Chapter 25 #2
He seemed to be hurrying, and her peak approached quickly. It was almost there, so close, and she was already bracing for the waves of pleasure, when abruptly his movements ceased. He removed his lips and his fingers, sitting back on his heels.
Hannah opened her eyes with a dismayed whine, lifting her head.
“Why did ye stop?” she mumbled.
Aiden watched her closely, eyes dark with hunger. He dropped his hands to his waistband once more and briskly untied it. With quick, efficient movements—no showmanship here—he tugged off his kilt and tossed it away.
Her eyes dropped to his manhood, hanging free and heavy between his legs. Her eyes widened.
“That looks… big,” she stammered.
He leaned over her and propped himself up on his elbows.
“Ye can stop anytime ye like, lassie,” he purred. “But I reckon ye will like it if ye go on.”
She swallowed hard, heart pounding in her ears. “I want to go on.”
“Are ye sure?”
She risked lifting a hand to cup his cheek. “Never been more sure of anything in me life,” she breathed.
His eyes sparked. Leaning in, he kissed her briefly, then dropped his hand between her legs. Something larger than his fingers pressed against her.
Hannah drew in a deep breath, shivering a little at the strange sensation of being filled so completely.
Aiden’s movements were slow and careful, slipping forward inch by inch until he was entirely sheathed inside her.
Her heartbeat echoed through her body, and she briefly wondered if he could feel it, too.
Opening her eyes—when had she closed them?—she found him looking down at her, heat and affection flaring in his eyes.
“All right, lass?” he whispered.
She nodded earnestly.
He began to move slowly, rolling his hips almost thoughtfully. The pace was almost agonizingly slow, and Hannah shifted her hips, wondering if she should ask him to move just a little faster. The sensation was different from what she had felt before, but somehow also the same.
Reaching up, she looped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him close to her. He leaned down, pressing his lips against her neck, supporting himself on his elbows so as not to crush her.
Her breath caught in her throat as he began to thrust faster, bodies slapping together with a thrillingly obscene slick sound.
He pressed against something inside her, something that sent pleasure flooding through her.
She gasped loudly, adjusting her grip to let her arms wind around his back, fingers sliding across the familiar ridges of his scars.
He moved quickly now, sliding in and out of her with an urgency.
With every thrust, pleasure throbbed, pulsing through her, pushing her onwards to her peak.
Hannah moaned, throwing back her head, and arched her back, grinding herself against him.
Her climax made her shake, almost taking her by surprise.
“There we are, lass,” Aiden said, his voice a rumbling growl deep in his throat. “There we are.”
She was barely aware of his movements becoming erratic, another low growl stuttering out past his lips. Something hot spilled inside her, just catching the aftershocks of her pleasure, and he stilled at last.
For a moment, they lay together, struggling to breathe. Hannah had lost track of where her body ended and his began, since their limbs had gotten so tangled up. He draped himself over her, a warm, welcome weight, still propped up on his elbows to avoid crushing the breath out of her.
Closing her eyes, she buried her face in the crook of his neck and breathed deeply.
“I could stay like this forever,” she whispered.
She had not meant to say it aloud. But he heard it anyway, chuckling to himself.
Gently, he pulled back, sliding out of her. For a moment, the emptiness was uncomfortable, as if she’d lost something. Then he kissed her again, slow and soft and warm, and heat flooded through her anew.
“Did ye like that, then?” he asked, pulling back to get a good look at her face. He chuckled warmly. “I rather think ye did.”
She reddened. “Aye. That was… That was something, all right. Nay wonder folks have so many bairns.”
He gave a hoot of laughter, carefully rolling himself to the side and off her. At once, her skin prickled, cold air rushing over her heated body. He pulled out a blanket and draped it carefully over her, before propping himself up on his elbow, facing her.
For a moment, there was silence, just the two of them looking at each other and thinking of each other. At least, Hannah was thinking of him, and she hoped that he was thinking of her, too.
“Do ye intend to stay this time?” she asked, voice soft.
He reached up, curling a hand around her cheek. “Aye, lass. I do.”
“We’ll have to get up soon,” Hannah sighed, rolling onto her back and staring up at the ceiling. “Violet will be back before it gets dark.”
Outside, the shadows were lengthening. The fire blazed, having been recently rejuvenated by Aiden’s efforts. The light cast the spider and its magnificent web into relief high above her head. The spider itself squatted proudly in the middle of its creation. A little smug, maybe.
I willnae let Violet dust that cobweb down. Nae yet, at least.
“We’re safe for now, then,” Aiden murmured, leaning forward to press a kiss to her bare shoulder. “So, I bet Duncan has been here every day since ye returned, eh?”
She sighed. “He visited often, aye. I ken he was worried about me. Nae every day, though. The man has work to do and a life to lead.”
Aiden threw her a look that she could not quite interpret. “Humph. And on which of these visits did he ask ye to marry him?”
She twisted to look at him properly. “Are ye making a joke?”
“Deadly serious, love.”
“Duncan hasnae asked me to marry him. Why would he? I told ye—I ken ye didnae believe me—that Duncan isnae in love with me. I daenae believe I’m the sort of lass he fancies. We are good friends, but that’s all.”
He blinked slowly. “I’m sorry, ye mean to tell me that Duncan never asked ye to marry him? Nae even once?”
She rolled onto her side, propping herself up on her elbow. “Nay, he didnae. Never has.”
Aiden flopped onto his back and groaned loudly, covering his face with his hands. “Bloody Lucas.”
“What’s Lucas done?”
“He told me that Duncan had asked ye to marry him.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Led me to believe that ye were considering it. I thought… I thought it was true. So I rushed down here.”
Hannah bit her lower lip. “So, if ye hadnae thought that Duncan was going to marry me, would ye still have come down here?”
He shot her a long, amused look. “Lass, I wouldnae have made it another day without seeing ye. I felt as though I was going to burst. Lucas’s story brought me down a day early, perhaps, but I was always coming back for ye. Never be in doubt about that.”
She let a slow smile spread across her face. “I wasnae. Nae really.”
He rolled back onto his side too, leaning forward to press a quick, lazy kiss to her lips. He did not pull back all the way, leaving their foreheads touching.
“I love ye, lass,” he breathed. “Since the moment I set eyes on ye, I have loved ye.”
“Love me, or me whiskey?” she giggled.
He sighed. “Lass, I’d never drink a drop of alcohol again if it meant that I could have ye as me wife.”
She snorted, shaking her head. “Fret nae, love. I willnae ask that of ye. Are ye asking me to marry ye?”
“Can ye doubt it?”
“Nay, I daenae doubt it. And me answer is aye, of course.”
He kissed her again, more deeply, pushing her back onto the tangled sheets. His hands had just begun to slip to her naked waist when the front door slammed open. They both stilled.
“Hannah? I’m back,” Violet chirped. “Whose boots are these in the hallway? Hannah?”