Chapter Eighteen
T he grand hall of Clan McAfee’s keep brimmed with the chaos of a proud Highland gathering. Fiona, wearing the rich tartan of her clan, stood beside Alisdair before the gathered assembly, their hands clasped. The air thrummed with the pulse of bagpipes, and the scent of pine from the surrounding forests seeped into the stone walls, bearing witness to this union.
“Ye are now bonded, one flesh, one heart, one clan,” proclaimed the priest as he bound Fiona’s and Alisdair’s wrists with an embroidered cloth. The throng erupted into cheers.
Duncan McAfee offered a nod that held the gravity of a thousand silent blessings upon his daughter. Fiona met her father’s eyes, understanding the unspoken pledge to uphold the legacy of their line.
“Let us feast and revel in honor of the future Laird and Lady McAfee!” Duncan boomed.
As the celebration unfolded, plenty of meats, venison pies, and honeyed mead graced the tables. Laughter and tales of valor swelled around them, yet Fiona remained vigilant, scanning the faces around her. She caught sight of the Sinclair laird, whose claim of ignorance regarding his son’s misdeeds hung between them. His eyes, shrewd and calculating, skirted away from hers, but not before she discerned the flicker of something concealed within their depths.
“Father,” Fiona murmured to Duncan, “I trust not the Sinclairs’ word.”
“Keep yer friends close and yer enemies closer still, lass,” Duncan replied. “We shall be watchful.”
The night waned as the newly joined pair led the dance, their movements a harmonious blend of strength and elegance. Each turn and step they took echoed the rhythm of two hearts learning the measure of each other’s beat.
A hush descended upon the revelers when the moon hung heavy. It was time. Fiona and Alisdair, guided by tradition and expectation, withdrew from the warmth of the hearth and the company of their kin.
Ascending the staircase to their chamber, the door closed behind them with a solemn thud, sealing away the cacophony of celebration. The revelry would last long into the night, but Fiona and Alisdair had waited long enough. They were alone at last, their breaths mingling in the cool silence of their sanctum. The weight of their titles, the expectations of their clans, lay outside those sturdy oak doors. Here they were simply man and wife, and they desired one another greatly.
Fiona faced Alisdair, much more nervous than she’d expected. In the quiet of their chamber, the clamor of duty receded, leaving room for the tender unfolding of a shared life just beginning.
Alisdair’s fingertips, calloused yet gentle, brushed the tear from her cheek, and their eyes met in the flickering candlelight. The language of longing, unspoken but palpable, filled the space between them.
“Fiona,” he breathed his wife’s name like a benediction. “Finally.”
In that moment, Fiona knew she could entrust herself to this man—a man who saw past his place in her clan and found the woman beneath. Slowly, as if unfurling the petals of a delicate flower, Alisdair undressed her, his gaze never wavering from her eyes, his every caress imbued with reverence and tenderness.
Alisdair’s caress ignited a fire deep within Fiona’s soul. The layers of her clothing slipped away, leaving her clad in only the fabric of her underdress, the tartan of her clan cascading like a waterfall around her. She stood before Alisdair, her heart pounding in rhythm with the distant beat of the drums, vulnerability and desire intermingling in the air around them.
Alisdair’s hands caressed her skin with a gentleness that contradicted his fierce exterior. With each featherlight stroke, he unraveled the layers of armor she had worn for so long, exposing the raw beauty of her longing and affection. Fiona’s breath hitched as he uncovered a breast, leaning down to place a tender kiss upon the soft flesh, his lips warm against her skin.
She cried out when he took the nipple between his teeth and gently suckled it as would a bairn. She wasn’t sure if it was right for him to nibble her that way, but she didn’t argue. Nay, it felt too good for argument, and she felt heat shoot straight through her to her core.
Fiona’s fingers trembled as she reached out to Alisdair, hesitating for a moment before tracing the contours of his chest, sensing the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath her palm. The firelight danced in his eyes, reflecting a desire that mirrored her own, a primal need to fully surrender to the pull drawing them together.
As she trailed lower, she explored the planes of his body with a curiosity born of newfound intimacy. Alisdair groaned softly against her skin. The glorious sound resonated deep within her. The weight of their responsibilities melted away, leaving only the intoxicating blend of want and adoration swirling in the air around them.
As her palm trembled, she tentatively brushed against the plaid still covering his manhood. Her eyes widened at the sight of the hardness beneath, a testament to the depth of his desire. Fiona’s breath caught in her throat, a mix of awe and desire swirling within her.
With a gentle caress, she began to uncover him, her fingers shaking with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Alisdair watched her with a mixture of awe and desire, his eyes never leaving her face.
As Fiona’s fingers reached the sensitive skin beneath, Alisdair’s breath hitched. Fiona’s heart pounded, the rhythm of her emotions mirroring the pounding of the drums outside. She could feel the heat of his arousal through the plaid, a raw and primal connection that threatened to overwhelm them both.
The air was thick with anticipation as Fiona finally fingered the delicate skin covering Alisdair’s erection. She felt the longing and desire coursing through his body. Her gaze met his, and she saw a storm of emotions in the depths of his eyes—a mixture of vulnerability, desire, and a fierce need for her that she had not realized before.
She held his member, stroking it softly, and heard him groan. “That is not a good idea. Later, you can caress me all you want.”
Fiona’s heart swelled with love and longing. A new courage surged through her veins. She knew that this was the moment of truth, the moment when they would either surrender to the fires of their passion or retreat into the safety of their titles and duties.
Alisdair reached out and gently cupped her face, his thumb brushing away the last tear from her cheek. Their lips met, and the kiss was as passionate as it was tender. It was a culmination of all the emotions and desires they had been suppressing for what felt like a lifetime.
As they kissed, Fiona was finally able to break free from the shackles that had bound her heart for so long. She could sense Alisdair’s care and desire for her, a warmth that radiated from his body and enveloped her in a cocoon of safety and longing.
Their bodies pressed together, and a new kind of fire ignited within Fiona. It was a fire born of love and desire, a fire that burned bright and true. She wrapped her arms around Alisdair’s neck, pulling him closer, savoring the feel of his hard muscles against her soft skin.
Alisdair’s hands roamed over Fiona’s body, exploring every inch of her with a tenderness that took her breath away. His caress was gentle yet passionate, and the fire in his eyes burned brighter with each stroke. Fiona’s heart swelled with love and longing. She was finally where she belonged.
As their lips met again, the passion between them intensified. Their tongues danced together. Fiona could sense his erection, hard and straining against her.
With a low growl, Alisdair broke their kiss, his eyes burning with a fierce need that Fiona had never seen before. He gazed intensely and possessively at her as he slowly pushed her back onto the bed.
Fiona gasped as she felt the cold, hard surface of the bed beneath her, but she understood what was coming. Alisdair’s eyes never left hers as he positioned himself between her legs, his erection throbbing against her thigh.
“Are ye ready for me?” he growled, sending shivers down her spine.
“Aye,” she whispered, her eyes locked on his.
With a possessed expression, Alisdair slowly lowered himself onto her, their hips coming together. Fiona moaned as his hardness overwhelmed her.
“You feel so good,” he murmured, his lips brushing against her ear.
Fiona’s hands gripped his shoulders, her nails digging into his flesh. “I want you,” she breathed.
Alisdair began to move. Their bodies glided against each other in a slow, sensual rhythm that built to a frenzy. The air was thick with the scent of their desire. Fiona’s breath hitched with each thrust, her body responding to Alisdair’s caress in ways she had never before imagined.
His eyes never left hers as he drove into her, the fire in his eyes intensifying with each stroke. The tension between them built, the desire coursing through their veins like wildfire. They moved in perfect sync, their bodies a testament to the passion that had been building between them for so long.
Fiona clawed at Alisdair’s back, her body arching to meet his every thrust. The pleasure was unlike anything she had ever experienced before, a raw and primal connection that took her breath away.
Alisdair’s lips found her neck, his teeth gently grazing her skin as he continued to move inside her.
Their bodies moved in a perfect rhythm. A fire ignited within Fiona at every thrust. Her breaths came in short gasps, and her heart pounded wildly.
But even as the pleasure consumed them, they never lost sight of each other. Their eyes locked.
Afterward, she lay in his arms for a long while before reaching out and exploring him.
Her mind was only curious about one part of him, and that’s where her hand went. Her fingers wrapped around his hard length, her fingers brushing against his sensitive skin. She gazed at him, her eyes filled with a combination of fear and desire.
Alisdair moaned softly, his eyes never leaving hers. “Ye can caress me,” he whispered lustfully.
Fiona’s hand tightened around his erection, her grip firm but gentle. She stroked him slowly, her fingers gliding over the silky skin.
Alisdair groaned, his eyes closed for a moment as the sensation washed over him. He opened his eyes and gazed intensely, lustfully, and lovingly upon her. “Ye should never be afraid to explore,” he reminded her, his voice deep and full of promise.
Fiona bit her lip, her heart racing as she continued to stroke him. She held control over him. But there was also a vulnerability in her, a need to be cared for and cherished.
Alisdair raised his hand and gently cupped her face, his thumb brushing against her cheek. “Ye are beautiful,” he whispered in awe.
Fiona’s eyes filled with tears, her heart swelling with love for him. She leaned forward and kissed him. Their lips met in a fervent embrace.
Alisdair groaned, gripping her hips as their tongues danced and their breaths mingled. Fiona felt the warmth of his body against hers, the fire between them burning brighter with each passing moment.
As they kissed, Alisdair slowly eased her on top of him, their bodies locking together. Fiona felt him fill her even fuller than before. She didn’t know what to do, but she figured it out as she slowly began to move atop him.
Fiona’s eyes fluttered open, her face flushed with desire as she gazed at Alisdair. The air around them shimmered with their passion, the scent of their lovemaking lingering in the air.
Alisdair’s eyes met hers, his gaze filled with a mix of awe and tenderness. He leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered, “Ye make me wild, lass.”
Fiona’s heart swelled for him, her body trembling. She reached up and gently cupped his face, brushing against his strong jawline. “Aye,” she breathed.
Their eyes locked, their hearts beating in unison as they savored the moment. But the fire between them still burned, their desire for each other too strong to ignore.
Fiona let her hands wander, tracing the lines of Alisdair’s body as she explored every inch of him. Her caress was gentle, yet possessive, as she reveled in the feel of his skin beneath her fingers.
Alisdair groaned softly, his body arching toward her as she continued to stroke him. His heart pounded wildly, his desire for her growing with every passing moment.
Alisdair’s intense, lustful eyes met hers. “Ye are mine,” he moaned softly.
Fiona’s breath hitched at his words, her heart swelling with a possessiveness that mirrored his own. “And ye are mine.”
With that, he rolled her onto her back. “Ye are moving too slow!” They continued to move in time, the rhythm faster and more intense than it had been. Fiona’s caress became more insistent, brushing against his sensitive skin with a featherlight touch that sent shivers of pleasure coursing through him.
“Our bodies are connected,” Fiona whispered. “And our hearts are one.”
Alisdair’s breath caught in his throat at her words, closing his eyes for a moment as he reveled in her caress. “Aye,” he agreed, his voice thick with emotion.
Their passion continued to build, the fire between them becoming an inferno that threatened to consume them both. Fiona traced a path from his chest to his abdomen, her stroke filled with intensity. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, the desire that burned within him matching her own.
Alisdair’s heart pounded wildly, gasping as he met her caress. “Ye drive me mad, lass,” he whispered lustfully.
Fiona smiled wickedly as she traced the edge of his waistband. “And ye drive me wild.”
As their passion continued to build, Fiona and Alisdair lost themselves in the moment. Their bodies moved in perfect harmony, their desires melding together in a symphony of fire and desire.
The air around them shimmered, the scent of their lovemaking thick and intoxicating. Fiona’s heart pounded wildly, trembling as the full force of her desire for Alisdair became clear.
Alisdair groaned softly, his body arching toward hers as her caress set his skin on fire. The fire between them was all-consuming, their bodies locked together in a dance of pure desire.
Fiona gasped as she was overwhelmed by the power of their passion. Her eyes met his, her heart racing with love and longing as they surrendered to the inferno that threatened to engulf them both.
Their bodies moved in perfect sync, their desires melding together in a fiery symphony that shattered the very air around them. Fiona traced the lines of his body, her caress both tender and intense. Alisdair’s heart pounded wildly, his desire for her growing with every passing moment.
As their passion reached its peak, Fiona and Alisdair lost all sense of time and place. Their bodies moved as one, their desires melding together in a perfect harmony of fire and desire.
The air around them shimmered. Fiona’s heart pounded wildly, her body trembling with emotion as she felt the full force of her desire for Alisdair.
Fiona’s breath came in ragged gasps as fell back against the bed, not quite believing what she and Alisdair had just done to one another. One thing was certain. Granny had been right about this. It was pleasurable.
As Fiona closed her eyes to sleep, she could still hear the revelry from the great hall drifting through the open window. For a moment, she wondered if she should be down there with her guests, but then she decided it didn’t matter. She was where she belonged. In the arms of her husband.