CHAPTER 22 #2
After he donned the dry shirt, she sat him on the stool and stood behind him to dry the rain out of his hair. Humming softly, she rubbed his head with a cloth, then combed his hair.
He did not fool himself that any of this meant she had changed her mind about leaving him. It was just Margaret’s kind nature that made her want to comfort him after the tragedy that struck his family. Kindness, however, was not what he needed to soothe his troubled soul tonight.
He wanted to get lost in fiery passion, to bury himself inside her until he forgot himself, forgot that his aunt and uncle lay dying, forgot his terror that Margaret might be murdered while he rode through the storm—and forgot that she would leave him.
But he knew better than to expect that.
When Margaret slid her arms around him from behind, his heart nearly stopped in his chest. Did this mean what he hoped it did? He was afraid to move for fear she would stop.
Her hair spilled over his shoulder and onto his chest as she leaned over him.
He closed his eyes to concentrate on the delicious sensation.
When he felt her breath on the side of his neck, his every muscle tensed with anticipation.
Then her lips grazed his skin, sending a shock of desire coursing through his body.
He turned on the stool, pulled her onto his lap, and looked into her eyes, willing her to answer the question burning in his blood.
“I want us to make love,” she said.
He did not ask her why, did not want to know it was because of the terrible events of this day. Did not want to know that she felt sorry for him or wanted to comfort him. He needed her so desperately that it did not matter why she would have him, just that she would.
“You’re certain this time?” he asked.
“Aye,” she said. “I want this. I want you.”
That was all he needed to hear. He crushed his mouth against hers. Margaret was bound to leave him. It may not be tomorrow or the next day or the day after that, but she would go.
But tonight, she was his.
And he was going to make damned sure she did not forget him.
###
The shadow of death had passed too close to them both for Margaret to ignore Una’s advice—and her own desire. Tonight, she would not let fear hold her back. Tonight, she would let down her defenses. Tonight, she would risk pain and sorrow to take all the pleasure and passion Finn could give her.
She wanted to drown in his kisses, to hear his harsh breaths in her ear, to feel his heart beat wildly beneath her hand. For once, she would hold nothing back. She would embrace life and love and give herself fully.
After that first scorching kiss, she expected the mindless rush and torrent of passion like the last time, but Finn surprised her by pulling back.
“I’m going to be slow and thorough this time,” Finn said with a wicked gleam in his eye that sent her pulse racing. “But first, to make up for torturing me the night we arrived at Dunrobin when ye took your bath, I want to watch you undress.”
Margaret thought he was teasing her to allay any fears she still harbored, until he stood back and leaned against the bed with his arms crossed.
She took a deep breath. Time to embrace life fully. Sitting on the stool, she removed her shoes, but when she started to pull off her stockings, he interrupted her.
“Slowly,” he said.
Her breath hitched at the heat in his eyes as she rolled down one stocking and then the other.
When she stood and he walked toward her, her whole body tingled in anticipation.
Instead of wrapping his arms around her, however, he stepped behind her and undid her gown, sending shivers along her skin with his fingers.
She felt his warm breath and then his soft lips on the side of her neck, and she leaned back against him.
When he reached around and cupped her breasts, she became acutely aware of her nipples pressing against his palms, his strained breathing in her ear, and the length of his manhood pressed against her backside.
Surely, he would carry her to the bed now.
His body was more than ready. But Finn surprised her again and returned to the side of the bed.
“Now the gown,” he said.
Swallowing hard, Margaret slowly eased the gown off her shoulders and down over her breasts, and then past her hips until it fell to the floor around her feet in a soft swish. She was standing in just her shift now.
“Take it off,” Finn said in a strained voice.
When she slipped one strap down and heard his sharp intake of breath, she felt a sudden surge of feminine power.
Finn’s reaction made her feel sensuous, desirable.
She let the other strap fall and then inched the shift down to almost her nipples.
They were peaked and sensitive to the brush of the thin fabric, and she gave the shift another tug to fully reveal her breasts.
When she looked up, the air around Finn seemed to vibrate with the force of his desire, and that gave her the courage to let the shift drop to the floor.
“Jesu, Mary, and Joseph.” The heat of Finn’s gaze burned her skin as it traveled over her from head to toe and back again.
He shed his own clothes with remarkable speed.
Oh my, he was a beautiful man—and fully erect—but he barely gave her time for a proper look before he enfolded her in his arms and the torrent of passion she expected.
But then he changed the pace and gave her a long and languorous kiss.
Beneath that kiss, she felt the power of his lust held in check and wondered what on earth he was waiting for.
Then he lifted her onto the bed and began to show her.
She’d never had anyone show her such tenderness.
He kissed and caressed up and down her body, as if he wanted to know and claim every inch of her.
Then he paused to flick and circle her nipple with his tongue, while he tortured her with his magic fingers between her legs, drawing moans from her throat and causing an aching need low in her belly.
When he stopped, she wanted to weep, but she was distracted by his kisses down to her belly.
“I’ve been wanting to taste ye forever,” Finn said, pausing to look up at her.
Taste her? What did he mean? The breath went out of her when she felt his mouth on her most private part. William had definitely never done this.
She gripped the bedclothes in her fingers as Finn kissed and licked and circled his tongue over the sensitive nub between her legs.
Good heavens, nothing had ever felt like the exquisite sensation of his mouth and tongue.
The tension grew until it became unbearable.
She wanted to beg him to stop and not to stop, but she could not form words.
She cried out as liquid waves of pleasure rocked her body. Before she recovered, she felt an urgent need to have her arms around him, to feel him inside her, to have their bodies joined. To be one with him.
When she pulled on his shoulders, he drew up until they were face to face.
“I need ye inside me. Now,” she said in a ragged voice. “Please, now.”
“O shluagh,” he said.
Her hips lifted of their own accord, her body ready for his. She bit her lip as he thrust inside her, filling her. She clamped her arms and legs around him, urging him on.
Heaven help her.
“Mo leannain,” he said, pausing to rest his forehead against hers, “You’re going to kill me.”
His shaft throbbed inside her as he gave her a long, deep kiss. When he began to move inside her, every nerve and muscle in her body strained against him.
“I need… I need…” Could he not go faster?
Instead, he rolled with her until she was on top of him.
“Show me how ye want it.” He coaxed her to sit up, straddling him. Gripping her hips, he rocked her against him, helping her find her rhythm.
His gaze raked over her as she moved, setting her skin on fire. For the first time in her life, she felt wanton and truly free. This was not like her. And yet she felt as though this was how she was meant to be.
As she rode him, he covered her breasts with his hands and pinched and rubbed his thumbs over her nipples.
Oh God! She leaned over him, hands on his chest, straining against him.
It was happening again. When he reached between them and rubbed the sensitive nub between her legs, she felt as if she was about to fall over the edge of the world.
“Look at me!” he said.
As they locked gazes and their bodies rocked together, she felt as if their souls touched. Instead of fear, she was filled with wonder.
Oh, oh, oh! Waves of blinding pleasure rolled through her as he thrust faster and harder, again and again, until he surged against her one last time, and they cried out together.
She collapsed on top of him, sweating and out of breath. She had never lost control like that. She suspected she had even screamed. Nothing had ever felt so good, but she feared she must have shocked him.
“Mo chridhe,” my heart, Finn said, holding her close. “That was beyond anything I imagined.”
She sighed as he kissed her hair and ran his hand up and down her back.
Making love with Finn was a revelation. Instead of making her feel used and inadequate, he had made her feel gloriously sensuous. She never dreamed a man could be so generous or make her feel that she was what he wanted, just as she was.
“Why now?” Finn whispered.
Because I love you. But she could not tell him that.
“I don’t want to let fear keep me from this—and from you,” she said, which was also true. “Not anymore.”
“Ye needn’t fear me,” he said. “I would never hurt you.”
Though he would not mean to, she knew Una was right. Pain and sorrow were bound to come. But Margaret was determined to take the joy while she could.
###
In the morning, Finn lay against the pillows with his arms around her, watching her sleep in the first light of dawn filtering through the narrow window.
Margaret was breathtakingly beautiful with her flawless skin, angelic face, and silvery blond hair spread over the pillow.
Last night, he watched in wonder as she first discovered and then reveled in her sensuality.
In all his life, with the countless women he’d had, he’d never had a night like that, never felt so much, never needed a woman so. She was an amazing lass, his Maggie.
It pained him that he had no hope of keeping her. He was still a landless warrior with no proper home to give her. If anything, his uncle’s probable death made his future even less certain than before.
During the night, he had turned to her again and again, each time making love as if was the last time. Because he knew it could be. He feared she would change her mind and decide this was a grave mistake, and he might never hold her in his arms again.
And each time he was inside her, he lost another piece of his heart to her, until she had it all.