“When ye were ranting—”
“I wasnae ranting. I was merely discussing a few things with ye.”
“Of course. Weel, when ye were discussing these few things with me, ye said ye had done things with me that ye had ne’er done with another. Being that I am nay as worldly as ye are, I cannae think of what those things might be.”
Hearing no lingering anger in her voice when she spoke of his past, he lifted his head to look at her. “Curious, are ye?”
“Weel, aye. Ye ken all that I havenae done with another since I was a virgin. And since all I ken now I have learned from ye, how could I guess what is new for ye as weel?”
“Verra true.” He began to trail kisses over her still slightly flushed face. “I have ne’er slept the night with a woman. I have ne’er bathed with a woman.” He grinned at the blush that warmed her cheeks as she obviously recalled those times they had shared a bath. “And I have ne’er praised a woman’s body with kisses as I have yours.” Her blush deepened to such a brilliant shade that he knew she understood exactly what he was referring to and he laughed softly.
“So it was truly just a rutting,” she murmured.
Realizing that she was trying to finish putting his past firmly in the past, he agreed. “I followed my rules; I said pretty words to make them smile; and I took my ease with them.” He brushed a kiss over her mouth. “I do wish I could have come to you as pure as ye came to me.”
“Oh, that would have been nice, but ’tis probably for the best that one of us had had a little practice.”
Thinking of the embarrassment and fumbling that had constituted his first time with a woman, he silently agreed. “I am still learning,” he said.
Keira had to laugh. “Nonsense. A mon as weel, er, practiced as ye has naught left to learn.”
“Oh, aye, he does.” Liam studied her face, idly brushing strands of hair off it. “I have learned a lot since I married ye. I have learned the taste of a woman.” He winked when she blushed. “I have learned that some of those positions I caught a glimpse of in the less saintly books some of the monks have can really give one pleasure. I had but the two before.” He bit back a grin for he could tell by the still look on her face that she was hastily counting up all the positions they had tried. “And I have learned how complete it makes me feel to be one with the woman I love,” he added in a soft voice. “How loving the woman I am with makes all other times meaningless, empty, for none could e’er equal the pleasure she gives me.”
Keira wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his throat. “Ye said it clear. I was wondering if ye would.”
“Ye said it clear. And verra loudly once or twice,” he murmured and laughed when she lightly pinched his side. “I dinnae want ye to e’er doubt it, lass, though I may lag a wee bit from time to time in saying it.”
“I ken ye would ne’er say such a thing unless ye truly meant it, Liam.”
“And do ye trust me now, love?”
She lifted her head to smile at him. “Oh, I think I have for a while. That woman just made me so angry, and I wasnae sure why or if some of it was aimed at ye. I would like ye to remember that, Liam. I trust ye to hold to your vows. I trust in your love for me and in our marriage. I just dinnae trust all those women out there who look at ye and want ye and think to walk right o’er me to get at ye. I will get angry. I cannae promise I willnae. But e’en if I snap and snarl at ye, ’tisnae because I think ye will be rushing off to the nearest bed with whate’er woman is ogling ye at that moment.”
“I think I understand what ye are trying to say. ’Tis the situation, nay me.”
“Aye. I cannae always just punch them in the mouth, but there is that anger sitting there in my belly and—”
“There I am. If we didnae live so sheltered here, ye would have to deal with the same from me, lass.” He kissed her when she frowned. “Trust me, ye would be heartily pursued if ye e’er went to the king’s court.”
Keira just smiled, not believing a word of it, but flattered that her husband found her so beautiful he feared other men would pursue her. “There is something I have been meaning to tell ye, Liam,” she murmured, her gaze fixed upon his chest as she idly ran her finger over the muscles there.
It was difficult not to reveal his knowledge, that he knew she was about to tell him of the child they had made. “Ah, a deep, dark secret?”
“I have no deep, dark, secrets, Liam. Where would I get them? I have spent my whole life living in a place much like this. My time at the monastery was a grand adventure.” She smiled when he laughed and then added very quietly, “But I think I may soon have another adventure. In, oh, mayhap seven months?”
Even though he had known what she was about to tell him, Liam still felt deeply moved. She looked a little uncertain, and he kissed her. “We shall have a wee lass with black curls and dark green eyes,” he said as he stroked her stomach.
“Nay, a lad with dark copper hair and eyes that can be blue and can be green.” She laughed and then stroked his cheek. “Ye are pleased? Ye ne’er said much about wanting a bairn or two.”
“Ah, love, how can ye ask? I have thought of ye as the mother of my children since before we were married. I could see it so clearly almost from the start. Wee black-haired lassies I could spoil and ye would have to discipline.”
“Thank ye.”
“My pleasure.”
“Oh, dear. I just had a thought.”
“Your brothers warned me about letting ye think too much,” he teased.
“Wretches. Nay, I just realized we shall have to name Sigimor as godfather.”
“Ye dinnae think that would be a good idea?” He knew she was not quite sure about Sigimor, but now that she had spoken of naming him godfather to their first child, he knew he wanted that very much.
“Oh, nay, it would be wonderful. I just thought of how utterly spoiled a lass would be with ye as a father, my brothers as her uncles, and Sigimor as godfather.”
He laughed and hugged her. “We shall have a verra good life, my love. A very good life indeed.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hannah Howell is an award-winning author who lives with her family in Massachusetts. She is the author of nineteen Zebra historical romances and is currently working on a new Highland historical romance, Highland Lover, which will be published in June 2006. Hannah loves hearing from readers and you may visit her website: www.hannahhowell.com. Or write to her c/o Zebra books. Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you wish a response.
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