by Mary Morgan
He found her mindless chatter to be the most charming feature about her. And that bothered him.
Each day spent in her company made it increasingly difficult to honor his vow to her brother. His nights were spent watching her as she slept. He would doze on and off, but would awake wanting to hold her in his arms. He desired Fiona O’Quinlan like no other.
“Enough. She will not be yours, ever,” he uttered in a hushed tone. Splashing more water on his face and chest, Alastair got to his feet.
Urquhart was only a few days ride, which meant he had two choices to make. He could rid himself of the axe in the waters and leave, or he could see if his brothers were indeed home. In the past few days, memories of his family had woven their way into his thoughts. Perhaps it was Fiona’s fault. She talked endlessly about her refound family and how in such a short time, she had already bonded with them.
“Nae, perchance another time.” Breathing in the crisp, cooler air, and fighting his own demons, he stepped back and nearly collided with Fiona.
“By the hounds! Can ye not watch where ye are walking?” he snapped, his own words sounding more harsh than intended.
Her eyes blazed with fury at him. “Excuse me? I was not the one walking backwards. I only wanted to get more water.”
He grabbed his tunic and stepped away from her. “Next time make yourself known. I could have plunged a dirk in ye.”
As he walked away, he could hear her muttering. Again, she called him an ass with no manners. He froze at the last mention of her words. Turning around, he stormed back.
“If I did not have manners, I would have taken ye many times, Fiona O’Quinlan. So it would be best to remember that I have treated ye fairly and with respect.”
She tossed the water skin down on the ground and glared up at him. “I’m tired of this dance, this duel between you and your alter ego. One moment hot, the next, cold. Fire and ice. Compassionate and tender. Harsh and bitter.” Her words gushed forth, and she waved her hands about. “I never know how to approach you. Are you always—”
Grasping her forearms, Alastair drew her to him, her feet barely touching the ground. Her eyes went wide as he bent his head and moved his mouth over her lips, devouring their softness. It was meant to silence her words—to frighten her.
Yet, the moment he touched her silken mouth, his body exploded in an array of sensations.
He meant it to be a chaste kiss. That was his sole purpose. However, she took him by surprise when her tongue slipped through, grazing along his bottom lip in a sensual play until she stroked his tongue. He sucked in a breath, taking her groan of pleasure into his body. His head swam as she tasted, nipped, and deepened the kiss.
Her kiss sang through his blood.
Sweeping her up into his arms, he broke free from her mouth. Eyes that glittered like jewels with desire peered into his. It was not his beast that craved her touch—her body. It was the man, and he trembled with the revelation.
“Tell me to stop now, Fiona. For once I lay ye down upon the ground, I will not be able to hold back.” His words were so hoarse, he scarcely recognized his voice.
Fiona placed her hand on his cheek, brushing lightly over his scar. “I don’t want you to hold back.”
Holding her close, Alastair walked over to a thick patch of grass nestled near some trees. Before he put her down, he closed his eyes for a moment.
“Alastair?”
When he opened them, he replied, “I had to prepare your bed.”
Her mouth fell open when the grass thickened, and wildflowers grew in abundance everywhere. “Did you do this?”
“Aye,” he answered, gently lowering her to the ground.
She brushed a hand over his bare chest, and he shivered from her touch. “It’s perfect for my first time.”
Capturing her face in his hands, his heart ached at her confession. “Och, Fiona, I want ye fiercely, but your words have reminded me of my vow again.”
“Vow?” she whispered.
He kissed her tenderly on her brow, bringing her against his chest. “I made an oath to your brother not to harm ye—in any way.”
“Alastair.” She brushed a feather light kiss on his chest and heard the hiss of his indrawn breath. “You will not harm me. I give myself freely to you.”
“Nae.” He pushed away from her. “I made a vow as a Dragon Knight.”
She reached for his hand and placed it over her heart. “I release you from your vow, Alastair MacKay. It is my body, not my brother’s. Show me pleasure. Teach me to pleasure you. I have never wanted anything more than this. I want to feel like a woman. And I want…you.”
Slowly, he watched as she guided his hand over her breast. With a growl, he took her into his arms and kissed her as a man who had starved for too long. His tongue swept into her mouth claiming hers, and she responded by pulling his head in to deepen the kiss, twining her fingers in his hair.
Sinking to their knees onto the carpet of flowers, his mouth never left its plundering as his fingers delved into her laces. “Sweet Goddess,” he moaned against her cheek. “Turn so I can undo ye.”
Complying with his request, she turned slightly. His fingers shook as he undid her laces. When the last one unraveled free, he took his fingers and touched her bare skin. A small moan escaped from her lips. Before she had a chance to turn back around, he grazed his teeth along the side of her neck, and she arched back into him, grinding into his erection. “For a lass who has never had a man, ye are a vixen,” he groaned, bringing her back to face him.
With a smile that unmanned him, she slipped her arms out of her gown and let it fall to her waist. “Does it bother you?”
“Nothing ye do bothers me, Fiona,” he replied.
Her breathing came in short gasps as he cupped her heavy breasts. “They are more beautiful than I imagined,” he rasped.
The rosy nipples beckoned him, and he took one into his mouth, swirling the tip with his tongue.
“Oh…oh…my.” She shuddered in his arms, grasping his shoulders.
Alastair lifted his head and blew softly on the pert nipple causing it to peak even more.
“The other one,” she demanded softly.
Chuckling softly, he descended to the other breast teasing around the nipple until her pleas to take it all almost had him spilling himself right there on the ground.
“Feels so good,” she murmured against his ear.
“Tastes so sweet, but I do believe your woman’s nectar will be far sweeter.” He trailed kisses along her throat and then yanked her gown down. She instantly wiggled free from the material.
“What now?” she asked lowering her gaze beyond his waist.
His cock strained against the folds of his plaid. However, Alastair refused to release it just yet, making sure she was ready for him. “Ye are a vision, Fiona.” He swept his gaze over her body. As soon as the words left his mouth, a delightful flush covered her body. “Ahh…I have longed to see all the places ye blush.”
“And where might that be?” she asked giving him a wicked smile.
His look turned predatory when he took his finger and stroked the inside of her parted thighs. “Would ye like to know where I want to touch ye next?”
She nodded.
Never taking his eyes off hers, he moved his fingers up to her nest of curls, flicking between the folds. Instantly, her eyes darkened. “I want to take my tongue and taste ye here.” His finger reached her swollen bud and stroked lightly, before pulling it back. “Will ye let me take a taste later?” he asked as her blush deepened.
“Yes. Please don’t stop. Feels…oh my.”
When he slid his fingers back into her womanly folds, her knees started to buckle, and Alastair took her into his arms. Laying her down on the ground, he placed hungry kisses down the side of her neck and over her breasts, lingering over one nipple with his tongue.
“I want more, Alastair,” she demanded, weaving her fingers through his hair again.
His eyes met her
s. “More what, Fiona?”
“Touch me again,” she pleaded.
His lips grazed over the soft spot below her ear. “Where might that be?”
“Dow…down there.”
“With my fingers here?” He trailed one finger along her thigh until he found her swollen bud again.
He watched as she squirmed under his touch, arching her back and jutting her breasts out. His fingers kept teasing and coaxing a release, which was so close.
“I want, oh, Alastair, please…” she pleaded, and her breathing grew labored.
“Let go, leannan, just feel.” He breathed into her ear as his fingers moved in a slow rhythmic circle over her bud. Her screams tore through the air, and she arched against him, calling out his name. Alastair cradled her in his arms, stroking from her back down to her bottom, as shudders racked her body.
After several moments, her flushed face looked up into his and he saw confusion in her gaze. “Do ye fear what happens next?”
“No, yes! I’m anxious. I’ve felt as if my body has flown to the stars and yet…” Her words trailed off in an exasperated sigh.
“I have not entered ye,” interjected Alastair. “Do ye ken how much I desire ye, Fiona?
She cupped the side of his face with her hand. “Does it match my desire for you, Alastair?”
“Fiona.” Bending his head down, he traced the soft fullness of her lips with his tongue. She squirmed against his powerful erection, and his mouth covered hers hungrily, devouring her moans with his own.
When he released her, she stayed his hands and prevented him from undoing his plaid. “My turn.” Slowly, she started unraveling the material and pushing it away from his body. It took all of his concentration not to embarrass himself by spilling forth his seed.
“May I touch you?” Her question was but a whisper.
He nodded and watched as her tiny hand gently took hold of his shaft. She squeezed and played until beads of sweat broke out on his brow.
Her fingers swept down and touched his balls, and instantly he pulled her hand away. “Nae,” he choked out. “Later.”
“Take me, Alastair, now.”
His mouth swooped down to capture hers again as he positioned her under him. Taking his cock in his hand, he gently guided himself to her entrance and stilled. Knowing this was her first time, he tried to hold back, but she arched into him, and he let out a groan.
“Slowly,” he rasped placing his forehead against hers.
Opening her eyes, Fiona took his face in her hands. “It’s torture. I want all of you. I’ve waited so long for this.”
As he inched further into her, she let out a sharp hiss.
“The pain will ease, leannan,” he said softly.
Eyes filled with longing gazed up at him. “Don’t stop.”
He withdrew and slowly entered her again, trying to be patient. “Wrap your legs around me.”
His little vixen complied, and he could no longer hold back, entering fully into her. The lustful beast filled his head and body, and his thrusts became faster. Hearing her groans of pleasure as she matched his rhythm was all it took. He uttered a guttural cry, his release so powerful the ground shook beneath them and her cry of release filling his ears.
Rolling over and taking her with him, Alastair held her against his chest, their hearts beating wildly. Feeling moisture on his chest, he tilted her face up. Her eyes glistened with tears, and fear seized his heart until she gave him the most glorious smile.
“That was amazing,” she beamed. “You are amazing, Alastair.”
When Alastair’s heart lurched again, he instantly realized that he was in deep trouble with Fiona O’Quinlan.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Listen to the wisdom of your heart and the wonders of your mind when true love walks through your door.”
The first stars dusted the evening sky as Fiona lay in Alastair’s arms. A cool breeze drifted over her arms, and she snuggled deeper against him, pulling the plaid around them.
Propping her head on his chest, she noticed one arm covered his eyes. He looked so peaceful, not like the hardened warrior she knew. And his face was not the only place he carried a scar. She had noticed others along his arm and one on his upper thigh. A nasty looking one grazed his right hip, and she realized why this man had been chosen to be a Dragon Knight, defender of the last dragon.
What battles have you seen, Alastair?
He startled her when he asked, “Are ye staring at my body?” He had moved his arm above his forehead and was gazing at her.
It was like drowning when she looked into his eyes, and her heart fluttered. “It is a magnificent body,” she whispered.
His eyes raked boldly over hers. “And I can say the same about yours, leannan.”
He brushed a curl away from her face, bringing her head down to meet his lips. His kiss was surprisingly gentle leaving her mouth yearning for more. Taking his time, he placed feather-like kisses along her eyes, the corners of her mouth, and the soft spot below her ear making her tingle all over.
She moaned, leaning into him as his fingers stroked the side of her breast. “I want you again,” she uttered breathlessly.
“Och, Fiona, should ye not wait? Ye could be a wee bit sore.”
Grazing her teeth along his chin, she reached under his plaid and grasped his rock hard erection.
“Sweet Danu,” he hissed.
“Not waiting,” she murmured and gave him one more squeeze before he rolled her onto her back.
“Well, my bonny vixen, I shall have to teach ye a lesson in the art of teasing.”
Fiona watched as he suckled and played with her breasts. He then trailed kisses and nips along her side and stomach proceeding to inch downwards. Every touch of his lips was a delicious sensation.
Cupping her bottom, he parted her thighs and blew over her curls.
“Wh…what are you doing?” she gasped, trying to regain her breathing as she clutched at the folds of his plaid.
“Did I not tell ye that I wanted to taste your nectar?” The burr of his voice swept like velvet across her skin.
Her lids grew heavy as she watched him descend into her most private area. The first flick of his tongue had her soaring, but the moment his mouth sank into her flesh, she let out a deep growl, throwing her head back.
He was slowly torturing her, as he would stop to lick or nip her most sensitive spot. She tried to find a rhythm, but he held her firm. “Alastair, please…”
His eyes were wild when he caught hers. “Dinnae move. Just feel.”
Descending once more, he teased until stars burst before her eyes as the first wave sent her soaring high above the ground. The second slammed into her with such force that she believed her body exploded with pure ecstasy.
She had no time to recover before he plunged deep inside of her. His beard grazed the side of her cheek as he sought out her lips. Grasping her leg, he swung it around his back and thrust even deeper.
“Do ye ken how good ye feel around my cock?” Alastair whispered against her ear.
Fiona couldn’t respond. With each thrust, he propelled her further over the edge of the abyss, and her body began to vibrate with liquid fire. When she scored his back with her nails, his groan of pleasure sent her over the edge.
Screaming his name, she held on, not wishing to ever return.
****
Darkness enveloped them, but they took their time dressing. A sliver of the crescent moon the only light they needed. He helped with her laces and when the last one was tied, he placed a gentle kiss on her neck.
“Are ye hungry?” he asked, grabbing his boots and pulling them on.
She laughed. “Famished, but we missed our chance to find any berries or to fish.”
Giving her a quick kiss, she could feel his smile. “Ye have not seen what the druids packed.”
“You’ve been holding back, Alastair MacKay.”
“Have I? I believe I did my best to please ye.”
She swallowed. “You know exactly what I mean,” she chided as her body became heated all over again.
He chuckled as he moved away.
Quickly following him, she was curious as to what he had not shown her in previous days. Their meals consisted of only bread, cheese, and berries they’d found along the way. In the evenings, he brought back fish and any mushrooms he could forage.
Merlin popped his head up when he saw them approach, his tail wagging as she went over to scratch his ears. “Have you been keeping a watch out?” The dog licked her hand, giving a low bark in understanding.
“Let’s see what Alastair has been hiding from us. Shall we?”
Merlin rose and stretched, and then proceeded to sit next to her as she waited to see what the dark dragon had in his satchel.
“I have not been hiding anything. There was no need to eat what the druids provided until necessary.”
She didn’t say a word. Instead, she watched as Alastair started a small fire noticing all the physical details about him. When he looked up, all she saw was his smile. A full, beaming smile. It stole the breath from her lungs. His entire face transformed making him appear younger. If she thought him handsome before, she was mesmerized by this new look. And all he did was smile at her.
Her stomach growled.
“Och, and here I thought ye were hungry for me,” he teased.
She blinked and shook her head. “I am hungry.”
“For?” He arched a brow in question.
Why did he always make her flustered and cause her tongue to tie in knots? “Fo…Food,” she stammered, then quickly added, “You, later.”
It was his turn to be shocked as she saw the flash of surprise light his eyes, briefly.
He held out his hand and motioned for her. “Come let us see what the druids have made for us.”
His fingers wrapped around hers, warm and strong. Sitting down next to him, Merlin plopped down on her other side giving a pleading look to Alastair.
“Aye, ye will be sharing a wee bit of the food, too. Here is some dried salmon,” he said as he finished unwrapping the first parcel.
Merlin responded by thumping his tail on the ground.
