Chapter Fourteen
A lthough he was weary from his trip, especially since he pushed Neil to finish the trip home, all Kerrigan could think about was taking his beautiful wife to bed. Especially since the food had smelled good and tasted wonderful; there even had been crusty loaves of fresh bread. He’d been able to enjoy a few mugs of ale and a shot of whisky. Now he was ready for Christine.
They had chatted throughout supper, some of the people of the keep stopping by to tell them of issues they needed him to deal with, but he brushed them all off by telling them to see him in the morning. Tonight was for him and his wife.
He glanced at her berry tart. “Are you finished yet, lass?”
Christine sighed. “Kerrigan, that’s about the tenth time you asked me if I was finished with my food.”
“Aye, ’tis true. I’m anxious for ye to show me how our bedchamber has been cleaned.”
She laughed. “Do not try me on that, husband. I know you’ve been up there already and have seen our hard work.”
He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. “Ach, lass I have more hard work for ye upstairs, but I guarantee ye will be falling asleep with a smile on yer face.”
His sweet wife glanced around to see if anyone overheard him. He loved the deep blush on her face. He was beginning to believe there was a lot about Christine to love.
She pushed her half-eaten tart away and stood. “I am finished.”
Feeling slightly guilty because the lass had seemed to be enjoying her treat, he said, “Nay, mo chridhe , finish yer tart.”
Placing her hands on her hips, she smiled in a way that had him standing so abruptly, anyone watching them would assume he’d been pushed from the chair.
“If ye are sure?”
Taking his hand, she led him from the table. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and they made their way upstairs.
“Ye did a wonderful job on the room, Christine,” he said as they entered. Clean and sweet-smelling rushes on the floor, clean window coverings and bed linens made the room look very comfortable.
“Why doona ye take off those clothes and climb into bed?”
Christine’s jaw dropped. “Husband, you have no idea how to woo a woman.”
He dragged his hand down his face. Spending time away from his wife and now seeing her with a bed so close was turning him into an arse. “Aye, ye’re right. Would you care for some wine? I can have one of the maids bring up a jug.”
She shook her head. “No. What I want is a nice, hot bath.”
His brows rose. “The loch is cold, Christine.”
“Not the loch. While rummaging around the keep I found an old wooden bathtub. I had asked Edward and Joshua to bring it upstairs after I cleaned it up, but they never had the time to do it.” She walked close to him and placed her hands on his shoulders, looking him in the eye. “I noticed that the tub was big enough for two people.”
He stepped back and headed to the door. “Where is this bathtub?”
After getting instructions from Christine, he hurried down the stairs. A bathtub big enough for both of them? Since he’d always cleaned up in the loch this was something he never thought of. He had no idea from where the idea came to his innocent little wife, but ’twas certainly a good one.
He grabbed Edward as he headed from the kitchen. “Help me with this bathtub yer lady wants brought upstairs. Then I want ye and Joshua to bring up buckets of hot water.”
“It might take time to heat up enough water to fill that tub, Laird.”
He would have to find a way to keep them occupied until the job was done. “Ask one of the kitchen maids to start heating water.” He headed to where the bathtub sat. Once Edward joined him, they hefted it up onto their shoulders and carried it up the backstairs rather than taking it through the great hall.
Once it was settled in their bedchamber, he took Christine’s hand. “The maids will be heating up water and filling yer bathtub. But come with me.” He took her hand and led her to his solar which had also been cleaned very well.
“We have some time before the bath will be ready.” He walked to the small table against the wall and poured them both a whisky. “While we wait, why doona ye take a seat, and I’ll start a fire to warm the room up.”
“There is no need to do that. I am comfortable enough.”
He handed her the drink and sat alongside her. “It appears ye have done a wonderful job with the keep. I kenned ye could do it.”
Christine almost spit out her drink. “Kerrigan! Ye have no idea how difficult this has been for me.”
He raised his brows. “But it all looks so good.”
She took a sip of the whisky and set the glass down on the table in front of them to prevent herself from tossing the liquid into her newly arrived husband’s face. “I shall be happy to inform you how different this all is”—she waved her arm around—“from the life I’ve known. For example, do you know the bath I took while we were traveling was the first time in my life I bathed without help?”
He frowned, looking genuinely confused. The big oaf. “I doona understand.”
She sighed. “I’ve had a personal maid since I left the nursery. I never did anything for myself. There was always someone nearby to fetch what I needed and travel with me to social events and trips to the shops. Big, strong footmen carried my purchases as I strolled along, buying what I pleased.”
When he opened his mouth to speak, she held up her hand. “Let me finish. I’m sure you think as most young ladies of the Upper Crust, I was taught how to run a household, hire and supervise staff, meet with the housekeeper about the menu, and arrange flowers. But I was not. My mother passed when I was very young, so the housekeepers ran my dad’s houses and didn’t bother to show me. That was my life up until the night I dropped out of my bedroom window and raced to The Lyon’s Den.”
He stared at her and took a sip of his whisky. He shook his head, then carefully placed the glass on the table in front of him. With an odd look on his face, he leaned over and cupped her cheeks. “I am now even more sorry I left ye as soon as we arrived. I had no idea what I was handing ye.”
She swallowed and closed her eyes. “I was determined not to have the other clan members believe I felt privileged. It is bad enough that I am English, without them thinking I was like what all Scots believe English women are.”
“I ne’er thought that about ye.”
Her brows rose. “Not ever?”
He grinned and his face flushed. “Mayhap it did cross my mind after friends told me about their experiences with English lasses. But the minute I met ye, I kenned in my heart that you were different. I can’t imagine any of the ladies my friends spoke of jumping out a bedroom window in men’s britches and escaping from what she dinna want. Most lasses I am sure would just plop themselves in a chair and wail.”
She laughed. “I had no idea how strong I was until Uncle Carl waved the betrothal agreement in my face. My da always told me I was like my mother who defied her family and married him, she the daughter of a duke and him a mere earl.”
A knock on the solar door drew their attention. “Enter.”
Edward opened the door. “There was hot water in the kitchen, Laird, so we were able to fill your bathtub sooner than I thought.”
“Thank ye, Edward. Good night to ye.”
Once the door closed, Kerrigan turned to Christine and held out his hand. “Are ye ready, Lady Lindsay? Our bath awaits.”
As soon as they entered their bedchamber Christine eyed the full bathtub with longing. Still a bit shy, however, she glanced over at Kerrigan who was having no problem removing his clothes. She walked over to the table next to her bed and removed the sweet-smelling oil she’d bought in one of the villages where they’d stopped on their trip.
This one was a fresh smelling scent, not a flowery one since she didn’t think her husband would appreciate walking around the keep smelling like roses. By the time she retrieved it and walked to the tub, her husband sat in the water in all his naked glory, smiling at her. “Are ye going to join me, wife, or am I to use all this nice warm water myself?”
Taking a deep breath, telling herself she could do this, she began to unfasten her dress. It would have been easier if her husband was not sitting there watching her with a grin on his face and hunger in his eyes. Finally, annoyed with herself, she quickly removed the rest of her clothes, kicked off her shoes and pulled off her stockings.
Before she could take a breath, Kerrigan reached out and pulled her into the water. She landed on top of him. Even with that distraction, she sighed with enjoyment at the feeling of warm water surrounding her body.
Kerrigan immediately drew her mouth to his. His hands fisted in her hair as he moved his mouth one way and the other. Her heart immediately began to bang against her chest. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as he pulled back, both of them out of breath. “Remind me ne’er to take a long trip away from ye again.”
“Don’t ever take a long trip away from me again,” she said right before she took his mouth in a searing kiss. She could do that, too.
Kerrigan’s hands roamed her body, his palms circling her nipples, causing her to wiggle in the water, aware of the sound of splashing on the floor, but uncaring. She leaned back, Kerrigan’s strong hands holding her from falling backward into the water. His mouth replaced his hands, and she moaned, restlessly moving her legs.
More splashing.
He shifted her body, so her legs were spread, each one on the other side of him. Without removing his mouth, one hand braced her back as his other hand delved between her legs, his fingers fondling the stiff piece of flesh begging for his attention. She thought the water had already started to cool, but then realized her body was growing warmer and warmer with Kerrigan’s talented fingers and mouth.
She hung onto the sides of the bathtub and continued to shift her body and press against his hand. Her breathing was growing more difficult, and it didn’t take her long to break apart as wave after wave of absolute pleasure rode through her body. She bucked forward, a loud moan coming from her mouth.
Once her breathing returned, Kerrigan placed his warm, large hands on her waist and picked her up, sliding his engorged cock into her opening. She bucked at the invasion, welcoming the fulness. It was his turn to moan.
This was truly an interesting position and odd at first, but she soon understood what he wanted her to do. He moved her up and down until she caught the rhythm and soon was bracing herself on his shoulders with her hands as she covered his mouth with hers.
It didn’t take him long to grunt and pour his seed into her. Christine collapsed against him as they both struggled to catch their breath. “We never took our bath,” she panted.
Limply, he lifted his hand and grabbed the piece of linen draped over the edge of the bathtub. “Here. I’m too weak to move.”
She took the cloth from his hand. Kerrigan rested his head on the rim of the bathtub, his eyes closed. He’d told her about his push to get home, so she knew he was worn out. She rubbed soap on the cloth and began to wash his large body. By the time she had finished, he was asleep.
She grinned and began to wash herself before the water got too cool. She dipped her hair into the water, washed it and dumped the jug of water she’d had from before over her head. This time she knew enough to place it within reach.
Growing cold, she leaned forward and kissed her husband awake. He opened his eyes and smiled. “Did ye enjoy your bath, mo leamman ?”
“Aye.” She stood, water dripping down her body. Looking up at her, Kerrigan seemed to come awake. He reached for her, but she stepped out of the tub. “Time to sleep, husband.”
Two large linens rested on the floor next to the tub, fortunately not where water had splashed during their lovemaking. She rubbed her body, enjoying the feel of being clean.
Kerrigan climbed out, took one of the linens, dried himself and dropped the cloth to pick her up. He walked over to the bed and dropped her. She laughed, as she bounced up and down, enjoying the silly interaction between them.
He climbed in and pulled the bedcovers over them. They cuddled together. Clean, tired, and happy in each other’s arms.