She opened her eyes wider and pressed her lips together. “I am nae gaeing tae hae a relationship with ye purely on yer terms, Finlay. I am nae gaeing tae be conditioned by yer rules alone, and I am nae gaeing tae sit around and wait for ye. It is nae fair,” she said. Despite her brash appraisal of the situation he could sense the genuine hurt in her voice and felt guilty. The sensible part of his mind told him that she was right, and to be fair to her, he should walk away and allow her to find happiness with a man who could give her what she deserved. However, there was another part of him that was attracted to her fiery eyes and her red lips, a part of him that knew he would always regret walking away from her.
So he didn’t walk away.
He stepped towards her.
Her eyelids twitched and her arms relaxed by her side.
“I dinnae expect ye tae sit around and wait for me,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “In fact, I’m quite certain that I’ll end up haeing tae chase ye all around this clan, or even all around the Highlands, and I’ll be quite willing tae dae sae.”
He was standing directly before her and breathing in her scent. The air was alive and pulsing with desire, and he found himself drowning in her eyes. Her chest heaved, her neck trembling with her quickened pulse.
“All this from a man who turned away from me earlier. Are ye still determined tae protect my future?” the words dropped from her ruby lips. The naked desire was plain in her eyes and after seeing her with another man, Finlay knew he wasn’t going to be able to turn away from her twice. Once had been hard enough, and if he did so again he knew she would never give him another chance.
“I’m determined tae dae something,” he said, and then his words were suffocated by her breath as he wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her into him. A soft moan escaped her lips as she melted against him and they rekindled the embrace that had rocked their souls earlier. The anger was burned away, replaced by hot tension as he slammed her against the wall. He clasped one of her hands. Their fingers twined together and she squeezed his hand tightly as she shuddered with pleasure. They broke apart for a moment to catch their breath and take stock of the moment. He wanted to give her one more chance to turn away, but instead, she kissed him again, sealing their fates as they tumbled into an inferno of their own making.
They crashed through the door of her bedroom and it slammed shut behind them. The bed creaked as they fell upon it, and then his hands were all over her, eager to free her body from the prison of that dress. He kissed her neck and collarbone as he peeled it away, and then he gazed upon the heaven of her body. The curves were voluptuous and feminine. The pale skin was dusted with light freckles. He was filled with desire as he drank her in. She giggled sheepishly, looking fey as she drew her limbs around her, seeking to shield herself. But then he touched her, and she opened like a blooming flower, with dewy moisture waiting within.
Her kisses were soft, and her moans softer. Their breaths were heavy as her hands pulled at his clothes. She groaned as she ran her hands over his taut muscles, exploring every inch of him. They whispered into each other’s ears as they rolled about the bed. Everything about her was perfect. His body was hard with arousal. The blood rushed like thunder and a storm cracked within his skull. He dragged his tongue down her body, along the valley of her breasts, following the rising curves that brought him such sweet delight. When his tongue flicked against her hard, pink nipples, she shuddered and he wanted her to experience this again and again. His hands ran down her flesh and he found other sweet places to touch, places that made her squirm and squeal.
By the way she reacted, it was clear that she was experiencing this for the first time, as she should be for such a noble and virtuous girl. There was a moment when he wondered if he should pull back, but he was too far gone and then she pulled him closer, needing to be near him. He was intoxicated by her skin and her sweet breath, by the playful moans that cascaded through the air. He loved the taste of her thighs and the smoothness of her stomach. She was an entire world to be explored and he wanted to uncover every secret. He wanted to hear every whisper.
His lips trailed down her body, while her hands reached around, seeking his arousal, but it was always just out of reach because he was so preoccupied with her. His artful fingers delved into her dewy depths. Long breaths shuddered out of her as he beckoned the pleasure forth, curling his fingers to elicit as much sweetness as he could. Her body went tense and then it relaxed, pulsing in this rhythm over and over again. Her breaths deepened and her skin glowed, while her forehead glistened with sweat. Again and again, he made her writhe. A dreamy lookcame upon her face as she gave him everything, as she became this beautiful thing of exquisite delight.
And then she had him, pulling him up so that he lay flat against her. His broad chest pressed against her breasts. Their heartbeats thundered against each other, and their bodies throbbed with heat. He pressed against her, hard and ardent, barely able to keep his thoughts straight. He was lost in the moment. Everything else was a blur, and the rest of the world could have been consumed by fire for all he cared. There was nothing but her, Anne, the sweetest music, the joyous melody, the most intoxicating temptation. She was an obsession. She was lust. She was love.
His body roared as he trickled over her like a river, every muscle twitching with intent. He buried himself in the crook of her neck and was awash with her scent. Her hair was matted to her scalp, clinging to the hot sweat that made their bodies sizzle. He reached down and pulled her leg up, his fingers squeezing her flesh, while he plunged deeper and deeper into her. There was a flare of pain in her moans, but she was soon overwhelmed with pleasure. Her body arched like a bow as he fell into her, losing himself deeper and deeper into this well of passion. His vision was blurred and he was a creature of his senses now, tasting her, touching her,lovingher. Every thrust took him closer and closer to the ultimate pleasure and his body was moving to the melody of her heart. The rhythm flowed like a crashing tide, bringing him closer and closer to a sweet climax, making him gasp and writhe, clutching onto her because he knew if he let go he would spiral down into an abyss and he wasn’t ready to go yet, he wasn’t ready to go at all…
13
Anne opened her eyes and stretched out her toes. The echoes of pleasure lingered in her body. Tingles swept through her, right from the tips of her toes and fingers all the way to her scalp. Her heart continued to beat rapidly and long, satisfied breaths passed through her lips.
The morning light broke through the window, illuminating them in a golden haze. The blanket was halfway down their bodies. Drops of sweat glistened on Finlay’s chest. She spread her fingers over his body, enjoying the warmth. It was as though he had a fire inside him that was burning far more intensely than anything else she had ever felt. It had scorched her, and she knew she would never be the same again. Last night had been more than she had ever hoped. She had known it would from the first time he kissed her. The way he had touched her and loved her, the way he had allowed her to know her own body more intimately. It was as though until this moment she had not been truly alive.
Now that she had experienced this pleasure, she realized why so many people yearned to chase it and were ready to risk so muchjust for a glimpse of the elusive thing. A smile played on her lips as she recalled the sensations, and they were so powerful that they almost brought the same pleasure crashing through her again. He had left her breathless and delirious, and for a time she wondered if she was lost in a dream, for surely life could not be this perfect?
Finally, she had something of her very own, something that only she possessed, and she had done it with a man of her choosing, and she had chosen it freely. It was a nice way to bookend their relationship, she thought. It was such a shame, she considered as she looked at his beautiful face, that it had to end this way. It was clear, however, that he would not offer her marriage, and she could not get on with things if he was going to be this jealous. Perhaps she would offer him one more opportunity, though.
She stroked his cheek with a single finger. He stirred and a smile broke upon his face as he saw her. He leaned down to kiss her, and she became lost in this kiss. Suddenly, heat rose within them again and she reached down, searching for his manhood under the blanket. She murmured with delight as she found it, curling her fingers around him. He petted her and kissed her head as he adjusted his body slightly. She felt it grow in her palm. The heat made her tingly. She loved knowing that she could get this reaction from him. While she did this, he reached down and placed his palm against her most intimate area. There was a spike of pleasure, one that was welcome now. At first, it had been unfamiliar and exotic, but she had quickly grown to love it.
They pleasured each other in this manner before he rolled on top of her and kissed her slowly. His thrusts were more measured on this drowsy morning, gentler and deeper, but no less passionate. She enjoyed every movement of his body, placing her hands against his spine and feeling the tremors of pleasure as theycareened through him. She closed her eyes, arching her neck back as the sweet sensations overwhelmed her and she became lost in him.
How simple it would have been if the world could have always been like this, she thought. This connection they shared was deep and profound, but it was also fragile. Her soul soared as the heat burned through her, and then he relaxed beside her again.
“Perhaps I should always be late for dinner if this is the result,” he said, a chuckle rolling from his lips. Anne playfully slapped him on the arm.
“Ye will dae nae such thing,” she scolded. He took her hand and kissed it, caressing her fingers gently.
“It is incredible, being with ye,” he said.
“Incredible enough tae consider marriage?” she asked, the words slipping out before she had a chance to reconsider. He turned his head away and she knew she had made an error.
“Anne, I told ye before that I cannae guarantee anything. Until I hae won my father’s favor back…”
“Would greeting him with a bride nae be enough tae win his favor?”
“It’s nae as simple as that,” he said. She could already feel him pulling away from her.
“Then let me help.”
