Page 34 of Desiring the Highland Laird (Highland Destiny #1)

C allum shed the tartan he was wearing and tossed it on the chair by the hearth. Then he removed his boots and breeches, kicking them aside. He remained standing in front of her in a long linen tunic. Her heart was pounding so hard she was sure he heard.

Unsure of his expectations, she did the first thing that came to mind. She lifted one leg, knee bent, and reached under to untie the strip of material that held up her stockings. Before she could finish, he moved toward her, sliding his hand under the bend of her knee.

Her hands froze as he slid up and over one knee to the edge of her wool stocking. Then he tugged, ever so gently, as he pulled it down over her knee and the length of her leg. His roughened palm sent deep shivers of desire through her as he pulled away the stocking, dropping it to the floor.

Swallowing hard, she lifted her other leg to allow him to perform the same task. It was as though he were a master at untying the little piece of cloth at the top of her thigh without looking. Then he slid the stocking down over her leg and off.

That was probably the most erotic thing that had ever happened to her. Should she confess she still wore her modern day undergarments? What would he think of that?

She didn’t wait for him to move. She gathered the shift in her hands and pulled it off over her head, tossing it away. That deep blue-eyed gaze traveled over her cloth-covered breasts and hips with question and curiosity.

“It’s what the ladies wear underneath where I come from,” she said. Her voice wobbled with her nerves.

A dark brow lifted in bemusement. With shaking hands, she reached behind her and unclasped her bra, then let the material slide down the length of her arms to the floor. Despite the warmth of the fire blazing brightly in the hearth, there was a chill in the air.

Callum’s appreciative gaze was on her as he reached for her. His hands were in her hair, his fingers running through the long length and then letting the strands slide between his fingers in a fiery red waterfall.

“Och, I’ve wanted to do this since I first saw ye.”

Gooseflesh erupted along every inch of her as her nipples hardened with an aching need when they brushed against the linen of his shirt. He bent to kiss her neck, his lips warm and soft. Flames of desire pounded through her.

With a tentative touch, she slipped her hands under his long tunic and was delighted to land on the roundness of his buttocks.

A deep guttural groan of appreciation rumbled through his chest. She grinned as she moved upward.

His skin was hot and smooth as her fingers traveled over the curve of his back.

He was perfection.

And she was impatient. She pushed the linen up in a move that indicated she wanted it off him. He complied, pulling the material over his head and tossing it to the floor with her shift. He was naked before her in all his glory.

There was a sprinkling of dark hair across his broad, muscular chest. His shoulders and biceps were thick and strong. Her hands landed on his upper arms, feeling the power there as he tensed.

His hand landed on the material between her legs as though testing her. She shivered against him.

“Should I remove that?” she asked. She glanced up at him, looking at him through her lashes and feeling a shyness she hadn’t felt before.

“I will.”

He flashed a wicked grin as he dropped to his knees, pulling down the material with him.

She stepped out of it and kicked it aside, self-conscious and aware of the cool air brushing her bare skin.

She crossed her arms over her breasts to conceal them.

When he saw her do it, he reached for her, his hands landing on her wrists and tugging them away.

“Dinnae cover yerself, lass.”

“But, I—”

He pressed a finger against her lips. “Nay.”

He slipped his hands over the swell of her breasts, making the throbbing between her legs increase tenfold. God, if he didn’t hurry, she was going to explode.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she tugged him closer as she backed toward the bed once more and then melted against the feather mattress, taking him with her. He grunted once as he caught himself before landing on top of her—much to her dismay.

But then he tucked his shoulders under the bend of her legs and leaned down to taste her.

She sucked in a sharp breath as soon as his mouth was on her, teasing that sensitive swollen nub that held all her secrets.

He coaxed her to climax immediately. She clenched her jaw tight to keep from crying out with the pleasure.

She clutched the linen bedsheets in her fists as he continued the onslaught.

When she thought she might die of sheer pleasure, he kissed his way upward from navel to neck and then slid his heated, hard body on top of her, pushing her upward onto the bed with a leverage she hadn’t known he’d had.

Before she could react, his hardened length slid deep inside her, catching her off guard. A shuddering breath escaped through her lips as she clung to him while he moved, filling her until she cried out again.

She wrapped her arms around him as every muscle tensed tight as a bowstring while he moved against her.

Her legs tightened around his waist, the sharpness of his hipbones biting into the tender flesh of her thighs.

Everything about him seemed perfect and right.

She allowed the climax to overcome her. It shuddered through her from head to toe.

Her nails dug into his back, making him groan in pleasure.

That deep rumble vibrated through his chest as they kissed.

Then he pulled out as his own pleasure eclipsed him. Before she could protest, he gathered her close, pulling her into his arms. Though they laid across the bed, she didn’t want to suggest they move because she was limp and sated with a joy she had not felt in her entire life.

And before any other thoughts flickered through her mind, her eyes closed and she was fast asleep.

*

Evie awoke the following morning. The first thing she noticed was the man sleeping next to her, snoring softly. The second thing she noticed was that the fire had gone out. But that didn’t matter too much as she snuggled closer to Callum. His body heat was enough to keep them both warm.

The dream she had of him did not happen the way she expected. No, it was a thousand times better. She knew without a shadow of a doubt she was in love with him. And though she missed her sister and wondered what Chloe was doing, she didn’t want to return and be parted from Callum forever.

He may not know how to send her home, but he sure knew how to make her feel things she had never felt with anyone else before. No man would ever come close to Callum.

She remained still as she examined his profile.

He slept on his back. His face was quiet and in repose, though he did snore.

Perhaps in time she would dislike it and make him roll to his side, but for now it was endearing and proved to her he was flesh and blood and she hadn’t dreamed everything that had happened between them.

Thinking of it made her cheeks flush hot.

At some point, she had woken up to find she was snuggled against him in the bed, buried under the thick covers.

He had managed to right them so they were no longer across the mattress.

Then she had drifted back to sleep with her head on his chest and his hands in her hair.

Now that she was awake again and the faint morning light pressed against the window, she admired how fine a man he was.

Her fingers trailed along his muscular chest, the coarse hair springing back as she dragged the tips of her fingers through it. Then she flattened her palm and moved it down the downy softness over his abdomen, enjoying the feel of the sprinkling of hair across his stomach.

The men she had dated before were not big and brawny like Callum. She realized what she had been missing in her romantic life all this time, and it was a man like him.

On impulse, she moved her hand lower and was mildly surprised by the hardened length against her palm. Grinning, she shifted so that she straddled him and yet was able to keep her body close to his.

He never opened his eyes as his hands landed on her hips.

“God’s teeth, I hope this isna a dream.” His voice was thick with sleep.

She leaned closer to him, her lips brushing his, and whispered, “It isn’t.”

Settling her hips over his, he eased inside her. The heat pounded through her, making her flush hot and wild as she moved against him. His big hands helped her along, rocking her back and forth as they found their rhythm.

A lazy grin creased his mouth as his eyes opened slowly, revealing those enchanting blue depths that gazed back up at her.

Her hair fell down over her shoulders like a curtain, the tips brushing his chest. An appreciative noise rumbled through him, emboldening her as she rocked to and fro, increasing the speed.

With a gasp, she sat upright, bending back enough to get the feeling she wanted out of him.

His fingers tightened on her hips, digging into her flesh more as the pleasure pounded through her.

She tossed her head back as the climax overtook her, a sigh of bliss escaping through her lips.

And then it was all over as quickly as it had begun.

Evie remained where she was as she tipped her head back down to look at him.

There was a spark of desire still there deep in the ocean of his eyes, sending her senses reeling.

He was, quite simply, the most beautiful man she’d ever been with.

She didn’t deserve him, but she was certainly glad she was with him.

That lazy grin lit his face again. “Och, lass, yer full of spirit and spark.”

She tipped her head to the side. “And that’s good?”

He chuckled as he rose up to meet her, his lips landing on hers in an unexpected kiss of fervent passion. Her arms went around him, allowing herself to fall into the blissful moment. When he pulled away, his eyes were flickering with desire and need.

“Oh, aye, ’tis a verra good thing.”

She knew the morning was waning, but she didn’t want their private time together to end. She wanted to keep him all to herself all day in this bed. Naked.

Callum must have sensed her thoughts for he tipped his head to one side. He reached up with one hand and twined a bit of her hair around a finger, then clutched a fistful. With a gentle tug, he pulled her head back. His fiery lips landed on the long column of her throat.

“Ohh,” she breathed.

He kissed his way up to her earlobe and then gave it a nip. It ignited a fire between her legs once again and making her realize he was still there, buried deep inside her.

“Oh,” she said again.

“I mean to have ye again, lass.”

She tightened her arms around him, letting her fingers dive into the length of his hair. Another thing—she had never been with a man who had hair longer than hers. She liked it more than she wanted to admit.

“I mean to let you.” The words came out a roughened whisper.

Grasping her in his arms, he flipped her on her back so that she looked up at him. He had managed not to break their intimate connection. That was probably the second most erotic thing that had ever happened to her.

He peered down at her, his gaze flickering over her face. She was self-conscious of all the freckles dotting her cheeks and nose and she flushed hot. She wanted to look away, but there was no place else to look except right at him.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” She forced herself not to squirm against him, but all she wanted was for him to stop that scrutinizing gaze.

“Ye have a gold fleck in yer right eye. Did ye ken that?”

Surprise flickered through her as she stared back at him. “No,” she said slowly. “Do I?”

“Oh, aye.” He brushed hair from her forehead in a soothing way that made her heart trip.

“And you…like this?”

He gave her half a grin. “Och…aye, lass.”

“I always thought my eyes were boring brown. Like the color of a mud puddle.” She didn’t mean to say it, but the words tumbled out before she was able to stop them.

“Yer eyes are beautiful.”

Waves of contentment rippled through her, making her feelings for him intensify. As much as she wanted to push away those feelings, they were all consuming. She was a goner.

“And these freckles on yer cheeks and nose.” His finger traced a line along her face from one side to the other, leaving a tingling sensation in his wake.

Again, she flushed hot, the heat pounding through her cheeks. “I’ve always hated them.”

He kissed the tip of her nose, whispering his love for each part of her face. “Dinnae do that, lass. N’er do that.”

God, but she loved his accent. Her eyes fluttered closed as he continued to place long, slow, soft kisses along her face. How had she ever lived before without him? She didn’t know.

“I was…” Her words came out a breathy whisper. “People made fun of me because of them.”

With his lips still against her cheek, he muttered, “I will kill any who do such a thing.”

How endearing was that? She swooned right there in the bed under his big, massive body. And she knew at that moment she was forever and always his.