She shivered at the tempting thought.
“You grow cold, time to get dried and”—his dark eyes twinkled with mischief—“unfortunately clothe ourselves.”
She agreed, though silently, that it was unfortunate and reluctantly walked with him out of the warm water. With her thoughts where they shouldn’t be, she didn’t pay attention, and as soon as her wet foot connected with a smooth, though wet and slippery stone, she found her feet going out from under her, her hand grabbing for Duncan, and he grabbing her forcefully around the waist, twisting them and taking the full brunt of the fall.
She came down hard on top of him, her breath rushing out of her and her senses shocked. It took a shake of her head and a deep breath to regain her wits and hear the groan.
“Duncan!” she cried and looked down to see him grimacing and groaning. “Where are you hurt?”
“Why? Will you kiss it and make it all better?”
“You tease so you must be all right,” she said with a smile.
“Anytime that you’re lying on top of me, I’m more than all right.”
She laughed. “You are wicked.”
“As wicked as you want me to be,” he whispered in her ear and then stole a quick kiss.
A rush of tingles ran through her and she couldn’t stop her body from shivering.
“Hmmm, now I’m wondering if perhaps it isn’t the cold that disturbs you, but rather the heat.” His teasing eyes suddenly sparked with desire.
“It is,” she admitted freely. “You know that I want you. I have not denied that.”
“Which makes our present position even more difficult.”
She felt him then, rise against her naked flesh and damn if the size of him snuggling its way between her legs didn’t feel good and didn’t make her want to surrender.
He faintly brushed his lips over hers then said, “As much as I would love to dive deep inside you and pleasure you beyond reason, there simply isn’t time.”
As if on cue, Bliss called out, “Are you done?”
They scrambled off each other.
“A moment, please,” Mercy called out. “We’re almost finished.”
They both dressed with haste, and while Mercy had longed for clean garments, the sweet-smelling clothes were lost to her as her mind remained occupied with thoughts of Duncan. And continued to do so even after Bliss entered and began stitching the garments closed around the chains.
Food, clothes, shelter, nothing seemed to matter to her at the moment except Duncan. Her body refused to relinquish the thought of making love with him. The tingles in her body would not subside and she worried that they never would, at least not until her body was satisfied, not until Duncan and she made love.
And that day was coming soon…very soon.
Chapter 17
Duncan and Mercy set out early the next morning with a sack full of food, fresh clean clothes on their backs and confident that the remainder of their journey would be relatively safe.
Bliss had made it known that the king’s soldiers were not welcome on Pict land and mostly avoided it. Those who dared venture into Pict territory rarely made it out. She, therefore, advised that they had little to worry about, that is, until their feet left Pict soil.
Duncan was well aware that before reaching home there was a small area of land where the King’s men could very well be lying in wait. He and his brothers had already scuffled with the king’s men there and a scuffle it was, since the four of them sent the small contingent home licking their wounds.
However, the king knew that time drew near for the true king to surface and claim the throne. He wasn’t taking any chances. He had his soldiers out in full force scouring the land for the man who could possibly take the throne from him.
“Your brow draws together,” Mercy said. “Something concerns you.”
Duncan shared his unease. “Once off Pict land there’s a possibility we may run into the king’s men.”
“Then we’ll need to be alert and cautious.”
“The terrain can be troublesome if unfamiliar with it,” he said.
“Then we have an advantage, since I assume you are familiar with the land.”
Duncan nodded.
“Then it’s less of a concern than you think,” she encouraged. “And besides, your warriors could be lying in wait as well.”
“We do have sentinels in the area.”
“Then we have no worries,” she assured him.
He smiled and locked his fingers with hers. “At the moment not a one, we are free to enjoy the next few days.”
“That will be nice,” she said.
He agreed, though silently. Their time together had been one of survival and while it remained that way, for the moment they didn’t need to worry about it. No thought of soldiers sneaking up on them. They would be undisturbed, uninterrupted and the thought brought a grin to his face.
“Now you’re happy,” she said with a smile of her own.
“I am, since presently we have no cares.”
They both grew silent, each lost in their own thoughts and concerns, though their hands remained firmly entwined. And he intended to see that they remained that way. Perhaps that was why he always reached out and took her hand. Even though the shackles kept them together, it was that moment when her fingers wrapped around his and held tight that their shackles were of their own doing.
He would never stop taking hold of her hand and he hoped she felt the same. He thought she did, since she didn’t wait for him to only claim her hand, she claimed his and often. Her hand felt good in his and though it was petite and could appear lost in his massive one, it didn’t. It was a perfect fit.
That perfect fit seemed to apply to every part of them. Whether sleeping side by side, naked together or snuggling in the smallest of shelters, their fit had been flawless.
A crack of distant thunder interrupted his musings and he saw that dark clouds lay in the distance.
“A storm brews,” he said.
“We have time yet,” she observed. “If we hasten our steps we could cover more distance before we’re forced to seek shelter.”
Duncan nodded in agreement and they picked up their pace, hurrying along.
The thunder grew, though no rain fell and it wasn’t until dark clouds thickened heavily in the sky that Duncan and Mercy finally surrendered and took shelter in a small abandoned cottage Bliss had told them about.
After leaving their bundle inside they hurriedly gathered enough wood to build a fire in the cold fireplace. The first fat raindrop fell on Duncan’s shoulder just as he entered behind Mercy.
Rain fell in torrents and wind whipped around the cottage, shaking the closed shutters, but inside a fire burned brightly in the fireplace and food was spread out on the blanket before it.
“You will like my brothers,” Duncan said as they ate.
“Tell me about them.”
“Reeve is twenty and six years, a year younger than me and a warrior beyond compare. Lean and tall, many mistakenly believe his slender build makes him weak, but he is stronger than me, than any of us. I’ve seen him defeat four men on his own without a bead of sweat marring his flesh. His warrior skills are his greatest assets and he much admires courage. He will like you.”
“And the others?”
“Bryce lets his actions speak for him, and Trey”—Duncan paused and shook his head—“Trey is hard to define. It’s best if you judge him and the others for yourself, though I should warn you about my mother, Mara.”
“Why so?”
“She can take a person by storm,” Duncan said with a grin. “She speaks her mind when and where she pleases and her barbs, though meant humorously, can often sting.”
“She sounds interesting.”
“That she is,” Duncan said with a laugh.
“And your father?”
“He’s a quiet man, though speaks his mind when he feels it necessary.”
“You admire him, don’t you?” she asked.<
br />
“Very much,” Duncan admitted. “But what of your father?”
Mercy remained silent for a moment and then responded, though reluctantly. “I didn’t see much of my father. Tell me more about your home. It sounds wonderful.”
It was obvious she had no desire to speak of her father or mother and so he did as she asked and regaled her with stories about his family.
By the time they retired for the night the storm had subsided, the pounding rain turning into a gentle tap against the cottage and the wind dying to a whisper.
“You wish a large family of your own?” Mercy asked as Duncan covered them with a soft wool blanket before lying beside her.
“Aye, I do,” Duncan said. “I couldn’t imagine growing up without my brothers. When first we met, we knew we were family, even though different blood coursed through us. It was as though we had always known each other, similar to when you and I first met.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, her brow furrowing.
Duncan ran his finger gently along the ridges on her brow. “We’ve worked well together from the beginning. And to do that there had to be a degree of trust, which usually is only given to someone you’re familiar with. Therefore, we were familiar with each other from the start. Don’t tell me you didn’t feel the same yourself?”
She hesitated only a moment. “You’re right. I would have never jumped off the cliff if I hadn’t believed in you.”
Duncan felt the recognizable catch to his gut. She had a way of doing that to him, stabbing at him, making him feel things foreign and yet somehow familiar. He had spent so much time on seeing that the mission succeeded that he had ignored his own wants and needs. He had told himself that there would be time for that later.
Then Mercy entered his life and later suddenly became now.
He soothed her brow until the ridges were no more. “See, you and I were meant to be right from the very beginning.”
“How can you be so sure?” she asked with an ache that tore at his heart.
“Because,” he said, brushing his lips over hers, “you believe in me and that takes trust and trust is the foundation that binds.”
She shook the chain that joined them. “This also binds, but for a time only.”
“But this,” he said and kissed her with an intensity that quickly stirred their passion, “binds forever.”
“Not so,” she whispered breathlessly.
“Aye, it does,” he insisted and kissed her again. This time his tongue slipped in to mate with hers in a familiar rhythm as old as time.
She tasted luscious and he couldn’t quite get enough of her. While he tasted, his hand drifted beneath her blouse and settled over her full breast that fit perfectly in his hand. Her hardened nipple poked his palm and he was quick to tease it with his fingers.
She groaned in his mouth and her body arched, as if pleading for more and he wanted to give her what she wanted. He lifted her blouse slowly, giving her time to object if she wished. But she didn’t and when finally her beautiful breast lay exposed, she shivered.
She needed heat and he intended to give her not only what she wanted, but what she needed. He lowered his mouth to her nipples and with the first lick of his tongue across the hardened nub she groaned and dug her fingers into his scalp.
He didn’t stop. He knew she didn’t want him to and he didn’t want to. He feasted on the rosy orb enjoying it as the special treat it was and lingering in its addictive sweetness.
Her continued assault on his scalp aroused him even more since it felt as if she urged him not to stop and he had no intentions of stopping. They were alone with no threat of discovery and it seemed only natural that they finally consummate what was inevitable…their union.
His hand loosened the band of her skirt and eased it down far enough for his foot to grasp hold of and push it away. Then his hand explored traveling over her flat stomach and slipping discreetly between her legs.
When his fingers found her wet warmth he almost lost his patience. Knowing that she grew wet so easily for him had his own passion surging strong, but he had to remember her innocence.
It was all new to her and he didn’t want this plunge to be like her plunge into the cold water. He wanted it filled with warmth and gentleness and memories that would forever haunt her mind and make her want more.
His fingers teased her gently before even attempting to penetrate her, though she seemed eager, arching against his hand, as if taking command, as if forcing more from him.
He wrapped his leg over hers to still her some and then he moved to claim her mouth once again. After a kiss that left her chest heaving, he asked, “Tell me this is what you want. Tell me you have no doubt. Tell me this is meant to be between us.”
Her dark blue eyes sparkled like the finest sapphire as she said, “Must you ask? Can’t you feel how much I want you?”
“I won’t take unless you give freely, willingly, lovingly,” he said. “It is yours and yours alone to give. The choice must be yours, but know when it is made that you belong to me and I belong to you. I’ll have it no other way.”
She hesitated, her blue eyes dimming and he decided then, at that moment, he would not let her escape him, not let her fear prevent her from finding pleasure and love.
His thumb moved to massage the nub between her legs and her eyes turned bright and her breath caught.
“A taste of what awaits you, though I much prefer my tongue in place of my finger.”
She gasped and shook her head. “I can’t think.”
“I don’t want you to,” he whispered. “I want you simply to enjoy.”
She shook her head.
“I’ll stop, if that is what you want,” he said and slowly drew his hand away.
“No,” she protested, grasping hold of his arm. “It’s just that—” She stopped as if unable to go on.
He kissed her slowly and let his finger drift over her nub once again, though faintly, a reminder of the pleasure that awaited her.
“What stops you?” he asked softly. “We are here alone with no fear of intrusion. It’s our time. Surrender.”
It disturbed him that there was a touch of sadness in her eyes. Why would she feel sadness when there was only pleasure to be had? He didn’t know, but he did know that he wanted to wipe all her sadness away. He wanted her to see how it could always be between them.
He tenderly kissed her cheek and whispered, “We are meant to be, that’s all that matters.”
He caught a flash of joy in her lovely eyes and he hated when it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. But then if it appeared once, though only briefly, he could make it appear again and again until finally it remained.
He looked in her eyes and whispered, “Let me love you.”
Her breath caught and joy shined once again in her blue eyes, and for a moment longer than before. His manhood not only swelled, but so did his heart. Damn, but she had worked her way inside him and had taken command of every part of him.
Damn, but he loved this mighty, petite woman like he never imagined possible.
He brushed his lips across hers, then said, “And love me in return.”
She cupped his face in her hands. “Always and forever.”
His heart swelled near to bursting as did his manhood. But forget them both, for it was her eyes that affected him more deeply than anything. There was a sustainable joy in her lovely blue eyes that made him realize that she loved him. She actually loved him and nothing could make him feel so wonderfully alive.
“I’m going to make love to you all night,” he said.
“We’ll be too tired to travel in the morning,” she said with a hint of a giggle.
“Then we’ll spend another day here or, no maybe three.”
“As long as I have this night with you, nothing else matters,” she said and kissed him.
That was all he needed. His mouth joined hers and the night began.
Chapter 18
Mercy surrendered eve
rything, her heart, her mind and her passion. Remembering her mother’s warnings about never surrendering completely to a man had caused her to hesitate. Had caused her to question whether intimacy with this man would be a wise choice. Then Duncan had said the unexpected.
Let me love you.
Not “let me make love to you”, but “let me love you”, and that had made all the difference, for she had heard the truth of his words and saw it in his eyes. Whether it was only once, or God willing longer—please, please let it be forever—then she would surrender and love him as he loved her.
His mouth settled over her nipple and heat rippled over her body. He didn’t stop there. His lips traveled over every inch of her, tasting and teasing and making her ache for more.
His hands explored her heated flesh along with his lips. There wasn’t a part of her he didn’t touch or taste or come to know. She tried to do the same to him, but he had murmured, “Another time. This time is for you.”
He was so unselfish and so giving that she knew this was a very special man she had found and she never wanted to let him go.
He captured her mouth in a soul-wrenching kiss as he rose over her and gently nudged her legs further apart.
“Tell me, if at any time, you want me to stop,” he whispered.
“I don’t want you to stop,” she urged.
He smiled. “You might.”
“Never,” she insisted.
“I like the thought that we’d never stop loving.”
Her stomach fluttered and she was overwhelmed with the need for him.
“Then love me,” she whispered and wrapped her arms around him and urged him down on top of her.
She was amazed of how smoothly he slid into her and how wonderful he felt deep inside her. And when he moved, she sighed with pleasure. Her body seemed to instinctively know what to do and she let it take the reins. She simply flowed with the rhythm and soared with the passion that surged through her.
She heard him ask time and again if she was all right and she would smile and nod her head and tell him not to stop, please, don’t stop.
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