It was all the encouragement he needed. He increased his pace until his blood sang in his veins and his thoughts careened in his head. She tremored around his staff, and his body took over, releasing his mind from worry. He set a pace that made him pant, and she met him motion for motion, until he was calling her name as he soared to a shuddering ecstasy. His seed burst from him and filled his wife, making her his completely.
He dropped to her side and rolled onto his back, bringing her into the crook of his arm. She sighed and snuggled against him as he lay staring at the ceiling and panting while the flood of pleasure slowly receded and the turbulence of his passion calmed. After a while, his heart slowed and his thoughts came to where he could order them.
He glanced down at Isobel, who tilted her head to look at him. She gave him the shy smile that made two indentions appear in her cheeks, which he loved. His heart tugged hard. His caring for her was a thing he feared would be hard to contain, and that scared him more than any brutal enemy he had ever faced.
Chapter Fifteen
Isobel awoke slowly, her mind feeling as if a mist were blanketing her thoughts. She opened her eyes to sunlight filtering in the bedchamber—Graham’s bedchamber. Awareness crashed over her, and memories from the night before singed her thoughts and made her cheeks burn with embarrassment. Looking quickly to the right, she exhaled with relief when she realized Graham was no longer abed, but then she frowned. Where was he? Why had he not woken her?
She grinned to herself, recalling his guttural cries. Graham desired her with the same intensity she felt for him. She let out a long sigh. His desire was the only thing about him she was certain of. She knew nothing of his past, but her gut told her it had much to do with his unwillingness to offer her more than desire and controlled care. She wanted passion and love, and she wanted it from him. After last night, she was a fool to try to deny it.
She quirked her mouth as she glanced around his bare bedchamber. In the bright morning sunlight, the room told her a great deal about the man she had married. He did not need much, and right now, she feared that included the love she could give him. Love for him was inside her, a seed that needed planting to grow, but he wasn’t willing to plant it. She’d not even truly understood her feelings until he’d so tenderly shattered her and then, just as savagely, made her come alive fully.
She sat up, and as she did, the blanket that had covered her slid downward, and she realized two things at once: she was very sore, and she was completely, utterly, and sinfully naked. She had slept all night without any clothing. She hugged her knees to her chest, thinking about Graham. She needed to talk to someone who knew about his past, and the only person she could think of that might share with her was Marion.
Now that she had the beginning of a plan, Isobel scrambled out of bed and searched for her gown. The fire had died low, so the room had a chill to it, and by the time she was dressed, she trembled from the cold. But when she opened the door and found Cameron standing guard, frustration heated her.
“Why am I still being guarded?” she snapped.
She immediately felt guilty when Cameron grimaced. “For yer protection, Isobel. There are many who still dunnae like yer presence here.”
Isobel sighed. “Like Lena?”
Cameron cleared his throat. “Aye. I’m sorry.”
“Dunnae be. I can understand why she dunnae wish a Campbell in her home. Am I to continue to take my meals in the bedchamber, then?”
“Nay,” Cameron assured her. “Graham said ye could move about the castle with a guard.”
Isobel pressed her lips together on a sharp retort. It was not Cameron’s fault that she was to be guarded, nor could she truly be vexed with Graham for worrying about her safety. She was angry at the situation, and at her father and siblings for their crimes.
Cameron held an arm out to her. “I’ll take ye to the great hall to break yer fast. I’ve the morning duty, and I’m to pass ye to Rory Mac at noon.”
She ground her teeth. She understood Graham’s concern, but she thought he might be overreacting a bit. She knew for certain that walking around with a guard would make her feel even more isolated than she already did. Plus, if she constantly had a guard, she would not be free to talk to Marion in private.
She had to convince Graham to allow her to move about Dunvegan on her own. Surely his sister and his clansmen would not dare to harm her now that she was Graham’s wife. To do so would be a strike against Graham.
She moved toward the stairs, and Cameron fell into step beside her. “After I break my fast I’d like to speak with Graham.”
Cameron immediately shook his head. “He will nae wish that. He’s training his men, and they were later starting than he likes, as he saw the king’s party off with Iain and Lachlan.”
“Surely, Graham takes a break during the morning?”
“Nay. He dunnae stop his training until well after the sun has left the sky. He was given the duty of training the men when Lachlan left to go to Bridgette, and Graham takes it even more seriously than Lachlan did. He’s nae human, I tell ye, especially when he’s cross like today.”
She paused at the bottom of the stairs and turned to Cameron. “What vexes him?”
Cameron gave her a distinctly uncomfortable look before shrugging. “I dunnae ken.”
She suspected by the red that had crept up his neck that he did, but she did not push him to give her the truth, likely the effort would be futile. Instead, she continued on to the great hall and said, “Well, then he can be annoyed with me, because I really must speak to him.”
Cameron scowled at her. “Ye ken I’d nae restrain ye, but Graham will likely turn his ire on yer interruption toward me.”
“I am sorry,” she replied, patting Cameron’s arm. “I’ll make sure to tell him I forced ye to bring me to him.”
The great hall was empty save for Father Murdock, who she had only met at her wedding the night before but whom it occurred to her may also be someone who would give her insight into Graham. Surely, Father Murdock, a man of God, would not be hostile toward her. Isobel waved a hand of greeting to Rhona, in an effort to show she wished to be friends.
When Rhona scowled at her, Cameron said, “Quit yer glaring, Rhona, and bring Isobel a trencher of food.”
