His mind swirled with different emotions and different sensations. His entire body was alive, as if the world before had just been an illusion. Everything else was being stripped away from him, leaving this raw, pure feeling of bliss.
They hurriedly clawed at each other to pull each other’s clothes away. Caitlin snatched away his tunic and gazed in awe at the expanse of his body. She left a trail of kisses along his neck and over his chest, resting her hand against the middle of his body where she could feel his frantic heart beating. Rhys deftly undid the thread that held her dress together. With a coy shrug, Caitlin’s dress fell away and she was exposed and vulnerable. Rhys had never seen anything so beautiful. He gasped in awe at the sight that was better than the rising sun spreading its golden fingers over a dew-stained world, or a dappled ocean dancing under the shimmering moonlight. Her skin was flawless and soft. He reached out a hand and the air was scorched by the heat of his passion as he explored every inch of her body. Her head arched back and her lips parted slightly as a rush of breath escaped her lips. His huge hand encompassed almost all of her petite body. He felt her voluptuous breasts and pulled her in closer to him, her body melting into his. Their lips met again with irresistible force.
They fell back, with Caitlin atop him, her hair falling around, enveloping them in a soft veil. His hands traveled down her back. She moaned when she felt how aroused he was. Her eyes sparkled with fear and anticipation. The marriage bed was a place of secrets and mystery, a place where inhibitions could be thrown away, a place where a married couple did sacred things that went unspoken of outside of their union.
Such things took place that night.
Caitlin traveled down his long body and did things that Rhys had never imagined. Neither of them had any clue where they got some of these ideas; they were just following the natural instincts of their bodies. Rhys groaned as he watched her making love to him with her mouth, saliva dribbling out, his muscles tensing as kaleidoscopic delight burst in his mind.
He turned her over. It didn’t him as long to explore every inch of her flawless beauty or to find the hidden sweet spots that made her gasp with exquisite ecstasy. She arched her back and offered the hollow of her throat as he buried himself in her femininity, feeling her sweetness trickle over his lips. She was warm and wet and simmered with heat. It made him hungry, hungrier than he had ever been before, and there was absolutely only one way he could calm the violent, bestial urges within his body.
After she had shuddered and trembled and her soft moans had faded into echoes, Rhys moved up her body once again. His hands found hers and pressed them to the bed. His vast weight crushed her and his lips burned. Their bodies shifted to accommodate each other, needing each other. She was soft and supple; he was strong and ardent. When their bodies came together and were as intimate as any two people could be, they both let out a terse moan. Their eyes widened at the feeling of these new sensations, and they were flooded with overwhelming bliss.
Rhys held her tightly. The urge was for him to rock with thunder, but she winced in pain and clutched at him tightly, begging him for mercy. He went gently, tenderly. He was a warrior, but there was no battle to fight here. There was no war to be won. There was only pleasure to be shared, love to be enjoyed. He went slow, enjoying every sweet moment of being with her for the first time, knowing in his heart that this same feeling would be experienced even when they made love for the hundredth time, for his love was pure. Their lips met and their tongues danced. Their bodies writhed together, and their hearts beat with the same rhythm. His breath was panting, terse. Her whimpering moans were music to his ears.
The rolling feelings inside were like a maelstrom. They burned deeply, scorched him from the inside. A wildfire swept away everything in his mind that was unclear. Nothing was left apart from his love for her. There was nothing in the world that meant anything except Caitlin. Just thinking about her name was enough to send him into a paroxysm of delight, but when he opened his eyes and looked down at her perfect body flushed with arousal, he was sent to another world. His hands moved all over her warm body, feeling this life that was being shared with him. They kissed deeply, as deeply as two people could ever kiss, becoming as intimate as any two people had ever been. Then he felt something uncontrollable rushing through his body.
He could feel it inside her as well. It was in the way her body was slick with sweat and how she breathed. She trembled and shuddered and dug her nails into him as she braced herself against the onrushing sensation of the orgasm. The movements of her body only inspired him. His muscles were tense and tight. He could feel everything inside him focused on the molten core of his body, pooling in one place before it burst out in an eruption that was loud, passionate, and explosive. He roared with all his might as he released himself into her, pressing her forehead against his. Their breath rushed out and swirled, becoming one, just as their bodies had been. It was a moment of pure and utter delight, and it left his body shaking. His head dipped and he stole a kiss, holding her for a moment as he tried to process the wild sensations that had just rocked his body.
He opened his eyes. His vision was blurred, but he could still make out her sweet smile.
“I love ye,” he whispered.
She giggled, her cheeks flushed with arousal. “I love ye tae, Rhys, my husband,” she replied, and proceeded to wrap her arms around him tightly. She kissed him more deeply to show her affection for him.
Eventually, their bodies separated and their chests heaved as they basked in the afterglow of sex. Far below them in the deepest part of the castle, they could hear that the party had continued, and for a moment Rhys wondered if anyone had heard them share their love, but then decided that it didn’t matter. He would have gone out and shouted it from the roof of the keep if he could have, for he was proud to have won the heart and soul of this magnificent woman.
She nestled into the crook of his arm. While he was overwhelmed with heat, he did not want to be apart from her. He caressed her soft skin and listened to her breathe heavily, being lulled into sleep, feeling fortunate that this was going to be the rest of his life. It was a blessing to know that he was going to go to sleep next to this woman every night and wake up with her—the first thing he saw not being the radiant sun, but her glorious beauty.
Except it wasn’t.
A dark cloud was on the horizon, a storm of death and bloodshed. The feelings of bliss only lasted a moment before he realized that soon enough this fragile world he had built for himself was going to be torn apart. With Caitlin’s home ravaged and her family killed, she would never be the same, could never love him as purely as she did at this moment. Not only would lives be lost, but his marriage would be too, and now that he had experienced a little of what married life could promise him, he wasn’t prepared to sacrifice it.
His stomach churned. The need to say something was strong in his mind, but Caitlin was already asleep. Strands of hair fell over her face, which he brushed away. She looked so innocent, so unaware of all the bad things in the world, and it was his job to protect her from them. His muscles were tired, and his mind needed to rest. His eyelids grew heavy and he could feel himself being lulled to sleep as well, but he would not be silenced by loyalty to his father. He now knew that the love for his clan was nothing compared to the love for his wife. He had promised to honor her above all others—and that meant even his father.
The morning arrived, golden and glorious. Rhys awoke before Caitlin, for his mind was heavy with worry and laced with guilt. When he looked down at her he wished that the morning did not have to be tainted by what he knew, but it was. She still looked so beautiful, and his heart swelled to impossible depth with his endless love for her. He caressed her cheek and she stirred a little. A sweet smile spread across her face, but her eyes remained closed and her breathing was heavy. He wondered what she was dreaming of, and felt a great pain in his chest at knowing that her dreams could turn into nightmares if he didn’t do something about it.
&
nbsp; The clarity of the morning had only made his resolve stronger. He did not want to wake her and disturb her peaceful sleep or her happy mood. Time was of the essence now and he had to go and see Bryn.
He slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Caitlin. He wished he could have stayed there to watch her sleep a little longer, to be there when she awoke, ready to start their lives together. He hoped that he could return and slip back into bed before she even knew anything was amiss, but he knew the chances for that were small.
With a heavy heart, he got dressed in simple clothes and then strode down the hall to find Bryn. He asked a servant along the way and was told that Bryn was already awake and was with his eldest son in the study. Rhys made haste and tried to ignore the gnawing doubt at the back of his mind that told him this was wrong, that he shouldn’t betray his father like this. Between protecting his wife and protecting anything else, there was no choice. He wanted to be the man that Caitlin saw him to be, the one that was honorable and kind, compassionate and noble. Even if he had persuaded Caitlin to flee with him and begin a new life out in the wilderness, he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself, for he would always know that he had done the wrong thing. He wanted her to be proud of him.
Bryn was surprised to see Rhys when he entered the study. Mark was there too and looked at Rhys suspiciously.
“Ah, Rhys! Good morning! I’m surprised tae see ye awake! This is the one morning were ye are allowed tae laze in bed with yer wife. Is Caitlin up yet? Ye two are wily, sneaking out of the party like that,” Bryn said with a twinkle in his eyes.
“I’m sorry about that, aye, we just wanted tae be alone.”
“Ah dinnae be silly lad, ye dinnae hae tae apologize! Now, what are ye daeing here? Is there anything I can dae for ye? Just say the word and ye’ll hae it. My keep is yer keep!” Bryn gestured to his own chest, and then towards Rhys, which only made the younger man more uncomfortable. Mark flanked his father. He had his sword by his side and a stony expression was on his face.
“Actually I needed tae talk tae ye about something,” Rhys began. The words were difficult, but he plowed ahead, knowing it was important he told the truth. Bryn’s brow creased with worry.
Bryn gasped. “What’s the matter, lad? Ye are nae haeing second thoughts about Caitlin are ye?”
“Nay! Naething like that,” Rhys replied quickly. He turned his gaze to the floor and pursed his lips. “It’s about my da…this whole idea is just a way tae attack ye. He wanted the marriage sae that he would hae access tae yer castle and would attack ye when ye least suspect it. He wants tae kill ye all.”
“What? Ye are nae talking sense lad! We met on the battlefield. He told me he was tired of all the deaths and wanted tae change. He would never betray a treaty like that! It wouldnae be honorable!”
“He doesnae care about honor as much as he cares about finally winning this war between our families. That’s the only reason why this marriage took place. I’m sorry Bryn. I wanted tae tell ye earlier but—”
“Ye knew about this all this time?” Bryn asked with a penetrating gaze. Although Rhys towered over the man, he wilted under Bryn’s accusatory glare.
“Aye, I’m sorry. I wasnae sure of what I wanted tae dae. But as I was laying with Caitlin I knew that I hae tae be true tae her. I tried tae tell her, but I couldnae. I came tae ye. Ye hae tae be prepared. He thinks ye will nae suspect it because we are married now and there’s nae reason for him tae attack. Ye need tae find him and stop him,” Rhys said, a desperate tone in his voice.
Bryn considered the matter for a moment.
“Hold him here Mark,” Bryn said. Mark immediately drew his sword and pointed it at Rhys, who backed away a few steps and held up his hands. “I’m gaeing tae send someone tae find yer da and we’ll see what he’s really planning.” Before he left he turned back to face Rhys. “I’m disappointed in ye lad. I thought ye were a better man than this.”
Those words hurt more than a sword ever could.
“Ye wilnae get the best of me this time if ye try tae escape,” Mark spat. “I hae a sword and ye hae naething. I knew ye couldnae be trusted. Once a Frasier, always a Frasier. I cannae wait until Caitlin finds out.”
Rhys could have defeated him if he wanted. Mark was not as good a swordsman as he thought. His movements were clumsy and Rhys could have easily unbalanced him, but he stood motionless and stoic, not wanting to cause any more ripples of dissent. He didn’t even reply to Mark’s goading words as he too was afraid of what Caitlin would think of him.
It wasn’t long before Bryn returned, his face like thunder.
“I couldnae find yer da anywhere,” he said. “There’s naebody tae prove yer story, Rhys. I cannae be sure that this is nae a part of yer plan. What if I take my warriors out in search of ye da, leaving the keep undefended? What if ye are just a distraction?” Bryn shook his head as he paced around the room. Rhys was impressed at the way the man’s mind worked. He watched as Bryn’s eyes flickered about, considering plan after plan and possibility after possibility. His reputation for being a clever man with a mind for stratagems was well deserved, but his suspicious nature meant that he was not ready to trust Rhys’s words.
“I am nae a distraction. I’m telling ye the truth!” Rhys claimed. He leaned forward, but as he did so, Mark thrust the sword in his direction, and Rhys suddenly realized that he wasn’t being seen as a prophet of doom, but as an enemy.
“Ye may well be, but I cannae take the chance. I hate tae dae this tae Caitlin, but I hae tae send ye tae the dungeon until I figure out what’s gaeing on. Take him away, Mark,” Bryn said. Mark took great delight as he marched Rhys out of the room. Rhys tried to protest, but it fell on deaf ears. It was a grim ending to the moment, and he wasn’t sure Caitlin would ever forgive him, but at least he had told Bryn the truth. At least he had done the right thing.
15
“Caitlin…Caitlin! Wake up, lass.”
Caitlin could feel her body being shaken gently. She almost didn’t want to leave the realm of sleep, for it was the best night’s sleep she’d had for a long, long time. Her body and mind had been utterly content after the passion that she had shared with Rhys. It had been more powerful and fulfilling than she had ever imagined, and the natural urges in her body wanted to experience it again. The thought of spending a lifetime with him was glorious and she longed to taste his sweet lips once again. She murmured as she opened her eyes. In her half-dreamy state, still a little dazed and delirious from the previous night, she expected to see Rhys’s kind eyes gazing down upon her. They were the only thing she wanted to see, so she was shocked awake when she saw her father perched on the end of her bed, shaking her awake.
Fear and anxiety lined her heart as she sat up, pulling the blanket around her as a shield. Her gaze darted around as she searched for her husband.
“Where’s Rhys?” she asked.
“That’s what I came tae talk tae ye about lass,” Bryn said in a heavy breath. His shoulders sagged and his face was tense with anger. “He came tae me and told me of a plan tae take the keep from us, that this whole marriage was just a sham tae get inside the keep and attack us when our defenses were down. Malcolm never had any intention of honoring the treaty. It was all just a trick…I never thought he haed it in him. I should hae been more careful.” He clenched his fist and scowled, but Caitlin didn’t care about that.
“Nay…he couldnae hae done that! Nae Rhys…he would hae told me. He…he loves me, Da.”
“Aye, he may well dae, but he is also a Frasier. I thought things could change. I thought they could be trusted…”
“Where is he?” Caitlin asked.
“In the dungeon, where he belongs until I find his father. I know what ye are thinking lass,” Bryn said, holding up his hands to try and put a stop to the flow of her emotion, “but ye shouldnae see him. I dinnae ken if he is telling the truth. Until we know for sure we should leave him tae stew. They’ve fooled me once, I’m nae haeing them fool me again,” Bryn sai
d.
But that wasn’t going to be enough for Caitlin. She hadn’t been prepared to wake up on the first morning of her being a married woman to find her husband locked in a dungeon. Tears welled in her eyes as she threw off the blanket. Bryn averted her gaze as she got dressed in a hurry.
“I’m planning for war, Caitlin. Ye should stay here, where it’s safe. The attack could come at any time. If this was a distraction then Malcolm is probably wondering why we’re nae out there looking for him. I dinnae want anything tae happen tae ye. I’m sorry lass. I wish things could hae been different. I hoped for the best…for the first time in my life, I hoped that things would be different, but a Frasier is a Frasier. I shouldnae hae believed otherwise.”
There was a sinking, hurt feeling in his voice, and for a moment Caitlin experienced doubt. Her throat tightened and her heart beat so fiercely she was certain that it was going to burst out of her chest. She fingered the ring that hung around her neck, the one that symbolized her devotion to her clan. But there was another ring she wore as well—one around her finger, that symbolized her devotion to her husband. She thought of all the things he had said to her and all the ways he had acted around her. When she looked into his eyes there had been no sense of deception…although now that she thought about it, there had been moments where he had acted oddly, and she had found it strange that he had been so insistent on seeing the armory and the barracks. Her heart sank. Could there have been truth to her father’s words?
The moment of doubt lasted longer than it perhaps should have. Tears lined her eyes as she felt her world crumbling apart. She had only been married for a day; was it over already? Was everything she experienced just a part of this lie?
Highlander's War 0f Clans (Scottish Medieval Historical Romance) Page 11
