“Thank ye,” she said, running her fingers through his hair. “I love the color of yer hair, Jamie. It reminds me of fire.”
“The one ye lit inside me, lass.” He found wet heat between her slim thighs and gently massaged her sex, watching with fascination as she closed her eyes and arched her back.
Stretching out beside her, he kissed her breast, sucking on her dusk-colored nipple. Because she was not a shy lass, Helen’s hands wandered freely across his body, stopping short of his erection. She stroked the areas around it, smiling.
“The hair around yer manhood is the same color as the hair on yer head.”
“Aye,” he said, sucking in a ragged breath, his patience near breaking. He needed to be inside her, joined as man and wife. “That fire runs deep, lass. Verra deep.”
“Is it painful?” She eyed his manhood.
“Give me yer hand, Helen. Doona be afraid to touch me.” He guided her fingers to his shaft. “Squeeze gently, slide yer fingers over it.”
After she tried a couple of times, he let go, and Helen continued to stroke. He groaned and closed his eyes. Though she was inexperienced, the magic in her fingertips drove him crazy. Love had altered the way he felt about bedsport. He wanted to please her, to give her anything she wanted. She moved, and Jamie opened his eyes in time to see her about to kiss the tip of his manhood.
“Lass…”
Too late, she kissed her way from the tip to the base, caressing him at the same time, her other hand tickling his stomach.
“Helen,” he gasped. “How did ye know…”
She slid the head of his manhood into her mouth.
Unable to control himself any longer, Jamie practically tackled her, pinning her underneath him, raising her arms above her head, and ravaging her mouth with his tongue and teeth.
She squirmed and bucked against him, and Jamie let one of his hands drift between her legs to find her sensitive nub. Slick and ready. Jamie sat up, scooted to the edge of the mattress, and removed his tunic and boots. Somewhere between the floor and bed, her slippers had fallen off, but he’d be damned if any barriers remained between her flesh and his.
“Sit up and let me take yer shift off, lass.”
She helped him lift it over her head. “I want ye, Jamie MacKay.”
Kneeling in front of her, he urged her back down and nudged her legs apart. Seeing her this way filled him with an array of emotions—some that he’d never experienced before. In that moment, he was more a man than he’d ever been, for he felt suddenly complete. She’d given him a priceless gift—herself. And Jamie would protect her at all costs, die for her, kill a thousand men if that’s what it took to keep her away from anyone who meant her harm.
Taking ahold of her hips, he positioned himself at her entrance, kissing her at the same time, determined to minimize the shock and pain of first entry. He knew pleasure waited for her after the first moments.
“Jamie?”
He cupped her face between his hands, holding her gaze, marveling at her Valkyrie-like beauty. Lust held her in its tight grip, too. With a gentle thrust, he entered her, and her eyes widened.
“Tis all right, lass,” he whispered, rolling his hips slowly.
He pushed again, going deeper, encased in tight, wet heat. “Helen?”
“Doona stop now,please.”
He couldna if he wanted to. Lost in the wave of emotions and the way it felt to be one with her, all he could do was surrender to the mounting tension. Aye, a piece of heaven on earth. God or fate had brought them together that night in the great hall. As he took shorter and faster strokes, filling her, withdrawing, then filling her again, her body stiffened and she whispered his name as she peaked. Her flesh clenched around him, and Jamie couldna stop his body’s response. He exploded inside her, collapsing on top of her, breathless and weak.
For she had stolen more than just his heart. Quite possibly, she owned his soul.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Helen awoke toan empty bed. But when she threw the coverlets back and sat up, she found Miran seated at one of the chairs by the hearth, doing embroidery.
“Miran? Where is my husband?”
“He summoned me a few hours ago to sit with ye while he concluded his business with Laird Alex. I was given explicit instructions to let ye sleep.”
Helen yawned and stretched her arms high over her head before she realized she wasna wearing anything. She quickly covered herself.
