“How did you get so wise, my bonnie wee bride?”
“I survived court after being raised as a laird’s daughter. My mother believes diplomacy is a lady’s greatest weapon when a dirk doesn’t suffice.”
“Your mother says that?”
“Aye, and she’s the one who trained me and Blair to wield a knife. My father taught her soon after they wed, then supported her when she wished to teach me and my sister.”
“And have you had to use your skills?”
Maude nodded and stroked Kieran’s legs beneath the water when he went rigid.
“Those are stories for another time.”
Kieran lathered soap against a linen square before sliding his hands over Maude’s shoulders until he reached her breasts. His cock hardened against her back as he kneaded her bosom. She laid her head back, but her fingers gripped his thighs as she arched and offered her heavy and aching flesh. Once her nipples puckered, he continued his ministrations as he swiped the cloth over each arm before drawing one leg, then the other, out of the water. He passed over muscle and sinew until he reached her feet. He pressed her shoulders until she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her raised knees as he washed her back. He massaged the knots from her shoulders until she sighed.
“That feels lovely. Mmm,” she sighed.
“I will always take care of you, buttercup.”
Maude opened her mouth to respond, but he pulled her back against his chest and tilted her chin until he could fuse their lips, and their tongues dueled. He assisted Maude as she turned in the water, straddling him before he eased his rod into her. He cupped her backside as her hands roamed over his shoulders and arms, her breasts caught between their entangled bodies. She couldn’t believe the erotic sensations of making love in water, in a tub before the fire. She leaned her head away, offering access to Kieran’s questing mouth, her eyes drooping shut as pleasure mounted. Her moans and his grunts filled the chamber with the soft sloshing of water as their accompaniment. The tension built as Kieran’s hands guided Maude’s hips until they were calling out each other’s names.
Maude sank against Kieran’s torso as his fingers danced over her back. She never imagined her back could be as sensitive, as responsive, as it was to Kieran’s touch. She nuzzled his neck as their breathing slowed, and she watched the flames dance. The afterglow of making love was peaceful and lured her toward sleep, but she enjoyed the closeness with Kieran too much to succumb. They’d slipped away each night they made camp under the guise of Kieran escorting Maude to wash, but the weather, the danger of being too far from camp, and the embarrassment Maude experienced from the men knowing why they disappeared kept their interludes brief and hurried.
“I wish we could stay this way forever, turtledove. It’s peaceful and cozy, just the two of us before the hearth. And it’s dry and warm at this fireside.”
“I wish the same, but I worry you’ll grow chilled soon. As much as I don’t want to get out, we should finish bathing, so you can dry your hair before bed. I don’t want you to catch the ague.”
“That’s naught but an old wives tale, but I don’t want to soak my pillow. You might not appreciate sleeping with a wet chest all night,” Maude giggled.
“You shall use me as your pillow, will you?” Kieran tickled her ribs, eliciting another peal of laughter.
“I’ve never slept so well as I do when I’m sprawled across you. You’re warm and soft in all the right places.”
“Soft?” Kieran pretended offense. “There is no part of me that is soft when you’re nearby.”
“Shall we test that theory?”
They hurried to finish their bath. Then Kieran brushed Maude’s thick locks as they once more sat with Maude between Kieran’s thighs, this time surrounded by pillows on the floor in front of the fire. He spread her hair across her back and shoulders after wringing more water from it. He understood why she preferred to wear her hair up in the stifling heat of the royal castle’s Great Hall. Her hair was beautiful, but its weight surprised him. He regretted that the clan would expect her to wear her hair up now that she was married. His fingers massaged her scalp much as they had her shoulders before gliding down to rub the kinks from her neck. He could feel the hard bunches of muscle where she carried her stress. Her body grew heavy as she once more leaned against her bent legs.
“Do you wish to sleep, little one?”
“At some point, but not yet. Your hands are doing wonders for relaxing me, though. Continue and you’ll put me to sleep like a bairn.”
Kieran helped her to her feet before guiding her to their bed. When they reached the foot of it, Maude paused. She studied the carved posts at the foot of the bed and the forest scene etched into the headboard. She’d seen nothing like it.
“My father and I worked on it when I was four-and-ten. He was a master woodworker, and he enjoyed the hobby as a means to focus his attention on something other than clan business.”
“Do you enjoy carving, too?”
“Not as much as he did. He was a mon constantly in motion and needed something to do with his hands. I appreciate being able to read in solitude when I have a few free minutes.” When Maude nodded and tucked that piece of information away, Kieran corrected himself. “I used to enjoy escaping to my solar for time alone, but as I think aboot it, I find I’d rather enjoy your company in my free moments.”
“We all need time alone now and again. I’m not insulted that you might want to shut the door to the world, and that even includes me. I won’t live in your pocket, Kier. I’ll find my place here.” Maude moved to the chest that sat at the foot of their bed. It was small and contained items Maude knew she couldn’t wait for the wagon to bring. They had attached it to one of the pack horses. She knelt before it and lifted her Sutherland plaid out. She unfolded it in her lap and pulled a small wooden carving from the wool she’d used to protect it. “Da is a woodworker, too. He made four of these figurines. One for Mama, one for Lach, one for Blair, and one for me. He gave them to us the eve before Lachlan rode into his first battle.”
Maude held up a carving of five people standing arm-in-arm, and Kieran could see it was Maude’s family. They stood in a line with their arms around one another, and the detailing was exquisite. Hamish had captured the essence of each person’s build and expressions, and Kieran marveled that the man had made one so fine, let alone four. When Maude handed him her treasure, he ran his fingers over the grooves and felt a patch over Hamish and Amelia that had been rubbed smooth, as if Maude’s thumb had traveled over the wood countless times. He looked up to catch her observing him.
“I would carry it in my pocket whenever Da and Lachlan rode out, then I often had it with me during my early days at court. Feeling it against my leg was reassuring during uncertain times,” she explained. Kieran handed it back to her, and Maude walked to her side of the bed. She knew it was hers because at some point, Kieran’s sword had made it to their chamber and rested against the bedside table closer to the door. She placed the figurine on the table facing the bed. For years, it had been one of the last things she saw at night and often it was the first thing she saw in the morning. She knew she would rather Kieran be her first and last sight of the day, but having a small reminder of her family was fortifying, especially after the welcome she received. Kieran stepped behind her and kissed her crown.
“You’re a brave lass, Maude. For all the courage people claim men possess, women face far greater tests to their mettle. You’re expected to leave everything and everyone you ken when you marry into a new clan. You arrive at a new home, kenning no one. Often not even kenning the groom. In your case, you were taken to court and expected to navigate protocol along with the ugly underbelly of politics. And as though those aren’t great enough trials, you must carry and bear bairns. That feat surpasses even the bravest and most heroic on a battlefield. You bring forth new life.” Kieran turned Maude toward him and rested his forehead against hers. “I promise never to take for granted all you sacrifice
to make a life with me.”
“I love you. It makes the challenges and inevitable struggles worth it to ken that at the end of each day, it will always be us, side-by-side.”
“I love you, buttercup.”
They joined in a tender kiss that communicated their pledges of love and devotion. As the kiss gained momentum and heat, they eased onto the bed where they once more surrendered to one another as Kieran sank into Maude. The rest of the night passed in bouts of lovemaking and sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Maude looked over her shoulder as she heard Kieran stir. The sun’s rays were making their first appearances over the horizon, but Maude was dressed and sat at the small dressing table as she braided her hair. She opted for two thick plaits; one she wrapped around her head, and the other she left to hang down her back.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.” She crossed the chamber and climbed onto the bed before dropping a kiss on Kieran’s nose. Before she pulled away, Kieran tugged her against his chest for a proper kiss.
“What are you doing awake so early? I assumed I would’ve exhausted you as much as you did me.”
“I confess I am tired, but the keep will wake soon, and I refuse to appear like a slug-a-bed on my first morning.”
“And if I don’t care to wake with a cold spot beside me?” Kieran grumbled.
“My place hasn’t grown cold yet,” Maude chided playfully. “But if you’re worried aboot that, you shouldn’t oversleep.” She attempted to scoot away, but Kieran hefted her across his chest.
“And if I had plans for how I wished to awake and start my day? Plans that didn’t include finding you dressed.” He began picking at the laces to Maude’s kirtle, but her hands swatted him away.
“I would like that, too, and I considered it, but Kieran, I want to make a better impression this morning. There will be plenty of other mornings when we can have a lying in.”
Kieran scowled, but knew that Maude was probably correct. Making an early appearance would improve people’s perception of her, even if they were newlyweds. He climbed from the bed and hurried to prepare for the day before strapping his sword to his back. Maude watched in awe as his muscles bunched and tightened, and his arms and chest flexed, while placing the claymore across his back. He realized that while at court, it was rare that he wore his sword. When he accompanied her to the abbey, he’d already been wearing it. He didn’t wear it at Sutherland and only carried it a few times since they were in their chamber most of their time there, and she’d been seeking privacy when he secured it while they traveled.
“Keep looking at me like that, and it’ll be another sennight of locking you in a bedchamber and having my way with you.”
Maude swallowed and nodded but didn’t look away. Kieran walked around the bed and slid his arms around her waist as she melted into his chest. Her kiss was hungry as her arms twined around his neck. He met each swipe of her tongue with one of his own. His hands moved to cup her ample backside, his cock twitching as the soft globes exceeded the breadth of his large hands. He would never tire of the feel of Maude’s voluptuous body as his hands kneaded her supple flesh. Maude’s hands glided over his chest and the ridges of his abdomen, making him suck in a sharp breath as he anticipated its destination. She pushed his sporran aside before lifting the material of his plaid. Her hand found what it sought, and she wrapped her fingers around his pulsing length. But moments later, Maude slipped from Kieran’s arms and looked at the bed before looking at the door. She bit her lower lip, and Kieran was certain he would spend himself just looking at her. She moved toward the bed but paused before looking back at him. He was behind her in an instant, his larger body wrapping around her.
A thought crossed her mind, more a memory of something she had seen several years earlier when she came across a footman and a maid in a passageway. She halted, and Kieran crashed into her. His arm slid around her, but she pressed her hips back against his. She felt his rod harden in an instant. She reached back to grip his backside as she rubbed hers against his cock.
“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” Kieran growled.
“I do. I—I saw a guard and maid once. By accident.”
Kieran pulled her tighter against his chest as his hand snaked up to cup a breast while the other turned her chin.
“Maude, I don’t know that I can be gentle with you. I’ve imagined making love to you that way too many times, and I fear my overeagerness.”
“And if that’s not what I want? Gentleness, that is.”
“Perhaps you might listen to someone who has your best interests at heart.”
“And if my interest is to couple with my husband again?” She yanked the laces of her kirtle and dropped it and her chemise to the floor in an instant.
“That isn’t what I meant, and you know it.”
Maude grasped the bedpost they stood near and leaned forward, widening her stance. The image she presented to Kieran with her hips begging for his fingers to grip, her back arched and breasts swinging, and a look of naïve longing on her face as she looked back at him was the image of his dreams. As he admired the view, he caught Maude’s expression change into one of doubt and then humiliation. She released the bedpost and stood.
“Wait,” he hissed before guiding his cock into her. “I was enjoying the view. It’s perfection.” He groaned as he slid in to the hilt and pressed his hips forward. “I’ve fantasized of making love to you this way. You remember how a mon can ease his need when the woman he wants is not available.”
Maude gasped and pulled away. She twisted and pushed against his chest.
“How could you bring that up?” She was in tears, and Kieran realized his mother’s words about Maggie rang in her ears. “How could you tell me you went whoring?”
Despite guessing her train of thought, her accusation stunned Kieran, but it only took a moment before he understood her logic, and he had to admit he had chosen his words poorly. He grabbed her wrists and brought her back in front of him, but she writhed and tried to break his grip. He spun her around and pulled her hips against his pulsing cock.
“Don’t believe what my mother said. Not for a minute. I’ve already told you several times that I took myself in my hand, Maude.” He murmured in her ear from behind her. “I pictured you as I pumped my cock until my eyes crossed. I imagined taking you from behind just like you offered, but what I pictured wasn’t gentle lovemaking. I imagined making you moan my name until you screamed. Every time I thought of you, my damn cock ended up hard as a bluidy rock. Even dunks in the frigid loch didn’t ease my need while I was away. I would slip down to the loch at night, hoping to cool my ardor that went unspent all day while I missed you. I fisted myself night after night. I showed you last eve that I stood at that window imagining I might see you all the way in Stirling. When I returned to court, it was no different. When I couldn’t face the icy water, I called for a bath. Those times I didn’t have to rush. I pictured taking you in every position and place I can conceive of. I never went whoring, Maude, nor did I visit anyone from my past. I need you, and only you will satisfy me. So, wife, don’t for a moment doubt that I will be faithful to you. If this is what you want, then I shall gladly show you every fantasy I’ve ever had of you.”
When her hips danced against his rather than pulling away, he slammed his cock into her sheath. He maneuvered them so she braced herself against the mattress. Maude realized this time was different. Even when Kieran seemed to lose control in the past, there was still a tenderness in the way they came together. This time, Maude let her body dictate her desires rather than her heart. She was sure Kieran noticed the shift because he growled and increased his pace. His arm snaked around her waist, and his fingers dug into the meaty flesh of her breast, the sensation verging on pain.
“Get on the bed,” he demanded, and Maude scrambled onto the mattress, kneeling with her weight on her forearms and her backside in the air. Her moan was pure ecstasy as he thrust into her again and again. Kieran me
t each of her moans with an answering grunt. He couldn’t get enough. The faster and harder he thrust, the stronger the sense grew. He realized it would never be enough. He had claimed his wife’s maidenhead, he had brought her pleasure more than once, and he felt more connected to her than he had anyone else in his life, but until there was a way that they could fuse into one being, it would never be enough.
“I don’t understand what you’re doing to me,” Maude whispered. “Why do I still want more? I’m so close, but it’s like I want to crawl inside you. What are you doing to me?”
Hearing Maude voice the words he thought consumed him. He climbed onto the bed and pressed her into the mattress. His body covered hers as his hand slipped beneath her. He found her nub and rubbed until she shattered, screaming an incoherent sound. He followed her over the edge as he gave one last thrust. And then reality came clattering back down around Kieran’s ears. He jumped away like a scalded cat and backed up until he met the far wall. He looked at his wife’s spent body as she labored to breathe. He had a view that only moments ago would have had him thrusting into her glistening sheath but now made him feel revolted at his selfishness.
She asked what I was doing. I was fucking my wife harder than I would any whore. What have I done?
Maude shivered as the air turned cold around her, and she couldn’t feel Kieran anywhere near her. She rolled over and sat up, and the sight that greeted her made her heart turn just as cold as her body. Kieran’s face was the picture of disgust and loathing, but he wasn’t looking at her, or rather, he refused to look at her. Maude looked around the chamber, a sickening dread taking root. She spotted her kirtle and slid from the bed. She grabbed it and said a prayer of thanks that it was one she could get into on her own. She glanced back at her husband and noticed he was watching her with a stricken gaze. It was as though he was hurt by her instead of the other way around. Maude paused and puzzlement showed on her face before she brushed her hands over her skirts. There was something else happening, but she didn’t understand her husband’s sudden shift in mood.
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