Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Ailis pressed her body into his, her breath catching as Gordon’s mouth claimed hers.
The kiss was slow at first, his tongue sliding against hers until her fingers curled into the front of his tunic. She felt the heat of his body through the thin fabric of her earasaid, the weight of him pressing her gently into the softness beneath her.
Every brush of his lips sent a warm ripple through her chest, and she exhaled shakily when he finally drew back to look at her.
Gordon’s hand moved to the laces of her bodice. He loosened them with careful fingers, parting the fabric just enough to bare the upper swell of her breasts.
The cool air of his study kissed her skin, but it was his mouth that made her shiver. He pressed his lips to the hollow of her throat then lower, following the line of her collarbone.
Ailis’ breath hitched. She felt the warmth of his tongue trace the edge of her clothing where it still covered her, and her back arched slightly, seeking more of that heat.
His palm slid over the curve of her waist then lower, coming to rest on her hip. Through the thin layers of her clothing, she could feel the strength in his touch, the way his fingers flexed as though he were holding himself in check.
She shivered again, a small sound escaping her throat. Gordon answered it by kissing the top of one breast then the other, his mouth lingering, lips parting so his tongue could taste the skin he had uncovered.
Ailis’ hands moved to his shoulders, gripping the fabric there as her body responded with a slow, building ache.
He lifted her off the floor, his hands sliding beneath the hem of her skirts as he carried her to the settee. The fabric bunched at her hips as he pushed it upward, baring her thighs. Ailis’ breath came quicker. She felt exposed and yet safe, the contrast making her pulse race.
Gordon’s lips found the inside of her knee then trailed upward in a line of slow, deliberate kisses.
Each one left a trail of warmth that spread through her legs and settled low in her belly.
Her thighs trembled when his mouth reached the sensitive skin near the top, and she felt her hips tilt toward him without thought.
Gordon’s breath was warm against her. He kissed the crease where her thigh met her hip then moved inward, his lips brushing the soft curls that still hid her from full view.
Ailis’ fingers tightened on her skirts. She felt the first slow stroke of his tongue through the thin barrier of her undergarment, and a deep quiver ran through her. The sensation was muted yet insistent, the fabric adding a layer of friction that made her breath catch and hold.
He did it again, slower this time, and her thighs parted further, inviting him closer. She could feel every movement of his mouth, the way his tongue pressed and circled, the gentle suction that followed.
Her hips lifted in small, involuntary movements, chasing the building tension. Gordon’s hands held her steady, thumbs stroking the outside of her thighs in soothing circles even as his mouth worked with focused patience.
Ailis’ head tipped back against the settee as she cried out again and shivered with pleasure. Heat swirled in the pit of her stomach, flushing her skin and making something tingle between her legs. She did not know this feeling, yet she reveled in it.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, the laces of her bodice now loose enough that the fabric gaped open, exposing more of her to the cool air and his gaze.
Gordon paused only long enough to look up at her, his eyes dark with intent. Then he lowered his head again, this time easing the last layer of cloth aside with careful fingers.
The direct touch of his tongue made her gasp. Ailis’ back arched sharply, a tremor running from her core outward until her toes curled.
He licked slowly and deliberately, tracing every sensitive fold before focusing on the small, swollen point that made her cry out softly.
Her hands left her skirts to find his hair, fingers threading through the dark strands, not pushing, simply holding as the pleasure built. Each pass of his tongue sent waves of heat through her. She felt herself growing wetter, the slickness making every movement smoother, more intense.
Her thighs quivered around his shoulders. Her breath came in short, broken sounds she barely recognized as her own.
“Ach,” she breathed out, not knowing what to say as her thighs quivered and her head thrashed from side to side.
Ailis felt a clenching in her stomach as another strange heat swept through her. This one made her tingle… it made her toes curl, and she felt heated up in ways she had never felt before.
Gordon’s hands slid higher, one resting on her lower belly, the other cupping her breast through the open bodice.
His thumb brushed over her nipple, and the dual sensations made her hips buck.
She felt the pressure inside her winding tighter, a coil of need that grew with every stroke of his tongue.
Her legs trembled harder now. She could feel the muscles in her stomach fluttering, the way her inner walls clenched around nothing, aching to be filled. Gordon seemed to sense it. He pressed his tongue flat against her then sucked gently on the sensitive peak, and the tension inside her snapped.
Pleasure rushed through her in a sudden, overwhelming wave. Her back bowed off the furs, a broken cry leaving her throat as her thighs clamped around his head.
She felt every pulse of release, her body fluttering and shaking, the warmth spreading outward until her fingers and toes tingled.
It was all breathtaking.
Her chest heaved with every breath and the dampness between her thighs increased. Gordon eased her through it with slower, gentler licks, drawing out the aftershocks until she lay limp and trembling.
When he lifted his head to look at her, she felt her cheeks burn, and her breathing still came out labored as she looked at him.
Gordon’s gaze fastened onto hers for a second then he pulled down her skirts, covering her legs as he withdrew.
A chill suddenly replaced the parts of her his touch had warmed earlier, and Ailis pushed herself up, a turmoil stirring inside her because her legs felt too numb to move.
“What is this feelin’?” she asked, her voice breathless and her entire body still aflame from his touch.
“Gordon…” His name died on her lips as he turned away from her, his frame set in that rigid line that told Ailis what was about to happen.
He stormed from the chamber, leaving the door to swing shut behind him, and Ailis was left alone with the ache he had left in her.
The confusion was becoming unbearable.
Ailis had spent the better part of the morning trying to understand Gordon.
She failed every time.
She folded a blanket, unfolded it again, then stood staring through the narrow window of her chamber without seeing the hills beyond.
How could he do that? How could he touch me as though I were somethin’ precious? Look at me as though I were the only woman in the world?
Kiss me with such achin’ tenderness… Only to leave.
Nay, nae merely leave. Flee! As though I were dangerous.
Ailis pressed her fingertips against her lips. She could still remember the warmth of his mouth, the roughness of his whisper as he pleasured her. He had sounded almost desperate.
She let out a slow breath and tried to stay calm.
I mustnae trust him. I cannae.
There was only one week left until the binding, and now, she felt more torn than ever because she still had no plan for escaping.
She rubbed at her brow.
“This is foolish,” she murmured to herself.
She had come here intending to make Gordon reject her. Instead, she lay awake, thinking about how his eyes softened when he looked at Lileas.
The way he carried the responsibility for his entire clan as though it were all that mattered.
The way he kissed me.
She groaned softly.
“Utterly foolish.”
A knock sounded against the door. Before Ailis could answer, Marion stepped inside with Jane following behind, both carrying folded linens.
“There ye are,” Marion said warmly, her smile immediately offering Ailis some level of comfort.
“The adjoinin’ chambers have been prepared for ye and Lileas. It is time ye moved out of this place.”
Ailis managed a smile as she folded the blanket she held one last time then handed it to Jane.
“It is where the Laird intended me to stay, though, is it nae? He only allowed me to move now because of Lileas.”
Marion nodded. “But he didnae mean it an insult,” she said. “Makin’ ye stay here, that is.”
Marion’s smile faded as they walked the halls, heading up the landing to the larger chamber where she would be next door to Lileas.
They entered, and Ailis drew in a deep breath.
Sunlight poured through two narrow windows, warming the stone floor.
The smaller adjoining chamber stood beyond it, perfectly suited for a child.
“The chamber beside the kitchens was his heaven for the longest time,” she revealed. “After Alistair brought him here, he was given that little room below.”
“He told me that,” Ailis said, shaking her head still in confusion. “But I daenae understand it. Why would his own uncle make him stay there? It is awful and tiny.”
“It served as his trainin’. Gordon has led a difficult life,” Marion revealed with another small smile. “He understands what it is to rule and protect everyone, but he doesnae understand much about carin’ for himself.”
Marion’s words made Ailis recall the tingling sensations she had felt the night before with him, and the way her body still hummed with pleasure, and she wondered if he had felt the same way too when he touched her.
Her cheeks warmed from the direction her thoughts took. Ailis quickly turned from Marion before she noticed it and cleared her throat.
A great many things about him were beginning to make sense.
The bare study, the empty bedchamber, and the hidden paintings in the chest.
Gordon had a part of him he never really showed anyone.
Ailis drew a long breath then looked around the new chambers once more.
An idea bloomed in her head almost immediately.
She smiled brightly then clapped her hands together. “So…”
Marion looked suspicious and eyed her slowly. “What is that smile?”
“I have a thought about somethin’.” Ailis clasped her hands together again. “Would ye both help me?”
Marion exchanged an amused glance with Jane. “That depends,” she said slowly.
“On?” Ailis asked.
“Whether this thought involves causin’ any trouble.”
“It involves helpin’ someone, and I daenae cause trouble.”
Marion laughed at that, but it was a soft chuckle. “Ye, me dear, have caused more ruckus in this castle than ever since ye arrived on our grounds.”
It was Ailis’ turn to chuckle now.
“What is this plan?” Marion questioned.
“Perhaps all the tapestries, curtains, blankets with the fluffy sheep, the embroidered skies, the flowered linens…” She looked up and paused for a bit. “…the things I brought from home that I put in Gordon’s chamber. He doesnae like them, so I want them in Lileas chamber instead.”
Ailis paused for a bit then added, “They might look rather lovely in there. It will make Lileas and Brochan feel comfortable.”
Marion blinked. “The hedgehog will be stayin’ with Lileas?”
Jane looked uncertain for a little bit. “I daenae think the Laird will like that.”
“He doesnae need to,” she answered. “But the child deserves a chamber that willnae terrify her or leave her cold. I am sure he will understand that.”
She looked at Marion as she said those words and Marion nodded slowly, agreeing with her.
“All right then. Shall we get to it?” Ailis announced, and just like that, they began arranging.
Ailis spread soft blankets across Lileas’s little bed.
Jane hung cheerful curtains embroidered with blue skies and tiny white clouds.
Marion carefully folded flowered linens into the chest beneath the window.
Brochan’s basket found its place beside the hearth.
The sun had started to set by the time they finally finished.
“There,” Ailis said proudly. “Lileas shall never fear sleepin’ here.”
Marion looked around the room. “Nay, she willnae. And it is all thanks to ye.”
A faint smile touched her lips, and Ailis heaved out a deep breath, hoping it would help ease the heaviness in her chest.
It did not. That feeling existed because of Gordon. However, she would focus on her days and avoid thinking about him.
She would put Gordon out of her mind for good.