She quirked her mouth. “Not at all.I trust you. It’s those women who stare at you worshipfully that I don’ttrust.”
His chest expanded with happinessat her honesty. “That’s good. A wife should trust her husband.”
She frowned at him. “What else isthe duty of a highland wife?”
“To love her husband,” he replied,regretting the words the minute they flew from his mouth. Marion made him losehis control in more ways than one, it seemed.
A wary shimmer came into her eyes,and she shifted away from him as far as she could until he stopped her. “I’mnot about to love you until you show me you can love me,” she said, her voicebreaking.
“That’s understandable,” hereplied, “but I think ye’ll nae be able to stop yerself from loving me.” Hegrinned at her.
He watched as she struggled not tosmile, and when her body defeated her will and a lovely smile settled on herlips, his body stirred at the sight. She tossed her hair back as she stared upat him. “You think you’re that enticing?” she asked playfully.
“Oh, I do,” he said, his voicehusky with the sudden burning need for her. “I’d hazard I’m so enticing thatye’ll let me take ye now.”
A scandalous look crossed her face.“In broad daylight? Withdangerlurking?” Her eyes twinkled as she toyedwith him. “I would not be so bold.”
He grinned as he slid his handaround her waist but paused when he felt a dagger sheath. He was about to askher where she had gotten it but decided the question could wait. He brought hishand to her breast and cupped the delectable flesh. “But I would, Marion. I’vebeen thinking of taking ye in broad daylight since the ride here. It was all Icould do nae to pull ye off my horse yesterday and bury myself in ye.”
“Oh my,” she murmured, her chestrising with her inhalation. “You want me that much?”
“I do,” he readily admitted. “Do yeken what the motto of the MacLeod clan is?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry tosay I don’t.”
He traced his hand from her breastto her lips. “It’shold fast, and I’ve held fast since yesterday to theidea of being inside ye with the woods around us. I dunnae think I can wait anylonger.”
“Well, then, I suppose it’s my dutyto please you,” she said huskily. “I’ve held fast to something, as well, Iain.”
“Have ye now?” he managed to chokeout, though his heart pounded so viciously that talking seemed almostimpossible.
She nodded as she slid her handbetween their pressed bodies and found his hard staff. He groaned as shesqueezed him. “I made a vow to myself to see if I could make you a simplefool.” She stared boldly at him.
“Well, I’d nae be one to cause yeto break a vow ye’ve made yerself,” he said, deftly unlacing her gown andtugging at her bodice until her breasts spilled out.
She gasped as he took her in hismouth and tortured her until she screamed her pleasure so loudly that hecovered her mouth in a kiss so the MacLeans wouldn’t come to investigate. Butnot long after, when she took the length of him in her mouth and stroked himuntil he was sure he’d never have a rational thought again, it was his gutturalcry that filled the woods without a care for anything beyond making the wildlytempting woman in his arms as happy and sated as she was making him.
When they were spent and they laywrapped in his plaid, he caught sight of the dagger in its sheath, which laybeside her gown. “Where did ye get the dagger?”
“Bridgette loaned it to me so Icould defend myself. As you know, I lost my other one. And I need it for mysafety,” she said with obvious defiance. But what did she think she wasrebelling against?
He cupped her cheek. “Do ye thinkI’ll take it from ye?”
Her gaze shifted about beforesettling on him once more. “You took mine from me before and told Rory Mac tonot return it.”
He scowled. “Only until ye did naewant to use it on me.”
“Well, since it was never returnedto me, how was I to know if you would truly allow me to have my own weapons?Angus had the dagger I lost in the water made for me.”
He frowned. “Why did Angus have adagger made for ye?”
“Because he’s the one who taught meto use a dagger. My father would not have done such a thing with me. He wouldnot have done anything with me, really. Besides scold me and punish me.” Thelast words had been whispered and she glanced down.
His chest tightened, and he hookeda finger under her chin and brought her sad gaze to his once more. “What didAngus teach ye of the dagger?”
“He taught me to aim straight andthrow true. I could show you,” she said shyly, “if you’d like.”
“I’d like it verra much,” heassured her as he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “And wecan go hunting together when we’re back at Dunvegan.”
