By the time Gyllis recovered her senses, Sean had pulled her shift down over her knees. He stood and grinned. “Was it good for you lass?”
“Good?” she asked. “There are no words…”
“I ken.” He grinned—the devilish one that made her heart leap.
When Gyllis’s gaze slid down to his erection, Sean almost lost his seed. Her face was so seductive, yet innocent. Her wide-eyes made him want to roar like a lion, climb between her legs and make his conquest. But Gyllis was no alehouse tart who could warm his bed at night and be forgotten by morning.
Though it did unholy things to him to have her watch him, he would be no kind of knight if he took advantage.
Her lips parted almost as if she were planning to place her mouth on him. Sean’s knees buckled.
“But you are not satisfied?” she asked, her voice filled with wonder.
He cleared his throat so as not to expose his lust. “I cannot take your innocence, lass.”
“I do not understand.” She crossed her arms over her breasts, shielding them from him. “I give you my maidenhead. There is no other man on earth I wish to possess it.”
’Twas a bold statement, even coming from Gyllis. “’Tis a gift I cannot take lightly.”
“I do not give it lightly.”
His mouth dried as if he’d been a week without water. “Do you ken what you’re saying?”
“Aye.” Her gaze drifted to his manhood again, then she did something completely unexpected. Without his bidding, she wrapped her lithe fingers around his shaft. “Show me.”
God save him, no mortal man could resist the tug of her hand. He threw back his head and leaned his hips into her. “You will drive me to the brink of madness.”
She had the gall to chuckle. “Like you did me?” She smoothed her fingers down and then back up. Where on earth did she learn to do that? “Come, I’m not completely unwise. I’ve seen a guard hidden in the shadows with a serving maid. Please, Sean. Show me.”
He couldn’t think with her hand milking his cock. With a feral growl, he nudged her deeper onto the bed and climbed between her legs.
She cupped his face in her hands. “Who were you sparring with?”
“My inner demons.”
“I’ve never seen a more beautiful sight.”
Sean chuckled. “You are the beautiful one, lass, and I’ll nay let you forget it.” He slid his member up the crux of her legs, allowing her moisture to spread over him. She shuddered. He lowered his head and kissed her. “Can you taste yourself on my lips? ’Tis the scent that attracts me every time I’m within arm’s reach of you.”
“You are a lusty laddie, are you not?” She rocked her hips beneath him, mewling softly. “Show me how lusty you are.”
Her hips arched up and caught the tip of his cock. Sean held his breath. Hot moisture brimmed around him. God, he could come right now, but he wanted to make this good for her. Show her exactly what she’d been missing all these years. “I’ll try to be gentle.”
She nodded, her hips continuing their seductive rhythm. Christ, he was supposed to be the one seducing Gyllis, but without a lick of schooling she’d proven an expert. Slowly, he pushed inside. She sucked in a shocked gasp.
Sean froze. “Am I hurting you?” He started to pull away. “If you want to stop…”
Her fingers clamped into his buttocks. “No.” With a firm tug, she urged him deeper. God, he loved this woman. Gradually he slid the length of her, and when he reached a wall he gazed into her sultry eyes. Even in the dim light he could see the moss encircled by dark blue. “Are you all right?”
She wriggled beneath him. “Heavenly.”
“Once I start, I’ll not be able to stop myself.”
“There’s more?”
“Aye lass.”
Her fingers again dug into his buttocks. “I want to experience it all.”
Sean tried to be gentle at first, but with Gyllis’s hands kneading his backside, he soon lost all sense. Her breathing sped. Her scent ensnared him. Stars flashed across his vision and his ballocks packed so taut, he thought he’d go mad before he released his seed.
Faster and faster he thrust. Gyllis cried out, holding on to him for dear life. And now that she’d reached her peak, he was free to drive hard and fast. His breathing sped, his heart hammered, and all at once the peak of ecstasy flooded through his blood. A heartbeat before his seed released, he pulled out and spilled into the bedclothes.
He hated the unsatisfactory finish to his release, but he would not sire a bastard, even though he fully intended to make Gyllis his wife. He had not yet proposed—something he’d need to do soon.
He held himself over her with his elbow, careful not to crush her. God, she defined beauty, her intoxicating green eyes staring up at him as if they were the only two people in Scotland. He trailed kisses down her neck. “Was it good for you, lass?”
A wee giggle tickled his ear. “Aye. I cannot believe how good.”
“You are the world to me.” Breathing deeply to catch his breath, he rolled to his back and pulled Gyllis atop him. “You ken I love you, always will.”
She rested her head on his chest. “I love you, too. ’Tis as if God intended for our souls to be joined.”
He ran his fingers through her hair and cherished the silkiness of it. The woman in his arms filled his nostrils with fragrance from heaven. Even a bed of rose petals would not smell as sweet. He could lay there all night with Gyllis entwined in his embrace. And he fully intended to lose himself in her wiles until the sun rose on the morrow.
A HIGHLAND KNIGHT TO REMEMBER
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
A ray of light streamed in from the window. The rain had stopped. Sean blinked several times in succession and rubbed his eyes. Gyllis slept cradled in the crook of his arm, her long tresses spread across his bare chest. Her breathing rhythmic, she was as radiant as an angel. Dipping his chin, he nuzzled into her hair and inhaled. Mm. As sweet as a meadow of wildflowers, he could breathe her in for an eternity.
Last night she’d taken him soaring to the moon. He almost regretted the sun had decided to make an appearance this day. He wasn’t one to laze about, but spending an entire day making love to Gyllis tempted him.
The crutches sprawled on the floor caught his eye and his stomach twisted. She was yet to complete her treatment at the priory. He closed his eyes tightly. Dear God in heaven, please do not let me be the cause of any setback.
She moaned and moved in his arms. A more beautiful creature could not exist. In slumber she embodied the meadow nymph dreaming in the morning’s sun. Mahogany tresses tangled around them both, her dark lashes shuttering those eyes he adored. Her lips slightly parted and she sighed. If only he could be there with her in such a soothing dream.
Sean hadn’t intended to take advantage of her. It had happened. She’d been right when she said their souls were meant to be together. He knew that now, but he couldn’t stand in the way of the progress she was making toward recovery. And then he had his uncle’s wedding hanging over his head. Though Lorn had the king’s approval, the neighboring clans would not be happy, especially the Campbells of Argyll. Gyllis’s sect, the Campbells of Glenorchy paid fealty to Argyll. Relations could become strained, even between Sean and Duncan. He hated feuds.
He’d need to wait until news of the wedding had passed, especially since he would be the one providing protection for the Lord of Lorn.
Gyllis cleared her throat and stirred.
Sean grinned. “Good morrow, my love.”
She rose up on her elbow and covered her mouth with a dainty hand. “Blessed be the stars. Last eve was real?”
He brushed away a lock of hair covering her eye. “Aye.” Kissing her forehead, he inhaled. In an instant he was hard again. “Every passionate moment was real, mo leannan.”
Snuggling into him, she slid her hand across his chest. He moaned with the tingling her deft fingers brought. “I wish we could remain in this bed forever. I cannot r
emember ever being so happy.”
“Aye, but time will nay stand still. I promised your brother I’d return you to Ardchattan before compline last eve.”
“Surely he will understand,” she said with a wee yawn. “No one could have traveled in that torrential rain.”
Sean twirled strands of her hair around his finger. No matter how much he wanted to lie abed with Gyllis in his arms, he needed to return her to the priory quickly. The weather had been a good excuse to have her spend the night at Dunollie, but to keep her after the weather cleared would be unacceptable. It could lead to the lass’s ruination. As it was, if word of their indiscretion were to become known, Duncan Campbell would be after Sean’s head. “We must make haste to return else there could be a scandal—even if everyone believes you slept in the lady’s chamber. One night due to the weather might be permissible, but if we delay, a scandal will erupt for certain.”
She flopped onto her back. “Ugh. I’ve been imprisoned in that tiny cell for so long, I’d forgotten how wonderful things could be outside.”
“Aye, though you have come so far, you must continue your treatment. Why, you’re so strong, I wouldn’t be surprised to see you make a full recovery.”
She clapped her hands over her face. “I’d be too embarrassed to have anyone other than you see me.”
“Why? You are beautiful.”
“I am a cripple. For some reason, you have chosen to see beyond that, but in society I will be seen as a monster.”
“I don’t think anyone could believe that.”
She chuckled. “Sometimes I wonder if you are not blind. You’ve been to the fetes, people treat cripples like lepers.”
Sean clenched his jaw. “If anyone dare taunt you, they’d have to answer to me.”
She rolled to her side and again draped her arm across his chest. “If only I could stay in this bed forever. Then every night you would return, and one day the witch who cursed me with this illness would be satisfied with my unbounded dedication to you and cure me.”
“You read too many fantastical tales.” He lifted her chin and kissed her lips. “I shall take you back to Ardchattan. I have a duty to perform for my uncle. After things have settled, I will gain an audience with your brother and ask for your hand.”
Gyllis didn’t seem to pay attention to the duty part, for her face beamed. “Do you mean that, Sean? I will become the lady of your keep?”
“I can think of no other woman more perfect for the role.”
The passion in her kiss nearly kept them abed for another hour.
***
Sean helped Gyllis dismount. She loved how easily he could lift her. He showed no strain in his face and only set her down when Angus came up with the crutches. He rapped the big knocker on the priory door.
The knocker was so loud up close, Gyllis touched a hand to her ear. “I hope John isn’t angry.”
“I cannot see how he could be. Now, if we’d had Noah’s ark last eve, we might have made it back.
She inclined her lips toward his ear and whispered. “I’m glad we didn’t.”
He winked. “Me as well.”
A monk slid aside the viewing panel. “Miss Gyllis? We were about to send a search party.”
“The burn flooded. There was no way to ferry her back safely,” Sean said.
The monk frowned and ushered Gyllis behind him. “We will see to her safety from here.” Before Sean could say a word, the monk closed the door.
“Pardon me, but that was rather abrupt.” Sean’s voice resounded through the door. “I haven’t even said goodbye.”
The monk slid the panel open. “She bids you good day.”
“I shall see you again soon, Miss Gyllis,” Sean called past the pushy old monk.
“Thank you for your kindness, Sir Sean.”
Gyllis gave the monk a heated look, just to let him know she didn’t appreciate his impertinence. Yes, she had been away longer than Sean had promised, but for good reason. She turned and proceeded through the cloisters. She wouldn’t allow the monk’s sourpuss attitude to diminish her good spirits. She had a semblance of a spring in her step—at least as much as the crutches would allow. Strength radiated through her limbs and she nearly cast the supports aside. Her breast filled with joy, she could not believe her fortune. Last May, she’d gone to the fete seeking to impress Sean MacDougall and had returned home dejected, downtrodden and ill. Only after she’d suffered through the worst of paralysis, had he come to her like a gallant knight and wooed her. Ravished her. And she’d savored every moment in his arms.
Nothing could make Gyllis give up now. She would focus on her treatments more diligently than ever before. Soon she would be walking without assistance. The next time Sean visited Ardchattan, she would be stronger. Every time he would come, she would surprise him with her improvement.
Gyllis leaned on her crutches and opened the door to her cell.
Her smile instantly dropped.
Dressed in black priest’s robes as customary, John faced her, crossed his arms and frowned. It wasn’t his usual frown. His eyes grew dark—almost hateful. “Where the devil have you been for the past day?”
Gyllis’s first thought was to cower—beg for forgiveness. Her face burned, but she straightened, refusing to allow her brother to intimidate her. “The burn flooded. It was impossible to return.”
He stepped closer. “Where did you stay the night?”
“Sir Sean graciously provided me with a chamber at Dunollie.”
“Gracious?” John spread his palms to his sides. “You forget I am quite familiar with Sean MacDougall and his gallant womanizing.”
A lump the size of her fist blocked Gyllis’s throat. Heat prickled her skin. Did John speak true? Were Sean’s actions a ruse to take advantage of a cripple?
No. I will not believe it.
“If he laid a hand on you, the Campbells will not rest until he is brought to justice.”
“Nay.” She clapped a hand to her chest, trying not to heave. In no way could she be the cause of a clan feud. “You are stretching the truth.”
“Me? Lie?” John threw up his hands and paced in a circle. “He has compromised you, has he not?”
Trembling, Gyllis clamped her lips and refused to answer. Sean would ask Duncan for her hand. It had been she who had gone to his chamber, not the other way around. If she hadn’t heard him practicing and grown curious, her virtue would still be intact. She glared at her brother as hotly as he glared at her.
John grasped her shoulders and shook, his eyes bulging. “I can tell by your reluctance to speak.”
“Please, John. Stop.” She stamped her foot. “We are to be married.”
“MacDougall?” he yelled. “The man’s a superb tracker, but he’s aligned with the Stewarts. You cannot be serious.”
She tightened her grip on her crutches. “I love him.”
“You stupid lass.” He shoved his hand over the shaven part of his head. “You will spend the rest of this day repenting in your cell. At first light on the morrow, the monks will take you back to Kilchurn.”
“No, please.” The crutches tapped the floor as she pattered toward him. “I have only started to respond to Brother Wesley’s treatment.”
He glared with a disdainful scowl. “Your treatment has ended. ’Tis time you return home.”
“Will you…?” She couldn’t say it, but she knew full well John had the power to ruin her.
He stopped pacing. “I shall pen a missive to Duncan and you’d best pray my ire cools before I touch my quill.” He stormed past her and slammed the door.
As her crutches dropped, Gyllis staggered to the bed and dropped face down. Just when she thought her luck had changed, everything came crashing down and crumbled at her feet.
***
Silently, Gyllis rode with an escort of guards and monks. John hadn’t joined them, nor had he seen her off. Brother Wesley hadn’t come to say goodbye either. She felt filthy like a fallen woman—a leper who was
too diseased even to be tended by the faithful.
Her own brother had cast her from his priory. What treatment could she expect from her family? Will they lock me in my chamber? Will they fear me? And what rueful words did John impart in his missive to Duncan?
When the grey stone curtain walls of Kilchurn Castle loomed ahead, Gyllis’s stomach clenched into a tight ball. Upon the battlements, the ram’s horn sounded, indicating the Campbell guard had seen them. Mother, Duncan—everyone would now know they were approaching. Dear Lord, please make everything all right.
The gate was open and the retinue rode straight through the barbican and into the courtyard. The reins slid in Gyllis’s sweaty fingers. From the keep’s great doorway, Duncan, Lady Meg, Mother and her sisters all stared at her. Was that fear Gyllis read on their wide-eyed visages?
The lead guard dismounted, drew a missive from his doublet and handed it to Duncan. “This is for you from the prior, m’lord.”
Gyllis nearly fell off her horse. If only she could have read its contents first, she’d at least know what to expect. Would Duncan take the strap to her? He was fully within his rights if he chose to do so.
When Duncan slipped the missive into his doublet, she breathed a sigh of relief. She would have died if he’d stood in the courtyard and read it aloud as if it were a proclamation.
Mother pushed past him, followed by the lassies. “Praise the good Lord, Gyllis has returned to us.”
Mevan, Mother’s most trusted man-at-arms stepped beside her mount and reached up. “Welcome home, Miss Gyllis. Can I assist you?”
“My thanks.” She hesitated and searched for the monk bearing her crutches. When she saw he’d already dismounted, she braced her hands on Mevan’s shoulders and let the old guard help her down. “How is your wife?” she tried to make conversation as if her world weren’t falling apart.
“She is well, thank you.”
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