The sun was rising by the time the wedding celebration ended. My feet were sore, and my eyes burned with sleepiness, but when James closed the door to our bedchamber behind us and offered to undress me and put me to bed, I became instantly awake and excited to give him the gift I’d been planning. Grinning, I turned to face him and stepped back, knowing exactly what I wanted to do, and it didn’t involve sleep. I didn’t know how many years I would have with the godlike man before me, but I intended to make the most of them.
“I want to be put to bed,” I said, “eventually, but certainly nae to sleep.” I smiled wickedly, and he returned the smile, showing he was more than happy to comply.
He took a step toward me, closing the distance between us, and tangled his fingers in my hair before drawing me into a kiss. His mouth came over mine, hot and possessive, and desire forhim gripped me instantly. When he pulled back, I could see the love he held for me in the warmth of his sharp gaze.
“Tell me what ye want, lass.”
“Do nae move until I tell ye,” I said, chuckling with anticipation. Slowly, eyes never leaving his face, I loosened my gown until I could slip it off my shoulders and let it drop. It pooled at my feet, and I kicked it away, reveling in the effect my flesh had on my husband. Intense desire flared in his gaze as he let his eyes drift down my body and back again, a slow, deliberate motion that made my heart jolt and forced me to fight the overwhelming urge to rip his tunic, braies, and plaid off instead of teasing him into a frenzy before we came together and joined.
“By the gods, lass, yer body is a temptation that would have a weaker man sweep ye into his arms this instant,” James said, and the rich appreciation in his voice warmed my chest.
“’Tis a good thing ye are nae weak,” I teased.
He grinned. “I’ll do my best to help ye keep that view, but if ye drop any more clothing, I can nae promise I will nae move.”
“Ye will keep yer promise,” I said, confident that I could trust James’s honor and word.
“Aye, but it may kill me.”
“Oh, nay, my sweet husband,” I said, slipping off my underclothes and standing naked before James.
“By the gods, ye need to remember I’m flesh and blood,” James growled, his jaw ticking and his muscles jumping.
“I want ye filled with such need ye will nae ever forget this night,” I said, bringing my hand to my breast and tweaking my own nipple.
James’s eyes widened as he groaned. “I should nae have told ye about my dream.”
I chuckled heartily. “But ye did, and this is my wedding gift to ye, making that dream of ye watching me pleasure myself come true.”
“Do nae blame me if ye find yerself hoisted and pinned against a wall soon,” James growled.
That was exactly what I was hoping for, but I kept my secret and merely smiled at him as I slid my hand down between my thighs, parted my flesh, found my throbbing spot, aching with need for James, and began to rub it. I was already so ready, so hot, so full of wanting for James, that a raw moan was instantly ripped from my throat, as I put pressure on the spot and thought of James soon sliding into me to claim me for the first time as his wife.
“Is this how ye imagined me?” I managed to say, even as my desire built within me, rushing my blood through my veins to every part of my body.
“Aye,” James said, his voice rough with his own need. “Let me come to ye,” he said.
“Nae yet,” I gasped as my insides tightened unbearably, and I moved my fingers faster. “Tell me,” I gasped, “what ye are going to do to me when ye come to me.”
“I’m going to hoist ye up and drive into ye whilst we’re standing, and claim ye over and over as ye scream my name.”
My legs began to tremble, and my breasts tightened as my core grew taut and ached. Pressure built, and I could feel myself almost there, almost at the peak. “Now,” I croaked.
I was against the wall in James’s arms in a flash. My back met the wood, as my feet left the floor, and just as I managed to wrap my legs around his waist, he drove into me, sending me straight over the cliff I had been climbing. The exquisite shock of him filling me sent wave after wave of pleasure through me, and I tightened around him in tiny pulses, causing a guttural moan to come from him as he slid in and out of me.
Just as my body settled from the first wave of pleasure, James’s movements awakened the insatiable hunger in me to join him once more. He withdrew nearly to his tip, only to fill me completely. Soon, I was screaming his name, begging him to go faster, begging him to bring me the release only he could. He did not disappoint. My back lightly smacked the wall as he took me completely, claiming me as his for all the days we had together.
When it was over and we had both reached oblivion, James cleaned me with tender care after settling me on the bed. Then I nestled into his chest as he pulled the coverlet over us. I pressed my cheek to his heart, enjoying the sure, steady beats and thinking about the fact that I was now aging.
“What has ye grinning?” he asked as he stroked a fallen lock back from my eyes.
I looked up at him. “I’m just thinking that I’m likely the only woman who has ever been so happy to find a silver hair. Will ye find me bonnie when I look older?”
“Lass,” he pressed a kiss to my lips, my forehead, and my nose. “I will find ye even lovelier because I will see the signs of happiness here.” He touched a finger to my eyes. “And here.” He ran his thumb along the right corner of my mouth. “And I will recall the memories we have made and the life we have built and are living.”
“I love ye, James,” I said, kissing him. “Ye are more than I could ever have wished for.”
“And I love ye, my bonnie aging bride.”
