“If ye keep that up, I’ll—” He bit back the words and buried his face in her neck, stifling another groan.
A wicked smile crossed her face as she leaned in to resume the kiss. His hands were quicker this time around as he pulled the dress over her head. She should feel cold. She had nothing to protect her from the night except her skin. And his touch. Yet, the last thing she felt was the cold.
He laid her on the bed and settled on top of her, his length grazing her parted legs. The feeling made her heart pump evenharder. He shifted between her legs, and she arched against him. However, he shook his head at the last minute.
“Nay,” he whispered, the struggle to maintain control evident in his voice. “Nae yet.”
He moved down until his head brushed her thighs. Then, before she could catch her breath, he took her in his mouth.
Her fingers twisted in the bedsheets as his tongue slid into her, swirling and pushing.
“Alasdair—” The sound broke in her throat, her voice raw as she struggled to form words.
He gave no response. Instead, he pressed his tongue harder against her. She could feel the pressure inside her start to build, and it grew even faster when he slid a few fingers inside her.
It was only a matter of time…
No. It was now. She would let go now.
Her cry filled the chamber as her body quaked against his mouth. He held down her thighs, and her hands twisted even harder in the bedsheets until her knuckles turned white.
Finally, he raised his head and looked up at her. His lips were glistening, and the look in his eyes was daunting. For some reason, he looked even more dangerous than he always had.
He climbed back beside her, dropping heavily onto the mattress, his chest heaving. She turned her head and saw his member still straining against his trousers, pulsing with need.
Her hand moved before thought caught up. She touched him again, slower this time, her fingers curling around his length.
He caught her hand once more. “Ye daenae have to,” he muttered, his voice harsh with restraint.
She leaned close, her lips brushing his ear. “I ken.”
Her hand stayed on him, stroking him until he released her wrist. Then, she slid down, her knees sinking into the mattress between his thighs. Her hand worked him at a slow rhythm before she bent forward and took him into her mouth.
The sound he made was raw, and his hand flew to her hair, holding her close. His body trembled as she moved over him, and she drew back almost immediately. She could hear him exhale when she looked up and started to stroke him before taking him again, the weight of his length filling her mouth.
He cursed low, his voice strained and his eyes locked on her. She looked up once, their gazes colliding, and his head dropped back. A smirk touched her lips as he shuddered beneath her hand.
Release came quick and sharp. She pulled back just enough, still stroking him as his body jerked with the force of his pleasure. His groan tore through the room, his muscles taut, until at last he sagged back into the pillows.
She wiped her hand on the sheet, then crawled back up beside him, resting her cheek on his chest. His arm closed around her instinctively, his breathing still uneven.
For the first time since she had arrived at the castle, she felt her body relax. Sleep found her fast; her last memory was the sound of his heartbeat beneath her ear.
When Lily woke up, the bed was empty.
The covers were pulled high to her neck, tucked neatly, and she knew it was Alasdair who had done it. She stared at the soft fold of the blanket for a long while, her throat tight.
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door, before it opened. Daisy slipped inside, her expression soft.
“Ye’re awake,” she said, her arms wrapped tightly around a towel.
“Aye.” Lily pushed herself upright.
“Are ye feeling well?” Daisy asked, concern lacing her voice. “After what happened last night, nay one would think less of ye if ye chose to rest. The wounded soldiers can wait for a day.”
Lily’s heart skipped a beat. “What happened last night?”
Had the maid heard? Did she walk in on them when they were?—
