by K. E. Saxon
Once everyone had eaten, Lady Maclean decided ‘twas past time to get Jesslyn to her new dwelling and allow the newlyweds some time to themselves. She called for one of the servants to show Daniel and Maryn to their bedchamber before turning back to Jesslyn. “I’ll show you to your cottage now. I believe you will like the location; ‘tis quite close to the village well.”
“Aye, that does please me, m’lady,” Jesslyn replied and took hold of her son’s hand.
“Do I have to take a nap, Mama? I’m really not sleepy,” Alleck said.
“Aye, laddie, you shall take a nap. And then when you awaken, ‘twill almost be time for us to return to the great hall to have our supper with Daniel and Maryn. You will like that, will you not?”
Alleck started to sigh but it turned into a loud yawn. “Aye.”
*
“I shall see the both of you on the morrow when I return for the appointed meeting,” Laird Donald said. He gave his daughter a quick peck on the cheek and his son-in-law a clap on the back before climbing onto his mount and departing.
Daniel was pleased to finally have his bride to himself, for he craved another chance to weaken her resistance. She was such an innocent. He smiled, recalling her words of the past eve—she’d demanded he position his dirk further to the side of his hip while they slept! With an inward groan of frustration, he then recalled how he’d had to keep a wider distance between them for the remainder of the night, which had truly been a hell unto itself. While he’d had to curb his every impulse to take her each night as they lay under the stars, she seemed utterly unaware of the bloody battle that raged within him between his honor and his lust.
And now, tho’ his honor still held strong against his ravening passion, he was almost at his breaking point. But he was still determined that she would come to him, that she would be willing to trust him enough to consummate their marriage. And that she would desire him as desperately as he desired her.
*
Upon entering their bedchamber, Maryn was thrilled to see that a bath was being prepared for her. Dismay immediately followed, however, for she would not disrobe in Daniel’s presence and she knew not how to ask him to give her privacy.
“I see my grandmother was thoughtful enough to order a bath prepared for you,” Daniel. “I’d like to bathe as well, so I shall go down to the soldier’s quarters and find the bathing house there while you take care of your cleansing.”
Maryn’s smile might have brightened the darkest night sky, so pleased was she with her husband’s thoughtfulness. “My thanks to you, Daniel.”
After closing the door behind him, Maryn hurriedly disrobed. Climbing into the steaming bath, she submerged up to her chin on a long sigh, luxuriating in the decadent feel of the water as it sluiced over her skin. She closed her eyes and dozed. In her mind’s eye, it became Daniel’s long fingers that trailed over her naked skin, teasing the peaks of her breasts until she felt them tighten and bud.
She jolted awake, her heart pounding and her breath fast and harsh. She’d yet to allow such intimacy, but she craved it more with each passing day, making it more and more difficult for her to dissuade her husband’s roving hands.
But what if she stopped fighting her desire for him? What if she allowed him intimate knowledge of her body, and discovered afterward that Daniel had lied to her about his motives for bringing the widow here? That the two were lovers still? Her heart would be broken and her pride would be crushed. And an annulment would be near to impossible. Nay, ‘twas better that she should discover beforehand whether his relationship to the the flaxen-haired beauty went beyond the bounds of friendship.
Maryn rested her head against the edge of the tub and thought about her predicament. If only she could believe him. But, it seemed to her, with each passing day, Jesslyn managed to cleverly position herself even more firmly into Daniel’s life. And Daniel gladly permitted it; he’d even instigated some of it. Now the widow would be at their table each eve. Maryn groaned in frustration and sat up. Daniel had agreed to that request easily enough, giving no thought at all to her own feelings. He’d simply settled the matter and expected Maryn to blithely accept it. Just as he’d done when he’d arranged for the lady to move here with them.
He’d sworn he did not love the lovely widow, that he held no passion for her, but Maryn was having a hard time remaining convinced. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she dropped her head and sighed forlornly. How was she ever to trust his words when his conduct spoke otherwise? If only he’d distance himself from Jesslyn, stop touching her, stop confiding in her—and begin confiding in his wife. That would make all the difference. She might believe then that he was not enamored of the widow, not bedding her. Because she desperately wanted to give herself to Daniel, to feel secure in her love for him—and to show that love openly.
Suddenly more weary than she’d ever been in her life, Maryn left the warm haven of the tub and prepared for bed.
It was the first time in her life that she’d ever deliberately skipped a meal.
*
Maryn was already in bed asleep by the time Daniel came back in the room an hour later. The sun had set while he was in the bathing house and the room was dark except for the fire blazing in the hearth.
Deciding to forego the evening meal himself, he stepped out into the corridor and flagged down a passing servant. After asking the man to inform Lady Maclean that they would not be joining her for supper after all, he returned to their chamber. Moving to the side of the bed, he gazed down at his sleeping bride. She’d curled on her side and the top of her chemise had fallen open, exposing the inside curve of one of her breasts, but still concealing its lovely crest. She had not worn the silk chemise since the night of their wedding, only these thicker linen ones, which hid rather than revealed the lush, rosy peaks he craved to see, to caress, to taste. His eyes scanned upward and settled on her face. Her eyes had dark circles beneath them. ‘Twas clear she was more than weary from the travel. But her hair, which lay loose on the pillow, was still slightly damp from the bath. Fearing she’d catch a fever, and not wishing to awaken her from such a sound slumber, he reached down to spread it out on the pillows so that it would dry more fully.
She stirred and opened her eyes. “Daniel,” she said on a sigh, not fully waking.
He saw tenderness in her gaze before her lids dropped closed again. His heart pounded. Could she feel love for him so soon? He admitted that the possibility both frightened and pleased him. For he, himself, had been fighting his own battle with that very emotion these past days and he knew he was very near to succumbing.
Daniel undressed down to his braies and got into bed beside her, taking her in his arms and holding her to him for a moment while he allowed his feelings for her to take shape in his heart. He could not, and would not, ever let her go. She was all to him. He would protect her with his life if need be. She rolled over and wrapped her arm and leg over him, rubbing her cheek against the hairs on his chest as she slept.
Daniel gritted his teeth against the desire to bury himself deep inside her, asleep or no. But he forced himself to remain immobile. For tho’ her body trusted him; her mind, he knew, was still not ready to believe his troth. She still stubbornly doubted the nature of his feelings for Jesslyn and he knew she would also doubt any declarations of love he gave her at this time as well. Unless he openly spurned his friend. But he would not do that. Which left him with only one other means of proving his devotion: He and Maryn must make love, and he’d not stop until she knew how deeply his feelings ran for her.
His slumbering bride sighed and pressed closer against him, sliding her leg up a bit. A cold sweat broke out on his skin. Her knee now rested directly over his engorged sex. Daniel groaned and closed his eyes tight. She must be his by sennight’s end, else he’d surely go mad. He opened his eyes and stared into the darkness above him. ‘Twas time for the last stage of his sensual assault on her defenses. He smiled. Aye, he was going to enjoy her absolute surrender. And there
was no question: She would enjoy it as well.
*
Daniel woke Maryn the next morn with a trail of soft kisses up her neck, ending at her earlobe. He nibbled and suckled the soft flesh until she trembled beneath him.
She moaned, half asleep, and rolled onto her back.
Daniel took immediate advantage. Softly, oh so softly, he trailed the tips of his fingers first along her bare arm and then across her collar bone.
Her eyes drifted open and her gaze focused on him.
“Good morn, sweetheart.” Not wanting to give her time to awaken entirely before he’d finished his assault, he dipped his head and sipped her lips. Gently prodding them open with his tongue, he tasted more fully of her sweet bounty as he continued his teasing exploration of her body. He lightly trailed his fingertips from her collarbone down to the peak of her right breast, circling it until it had beaded for him, and then widening the course, making a spiral over her entire breast. ‘Twas so delicately formed, so plump, so round. He turned direction then and slowly made his way back to the peak, imagining the time when his tongue would instead do the exploring.
Believing she was dreaming, Maryn allowed herself to enjoy her husband’s sensuous, phantom caress. ‘Twas much more vivid than the other dream she’d had while in her bath, for her skin now felt molten and she avidly craved those exploring fingers of his to find and soothe the throbbing ache between her thighs.
“You like this, do you not, sweetheart?” Daniel murmured against her lips.
When his hand settled, heavy and warm, over her breast, she came fully awake. Godamercy! He touched her in truth! Panicked by the thought of comparison to the bounteous lady Jesslyn, Maryn rolled away from him. “You promised we could wait a few moons before we did that, Daniel.”
“Aye, sweetheart. Forgive me.” Placing his hand on her shoulder, he rolled her to her back once more. “I regret frightening you, but I’ll not regret touching you. Ever. You tempt me beyond the bounds of reason, of restraint.”
A thrill ran through Maryn at his heated declaration. Had she made a mistake in not allowing her husband to continue to touch her in such a carnal manner? It certainly seemed that he truly desired to do so. And mayhap that showed that he was beginning to care for her more than he did for the Lady Jesslyn. She prayed so. Setting aside all of her doubts of the night before, she decided in that moment that she would do her best to get past her fears and allow her husband to bed her soon. After all, ‘twas what she yearned for as well.
*
Later that morn, Maryn sat and listened to the elders as they introduced themselves to Daniel. After the last one had settled back on his bench, Daniel rose. “I wish for you all to accept my bride into clan Maclean,” he began, gravely. “‘Tis my will that there be no more hostility toward her for the role she played in the raid of your horses. ‘Tis best to put the past behind us and begin anew.”
After the Maclean clan elders had given their agreement to his precepts and welcomed Maryn, Daniel asked, “Must I worry that Callum will return with a MacGregor contingent and fight to have his position returned to him? Or cause trouble because he lost his bid for Maryn’s troth?”
“Nay, lad. You need not concern yourself with Callum,” the most aged of the Maclean elders replied. “He’s not given us any reason to believe, thus far, that he is resentful of our decision to replace him or angry that he was thwarted in his attempt to wed the lass.”
“And what of the horse marshal?”
“He’s gone. Left not more than a day or two past the night of the thieving.”
Satisfied, Daniel indicated that Maryn was permitted to leave.
*
Late that eve, Daniel made his way back to his and Maryn’s bedchamber after eating supper in the hall. He’d been surprised when Jesslyn and Alleck had arrived, having had no notion that he’d agreed to the arrangement. But his grandmother had quickly reminded him of his consent this day past and then he’d been ashamed that he had not thought of it himself. After all, Alleck was accustomed to dining with him, and the lad might have had wounded feelings if he believed Daniel did not want to have him at his table any longer.
But he’d missed Maryn. His mind had been filled with thoughts of her almost every minute of the day as he’d gone about the business of the lairdship. When he’d learned that she’d remained in their chamber all day and that she’d decided to dine there as well, he’d been disappointed but he’d understood, for she was overwrought and needed her rest. And he would have joined her, but after declining supper the eve before, he had felt obliged to dine with his grandmother and his invited guests this eve.
He eased open the door, not wishing to wake her if she were sleeping. His gaze immediately came to rest upon her. She was seated beside the hearth sewing a stitch in the large tapestry he’d seen in her chest when she’d packed some of her belongings prior to their journey here.
She had not yet noticed his presence and he took the opportunity to study her. She must have become warm from the fire, because she’d untied the laces at the top of her deep purple gown and had done the same with her saffron chemise. As she worked, the smooth curves of her breasts billowed with each breath. And tho’ the undergarment covered the lower portion, the view was sufficient to cause his hands to clench with the desire to explore them once again.
Imagining the taste and feel of them in his mouth, his blood rushed. And knowing she’d imagined the same thing made him even more avid to continue the next stage in his seduction. Was it too soon? He prayed not. He knew he’d frightened her that morn, but she’d also responded eagerly to his every touch. He quivered with the need to caress her, to pull the gown off of her and finally have her naked in his arms. She wanted him as he wanted her, and that knowledge drove him forward. He strode over to her and lifted her from her stool.
“Oh! Ah, ‘tis you—”
“You are…lovely.” Daniel fisted his hands in her hair and hungrily feasted upon her mouth.
She leaned into him, pliant and warm in his arms.
Blood of Christ! Her taste was the sweetest ambrosia ever imagined. With a gentle touch, he stroked her cheek and then followed the caress with a heated kiss. Using only the tips of his fingers, he lightly traced the length of her neck, and again followed the action with his lips and tongue. Finally, he trailed his hand down to her breast. The peak pebbled in his palm and he rolled it between his thumb and forefinger, readying it further for his mouth.
With a gasp, she squirmed out of his arms and jerked the opening to her gown closed with trembling hands.
Daniel’s temper snapped. “I am at the end of my patience. The promise I gave to you cannot stand, for I cannot wait that long. ‘Tis time for me to bed you.” He took a step forward and she backed away. “Need I remind you that ‘tis also your duty?”
“I cannot, not yet. But I promise you that I’m trying to overcome my reticence and I do feel more comfortable with you as each day passes. I beg you, do not force me.”
Force her? With effort, Daniel took in a deep breath and relaxed his stance. “’Twill never come to that, I give you my vow.” He took another step toward her and reached out.
She scampered out of reach.
His brows slammed together. “You do not allow me to hold you?” he asked harshly. “What game do you play?”
“Mayhap ‘twas a mistake for us to kiss, until I’m ready to allow you to bed me.”
“Nay, I’ll not give that up as well,” Daniel said through gritted teeth. “Be very clear on that, Maryn.”
“All right.” Her sigh held frustration. “But your behavior toward the lady Jesslyn shows a flagrant indifference for my feelings. Can you not see that? And until you give me some indication that my feelings take priority with you over hers, I will not carry out my duty as your wife.”
Daniel snorted in disgust. “So, until I renounce my friendship with Jesslyn, you will not be my wife in truth?”
She shrugged her shoulders.
He took
that as affirmation. “Well I will not do it. I do not abandon the people I care for.”
“I’m not asking you to abandon her, only to change your behavior toward her. You act as if she’s your love—your lover.”
“I will say this only once more and I want you to hear me: I-am-not-enamored-of-Jesslyn! We-are-not-lovers! Let go of this petty jealousy, before it ruins our marriage!”
Her gaze turned forlorn. Folding her arms over her chest, she shook her head at him.
Daniel literally saw red, reading the action as a refusal to believe him. His heart aching, he wanted to hurt her as she had hurt him. Now, way past the point of caution, he growled, “You are as cold as a trout. I made a bad bargain, I see that now. I should have wed Jesslyn instead.”
She slammed her palm over her heart and sucked in a breath as a shattered expression came over her countenance.
A twinge of guilt pricked Daniel’s conscience, but he refused to bend to it. “You cannot expect me to remain celibate for our entire life together. I see now that I must find comfort elsewhere. You may keep your virtue, my sweet, for I do not care to ever touch you again. Enjoy your cold bed.”
As if he’d run her through with his sword, a tormented moan erupted from her throat, sending an answering pang through his heart. Again, he fought it. Swinging around, he stormed toward the door.
“‘Tis fine with me, you unmannerly idiot! I have so hated your amorous attentions anyway!” she yelled. The prideful words balmed his chiding conscience and propelled him out the door.
*
For long moments after Daniel slammed out, Maryn stood numb, unseeing. He’d left her, and she had no notion whether he ever intended to return.
Why had she said that? Tho’ her husband had made ugly accusations, she should not have worsened the problem by rebuking him with lies.
Maryn paced the bedchamber, heavy tears flooding out and worry filling her breast. Was he going to find ‘comfort’ with another woman? With Jesslyn? Her heart clinched at the possibility.
