Her Highness and the Highlander: A Princess Brides Romance (29 page)

Reaching out, she skimmed her hands over his shoulders and
back, wanting to learn his body too, suddenly desperate to know more.

He shuddered. “Aye, Mercedes. Touch me.”

“Like I did last night?” she asked, unexpectedly bold.

Another shudder went through him. “Anywhere. Everywhere.”

Tentative despite her words, she trailed her fingertips along his side and across
the lean contours of his rib cage, caressing the sleek muscle and warm skin there
for a time before daring to go lower. When she encountered the edge of his drawers,
she paused. Rather than retreating, she ventured on.

He sucked in a harsh breath when she glided her hands over the length of his narrow
hips, down his long thighs, and up to the tight curve of his buttocks. He kissed her
harder as she stroked him there, groaning low in his throat, as his arousal pressed
even more forcefully against her.

She had to abandon her exploration of his body as he slid lower to explore hers, his
mouth moving over her flesh with a reverence that stole the breath from her lungs.

She thought he was going to kiss her breasts again, the very idea leaving her eager
to experience more of the delicious attention he’d given her last night.

But apparently he had another destination in mind, his lips gliding across the flat
plain of her stomach and down to the sensitive inner flesh of her thighs. He kissed
her there, his hands taking gentle but firm possession of her legs so he could angle
her exactly as he wished. He eased her wider, silently compelling her to let go of
her shyness and allow him this further intimacy.

Her pulse pounded in a frenzied rhythm and she trembled. Then she gave in, forcing
her muscles to relax.

He smiled and licked her, up the inside of one thigh, then down the other, leaving
damp, scorching trails in his wake. Longing sizzled through her veins, a low whimper
issuing from her mouth. Her whimper turned to a throaty moan as he slid his thumbs
into the wet curls at her core.

She expected him to touch her.

He kissed her instead.

Her body jumped and arched as if she’d been struck by lightning and she squirmed in
his hold. But he held fast, using his tongue where he had used his fingers the night
before. She forgot how to breathe, how to think, engulfed by an aching need whose
force she wouldn’t have thought possible.

I should stop him, shouldn’t I?
This surely has to be wrong.
But how could she bear to make him quit when his every touch brought her one step
closer to heaven? Still, her last few shreds of modesty compelled her to try.

Blindly, she reached down and found his head, sliding her fingers into his hair to
give a tug.

When he ignored her, she tugged again, harder. “Daniel, n-no.”

He paused and glanced up from where he lay between her spread thighs, his eyes dark
and drugged with pleasure. “Why not? I can tell you like it.”

He slid a finger into her throbbing wetness and made her moan to prove his point.

“It is too much,” she whispered.

“Nae. This, my dearest, is only a start. Besides,” he drawled in a voice full of wicked
promise. “Ye pledged ye’d let me do anythin’ once we wed. This counts as
anything
.”

She shuddered, supposing that it did.

Another full body quake rolled through her as he slipped his hands beneath her bottom
and spread her even wider. She collapsed back against the sheets, unable to resist
either him or herself.

He returned to his intimate ministrations until she was surprised her body didn’t
burst into flames. She panted, wild, keening cries coming from her throat. On and
on he went, building her pleasure until she thought she would go mad. She slid her
fingers into her own hair and gripped her head, wondering if she might come apart.

And suddenly she did, shuddering violently as she flew over the edge. Bliss poured
through her as sweet and golden
as honey. She closed her eyes and floated, replete on a cloud of joy.

But he gave her no time to come down from her peak as he slid first one, then two
fingers inside her to stoke her need to life once again.

He was relentless, making her quake and gasp with a passionate hunger she was utterly
helpless to resist. In those moments, it was as if he controlled her, ruled her body
so that she had no will of her own. She panted and cried out, saying his name as he
brought her higher and closer until she was on the precipice once again.

Quite without warning, he stopped.

Her eyes popped open and she gazed at him in complete incomprehension. Why had he
stopped? How could he leave her like this? She reached for his head again, his hands,
to make him begin again. But he eluded her, easing up her body, coming over her, so
that he lay full length above.

She didn’t know when he’d removed them, but his drawers were gone; he was as naked
as she. He parted her legs again, adjusting her so she lay ready for his penetration.

He slid inside, her wet sheath stretching to accept him.

She gasped at the sensation, at the fullness of him within her. But then she realized
he was barely in her and that there was a great deal more to go. She trembled as he
pressed deeper.

“Put yer legs around my back,” he said, his teeth clenched. “I’m tryin’ tae make this
as easy as possible.”

Looking at his face, she saw that he was, his control immense as he strove to be gentle.
She obeyed, curving her legs up and around his waist. The movement aided him, letting
him in a little more. He took hold of her hips and pressed harder, pausing again to
let her accept before he moved again.

She waited for the pain and it came as expected when he gave a final, sharp thrust
that lodged him fully inside her. But the discomfort passed quickly, easily. He had
seen to that, had left her aching and wanting, so that her body’s need would override
the intrusion of this first time.

And then she stopped thinking again, stopped considering, as he began thrusting slow
and deep. His mouth crushed hers, taking her lips with an ardent passion that mirrored
the pleasure he was building inside her once again. She pressed her heels against
his back and he groaned, thrusting harder, faster.

Twining her arms around his neck, she kissed him with frenzied zeal, lost in the glory
of his touch, in the beauty of their joining. And it was beautiful. Wonderful. The
most glorious rapture she had ever known. Love filled her, mingling with the pleasure
he wrung from her with each stroke, with every kiss and caress.

Then abruptly she went flying again, ecstasy flowing through her frame until there
was no place left unfulfilled, no space unsatisfied. She gasped and sighed, smiling
at the sheer joy inside her.

Moments later Daniel shuddered against her, groaning as he found his own measure of
joy.

And she smiled again, beaming with her happiness.

D
aniel awakened to the gentle light of early morning, his head on the pillow next to
Mercedes’s, his naked body spooned behind hers. He raised his hand and cupped one
of her breasts, savoring its sweet weight as he inserted a calf between both of hers.

She sighed and snuggled back against him, causing his shaft to harden instantly. Instinctively,
he slid his leg higher, visions of taking her from behind making him stiffen even
more.

Then he stopped himself.

He’d already awakened her once during the night, easing into her when she was still
drowsy and half asleep. He’d roused her slowly, gently, bringing her to a strong,
shattering completion, her cries of pleasure ringing like music in his ears.

Afterward, she’d curled against him, sighing his name as she’d fallen back to sleep.
Replete, he’d soon followed.

Now he wanted her again.

But he knew he would have to wait until tonight at least before they tried making
love again. She must be sore. His shaft throbbed to remember how tight she’d been,
how clearly innocent.

Virgins had never been to his taste, but Mercedes had pleased him as no woman before.
Last night with her had been the best he’d ever known, more memorable even than his
own first time.

In spite of her inexperience, she had been incredibly passionate, her natural inhibitions
giving way with only a minimal amount of coaxing on his part until she’d literally
been sobbing out her pleasure in his arms. He didn’t think it was hubris on his part
to believe she’d claimed as much satisfaction as he had last night. And if she was
this responsive now, only imagine how much better their couplings would be in the
future. He couldn’t wait to teach her more.

His shaft throbbed again at the thought and he hastily rolled away from her, knowing
if he didn’t, he’d be buried as hard and deep inside her as he could go, sore or not.

Stifling a groan, he steeled himself to climb out of bed.

But she stirred next to him and opened her eyes. “Daniel.” Stretching, she rolled
toward him.

Then she smiled.

He couldn’t do anything but smile back.

“Good morning,” she said. Her chocolate brown eyes were radiant and just a little
shy, her long sable tresses a silky cascade that flowed around her shoulders and back
and chest. One pink-tipped nipple peeked saucily out from behind a curl, the other
hidden from view.

“Good morning, wife,” he said with pride and possessiveness. Leaning over, he kissed
her, forcing himself to be content with no more than that simple touch. “Did you sleep
well?”

Color rose in her cheeks and she nodded. “Very well. And you?”

“Aye. It was a fine night.”

Her blush deepened. “Yes, it was.”

He ached to tumble her back against the mattress and make love to her again, but he
reached to toss aside the sheet instead.

“You’re not getting up, are you?” she asked. “It’s still early. I thought we could
sleep a bit more.”

If they stayed in bed, sleep wasn’t what they’d be getting.

“
You
sleep,” he told her as he climbed from the bed. “I thought I’d go out and see if
any progress is being made on the curricle.”

Her mouth turned down. “Oh, of course.”

He nearly turned away, but she looked so bereft he sat back down on the bed. Drawing
her into his arms, he claimed her lips in a long, ardent kiss that soon had her sighing
with delight, her fingers stroking the back of his neck in a way that made him shudder.

On a shaky breath, he forced himself to set her aside. “For your sake, lass, I think
we’d do best to continue this tonight. Unless you’re not as sore as I suspect.”

A betraying flush pinked her cheeks. “Is that why you’re leaving?”

He nodded. “It’s either that or not let you out of this bed all the day long. I thought
you might do better with a soak in a hot bath this morning rather than having me at
you again.”

She looked shocked, pleased, and relieved all at the same time.

Catching hold of her chin, he tilted her head back to meet his gaze. “Why did you
think I was going?”

For a moment he didn’t believe she would answer. “I just wondered if you might be
disappointed.…That is, that you weren’t pleased about last night because I…because
I…”

“Because you were a virgin?” he finished for her.

She nodded, lowering her gaze.

“Don’t be daft, lass. Last night was the best night of my life.”

A brilliant smile spread across her face and she looked up at him, her eyes as bright
as jewels.

“I mean, does this look like I doona want you?” he asked huskily as he pointed to
his erection poking up from beneath the sheet.

Her eyes and mouth grew round.

Laughing at her expression, he kissed her once more, quick and hard. “Now stop your
silliness and let me get on with trying to be a considerate husband.”

“Yes, Major.”

“Yes,
Daniel
,” he corrected.

“Yes, Daniel,” she repeated.

Sharing another smile with her, he climbed from the bed.

Clearly reassured, she relaxed back against the sheets.

Mercedes watched him with unabashed delight, completely unable to tear her eyes away.
Although why she would possibly want to look away, she couldn’t imagine. Naked or
clothed, her new husband was what anyone would call a fine figure of a man—especially
any woman. But other women could stay away. Daniel was hers, however unexpected it
might still seem to realize they were wed.

She cast a quick glance at the ring on her left hand, foolishly checking to make sure
it was there. The patterned gold with its interlocking Celtic knots gleamed dully
in the morning light, proof that yesterday’s whirlwind ceremony had indeed been real.
Of course, after the night she’d spent with him in this bed, it had better have been
real.

Delicious warmth spread through her at the memories and she shifted beneath the covers.

Ouch.
He was right; she was sore. But making love with him was well worth any temporary
discomfort she might experience. A tremor chased over her skin at the thought of the
promised night ahead. Hopefully the hot bath he’d suggested would ease any lingering
aches and pains.

He was shaving, standing in front of the washbasin dressed in a fresh pair of drawers
and nothing else. He’d propped a small mirror onto the top of the lowboy. She found,
if she turned just the right way, that she had a wonderful view of him, front and
back.

Who would have guessed how fascinating it was to watch a man shave?

The clean scent of moist soap created a pleasant humidity in the air, accompanied
by the sound of splashing water as he
laid down his razor and washed the last bits of soap and dark red stubble off his
face. He scrubbed a towel over his closely shaven face, then dried his chest and under
his arms before tossing it down next to the basin.

He turned and met her gaze. “What are you grinning at, lass?”

She fought not to smile wider. “Nothing. Just enjoying the view.”