Her mouth parted in shock. “Youare?”
“Aye,a ghràidh.” He broughtboth hands to her face, cupping it, and then brushed a gentle kiss to her lips.“But when we are as one, everything in my world is right and perfect. Ye havegiven me a gift I did nae even ken I was awaiting.”
He could not have said anythingmore perfect. She cupped his face as he did hers. “I love you.”
“And I, ye.”
She rose to her tiptoes and pressedher lips to his. When she drew back, his hands slipped around her waist and shefound herself lifted off her feet and to his chest.
“Is yer kiss an invitation,a ghràidh?”
She shook her head, and thoughneither his body nor his eyes showed disappointment, his jaw tensed. She barelycontrolled her giggle. “It was nae a simple invitation,laird,” shepurred in her best Scottish accent. “It was a plea for ye to take me and makeme yers once again.”
“Ye are mine always,” he growled,sweeping her legs up over his arms. “But I’ll be happy to answer yer plea onetouch at a time.”
He strode with her to the bed, sether on her feet, and commanded her to stand still.
She nodded and his hands weresuddenly on her, roaming over her body and igniting it in flames. He graspedthe edge of her léine and pulled it up over her thighs, hips, and breasts,capturing her wrists with his hand as he drew the garment over her head. Hetossed it to the floor and released her hands down by her sides. She stoodthere utterly naked, his gaze burning and devouring her body. He made her feelbeautiful, wanted, and wanton, and as she raised her hands to his chest,pressed her palms there, and felt the thundering of his heart beneath herfingertips, she knew the thrill of the power her touch had over him.
Shaking with desire, she raised uphis plaid, and as the material slid over his powerful torso, she marveled atthe effect simply glimpsing the perfection of his body had on her. Her heartraced and her stomach fluttered while her core tightened in expectation of whatwas to come. His gaze held hers prisoner as she moved the plaid to his broadshoulders. She could raise it no more.
“Unclothe,” she commanded.
He shot her a wicked grin. “As yewish,a ghràidh.”
Every time he called herhis love,she felt as if her heart would burst with joy. As he lifted his arms to ridhimself of his plaid, she could not restrain herself any longer. She pressedkisses across the hot planes of stomach muscle, and he jerked, groaned, andgrasped her by the arms in response.
Before she knew what was happening,she was on their bed with Iain hovering over her. He devoured her mouth in akiss of possession, then slid his tongue down a path from her ribs to herstomach and lower to the juncture between her thighs. He brought her to quicksurrender, her cries of pleasure echoing in her own ears.
Still, she ached for him, and sheheld her arms out to him when she saw him hesitate above her, unfulfilled inhis own need, yet willing to wait for her. His concern and selflessness touchedher greatly.
“Come to me,” she whisperedhuskily.
“Are ye sure? I did nae think we’dgo so far tonight. Just test the waters, aye?”
“The waters have been tested,” shegrowled. “They are warm and ready.”
Oh God.Marion was sobeautiful. She smelled of heather and freesia, and the warmth he knew awaitedhim inside her beckoned to him. His good intentions to bring his wife topleasure tonight and not take his, to ease her back into their joining,disappeared in a passion so strong it made him shudder.
He grasped her hips and put hisshaft at her hot, moist entrance. “I can go slow and gentle,” he panted,offering her one last moment to reconsider or command him how to proceed.
“Don’t even think of it,” she said,her gaze heated as it met his.
His thoughts all fled butone—possession. And with that single driving need, he plunged into her. Sheimmediately clenched around him, fitting him like a silken glove. Need sent himout of his mind, and his body took over. He lifted her buttocks farther,thrusting deeper, harder, faster, his body pulsing and tensing so very close torelease.
She arched her back, and he knewshe was close, as well. His fingers found one of her breasts and circled herhard bud gently as he stroked in and out of her until his entire body tensed,she screamed out her pleasure, and his own release came. The force of itshocked him, and he stilled, his breaths coming in short pants, his heartbeating fast, and his seed flowing into Marion, leaving them both spent.
They collapsed as one onto the bedand lay still, their heavy breathing filling the silence. When his heartslowed, he rolled to his side and traced a finger over her flat stomach. Sheturned her head toward him, her green eyes wistful. He understood and pressed akiss to her stomach.
“We will make another bairn.”
“And if we can’t?” she whispered.
“Then we will be a family, the twoof us. And it will be more than enough.”
She nodded and clasped his handwith her tiny one. If he could keep pain from ever touching her heart again,he’d give his life to do so.
Iain would have liked to keep Marion in their bedchamberuntil things were settled with Froste just to keep her safe, but at thebeginning of the third week of her recovery, Marion demanded to rejoin castlelife. He was about to deny her request when a pounding came at their bedchamberdoor. Marion burst past Iain, raced to the door, and threw it open.
