Kaitlyn and the Highlander

by Diana Knightley

  He pressed his lips to my breast, just at my heart. “Mo chroí, a chuisle mo chroí.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means you are the beat of my heart.” He rolled to his side and I snuggled into his arms. “I hae made a vow before God, that I am yours. And you are mine. But more, I hae made a vow here,” he took my hand and placed it on his chest.

  I nodded.

  “And now I hae made a vow here.” He brought my hand down to the space between us. “And here.” I giggled when his hand dove between my legs. “I will remind ye of my vow many times a day, mo reul-iuiel.”

  I ran my fingers down the side of his cheek. “I am super glad about your enthusiasm for your vows. This bodes well for a very happy wife.”

  “I hae one more question and I will be done of Master Cook and other cock-full half-men.” He raised up on one elbow and hovered his strong hand over my stomach. “How is it ye haena borne them children?”

  “I'm on birth control.” When he looked at me blankly I explained, “I take a pill, it makes it so I can't get pregnant.”

  “You daena want children?”

  “I do, someday, but we can talk about it, and when we want to I can stop taking the pill. But until then, we can do more of this.” I rubbed my hands down his back and his hand relaxed, the weight of it on my stomach was a comfortable pressing.

  “That would be good. No bairns, until I figure out this trouble with Lady Mairead's husband.”

  “Are we done with the questions?”

  “Aye, you will soon tire of telling me about the world. I will need tae shew ye something, tae ride, or I will train ye tae fight with a dirk or a sword.”

  I grinned at him. “I actually think I'm already in training with your sword.”

  He chuckled. “Mo reul-iuiel, your wit is marvelous.”

  Our bedding was shoved off the bed in all directions. The sheets twisted under us. Pillows tossed about. I loved that we were so new, languishing in bed together, getting to know each other in the darkness of our room.

  He propped his head up on his elbow. And then, because I was curious, I asked, “Did you mean you've only ever had sex up against walls?”

  “When you are young at court without much standing, ye must take what is offered ye.”

  I giggled. “It sounds like you had a great deal of standing.”

  His chuckle vibrated along my side.

  “And I know you're joking, the queen is not going to stand for all that fornicating in the halls.” I raised my brows. “See what I did there, 'stand for it'?”

  “I did. Tis verra funny.”

  “But if you haven't much experience with beds, then you probably haven't really been fully naked with someone?”

  “Nae. Tis much too cold for it in drafty stairwells.”

  I huffed. “I'm totally irritated that James took you to that strip bar.”

  “Why?”

  “Because now in your head you're comparing me to strippers.”

  He shook his head slowly, solemnly. “Put your arms up.”

  I stretched long, raising my arms above my head. Shoving a pillow away.

  He ran his hand all along my body. His fingers trailing up and down and around, lingering on my stomach, traveling to my breasts, tickling and caressing, as if he was memorizing me. Investigating me, exploring, causing me to wriggle and dance under his fingertips.

  It was so electric and slow and thoughtful that I thought I might internally combust.

  Finally he murmured, “Tha thu breagha, mo chroi.”

  My voice was much like a gasp when I asked, “What does that mean?”

  “You are beautiful, luminous. I try tae get my eyes used tae looking at ye, but I fear ye blind me tae everythin' else.”

  “Really?”

  He paused his hand in mid-glide down my body. “Aye, Kaitlyn, tis true. I hae never touched anyone like this. Nae body has ever allowed me tae. I daena think there would be a way tae compare ye.”

  “Oh.” I was losing my ability to think again. His fingers caressed the soft side of my breast, then trailed to the peak and gently pulled, causing me to arch toward his mouth. He nibbled and sucked and then his hand plunged between my legs. He pulled me closer with a triumphant smile. “I want ye again.”

  I giggled. “So soon?”

  “When I touch ye wriggle and move, corrachag-cagail. How can I help myself?” He made to roll on me, but I pushed him to his back and climbed on him, astride, pulled him inside me, and sat down deeply. I rocked and shifted and moved on him. His hands curled around my bottom, lifting me, pushing me closer and pulling me away.

  I pressed my palms to his wide firm chest, and it was long and delicious and slow, I arched back and felt him so deliciously deep, and finally so desperate and intense, looking down at him, with power and control, and then filling with him. I lost my breath, then my mind and my heart, and with a rush I loved him. The feeling raced from my heart and roared down my stomach and warmed me, hot and sweaty, and when I collapsed on him it was a full collapse, leaving me vulnerable and breathless.

  He rolled me over, climbed on, and finished, his mouth on my shoulder, his breathing heavy in my ear, my moans in his, there was no going back, to Kaitlyn alone — I was his.

  He rose up, shook his hair, elbows beside my head. His full body on mine, the delicious weight of him holding me still and down. In my past I always had trouble with my want — wanting closer, more, touch me please, but he was there, here, everywhere, always. “You art a braw wife, mo real-iuiel. I like ye verra much.”

  I wrapped my hands around his, over my head. “I like you too.” He pressed the side of his cheek down to my mouth and I tasted him, salty on my lips. “Maybe later we can add licking to our fun bed romp?”

  He smiled. “I think I would much like that.”

  “Me too, definitely, but alas we'll have to wait for another rest.” I wiggled my hips against his softness.

  “Give me just a wee moment,” he joked.

  He rolled off and offered his arm so I could curl along his body.

  I asked, “When did you know you liked me?”

  He was quiet for a moment. “The first night I saw ye. I will never forget it, twas a full moon and...” He raised his face to look at me with a grin.

  It took me a second to get his meaning. “Oh my god Magnus, did you see me naked?”

  “A fine bonnie lass, in the streaming moonlight, racing, with her buttocks out for the whole world to see.”

  I groaned. “I'm so embarrassed. What did Lady Mairead think?”

  “Ah, she assumed ye were a prostitute, but me, I said tae me'self, there is the sweet, modest girl I am going tae marry.”

  “I'm so embarrassed, and also, what the hell — you married me.” I sat up and held his hand in both of mine, opened his fingers and spread them wide, his palm flat. I brought it to my lips and kissed the warm center. Thick pads, hard callouses, strength and work. When I traced the back of his fingers they folded forward, less curling, more bunching, muscles and sinews, grip and power. I massaged my hands up his arm, measuring and assessing, veins and taut and firm and curved, across his chest, down his stomach, admiring and exploring. “This is all mine? All of you?”

  “Och aye.” The corner of his mouth pulled into a smile. “Though I think I may hae the better of the deal, ye hae better parts.” He reached between my legs causing me to giggle and squirm. “And we can do this anytime we want tae?”

  I nodded. “Oh yeah.”

  His brow drew together. “I had been told twas nae of interest tae most women.”

  I scoffed. “Whoever told you that did not know how to do it right.”

  He chuckled. “Twas my brother.”

  “Probably don't ask him for advice going forward.”

  “I winna. Did I do it a'right?”

  I laid back down beside him, curled on his chest. “Definitely, that writhing and squirming was me wanting you again, all of you. More. And soon as you'
ve rested for a bit. We have all night to practice together at this sport, we can go slow.”

  His chuckle vibrated against my chest. “Much like in the caber toss, I must begin with the smaller trunk first?”

  I giggled. “No, in this sport you should always start with a nice big trunk.”

  He laughed outright. “I hae tae introduce ye tae my Uncle Baldie some day.”

  “Will you take me to Scotland?”

  “I would wish tae, but it may nae be possible. And this first time I must go alone.”

  “When would you?”

  “Soon, I must away afore Lady Mairead.” He kissed me on the neck then swept the blanket away. “And I'm hungry.” He climbed from the bed, found a pair of flannel pajama bottoms in a drawer, tugged them on, and tied the drawstring. “I'll ask Chef Zach tae serve us some cake.”

  “He'll be up in the kitchen?”

  “Nae, but he will be a listenin' for me and up as soon as my door opens.”

  “I'm going to stay here, in bed, with all these awesome pillows.” I stretched out luxuriously. “Will you open the screens a bit so I can see the dunes from bed?”

  He adjusted the screens for me, opened our bedroom door and walked halfway across the living room toward the kitchen, when Zach's voice called from the top of the stairs. “Magnus, did you need something?”

  “Aye, Kaitlyn and I wanted cake.”

  “Sure, give me just a moment.”

  “I'll check with the night watch.” Magnus slid the living room sliding door open and stepped outside to murmur with his security man. Our security man, I supposed. Though why on earth did we have a man on watch all the time? The truth was though, they made the house seem like the safest place on earth.

  Soft sounds came from the kitchen as Zach cut slices of cake, opened the refrigerator, poured something into glasses, and offered to carry them for Magnus, who refused, opting instead for carrying it himself. While I snuggled into our nest bed. The AC was cranking. The comforter was perfectly warm. The pillows were perfect. And I had gotten married, just hours ago, had made love twice, and really, deeply fallen for my husband, and hadn't slept at all last night, so all of this night-time-ness was lulling me to sleep. My eyes grew heavy and my mind drifted away.

  Magnus placed the tray, with a giant slice of cake, two forks, and some champagne, on the nightstand. He whispered, “Kaitlyn, are ye hungry?”

  I whispered back, “Sleepy.”

  “I will see ye in the morn.”

  The last thing I remembered as I fell asleep was Magnus sliding into bed beside me, fluffing a pillow to prop himself, and bringing the plate to his lap.

  Thirty-three

  It was still night when I woke, or early, early morning, and storming outside, loud, and booming. Lightning streaked across the sky. The light was grey, the wind tore across the dunes, the sea grass whipped and bent in the gusts. It was spectacular to have that much weather outside and be safe and secure inside.

  I squiggled over to Magnus, who was flat on his stomach, and snuggled against his back. I kissed his shoulder and stroked down his side. He didn't move. I rubbed up and down along his side, and then because he wouldn't wake up, coughed to see if I could jar him awake and pretend like I hadn't.

  It was sort of lonely to be in his bed without him talking to me. And it had been a few hours, plus our wedding night.

  I whispered, “Magnus? Magnus wake up?” He remained immobile. “Magnus?” I sat up and shook his shoulder, and finally, shoved him to his back, lifeless.

  Blood rushed to my head and I went from sleep to full panic in a second. “Magnus, oh my god, Magnus?” I put my ear to his chest, his lungs. “Magnus?” Two fingers on his neck. I pressed and waited. There was a heartbeat, light, shallow breaths. “Magnus!?” Completely unresponsive.

  I jumped from the bed, raced to the dresser, and dug through drawers for a pair of boxers and a T-shirt. “Magnus, Magnus wake up?” I yanked the clothes on. “Magnus, you're scaring me, get up, okay?”

  I raced for the sliding door, yanked it open, and stepped on the porch. The security guard was in a chair at the other end, and I couldn't remember which one it was. “Hey, I need help, Magnus is...” His head lolled forward on his chest, “Hey! Hey! Help.” A lightning bolt streaked across the sky directly for the beach in front of the house, I pulled into the room, slammed the door shut, and raced for the living room. “Zach! Zach! Emma!” I climbed the stairs two at a time to the second floor and banged on the door of Zach and Emma's room.

  There was no sound from inside, so I shoved the door open. They were both in bed, television flickering, volume completely down, not moving, not responding. “Oh no, oh no, oh no.” I raced down the hall past the nurse's room, she had gone to her own home to sleep. Lady Mairead's door was locked. I banged, to no avail.

  I raced back down the stairs to our room and climbed on the bed. “Please wake up Magnus, please, wake up. You're scaring me.” I shook him and then rubbed the side of his face. “Magnus, everyone is asleep. No one will wake up. Magnus help me. I don't know what to do.” Should I call 911? What would they do, would they wake everyone up? Somehow? Could I google how to wake up a whole household of unnaturally sleeping people?

  “Magnus? Please?” I massaged down his arms to his fingers and then his calves to his feet, not even an extra breath or a moan or anything like waking. What had happened? My eyes swept the room. The cake. There were two crumbs on the plate, the rest, eaten. The glasses of... I sniffed a glass. Champagne, were mostly finished.

  I returned to the porch. The wind whipped my hair, grabbed at my clothes. I bent into the wind to make it to the security guard's position, finally remembering his name was Jim — something. “Jim! Jim!” He had a plate with a half-eaten slice of cake under his seat. He also had no roof over his head and rain was headed up the walkway. Jim was a lunk of a man, there was no way I was moving him, dragging him inside.

  I spun taking in the deck. At the far end was a table with a standing umbrella. The wind gusted so hard it almost knocked me from my feet. I grabbed the umbrella, pulled it from the table, struggled keeping it from ripping free of my hands, and carried it racing to the security guard's chair. I shoved the umbrella stick into the slats between Jim's side and the chair and angled it toward the storm. Then I struggled mightily to open it against the wind. “Jim! Jim! Wake up you mother fucker, wake up!!” He was the worst freaking security guard in the world. What the hell was going on? The umbrella was open and it was not a good plan. What if the umbrella attracted lightning?

  As if to scare me further, lightning raced across the sky and struck a bush in the dunes between my walkway and the neighbor's. Crap. But, there was nothing I could do. Jim was an easy two hundred and forty pounds of dead weight.

  I needed someone to help.

  I raced back up the stairs to Zach's room. “Zach wake up. Wake up.” Emma's side of the bed had a plate on it, with a couple of cake crumbs. But Zach's was empty — maybe they shared, maybe he only had a bite — “Zach?” I stood over him and shook his shoulder, then I shook it harder. “Zach!”

  He mumbled something.

  “Zach!” I yelled into his ear. His eyes fluttered open but then closed again. “Zach I need your help, something is wrong with Emma and Magnus, please, help me.” His eyes fluttered open.

  “Katie?” Then they closed again and he was back dead to the world.

  “Did you eat cake? Zach?” His eyes opened briefly and he looked around then closed them again. I raced into their bathroom, grabbed a cup near their toothbrushes, and filled it with water from the sink.

  I brought it to Zach, tried to rouse him to drink, and then in a panic just threw the whole thing in his face.

  He spluttered. “Jeez Katie, what was—”

  I was probably terrifying. My hair and eyes wild, the color drained from my face. “Something happened. I think something was in the cake. Oh my god, Zach, something is wrong with Magnus, he won't wake up, Emma won't wake up.”<
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  He turned confused to Emma and shook her shoulder. “Emma, baby? You okay?” He sat up, groggily, rubbed his eyes, and looked around. Then back at Emma. “Baby, wake up?” He looked at me, his eyes unfocused and his mind still confused. “What happened?”

  I burst into tears.

  “Zach help me. I don't know what to do.”

  He swung his legs off the bed with a groan then dropped his head into his hands. “Tell me again?”

  “The cake. The cake, something was in — I need to go back downstairs, something might be really wrong, Magnus isn't — stay here and try to wake Emma.”

  I raced to our room, dove onto the bed, and began shaking Magnus's shoulder again. “Magnus!” This time his breathing changed. He shifted. “Magnus!” I kept shaking and massaging and cajoling him to wake up. Pleading with him to please. Slowly, seeing more and more movement.

  Zach appeared. Wobbly and dazed. “Did he wake yet? Emma is coming around.”

  I was on my knees on the bed beside Magnus clutching his hand in mine pleading for him to please wake up. I said, “The security guard is asleep too—”

  “Jim is fucking asleep, are you kidding me?”

  I massaged and shook Magnus's shoulder, his eyes were fluttering.

  I asked, “Have you checked on Lady Mairead?”

  “She's not down here? What the fuck is going on?”

  The sliding door opened and Jim, sopping wet, staggered in. “Is everyone okay? Something knocked me out hard, there's a storm, and an umbrella was stuck to my chair.”

  Zach said, “Jim the whole house has been knocked out, Magnus is still, I'm going back to Emma.” Jim rushed behind him up the stairs.

  Magnus's fingers wiggled in my hand. I knelt over him. “Magnus, please wake up, I need you to stop sleeping, because you're really scaring me.”

  A few minutes later Jim returned. “How is he? Emma is awake, groggy but awake.”

  “He's not waking, not yet.”