Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“ I ’m gonnae eat ye all up,” he promised, falling to his knees and pushing hers apart, to reveal the delicious secret folds of her sex. “Mmm, I cannae wait tae taste ye,” he growled, parting her with his thumbs before he fell on her gaping core with his lips and tongue, spurred on by her moans of pleasure and the thrusting of her hips as he opened her wider, worrying her stiffening rosebud with his mouth until she screamed, “Ah! Ah! Ewan, aye, aye!”
Thrilled at the way she screamed his name, he chuckled to himself as he worked his tongue into every corner of her hot, slick flesh, darting it in and out of her entrance until she was soaking.
“Aye, ye like that, eh?”
“Och, ’tis wonderful, Ewan, ’tis heavenly,” she moaned, her head thrashing from side to side, her hips coming up to meet his questing mouth.
“And d’ye like this too?” he asked, full of lascivious mischief, sliding his fingers inside her one by one, working them rhythmically in and out, deeper and deeper each time, excited to feel her walls closing tightly around him. All the while he teased her rosebud with his tongue and lips and teeth, reveling in her little screams and mewls of pleasure. When she gripped his hair tightly and screamed, he redoubled his efforts, bringing her to a shuddering climax, relishing the taste of her juices.
“I need more of ye, Ewan,” she panted, still gripping his hair tightly, “all of ye, inside me now!”
“Are ye sure?” he panted, wanting to be certain it was what she wanted as she was still a maid.
“I’ve never been surer of anythin’ in me life,” she assured him, winding her legs around his waist, and tightening them, pressing her burning flesh against his belly. “And ye’re nae goin’ anywhere ’til I get what I want!”
“If ye insist, madam,” he replied, laughing with lustful joy, feeling more alive than he ever had, anticipating what he knew was going to be the most wonderful experience. “It might hurt a little at first, but I’ll be gentle and it’ll soon pass, and then, it’ll feel good,” he reassured her, wanting to make her first time as pleasurable as he could. “But if it hurts too much, tell me and I’ll stop.”
“Ewan, will ye stop talkin’, please,” she murmured, tightening her thighs around his waist even more and tugging gently on his locks. She smiled up at him, her eyes slits, inflaming his senses.
“I’m nae gonnae argue with ye,” he replied hoarsely, positioning the head of his throbbing length against her entrance and pushing slowly to her slick tightness, letting out a deep groan of pleasure as he pushed deep inside her.
“Och me God, Ewan that’s… that’s… ah!” she breathed, her eyes fixed on his as he slid his entire length in and then out of her, taking his time so as not to hurt her.
“Am I hurtin’ ye?” he asked, just to be sure.
She shook her head. “Ye could nae hurt me if ye tried. I want more of ye!”
He grinned as she thrust her hips upward to meet his downstroke, and he concentrated hard to keep his pace steady, reveling in the tightness of her walls as they squeezed him tightly, sending waves of intense pleasure shooting throughout his entire body. The sensations she was making him feel were so exquisite, so intoxicating, he wanted to make them last as long as possible.
But after a few minutes, his body compelled him to speed up the pace of his rhythmic thrusts, his hips pounding against hers as she cried out in her passion, clutching frantically at his shoulders. He could hear his heavy ragged breaths as his hips met hers and he went deep inside her, shaking her body, making her writhe and moan as she drew ever closer to her climax.
When she screamed, “Ewan! Aye, oh, aye!” and came in a quivering, liquid rush, he let himself go.
“Annie, Annie, me bonny lassie!” he grunted, cradling her sweat-slick body tightly against his with his last few, hard thrusts inside her before, a few seconds later, he tumbled headlong after her into indescribable ecstasy.
Isla lay in Ewan’s strong arms, skin to skin, spent and content, her heart overflowing with love for him. “I’m happier at this moment than I’ve ever been in me life. I ken paradise truly exists now,” she told him, tracing the line of his lips with her fingertips. “Right here on earth with ye, Ewan.”
He laughed and kissed her hair, holding her closer against him as if he would never let her go. It was wonderful! “Aye, I think ye must be right, me beautiful Annie. I’m very happy as well. Ye make me feel so alive! I kent ye were special that night when I caught ye in me tent and I looked intae yer eyes in the candlelight. I dinnae ken why it’s taken me so long tae realize it.”
“I think I felt it too,” she admitted, remembering the jolt that had gone through her when she had seen his face for the first time. “I’d never seen such a braw man before! Ye turned me world on its head,” she added teasingly, taking his bottom lip between her teeth and gently biting it. It was true, though, she knew it. After that, all her plans to murder him had gone awry. And now, she was his body and soul, forever as far as she was concerned.
She kissed him lazily as she reflected on how he had not hesitated to save her from almost certain death by the waterfall. The realization had changed something deep within her. She already trusted him, but after that, she knew she could never leave him, that she would do just about anything to save him from harm. It made her even more determined about her plan to buy herself enough time to warn Gregory of the intended attack should succeed.
After a while of lying there together in perfect harmony, Ewan ruffled her hair and said, “We’d better get back.”
“Aye,” she reluctantly agreed as he got to his feet and put out his hand to help her up. They embraced and kissed once more before getting dressed and setting off back to the camp. She cast a backward glance over her shoulder as they left the secluded spot where Ewan had made her from a girl to a woman. She knew it well, of course, but now it took on an unforgettable significance in her mind. Whatever happened, from this day forward, it would always be a special place.
On their journey back, her body still tingling pleasurably from Ewan’s loving, she knew she still had her mission ahead of her. The tightly stoppered flask of potion she had obtained from Ella was stashed safely in her inside jacket pocket, ready for use later that night. Ella had warned her that the mixture was so potent, only two or three drops in, say, a tankard of ale or kettle of water would send the biggest man to sleep within half an hour.
That was ideal for her purposes, but making sure everyone in the camp got a sufficient dose and fell asleep at the right time presented a logistical problem. Besides that, she was uncertain when the old man was due to arrive to show Ewan the way into the tunnel system. Having not quite figured it all out yet, with so much riding on her success, it was with trepidation in her heart that they reached the camp a short while later.
It was the hour when the cooks were already busy preparing supper, meaning the camp would likely be eating within the next hour or so. Isla was feeling a little guilty, knowing she was about to practice a major deception on him. She reminded herself that she was acting for a good cause strolled around the camp, wending her way by degrees to the kitchen wagon.
She decided that adding the sleeping potion to the ale barrel was the best way to ensure that everyone, save perhaps the odd few, would get a good dose. Fortunately, the cooks and their assistants were busy, so no one took any notice of her when she casually sidled up to the barrel and jostled against it. The liquid inside sloshed about, but she could tell it was close to the bottom. Surreptitiously she turned on the little tap and stood in front of the barrel as the remaining ale dripped out onto the ground.
Once she was sure it was empty, making certain she was not being observed, she went around the back of the wagon, where the other barrels were stacked up. Choosing the nearest one, she took out the flask from her pocket, removed the stopper, and set the precious flask down carefully atop the neighboring barrel, not wanting to risk spilling a drop. Then, she took out her dagger and prized the lid of the chosen barrel up just enough for her to pour the whole contents of the flask inside.
That done, she returned to the front of the wagon, to the now empty barrel, and grabbed an empty beaker from a nearby stand before approaching one of the assistants. “The barrel’s empty, and I’m parched,” she told him, holding up the empty beaker. “Will ye open a fresh one so I can get a drink?”
“Aye, of course,” he agreed with a nod, leaving what he was doing to oblige her. He lifted down the empty one and replaced it with the full one she had prepared, to her relief, just as she had planned. He set it up and tapped into it. “There ye go, fill yer boots,” he said with a smile and walked away to return to his task. She did not fill her boots for obvious reasons but instead returned to the tent to await developments with nervous anticipation.
Ewan eventually returned and supper, stewed rabbit, was duly delivered to the tent, along with the usual large jug of ale. They chatted over the meal, and though she was nervous and had little appetite, Isla forced herself to eat heartily so as not to arouse his suspicions. She watched Ewan as he drank deeply of the doctored ale throughout the meal.
“Well, that was a tough old rabbit but I needed that. I’d worked up quite an appetite,” he remarked with a cheeky smile when he had finished eating, refilling his mug with fresh ale from the jug. “Are ye nae drinkin?” He asked her, holding the jug poised, giving her a questioning look.
She put her hand over her mug and shook her head. “Nay, I think I’ll stick with tea.”
“All right,” he replied, setting down the jug and beaming at her as he leaned his elbows on the table. “We had a lovely time today by the waterfall, eh?”
Touched by his soft expression and the exciting memories of their few hours together, she could not help but smile back, despite her anxiety. “Aye, it was wonderful, Ewan. I’ll never forget it as long as I live.”
“Aye, it’s engraved in me heart, fer certain,” he assured her, then suddenly shook his head and frowned. “I suddenly feel awful tired. D’ye feel tired too?”
“Aye, I dae,” she lied, nodding.
“It must have been all that exercise in the fresh air this afternoon,” he said, giving her a lascivious grin before he rubbed his eyes and yawned. “I think I’ll have a wee lie down afore we prepare fer the attack on the castle. Come on, come and lay down with me.” He rose from the table and staggered against it. “Whoa!”
“Too much of that strong ale,” she told him, guiding him over to the cot.
“Aye, maybe so, but it daesnae usually affect me like this,” he replied, his expression puzzled as he stretched out on the cot and pulled her down at his side, his arms around her.
“Dinnae forget ye are taking medicine and still healing as well,” she reminded him, then added, “Ewan, when ye ride out tae attack the castle, ye are gonnae let me come with ye, are ye nae?” she asked, hiding how important it was that he agreed. She absolutely had to be there.
“Aye, ye can come, as long as ye do exactly as I say and stay close tae me at all times,” he told her sleepily. “I dinnae want ye tae get intae any danger.”
“Good, thank ye,” she told him, relieved he had agreed so readily. She lay next to him, stroking his cheek, watching as he succumbed to the powerful drug and soon entered a half-dazed state. He hugged her tightly.
“Ye ken, Annie,” he murmured into her ear, “this afternoon was the best of me life. I dinnae think I ever really understood what it means tae make love tae a woman before, but with ye… well, ’tis somethin’ altogether different. I think I’m fallin’ in love with ye.”
Isla’s heart melted at his confession, and she hated herself for what she was doing to him. When his lips sought hers once more, she put everything she felt for him into the slow, tender kiss they shared. But before anything more could happen, the sleeping potion took full possession of him, and he drifted off to sleep.
As he lay there, looking so peaceful and vulnerable, she brushed a stray lock of dark hair from his forehead and whispered softly, “And I’m fallin’ I love with ye too, Ewan.”
Hoping that by now everybody in the camp would be in a similar state, she waited patiently for a while before she began extricating herself from his arms, eager to be about her urgent business. But, to her distress, every time she moved, he tightened his grip on her, preventing her from leaving his side. Over and over she tried, growing increasingly frantic, seeing her last chance to speak to Gregory before the attack slipping away after she had worked so hard for it.
In the end, she was almost crying with frustration, but it made no difference. He seemed to have some kind of sixth sense and simply blocked any move she made to leave the cot. She was forced to lay like that all night until, exhausted by anxiety and fear, she fell asleep herself. And when she awoke with a start the next morning, Ewan was gone.