Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“Och, Malcolm,” she sighed against his lips, opening hers beneath them, answering his searching kiss with all the heat of the unleashed desire pent up within her.
Without breaking the kiss, Malcolm cupped her behind in his large hands and lifted her up, carrying her over to the wall in a couple of strides.
“I’ve missed ye, Cat, I ken ’tis wrong, but I cannae help mesel’, I want ye so much,” he whispered heatedly, his warm breath and passionate words making her pulse race as he pinned her there against the wall, his hungry mouth ravaging hers.
Driven by the aching need growing between her thighs, Catriona wrapped her legs about his waist, her arms about his neck, marveling at the immense power in his shoulders and arms as he held her against the wall easily, as though she weighed nothing.
“I want ye too, Malcom,” she gasped, her tongue joining his in a sensual dance fueled by urgent want.
“Och, God, how I want ye,” she moaned, her fingers tangling in his dark curls, writhing with excitement as his hands roved freely over her body, squeezing her breasts, tracing the curve of her waist, the flare of her hips.
“Och, I need tae touch ye, Cat,” he murmured, his teeth grazing her nipples, biting softly at the rounded flesh, while his hands delved beneath her skirts, pushing them up and aside to aid his exploration.
“I need yer touch, Malcolm, I need it so much,” she gasped, opening her legs widely as he pressed his hips into her, his hardness grinding tantalizingly against her exposed sex, stoking the fire already there with the promise of ecstasy.
He let out a deep groan as his palms slid up the outside of her legs to cup her naked behind, his thick fingers brushing the folds of her already wet sex teasingly, eliciting small moans of pleasure from her lips, leaving a trail of fire on her skin.
Finally, his mouth wandered from hers, and he began trailing small, hot kisses down her throat, her neck, to the neck line of her gown.
There, he passed to grin wolfishly at her before playfully easing the neckline down with his teeth.
Catriona laughed and watched his face as her breasts tumbled free, heat spiraling in her lower belly at the hunger she saw in his eyes looking with frank appreciation in his dark eyes.
“Mmmh, they’re so delicious, I have a need tae taste them,” he whispered, his breathing growing heavier as he took one already stiff nipple into his mouth and sucked at it, then the other, his hot mouth moving from one to the other, nuzzling, sucking, nipping at her exposed flesh, feasting on her breasts like a starving man falling on a plate of food.
The sight of him so excited by her body only fed Catriona’s pleasure, stoking her desire. She felt herself growing slick with moisture, the ache between her thighs becoming more demanding with every moment. Small mewing sounds of need broke from her lips.
“Ach, Malcolm, aye, I want tae feel ye inside me,” she whispered breathily, her fingers tightening in his hair as she arched her back, brazenly offering her breasts to him, craving more of his attention.
“Ye will, lass, ye will,” he murmured against her breast, rubbing his stubble against the tender flesh, sparking fresh excitement within her.
Wantonly, she opened her legs wider to admit him, her moans growing louder when his hand moved beneath her skirts and his fingers found her most sensitive spot, toying gently with her stiffened bud.
She sighed with pleasure when they parted her folds and slipped inside her, first one, then another, and another.
His eyes never left her face as he delved deeply within her, and she realized he was watching her reaction because he wanted to please her. Knowing how much he cared only made her want him more.
He continued caressing her breasts with his mouth while gradually increasing the speed of his thrusting fingers, his thumb strumming her bud, his fingers opening her wider, making her flesh hotter and wetter... needful of all of him.
“Aye, Malcolm, och, more, please!” She moaned and writhed helplessly as his hand moved faster, fingers plunging deep into her core. She pressed her sex against his hand, until waves of bliss began traveling up from her core with growing intensity.
“Ach, Malcolm, I’m almost there, I’m... ah!” she cried out, shuddering against him as the waves engulfed her, wracking her body as ecstasy tore through it. All she could do was moan and cling to him, kiss his lips, his face, in her fiery passion.
As she caught her breath, Malcom held her tight against the wall, his kisses and caresses never faltering while, with one hand, he undid his belt and then opened his trews. The huge erection bounded out.
Malcolm groaned low in his throat as Catriona wrapped her hand around the thick shaft, instinctively pumping it as she eased it to her entrance. She let go as, with another raw grunt, he buried himself in her.
She gasped, feeling her inner muscles grip him.
“Ach, Jaysus, Cat, but ye’re so wet and tight!” he groaned, moving deeper, touching the spot hidden deep within her that made her cry out with pleasure as she clung to him. He held her by her behind against the wall, moving his hips in and out of her in slow, measured strokes.
Catriona revelled in each thrust, meeting each one with her hips to intensify the blissful sensation of him filling her, thrusting deeper and harder each time. As the pleasure began to build inside her once more, Malcolm gradually increased his pace.
Their moans and sighs and grunts echoed form the stone walls as they clutched at each other, panting with exertion as they chased their mounting climax, foreheads growing slick with sweat, mouths kissing, nipping, and nuzzling at any bare flesh they could reach in their hunger for each other.
“Ah, Malcolm, faster, harder, I need ye,” she cried as he once more lifted her thrust by thrust to the peak of ecstasy. Moments later, she reached the shattering pinnacle of her pleasure just as he stiffened, giving a raw, throaty grunt as, with one final thrust, his warmth spilled into her.
They fell against each other panting, their kisses sticky and sated and joyous.
“I’ll never have enough of ye,” he whispered, his voice raw with emotion. Cupping her face, he kissed her fiercely, his dark eyes intent on hers. “Ye’re mine. Forever. Mine alone.”
Buoyant with love and the fulfilment and happiness he had given her, Catriona smiled as she tenderly brushed damp curls from his forehead and kissed him there.
“Aye, always and forever. As ye belong tae me.”
He nodded his agreement. “Whatever happens, we’ll always have this.”
“Hush, dinnae speak that way,” she chided gently, placing a finger gently to his lips. “Fate brought us taegether fer a reason. We must trust it and never stop believin’ that we’ll be taegether.”
Again, he nodded and crushed her against him, holding her as if she were a precious object, his nose buried in her hair. “I’ll keep believin’,” he murmured.
But despite their brave promise, as they embraced, Catriona fervently wished she could be as sure of her own words as she had sounded. Or if Sinclair would come and destroy their chance at lasting happiness.
After a while, Malcolm let her down gently on to legs that felt like jelly.
He fastened his trews while she straightened her dress and smoother her hair, though every part of her still tingled from the intensity of their love-making.
Malcolm helped her with her hair. Catriona found his concentration as he coaxed the escaped tresses back into order endearing.
Finally, they were ready to leave.
“Now, will ye remember which stone it is ye havetae press tae get intae the secret chamber?” he asked, letting them out into the main passage way and showing her one last time.
“Aye, I’m sure I will,” she confirmed with a nod, not at all certain that, if Sinclair attacked, she wanted to hide away while Malcolm fought for her. If anything bad happened to him, pray God it would not, she wanted to be at his side, however impractical it might be.
“Nay one should see us taegether, so ye leave first,” he told her, peeking out of the tower entrance to see if the coast was clear, reminding her again of their escape from the priory.
“There’s nay one out there,” he went on, pressing a sweet kiss to her lips before pushing her gently outside.
“I’ll wait here fer a few minutes while ye continue yer walk, then I’ll leave. ”
“All right, goodbye me love. Fer now.”
With that, she gave him one last fond farewell glance and slipped quietly out of the door while no one was around to see her, already missing his presence as she made for the gardens.
Evening found Catriona in her chambers, standing before the fire drying off after bathing before supper, reluctantly washing away the glorious evidence of her passionate tryst with Malcolm in the hidden room.
She was fastening the ties of a fresh gown when there came a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Catriona said, wondering why Isla had returned after being dismissed an hour since. She was surprised when another, older maid called Maggie entered instead. “Aye, Maggie, what is it?” she inquired.
The woman seemed nervous as she stood just inside the door, bobbing a curtsey.
“I bring an urgent message for ye, me lady. ’Tis very important that ye go tae the chapel right away. Someone’s waitin’ there tae speak with ye.”
Catriona stopped what she was doing. “The chapel? But why? Who sent ye?” she asked, frowning at the maid quizzically.
The woman shifted uneasily on her feet. “I’m sorry, but I’m nae allowed tae say, me lady. I’m only tae tell ye tae go there at once.”
Catriona could not guess who might have summoned her. But the message sounded urgent.
“All, right, thank ye. I’ll go directly.”
The maid looked relieved as she dropped a curtsey and departed.