“I’m nervous, this is…” His presence pressed my back against the wall, my words caught in my throat.
He said, “Tis a weighty thing, Princess, tae align our fates. Nae small matter.”
His body pressed, the hard surface behind me gave no ground, his kiss started sweet and grew rough, but in that tantalizing way, that made me want more. His calloused hand went to the small of my back, pulling me into him. His mouth drew to my ear and heated my skin. “Ye are invitin’ me tae yer bed, Alexandria?”
I couldn’t find the words to answer, lips grazing across my cheek, the tug of his lips on my ear, he drew his mouth down my neck, sucking and kissing along my throat. My knees grew weak, fire spread under his hand.
“Oh, God, yes.”
He carried me to the bed and crawled on me.
We kissed some more, he brushed his knuckles along my throat, fingertips tracing the curve of my jaw. Then he rolled to his side, leaned on his elbow looking down on me.
I arched toward him, my skin begged for him. He gazed for a moment as my knee drew up his leg to his hip. I pressed against him. His hand slid under my shirt,oh god.
He dragged his lips slowly along my collarbone, my whole body was impatient for him, he spoke and I felt the words.I daena ken what ye will let me do next.
All of it.
I took my shirt off over my head and took off my bra, then I lay there for a moment under his gaze — he was mesmerized, his breaths growing bullish. His fingers trailed around my breasts, heat rose on my skin ahead of his touch.
Och, Alexandria.
My name was drawn out, his voice thick with longing.
He rose up and pulled his shirt over his head and lay back down on me, his heartbeat hammering against mine. We stared into each other’s eyes, until he broke his gaze and began kissing, and licking and drawing his fingers across my skin, wordlessly.
I could feel his excitement mount, he went from soft trailing movements to a hard grasp pulling my hips close, a rough hand tangled in my hair, he ground against me, and then worked on the button of my jeans, a momentary struggle, so I took over, undoing my pants. He rose up and peeled them down and off my legs. His eyes took me in — he looked out of his mind. I pushed down my underwear.
Then I pushed his kilt down, while he unbuckled his belt, and I pulled him down onto me.
His palm pressed warm under my thigh as he hitched it up to his waist. He exhaled warm against my throat, and as I wrapped my legs around him, his breath caught, mingled with mine.
There was a sweet slow lingering, the pause before surrender, and then I arched up as he entered me…. I caught my breath,oh God.My fingers dug into his shoulders.
My teeth pressed against his skin to stop the moan.
—we had been together in Scotland, our days spent sparring and conversing, riding together on the horses. He had held me in an ordinary way, sometimes enough to make me long for him, for the touch of his wrist on my thigh, his hands on my waist, the lifting of my hips to settle right behind me, his breath on my hair... And then there were the nights, clinging together in sleep trying to survive, to warm, to comfort... It had all led up to this, without us even knowing it.
He had sworn an oath, saved my life, and then here, he had conquered me.
A groan caught in his throat, waves rolled through me. We formed a rhythm of pulling and pushing, built momentum, and rushed over to the other side, together.
His mouth pressed against my throat. His words rumbling on my skin, “Och aye, mo leannan, tis a grand thing tae be loved by ye.”
I had conquered him, too.
43
LEXI
2004 - LAUREL RIDGE
He rolled slowly to his side. The planes of his face lit by the moon glowing through my open window. The only sound the faint hum of my ceiling fan and crickets outside the window. I had my head on Torin’s chest, my hand resting over his heart, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath.
I felt safe.
I lightly ran my fingers across his broad chest, touching every plane, caressing up his neck to his hair. I kissed his chest, lingering my lips on his skin.
