Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Amelia’s body was light in Darragh’s arms but solid and so very alive. She leaned against him as he carried her through the corridor. Though she’d tried to insist she could walk to her chambers from the healer’s room, he wasn’t apt to allow it.
And Isla seemed to approve of the action.
“Ye say ye’re nae in pain, but I can still feel ye tremblin’,” he said as he took the turn that would lead them to her wing of the castle.
She laughed against his shoulder, a soft and free sound. “It’s nae just the pain, ye ken.”
There was an undercurrent of anticipation there.
And, though she didn’t deny the ache, he could see now that the way she moved, the way her breathing was quickening as they got closer to her private quarters, had nothing to do with pain.
It had everything to do with him. His proximity and the resulting tension were the culprits.
He chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. “Ye’re goin’ to continue to surprise me for the rest of days, arenae ye?”
Another giggle burst forth, and she buried her face in his shoulder. There was an incredulous quality to the way she shook. It was relief, too.
She cannae believe she’s allowin’ this. She wouldnae have even last week.
Without putting her down, Darragh opened the door to her chambers and carried her over the threshold. Then, using the heel of his boot, he knocked the latch into place. Cloaked in privacy, the heat between them built at a much faster pace.
As he slowly lowered her to the floor, Amelia studied him. The lantern light played upon her face, casting soft shadows over the curve of her cheek. Her hands lingering on his shoulders, she tilted her head just so.
“What,” he began, swallowing hard as he was flooded with the desire to keep, “must I do to make certain ye daenae run away from me again?”
It seemed she wasn’t expecting him to speak, as her eyes grew wide and she stood up a bit straighter. Then, a blush began to spread from the bridge of her nose down to her neck. A sly little smile fixed itself to her lips, and she averted her eyes.
Ach, her smile. Such a bonnie thing when she’s flustered.
“I am a stray,” she murmured after a moment. Her gaze flicked up to his, open and truly inviting for the first time since he’d rescued her from that tower.
“Nay if ye daenae wish to be,” he said with a hint of humor, lifting her chin with his forefinger. The amusement faded slowly, replaced by something much deeper. “Stay,” he said, a question and a plea all at once. “Take me name.”
She gasped audibly. Then, she giggled, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. Her hand lingered there, her touch a warm, soft pressure. He leaned into it, allowing himself the indulgence.
“Me golden wolf,” she whispered, trying out the words for the first time.
His own breath caught; something about the name that had been handed to him through violence said with such reverence was earth-shattering.
The air between them was thick with so many things they hadn’t yet spoken.
He’d never been one to talk, but her presence made him want to open up in brand new ways.
“Stay, Amelia,” he said, his voice quieter now. It was as close to desperation as he’d ever get. “I’ll stop the world for ye if ye ask. All ye have to do is stay.”
* * *
The words stole all of Amelia’s functions. For a moment, she couldn’t do anything but remind herself that this moment was real. She wasn’t going to run anymore.
Her hand drifted from his temple down to his neck. Absentmindedly, she rubbed at his skin, unable to give him an answer with words. Her thumb found a spot of tension, and she pressed upon it, working it away with gentle care.
The touch, though simple and innocent, sent a shiver through Darragh. He stopped it short, but there was no hiding it. Being the source of that reaction sent a pleased, mischievous feeling up her spine. She didn’t bother holding back her smirk as she pressed more deliberately on the spot.
With a groan, he rested his forehead against hers. Deliberately, he cupped her cheek. In a show of control, of choice, he dipped his head, tilting it slightly to the side. She let out a little huff before she closed the gap, making her own choice just as clear.
Her hands slid into his hair, pulling him even closer. A soul-deep rightness spread through her limbs. When he pulled her closer, his arm was carefully positioned to keep from irritating her injuries. Even as the passion built, his gentleness never wavered.
Safe. He makes me feel safe.
He deepened the kiss, his tongue warm against the seam of her mouth.
She opened up to him easily, her stomach swooping with almost unbearable pleasure when she felt it press against the roof of her mouth.
The only thing that she could think as she kissed him back was that she’d never needed anything more than she needed him.
They broke away from each other for a moment, and Amelia threw her head back with soft laughter. Darragh took advantage of the opening, pressing his lips against her pulse point with a gentleness scored with desperation. Goosebumps erupted down her arms, leaving her breathless.
The way they reconnected felt brand new but also completely inevitable. From the moment she’d seen him in the tower, she knew that there was something special about him. It had simply taken her this long to see it.
As his hands roamed over her body as if he were mapping every inch of her, he walked her backward. She giggled again, seemingly unable to stop now that she had started. There was something so freeing about giving in and allowing herself to have something she truly wanted after so much suffering.
When he laid her down on the mattress, his movements careful to keep from jostling any of her injuries, her fingers traced over his strong shoulder blades.
Another little thrill went through her, a rush of wetness accompanying it when she felt his length pressing against her thigh.
She pressed her fingers firmer against his back, the thin fabric of his shirt suddenly feeling like too big a barrier.
In a burst of confidence that came from the way he groaned against her throat, she went for the hem. The garment climbed up his back deceptively easily, and his skin was hot when she indulged the desire to touch. The line she drew up his spine seemed to ignite something primal in him.
“Now that ye’re mine, I daenae have to hold meself back,” he growled, nipping at her neck before pulling away.
Her heart pounded in her chest as he hiked her dress up, controlled but fast. As he exposed inch after inch of her flesh, her hands greedily roamed the bare skin she’d exposed.
His touch was feather-light, gaining confidence as he sought out the parts of her that weren’t purpled.
When he reached her thighs, he pulled back with a wild look in his eye.
“I need ye out of this. Now.”
She wasn’t given time to respond before he turned her around and unlaced her gown.
With the same quiet focus she’d seen him use on the battlefield, he stripped her of each of her layers.
She found herself thanking the saints that she’d received no cut, that she wasn’t bandaged just yet.
Then, when she was bare, her bruises and scars on display, he turned her around.
“Ye’re perfect,” Darragh said as his hands drifted up the flat of her stomach. When his hands found the swell of her breasts, he took a nipple between his fingers and rolled it teasingly. “And now I’m goin’ to make sure ye never forget it.”
“Darragh,” she gasped, arching up into his touch. It took nearly all of her mind’s capabilities to get her next point across. “Please. Ye too…”
Her directive may not have been clear, but he understood. With graceful swiftness, he shucked his doublet away. Then, he got rid of his kilt with the same enthusiasm.
His body was gorgeous, all hard lines and sculpted muscle. She could see each hour that he’d spent training, each man he’d fought, each person he’d saved. Before she knew what she was doing, she reached forward, her fingers caressing the hard surface.
When she pulled her hand down, a slow and exploratory motion, his length twitched. Her eyes wide, she dropped her hand away, staring at his hardness. It was… “Big. I…”
“I willnae hurt ye, Amelia. I havenae yet,” he promised, repositioning himself over her once again. As he dipped down to capture her lips in another slow, indulgent kiss, holding himself up with a forearm, the dull head of his arousal nudged the softness of her inner thigh. “Do ye trust me, lass?”
“Aye,” she said, tangling her fingers in his light hair once more. “I trust ye more than anythin’. Please, Darragh.”
Her request was all it took. As he kissed her once more, he lined himself up with her center. She froze, taking in a sharp breath through her nostrils before tilting her hips upward.
“That’s a good lass,” he encouraged, rocking his hips forward, slow and teasing.
Less than an inch of him pressed inside her, but it was still enough to drive her wild. A ragged whine echoed between them as he plunged deeper with each thrust. She held onto him tighter, returning his kiss with wild passion.
Even though his thrusts were becoming harder, more deliberate as he found a rhythm that wouldn’t hurt the fresh aches, he was still handling her with utmost care.
A single hand trailed down her body, stimulating sensitive parts while carefully avoiding the sore spots.
Then, the next thrust of his hips hit so deep inside of her that she saw stars.
She whimpered against his lips as the sensation in her belly grew. It was so similar to the sensation from their last heated encounter, yet so much more intense now. The edge was within reach already, and it frustrated her to think that this could be over so quickly.
“Ye’re poutin’,” he said, chuckling incredulously.
“Nay,” she said, unable to challenge him as she normally would, the pleasure too overwhelming. She gulped down air, his hips slamming into her while he held her upper body still. “Just daenae want this to end.”
“I will claim ye as many times as I please,” Darragh said before pulling her into another kiss that was more tongue than lips.
When they parted, he swallowed a groan. “Do ye really think that we cannae keep doin’ this?
Over and over? I love ye, Amelia. I intend to spend the rest of me life makin’ sure ye understand that. ”
The declaration and its intensity were all Amelia needed. She reached that sweet peak once more, her body tightening around Darragh’s length rhythmically. Her vision went white with pleasure, and her nails dug into his back.
“Good lass,” he growled, his strokes growing more and more frantic as he chased his own release. “Let me hear ye.”
“Darragh,” she cried, his name sounding like a prayer on her lips. “Darragh.”
“Amelia,” he groaned, the sound in a register so low that it vibrated directly into her chest.
His hips stuttered before he spilled inside her. The sensation of his climax made her gasp, heightening the tail end of her orgasm. He connected their lips, resting his weight on his elbows, so he could hold her face steady.
As they rode out the aftershocks together, Darragh led her through soft, sure kisses. It felt like the beginning of something special. Finally, she didn’t feel like a burden. He made her feel a sense of belonging that was both foreign and exactly what she’d been longing for her entire life.
“I love ye,” she whispered when he broke the kiss.
“I love ye, too,” he replied, sealing it by brushing their lips together one last time.
When he pulled out, she hissed at the loss. He paused long enough to ensure that he hadn’t jostled her injuries before he lay down next to her. She went easily when he pulled her against his chest, relaxing into his protective hold.
“I’ll stay,” she said sleepily, the events from the day finally slamming into her now that she was finally safe.
“I ken,” Darragh replied, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “And I meant what I said. If ye want me name, it’s yers.”
“I would like that,” Amelia said as her eyes fell closed. “I would be proud to bear the name Fraser.”
The last thing she remembered before she fell asleep was the warmth of his lips on the top of her head and the knowledge that for once in her life, she was truly secure.