Chapter Six
C hristine sucked in a breath at her uncle’s words. A doctor here to examine her? She looked over at Kerrigan, fear twisting her stomach muscles. They did not consummate their marriage last night and now there was a doctor here to confirm it, whatever that meant.
She watched as Kerrigan stiffened. “No one will touch my wife except me. You may leave now.”
Her uncle, being not too bright, stepped closer to Kerrigan. “Lady Christine Spencer is my ward. She is betrothed to Lord Newton. Any attempt at marriage is unlawful since she needs my permission to marry. Furthermore, I am certain with as shy and useless as the girl is, she wouldn’t allow you to consummate these so-called vows.”
Christine was certain her face was as red as the apples hanging from the trees in her garden at home. How was she to get out of this?
As if reading her mind, Kerrigan turned to her and muttered, “Do no’ worry, wife, I will take care of this.”
He leaned into Uncle Carl, who finally backed up. “Since ye are my wife’s relation, however pathetic, I willna do what my hands are itching to do, which is wrap them around yer neck. I will say this for the last time. No one will touch my wife. If ye doona leave within the next few seconds, I will toss ye out the door, along with yer doctor.”
There apparently was something in the way Kerrigan spoke, or the look on his face that finally convinced Uncle Carl that he was in imminent danger of injury. He raised his chin and tugged on his cravat. “You will not win, Scot, I have papers declaring her betrothal to another and I have important friends who will honor that and declare this marriage illegal.”
The doctor who stood behind Uncle Carl all this time stepped forward. “Do you wish me to examine the girl, my lord?”
Kerrigan growled. “Since ye apparently have a hearing problem, I will repeat this for ye. If ye take one step near my wife ye will be spending the next couple of weeks in bed recovering from yer injures. Ye ken?”
The man nodded and turned to leave the townhouse. Kerrigan waved at the doctor and glared at Uncle Carl. “Follow him if ye value yer life.”
“I am not done. I will be back with the authorities.”
Stevens, who had been lingering in the background, opened the door and stood next to it, waiting for the two men to leave. Once they were gone and the door closed, Kerrigan ran his fingers through his hair and let out a deep breath. “Stevens do not let that man, or anyone else for that matter, into the house. Lady Christine and I have things to do to prepare to leave for Scotland.”
“Very good, Laird.”
Her insides were still knotted. Did her uncle have men who could annul their marriage? Kerrigan joined her where she’d stood the entire time on the last few steps. “Come, Christine, doona worry. As I said to Stevens, there are things we must do to prepare to leave as soon as we are able.”
She felt the tears gather in her eyes. “I am frightened, Kerrigan. My uncle does indeed have friends in Parliament whom he may prevail upon in this matter.”
Kerrigan wrapped his arm around her waist and moved her up the stairs. Once they were in their bedchamber, he pulled her against him. “There is something I want ye to remember our whole life. I am yer husband, yer protector. No one will take ye from me. Ye are mine and will remain so. Yer uncle can come waving any number of papers, with any number of doctors behind him, but that will no’ change anything.”
“That is what I don’t understand. Why did he bring a doctor? And what sort of examination was he to perform?”
Her husband pinched the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. “Ach lass, has no one e’er told ye about what happens between a man and a woman in the marriage bed?”
She shook her head, feeling confused. “No. Not exactly. I assume my mother was waiting until my wedding to speak of it, so she never told me, but I have overheard some of the maids talking.”
He let out a sigh and hesitated. “When a woman lies with a mon for the first time, there is something inside her that must be broken for consummation to take place.”
Her mouth dried up. “Broken?”
“That was probably no’ the best way to describe it. Ye have a small piece of flesh inside ye which will tear—” He stopped when she let out with a squeak.
He closed his eyes, and she swore she heard him praying. “Let me say it differently. From what I’ve heard, it’s a matter of a small, sharp pain that ends almost as soon as it arrives when a mon enters ye completely for the first time.”
She gulped. “So this doctor would have had to fumble around inside me to see if it was still there?”
It was obvious her husband was having a hard time controlling his laughter. “I wouldna put it that way, but aye, that is what he would do.”
Her hand flew to cover her mouth. “No!”
He placed his knuckle under her chin. “He will no’ touch ye. No one except me will touch ye. Ever.” He bent his head, and his lips met hers. Warmth flowed over her, soon turning to a need she didn’t recognize as he took the kiss deeper. His tongue entered her mouth, touching all the places she had had no idea were sensitive until now.
Tentatively, she moved her tongue to join his, eliciting a moan from him. He leaned down and scooped her up, placing her on the bed. He came down on top of her, bracing himself on his elbows so as not to crush her. The kiss resumed, more frantic and deeper.
Christine felt her insides melt. Her heart pounded and she noticed a dampness between her legs. There was a strange tingling there as well. She felt the need to press against Kerrigan’s body, noticing a hardness that she certainly guessed was what she’d heard the maids speaking about. Was she ready for this? It seemed her husband certainly was.
“Ach, Christine, ye drive me crazy. I want ye so much that if we doona stop now, we willna have to worry about a doctor examining ye.”
She giggled, but decided she didn’t want to stop. It had nothing to do with her uncle or any doctor, but how Kerrigan’s kisses made her feel and how anxious she was to discover what all the maids already knew. “I want to continue. It’s about time I became your wife in truth.”
With a growl, Kerrigan covered her mouth again and moved his hand up to cup her breast. Soft, warm, with her nipples already swollen and ready for his mouth. Because she only wore a nightrail and dressing gown, it took no more than a few seconds to divest her of it all.
He leaned up on his elbow and studied her body. Lush, generously curved, and just waiting for him to explore it. His hand slid over the silky skin, dipping into the curves. His mouth covered her breast, and she moaned as he suckled; her hands fisted in the bedsheets. He lifted his head to peer at her. “Do ye like that lass?”
“Yes. Please don’t stop.” She panted the words.
“ Mo chridhe , I have no intention of stopping until ye are screaming my name.”
She looked up at him. “Oh, my.”
He switched to the other breast, moving his hand down her luscious body, cupping her plump bottom, squeezing and smoothing his hand over it. He shifted so they faced each other as he pushed her flush against him. “Do ye feel how much I want ye?”
“I think so. I’m trying to remember what the maids said.” Her words were barely above a whisper.
He continued his exploration. “Doona think of anything, wife. If ye have a thought in yer head, I’m no’ doing my job well enough.”
His fingers found her moist opening as he continued to assault her mouth. Her tongue now met his, the dueling frantic.
“Ye are ready for me.” He pulled away from her mouth and kissed her face, her neck, the soft skin under her ear.
“I’m not sure what that means.”
He’d forgotten what they were speaking of, which was fine since he wasn’t interested in conversation. “Doona worry. Just relax and enjoy what I’m doing.”
He skimmed his thumb over the bit of stiffened flesh at her opening, pressing slightly. She hissed and pushed against his hand. He wanted to pleasure her with his mouth, but considering this was her first time, he would do things less frightening.
“Kerrigan?”
“Aye, mo chridhe .”
“Can I touch you?”
He almost came apart and had to take deep breaths to keep from shoving her legs apart and taking her in the most basic way known to man. But she was a virgin, an innocent and his wife; he had to keep control of himself. “Aye, lass, ye can touch me.” He didn’t recognize his own voice.
Slowly, her fingers inched down his chest to his stomach, and then to the coarse dark hair surrounding his shaft. Which by this time was almost ready to burst. She gently held his cock in her hand. He had to close his eyes and take deep breaths.
“Does that feel good?”
His strangled voice tried to sound normal, but to no avail. “Aye. It feels wonderful.” Her small, soft hands continued to squeeze him, but when her thumb slid over the top smearing the bit of liquid there, he almost jumped off the bed.
“I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?”
He offered her a feral grin. “Nay. But ’tis time to move on before I embarrass myself and spill in yer hand.”
She frowned. “What does that mean?”
God save him from women who knew nothing about a man’s body, or for that matter, even their own. He rolled over her, nudging her legs apart as he settled between them. “Just let me kiss ye and make ye feel good.”
He used all his experience and passion for this woman to worship her with his body, as promised in their wedding vows. When she was panting and crying for him to do something to make the feeling go away, he plunged into her. Christine stilled and looked into his face. “Was that the pain you told me about?”
He brushed the damp hair plastered to her forehead back. “Aye, but ’tis over now.”
“Oh.” She almost sounded disappointed.
Slowly he began the oldest dance in time, sliding easily in and out of her tight, warm, moist channel. At first she seemed confused, but when he leaned down and kissed her while at the same time fondling her stiffened flesh, she began to ask for more, to be released from the torture he was causing.
He began to thrust, more than he should with her untried body. Strongly. Desperately. She didn’t seem to be in pain from his movements, so he kept on, all the time fingering her until she was pressed so hard against him it only added to his frenzy. Suddenly her legs tightened, a keening cry coming from her sweet lips.
With the pulsing of her release clenching his cock, it took only a minute before he shouted her name and poured his seed into her.
He collapsed, then remembering her wee body, rolled over, bringing her against him. The only sounds in the room were the two of them attempting to control their breathing. Kerrigan closed his eyes and immediately a sense of rightness washed over him. Lady Christine Lindsay was his now, always, and forever. They would raise bairns together, watch his clan grow and flourish, and hopefully years later, hold hands when the first of them left this earth. He tugged her close and reached down to cover their cooling bodies with the bedcovers. Tucking her against him, nice and snug, he was just settling in for a nice nap when her voice slid over him.
“Can we do that again?”