His Highland Lass (The Clan Sinclair Book 1)

by Celeste Barclay

  “More. More,” she panted over and over.

  Tristan was on the verge of losing control. He had never felt like this before. Mairghread was a constant source of firsts for him and it continuously shocked him since he had thought himself so experienced. He could no longer stop the hard thrusts of his cock as it pounded into her.

  “Ye feel so good, Mair. I canna stop. I am so close. God, I want ye so much. I canna stop. I canna stop.”

  “Dinna stop. More, Tristan. Harder. Please just dinna stop. I’m so close too.” She arched her back and hips off of the bed and erupted. Her sheath clung to his rod and squeezed every last drop from him. Their release was simultaneous and almost violent in its explosion. It seemed to just carry on without an end in sight. Tristan thought his release into her arse had been the most intense climax of his life but it was nothing remotely close to this one.

  They clung to one another. Tristan’s arms were wrapped around her back and his head was buried in her neck. Mairghread’s arms and legs encircled him like she was climbing a tree. Neither had any desire to loosen their hold or pull away. Several minutes passed while they stayed like this. Tristan could not believe that he was still hard inside of her. He did not think there was a single drop of seed left inside of him. Mairghread’s hands began to run up and down his back and he kissed her neck over and over. She was not quite sure how she felt physically after all of that so she shifted her hips side to side. They moaned together. Tristan looked up. He had never moaned in bed before in his life. At least not without a life threatening injury.

  “Lass?”

  “Aye, I am well. I just dinna ken what to say.” She shifted her hips again and suddenly she was aroused all over again. She rubbed her mound against his pelvis and was ready to go again. She peeked up at him and saw a look of confusion on his face. She paused and was worried. “Did I do aught wrong?”

  “Nay. Just the opposite. Keep moving like that because it feels wonderful. I just dinna ken how I can still be hard after spilling what felt like every drop of seed I have. I can feel maself growing again. Ready to go again.”

  He rolled over and brought Mairghread on top of him. She leaned back to look down at him. He was the most shockingly handsome man that she had ever met and he was buried deep within her. She had never in her life imagined that love making could be so powerful and all consuming. She thought she would be exhausted after what they had just done but instead she was ready to go again too. She rocked her hips as she tested out the new position. She did not know how it was possible, but he felt even deeper than he did when she was on the bottom.

  “I ken ye will be sore after what we just did so ye can set the pace now.” A jab of dark jealousy tried to take hold as she knew he spoke from experience. Instead she leaned forward and kissed him. She circled her hips and rocked. He clearly liked the sensation because he nibbled her lower lip and dug his fingers into her hips. She increased her pace and tried raising her hips to slide up and down his shaft. She did not enjoy that as much as rocking her hips and grinding her mound on him. He did nothing to change her pace or rhythm. He thrust up to meet her and continued until she moved at a frenzied pace.

  “So close, Tristan. I’m so close.” He reveled in her growing knowledge of her body and what his body could do to bring her pleasure.

  “Tristan!”

  He felt her inner muscles clench around his cock and he thrust as hard as he could into her and found his own release.

  “Mairghread!”

  She sank down onto his chest. It was his turn to run his hands up and down her back.

  “I didna ken.”

  “Tristan, what didna ye ken?”

  “I had nay idea that this is what true love making feels like. It far surpasses anything I have ever done before.” Mairghread lifted her head to look at him and saw his eyes roll back in his head before he closed his eyes. His whole body went lax.

  “Tristan? Tristan?”

  “Lass, I amnae dead but I could die now fer I am surely in heaven.” He pulled her back down to lie against his chest. It was not long before they both fell deeply asleep with him still joined to her.

  Epilogue

  Nine months later

  “Alasdair, I dinna give a rat’s arse where Lady Beatris is. I dinna care that she is at court and took Sorcha. Let her be the king’s problem. He deserves it fer being such a pain ma arse. Mind ye, I still amnae pleased that I never received a report from the guardsmen that I placed at Sorcha’s croft that she left in the middle of the night. But I have far more important things to think about right now.”

  Just as he turned away from Alasdair, a scream rent the air. He charged towards the stairs. He had had all he could take. The screams had been coming all morning and he felt like he was about to lose his mind. He was met with a wall of men. All four of his brothers-by-marriage blocked his way just as they had every time he tried to go see his wife.

  Liam Sinclair simply sipped his whisky by the fire. He knew it was far too early to be drinking and it was already his third cup but it was the only way that he was going to make it through the day and hearing his daughter in pain. He had been through it five times before with his own wife and it did not get any easier. He felt badly for the poor man. He had managed to maintain control of himself longer than Liam expected but he knew that time was growing short. At least one of his sons was going to come away with bruises and probably a broken nose. He had broken his own brother’s nose when his wife labored with Callum. It had only taken that one shattering punch for no one to ever keep him from his wife again.

  “Move out of ma way now or I will move ye all. I am going to see ma wife.” Tristan hissed through his teeth. His hands were clenched and his fists were white. A vein was bulging in his neck and in his temple. He could not take it any longer. He had tried to do what the midwife said and to wait below stairs but if he heard her scream one more time he was going to commit bloody murder to anyone who stood in his way. He tried to take a few deep breaths but another scream rang through the keep.

  “That’s it. I’m done waiting.” He swung his right fist into Callum’s gut and his left fist into Alexander’s jaw. They both staggered and he tried to push through the space between them. Tavish and Magnus latched on to his arms and he twisted to kick Tavish in the groin. Tavish immediately released him. He head butted Magnus but the giant beast simply laughed. He charged towards the stairs and Magnus jumped onto his back. Tristan was too livid and too determined to get to his wife to try to shake Magnus free. He was not able to take the stairs two and three at a time with the extra weight but he still climbed to the top. Magnus tried to drag his feet and pull him backwards but they were too evenly matched in strength. They got to Tristan’s chamber door and he stopped.

  “Unless ye desire seeing bits of yer wee sister that nay brother should ever see, I suggest ye let go of me. I am going in.” That was just the right thing to make Magnus release him. Magnus laughed and nodded. He turned his back but did not move. “Just as I thought. Ye want to make sure she’s well just as much as I do. I kenned it.”

  “Aye well, she is ma baby sister and I have always watched over her. Ye arenae ma favorite person since ye’re the one who did this to her.”

  “Ye dinna need to remind me. I dinna ken if I can go through this again.”

  “Ha, I give it a few sennights before ye forget yer words and ye’re pawing her again. I bet the two of ye will rival ma Ma and Da for number of kids.”

  “I’ll remind ye of that when yer turn comes.” Tristan pushed the door open before Magnus could deny it and slipped into the room.

  “Ma laird! Ye canna be in here now. This isnae a place fer a mon.” The midwife tried to shoo him away but he walked determinedly to the side of the bed. His wife lay there sweating and pale. Her eyes were closed and he did not see her chest rise.

  “Mairghread!” He snatched her hand and was ready to shake her when her eyes snapped open.

  “I ken ye are here. I could hear
ye and Magnus coming up the stairs and then everything ye two said. Ye’re not exactly quiet. I was resting.” Mairghread focused on him and saw sheer terror on her braw husband’s face. She squeezed his hand and pulled him towards her. “Help me sit up, Tris--.” She could not finish before another pain tore through her and she screamed. Tristan thought he was going to be sick. He had seen more blood and broken bodies in battle than any one man should, but the sound of his tiny, fierce wife in pain almost broke him. He sank to his knees beside the bed and rested his hands on her shoulders as she leaned against him.

  She settled back against the pillows and closed her eyes again. Tristan looked around. He did not know what to do with himself or how to help. He felt completely and utterly useless for the first time since he had assumed the duties of laird. He started to stand and release her and as he spotted a chair near the bed.

  “Dinna ye dare leave me now. I’ve been waiting fer ye fer hours and asking fer ye.” She did not open her eyes but she yanked on his arm. In turn, he glared at the midwife who had kept him from knowing that his wife wanted him there.

  “I amnae going anywhere. I will stay with ye fer as long as ye like.” He pulled her shoulders forwards and quickly shoved the pillows out of the way.

  “Tristan? I need those.” Before she could understand why he had moved them, he crawled on to the bed and sat behind her. His leg braced her sides and his chest supported her back.

  “I told ye, I amnae going anywhere.”

  Mairghread breathed a sigh of relief. She finally felt comfortable after hours of pain. She pulled his arms around his and rested her hands on her rounded stomach. She placed her hands on top of his. She breathed his scent that never ceased to calm her when she was upset or aroused her when she was ready to play.

  “I love ye, mo ghaol.” Tristan spoke softly by her ear. He brushed her sweaty hair from her forehead and put his hand back on her belly. He felt her belly tighten and was amazed at how hard it had suddenly become. He felt her tense as the pain resumed.

  “Push, ma lady. Push. It’s finally time. I can see ye bairn’s head. A dark head of hair, I can see.”

  Tristan took hold of her hands and she squeezed with a strength he never could have imagined a woman would possess. She bore down as hard as she could.

  “That’s it, ma lady. This one will come out fast now that yer body is ready.” The midwife was right. It only took three more tremendous pushes and their son was out.

  “It’s a lad, ma laird.” The midwife held up the squalling babe for them to both see. He did indeed have a head of dark hair just like his father. The midwife quickly cleaned him and another woman stepped forward. Tristan had not really noticed the others in the room until now. There were a few serving women and a woman that he recognized from the village.

  Mairghread reached out but was too exhausted to open her eyes after her initial view of the babe.

  “Ma lady, the bairn will be hungry. He needs to eat right away. Then ye can hold him.” The midwife turned away. Mairghread lurched upright and tried to climb out of bed.

  “Give. Me. Ma. Bairn. Now!”

  Tristan tried to pull Mairghread back into bed but she swung at him. He could not believe that she had any energy left in her body or that she would try to hit him.

  The village woman stepped forward and tried to take the baby from the midwife. “Ma lady, I am yer wet nurse. Noblewomen dinna suckle their own bairns. It just tis not done.”

  Tristan’s head snapped up when he recognized the voice. He had not seen Alice in a very long time but she was one of the women who he had been intimate with for an extended period of time. He wondered how she could be a wet nurse if she had not birthed her own children. Or had she? When had that happened? Alice hesitated and looked with longing at both him and the bairn.

  “He is mine. I willna allow any other woman to nurse him. Give me ma bairn.” She was bordering on hysterical. Mairghread had not missed the looks from Alice and growled. “I ken exactly who ye are. I ken ye are one of the village wet nurses. I also ken ma husband used to bed ye regularly. I dinna give a damn who ye may be or what yer good intentions are. I will nurse ma own bairn.”

  Tristan did not know what to be most shocked about: the fact she knew that this woman used to be his lover, a lover he barely recognized, or the fact that she was ready to come to blows over their bairn who was less than five minutes old.

  “Alice, give the bairn to Lady Mairghread. She has made her intentions clear. Yer services are appreciated but unneeded.”

  Once the bairn was in her arms, she settled back on to the bed. She had managed to overcome her jealousy despite her ever expanding waistline during pregnancy. She knew who the women from Tristan’s past were but he never once strayed in his attention or affections. Just the opposite. He was almost inseparable from his wife but that did not mean she liked other women eyeing her husband.

  “Everyone out.” Tristan demanded.

  “But ma laird, ye wife needs to be cleaned up and the bedding changed.” The midwife said.

  “I ken how to care fer ma wife.” Mairghread felt the power of his love and devotion in those words and with that everyone cleared out of the room. Over the next ten minutes, Tristan set to changing all of the bedding, cleaning Mairghread up, and changing her gown. Through it all, Mairghread cooed at the bairn and nursed. She watched her husband, a braw warrior and laird, do the duties of a chamber maid and lady’s maid. She had never felt more love for the man.

  “Tristan, what shall we call him?” she asked as he carried them both back to bed.

  “I dinna ken. What would ye like?”

  “Liam fer his given name, after ma da, and Brodie, after yer da. What think ye?

  “Perfect, ma highland lass.” He wrapped his wife and child in his arms and they all fell asleep.

  Hours later, Liam Sinclair looked in on his daughter and her family. His heart pounded with love and pride for the family that he and his wife created. He wondered which of his children would be next to start a family and hopefully find love along the way.