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“Tonight, no troubles shall shadow our union,” he vowed, drawing her close. Their world outside receded as she moved into his arms.

His touch ignited a remarkable spark within her. The warmth of his breath against her neck sent shivers down her spine as he whispered words of endearment into her ear.

She could feel his arousal growing beneath his kilt. Her heart raced faster as he explored every curve of her body through her nightdress. She could feel the bulge against her stomach and knew he wanted more than just this dance.

They nestled together on a fur blanket by the fireplace.

Lachlan’s lips found hers with a fiery passion that left her breathless.

They caressed each other’s bodies hungrily, seeking out every inch.

Moans echoed in the dimly lit room as they explored one another’s skin like it was a forbidden land waiting to be discovered.

Lachlan’s strong hands gripped her hips tightly while he kissed down her neck and along her collarbone, causing goosebumps to form on her skin. Her fingers dug into his hair, holding him closer as he suckled on those sensitive spots on her neck and collarbone.

His rough stubble scratching against her soft skin only heightened her desire.

The coarseness of his facial hair contrasted delightfully with the silky smoothness of her delicate neck as he trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses down to the swells of her breasts peeking above her bodice.

Ailis arched into his touch, her body singing with sensations she never knew existed.

Lachlan’s nimble fingers unlaced the front of her gown, baring more of her creamy flesh to his hungry gaze. He took his time, savoring each new expanse of skin revealed, worshiping her beauty with lips and tongue. Ailis shivered and sighed, lost to the magic his masterful mouth worked upon her.

“Me bonnie lass,” Lachlan murmured reverently against her collarbone, his warm breath tickling her sensitive skin. “I’ve dreamt of this moment, of having you in me arms as me wife.” His voice was low and husky with desire, sending sparks of yearning through Ailis’s core.

She cupped his face, bringing his lips back to hers in a searing kiss. “As have I,” she breathed against his mouth. “I am yours, heart, body, and soul, from this day until me last.”

Lachlan groaned, the declaration inflaming his passion. He captured her lips again, delving deep, his tongue dancing with hers as he fondled her curves possessively. Ailis matched his fervor, giving herself over to the sweet ache building between her thighs.

Their remaining clothes fell away and Lachlan lowered her gently onto the fur blanket.

She opened herself to him, welcoming the weight of his muscular frame as he settled between her parted thighs.

Locking eyes, a moment of profound connection passed between them—the gravity of their union, not just of bodies but of hearts and families, stretching out into their future together.

He entered her then in one smooth thrust, their bodies joining as intimately as their lives, two halves uniting into one glorious whole. Ailis gasped at the unfamiliar stretching sensation, but there was no pain, only a feeling of incredible fullness and rightness.

They moved together slowly at first, rocking in a timeless rhythm as ancient as the Highlands around them.

Lachlan’s thrusts were deep and purposeful, stoking the flames climbing higher inside Ailis with each sultry drag of his manhood against her slick, sensitive walls.

Their breath mingled in the scant space between their lips.

They panted and sighed in unison as pleasure rippled through their joined forms.

Ailis dug into the firm globes of Lachlan’s buttocks, urging him harder, faster. The delicious friction sent sparks skittering along her nerves, tightening the coil of rapture winding in her belly.

Lachlan trailed scorching kisses down the column of her throat, latching onto the hammering pulse point as Ailis threw her head back with a blissful cry. He suckled the delicate skin, marking her as his own while his increasingly forceful thrusts pushed them both closer to the pinnacle.

“Lachlan!” Ailis keened, her inner muscles starting to flutter and clench around his surging length. “I… I’m going to…”

“Let go, me heart,” Lachlan rasped, grinding against the bundle of nerves at the apex of her womanhood. “I’ll catch you, always.”

His words sent Ailis careening over the edge.

Ecstasy exploded behind her eyelids, wave after wave crashing through her as she convulsed with abandon.

Lachlan followed her a moment later. They clung to each other as the tempest of sensation slowly ebbed into their sated afterglow, trading sweet, languid kisses and tender caresses.

Lachlan rolled to the side, gathering Ailis close and tucking her against his chest. She fit perfectly in the curve of his body, two puzzle pieces locking seamlessly together. He stroked her hair, marveling at the silky texture slipping through his fingers.

“I never knew such joy could exist,” Ailis murmured dreamily, nuzzling into the warm hollow of Lachlan’s throat. “You’ve unlocked something inside me, something I never want to lose.”

Lachlan’s arms tightened around her slim frame. “Nor I, me bonnie wee wife. No man has ever been so blessed as I am in this moment.”

They lay entwined before the glowing hearth, basking in the warmth of the dying embers and the newness of their physical love. Sleep tugged gently at their sated bodies and they drifted off, secure in each other’s embrace.

As dawn’s first light crept across the horizon, Ailis stirred, blinking awake slowly. She was momentarily disoriented before the delicious ache in her body and Lachlan’s strong arms around her brought the memories of their wedding night rushing back. A secret smile curved her kiss-swollen lips.

Carefully extricating herself from Lachlan’s hold, Ailis rose and stretched languidly.

She padded barefoot to the window, pushing open the shutters to greet the new day.

The first rays of golden sunlight bathed her skin.

She closed her eyes, savoring the perfect contentment suffusing her entire being.