Celtic Fury (18 page)

Brielle kissed him and said, “Ye' may speak her name to me. I sense somehow she brought us together…”

“Brielle…I thought I was going to lose ye', like I lost Caitlyn.” 

Rory expected the pall of sadness to overshadow their lovemaking, but it never did come this time. He was able to speak Caitlyn's name and the darkness didn’t pull at him. Brielle touched him, stroking the backs of her knuckles down his cheek.

“Ye' will not lose me.”

His fingers trailed down her arm and he murmured, “Nay…I have found ye'…and I know now that I loved ye' all along.” Pulling her closer in his arms, she had never felt so safe and warm. She rested her head against his shoulder and he couldn’t seem to keep his hands from touching her. She breathed in his scent, loving the feel of being in his arms. She sighed and he kissed her hair.

“Ye' feel alright, love?” She purred, “Mmm, aye, Ruiri. I never imagined it to feel like that.” He laughed gently.

“Oh, aye lass, did ye' like loving me
,”
he teased. She nodded, a little shyly.

“Oh aye, Ruiri. Very much
!
”  He kissed her and said, “Hmm, good, I liked it very much too. And…in a little while, I plan to love ye' again.” Tucking her head between his chin and shoulder, she hid her blush from him.
They had already made love several times, and he still wanted her.  She blushed from the knowledge of how much she still wanted him…again and again.

“No, no, no…sweetheart. Ye' must never be embarrassed. Not now…Ye' were made to love me.” He leaned over her, kissing her mouth softly. Her arms snaked around him. She fitted herself around him, naturally opening herself up to him. Her hands gently clutched at his hips, drawing him down to her. He was about to enter her, when they heard a knock on the door leading into Brielle’s room. Her eyes grew wide, realizing by now people would know what they had been doing, locked in Rory's chambers. Rory was enchanted with the blush that rushed to her face again.

He said, “Stay here, and I will see what this is about.” 

Rory wrapped himself in some of the bedding. He went to the door and opened it. He stood dumbfounded for a moment. Brielle’s room had a steaming vat prepared. A delicious platter of food had been left on the bed. The room flickered with candles as well as with an inviting fire roaring in the hearth.

He smiled and said, “Brielle, it would seem someone has left us a surprise. I wonder who it could have been,” he said sarcastically. Brielle pulled a fur about her and tried to peek over Rory’s broad shoulder. He hooked his arm around her and he moved her in front of himself.
They saw
the wonderful preparations
that were
done for their behalf.

Brielle said, “Well, it must have been Morag and yer Da’.” 

“Ye’ think so?” 

“Bless their hearts, they aren’t very obvious are they?” 

“I suppose they approve of us.” Brielle laughed, and Rory was warmed at the delightful sound.

“Aye, my clothes kept getting more fitted and I was thinking I was gaining weight, until I realized I seemed to be only gaining weight in my bosom.” 

Rory’s hands moved around her now fur-clad breasts and he nibbled her ear.

“Aye lass…t’was all I could do to not stare at these lovelies.”

Brielle gasped, “Ruiri…”

“I couldna’ help it, love. Ye' are beautiful, but when yer' necklines kept getting lower and ye' were not as hidden, it would make my mouth go dry. Then, when I thought ye' were trying to
seduce
my father…it made me feel sick inside, but I couldn’t help thinking how lucky he would be to enjoy ye'.”

“Ruiri!” 

Holding her, he then said, “Aye, but I was wrong…for I am the one to enjoy ye'.” His laughter made her smile. He took her into her chamber and said, “Come, let us at least enjoy what they have lovingly prepared for us.” 

Dropping their covering, they climbed into the warm water of the bath. It felt sublime to be submerged in its soothing depths. Rory took the scented soap and began gliding it over Brielle’s arms, shoulders and back. He gently massaged her shoulders and he felt her relax and sigh. His hands eased around her waist, gently moving up her ribs. She moaned softly as his hands cupped her breasts, gently rubbing her nipples into his palms. He nuzzled her neck and gently nibbled it and he heard her moan again. He loved that she was so responsive to his every touch.

“Ruiri, ye make me want ye
’
so much.” He laughed at her honesty.

“Again? Ye
’
are insatiable.” 

He cupped water into his hands and rinsed the soap from her back and shoulders. She faced him, and taking the soap from him, she smoothed it over his chest, slowly making her soapy way down his stomach. He sucked in his breath as her hand soaped lower and he bit back a moan as her fingers, slippery with suds, encased his manhood. Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she rubbed up and down his hardening length. He was already so hard, she was still amazed at how quick it happened for him.

He said, “Woman, ye' tempt me to distraction.”

Looking into his handsome face, and continuing to rub his shaft, she said, “Nay, Ruiri. Tempting ye' would be if I only wished to tease ye'. I fully intend to make good on this seduction.” 

He was enamored by the sexy smile on her lips. He said, “Come here…love me.” 

He drew her legs around him and as she knelt over him, his hand touched her delicious bottom. He squeezed both cheeks and her eyes flew to his. He had a devilish grin on his lips and he said, “Yer lovely arse enflames me.” His fingers explored beneath her, softly circling her bottom, which made her gasp, but he could see she was already drawn into the passion. She was not protesting to any of his touches. Brielle was quickly losing all inhibitions with Rory. She felt her body react fiercely and though they were in the bath, she felt the now normal response of the wet heat flooding from her. As he felt her sway over him, he knew she would be slick and ready for him. His hand explored further between her thighs and he groaned out loud. He was amazed at how wet she really was. He lowered her down onto him; sliding easily inside of her. As she felt him fill her again, she cried out in passion.

She loved when he was inside of her. She moaned, saying, “Ye' are so big…so hard and ye' fill me completely.” 

“Aye, my Love. I love that ye' take me so completely. T’is a man’s dream. Ye' fit me so perfectly.” As he moved with her, the water slogged around them. He playfully splashed her and in seeing him grin at her, she kissed him hard and deeply.

She said, “I love ye', Ruiri. So much.”
It was easy to profess it now.

“Aye lass…I love ye’ too.”
Easy for him as well to admit
.

She felt the strength of his arms holding her and she suddenly realized his strength would always be a constant f
or her.
He sighed happily. She was so wonderfully tight and hot around him. He just loved how uninhibited she was with him while they made love. It was like she lost all of that when they were one.

He said, “I promise to show you everything that can be done between a man and a woman. There is so much to explore
, and I want to explore each way with ye’
.”

She knew he would probably make good his promise. In fact, he may try to show her all the ways this very night. He looked at her and his breath caught. She was so beautiful, with her hair wet and slick around her shoulders. Droplets of wa
ter were beaded over her chest. She was
like a beautiful water creature. She was his future; he knew that now. He kissed her and as her lips plundered his, he moaned deeply.

“I know I dunna’ deserve ye', but I am so happy ye
’
have come into my life, Brielle.” His voice was thick with emotion.

“Ye' deserve to be loved, Ruiri, and I am the one to love ye'.” 

“Kiss me again, Brielle.” She did happily and as the kiss turned more passionate, they both felt the excitement building inside each other. The orgasm that rocked them was mutual this time; both of them finding release as one. Feeling her shudder in his arms as he surged deep inside her was overwhelming for him. With his head back, Brielle saw tears leaking from his closed eyes. She let her lips wander over that evidence of his emotion and she kissed them away, saying, “Ruiri…”

She watched him swallow down hard. He felt her delicate hand touch his face and he opened his eyes to look at her.
             

“Ruiri, what is it?” 

He swallowed again. “I dunna’ feel the darkness so much inside me. How did ye
’
do that, Brielle?” 

“I suppose love fights off the darkness, my love. And while I love ye
’
with my body, I offer ye
’
my heart, as well.” 

“Aye, ye
’
are so giving and wonderful. When I found ye’ on the road, broken and hurt, I felt like I had found an angel.”

She giggled and said, “I dunna’ think angels do what we just did.”
He grinned.

“My angel does.” She hugged him. As he slid out of her, they then completed their bath, washing each other’s hair and rinsing each other of the suds that were on them both. Rory helped Brielle out of the tub and wrapped her in a thick towel. Once they were both dried, they donned wrappers and sat on Brielle’s bed to enjoy the meal that was left for them. Drinking some claret and eating their repast, they sat talking to each other; building their dreams and expressing their hopes to one another.

Sometime later, they lay curled up in Brielle’s bed, just kissing and touching, both sated for the moment and needing nothing more than to hold one another. Stroking over her hair, Rory said, “Brielle, I need to ask ye something.”

“Mmmm?”

“Well ye know before when ye
’
said ye
’
were still a Campbell and that I aim to change that?” 

“Aye?”

“I dinna’ actually ask ye
’
, lass. So, I guess…I need to ask ye' proper. Brielle, will ye' marry me?”

Without hesitation, Brielle answered, “Aye, I pledge myself to ye', Ruiri.” He kissed her and said, “Then be my wife, Brielle. Bear my babes…Be one with me.” 

“I will never leave ye' now, Ruiri. Ye' are my heart. Without ye’, I will not be able to live.” Rory turned her in his arms to look at her. He said, “We will wed in the kirk soon, but I wish to speak my troth to ye' now. It is the Ancient Sacred Rite.” 

Her heart hammered into her ribs as he drew her to her knees to face him. He knelt facing her and holding her hands to his heart, he began to whisper his vows in Gaelic to her. It was indeed the Ancient way. She had only heard about it, but knew it was sacred and binding and that it was something that Rory wouldn’t have given lightly.

Brielle knew that once the vows were spoken back, they were as good as wed. She felt no fear in binding her heart to Rory’s. It was already bound to his and had been since she first saw him. She spoke the vows back to him, gazing into the golden flames of his eyes.

“Thus said, ye are mine and I am yours, never to be parted. I vow to protect ye’ with my life and to love ye
’
…till my last breath.” Repeating the words back to him exactly as he had said them to her, she knew they were married. It felt right. She felt more wed by this rite than by the proxy rite she had experienced to Marcus Val Cour.

They kissed, sealing their troth happily. Brielle was overwhelmed with emotion. Her hardened warrior was softened with love and gentleness. She felt her eyes mist over. She had wed him by the Old Rite. She no longer cared that a proper mourning period for Marcus was not done. He was never a husband to her and Ruiri already was, by his love, his passion and his vows.

“Ye
’
are my wife now, Brielle.”

“And ye
’
are my husband. And know this. There has never been a time in my life that I have felt this safe and this loved.”

“Ye
’
are safe now, sweetheart. And I promise to make ye
’
feel my love grow each and every day.” 

Brielle kissed Rory and she said, “Oh, Ruiri, I am so happy. I love ye
’
so much.” 

“Thank ye
’
, my beautiful Brielle, for loving me and for being with me…and for saving me.” Brielle sank down with him, lost in sweet kisses. There they fell to sleep, wrapped in each others’ arms.

Chapter Seventeen

Caleb and Morag wondered if the lovers would
ever
come down for breakfast or if they would hole themselves up all day. Caleb hoped the tempest had past and that they were now sure they needed to be together. He asked Morag what her thoughts were.

“I think the somehow the sad spell has been broken. I think our Ruiri is whole again, but I feel trouble Caleb. Something dark…outside of Ruiri and Brielle.