It didn’t take long for them to become comfortable with one another’s company, and Ewan realized he enjoyed having Allyson nearby. He wasn’t in a rush to return to court when he had so much time to get acquainted with Allyson. He would never be able to spend time alone with her if they returned to Stirling. He looked forward to leaving the lists in pursuit of her and their afternoons together. He avoided her sisters and ensured he was never alone. He felt guilty at times abandoning Eoin in favor of Allyson, but his brother supported him and was happy to fill his time in the barracks with their men, gaming and talking. Ewan would never admit it, but the men were just as notorious gossipers as any women he knew. Eoin endeavored to not be alone anywhere where he might encounter Mary or Alice. He slipped out to the village some nights, but not until he was certain Ewan made it safely to their chamber. Eoin teased Ewan about needing a protector, but both men knew it wasn’t far from the truth. While Ewan was mostly content with his routine, he sensed Allyson didn’t feel the same about hers.
Allyson felt like time was mired in sludge each day until Ewan came looking for her. The hours between rising and meeting with Ewan seemed endless. She remained secluded in her chamber for most of the morning, reading or sewing. She only sewed when her eyes grew too weary from the dim morning light in her chamber. She disliked sewing, but she was good at it. She’d learned that Laurel was expecting again, so she began a set of baby clothes, but her heart wasn’t in it. Allyson had only taken on the project because it seemed like the right thing to do for her sister. She ventured to the gardens or the village most afternoons just for a change of scenery, but she did everything possible to avoid her sisters.
Allyson discovered she enjoyed her time with Ewan, and it surprised her to learn he had a rich baritone and often hummed when they sat together in the garden. The more she got to know him, the less daunting the prospect of marrying him became. However, the niggling fear that disappointment would crush her when he returned to his roguish ways made her guarded. Fear of when the betrothal documents would arrive made her stomach churn, but as one day passed into another, and no messenger arrived from Stirling, fear of why the king hadn’t sent them took over. She found herself jumpy and on edge throughout the day and evening and only calmed when Ewan’s company distracted her. She was at ease enough to be herself, a woman much like she was at court but without the pretense.
“Ally?” Ewan asked as they walked through the bailey at the end of their first sennight at Redheugh. She looked up at Ewan, but he sensed her mind wasn’t on him. He’d sensed Allyson suffered from constant worry about their situation. He wished to reassure her, but every encounter he had with her sisters seemed to set him back. Margaret appeared to encourage her older daughters and turned a blind eye to the inappropriate advances while Kenneth was oblivious to the women in his family. Whenever possible, if Ewan wasn’t with Allyson or in the lists, he engaged Kenneth in conversation. He tried to move the conversations in a direction that would shed light on why Allyson was the black sheep of the family, but he never succeeded. After the fourth or fifth time, he gave up and spent the time talking about clan business and politics. The Elliots and Gordons were staunch supporters of King Robert, so politics was fairly safe when they stuck to the topic of the border. Ewan realized he treaded dangerous ground when they spoke about politics that pertained to the Highlands and clan relations. He nudged Allyson’s arm. “You seem distracted today?”
He could tell something troubled her.
“Oh? I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be, but I was thinking about one of the aulder women in the village. She doesn’t have any children to care for her, and she was poorly before we arrived. I visited her yesterday, but I fear she isn’t long for this world. I just wish there was more I could do.” Allyson looked up at Ewan, who offered her a compassionate smile and a pat on the hand that rested on his forearm. He led them into the garden and to the shade of an apple tree.
“Is there aught you can do? Can the healer visit her?”
“There’s naught for me to do, but the healer visits daily. She’s just frail, and I think she wants to reunite with her family in heaven. She’s outlived her husband and six children. She’s seventy if she’s a day. I wish there was more I could do to make her comfortable.”
“I’m certain your visits offer her comfort.”
“I hope so, but lately, she doesn’t seem to know if I’m there or not. I tidy up her home and make sure she has a hot meal each day. The healer’s convinced her she doesn’t need to fast this Lent, that it’s weakening her too much, so I bake fresh bannocks and make a pottage every couple of days.”
“You can cook?” Ewan failed to hide his surprise.
“Aye. I learned when I was younger.” Allyson’s tone warned Ewan that it wasn’t a topic she wanted to elaborate upon, so he let it drop. Instead, he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed each knuckle before turning it over and kissing her palm, then the inside of her wrist. When there was no sign of resistance, Ewan wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.
“You are a fine woman, Ally. One day you will make an excellent Lady Gordon. You have a huge heart, and you care for your people. Ministering to the sick isn’t a task all people are made for, but you sound as though you understand it’s a duty that the laird’s family shouldn’t overlook. I’d venture a guess that other members of your family don’t see it as such, but rather a burden.”
“No, my sisters don’t visit the elderly or the infirm. My mother does when she has time. My sisters fulfill their duties, but Mother never gave each of them many. With three of them to assist Mother, only Mary has ever had the full weight of being chatelaine on her shoulders. Then again, I suppose I’m no different. I’ve carried the lightest burden, I suppose, since they never wanted my help.”
“Mayhap, but I suspect your duties were the least desirable and the hardest to perform.”
Allyson shrugged, but Ewan wasn’t far off. “I helped tend the sick and the elderly. When they died, I helped prepare them for burial. You’ve seen I work in the gardens, and I oversaw the sheep shearing and wool spinning. Not particularly glamorous, but they are jobs that needed doing.”
Ewan used his other hand to tilt Allyson’s chin before he lowered his lips to hers. It began as a soft brushing of skin, but it was only a heartbeat later that passion sparked between them. Allyson opened to Ewan’s questing tongue as he tilted his head to gain better access. He swiped it along hers before they tangled and dueled. Ewan was unprepared for the ferocity of his need, but he didn’t want to hold back. He’d stolen kisses from Allyson throughout the week, but they hadn’t given into desire like they did now. He backed them further into the shade, using his broad back to shield Allyson from anyone who might see. Her slim fingers slid beneath the neckline of his leine as she stroked them over his shoulders and neck. She rose onto her toes, trying to draw Ewan closer. Only the memory that they were in public kept Ewan from lifting Allyson to wrap her legs around his waist. He pushed his sporran out of the way and gripped her backside, grinding his pelvis into hers. Her moan set off his need all over again. He pulled away long enough to glance around the garden until he spotted a corner where no one would see them unless they stood where Allyson and Ewan were now. Ewan grasped her hand as they trotted further into the shadows before he spun her around, pressing her back against the wall. His large hand pinned her wrists over her head as he devoured her neck before attacking her mouth. Allyson’s surrender was complete and without resistance as she arched to press her body more fully against his.
“You taste delicious,” Ewan murmured as he returned to her neck, laving the corded muscles before swirling his tongue in the dip between her collarbones. “I shall feast upon you one of these days.”
Allyson suspected Ewan meant more than just kissing her neck. She’d heard that men and women used their mouths in other ways to pleasure one another, but she didn’t entirely understand how. She realized she wanted Ewan to show her, to teach her how.
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“Kiss me, please,” she pleaded and sighed when Ewan offered what she craved. She widened her stance when Ewan pressed his thigh between hers. His hands on her bottom guided her as she rocked against the hard planes of his body. An intensity, an urgency, built within her core, creating an ache that was almost painful. It was as though she couldn’t get close enough to Ewan, and with the clothes in the way, she knew she couldn’t. She’d never once wanted to strip bare before a man or see him in the buff, but Ewan made her throw away all regard for decency and propriety. When air swirled around her ankles, then calves, she understood Ewan was lifting her skirts. She didn’t stop him, too curious to learn what came next.
“I’m going to touch you, Ally. Touch you in a way no other mon ever will. I’m going to explore the treasure between your thighs until you can barely contain your need to scream my name. I will show you pleasure unlike any you’ve ever imagined, so you crave my touch over and over.”
“I already do. Why can’t I stop you? I know I should, but I don’t want to.” Allyson’s breathy response spurred Ewan on as his hands traveled further up her legs. He fisted her skirts in one hand as the other caressed the bare skin of her backside. She was much slimmer than Ewan realized, and he had a momentary pang of fear that he might crush her when he finally made love to her. His large hand cupped most of her bottom as he dipped his finger into her sheath. He groaned when he discovered the dew already gathered between the folds. He was certain his cock would leak as his mind and body yearned for his sword to thrust into her sheath. His finger trailed back and forth until he pressed it into her, making her tense.
“Shh, Ally. I don’t want you to fear me or this. I won’t do aught to break your barrier. I’ll leave you a maiden just as I found you.” Allyson relaxed and dropped her forehead against his chest, allowing herself to enjoy the sensations Ewan’s touch created. He continued to probe, adding a second finger, stretching her as her hips responded with a rhythm her mind didn’t recognize but her body knew. When he withdrew his hand, she whimpered, but he soon had her moaning again when he brought it around to rest against her mound. He lifted one leg higher on his thigh, lifting her foot off the ground. She wobbled and grasped his leine to steady herself, but Ewan feared her knees might give out when he plunged his fingers back into her, his thumb seeking the pearl that emerged as she grew more aroused. “Do you feel this, mo aingeal? This is how a man brings a woman to climax, by rubbing this bud until she writhes and is flooded with pleasure. I would do this for you every day for the rest of our lives. Would you like that?”
“Can’t you tell? Must I admit it?”
“Yes, Ally. I want to hear it. I want to hear my name from your lips as my fingers stroke you.”
“I want you, Ewan. I want this. I would have this over and over.” Allyson looked up at Ewan, but despite her words of yearning, he feared for a moment that she would push him away. Her expression was conflicted, and he realized that he was pushing her too far too fast. She might desire coupling with him, but she hadn’t decided if she wanted to marry him. He was putting her in an untenable position that threatened to ruin the moment.
“Then enjoy this right now. Don’t worry about what will happen next. Mo aingeal, I want to take care of you.” Ewan said no more, but Allyson sensed that his offer extended beyond their current intimacy. She suspected he meant in a larger, more permanent sense, and she realized she didn’t oppose the thought. She nodded before her mouth sought his. He continued to work her sensitive flesh, and he wanted to crow with pride as Allyson responded to his touch by exploring his body. She pulled his leine loose from his belt and trailed her hands over the scorching skin of his chest and back. Once she was certain she’d touched every inch, her fingers hooked into his belt and pulled him closer, and his responding growl made her sigh with satisfaction. Allyson intuited her body was creeping toward a precipice, and she was willing to tumble over the edge headfirst.
Ewan froze, his body taut and ready to react. His hands pulled away from Allyson with such suddenness that she tipped backward against the wall. She opened her eyes to discover Ewan pushing his leine into his belt with one hand while the other rested on the hilt of his sword. Her body pulsed with unspent lust as he placed a finger against his lips before he finished tucking his shirt back in. Allyson glanced down at her gown, straightening the bodice and brushing her hands down her skirts. She breathed a sigh of relief that she wore her hair down, so there was little chance anyone would think it more mussed than the slight breeze would do. She tried to peer around Ewan, but his warning was clear even without a word. Allyson shrank back and waited as Ewan turned, using his superior height to peer toward the gate. He darted a look over his shoulder at Allyson and shook his head. Whoever approached was not someone they wanted to discover them. Allyson held her breath, waiting to learn who entered the garden, so she might anticipate how great the fallout would be from someone catching her alone with Ewan.
Frustrated at the situation, Ewan forced himself to take several deep breaths as Angus approached. Ewan hadn’t known the man well before arriving at Redheugh, but he’d spent more time with him in the lists than Ewan liked. He didn’t care for the man’s smugness or dirty fighting. He’d taken a smashing blow to his ribs the day before from a sword that wasn’t nearly as dull as it should have been for training. The man often kicked dust at his opponents while they sparred. This might be an acceptable tactic during real combat, but it was unnecessary for training. Eoin had spent ten minutes that morning flushing his eyes with water to get the last grains of grit out. Ewan had been ready to smash Angus’s face in the dirt.
Allyson wanted to sink into a hole when she recognized Angus. There was no chance this encounter would go unmentioned. He had always been a tattle-tail when he was a child, and he had changed little over the years. He took a perverse pleasure in being the barer of bad news. She squared her shoulders and notched up her chin, prepared to go into battle with her brother, but Ewan reached his hand behind him until he found hers. He squeezed her fingers in reassurance before releasing them, so Angus wouldn’t see.
“What do we have here?” Angus’s supercilious tone set Ewan on edge all over again.
“Allyson and I were walking in the garden but stopped when a pebble landed in her slipper,” Ewan explained.
“In the furthest, darkest corner of the garden?” Angus leaned to catch sight of Allyson around Ewan’s shoulder.
“Aye. I wanted to look at the primrose. It only grows in the shade, so it’s back here in the corner. I like the color,” Allyson reasoned, not looking away as Angus’s face morphed into a mocking expression.
“You like the color,” he mocked.
“That’s what I said. I like purple.”
Ewan considered what Allyson revealed and realized he’d often seen her in gowns of various shades of purple. She also threaded purple ribbons through her hair in the evenings at court. He tucked away that newfound piece of knowledge for another day. He turned his attention back to the siblings as Angus took a step forward. Ewan perceived the menace in his posture and shifted to block Allyson. He held up his hand, but Angus turned his look of disgust toward Ewan. This led to Ewan tightening his hand on the hilt of his sword. Allyson recognized the situation was spiraling out of hand.
“I think you enjoy being groped in dark corners. Is that what you learned at court?”
Allyson refused to allow her expression to show her shock and disdain. She kept it relaxed and neutral. “I don’t like dark corners. I’d rather be with my friends and the music.” She infused as much innocence into her voice as she could, fearing the tartness he tempted her to hurl at him would slip through. “I wanted to pick some primrose for my chamber, and Ewan was polite enough to accompany me and wait.”
“That’s not what it seems.”
“And what does it seem?” Ewan interrupted. He placed one hand on his hip while the other appeared to rest lazily on his sword, but Allyson recognized Ewan was prepared to draw it wit
h little warning. Allyson watched as the two men, both heirs to large and powerful clans, squared off. She realized it had little to do with her now as Angus sized up Ewan. Angus seized upon an opportunity he’d been hoping for, and it was becoming a pissing match between the two of them, but Allyson feared Ewan would break Angus in half. She’d seen her brother in the lists and heard tales from the raids he took part in, but he didn’t appear to be an even match to Ewan’s greater size and calmer demeanor. He looked like a lad who wanted attention from a man.
“It seems like you were pawing at my wee baby sister. It looks like you were compromising her honor, whatever might be left of it,” Angus taunted.
“Now you’re concerned? You didn’t sound at all concerned when you learned of what befell her at Chillingham,” Ewan narrowed his eyes as he spat each word.
“Befell her? She brought that upon herself. She got what she deserved for being so flighty and selfish.”
Allyson curled her toes in her slippers and clenched her jaw to keep from crying. Angus spoke what she thought countless times since returning to Redheugh.
“No woman deserves what your sister survived,” Ewan quiet tone belied the steel edge. “Why do you suddenly care what your sister does? What does it matter to you if we are in the garden?”
“Because you’re not married, not even betrothed, yet. You’d have her trap you and force to the kirk steps?” Angus grinned, but there was no humor in the expression. Ewan saw the malice and took a step forward.
“It would be hard to force a mon my size to do aught I don’t want to. When I stand on those steps with Allyson beside me, it’s because I want to be there. As far as I’m concerned, that day won’t come soon enough.”
A Rogue at the Highland Court: An Arranged Marriage Highlander Romance Page 15
