Page 166 of Claimed Highland Brides

Diego nodded. “Very well. We shall wait here.”

Barclay turned to Aileen. “Are ye agreeable wi’ these arrangements?”

She turned to him, surprised to have been asked. “O’ course. I am happy.”

He nodded curtly. “Good.”

* * *

Once the meal was had, the men retired to the study for brandy while the women gathered in the parlor. Fiona leaned in to speak in Aileen’s ear. “I see ye havenae moved into yer husband’s room. Why’s tha?”

“We havenae discussed it yet.”

“Why not?”

Aileen shrugged. “There hasnae been time, I suppose. We’ve been running hither and thither…” She gave Fiona a helpless look. “He hasnae said…”

Fiona’s eyes narrowed. “Do ye no’ want to sleep wi’ him?”

Aileen’s shoulders slumped. “Our marriage isnae like yers or Jamesina’s. We already”—she lowered her voice considerably—“consummated. So is there really a need to sleep together?”

“Oh, Aileen…” Fiona sounded quite despairing. “What have ye gotten yersel’ into?”

“He is a guid man!”

“I didnae say he wasnae.”

“But ye think I ha’ gotten myself into something. I havenae. I’m quite happy.”

Fiona leaned back, resignation in every line on her face. “If ye say so, lass. But if ye need to talk aboot anything, I am here.”

“I ken tha’, Fee. Thank ‘e, but I dinnae need it.” Aileen looked away, feeling unreasonably annoyed at her sister’s concern. She had married Barclay in part to escape that feeling of being pitied by her siblings. It was infuriating to find that it was still there. She got abruptly to her feet. “I am going to bed. Guidnight,” she announced before flouncing out of the room. Fiona sighed.

* * *

A knock on her door later in the night jolted Aileen out of a nightmare, and she sat up in bed, staring at the door. “Who is it?”

“’Tis yer husband. May I come in?”

Aileen blinked a few more times. “Sure.”

The knob turned, and Barclay stuck his head in, grinning broadly. “Ye went to bed wi’out so much as a guidnight.”

I didn’t think you’d care.

“I’m sorry. I didnae think…” She trailed off uncertainly.

Barclay bounced into the room, closing the door behind him. “I suppose this is all very new for both of us. ’Tis like learning an entirely new way to be, I suppose.”

“Aye.”

He came and sat on the edge of her bed, smiling benignly at her. She was at a loss for words. In the back of her mind, she could not help but fret about what would happen should somebody find him in her chambers, only to remember that he was her husband and perfectly entitled to be there.

He reached out and grasped her ankle. “I should like to kiss ye guidnight. Maybe more.”

“More?” she rasped before clearing her throat.

“More,” he whispered before climbing onto the bed on all fours and stalking towards her like a panther in search of prey. She held her breath, watching him come, feeling as if he held her in thrall. He straddled her thighs, hands coming up to cup her cheeks. “May I?”

She nodded, not really understanding what he was asking for until his lips swooped down to press upon hers. She whimpered involuntarily as her hands came up to grasp his arms, holding on for dear life as he plundered her mouth.

She moaned as his tongue did battle with hers, shuddering as he suckled on her bottom lip and arching into him as he licked into her mouth again. If she was honest with herself, she had been dreaming of this, hoping it would happen again. To have him here with her, in her bed, was everything. He propelled her backward until she was lying flat, his weight atop her like a warm blanket.

She wriggled, savoring the feel of his hardness against her softness, and moaned in disappointment as he pulled back until she realized he was trying to get her shift off. Lifting off the bed to help him, she shivered as the cold air hit her naked skin, but only for a moment because he covered her again, his hands everywhere. She pulled at his shirt, wanting him as naked as she was, and he uttered a sound of impatience before sitting up again and pulling it off. He tore at his breeches, flinging them off together with his stockings and shoes.

He leaped onto her again, spreading her legs wide as he dived between them. She bit her lip to keep the squeal inside as she arched up into his mouth, embarrassed at her leaking wetness. He seemed to revel in it, however, making pleased sounds as he licked and sucked.

Then he was on top of her again, and his hardness was splitting her in two. She cried out as he plundered into her, again and again, showing no mercy and giving no quarter. She loved it.

She loved him.