Callum moved so that Bethoc was sprawled beneath him. Her hand fell away from him as she reached out to grab hold of him. He kissed her as he eased their bodies together. Resting his forehead against hers, he went still, savoring the feel of her heat surrounding him, the silk of her skin against his. He ran his hands over her legs when she crossed them over his back. Gently he kissed her forehead, her cheeks, and her nose.
“Ye are nay moving,” Bethoc whispered.
“I ken it. I was making certain I kenned the right plan of attack.”
“Attack?”
“Weel, there is a part of me that truly wants to go verra slow, to make it last as long as it can. Mayhap even hours.”
“Hours?” She swallowed hard.
“Or”—he brushed a kiss over her mouth—“mayhap fast would be better.”
“Or somewhere in between?” she asked even as he began to slowly move inside her.
Bethoc closed her eyes and savored the feel of him moving lazily, their skin brushing against each other’s with every thrust of his body. It was not long before he began to move faster, his kiss growing fiercer. She felt her desire soar until it shattered and washed her in intense pleasure. Callum quickly joined her, her name a soft groan on his lips. Bethoc held him close until he left her, holding her curled up in his arms when he flopped onto his back.
Callum kissed the top of her head. “Still not ready for the slow.”
She laughed. “Is it important to ye?”
“Aye and nay. I just want to give ye the most pleasure I can, to show ye all the things we can share. But, as long as my body is so greedy for ye, that is a difficult goal.” He kissed her forehead. “And I ken ye dinnae understand what I am talking about but someday soon I will show ye.”
Bethoc thought on that as she relaxed beneath his hand, which was idly rubbing her back. It certainly sounded interesting. She smiled a little and she started to give in to sleep, wondering what it would take to help Callum not be so greedy. Then she decided she did not want to dim that greed at all.
Chapter Fifteen
Standing on the walls next to Sir Brett, Bethoc stared out at the lands surrounding it. He had told her of all the trouble they had had in trying to keep it, but it was certainly land worth fighting for. The fact that it was not very accessible to the outside world appealed to her.
“’Tis beautiful, sir,” she said and he smiled proudly.
“Aye, ’tis. It will grow more so.” He turned round and leaned against the wall. “Ye can call me Father.”
“Oh.” She struggled to think of something to say when he laughed.
“I ken ’tis hard but Triona says we should do it. Until that gets set in our minds. Ye ken, when I was told about ye, I was both happy and sad. Happy to find a child I didnae ken about and sad about your mother. Then ye came here and ye were nay a child. I kenned how long ago ye were born but”—he shrugged—“occasionally the mind goes its own way. Dinnae ken what to do about that.”
Bethoc smiled. “Aye, I understand that,Father.Mayhap Triona has a good idea.”
“She often does. So, has Callum told ye about himself?”
She frowned. “Weel, I ken he had a hard childhood, a bad mon held him for a while, and that he took a vow to protect children. Then he met his family, became a MacMillan, and is now a laird. It isnae really verra much, is it,” she murmured as she thought about it.
“Nay, but more than I had expected. He was horribly abused,” he said. “And I tell ye this because I think ye need to ken. He can get, weel, enraged about certain things which might make ye wonder.”
“I rather assumed that was what he meant. I ken ’tis something that can linger and leave scars. My mother had many so I understand how such things can mark a person. I have seen little of that in Callum although I do believe if my father had lived there would have come a moment that could have been a concern.”
“’Tis good, then. Payton did what he could for the lad, gave him pride, skills, found his clan so that he had a name and kinsmen, but I do wonder sometimes if anyone can ever truly get past such things. Get past that anger.”
“I have nay met Payton but he did a wondrous job. I ken what a constant simmering anger looks like in a mon. I have lived with it all my life. I ken that rage that bursts to life and strikes out for no rational reason. There is none of that in Callum.”
“Weel,Daughter,that eases my mind. Naught like the word of an expert to soothe a worry.” He caught her by the hand, tugged her close, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Howbeit,” she said, “I wouldnae hit my wife or child if he is close at hand.”
“That goes without saying,” he said as he started to lead her down from the walls, “although I am thinking I would be more afeared of what my wife might do.”
Bethoc laughed.
