Page 48 of Married to her Kilted Enemy

“I think it was the other way around,” he said, a little sad when the golden motes seemed to transform themselves into the usual dust, illuminated by firelight. “Och, ’tis fadin’.” He sank down into what remained of the bath water, taking her with him. She wriggled around to face him, stroking his soaking hair back from his face and peppering him with small kisses as she hugged his neck. He smiled into her eyes, telling her, “I’ve never experienced anythin’ like that. It was wonderful. Ye’re wonderful.” He cupped her chin and kissed her, pouring all the love he had for her into it.

“If I am, ’tis because ye make me so. I ken naethin’ but what ye’ve shown me. I was still a maid until the other night, remember?” She looked into his eyes. “But ye’re a man, a braw man too.”

“I’m nae braw!” he denied it from natural modesty, but her sweet compliment warmed him.

“Aye, ye are, and surely, ye must have felt somethin’ like it before. With other women.” She said the last words haltingly, as if it pained her to speak them. Odhrán glimpsed a strange flicker deep in her gaze. He could not fathom it, and now he felt embarrassed.

“I want tae be honest with ye. I was with other women in the past, ’tis true. I’d be lyin’ if I tried tae deny it. I’m a full-grown man, and there are always plenty of lassies who want tae lie with the laird’s son. But that was just a man’s natural lust. I cared naethin’ fer any of them.”

“Nae a single one?” she asked curiously, her fingers lightly brushing his cheek.

He shook his head. “I’ve never been in love before I met ye, Maddy. And when that happened, I didnae even ken what I was feelin’ fer a long time. I had naethin’ tae compare it tae, I suppose. It hit me like a runaway horse. But I’ve nae been with anyone since I first saw ye, Maddy. I couldnae. I kent in me bones ye were the only one. But I never thought I could ever have ye as me own wife. Ye’re the best thing that’s ever happened tae me.”

She smiled and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. “I’m glad. And now ’tis just thee and me.”

“Mmm,” he murmured against her neck. “That’s the dream. Come on, it’s getting’ cold, let’s get dried off and get warm.” He stood up and lifted her out on the rug. Water poured form them, pooling around their bare feet as they dried each other off with towels.

“Is yer head feelin’ any better?” she asked, vigorously rubbing his chest, while he gathered up her hair and tried to get most of the water out of it.

“Me headache’s gone. All me aches and pains from the duel have vanished. I feel… grand,” he declared. “Ye’re the best medicine, it seems,” he added, laughing.

She chuckled and said, “That’s good news, but ye cannae go tae sleep just yet because of yer concussion. Ye have tae stay awake a wee while longer.” She finished drying hm off. “Go and get under the covers. I’ll fetch ye a clean shirt. Ye must stay warm.” As she turned from him to go to his wardrobe, she threw him an excited glance. “We still have the strawberry tart.”

“Och, so we do,” Odhrán said, filled with childish pleasure as he padded over to the bed and did as she suggested. “I’m hungry again.”

“Mmm, me too,” Maddison agreed, bringing the shirt over and helping him slip it over his head and smooth it down over his body. Then, she solicitously plumped his pillows and pulled the coverlet over him. Odhrán sat back against the pillows, feeling as happy as a pig in a wallow as he watched her walk naked to the table to fetch the tart. Another twinge of lust gripped him to see her thick dark hair falling slickly against her back, admiring once more the curve of her waist and hips and the trembling of her behind as she moved.

She hesitated for a moment over the table, a cake slice in her hand before saying, “Och, I’ll just bring the whole thing. We can eat it out of the dish.” She grabbed the tart and two spoons and returned to climb up on the bed next to him. She placed the dish on his lap and handed him a spoon. Odhrán scooped up a spoonful and held it out for her to eat, filled with intense pleasure when she smiled and took it.

“Omigod, that’s so delicious,” she murmured.

“Ye have strawberry sauce on yer chin,” Odhrán said laughingly, wiping it away with him thumb and then sucking on it. “Aye, that bit’s extra delicious,” he declared.

“Yer turn now,” Maddison told him with a mischievous grin, offering him a whole strawberry on her own spoon. He ate it with relish.

“That’s good,” he said, “but naethin’ tastes a good as ye do, Maddy.”

“Och, silly,” she murmured, her cheeks growing as delightfully red as the strawberries as she fed him another spoonful.

“Ye look even more beautiful when ye blush,” he told her truthfully.

“Odhrán, will ye stop sayin’ such things? I’m near tae chokin’ here,” she claimed, giggling, her mouth full.

“I’ll never stop tellin’ ye how beautiful ye are, so ye might as well get used tae it.” The smile she gave him was like the warmth of summer sunshine on his skin.

Gradually, they demolished the tart, and at the end, Maddison made him laugh when she insisted on licking the dish clean like a greedy child.

Then, she put it aside, along with the spoons, and leaned over to the nightstand to pour them some more wine, handing him his glass before settling comfortably under his arm with hers.

“Odhrán, I want tae ken more about yer past,” she said, sipping her wine.

“What d’ye want tae ken. Ask me anythin’.”

“Well, it sounds like ye didnae have a very happy childhood, what with yer faither and yer cousin. But ye havenae told me anythin’ about yer maither.”

He paused for a moment before answering. “I never speak of her. ’Tis too painful, even though I never met her.”

“Och, I’m sorry. I didnae mean tae hurt ye. Let’s nae speak of it.”