Veronica hesitated, hoping he didn’t hearher rapid heartbeat or see the blush she was certain enveloped thewhole of her body. Wordlessly, her back now to him, she raised thenearly see through chemise over her head. She could hear his breathcatch and grow heavy as the piece of fabric fell, an action whichled to her own pangs of arousal.
Picking up the lilac soap from the smalltable in their room, she walked over to the deep basin, used thetwo-step stool the soldiers had left in front of it, and steppedinto the hot water. She could feel his bold gaze searing her ass,all but branding it. She lingered for a moment, letting him lookhis fill, before sitting down and disappearing up to her shouldersin water.
“Wet your hair,” Lachlan said thickly frombehind her. She could hear him nearing her. “I would wash it foryou.”
She did as he bade, bobbing her head downinto the depths of the perfectly tempered water. She waited untilher hair was drenched before she popped back up. Lachlan was nextto her now. He was on the outside of the basin bent over her, justa hairsbreadth away. Veronica knew he could see her from the waistup, her erect nipples distended for his view. She drew in a deepbreath and slowly exhaled, his nearness intoxicating.
Lachlan gently took the soap from her handand, without a word, began working the lilac-scented stuff throughher hair. Handing the soap back to Veronica, he used his hands toshampoo her head. There was no lathery bubbles in medieval soap,but she didn’t care for it still got the job done. He stood up andwordlessly padded over to the chest of drawers he’d purchased herlast week, grabbing the hairbrush she’d forgotten to take withher.
She was completely aroused now, every strokeof the hairbrush making her hornier. She had never thought of herscalp as an erogenous zone, but then she’d never had her hairbrushed by anyone except herself. Lachlan took his time, runningstrands of her hair through his fingers, presumedly checking fortangles. When he was satisfied none remained, he stood up andreturned the brush to its resting place. Veronica watched him walkback toward her, her breathing labored as her aroused gaze drank inhis warrior’s body. Even clothed she could see his ripplingmuscles.
“I would wash the rest of you now,” Lachlanmurmured, bending down to take the soap from her again.
Veronica nodded, but remained silent. Herbody felt like the wick of a candle about to ignite. She groanedwhen he touched her, his hands working up and down her body fromwaist to neck. He saved her breasts for last, only causing moredesire to engulf her when he finally touched them. She hissed ashis calloused hands trailed against her nipples, a moan escapingwhen he began to tweak them. Her breathing was ragged, her emotionsall over the place. She chanced a glance at him, her gaze thendrawn to his heavy-lidded stare.
His right hand went lower, plunging into thedepths of the water. Lachlan found her clit and began rubbingit.
“Oh my God,” Veronica gasped, opening herlegs wider, giving him better access. “Please don’t stop.”
“What is my name?” he asked, his voicegravelly and thick. “Say it.”
“Lachlan,” she breathed out, her eyesclosing.
His fingers immediately stopped. Shewhimpered, her eyes reopening. She scanned his face, begging himwithout words to continue. What did he want her to call him?Maybe—
“Husband,” she whispered. “You are myhusband.”
The rubbing recommenced. Her head lulledback on a gasp. Lachlan rubbed her clit briskly, his pace pickingup, the motion driving her over the edge. He rubbed faster andfaster, over and over, again and again and again.
Veronica came on a groan. Blood rushed toher nipples, distending them further. Blood rushed to her pussy,forcing her clit to pulsate. Her breathing was ragged, her body onfire.
Lachlan let go of her clit and used bothhands to cup her face. “I love you, wife,” he told her beforeclaiming her mouth.
She was happy-sleepy and satiated fromcoming, but still matched his passion with her own. She dropped thesoap and reached up to put her arms around his neck. They kissedlong and hard, her fingers running over his cornrows, her tonguedueling with his. He kissed her like she’d never been kissedbefore, arousing her to the point of damn near coming again. Justas she stood to offer herself to him fully, fevered knocks on thedoors penetrated the erotic haze.
“Laird!” she heard Finn call out. “You mustcome downstairs at once!”
Lachlan cursed under his breath as he forcedhimself to break the kiss. “What is it?” he roared.
“’Tis The Campbell,” Finn shouted. “Euan’soutside the keep with ten of his warriors.”
*****
Euan’s untimely appearance did naught butblacken Lachlan’s mood. He had been so close to making Veronica hiswife in everra way afore this ridiculous interruption. She haderupted from his touch and kissed him with a passion that rivaledhis own. “Dinna I tell you afore, old mon!” he shouted from thekeep’s steps. “My men dinna poison your clan!”
“Half of my people are sick with theague!”
“The ague?” he bit out. “You come to mebecause your kinfolk have come down with the fever?” It was then henoticed Victor and Veronica standing side by side. They must haveslipped out the castle’s front doors at some point during thisludicrous conversation. Veronica, wearing a blue gown ofCatriona’s, her golden curls unbound, walked slowly to stand besideLachlan. Victor, wearing one of Finn’s shirts and the Gunn plaid,came to stand at his other side. “Dinna waste my time again withtales of the ague!”
The Campbell jabbed a finger in Veronica’sdirection. “’Twas her tub you emptied at the borderlands! Youbedamned well ken ‘tis above my waterway, Lachlan. What was in thetub, eh?”
Victor’s face blanched, an occurrence thatdinna evade Lachlan’s notice. The Gunn’s eyebrows drew together.“’Twas water,” he grumbled to Euan. “Naught more.”
“Naught more?”
“And soap!”
“I dinna believe you, Lachlan. It makes nosense to empty a tub’s basin in the borderlands if ‘twas filledwith naught but soap and water.”
