"Would ye like that, Islaen?” He told himself to behave, that they still had a lot to talk about, but continued to unlace her shift.
"Aye. Verra much. ‘Tis what I have always wanted. Iain, kiss me,” she whispered.
"We arenae done talking,” he said with equal softness even as he brushed his lips over hers.
"I ken it, but once ye stilled some of my fears I got to thinking on other things. It has been so verra long, Iain."
"Aye, too long,” he growled and then kissed her, moving so that she lay beneath him. “God's beard, how I have missed your sweetness,” he rasped as his lips followed the descent of her shift as he eased it off of her body.
Her hands clenching in his hair as he paused to suckle the aching tips of her breasts, she found her voice thick and husky with passion when she was finally able to speak. “Yet ye stayed away for so long."
"I had to.” He finished removing her shift, then crouched over her, the sight of her lithe, naked form all the foreplay he needed. “T'was a torture, sweeting. I dinnae think there was a moment I didnae ache for ye."
Curling her fingers around his shaft, she urged him to join their bodies. “I ken the torment weel, Iain. End it now, husband."
What little control he had ended the moment he joined their bodies. Islaen held him close as the hunger in his kiss matched the fierce thrusts of his body. She welcomed the fury of his passion and met it, wanting to savor each movement of his body within hers but unable to control her starved desires. Vaguely she was aware of him watching her when her passion crested but, as she fell into passion's abyss, she knew he was with her, felt him drive deep within her and heard him cry out her name.
Feeling satisfaction turn to renewed desire, Iain set aside the cloth he had washed them with and rejoined Islaen in their bed. Lying on his side next to her, he gently brushed the tangled hair from her face and smiled into her sleepy gaze. He still held her passion and that gave him hope, gave him the strength to finish talking.
"Now, where was I ere ye interrupted me?” He idly drew circles around her nipples with his finger and watched them slowly harden.
"Iain, if ye mean to have a talk, I dinnae think ye should do that,” she murmured but made no move to halt him, lying quiescently beneath his idle yet sensuous attentions. “I might get distracted again."
"Weel, if ye keep lying verra still ye may be able to let me finish most all of what I have left to say."
Feeling decidedly wanton, she just smiled. There was something exciting about just lying there letting him do as he pleased and feeling renewed desire seep through her veins. She was a little curious as to how long she could do so before having to touch him. Concentrating on his words would slow passion's control over her and she exerted herself to do just that.
"Weel, what else did ye have to say? That wasnae all of it?"
"Nay. I ken I dinnae really have to say it all but I will. I want all cleared between us."
"A fresh start."
"Aye, a fresh start. Islaen, t'was not only ye I ran from. I ran from myself, from all ye could make me feel. After losing Mary, then Catalina's death, I shut myself away, locked up my feelings. I put my heart in armor as strong as any warrior's. I didnae want to feel and I didnae want anyone to make me feel. From the moment we met, Islaen, ye chipped away at that wall. I think the hardest thing to fight was the way ye could make me smile. Passion, ye ken, doesnae need to touch the heart and, e'en though t'was the fiercest and best I have e'er tasted, I oft felt I could control that. A mon has many years to learn to keep his lusts free of any other feelings. Och, ‘tis so hard to explain."
"Ye dinnae need to be too exact, Iain,” she said softly and trembled when he stroked her thigh.
"I dinnae think I can be.” He leaned down to tease at her hardened nipples with his tongue. “Ye moved."
Clenching her hands which had begun to reach for him, she muttered huskily, “'Tis harder than I thought. Iain, when did ye decide to stop running? It wasnae just today was it?” She fought to keep her mind on the conversation and not on the hand caressing her thighs and legs and making her ache. “Was it when MacLennon was killed?” She moaned softly when he began to suckle gently.
"Nay, before that. When ye were taken by Fraser I thought my reasons for keeping a distance justified. If ye could feel but a part of the pain that seared me when I thought ye dead, then t'was my duty to protect ye from it. E'en then I think I kenned I hoped to protect myself too, to pull back some. T'was myself I feared for as much as ye.” After savoring the view of her breasts damp and swollen from his attentions, he turned his amorous skills upon her midriff. “Ye are squirming, lass."
"I will make ye pay for this, Iain MacLagan."
"I will consider that a promise,” he murmured, moving so that he was sprawled between her thighs. “Now, I was going to tell ye what changed my mind.” He encircled her navel with kisses as his hands gently stroked her hips.
"I think ye best hurry, Iain."
"But, sweeting, I was meaning to go slow with ye. ‘Tis all I have thought on these last months."
"I meant hurry and finish talking,” she rasped as he scattered kisses down her leg.
"Alexander changed my mind."
"Alexander?” she croaked as he held her foot and slowly kissed each toe.
"Aye. He got me to thinking on how only God can decide when someone will die, that I didnae have to be killed by MacLennon. He got me thinking on how I was depriving both of us, wasting the precious time God had given us.” He started up her other leg. “His words swam around in my mind for days but took firm hold when ye came to Muircraig, when ye seduced me. That ye would do that told me ye werenae happy with the way things were and I wasnae either. I also finally admitted to myself that I sought to protect myself as much as ye. I had wasted so many months of both our lives.” He kissed the top of each inner thigh, then placed his lips upon the soft, heated warmth between them. “I will waste no more."
