Page 30 of The Lyon and the Lass

Once it was settled in their bedchamber, he took Christine’s hand. “The maids will be heating up water and filling yer bathtub. But come with me.” He took her hand and led her to his solar which had also been cleaned very well.

“We have some time before the bath will be ready.” He walked to the small table against the wall and poured them both a whisky. “While we wait, why doona ye take a seat, and I’ll start a fire to warm the room up.”

“There is no need to do that. I am comfortable enough.”

He handed her the drink and sat alongside her. “It appears ye have done a wonderful job with the keep. I kenned ye could do it.”

Christine almost spit out her drink. “Kerrigan! Ye have no idea how difficult this has been for me.”

He raised his brows. “But it all looks so good.”

She took a sip of the whisky and set the glass down on the table in front of them to prevent herself from tossing the liquid into her newly arrived husband’s face. “I shall be happy to inform you how different this all is”—she waved her arm around—“from the life I’ve known. For example, do you know the bath I took while we were traveling was the first time in my life I bathed without help?”

He frowned, looking genuinely confused. The big oaf. “I doona understand.”

She sighed. “I’ve had a personal maid since I left the nursery. I never did anything for myself. There was always someone nearby to fetch what I needed and travel with me to social events and trips to the shops. Big, strong footmen carried my purchases as I strolled along, buying what I pleased.”

When he opened his mouth to speak, she held up her hand. “Let me finish. I’m sure you think as most young ladies of the Upper Crust, I was taught how to run a household, hire and supervise staff, meet with the housekeeper about the menu, and arrange flowers. But I was not. My mother passed when I was very young, so the housekeepers ran my dad’s houses and didn’t bother to show me. That was my life up until the night I dropped out of my bedroom window and raced to The Lyon’s Den.”

He stared at her and took a sip of his whisky. He shook his head, then carefully placed the glass on the table in front of him. With an odd look on his face, he leaned over and cupped her cheeks. “I am now even more sorry I left ye as soon as we arrived. I had no idea what I was handing ye.”

She swallowed and closed her eyes. “I was determined not to have the other clan members believe I felt privileged. It is bad enough that I am English, without them thinking I was like what all Scots believe English women are.”

“I ne’er thought that about ye.”

Her brows rose. “Not ever?”

He grinned and his face flushed. “Mayhap it did cross my mind after friends told me about their experiences with English lasses. But the minute I met ye, I kenned in my heart that you were different. I can’t imagine any of the ladies my friends spoke of jumping out a bedroom window in men’s britches and escaping from what she dinna want. Most lasses I am sure would just plop themselves in a chair and wail.”

She laughed. “I had no idea how strong I was until Uncle Carl waved the betrothal agreement in my face. My da always told me I was like my mother who defied her family and married him, she the daughter of a duke and him a mere earl.”

A knock on the solar door drew their attention. “Enter.”

Edward opened the door. “There was hot water in the kitchen, Laird, so we were able to fill your bathtub sooner than I thought.”

“Thank ye, Edward. Good night to ye.”

Once the door closed, Kerrigan turned to Christine and held out his hand. “Are ye ready, Lady Lindsay? Our bath awaits.”

As soon as they entered their bedchamber Christine eyed the full bathtub with longing. Still a bit shy, however, she glanced over at Kerrigan who was having no problem removing his clothes. She walked over to the table next to her bed and removed the sweet-smelling oil she’d bought in one of the villages where they’d stopped on their trip.

This one was a fresh smelling scent, not a flowery one since she didn’t think her husband would appreciate walking around the keep smelling like roses. By the time she retrieved it and walked to the tub, her husband sat in the water in all his naked glory, smiling at her. “Are ye going to join me, wife, or am I to use all this nice warm water myself?”

Taking a deep breath, telling herself she could do this, she began to unfasten her dress. It would have been easier if her husband was not sitting there watching her with a grin on hisface and hunger in his eyes. Finally, annoyed with herself, she quickly removed the rest of her clothes, kicked off her shoes and pulled off her stockings.

Before she could take a breath, Kerrigan reached out and pulled her into the water. She landed on top of him. Even with that distraction, she sighed with enjoyment at the feeling of warm water surrounding her body.

Kerrigan immediately drew her mouth to his. His hands fisted in her hair as he moved his mouth one way and the other. Her heart immediately began to bang against her chest. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as he pulled back, both of them out of breath. “Remind me ne’er to take a long trip away from ye again.”

“Don’t ever take a long trip away from me again,” she said right before she took his mouth in a searing kiss. She could do that, too.

Kerrigan’s hands roamed her body, his palms circling her nipples, causing her to wiggle in the water, aware of the sound of splashing on the floor, but uncaring. She leaned back, Kerrigan’s strong hands holding her from falling backward into the water. His mouth replaced his hands, and she moaned, restlessly moving her legs.

More splashing.

He shifted her body, so her legs were spread, each one on the other side of him. Without removing his mouth, one hand braced her back as his other hand delved between her legs, his fingers fondling the stiff piece of flesh begging for his attention. She thought the water had already started to cool, but then realized her body was growing warmer and warmer with Kerrigan’s talented fingers and mouth.

She hung onto the sides of the bathtub and continued to shift her body and press against his hand. Her breathing was growing more difficult, and it didn’t take her long to break apart aswave after wave of absolute pleasure rode through her body. She bucked forward, a loud moan coming from her mouth.