‘Oh.’ She blinked at him, surprised at his arousal so quickly. She’d never spoken to her aunt aboutthis, so it was new to her. So did this mean...?
‘Do you want to do this again? To me. With me?’
The torrid kiss he gave her, taking her mouth and possessing and claiming it, should have been answer enough. The way his hardness rubbed against her belly as he pulled her closer was a clue. Then he took her hand and placed it back down there, guiding her fingers around his length and keeping his hand over hers. He rocked his hips, sliding into her grasp each time and her body remembered the feel of him deep within her.
‘Aye, I want to do this again,’ he whispered against her mouth. ‘To you. With you. I have dreamt of many ways to have you, Arabella.’
His next kiss stole her breath. But his next words stole her ability to do anything but allow him his way.
‘I have wanted you—’ his hand released hers and slipped between her legs ‘—for months now, lass. Since the day you heard my insult and ignored it. Since you smiled at me, truly smiled at me.’
She could not help but wince as he touched that intimate place. He removed his hand, cursing under his breath much as his friend did and pulled away from her to stand. His breeches were still on, but they sagged down below his hips, giving her the most revealing look at that part of him that had joined with her, a part that showed the evidence of their joining. After tugging them up, he moved quickly around the chamber, gathering up items and bringing them to her. A basin of water, a cloth, some soap.
‘You need to be tended to, Arabella,’ he said as he placed them next to her on the plaid. Its dark colours and pattern hid what she knew must be there—her blood and his seed.
‘I can see to myself.’
He nodded and walked over to the pallet, adding blankets and readying it. It took a few minutes to cleanse herself and when she handed the basin of bloodied water back to him, he walked outside and emptied it, remaining out there for several minutes.
Unfortunately, in those few minutes, all the sadness of having but this one night with him struck her. They would both carry out their duties—her to her clan and him to his in spite of their exile of him.
And they would never be together again.
Arabella turned away and gathered her clothing from the scattered place on the floor where he’d tossed it and wrapped his plaid around herself.
Her tears flowed.
His arms wrapped around her before she knew he’d returned and she let his strength surround her. How long they sat like that, she did not know, but he never let go of her. When her tears were spent, she raised her head.
‘Would you like me to take you to Bradana’s, then?’ he asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs as he cradled her face in his hands. He stood and drew her up, her clothing held between them in a crumpled bundle.
What she wanted was to stay at his side and never be parted from him. She wanted to lie in his arms every night for the rest of her life. And she wanted always to have him gaze upon her as he had just a little while past—as though she were the only woman he would ever love. But...none of that could or would ever be, so she shook her head and took what she could.
‘I would stay, if you will have me?’
‘They will know,’ he warned, nodding his head towards the outside of the cave. ‘They know.’
This collection of people he’d gathered were a family and, like most, gossip travelled quickly. The women knew what would happen as soon as she’d left Bradana and Margaret behind to seek his cave. Dougal and the other guards would chatter quietly like old women at the well about being sent away. Other than the children who lived here and, hopefully, her cousin, everyone would be very aware that she’d lain with him this night.
And though she’d like to stay with him all night for purely selfish and intimate reasons, she also had to give Alan time enough to sneak away without being seen. So the longer the guards were away from this area around the caves the better.
‘Ah, there’s regret come once more into your eyes, Arabella.’ He took her shift and began to hold it out for her, clearly expecting her to leave now.
‘As I said, not regret over what we did, but over what we will never do,’ she answered as she took the garments from him and tossed them aside. ‘And since they already know what has happened here, there is no need to pretend it did not.’
Feeling a boldness brought on by knowing what pain awaited her on the morrow, she dropped his plaid and stood before him, naked but for her stockings, offering herself to him once more. He did not try to persuade her to leave this time. He closed the space between them with one step and gathered her up in his arms. Carrying her to the pallet, he laid her under the blankets there and slid next to her.
So quiet was he that she thought he meant them to sleep, curled up next to one another, so she closed her eyes and allowed his body’s heat to warm her. As she drifted off, she remembered something he’d said to her and smiled.
‘In what ways do you wish to have me, Brodie?’ she asked.
The reaction was immediate and very noticeable as his flesh rose, long and hard, against her buttocks and spine. He thrust once against her and then groaned.
‘Your questions will be the death of me yet, lass.’
She rolled on to on her belly and leaned up on her elbows. He did look angry as he sometimes did when she battered him with a long line of her questions. Instead, his deep-brown gaze shimmered as he watched her.
‘We have but one night, Brodie. I would not want to leave with the regret that we did not do something we wanted to do. Especially since there can never be a repeat of this time together.’
