Chapter 24 #2
“Why?”
His gaze flicked briefly toward her hand still resting on his shoulder. Then back to her face.
“Dinnae ye think me beautiful?” she asked through a whisper.
For a moment Domhnall simply stared at her. The absurdity of the question struck him so sharply that he let out a short breath that might have been a laugh.
“Margaret, are ye serious?”
Her brow furrowed slightly. “I asked a question.”
“A ridiculous one,” he frowned.
“That daesnae answer it.”
Domhnall shook his head slowly, running a hand through his wet hair.
“Beautiful?” he repeated.
“Aye.”
He gave a low, incredulous sound. “Margaret, I find ye far too beautiful.”
She blinked. “Too beautiful?”
“Too captivating,” he continued, his voice rougher now. “Too distracting. Too stubborn. Too damn clever fer me peace of mind.”
Her lips parted slightly. “And yet ye step away.”
“Because if I dinnae,” he said quietly, “I will forget every promise I made.”
The water rippled faintly between them. Margaret’s gaze did not waver. Then, to his surprise, she moved closer. The water shifted as the distance between them vanished. And suddenly she was pressed lightly against him.
Domhnall went very still. He felt it instantly. Her thigh brushed against his rock hard manhood beneath the water. The sensation struck like lightning. Cold water surrounded them on every side, yet the warmth of her body against his felt almost unbearable.
Margaret’s hand remained on his shoulder, keeping him close.
“Domhnall,” she said softly.
The sound of his name in her voice did nothing to help his control. The contrast was maddening: the cold bite of the loch against his skin and the warmth of her body brushing against his. He could feel his restraint fraying dangerously fast. His hands clenched briefly at his sides.
He wanted to feel her fully against him, to claim her in every way a man could claim a woman and make her his.
Without thinking, his hand slid around her waist, pulling her closer, showing her the effect she had on him.
All she had to do was look at him, and his entire body would light up in flames.
How could she ever think that he didn’t find her the most beautiful woman in the world?
Margaret felt the moment his restraint broke. His arm tightened around her waist and suddenly there was no distance left between them at all. The movement sent a ripple through the cold water, but she barely noticed it.
All she could feel was him.
She was enshrouded by his warmth, his strength, his desire. Her breath caught sharply as she wrapped her arms around his neck and gripped him with her thighs. She felt his manhood press against her most tender place, and it seemed to light up a million fires inside of her.
For a fleeting instant she wondered if he would step away again, but instead, he kissed her, and that kiss stole the breath from her lungs.
It was fierce and urgent, filled with a hunger that made her head spin.
Margaret answered him without hesitation.
Her hands moved instinctively into his hair again, fingers tightening in the dark strands as though she feared he might pull away if she did not hold him there.
He did not pull away. If anything, he drew her closer. The water shifted around them as his hand slid along her back, pressing her against him so fully that she could feel the powerful rise and fall of his breath against her chest.
The loch was freezing. Yet every place he touched her felt as though it had been set alight.
She kept grinding against him, pressing a spot inside of her she never even knew existed before.
Her heart was racing wildly when his hand moved again, sliding upward along her side over the thin linen of her shift.
His hand cupped her breasts, feeling her pebbled nipple through the thin fabric.
The sensation sent a wave of warmth through her and her fingers tightened in his hair. She gripped him closer, demanding more without words, and Domhnall answered her instantly. His arms tightened around her as though he had no intention of ever letting her go.
Margaret barely noticed the cold water anymore. Every nerve in her body seemed alive beneath his hands, the warmth of his mouth, the fierce way he held her as if she were something precious and dangerously desired at the same time.
At that exact moment, a horn sounded. It was loud and sharp, and the sound cut across the loch like a blade. It made Domhnall freeze. Margaret blinked, still breathless, her forehead resting against his for one suspended moment.
Then the horn sounded again, longer this time.
An alarm.
Both of them turned toward the castle at the same time. From the hill above them, distant shouts of men carried across the water. Domhnall’s expression changed instantly. The warmth vanished from his gaze. He was the laird again.
“Stay here,” he said sharply.
Margaret grabbed his arm. “I willnae.”
He looked at her for a brief moment, realizing immediately that discussing this with her would just be a waste of time. Then, he simply nodded once.
“Quickly.”
They moved at once. Domhnall climbed onto the rocks and pulled Margaret up after him.
The cold air struck her skin immediately, making her shiver as she reached for her discarded gown.
Her hands fumbled slightly as she pulled the damp linen of her shift away from her skin and hurried into the heavier fabric.
There was no time for propriety now, but she still noticed that he turned around to give her at least a semblance of privacy.
With his back still to her, Domhnall dragged his shirt over his shoulders with quick, practiced movements.
The alarm horn sounded again. It seemed closer now. Margaret’s heart began to pound for an entirely different reason.
“What is it?” she asked.
Domhnall was already fastening his belt.
“Trouble.”
He grabbed his boots and shoved his feet into them. Margaret finished tying the back of her gown just as he turned toward her again.
“Come.”
They began running up the narrow path toward the castle. The quiet peace of the morning had vanished completely. Above them the courtyard walls echoed with shouting voices and the clash of movement.
Whatever had begun within Inveraray, it had shattered the calm of the loch as suddenly and violently as their kiss had shattered restraint.