For a moment,he just stared at her, something raw and vulnerable crossing his face. Then he stepped back slightly, giving her room, his voice rough when he spoke.
"Aye,lass. If that's what ye want."
"It is."
Maia's handswere steadier now as she worked at the lacing, her eyes never leaving his face. She wanted to see his expression, wanted to watch him lose control, just as she had.
Without a word,she dropped to her knees, her hands going straight to free his hard manhood.
She draggedher tongue from root to tip, savoring the taste of him—salt and heat and pure, unadulterated male. Her lips sealed around the head, sucking slowly and filthy, her mouth a wet haven for his throbbing flesh. She pumped him with her hand, her fingers slick with pre-cum, her tongue swirling around the sensitive tip.
His hips jerked involuntarily,a low groan escaping his throat as he tangled his fingers in her hair, guiding her movements.
Her folds pulsed with need,empty and greedy, as she focused on pleasing him. She took him deeper, her throat relaxing to accommodate his length.
The soundof his ragged breathing and the wet, sloppy noises of her mouth filled the air, a symphony of desire. She looked up at him through her lashes, her eyes dark with want, and he met her gaze, his expression intense, almost vulnerable.
He hauledher up with a strength that belied his earlier gentleness, pinning her to the boulder once more. His mouth crashed against hers, a kiss that was both tender and demanding.
She tastedherself on his lips, the salty tang of him mingling with her own juices. Her pulse thundered in her ears, her heart racing as she realized this was only the beginning. The mountains stood as silent witnesses to their passion, the air thick with anticipation.
His hands roamed her body,possessive and hungry, as if mapping every curve, every dip. She clung to him, her nails digging into his shoulders, her legs wrapping around his waist. He lifted her easily, pressing her against the boulder, his erection grinding against her core. She moaned into his mouth, her body arching into his, desperate for friction, for release.
He pulled back slightly,his breath coming in short gasps, his eyes burning with desire.
"Nae yet,"he murmured, his voice a rough whisper against her ear."This is just the start."
19
"So let me understand this correctly—he touched ye, kissed ye, made ye feel things ye've never felt before, and then just... brought ye back to the castle without sayin' a word about it?"
Mollie's voicewas incredulous as she stared at Maia across the small table in Maia's chambers. Beside her, Aisla wore a similar expression of disbelief.
"Aye."Maia's cheeks burned with embarrassment, but she forced herself to continue. "We rode back in silence. Complete silence. And when we arrived, he just—he helped me down from the horse, told me he had work to attend to, and left. He hasn't talked about it for two weeks."
Aisla's eyebrows rose."He's nae said anything for two weeks?"
"Aye,"Maia twisted her hands in her lap. "Or maybe he's just busy. He's the laird, after all. He has responsibilities, and I'msure there are a hundred things that need his attention more than—than whatever happened between us on that mountain."
"Nae,"Mollie said firmly. "Daenae do that. Daenae make excuses for him or dismiss what happened."
"But maybe it dinnae mean anythin'to him. Maybe I'm just—" Maia's voice dropped to barely a whisper. "Maybe I'm just makin' too much of it. Maybe he does that sort of thing all the time, and I'm the fool for thinkin' it was special."
Aisla reachedacross the table to grip Maia's hand. "Listen to me very carefully. The laird doesnae do that sort of thing. Ever. I've kent him me whole life, and I've never seen him show that kind of interest in anyone. Certainly nae Laura, despite her best efforts."
"Then why has he been avoidin'me?" The words came out smaller than Maia intended, tinged with the hurt she'd been trying to ignore. "If it meant somethin' to him, if he felt even a fraction of what I felt, why wouldnae he want to see me? To talk about it?"
Mollie and Aislaexchanged a look that Maia couldn't quite interpret.
"Men are like that,"Mollie said finally. "Especially when it comes to their feelings. They panic, they retreat, they convince themselves that the best course of action is to avoid the situation entirely rather than, ye ken, actually talkin' about it like reasonable people."
Maia's throat tightened."I keep thinkin' maybe he regrets it. Maybe he realized that he doesnae actually want me, that what happened was just—just a moment of weakness, and now he's embarrassed about it."
Maia continued."He told me a bit about his parents. On the day we went to the lake. But I dinnae realize or understand how much it still affects him."
"It affects everythin',"Aisla said. "Every decision he makes, every relationship he has. He keeps people at a distance because he's afraid of what might happen if he lets them too close. Afraid of becomin' his father."
"But he'snae like his father," Maia protested. "He's kind and protective and?—"
