Reaching out, he tugged off her shift. “Calm down, eh? I thought ye set out to excite me beyond thinking."
"Weel, not beyond thinking. Ye cannae agree when ye cannae think.” Her voice grew huskier as his hands cupped her breasts.
Leaning forward he gently took the taut tip of her breast into his mouth. Islaen cried out softly and, burying her hands in his thick hair, held him close. Iain needed no such urging to savor the sweet bounty of her flesh. Finally, he cupped her face in his hands and brushed his lips over hers until she opened her eyes partway to look at him.
"Do I get a reward for being so agreeable?"
"A reward?” she asked a little dazedly.
"Aye,” he said softly. “I have calmed down a wee bit."
He caught his breath when she smiled with a sweet lechery and, with a tantalizing slowness, lay down between his legs. Her gaze never left his as her small tongue flicked out to stroke him and he shuddered. Although she went slowly as he had requested, he knew he would not be able to enjoy her attentions with the same leisure that she gave them. Watching her, seeing in her eyes that she enjoyed pleasuring him so, was shredding what little control he had at an alarming rate. Giving a hoarse cry but moments later, he pulled her up into his arms, sat her astride him and neatly joined their bodies.
"Witch,” he rasped as he held her by the hips and slowly moved her against him. “One of these days I shall learn how to enjoy that for longer than a moment or two."
When he put his arm around her and leaned her back a little so that his mouth could play over her breasts, Islaen knew she would not be able to delay her release for very long. The little control she had vanished completely when his hand moved between them. His skilled fingers found that bud beneath the silken curls and, with barely a touch, sent her tumbling into desire's sweet darkness. She clung to him and an instant later his body also shuddered with release. His arms tightened around her as they rocked gently, savoring the remnants of their passion.
Reluctantly, for he enjoyed the way she felt when they were so intimately entwined, Iain eased the closeness of the embrace. Taking her with him, he lay down and tugged the covers over them. Feeling her cuddle up to him, he sighed. It felt good to have her back in his arms.
"I suppose ye are savoring victory,” he drawled, idly running his fingers through her hair.
Although she recognized the teasing note in his voice and smiled sleepily, she said seriously, “Nay, not victory. I mean..."
He kissed her forehead. “I was but teasing, lass."
"I ken it but in teasing there can lie some truth."
"Mayhaps. I was wrong. I ken it now. I was forcing us to do what neither of us wanted and there wasnae a need to.” His hold on her tightened a little. “'Tis just that I ... Nay I willnae speak on it. Ye probably ken what I meant to say anyhow,” he muttered.
Since she did and he knew it, Islaen made no reply, simply held him tightly. When the child within her moved she hoped Iain did not sense it for she did not want his thoughts too much upon what he feared. He tensed and she sighed. Since her belly was pressed against him it had been foolish to think he could miss the movement. Almost shyly his hand came to rest upon her stomach. She waited to see how he would react to the proof of the life within her womb and almost smiled when the child moved and Iain cursed softly, then jerked his hand away. Gently, she took his hand and placed it back upon her stomach.
"The bairn lives, Iain. That is a thing to find only joy in."
"Aye,” he whispered hoarsely. “How can ye sleep with such as this going on within your body?"
"Sometimes I cannae.” She yawned and nuzzled her face in his neck. “Sometimes e'en that cannae keep me awake."
A moment later he had to smile in soft surprise for, despite the movement he could still feel within her womb, she had fallen asleep. He wondered if she too found it hard to sleep alone. It was pleasant to think that she did, even if it stirred a feeling of guilt for he knew he made her sleep alone much too often. If an empty bed gave her sleepless nights, he was fully to blame.
Long into the night he lay awake, his hand upon her stomach. Every sign of life he felt left him torn between wondrous joy and terror. He indulged in a great many prayers before he finally went to sleep, his fears briefly obliterated by exhaustion.
The weather turned bad the next day giving the land a brief taste of the swiftly approaching winter. Islaen did not mind it for it held Iain at Caraidland for a while.
The night the weather finally broke, Iain made fierce love to her and Islaen knew that he would be leaving her again. She was not at all surprised when, as they lay sated in each other's arms, he told her he would be leaving in the morning. Islaen wished she could see into his mind, see if he was hurrying away because something she had done or said had touched him, for then she would keep doing it.
"Muircraig willnae be ready for us this winter,” she said only half-questioning the fact.
"Nay, and e'en an it was I think we should stay here."
"Until the bairn is born."
"Aye. There is help for ye here and I cannae take it all to Muircraig."
"Ye dinnae mean to winter at Muircraig, do ye?” she asked softly, unable to keep all of her fear out of her voice as that possibility suddenly assailed her.
"Nay.” He held her tightly. “I will be with ye when your time comes."
She knew that would be hard for him just as she knew she would keep him as uninvolved as she could but she was glad he would be near. If nothing else she wanted him close at hand to hear her confession about the deceit she had employed so that if anything went wrong he could not blame himself. In some ways it would be easier for her if he was not near but she also knew she would do all she could to see that he was close by.
