“I need more of ye, Ewan,” she panted, still gripping his hair tightly, “all of ye, inside me now!”
“Are ye sure?” he panted, wanting to be certain it was what she wanted as she was still a maid.
“I’ve never been surer of anythin’ in me life,” she assured him, winding her legs around his waist, and tightening them, pressing her burning flesh against his belly. “And ye’re nae goin’ anywhere ’til I get what I want!”
“If ye insist, madam,” he replied, laughing with lustful joy, feeling more alive than he ever had, anticipating what he knew was going to be the most wonderful experience. “It might hurt a little at first, but I’ll be gentle and it’ll soon pass, and then, it’ll feel good,” he reassured her, wanting to make her first time as pleasurable as he could. “But if it hurts too much, tell me and I’ll stop.”
“Ewan, will ye stop talkin’, please,” she murmured, tightening her thighs around his waist even more and tugging gently on his locks. She smiled up at him, her eyes slits, inflaming his senses.
“I’m nae gonnae argue with ye,” he replied hoarsely, positioning the head of his throbbing length against her entrance and pushing slowly to her slick tightness, letting out a deep groan of pleasure as he pushed deep inside her.
“Och me God, Ewan that’s… that’s… ah!” she breathed, her eyes fixed on his as he slid his entire length in and then out of her, taking his time so as not to hurt her.
“Am I hurtin’ ye?” he asked, just to be sure.
She shook her head. “Ye could nae hurt me if ye tried. I want more of ye!”
He grinned as she thrust her hips upward to meet his downstroke, and he concentrated hard to keep his pace steady, reveling in the tightness of her walls as they squeezed him tightly, sending waves of intense pleasure shooting throughout his entire body. The sensations she was making him feel were so exquisite, so intoxicating, he wanted to make them last as long as possible.
But after a few minutes, his body compelled him to speed up the pace of his rhythmic thrusts, his hips pounding against hers as she cried out in her passion, clutching frantically at his shoulders. He could hear his heavy ragged breaths as his hips met hers and he went deep inside her, shaking her body, making her writhe and moan as she drew ever closer to her climax.
When she screamed, “Ewan! Aye, oh, aye!” and came in a quivering, liquid rush, he let himself go.
“Annie, Annie, me bonny lassie!” he grunted, cradling her sweat-slick body tightly against his with his last few, hard thrusts inside her before, a few seconds later, he tumbled headlong after her into indescribable ecstasy.
Isla lay in Ewan’s strong arms, skin to skin, spent and content, her heart overflowing with love for him. “I’m happier at this moment than I’ve ever been in me life. I ken paradise truly exists now,” she told him, tracing the line of his lips with her fingertips. “Right here on earth with ye, Ewan.”
He laughed and kissed her hair, holding her closer against him as if he would never let her go. It was wonderful! “Aye, I think ye must be right, me beautiful Annie. I’m very happy as well. Ye make me feel so alive! I kent ye were special that night when I caught ye in me tent and I looked intae yer eyes in the candlelight. I dinnae ken why it’s taken me so long tae realize it.”
“I think I felt it too,” she admitted, remembering the jolt that had gone through her when she had seen his face for the first time. “I’d never seen such a braw man before! Ye turned me world on its head,” she added teasingly, taking his bottom lip between her teeth and gently biting it. It was true, though, she knew it. After that, all her plans to murder him had gone awry. And now, she was his body and soul, forever as far as she was concerned.
She kissed him lazily as she reflected on how he had not hesitated to save her from almost certain death by the waterfall. The realization had changed something deep within her. Shealready trusted him, but after that, she knew she could never leave him, that she would do just about anything to save him from harm. It made her even more determined about her plan to buy herself enough time to warn Gregory of the intended attack should succeed.
After a while of lying there together in perfect harmony, Ewan ruffled her hair and said, “We’d better get back.”
“Aye,” she reluctantly agreed as he got to his feet and put out his hand to help her up. They embraced and kissed once more before getting dressed and setting off back to the camp. She cast a backward glance over her shoulder as they left the secluded spot where Ewan had made her from a girl to a woman. She knew it well, of course, but now it took on an unforgettable significance in her mind. Whatever happened, from this day forward, it would always be a special place.
On their journey back, her body still tingling pleasurably from Ewan’s loving, she knew she still had her mission ahead of her. The tightly stoppered flask of potion she had obtained from Ella was stashed safely in her inside jacket pocket, ready for use later that night. Ella had warned her that the mixture was so potent, only two or three drops in, say, a tankard of ale or kettle of water would send the biggest man to sleep within half an hour.
That was ideal for her purposes, but making sure everyone in the camp got a sufficient dose and fell asleep at the right time presented a logistical problem. Besides that, she was uncertain when the old man was due to arrive to show Ewan the way into the tunnel system. Having not quite figured it all out yet, with somuch riding on her success, it was with trepidation in her heart that they reached the camp a short while later.
It was the hour when the cooks were already busy preparing supper, meaning the camp would likely be eating within the next hour or so. Isla was feeling a little guilty, knowing she was about to practice a major deception on him. She reminded herself that she was acting for a good cause strolled around the camp, wending her way by degrees to the kitchen wagon.
She decided that adding the sleeping potion to the ale barrel was the best way to ensure that everyone, save perhaps the odd few, would get a good dose. Fortunately, the cooks and their assistants were busy, so no one took any notice of her when she casually sidled up to the barrel and jostled against it. The liquid inside sloshed about, but she could tell it was close to the bottom. Surreptitiously she turned on the little tap and stood in front of the barrel as the remaining ale dripped out onto the ground.
Once she was sure it was empty, making certain she was not being observed, she went around the back of the wagon, where the other barrels were stacked up. Choosing the nearest one, she took out the flask from her pocket, removed the stopper, and set the precious flask down carefully atop the neighboring barrel, not wanting to risk spilling a drop. Then, she took out her dagger and prized the lid of the chosen barrel up just enough for her to pour the whole contents of the flask inside.
That done, she returned to the front of the wagon, to the now empty barrel, and grabbed an empty beaker from a nearby standbefore approaching one of the assistants. “The barrel’s empty, and I’m parched,” she told him, holding up the empty beaker. “Will ye open a fresh one so I can get a drink?”
“Aye, of course,” he agreed with a nod, leaving what he was doing to oblige her. He lifted down the empty one and replaced it with the full one she had prepared, to her relief, just as she had planned. He set it up and tapped into it. “There ye go, fill yer boots,” he said with a smile and walked away to return to his task. She did not fill her boots for obvious reasons but instead returned to the tent to await developments with nervous anticipation.
Ewan eventually returned and supper, stewed rabbit, was duly delivered to the tent, along with the usual large jug of ale. They chatted over the meal, and though she was nervous and had little appetite, Isla forced herself to eat heartily so as not to arouse his suspicions. She watched Ewan as he drank deeply of the doctored ale throughout the meal.
“Well, that was a tough old rabbit but I needed that. I’d worked up quite an appetite,” he remarked with a cheeky smile when he had finished eating, refilling his mug with fresh ale from the jug. “Are ye nae drinkin?” He asked her, holding the jug poised, giving her a questioning look.
She put her hand over her mug and shook her head. “Nay, I think I’ll stick with tea.”
“All right,” he replied, setting down the jug and beaming at her as he leaned his elbows on the table. “We had a lovely time today by the waterfall, eh?”
