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Ian knew there was something troubling Ainsly, but it was clear that she didn’t want to talk about it. He had been surprised by the way she had walked away from her clan without a second thought when the mood had been so triumphant, but he supposed it was a good way for the clan to grow their trust in him, and he had enjoyed answering their questions. It further deepened his connection with this place and helped him feel more at home. He hoped it made the McLallen clan feel the same way.

And now that he was in his chambers with her, he could not resist the lure of her naked body. She could keep the secrets that lingered in her mind. Everyone was allowed to have some secret chambers that were hidden from everyone else. All that mattered was that she shared her heart with him, and he was confident he had that. It was in every breathy moan and every elated sigh—sounds that were music to his heart. He buried himself in her body, sinking into the bed. His strong arms wrapped around her, and soon, he was in heaven. A delirious feeling spread through his body, and then it turned to fire. The hard knot of tension made his body rigid, and blood flowed like lava through his veins. She was intoxicating, and it didn’t take much for her to bring him to his driving point. He kissed her head, plunging his tongue into her mouth, and feeling her dance. Ainsly’s body melted into his, and he felt more alive than ever before. It was as though the world became more vivid and vibrant when he was with her, as though without her, the world was shrouded in a shadow, and only she had the means by which to dispel it.

He lay by her side and let his hands roam down her body, enjoying every inch and shudder when he found a sweet spot. He traced the curve of her breasts and tugged at a strand of hair that rested against the rise, before sinking down into the wild depths of her. She kissed back eagerly, and her hands were ardent, clawing at his manhood in an effort to pleasure him. His fingers found her wetness, and she groaned. She pushed him over and settled on top of him. The weight of her body felt pleasing against him, and he liked the sight of her pure, unblemished skin sitting atop his scarred body. She arched her head back and leaned against his chest as they settled into a loving rhythm. His hands ran up the sides of her body and around her chest as they made love. The curves of her body felt so pleasing to his touch that his heart fluttered, and terse moans escaped his lips.

And yet, even though they were lost in the throes of passion, he sensed that something was wrong. She kissed him with urgency. She straddled him hard and rode him as though she was racing him like a horse. The blitz and blaze of passion was fierce, but it seemed as though she wasn’t fully there, as though she wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible.

She took his wrists and pinned them down next to his head, leaning forward and kissing him so hard that she almost drew blood. He could do nothing but enjoy the sensations as she rode him hard, even though this didn’t seem like her. She whimpered and moaned the same, but there was something in the way she moved. It was difficult to put his finger on, but something just didn’t seem right.

It didn’t dull his pleasure any, though. He still took delight in the movement of her body, and she knew how to elicit the reaction she wanted. Sweat glistened on his chest, and pleasure burst inside him as he felt it all being released in one stormy thrust before she slid off him and nestled into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and wished he knew what to say. He wished he could make it clear to her that she didn’t have anything to worry about, that he would always take care of her. Yet the words seemed so hollow when she was in this mood.

He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head up so that she was looking at him directly. Her eyes swam with desire, and he searched them for truth, but if she was hiding something from him, he couldn’t see it.

“Ye know ye can tell me anything, lass,” he whispered.

Ainsly nodded, but she didn’t say anything else. He swallowed a lump in his throat and kissed her. She kissed him back and then placed a finger upon his lips. She forced a smile and then turned away from him. He admired her sinuous, slender back and the bed of hair that fell down it as he sighed and let his head sink into the pillow. This wasn’t like the other times. He felt distant from her, and he wasn’t sure how to close that distance. There were still many nuances to marriage that he was yet to discover. With other women, he had never stayed with them long enough to be overly concerned about how they felt or what they may have been concealing in their hearts, but her change in mood troubled him. Was she having doubts about what they had spoken about? Did she feel trapped in this future he had planned for them both?

There were questions he was afraid to ask, for he feared the answers she might give. He wanted to believe that she loved him as freely as he loved her, but was that even possible when he had claimed her so brutally and so finally? It wasn’t as though he had given her a choice, and perhaps that would always taint their marriage.

Ian didn’t sleep well that night, and when he awoke, he felt an uneasy energy in his body. His muscles were aching for some combat. When he stirred, she stirred as well. He smiled at her and kissed her, and she kissed back. Was that hesitancy in her kiss, or was he just reading into things too much?

“I’m gaeing tae the practice fields tae train with the men,” Ian said.

“I thought ye said ye were leaving yer fighting ways behind?” Ainsly asked. There was a delicate panic in her voice, and he found it sweet that she was so concerned with him, so much so that he smiled with amusement. It warmed his heart to know that she was worried about him.

“Aye, lass, but it is difficult tae give up the habits of a lifetime. I can feel my bones aching for a fight. Dinnae worry, I am nae gaeing tae hurt anyone, but I need tae try and keep myself honed in case anyone should try and fight us. There’s nae harm in training,” he said.

Ainsly looked at him for a few moments without saying anything, and then she let her finger dance upon his chest. She tilted her head so that her hair dropped in ringlets around her cheeks and looked at him with hooded eyes. “Why dinnae ye stay here with me this morning? We can dae a wee bit of training ourselves,” she said coyly as she let her hand slide down towards his manhood. He caught her wrist and smirked.

“Ye are gaeing tae drain me, dry lass! Ye hae tae give me time tae recover. And it’ll be good tae be on the practice field. I can talk with my men as well and make sure they understand how things are gaeing tae be from now on. I fear that Calan will be trouble.” His brow furrowed as he thought about his friend.

He slipped out of bed and got dressed. Ainsly stayed there, and perhaps he was a fool for leaving a beautiful woman in bed like that, but going out to fight felt right, and he suspected that Ainsly might need some time alone. These were difficult times for her, and he didn’t want to make her feel as though she had to be with him all day, every day. He didn’t want her to feel like a prisoner.

“Ye can always come and watch if ye are interested. With the way ye wield a sword, ye could even join in. I know Calan would be eager tae hae a swipe with ye, although I’m nae sure how long a duel like that would stay a practice for. Still, it would be worth seeing.” Amusement danced in Ian’s eyes.

“I think I’ll stay here,” Ainsly said, pulling the blanket around her.

“I’ll see ye later then, lass.” Ian walked over to her and cupped her head in one of his huge hands. He gave her a deep kiss, one that made his skin tingle and then walked out of the room, satisfied that he could be coming back to a woman brimming with arousal.

The practice fields were alive with warriors. Swords clashed, and spears were thrown. Calum and Calan were overseeing the training, watching their men like hawks. Even from a distance, Ian could see the tension between them. The air practically shimmered; he hoped that in time they could at least learn to work civilly together.

Ian was not going to wield his main weapon as no man could stand a chance against him, and he didn’t want to bring back memories of how he had strode along these fields and soaked them in blood. Instead, he picked up a normal sword and gestured for someone to come and challenge him. He looked around, beckoning someone to come forward, but none did.

Ian looked dismayed.

“Are none of ye willing tae duel yer laird?” he asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Calan was smirking, no doubt amused at the cowardice of these new people. Ian wanted one of them to come forward to show that they weren’t all afraid of him.

“I am.”

Ian looked up to see Calum striding forward. The old man was wiry and lithe. He looked as though he still had a lot of energy despite his advanced years, and when he drew his sword, it was with a flourish, displaying his skill. His eyes were pale; they burned with a cold intensity. Ian grinned. It had been clear from the beginning that Calum hadn’t taken to Ian, but perhaps this would release some tension. Ian beckoned Calum forward, and the rest of the practice stopped as they witnessed the duel.

“Let’s see what ye hae,” Ian said.

“Aye, and let’s see how fierce ye are without an army around ye,” Calum said as he rushed forward and brought his gleaming sword up, ready to strike.