“Forgive me,” she said and moved to draw her hands away. 'Twas just as she’d feared. She’d made a foolish mistake and acted the whore rather than a wife.
“Nay,” Alexander said in a low, rumbling tone as he took hold of one her hands and moved it lower. “Never apologize for your touch, wife. It inflames me, I promise ye.”
Catriona caught her breath, not allowing herself to glance down. So rigid and hard. And it felt so much…larger. She’d seen his manhood when nursing him back to health but it had ne’er been like this.
He pressed her hand up and down the firm length of him with one hand while he laced his other hand up into her hair and tilted her head back for a gentle kiss. “This is what ye do to me, wife, and trust me, ye do it well.”
Encouraged and burning with a strange wanting she’d never known, Catriona shoved aside his kilt and slid her hand down inside the front of his trews. With a hesitant touch, she grazed her fingers along the silken hardness of his member as she opened to his deeper, more urgent kiss. He tasted of whisky and need. The hint of wood smoke mixed with his scent of strong virile male created an exquisite combination that made her senses reel.
Alexander burned a trail of kisses down her throat, pausing long enough to yank loose the ties of her bodice and toss it aside before continuing his tasting and setting her flesh afire. “I want ye free of these clothes,” he rasped against the tied front of her chemise as he undid the waist of her skirt and allowed it to fall into a pile of wool around her ankles. “I need the touch of your skin against mine. Please, Catriona.”
Panic. Excitement. Apprehension. An avalanche of emotions crashed through her as she stepped out of her slippers then nudged them along with her skirt and bodice aside. She hesitated at lifting her chemise to remove her stockings. Did he wish her completely naked? The worrisome wondering left her as Alexander shucked his trews, tunic, and kilt and stood before her naked as the day his mother brought him into the world. She’d seen him naked before whilst tending his wounds but…Merciful heavens. So big. Concern filled her. She couldna help but wonder how this could happen without a great deal more pain than any of the women at the keep had ever mentioned when it came to sacrificing a maidenhead.
“Dinna be afraid,” he reassured as he led her closer to the pallet and lowered them both to the plaid-covered bed. With a reassuring smile, he settled her back on the blankets then allowed his fingertips to trail across every dip and curve of her body as he rose above her. “I want ye, Catriona, but I want ye to want me as well, aye?”
“I…I do.” And she meant it. She ached to arch her back, to meet his hand as he touched her, and rub him harder against her body. But she held herself still, fearing he’d think her a wanton whore. Sweet Jesu, how she wanted him.
He slid his hands down to the hem of her chemise and pushed it up to her waist. His gaze locked with hers, he brushed his fingertips across the auburn thatch of curls at the juncture of her thighs. He leaned over her, the heat of his breath tickling across her flesh. His warm, tender kisses trailed down her stomach as he moved lower, fanning the already burning ache about to explode within her.
Catriona gasped and shuddered, struggling against the urge to writhe beneath his touch. Alexander smiled down at her as he slid her stockings down her legs one by one then pulled them free and tossed them beside the bed. His warm calloused hands slid down the outer sides of her legs, down to her ankles, then tickled back up the insides of her calves, pausing at the tender flesh just above her knees.Such delicious agony.
He stretched out beside her on the pallet, treating her to gentle kisses as he tugged her chemise higher and whispered against her ear. “Your skin against mine. Our heat united. Please, Catriona. Would ye be willing? I swear I’ll keep ye warm.”
Keep her warm? That was no' one of her fears at the present. Catriona sat up, skimmed her chemise off over her head, then lowered herself back to the pallet. Her hands trembled as she crossed her arms over her breasts. Have mercy, she could hardly breathe as she eased herself back down on the blankets beside Alexander and looked up into his face.
“Such loveliness,” Alexander rasped against her temple as he pressed the hard length of his body against her and with the gentlest of touches, slid a hand under her folded arms to cup one of her breasts in his palm. He eased himself over her and set to nibbling kisses across her collarbone and lower.
Catriona closed her eyes, cradling his head to her chest and filling her hands with his hair as he tasted and teased until she thought she’d surely die. She arched against him, luxuriating in the heat radiating from his body, no longer caring if she made a mistake as she slid her body against his. If this made her wanton, then so be it. It felt right. It felt damned good.
Alexander swallowed her groans as he trailed a hand up between her legs. She bucked into his touch, breathless, and writhing as he teased a finger up inside her. “'Twill be less painful this way,” he promised as another finger joined the first and he hugged her close as he slid them both in and out, stroking and gyrating until all Catriona knew was that she needed blessed relief. Arching hard and fast, matching her rhythm to his, Catriona raked her fingers down his broad back, her moans growing loud but she no longer cared.
Covering her mouth with his, Alexander shoved his fingers deep with a quick thrust. Catriona felt a tearing. The burning rip caught her unaware, and she stiffened against the pain. She cried out but Alexander swallowed the sound, kissing her deep and long as he removed his hand and cradled her close.
Cuddling her against him, he soothed her with tender kisses along her jaw, nipping and tasting her throat and suckling her earlobe. He teased his fingertips across her with the lightest of touches, teasing them up and down the center of her torso then moved to stroke her side, cupping her buttocks and nibbling kisses around her breasts.
Catriona smoothed her hands down Alexander’s back, pressing into his touch and arching against him. The aching inferno reignited inside her. The demanding need returned and grew stronger. She forgot the pain. All she knew was that she needed more. She needed Alexander. “I need ye,” she whispered with a desperate gasp.
"Aye." Alexander rumbled beneath her hands with a purring groan. "'Tis time, indeed."
He rolled her beneath him, sliding his arms beneath her shoulders, and propping on his elbows as he nestled down between her legs. Catriona opened to him, wrapping her legs around him and arching to meet him.
Ever so slowly, he nudged his way into her, gentle but steady. “Relax, lass,” he said with a kiss to her temple as he pushed deeper. “Relax,” he groaned as he filled her.
So…so tight. Not painful but so… Catriona closed her eyes and committed to the wondrous array of new sensations. His smooth back under the palms of her hands. The ripples of his muscles as he moved. She hugged her legs tighter about him and matched her moves to his, thrust for thrust. The harder Alexander pushed, the more Catriona discovered she needed.
An exquisite shuddering stole her breath, bursting across her senses with such delight she reeled with the rapturous explosion, crying out as all thought left her and only excruciatingly wonderful delirium took over.
Alexander growled out a low rumbling moan, pounding harder and faster, then thrust deep and stayed there. Every muscle tensed, and breath held, he spasmed and jerked for the span of several heartbeats then collapsed atop her.
Chest to chest. Heart pounding against pounding heart. Catriona stared up into the darkness, still gasping for breath. So this is what it was. She tightened her arms around Alexander and snugged her cheek up against his head. What a wondrous pleasure to share with a husband. Her heart was most certain near to bursting. She’d never known this much happiness, never felt this cherished. A tear slipped down her cheek. She hitched in a quick shaking breath as she swiped it away.
Alexander lifted himself up, pressed a kiss to her forehead, then grazed another kiss across her tear-dampened cheek and immediately drew back. “Are ye all right, dear one? Did I hurt ye?”
He watched her closely and his expression made her heart swell. The man cared about her, worried about her well-being. Truly, he cared.
“I am quite well. I promise.” She smiled up into his eyes and hugged her legs back around him, reveling in the rugged muscular manliness of him against her tender skin. She teased her fingers up and down his sides, pleased at discovering he was ticklish along his ribs. “I’m finding the cave to be quite warm with this wondrous new blanket I’ve discovered.”
He laughed, stirring an entirely new array of sensations through her. “I’m pleased ye find me wondrous, m’lady.” He kissed the tip of her nose and grew serious. “I dinna wish ye to regret your decision to marry me, Catriona. Not ever.” He eased off her and rolled to the side, curling her up close against him and covered them both with the plaid. Cradling her in one arm, he traced lazy circles up and down her forearm, brought her hand to his mouth for a kiss, then peacefully tucked it to his chest.
