"I couldnae do it,” he said softly and felt her tense.
"Ye didnae bed the woman?” Islaen whispered.
"Nay, I couldnae. I willnae lie to ye, lass. I went to Mary's chambers intending to bed the woman."
Turning onto her side, Islaen looked at him, wondering if he knew how very important his honesty was to her. “I ken it. I saw ye in the hall that leads to her chambers."
He grimanced, recalling the deep kiss Mary had given him. “Aye, I hesitated but not for long, eh? I wanted to go back to that time four years ago when she and I were in love."
"But ne'er lovers."
"Nay, ne'er lovers. I was that curious to ken what it would be like to bed her."
"I can understand that, Iain,” she said quietly and she could for, although she would never admit it and would never follow through, she had felt that curiosity about Alexander.
"I think ye may be more understanding than I could be."
"Weel, ‘tis easy enough for ye didnae bed her."
"Nay. I made promises to ye but I will admit that that wasnae the only reason I left her. T'was there but not the only one. I was seeking the past and I suddenly kenned that I wouldnae find it in her bed. Something told me that what I thought was the past, what I thought had been, was a lie. In truth the Mary I thought I loved ne'er really existed.”
"There was something I saw in her eyes, something I have seen in the eyes of women from the past, the women I used to still a mon's hunger, whores parading as fine ladies. When she kenned that I was turning away from her, she condemned herself with her own lips. She was ne'er a sweet lass forced to wed an old mon, but a grasping woman who chose the richest and most powerful of her suitors. Now widowed, she saw my rise in fortunes as reason enough to reach out for me. I dinnae think I care to ken how she meant to deal with ye. What little regret I had, and there was some, was ended when she showed me what she really was."
It hurt a little that he did not say he turned from Mary out of love for her but Islaen told herself not to be a fool. For now it was enough that he had turned aside a beautiful skilled woman, one he had long thought he had loved, in honor of the vows they had exchanged. She might not have all she wanted from him but he had shown that he would see his vows as important and binding. Islaen knew well how many men never did.
She then found herself feeling bad for him. He had suffered a deep disappointment, the hint of it in his voice. Once he had loved a woman named Mary only to discover, after he had suffered the pain of losing her, that she had never existed.
Silently she began to make love to him. She kissed him, improving a little upon the skill he had taught her. When he tried to hold her, to take control of the lovemaking, she neatly eluded him. As she caressed his strong throat with soft kisses, her hands slowly stroked his body. She was emboldened to continue by the way his body began to tighten with passion beneath her touch, the way he trembled slightly as her kisses moved over his broad chest.
Tentatively she flicked her tongue over his flat nipple. His hands tightened their grip in her hair just as hers so often did when he did the same to her. Encouraged by that sign of approval, she began to lathe and suckle until he was squirming gently beneath her. She noted with some fascination that his nipples grew taut just like hers.
"Did ye like that?” she whispered huskily, knowing he had and made bold by that knowledge.
"Do ye e'en need to ask?” he croaked as her tongue flickered over his abdomen
"Weel, ye could just be being gallant.” She darted her tongue into his navel and felt him buck gently.
He just groaned as her kisses moved to his thighs. Her warm breath and soft hair caressed his loins and he felt as if he was on fire. A little wildly he recalled how slowly he had been introducing her to the intricacies of lovemaking. He almost laughed. It was clear that she did not really need to be treated so delicately.
"Iain?” she called in a passion-thickened, singsong voice as she gently nipped his thigh, then soothed the sting of her lovebite with slow strokes of her tongue. “Do ye ken the first night I came to your chambers?"
"Aye,” he answered a little groggily, feeling himself tremble as her soft lips brushed daringly close to an area that ached for their touch. “Our wedding eve."
"Aye. I saw a couple in the hall. They made love."
"Shameless."
"Och, aye, verra shameless. The woman did something to the mon that I have oft wondered about when we lie together."
"What was that?"
"Weel, I am nay sure how to explain it. It may be a whore's trick."
It took him a moment to catch his breath when she kissed the patch of skin directly above the tip of his shaft. “Then show me."
"Ye will tell me if ‘tis a thing I shouldnae do."
"Oh, aye, I will tell ye."
