Relief spread through her limbs. He would consider staying with them!
“And if I wish for ye tae stay?” she asked, hopeful that he might be inclined to agree to do so.
His gaze softened. “Then I would be staying for the right reasons.”
When his hand cupped her cheek, Bridget was overwhelmed by the wealth of sensations that coursed through her.
“Bruce,” she said softly as his thumb brushed over her cheek.
“I want tae kiss ye, lass,” he answered, finally giving her a smile. “But I did promise that ye would be dancing first.”
He rose to his feet and reached down to help her up onto hers, gathering her in his strong arms. Bridget slid her hand to his shoulder, her heart thudding at what was about to happen. Merdia had told her many times about her kisses with random Scots that had passed through, but this was different. This wasn’t going to be a one-time kiss.
Bridget hoped that it would be the start of a lifetime of kisses.
“Ye’re shaking,” he murmured as he pressed his hard body into hers. “Are ye cold, lass?”
Bridget shook her head. “Nay, I’m not.”
“Then ye’re nervous,” he surmised, sliding his hand from her back to the back of her neck. Bridget shivered even more as she felt his thumb brush over the sensitive skin there, her body running both hot and cold.
“Aye,” she whispered. “I am.”
“There’s no need,” he said as his lips brushed her temple. “I wilnae hurt ye.”
“I know,” she answered. She trusted Bruce fully, and while some would scoff at her full belief in him, she felt it in her soul that he was not one that would hurt her.
His lips brushed her cheek, and Bridget’s eyes fluttered closed, wetting her lips in anticipation. When his mouth covered hers, she gasped. His kiss was firm but not demanding, instead exploring her lips as if he wanted to capture every inch of her skin. His hand tightened on her neck, and she clutched his tunic in her hand, silently urging him on. Something was unfurling in her stomach, something that was begging for more.
Bridget wantedmore.
He traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, and she gasped once more before his tongue was sliding into the recesses of her mouth, tentatively touching hers. Bridget had seen others kiss but never like this.
Never this intimate.
At first, she didn’t know what to do, but with his coaxing, she touched her tongue to his, and his kiss turned demanding.
When they finally broke apart, Bridget fell against his chest, her own chest heaving.
“Lass,” Bruce croaked, his hand in her hair, “ye unman me.”
She didn’t know what that meant, but it sounded painful. “I’m sorry,” she gasped.
He pulled her away, his eyes searching hers. “For wot?”
“For not knowing how tae kiss ye properly,” she forced out, embarrassed. He probably had kissed many lasses before her, and she likely was lacking in the skill.
Bruce placed his hand under her chin and tipped it up to look at him, a tender smile on his lips. “Lass, yer kiss tasted like the heavens. I could stay here all day and drink from yer lips and never tire of it.”
His words softened her heart. “Truly?”
He nodded. “Tell me that ye dinnae feel the same.”
“I enjoyed the kiss,” she replied truthfully. “But I do think that kissing all day could be a tad bit overwhelming.”
Bruce barked out a laugh before he pressed his forehead to hers. “Aye, but it would be a day that I would hold dear.”
She would as well. Bridget had never felt this way before about anyone, and she didn’t want the day to come where she would watch him ride away, taking her heart with him.
