Page 48 of Bride Takes a Charmer
“Sorsha was previously married to Rodick Chattan and is more than capable of being the lady of the keep. It would please me if ye tried to befriend her. She has not had an easy time and needs family around her and ye know how much I value family.” He yanked his arm from her grasp and made to leave.
Corliss reached out and wrapped her fingers around his arm again, stopping him. “Why does she need family?”
“She recently received the dreadful news that her parents had died.”
His sister drew a resigned breath. “I will try, Shaw, to befriend her.”
He tugged his arm out of her grip once more. “I must go. This night we plan to have a quiet supper with the children so find your meal elsewhere. The hall is off limits to all.” He turned and left his sister standing with her mouth agape at his directive.
Shaw reentered the keep and found Gillian and Luthor sitting at the table. The stew, along with a basket of bread and a bowl full of peas sat in the center. There was also a tray of sweetcakes and a bowl of jellied fruit. Before he took his seat at the table, his gaze shot around the chamber looking for his wife but she wasn’t in the hall.
“Where is Milady?” he asked Luthor.
“She returned to the kitchen and said she would come back.”
“Ahh… Well then, let us eat.” Shaw spooned the stew into their bowls and pushed them toward the children. He took a roll, broke it in half, and handed each of them a piece. “We should eat before it gets cold.”
Silence abounded in the hall as they ate. Sorsha still hadn’t returned.
As Shaw sat there, he thought about Luthor’s plan to entice the lass to speak. He’d tormented her with his silliness but the lad’s idea was sound. Shaw chuckled to himself and watched Gillian. She sat with the spoon in her hand and swirled it in the bowl of pottage. He needed to make progress with her soon and so he decided this would be the day that he got her to speak or at least react to him.
Shaw shoved his spoon in his mouth and cleaned the stew from it. He then dipped the spoon in the bowl of peas and made certain there were a good many on it. With the spoon aimed, he called to Gillian and she raised her eyes. Shaw flicked the spoon’s peas at her and they pummeled her body. The wee lass gasped and stared at him as if he’d gone mad.
He continued to incite her response by rolling several more peas across the table at her and she pressed back in her chair, watching him with the beginning of mirth in her eyes. If she wasn’t aghast at being pummelled with peas perhaps pottage would serve him better. Shaw dipped his spoon in his pottage bowl and made certain it overflowed with a good helping. Hethen aimed it and let it loose. A wad of stew hit Gillian in the center of her chest and she shrieked.
“What…? Why…? Oho, Mama is going to be angry,” Gillian said with awe.
Shaw grinned at the sound of her winsome voice. Not only was she a bonny lass, but she had the voice of an angel. He found himself lightened at hearing her words.
“Do not worry, lass, I will tell her it was my fault.”
Luthor watched them with his mouth ajar. He didn’t want to be left out of the melee and he shot a spoonful of pottage at him. Shaw bellowed with laughter. Within a moment, they were flinging pottage at each other and the table was littered with speckled bits of stew.
Gillian’s laughter mingled with Luthor’s and Shaw chortled at the banter between them.
“What in heaven’s name is going on?” Sorsha approached the table and frowned.
“Laird Mackintosh started it, Mama.”
Sorsha stared hard at Gillian before she fell to her knees and sobbed. When she caught her breath, she said, “Did my bairn just speak?”
Shaw was delighted to answer her, “Indeed she did.”
Through tears and sobs, Sorsha managed to speak, “Thank you. Praise God, he has answered my prayers.”
Chapter Seventeen
In the earlymorning, Sorsha awakened to a sensual caress over her thigh. She stretched but was immediately pulled back against Shaw’s hard body. He pressed his chest to her back and the heat of his skin made her moan. Shaw settled his head by her shoulder and he pressed the strands of her hair back.
He whispered and his warm breath played over her skin, “I cannot resist touching ye.” His hand roamed her body, sending pleasurable heat through her. “And kissing ye.” His lips pressed on her neck and then her nape.
“If you keep doing that…”
Shaw lifted her leg and pushed his hard erection into her. Sorsha closed her eyes and moaned with pleasure at the sensation of him entering her. His movement was slow and affecting, with desirous thrusts intent to drive her mad. Sorsha held onto the bedding to keep herself from being propelled to the side of the bed. Shaw’s fingers gripped her thigh, holding her in the perfect position to keep his momentum. As he continued, Sorsha panted and suspected she would meet her end sooner than he would.
“Do ye know how bonny and alluring ye are?” He pressed his mouth on her neck again and suckled her skin.
The sensation of his lips there coupled with the desire that swarmed her sent her reeling. Her body seemed to weigh more than a crag as she spiraled out of control. Desire wound its waythrough her body and she could barely breathe. “Sh…awww,oho.”