“Caity, you shall put me in an early grave. My heart will surely give out if it’s always like this.”
“Do you think it might be?”
“Mayhap we won’t always want it so vigorous. But it’s not only the ferocity of my need for you. It’s how much my heart swells with love. God, Caity, I will never have enough time to love you for as long as I want.”
“I intend to be a very auld woman with gray hair, and you shall be an auld mon with nearly no teeth, before I’m willing to let us go to our Maker. Then I shall track you down and drag you to my eternal bed.” Caitlyn’s mischievous smile told Alex that while their bodies might one day age, their attraction wouldn’t.
“I don’t understand why people think Heaven is the most desired place to go. I’m in no rush. I’d rather be right here with you, be it in a bed or walking hand-in-hand on our clan’s land. This is more divine than any celestial court.”
“Shh.” Caitlyn stroked an ebony lock back from Alex’s brow before kissing him. “You’d do well to never say that blasphemy where anyone else can hear. But I agree. I’m in no hurry, even if we will never age there. There will be no gray hair or missing teeth.” Caitlyn winked. “But what we have now is what I want more than aught. I’m not convinced Heaven could be better.”
“I found you in this life, and I will find you in the next.” Alex filled his kiss with all the tenderness that was missing from their impassioned lovemaking. The balance between their urgency and their bliss surely symbolized their abiding love.
“I will always be with you in this life, and I will be with you in the next.”
Alex eased to his side, neither enjoying the sensation of parting. Caitlyn nestled closer once they arranged the surrounding blankets. Her head rested on his right shoulder as he stroked her hair. He pressed a kiss to her forehead as they both drifted off to sleep.
* * *
“Mo ghràidh, wake up.” Alex kissed Caitlyn’s temple as he tried to rouse her. She nuzzled closer and sighed, still content and asleep. “Caity.”
“No. She’s not here.” Caitlyn grumbled when Alex’s voice finally permeated her slumber.
“Caity, wake up. I think there’s an alternative to staying here or going straight to Mangerton. If it’s workable, we should leave soon.”
Caitlyn cracked one eye open and spied no light coming from the window embrasure. The candles still lit from the night before burned low. The room was so dim, she could barely find Alex.
“Did you sleep?”
“Aye, like a bairn. But my mind came up with another reason to wake me. What if we travel to Dunure instead? We can visit your parents and announce our marriage properly. We can visit for as long as you wish. I’m certain Innes will send men with us to escort us to Mangerton.”
Caitlyn sat up and twisted to gape at Alex before she burbled. “Do you think we could? I’d really like to seeMamanand Papa again. It’s been ages. I know they’ll come to visit, but I’d really like to tell them in person that we married.”
“No one will expect us to travel west rather than east. If we can travel far enough south without trouble and reach the road west, then it should be an easy ride. But we may need to travel overland to avoid encountering anyone. It’ll make the ride more tiring for you and your mount.”
“Goldie and I will manage,” Caitlyn assured Alex, but she wondered how he would fare. He’d made strides by being able to use his left hand to hold his reins and made it easier to mount, but she doubted even a well-worn road could keep his arm from jostling. She couldn’t imagine how riding across hill and dale would feel.
“It’ll be misery.” Alex felt there was no point in downplaying the truth since Caitlyn would know, anyway. “But I want to see Collette and Innes more, and I will endure the fires of hell to avoid endangering you.”
“If you need to rest, give me a look or some sign. I’ll ask you if we can stop. Let the men think I’m too fragile to travel long distances.”
“Not your guards, nor mine, will believe that. They’re accustomed to riding with you.”
“But the king’s men aren’t. Your men and mine will understand and are likely to do the same thing as me before making you miserable. If you wish to save face before anyone, then they are the ones. No Armstrong or Kennedy will ever think less of you.”
“I suspect you won’t allow it.” Alex sat up and bussed a kiss on her still-warm cheek.
“Absolutely not.” Caitlyn crossed her arms and nodded, but she soon launched herself at Alex, who welcomed her ardent kiss.
They’d woken up twice in the middle of the night, but they both felt well rested despite not getting a full night’s sleep. Alex realized he’d slept more than he usually did. It was still exceedingly early, so Alex wrapped his arm around Caitlyn as she guided his sword into her sheath. Alex watched her breasts sway as she moved over him. He couldn’t imagine how any man didn’t appreciate Caitlyn’s innate beauty. Her golden-bronze skin shone in the little candlelight that flickered in the chamber. It was smoother than any satin he’d ever felt as she draped herself over his chest. A selfish part of him niggled that he appreciated he had no competition, since he suspected he would have fought to the death once King Robert announced her chosen suitor. If only they could abandon all responsibility and hide away somewhere warm where Caitlyn could remain bare all day and night. But he feared starving because he could never tear himself away long enough to hunt.
Their movements were slow and gentle, like they had been after their combustible coupling when they returned to their chamber. They relished the feeling of touching one another, pouring love into every kiss. When neither could last any longer and pleasure swept over them, they lay joined but still.
“What were you thinking aboot?”
“You.” Alex glanced down at the top of Caitlyn’s head. “I was thinking aboot how stunning you are. That if I could take you away somewhere where the sun always shone, I would do away with all your clothes, so I could gaze at you all day.”
“You can stare at me all day even with my clothes on.”
