He didn’t need to be told twice. He thrust into her again, and she dug her nails into his back as pleasure twice as great as before soared through her. He was hitting deeper and harder than before, and each thrust wrenched a cry from her throat.
They were panting, hot and heavy breaths mingling. Thalia locked her ankles together behind his back, pulling him even closer and lifting her hips to assist him. He groaned, obliging her.
He pounded into her so hard that her body was pushed further up the bed. She was sure her head would have smacked against the headboard were it not for his hand between her head and the wood.
Her release was close. She could feel it building again, only this time it came from a deeper place inside her. She groaned, clenching tighter around him to urge him to thrust faster. He moved his free hand to her bundle of nerves and stroked it again.
“Aye, aye!” Thalia cried out as she fell over the edge, release shooting through her entire body like nothing she had ever experienced before.
She didn’t know it could get better than the last time, but as it turned out, it could. So much better.
A heartbeat later, Finlay climaxed. He grunted, a guttural cry tearing out of him as his pleasure roared through him and into her. He collapsed on top of her, and they both took a moment to catch their breath.
He fell onto his back next to her, throwing his arm around her waist to pull her closer to him. She sighed, snuggling into his side.
How strange that she felt so happy now, when just this morning she had been utterly miserable.
She lifted her head to find him looking content and pleased as well.
“I suppose ye’ll have to marry me now.” She grinned.
Finlay laughed. “Aye, I will.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I love ye, Thalia.”
“I love ye, Finlay,” she whispered. “I cannae wait to go back home.”
Back to MacAinsley Castle. That was her true home now. It was where she and Finlay would spend the rest of their lives.
“Finlay?”
He hummed in response, running his hand through her hair.
“How is Daisy?” she asked.
She had hardly let herself think of the young girl. It had all hurt too much, but now that she knew they would be reunited, she could not keep from asking after her.
Finlay smiled. “She’s good. She’s been going out into the gardens every day. She misses ye, and I ken she’ll be so happy to see ye again.”
Thalia returned the smile. “Aye, I cannae wait to see her again, too.”
Finlay leaned in and gave her another passionate kiss.
EPILOGUE
MacAinsley Castle wasalive with festivities. Banners bearing the MacAinsley and MacFinn crests hung across the halls, honoring the two clans.
Finlay walked through the halls, passing servants carrying food and drinks that they were moving to the cèilidh outside. There was still time before the handfasting ceremony, and he just wanted to be sure that everything was ready for when Thalia came down.
He was surprisingly calm, given everything that had happened. For a long time, he had thought he would never want to get married. That was until he had run into a fiery young woman in a garden.
He chuckled at the memory, at the way she had openly teased and mocked him, pretending his flirting had no effect on her. He was glad that that was not the case anymore.
“Peter!” he greeted his man-at-arms, who stood by the front entrance with a few guards. “Everything’s set up well for the day?”
“Aye, me Laird,” Peter answered. Then he added with a knowing smirk, “We are all set, should the bride decide to make another run for it.”
Finlay laughed, shaking his head at the joke. “Ye havenae seen me daughter around, have ye?”
Peter shrugged. “I assumed she was up in her room?”
