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Niall was drenched in sweat. His opponent was a fierce warrior who wasn’t going down easily, although there was no doubt in Niall’s mind that he was going to emerge victorious. It was only a matter of time. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Tovie standing there, watching him. This time she smiled and looked as though she was in a trance. For a moment he lost himself too and received a jab in the nose as a result. He cried out in pain and staggered back before raising his arm to block an incoming blow. He swiveled around, displaying a sudden increase in agility as he wanted to show Tovie what he was capable of. It had been difficult to get her off his mind during the last few days, not that he had put much effort into the endeavor. He had kept himself busy with things like sparring and taking care of the arrangements for the celebration to distract himself, as all he really wanted was to whisk her in his arms again and explore all the delights of her body.

But she needed him to be gentle. She needed him to be in control. She had been through so much with his brother, so much that it still made his blood boil at the thought of how Fraser had treated her. This anger rippled through his arms and manifested itself in a hellish blow that sent his opponent sprawling to the ground. He cried out in pain, and Niall was immediately horrified by what he had done, as he hadn’t meant to be this strong at all. He helped the man up and checked him over and was relieved when it became clear that the man was merely dazed rather than mortally wounded. Niall clapped him on the back and sent him on his way, eager to see Tovie. He grabbed a cloth and wiped the sweat off his body as he approached her.

“It looks as though ye hae been working hard,” she said.

He smiled at her and nodded. “Aye, well, ye can never stop training,” he said. “But I dae need tae bathe. Will ye accompany me tae the loch? I cannae get used tae bathing in a tub. It doesnae feel right after all these years. There’s something about bathing in nature’s water that is more refreshing,” he said, and Tovie nodded, agreeing to join him.

They talked as they strolled, exchanging words about the progress of the celebration and how all the clan was looking forward to it. It was impossible to escape the hints of awkwardness that lingered in the air around them, though. All he wanted was to take her in his arms and kiss her again, but was that what she wanted? He wondered if he should wait for her to make the next move. After all, he had shown her what love could be like, and now it was up to her to show that she liked it and wanted more. The last thing he wanted to do was pressure her into something more, and yet the longer she took, the more he ached.

But no, he had to be careful. He did not want to be like his brother.

They reached the loch. The grassy bank was fertile and soft. Niall threw his top down, which Tovie used as a blanket. He stretched his limbs and went to the edge of the loch, feeling the cold water. He smiled as he stood and then stripped himself of his garments, letting them fall into a puddle by his feet. Tovie turned her head away shyly, although there was a moment when he thought he caught her peeking at him. Let her stare, he thought, and smiled as he walked into the water.

The loch was bracing, and it made him tense. His breaths were hard, but he knew the cool water was good for his spirit. He submerged himself entirely before rising in a rush of cascading water. It dripped down his scalp and along his shoulders. He was tall enough that his feet could reach the bottom of the loch near the bank. He spread his arms out and began to swim around, warming up quickly as his body adjusted to the temperature of the water and his blood flowed through his veins.

“Are ye sure ye dinnae want tae join me? The water is lovely and fresh,” he said, casting his gaze back to Tovie.

She laughed and shook her head, but after spending moments watching him, she seemed to change her mind. Her hips swayed as she walked toward him and came to the bank, leaning down to dip her hand into the water. She shuddered as her fingers disappeared under the surface.

“It’s freezing!” she exclaimed, but Niall saw an opportunity that he wasn’t going to pass up. He caught her slender arm and yanked her in. She screamed a scream that was muffled by a splash as she hurtled into the water. She shivered, and when she got to her feet, her hair formed lank, straggling lines down her face. Her clothes were soaked through, and they clung to her body, leaving little to the imagination. Arousal prickled within Niall’s powerful body, and he wasn’t sure he had wanted anyone as much as he wanted her in that moment.

She glared at him. “Hae ye lost yer mind?!” she yelled.

“Aye, lass, I think I hae,” he said, and then he realized that he could wait for her no longer. He curled his arms around her and pressed her close to him, stealing a kiss from her lips, a kiss that was quickly given to him. She yielded to his embrace, and he could feel her melting under the water. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she clung to him, smiling as she kissed him even more deeply. He ran his hands through her wet hair and kissed her neck and her collarbone, wanting to lose himself in her entirely. He gasped, and she moaned, and the loch seemed to bubble with the heat that emanated from their bodies. She took his hand and kissed his palm, and began to move it down her body. He could feel the heat of her flesh underneath her soaked fabric, and it made him ripple with lust. She moved his hand all the way down until it was nestled in between her legs again, in that hot place where her sweetness poured out. She gasped and arched her neck back as he began to stroke her, and all the while, he became hotter and harder, and his mind swirled with passion.

He knew he wanted more, and he wanted her to have more as well. As he pleasured her with his fingers, he kissed her deeply, and with his other hand he ripped open her wet dress. The fabric tore away, exposing her pale skin. Her voluptuous breasts poured out, the nipples hard and pink because of the arousal and the chill of the water. Drops of liquid trickled down the slope of her supple curves, and he groaned with mad desire.

With a mighty gesture, he lifted her up and pushed her back onto the bank. Water sloshed away from her, and she lay there, her wet hair straggling across the grass, her hands clutching at the earth as he remained in the water, pushing her legs apart and burying himself in her. He lapped his tongue against her femininity and tasted her sweetness. It stung his lips and danced upon his tongue while her deep moans twisted into the air like a whirling maelstrom. He glanced up and watched her chest heave. Every inch of her womanly body was glorious, and he fell in love with her more deeply still. His body burned with desire, and he could feel his hardness below the surface of the water, aching and aching, and although he wanted to be gentle with her, he also knew there was something stirring in his body that he could not ignore.

He kissed her again and felt her shudder. Her head lolled to the side, and she radiated heat. The echo of it was on her tongue. He emerged from the loch, water dripping from every hard angle of his body. Her gaze fell to his manhood, and her eyes widened at the sight of him. All of his arousal and passion and desire were locked into this one part of his body, a part that was made for her. He placed a hand on her thigh, pushing it away, while the other brushed wet hair away from her face. He watched the desire and pleasure swim in her eyes as he touched her, pushing himself inch by inch until they were one and the world moved beneath them. Her mouth formed an O, and his thumb slipped in between her lips. She sucked it as her eyelids fluttered shut while he moved his hips back and forth. Tingles spread all over his body, flooding him with this exquisite delight that could never be ignored. His moans were deep and trembling while her beautiful, flawless body writhed underneath him.

They both had their scars, but they could not have been more attractive to each other.

They both had their sorrow, but in each other, they were finding a new happiness.

He leaned down to kiss her, taking his thumb away. She dug her nails into the back of his neck, and he crashed even deeper inside her, reaching parts of her that no man had reached before. He lost himself in her, unable to tell where he ended and she began. She was warm and loving and wonderful, everything he could ever want in a wife, and he felt blessed that he had stumbled into something so blissful. He pressed his forehead against hers. Their breaths slammed together, swirling into their air. They moaned at the same time; his were hot and heavy, hers were high-pitched and shrieking. She kissed him desperately, he held her tightly. Her legs clamped around the lower half of his body and brought him in even deeper to her tightness before he felt the uncontrollable rush of an orgasm sweeping through him.

It struck him like lightning, and the sensations stormed like thunder. It all blazed within him and came out in this incandescent wave, hot and hard and relentless.

And then, after it all, he was there staring at her, loving her, seeing her as if for the first time. Her face was flushed and her eyes were wild, but he could see that she was the woman he was supposed to be with. He was the woman with whom he could build a future, and it didn’t matter that she was only his wife on a technicality of the law, for he knew now that he loved her, and he could never deny it.

He lowered his head and plucked a gentle kiss from her lips as they remained there for a few moments, laying in the grass by the loch. The clouds swirled above them, and the world seemed as though it was a little more magical than before. Niall knew that he had found something with Tovie that he hadn’t been sure he would ever find again: hope.

Eventually he rolled off her and cradled her in his arms. He kissed her on the forehead, wanting her to know that she would always be safe with him and that he would never let anything happen to her. She was shivering, for now that the heat of passion had dissipated, the water that continued to trickle over her body was cold, so he shared his body warmth. He gave her everything he had so that she would never have to fear being cold. He pressed his hands against her back and silently vowed that he would never hurt her.