Tall, Dark and Wolfish (23 page)

"I do not need any help becoming aroused by you, El ie."

"Yet ye thought ta torment me when we were inside," she laughed against his lips.

"You play with fire." His head tilted as he deepened the kiss and grabbed her bottom, pul ing her against him. She gasped. Every part of him was hard,

from his chest to… everything else.

"Perhaps I want ta be burned." He began to gather her skirts in his hands, inching them up bit by bit. "Come, I ken a place ta go," she said, tapping his

chest to get his attention.

"I know where I want to go," he said as he massaged her bottom.

"Ben," she hissed.

He heaved a great sigh when he final y raised his head. "Lead the way, wife." Then he swatted her bottom so hard it stung.

"Ye may regret that," she tossed over her shoulder.

"I doubt it," he joked in response.

His hand engulfed hers as she led the way into the forest. A slow mist began to fal .

Elspeth raised a hand to catch a drop of water. "Rhiannon is sad." Maybe they should go back to the others.

"You are mine," he said softly. He took her face in his hands and kissed her gently. "Your coven sisters wil have to accept me. To accept us."

She nodded briefly before she continued into the forest. They final y came to a clearing. This was one of her favorite places. No one knew of it, aside

from her mother.

"I should have brought a blanket," Ben said quietly as he watched her.

Before their eyes, the vines on the forest floor mingled with the moss, making a soft mat upon which they could lie.

Ben raised one eyebrow at her. "I suppose we can thank Sorcha for the gift?"

Elspeth couldn't contain her grin. At least one friend wasn't angry at her. Elspeth looked up at the night sky. The clouds moved away, a waxing moon

taking their place. The temperature went from frigid to comfortable.

"And Rhiannon?" Ben asked.

"Yes. It appears as though we have their blessin'."

"I need no blessing, lass, aside from yours," he growled as he pul ed her into his arms.

She fit against him like she was made to be there. Ben turned her in his arms so that he could untie the laces of her dress. His lips pressed against her

shoulder, tasting her skin as he slowly undressed her. She clutched her gown to her breasts when it would have fal en.

"You wil hide from me?" he asked, instantly worried for her.

She let the dress fal and stood stil and proud under the light of the moon, wearing nothing but her chemise. She tugged it over her own head and shed

it, along with her drawers. Then she held out her hands to Ben.

"I hide nothin'," she said, smiling confidently. And she didn't. The dusky rose color of her nipples, the same color as her beautiful lips, taunted him. He

quickly peeled off his own clothes and lowered her to the soft earthen mattress.

Ben al owed his gaze to drift over her unhurriedly. He wanted nothing more than to throw her legs over his shoulders and be inside her. But he tempered

his lust; she was brand-new to this. She deserved the slow seduction that he wasn't sure he was capable of.

He bent his head and traced his tongue slowly around her nipple, which already stood, turgid and receptive, under the cool night air. Her hands threaded

into his hair, her nails raking his scalp as he licked and suckled her nipple. With his free hand, he gently tormented her senses, drawing his fingertips over

her skin slowly, until he reached her other nipple. She moved beneath him, gasping and arching into him.

"If you don't stop responding so readily, I'l be done before we get started," he mumbled.

"I'm no' supposed ta make noises?" she asked incredulously, raising her head to look at him.

He laughed against her bel y, where he teased her skin before coming up to kiss her softly.

"You know I love the noises you make," he said quietly. "But I'm afraid I'l hurt you. I wanted to pleasure you before I am inside you."

She shook her head wildly. "That's no' what I want," she said, as she wrapped her legs around his waist. "I want ta share the pleasure with ye. Can we

no' do it that way?"

"Yes, we can do it that way," he said, breathing deeply. He would spil himself long before he got to be inside her if she kept moving around him.

"Do ye want me ta do it?" she asked, breaking him from his thoughts.

Only Elspeth would ask a question like that. But that was exactly what he needed. He rol ed them over, quickly. Elspeth gasped as their positions

reversed. She lay on top of him, her soft breasts against his chest, her hair hanging over him. He reached to push it back.

"God, I love your hair," he groaned.

"Has a bit of a mind of its own," she said as she flipped her head, trying to move the locks from her eyes.

Her face shone in the shadows as the moonlight moved across her. "You're so beautiful," he said softly.

Ben moved his hips so that his length pressed against her center. Elspeth gasped above him, then slid down his body a bit farther.

"Ye may have ta tel me what ta do," she said.

"You're doing it, love."

Her heat and wetness slowly overtook him as she sank down on him slowly. It was a exquisite torture.

"You're kil ing me, lass." He groaned, raising one arm and covering his eyes with it. Perhaps if he didn't look at her face as she was above him, he would

be able to last longer.

Elspeth didn't take al of him. She stopped when she met resistance. "I canna," she started, suddenly bewildered.

Ben reversed their positions again, using his hands to cup her face. "Forgive me for being a coward, love." Then he pressed himself home. She cried

out, but Ben could not tel if it was from pain or pleasure. "Are you al right?"

"Aye, I'm fine," she said. "And ye?" she asked, as though they were in the parlor talking. Then she giggled.

"Witch," he reprimanded her, before he began to move inside her. He slowly entered and pul ed out.

"More," she cried. "Please."

"That's my girl," Ben whispered as he set a rhythm and kept it. She was warm and wet and wil ing and… wed. To him.

Elspeth cried out when he tilted her hips, taking more of her. "Please," she gasped, reaching for that elusive climax.

Ben reached a hand between their bodies and touched her center. "Ah!" she cried. If he didn't bring her over soon, he would go without her. But she

final y clenched and fluttered around him, crying out his name, just before he spil ed himself inside her.

Ben let some of his weight rest on her, his head on her shoulder. As their heartbeats slowed, a blanket of leaves covered their bodies. He smiled

against her shoulder. This witch was his.

Twenty-nine

As they returned through the woods, Elspeth could hear the sounds of her friends and neighbors stil celebrating. Ben squeezed her fingers and

whispered, "Can we send them al away now?"

She stopped walking and gazed up into his warm hazel eyes, twinkling in the moonlight. "Ye're an abysmal host, Ben Westfield."

He lowered his head and gently kissed her. "They're abysmal guests," he complained. "They shouldn't be standing around in our home the night of our

wedding. They should come offer their felicitations in the morning." Then he pul ed her to him, and Elspeth sighed, feeling his hardness pressed against

her bel y. His desire to have her again was very obvious. "On second thought," he growled, "they shouldn't come see us for days."

She giggled. "Or maybe weeks?"

"Months might be best," he decided before kissing her again.

When he raised his head, Elspeth tugged at his hand. "Come along; they're probably wonderin' where we are." Or most of them. Sorcha and Rhiannon

had a fairly good idea.

They stepped into the clearing that led to her cottage, and Elspeth stopped in her tracks. Caitrin stood just a few feet away in the darkness, her arms

folded across her chest.

"Cait!" She rushed toward her friend. "I am so glad ye're here."

With a pained smile, Caitrin hugged Elspeth to her. "I saw it as soon as I sent MacQuarrie ta check on ye. It was so foolish of me. If I'd just waited a

minute longer, ye wouldna be in this situation."

Elspeth pul ed away from her friend. "Cait, be happy for me. I like my situation just fine. Please be nice ta Ben for me. I want it more than anythin'."

Caitrin managed a tight nod. "I understand congratulations are in order, Westfield," she bit out. There wasn't an ounce of warmth in her voice, but for

Caitrin it was a huge step.

"Thank you, Miss Macleod. I'm sure it means the world to my wife that you've come." His hand touched Elspeth's back, and warmth spread throughout

her. "Would you care to join us inside?"

Caitrin shook her head. "I real y shouldna let anyone see me. I'm supposed ta be recuperatin'. I doona want ta have ta answer any questions about my

miraculous recovery."

Ben trailed his hand up Elspeth's back, to squeeze her shoulder. "I'l leave you for a minute, then. My wife thinks I'm a terrible host. I'l go practice my

manners."

Elspeth's heart swel ed at his generosity. She looked back at him and smiled her gratitude. "I'l be along shortly."

When he disappeared into the cottage, Caitrin let go a huge sigh. "Blast him for bein' gracious."

Elspeth couldn't help but laugh. "He's no' as bad as ye think, Cait. He's quite wonderful, real y."

Caitrin walked farther into the darkness and kicked a pebble from her path, which skittered across the grass. "I suppose I'm selfish, El. I just dinna want

the
Còig
ta fal apart. I hope it's al worth it."

Elspeth shook her head, fol owing her friend. "Cait, who said the
Còig
would fal apart? So I've married Benjamin. He knows who we are. He knows

what I am. He doesna mind it, except when firebal s are thrown at his head or he's held captive by vines."

Caitrin stopped walking, and in the moonlight El could see her friend's incredulous stare. "Are ye daft, Elspeth Cam—" She took a deep breath. "Ye

canna believe he'l let ye stay here. He's Sassenach.
He's
no' goin' ta stay here. And ye think he'l let his bride stay without him? He'l take ye ta London,

and we'l never see ye again. And that'l be it."

Elspeth didn't believe that for a moment. "I am goin' ta London, Cait, but only ta search out my father. Ben says there's a man there who can help me. Ye

canna possibly ken what this means ta me."

"And then ye'l return?" Cait snorted in disbelief. "Somehow I doona think that wil happen. He wants ta keep ye from us, El. I doona ken why ye canna

see it."

"Ye're wrong," Elspeth whispered, though part of her wondered at that. He hadn't mentioned them returning to Edinburgh. But he hadn't mentioned them

staying in London either. What were his plans?

"I suppose we'l see, then, won't we?"

Ben couldn't hide his grin from Alec. His friend crossed the floor and removed a smal vine of ivy that had somehow gotten wrapped around one of the

buttons on his jacket. "Did you not think I'd notice your absence?"

Ben ran a hand through his hair. "I thought you might be gentleman enough not to mention it."

Alec laughed. "You know me better than that, my friend."

Had the situation been reversed, Ben wouldn't miss the opportunity to rib Alec. He clapped his hand on MacQuarrie's back. "Do you have any

suggestions on how to get rid of al these people? I'm anxious to have my wife al alone."

Alec glanced around the room at the other wel wishers. "So you haven't lost interest in her, then?" he asked, avoiding Ben's eyes.

He shook his head. "I don't see that ever happening, MacQuarrie. You can rest at ease. She's the one."

"Take care of her, Westfield. She deserves better than her lot so far." Then, without waiting for a response, Alec stepped away from him and spoke

loudly to the room. "Tomorrow morning you're al welcome to join me at my home for a wedding breakfast in honor of his lordship's union."