Turning loose of one hip, I slide my hand around her, pinching her clit as she comes apart around me. I’m pretty sure they can hear her scream my name all the way at the party, but I don’t care. One more thrust and I’m pumping into her.
With a roar, I collapse onto Claire, still bent over the table, my heart racing. Regaining some semblance of control over my racing heart, I gently slide out of her, letting my kilt fall back down to my knees.
“Are ye okay? I dinnae hurt ye, did I?” I ask, pulling her back against my chest. Stepping out of my arms, Claire turns to look at me, her eyes lit with an emotion I’ve never seen in them. My heart clenches when she tilts her head to study me. With her finger, she reaches out, slowly tracing the bite marks that are already turning purple on my shoulder.
“Claire?” I ask as her fingertips slowly trace down my chest until they’re holding the waistband of my kilt. Her face is one of serenity or resignation, I’m too terrified to figure it out. Does she already regret her decision to be here with me?
“Do you know why I baited you?” she asks quietly, looking up at my face. I watch her in silence before she continues. “I wanted you to lose control. I wanted you to do your worst.” I can feel my heart start to hammer in my chest. I must be gasping in panic because she begins running her hand in slow circles over my chest.
“Why would ye want that?” I ask hoarsely, trying to calm my breathing.
“Because I never want you asking if you hurt me again, Alex,” she says, moving her hands to the buckles on my kilt. “You could never hurt me. Do you understand that even after I laced your ass with scratches, broke skin with my teeth on your shoulder and threatened to fuck your brothers you still protected my hips from getting bruised by the table? You pushed all of the money off it so I wouldn’t have to lay on it again. You placed your hand under the zipper of my dress so you didn’t take a chance of catching any skin.”
“But Claire…” I start before she stops me with a hand covering my mouth. When she puts her hand back down, I feel the front of the kilt slide open. Her hands move to the buckle on the inside, working until it also falls away, the kilt sliding to the ground.
“Do you know when I knew you loved me?” she asks. “It was when you chased me into the locker room after slapping you. You should have asked Coach to have me removed, but instead, you followed me to tell me what an asshole you are and how fantastic I am.” I smile at her. I don’t remember even considering not chasing after her. I had finally found her again, she wasn’t about to walk away.
“I love my sweet Alex with his kind heart, his quiet support and his self-doubt. But I also love my Xander whose eyes light up with lust when I show too much skin in public, who flips me upside down because I won’t hold still, and who played with a taped broken ankle because it was a championship game when his team needed him. I married them both, but I don’t want you looking at me like I’m a fragile thing that you need to tiptoe around so I don’t break.”
“Claire,” I try again. I don’t want her to ever hurt again. “Whit dae ye need from me,” I ask, pulling her into my chest. She pushes me back then reaches her arms around my neck before jumping to wrap her legs around my waist. I catch her under her thighs as she lunges at me, managing not to fall back over the couch.
“I want the Alex who wakes me up quietly every morning by running kisses down my back, but I also want the Xander whose eyes turn dark and whose left hand tremors when the only thing he can focus on is how fast he can thrust inside me. I need that man who wants to lose himself in me.” She cups a hand on my face, pulling me in for a soft kiss.
“Ye’re wrong ye know,” I say when she pulls back. Cocking her head at me she raises an eyebrow. “I loved ye way before that.” I grin at her until she finally gives in, laughing back at me.
“I seem to remember, Mr. Ross, you saying something about how unhappy you are unless you’ve given me multiple orgasms in one night.” She leans over, sniffing me. “I think round two might need to start in the shower. Neither one of us smells so good anymore.” Bouncing her up higher in my arms, I turn for the bathroom.
“Oh Mrs. Ross, I have so many plans for ye tonight. Naw a single one includes a hundred yards of hot, itchy wool either.”
“And I’m looking forward to every one, Mr. Ross. You might as well wrap your mind around wearing that kilt a lot more in the future though.” She just laughs when I let out a grunt of disgust as I carry her into the shower.
I can barely pry my eyes open the next morning. Turning my head toward the French doors, I notice that one of the heavy drapes has been pushed back slightly, letting a blinding shaft of light bounce off my face. Fumbling for my watch on the nightstand, I try to calculate how long I slept. A slow smile crosses over my face when I remember why I can’t pinpoint when I fell asleep.
I remember everything else, getting married, sex on the table, in the shower, on the kitchen counter when we raided the fridge, the couch when we couldn’t wait to make it to the bed. I remember the sex against the wall next to the front door when I had to investigate the strange noises for Claire. It was sheep, it’s always sheep up here.
Let’s see, she rode me on the living room rug, then back to the shower before finally falling asleep in my arms in bed with me still in her. Damn, I like being married! My reverie is broken when I hear voices outside.
“Claire?” I call, sitting up in bed. When there is no answer, I hunt down a pair of flannel pajama pants I’ve left here and a heavy fleece Henley.
Following the voices, I finally spot her sitting in a chair on the front porch talking to Robert. Why in the hell would my brother be here? Grabbing a mug of hot coffee, I step outside. “Robert,” I growl at him. The ass just grins up at me.
“Alexander,” he answers with a smirk. “Before ye get yer knickers in a wad, I ran into Claire oot here moving the sheep back toward the house. One of the dogs ran over tae flop at her feet instead of daeing his job.” I grunt at him, setting my coffee down on the side table.
Picking Claire up in my arms, I sit down, resettling her on my lap, tucking her blanket in tight around us.
“Robert was telling me about all of the renovations you’ve done to the cottage. He said it was in a rough state when you bought it. Why didn’t you tell me this was yours?” she asks, snuggling into my chest. Rob just grins at us.
“I was, I just dinnae have the chance. When Rob and I bought this place there was a nicer hoose that he moved into, but this was the original home. I thought it would make a nice place tae get away from all of the craziness that swirls around me. Sometimes, Rob rents it oot tae tourists for extra money for the croft. Dae ye like it? I’m giving it tae ye as a wedding present.”
“It’s amazing. I just couldn’t stay in bed anymore this morning. I had to come see if I could see the sea. I love it here, Alex. Thank you!” She throws her arms around me, twisting on my lap until she is straddling me. When she pulls my mouth to hers, I can already feel my cock twitch.
“This is my cue tae leave.” Robbie laughs. “But I have something for ye before I go.” Digging in the satchel he has slung over his shoulder, he pulls out two kilts. “Word has it yer new wife has a thing for kilts. I dug these oot of the attic for ye.” Now I understand what Claire meant by a shit-eating grin, because that is exactly what he has on his face.
“Ye might want tae make sure the local kids are naw on yer porch drinking beer before the screaming begins next time. Ye’re now a legend in these parts even more than ye already were.” Robbie tosses the kilts at me when Claire buries her face in my neck as the red creeps up.
“Nice job, brother.” I flip him off but he just laughs. With a whistle, he calls his dogs before walking off to hunt down his sheep. Looking over my shoulder, I study the open windows.
“Claire, were the window drapes open when ye came oot this morning?”
