Page 30 of Her Highlander’s Dark Desire (Highlanders of Cadney #13)

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

H is arms were burning by the time they reached the bedroom, but Darren could scarcely bring himself to care, any more than he cared that it was somewhat difficult to walk by the time the door closed behind him. The ache that had filled him from the moment he saw Donall Ranald at the gates of MacLean Keep had finally faded. In its place were relief, love and desire, so strong he could think of nothing else.

Alayne’s cheeks were flushed as he set her gently on the floor and began to remove his boots. “What… dae I…” Her blush deepened. “I dinnae ken…”

He kicked his boots off, then came close to her and lifted her chin gently with one hand. “Dae ye trust me?”

“Aye.”

“Will ye undress fer me, and lie on the bed?”

He saw a flash of nervousness in her gaze, but underneath was curiosity and desire. “Aye.”

Her hand began to undo the laces of her bodice, and he stepped back to remove his own clothing. He stripped off sash, vest, bracers and shirt. He hesitated a moment, then left his kilt to remove later, when he judged it to be the right time for both of them. Once he was undressed he moved to the door, ensured it was bolted, then walked over to the chest that held her clothing.

After a moment he found what he was looking for - a linen shawl, but so soft and fine it felt like silk in his hands. He closed the chest and carried it over to the bed.

The sight of Alayne laying on his bed, completely naked and waiting for him, made his breath catch. For a moment, all he could do was stare, dazed by the force of his desire. The arousal that came with it was enough to make actually getting into bed slightly difficult. He saw Alayne’s eyes drift to the very evident erection tenting his kilt, and the soft blush that dusted her cheeks only made him ache more for her.

He moved to crouch beside her, showing her the shawl. “Raise yer hands above yer head and cross yer wrists fer me.”

Slowly, with just a hint of uncertainty darkening the curiosity in her eyes, Alayne followed his direction. The sight of her moving according to his command, was enough to set a fire in his blood, flaring like a bonfire that had been stoked with oil-soaked tinder. The breath left his lungs in a harsh rush. “Look at ye…”

He lifted the shawl, threaded it around the head of the bed, then drew it down and tied one end around each of Alayne’s wrists. “Is that comfortable for ye? Nae too tight or too awkward?”

Alayne shifted, testing the soft bonds. “Nae. I dinnae think so. But…”

“If ye find yerself struggling or too uncomfortable, call me by me last name, and I’ll stop and release ye.”

Alayne nodded. “Is there… aught else I should be daing?” She blinked at him.

Darren smiled, a rogue’s smile he only allowed himself when he was truly anticipating an enjoyable encounter. “Just relax and let me ken what ye like and what ye dinnae.”

Darren shifted to straddle her, letting the kilt just brush her skin as he bent forward and laid his hands by her bound wrists and kissed her deeply. He slid back slowly, trailing his hands down the soft skin of her forearms and upper arms, to frame her chest as he tilted his head to press a kiss to her jaw, her throat, then the hollow at the base of her throat.

The thin cloth of his kilt was all that separated his erect manhood from her warmth, and he felt the heat, the teasing of cloth over his sensitive body with every move. The sensations were enough to drive him slowly mad, and it heightened his pleasure, to know that, and to know that he was in control. Everything was his to decide, to take as slowly as he wished, or as quickly.

He slid his hands lower, thumbs just barely teasing her breasts as he guided them down her sides, mapping the contours of her ribs as he moved to encircle her waist with his hands. The warmth of her sex teased his erection, the tip of his manhood sliding into the crease between her thighs like it was meant to be there. Alayne whimpered and shifted against him. “Darren.”

“All in good time. I want tae take me time with ye. Tae taste and feel every inch o’ ye, and enjoy the sight o’ ye, just like this, waiting fer me touch.” He slid further down, pressing a kiss to the valley between her breasts before he shifted to suckle on right breast. His tongue tingled as he drew the soft mound into his mouth and laved the nipple until it hardened and peaked under his ministrations.

He licked and nipped, teasing with teeth and tongue until Alayne was squirming against him, her breath coming in soft, whimpering panting noises. Then he turned his attention to the left breast, giving it the same attention until her body was arching against him, and she was making wordless pleading noises.

From there he kissed a slow trail down her center, across the quivering muscles of her belly. His tongue swirled around her navel before dipping inside, resulting in another soft cry as she arched into his mouth. Her thighs brushed his buttocks as her knees drew up and her legs shifted in a vain attempt to bring his mouth closer to the most intimate parts of her.

The smell of her arousal was intoxicating, the curls that adorned her sex already wet with her desire. Darren shifted to inhale deeply, drawing the scent of her into his lungs until he thought he’d never smell anything else. His arousal stiffened to the point of being almost painful as he drank in the scent of her.

Alayne whined and arched against his hands as his breath washed over her. Darren laughed, enjoying her reactions, then blew deliberately over the curls that covered her soft mound. Alayne’s voice pitched higher, hips flexing and hands tugging at the silken bonds that held her. “Darren… please…”

That wasn’t his last name. He smiled and blew again, then touched his tongue lightly to the top of the crease visible between her legs. He could feel her knees flex behind his hips, a silent plea.

He slid back to crouch over her calves. “Bend yer knees, then part yer legs fer me.” Alayne slid her legs from beneath him, her shins stroking lightly across his erection as she moved and sending a shockwave of pleasure through him.

Then she was parting her legs, her most intimate parts open and wet, begging for his touch. A part of him wanted to bury himself in her softness, but Darren controlled himself. He wanted to take his time and let both of them enjoy this. It wasn’t just as a reconciliation and a reaffirmation of their relationship either - he wanted her to enjoy trying new things with him. New ways of being intimate. He wanted her to be curious, so he could show her all the different ways there were of making love. Next to the anticipation of future pleasures, a little bit of patience now was just a way to prolong their mutual enjoyment of each other.

Darren slid himself between her legs, placing his hands on her thighs. He stroked and caressed the soft skin, deliberately avoiding her sex, until she was whimpering and pleading. Then, when she was panting and squirming for his touch, he slid his thumbs over the lips of her sex, and bent to taste her.

She’d never expected it to be like this. Alayne felt like she was drowning in pleasure, and Darren hadn’t even touched her most pleasurable and sensitive areas yet.

There was just something erotic about having her hands bound. An edge of helplessness, of being constrained. She’d thought at first that she might be frightened, that it might be uncomfortable. But the shawl was soft around her wrists, and there was enough movement for her not to feel too restrained. There was also the knowledge that one word from her would see her free. She knew, as deeply as she knew her own name, that Darren would honor his word. If she spoke his clan name, he would let her go, and do whatever she wanted him to do to make her feel more comfortable.

To an outsider, he was the one who had all the power. But she knew, as she watched him slowly and thoroughly worshiping her body, taking his time with her, teasing her to the point of madness, that she still had control. He might decide how he moved, but he made those decisions by listening to the sounds she made, the words she said, and the way she reacted to different touches.

The knowledge was enough to let her give herself over to the sensations, to respond without any hesitation as he kissed, nipped, sucked and licked his way over her body. By the time he reached her sex and told her to part her legs, she was desperate for him.

And still he teased, hands caressing her thighs but never touching where she most wanted him. Then, without any warning, his thumbs caressed the edges of her sex, just before his tongue laved over the length of it, from where her buttocks met the sheets to the top edge. Alayne yelped, thighs parting further at the sensation.

Darren chuckled, and the sensation rippled through her, sending sparks dancing to her core. The vibration made her shiver and try to press closer to his mouth.

His tongue slid inside her, stroking deep as his hands held her open to give him deeper access to her dripping inner folds. Alayne gasped, head pressed back against the pillows and body writhing against her bonds as he licked and sucked at the fluids of her arousal. His tongue stroked her inner folds with one movement, then teased her channel with another, before pressing deep to pleasure her in yet a different way.

Alayne shrieked as his tongue found her pleasure center and swirled around it, then stroked over it before his mouth closed over the sensitive flesh and sucked. The sensations created lightning strokes of pleasure that surged through her, carrying her closer to the edge of her release.

The pleasure wound higher, making her feel as if she was awash in heat as her climax came closer. Her inner walls quivered on the edge of her release, her whole body tensing as the edge of the wave began to crest…

Then Darren pulled back, leaving her empty and wanting. Alayne wailed, back arching as she fought to find the last bit of pleasure to end her frustration.

Darren laughed again. “So impatient. But did ye really think I wanted tae let it end so soon?”

Dazed, barely comprehending his words, Alayne stared at him. Darren rocked back on his heels, and her eyes widened as he slowly, sensuously, unwrapped his kilt to reveal his erect and straining manhood. He removed the fabric and tossed it to the side, then shuffled his hips closer to hers.

His eyes held hers, dark with lust as his hands found her hips and guided her thighs to frame his own. His erection pressed against her, teasing without entering her, his hands holding her still when she tried to press closer.

Alayne squirmed, a soft keening sound escaping her as she found no release. “Darren… please… please… I need ye…”

“Aye.” His hands opened her further for him as he positioned his member and slowly, finally, slid the tip of his erection inside her aching sex.

“More… please… I want ye…”

“Aye?” He looked at her. His voice was low, commanding and filled with desire as he spoke. “And what is it ye want? This?” He rocked himself a little, the head of his shaft teasing her inner folds while failing to penetrate her core.

“Nae. I want ye… inside me… all the way. I want… all o’ ye… please…”

His eyes held hers still, as he shifted and slid an inch or so deep. “Dae ye ken how ye look?” His voice was so low it verged on a groan, as if he felt the same need and frustration she did. “Waiting fer me… begging fer me… wanting me… och, ye could drive a man mad.”

His hands slid off her hips, and began to glide slowly up her body as he moved smoothly to cover her. Every shift of his weight caused him to move inside her, changing angles, pressing slowly deeper into her core. It was like nothing she’d felt before, the sensations magnified by her own constrained movements. Alayne moaned as Darren slid up her body, ending with his shaft fully inside her and his body over hers, his face inches from her own.

Darren shifted, withdrew, then thrust his hips in a slow rolling motion. Their bodies moved together, his hands on either side of her bound arms and his eyes holding hers as he buried his hot, hard length inside her, again and again.

The heat built again in slow waves, rolling over her like Darren’s body, and Alayne gave herself over to the pleasure as it built once more. The slow-building heat drove her higher on waves that rose and rose, but never seemed to crest. Alayne surrendered to the sensations, eyes closing, head falling back and spine arching to meet each of Darren’s thrusts as they moved together.

Higher and higher the heat and pleasure built, a fire originating at their point of joining and threatening to burn them both to ash. She was going to burn, to fall apart, to go mad with desire…

Darren’s lips fastened on her collarbone, kissing lightly before he nipped at the skin. Alayne gasped as the dart of pleasure-pain set off an inferno that swept her away. Her back arched, head pressed into the pillow and hands clenching against her bonds as her vision went wild and the breath left her lungs in a shriek of raw pleasure so strong her vision went white.

Above her, Darren’s slow rhythm picked up, then stuttered as her inner walls clamped around him and wrung his own climax from him. His body stiffened as his seed pumped into her body, his release driving a grunt and a long animalistic groan from him as he rocked against her. His actions sent another wave of release through her, and she shuddered around him, legs clamping around his hips as she pulled him deeper.

Everything vanished into a white haze, and Alayne was only barely aware of movement as Darren fell to his elbows, then used one hand to free her wrists. Her arms fell limp against the pillows, her awareness fading as the last waves of pleasure faded into a warm feeling of lassitude that flooded every limb.

Her last conscious thought was one of satisfaction and wonder, and a hazy acknowledgment that, if this was what it was like, she needed to speak to Lyla MacMillan about where she got her inspiration for bedsport.