nae put that card down without losing its power.”
A challenge coated his tone. A challenge she was in the mood to answer. Kneeling in front of him, she pushed his kilt up. The wide belt that held the pleats in place made a perfect place for her to tuck the end into. His cock was erect, the head swollen and ruby red. Running her hand up to the top of it, she teased the slit on its head with a fingertip. Seeing the thick pole in daylight didn’t make her blush. A deep enjoyment filled her as confidence kept her eyes open, even enjoying looking at it.
“Now about playing the card in my hand…”
The wicked delight he’d given her had planted its seed in her mind. Leaning forward, she licked that slit, intent on giving him the same pleasure.
“Sweet blessed virgin.”
Satisfaction filled her, stiffening her confidence. His hand stroked over her head as she worked her hand up and down his cock once again. Leaning forward, she added a long lap to the head. The hand in her hair clenched, telling her that she was succeeding. Opening her mouth, she closed her lips around the girth.
“Ye can tell me what to do all ye like as long as ye keep sucking me.”
His hips thrust toward her mouth, pushing his cock deeper. She relaxed, allowing it to penetrate. He tasted good, a slightly salty fluid weeping from the slit. But his skin was warm and male, filling her with hot need. He held her head in place, his hips pulling back before thrusting forward once more.
“Tease the underside of the head with yer tongue.”
His brogue had thickened further. She complied as he slid deeper into her mouth. She heard him take a ragged breath when her tongue touched his cock. She lost track of time, intent only on drawing more harsh sounds from him. His grip tightened, pulling her hair, and she didn’t care. The little nips of pain combined into a desire that seeped into her. Between her thighs, her clitoris begged for attention. She felt her passage heating, clamoring for the hard flesh inside her mouth.
“Enough.” He pulled her away from his cock. The grip in her hair tightened to keep her obedient to his will.
“My seed willnae be spilled in your sweet mouth, lass. Nae today. I plan to ravish ye properly.” He knelt down, holding her head steady so that his breath brushed across the wet surface of her lips. “With a hard fucking.”
Reaching down, she grasped his cock again. Her fingers slipped along its hard length easier now that it was slick from her sucking. He drew in a sharp breath, his eyes closing as she worked her hand up and down his cock.
“Are you sure, my lord? You appear torn. Quite indecisive.”
The muscle on the side of his jaw twitched. Working her hand faster, she listened to his breathing increase. “Maybe the captive will ravish you, after all.”
He chuckled but it wasn’t a pleasant sound. Determination flickered in his eyes as he thrust his cock up into her hand, shuddering in delight.
“I think ye have forgotten who yer master is. I’m just the man to remind ye.”
He pushed her head down, while sitting back on his haunches. She ended up across his thick thighs, her head over one side. He tossed her skirts right over her head as he clamped a hard arm over her back.
“Aye, ye need a wee bit of discipline.”
“Brodick!”
She braced her hands on the ground, trying to push her body off his legs. She might as well have been trying to move a mountain. He held her down as he yanked the tail of her chemise up as well. Cool air hit her bare bottom, brushing across the fluid that seeped from her passage. She felt the touch of the sunlight and the brush of the breeze on her bottom. Her skin began tingling in anticipation.
“I could become used to the sight of yer ass waiting for my hand.”
“I could not! What if someone is watching?”
“Then they shall see what a fine wife I’ve made out of ye. There are men aplenty that didnae think I might get my English bride to suck my cock.”
“Brodick…” She pushed against the ground again.
He chuckled, a warm hand rubbing her exposed bottom. “What bothers ye, lass? The fact that I’m intent on smacking yer ass or the fact that I havnae started yet?”
“That’s an absurd question. Let me rise.”
He smacked one cheek, drawing a gasp from her. The sensation was surprising. It bolted up her spine but also centered on her clitoris. Need tightened around her as a second slap landed on her opposite cheek.
“Some women enjoy it. They claim it makes their clitoris hotter. I’ve a mind to see if ye are one of them.”
His hand rose and fell again. A whimper crossed her lips because she couldn’t contain everything anymore. Being spanked should have horrified her, but all she could do was think about how close his hands were to her wet passage. Each smack jiggled her clitoris, pushing her closer to climax.
“Now, there’s an interesting sound.” He smacked her bottom once more before rubbing a warm hand over the smarting flesh. “I wonder. Do you like being pressed into submission?”
He stroked his finger down between her thighs and she jerked. There was too much sensation now, and her body refused to remain still.
“I believe I need to investigate just how much ye enjoy my discipline.”
He touched the opening to her body. Circled it with one fingertip. A moan rose from her lips as his finger slid in easily, aided by the welcoming fluid easing from her passage.
“Aye, ye are enjoying it.” He thrust a finger into her, stroking the sensitive skin inside her. “So am I.”
He worked two fingers in and out of her, little wet sounds reaching her ears.
“But I’m more in the mood to get back to ravishing my prize. We’ve played enough.”
He flipped her over. Her body lay across his thighs for one moment, allowing her to look at his expression. Pure d
evilment danced in his eyes.
“Now let’s get to that fucking I promised ye I would demand from ye.”
He picked her up, moving her to the ground. There was new, sweet grass there to lie on.
“Now to ravish ye properly, I need to lift yer skirts and nae take the time to undress ye.” He caught a handful of her skirts and tossed them up onto her chest. He moved between her thighs and pulled them up on either side of his hips. “We’ll have to wait until tonight to make love naked.”
A tender look crossed his face, but only for a moment. Hard need replaced it as he looked down at her spread flesh.
“Now there’s a sight, yer body spread for my use. Yer slit all glistening in welcome. Nae raiding man could ask for better. I might take to spanking you every day.”
“You shall not.”
His body weight pressed down on her. He kept her legs tightly held over each of his broad shoulders. His hard cock touched her opening, nudging into the wet entrance. His eyes glittered with determination.
“I shall have ye, as often and in as many ways as I please.” He thrust forward, his cock pushing deep. He felt too large, too hard, but her body eagerly took him.
“Wife.”
She hissed at him, defiance burning inside her. It combined with the excitement, heightening her passion. Her body wanted him, wanted him to take her. Balling her fingers into a fist, she hit his shoulder.
“You’re a fiery one.” He captured her wrist. Stretching her arm above her head, he pinned her hand to the ground. His hips didn’t move. Her passage was full of his hard flesh, aching for motion, but he remained still. Grabbing her free hand, he pressed it above her head as well.
“Better. That’s what a captive should look like while she’s being ravished.”
“Except that you aren’t doing anything but sitting on me.” Anne sniffed in disdain. “Quite boring, I must say.”
One dark eyebrow rose. His lips curved slightly up, mocking her. “Maybe I like the feeling of your sweet body clasping me.”
Well, it wasn’t enough for her. She struggled against his grip, needing to move. He laughed at her efforts, holding her in place, his cock rock-hard inside her.