[MacKenzie Sally] The Naked Laird(book4me.org) (9 page)

He put his fingers over her lips. “You were very inventive the night before last.”

Was he referring to—? She flushed.

He smiled. “We have thought and talked and discussed enough, Nell. Now let’s just feel.” He replaced his fingers with his lips. They were warm and firm and…comforting. Welcoming. “Remember,” he murmured as his lips moved to her eyelids, “we have this afternoon and tonight to learn together. We have a lifetime. There is no hurry.”

His lips trailed down to her jaw and then to a very sensitive spot behind her ear. Her knees melted; she had to cling to him or collapse.

His mouth came back to hers and his tongue swept inside. His touch was urgent, consuming.

She pressed against him. She
wanted
to be consumed. She wanted to be so much a part of him no one could tell where she ended and he began. She never, never wanted to be separated from him again.

They were separated by far too much clothing.

Ian must have read her mind. “This is a very lovely frock, Nell, but it would be much lovelier on the floor,” he whispered as his hands moved to deal with her buttons.

“Mmm.” His fingers were exceedingly nimble. Had he learned—no, she would not think about the other women. And truthfully he’d been equally fast getting her out of her clothes when they were first married.

The frock fell to the ground, quickly followed by her stays and shift. The room’s cool air slid over her skin, pebbling her nipples.

“Nell!” Ian reached for her, but she stopped him with a hand on his chest again—rather, on his waistcoat. His very stylish, still very-much-in-the-way waistcoat. She’d only got one button open when she’d been distracted.

He frowned. “Wha—?”

She smiled up at him, liking the hot, smoky look in his eyes. “My turn.” She slipped the second button from its hole.

“I can do that quicker.”

“Oh, is speed the object then? I seem to remember…very faintly, you understand…you once telling me that faster wasn’t always better.”

He gave a short, breathless laugh. “Did I say that? I dinna think I had that much sense when I was just a lad.”

“You were more than a lad.”

He shook his head, inhaling sharply as her hands, freeing the last button on his waistcoat, brushed over the sizable bulge under the fall on his breeches. “Nay, I was hardly more than a boy.”

He traced a circle around one of her nipples as she pulled his shirt free of his waistband. It was her turn to inhale sharply. Damp heat flooded the part of her that was most eager for his touch. Perhaps slow wasn’t possible this time, but she would try to wait as long as she could.

“Take off your shirt.”

“My pleasure.” Ian shrugged out of his waistcoat and grabbed the hem of his shirt, jerking it over his head and flinging it into a corner. Then he reached for her, bringing her up against him. His hands slid all over her, from her shoulders down her back along her waist to her rounded buttocks and back up to skim the sides of her breasts where they were pressed against his chest.

Her hands were busy, too, exploring. His skin was soft, but his muscles were hard. She buried her face in his chest and breathed deeply. He smelled like…home. Not Pentforth or even Kilgorn Castle, but like heather and sun and Scotland. Like Ian.

Ian, who still had his breeches on. They were scratchy against her skin, and the hard ridge hidden in them pressed urgently into her belly.

She moved, and Ian let her go just far enough to reach his buttons.

“Ah, lass, I was hoping ye’d get to that.”

“I couldn’t very well forget, could I? You were pressing rather insistently against me.”

“Aye. I’m verra, verra”—he sucked his breath in as she freed the last button—“eager. Oh, Nell…”

She cradled him in her hand. He was long and thick. Hot. She rubbed a drop of moisture over his tip.

“Nell.” His voice sounded very strained now. He was panting. Well, she was panting, too. “This game is lovely, but ’tis time to end it. I canna wait any longer.”

She stretched, rubbing her breasts against him. “I was just waiting for you to take charge, Ian, as ye always used to.”

He growled low in his throat. “And here I thought I was being a gentleman, deferring to a lady’s wishes.”

“Oh.” She kissed his jaw. “Well, this lady wishes to be taken to bed immediately.”

“I see.” He grinned. “Then I shall be delighted to obey.” He scooped her up and deposited her on the narrow bed.

He stopped just to look at her. He’d never thought to see her like this again—her black hair spread over his pillow, her creamy white shoulders on his sheets. He loved her mind and her heart, but he also very much loved her body—the graceful mounds of her breasts with their lovely rosy nipples, the delicate curve of her waist sliding into her hips’ generous flare, the beautiful dark curls marking the place he would enter in just a little while.

He bent to slip off her shoes, to peel off her stockings, running his hands slowly over her knees and calves. He breathed in the musky scent of her need.

He couldn’t resist. He bent quickly and kissed her there, drank—

“Ack!” Nell grabbed his hair and tried to tug him away. “What are you doing?”

He swirled his tongue over her. “Don’t you like this, Nell?” He slid his hands under her hips, lifting her so he could drink more deeply, lapping over the hard little point of flesh hidden there.

“Oh. Ah.
Ohh.
”

“Does it feel good?”

“Yess.”

She was hot, panting, twisting on the sheets. She smelled of woman, passion, and Nell. He could not remember ever being so happy.

A particularly insistent organ reminded him he would be even happier soon. Sooner if he would just get on with it.

Nell, wise girl, apparently agreed. “Ian.” She tugged on his hair again. “Now. Please. I don’t want to be alone any longer.”

He put her hips down and leaned over her. “And I don’t want to be alone any longer, either.” He kissed her mouth slowly, then moved to her breasts, her nipples. Mmm. He suckled one while he slid his finger back over the wet, sensitive flesh at the opening of her passage.

Her hips jerked up and she squeaked. “Ian, get your breeches off
now.
I canna wait any longer.”

“Yes, milady. As ye wish.” He scrambled off the bed and out of the rest of his clothing.

Nell watched him through a haze of desire. She literally ached for him. The past, the present—everything came down to this room, this bed, the small opening between her thighs that cried for him. She was mad with lust—and with love.

He came to her and she spread her legs to welcome him. Ah. The moment he touched her there, she began to come apart. As he slid into her, her body shivered and clenched around him. He moved once, twice…and then she felt his warm seed fill her.

Had he given her life? Had they started a child?

They had started their love, their marriage again. If children came, that would be an extra blessing. She sighed and ran her hands down his sweat-slicked back. She felt she would burst with the love that filled her.

He chuckled. “That was quick.”

“Mmm.”

“I’m not usually so fast, you know.”

“Mmm. I was fast, too.”

“God, Nell.” He rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed. “I’ve missed you.”

She cupped his jaw. “And I’ve missed you.”

“You won’t change your mind, will you? You won’t leave me again? I couldna bear it if ye did.” His words whispered over her mouth.

“Nay, Ian, I’ve learned my lesson well.” She threaded her fingers through his hair. “I intend to stick to ye like a burr.”

The corner of his mouth curved up and he flexed his hips. “A burr? Are ye close enough now, then? Shall I keep you stuck to me like this?”

She giggled. She felt him growing thicker inside her. “Yes, please.”

“Mmm.” He kissed her again—and then raised his head. “What’s this?” He frowned, touching her tears with his fingers. “You’re crying.”

“Tears of joy.” She wiped her cheeks. “I’ve been so fashed since I got here—since before I got here.” She giggled again. “I haven’t been sleeping well, ye know.”

“Aye.” The other corner of his mouth slid up. “I weel know that. I’ve not been sleeping much myself.” He leaned down to kiss her nose and flexed his hips again. “Shall we—” He paused, and then slid quickly out of her body, pulling the coverlet up over them.

“Don’t—”

He put his finger on her lips and grinned. “I’ve got sharp ears—the result of my ill-spent time away from you, Nell. We’re about to have company.”

“What?”
Nell’s gaze swiveled to the door. Sure enough, it was opening. Nell dove farther under the coverlet as Annie came in with an armful of clothes.

“Miss Smyth said ye’d be here, milady, so I—” Annie finally looked over at the bed. Her jaw dropped—and then she grinned. “Weel, what do ye know?”

Nell was certain she would expire of embarrassment. She looked at Ian—the man was shaking with laughter! It was obvious he’d be no help at all. She cleared her throat.

“Yes, Annie? Lord Kilgorn and I were—” Ian was still laughing. She was certainly not going to say what they’d been doing—though only an idiot would not be able to surmise the answer. “Well, did you need something?”

Annie was laughing as well. “No, milady. I’ll just be going. I’ll tell Mrs. Gilbert she needn’t worry about getting a room ready for milord.” She opened the door. “Ma will be so pleased.”

Nell flopped back on the pillows the moment the door clicked shut. Ian was now laughing so hard tears ran down his cheeks and he gasped for breath.

“Oh, stop it. In minutes the entire house party will know exactly what we were doing.”

That cured him. He stopped laughing to put his large hand on her breast. “Splendid. Let’s be certain to live up to even the most lurid gossip.”

“But—oh. Um. Mmm.”

Nell decided she did not really feel like arguing.