Page 19 of Intrigued By A Highlander (Highland Revenge Trilogy #2)

CHAPTER 19

K nox lowered her to her feet by the bed. “I never yearned for a woman as I do for you, Dru, and for now that is who you will remain. I will not use your given name until it is safe for me to do so.”

She turned a wicked smile on him. “So, you’re telling me that you get to make love to two women.”

He shook his head, though he smiled. “Only you would look at it that way.”

“Of course, it gives Autumn something to look forward to when she finally emerges from hiding.”

His hand went to the back of her neck pulling her forward as he brought his head down to kiss her. “Then I will be sure not to disappoint her.”

His kiss captured her with such intensity that she gasped, then she got lost in it. This kiss was different from the others, more commanding, more personal, more loving. And she never felt safer, more comfortable, and more loved.

His hands began to strip her of her garments, and she did the same until they were caught in a web of plaids and tumbled down on the bed together laughing.

“One at a time would be better,” Knox said, kissing her quickly but in need of so much more with her.

“If we each tend to ourselves it would go that much faster,” Dru suggested.

“I like your way of thinking, wife, and that you are as eager as I am.”

“Eager but still,” —she bit at her lower lip briefly— “apprehensive.”

Knox turned on his side and ran his hand slowly over her breast, his thumb skimming her nipple. “I guarantee that once you taste pleasure, you will pester me for it all the time.”

If the feeling that flowed through her from his simple yet intimate touch was any indication, he just might be right, but, of course, she wasn’t about to let him know that—at least not yet.

“You are setting the mark quite high for yourself,” she teased.

“I never miss my mark.”

Dru turned and slipped her hand in his disheveled shirt to caress his muscled chest. “Prove it.”

He was off the bed and stripped himself naked so fast she barely had time to get to her feet and when she did, he stripped off her garments, flinging them aside. Then she was up in his arms, grateful for his warmth since a chill raced through her, then he dropped her on the bed and lowered himself down over her.

He hovered over her, and she reached up to grab his arms and pull him down on top of her. “I’m cold.”

“You will feel heat soon enough.”

He wasn’t lying about that. As soon as he started to kiss her, and not on her lips, her body flushed with heat. She dug her fingers into his hair while his tongue teased her nipples, wanting to make sure he didn’t rush but that he lingered there.

It was a crazy time to recall what her mum had told her, but her words rang true.

When you find true love, you abandon yourself to it. You feel every pleasure it can bring, and you thirst for more and more of it. Just make certain it is with the right man.

Dru gasped his name, “Knox!”

His head shot up. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” he asked with such concern and such love in his eyes that she knew there and then that fate had sent her the right man.

“I love you,” she said with a soft smile.

He grinned. “And you are going to love me even more when I get done with you.”

She returned his grin. “Well, don’t keep me waiting.”

And he didn’t.

He kissed almost every part of her as if he were marking her, claiming every inch of her and followed the kisses with intimate touches that fired her body with intense pleasure. And oh how she responded, spreading her legs in invitation, arching her back as pleasure struck her, and her moans growing along with her desire.

She ached to explore him as he did her, get to know every inch of him, enjoy every part of him, but her pleasure overwhelmed her and all she could do was respond to him. Until she felt she was standing on the edge of a fall, she was impatient to take.

“Please, Knox,” she begged, a primal scent filling her senses, letting her know she was ready, letting her know they would fit perfectly together. “I can’t wait. Please.”

He slipped over her, and she saw a bit of apprehension in his eyes. “Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you.”

She grabbed hold of his shoulders. “You will if you don’t hurry and slip inside me.”

It was all the encouragement he needed, and he did just that—slipped easily inside her.

“Oh good, Lord!” she screamed in pleasure.

Knox couldn’t help but chuckle. “I think you are thanking the wrong man.”

She arched her back, driving his shaft deeper into her and he groaned at how tightly she sheathed his shaft.

There was no more time for or wont for words. Knox moved with ease at first, not wanting to hurt her, but the way she thrusted against him let him know she wanted more, and he set a rapid rhythm, her hands gripping his arms as he drove in and out of her. His own desire had built faster than it ever had and his need for her overwhelmed him but in a way he never felt before this moment.

Now he understood the difference between what it felt like to love and be loved and the urge to protect his wife, keep her safe from all harm, filled him with an overpowering strength.

Never. Not ever would he let anyone take Dru or Autumn from him.

Dru let out such a powerful scream that it sent Knox over the edge with her and they tumbled into a blinding climax together.

“Good, Lord, that was fantastic!” Dru cried out while Knox was still trying to catch his breath. “And you’re right. I am going to pester you often.”

That brought a smile to his face as he lifted his head from where it rested beside hers.

“Don’t move,” she cautioned, squeezing his arms to hold him in place.

His smile vanished. “What’s wrong?”

“You feel too good inside me. Don’t leave me yet.”

Knox’s smile returned as he shook his head. “You are unique, wife.”

She frowned. “Is that good or bad?”

“It’s excellent,” he said and kissed her gently.

She smiled content. “That was so much more than,” —she sighed— “I can’t even find the word to describe it.” She kissed him. “Just know I want to make love with you often.”

“I’m at your service, wife,” he said and slipped off her onto his back.

She quickly cuddled against him, his arm hurrying to secure her there.

“You do know there are consequences with coupling frequently, don’t you?” he asked.

She gasped. “I should have thought to ask Mave about what she gave my mum to keep her from having more bairns.”

“It might be wise, at least until you are free of danger, and we can start our life together without concern.”

“Do you really think that’s possible?” she asked, bringing her arm to rest across his waist and holding onto him as if she would never let him go.

Knox liked the way she touched him, held onto him. It made him feel wanted for the first time—since forever.

“I intend to make it happen.”

She shivered as if Fate had spoken, and it was done.

He moved to sit up.

Her hand to his chest stopped him. “Where are you going?”

“To reach for the blanket. You shivered. You’re cold.”

“Hurry, I need your warmth more than the blanket’s.”

And he did, pulling it over them and easing her back into his arms.

Dru’s head rested comfortably on his chest and she tilted it back to look at him, a serious expression on her face. “Why didn’t you tell me you knew who I was?”

“I hoped you would trust me enough to tell me yourself since that meant you thought well of me, had confidence in me, believed I was an honorable man.”

“I knew that as soon as we met. Another man with no honor would have thrown me down on the ground once out of the lake and had his way with me. Your concern was for me, not yourself. Only an honorable man would do that. And that you agreed to wed me was another good indication of moral character. Even though you had an ulterior motive, you struck a fair bargain with me.”

“Things began to get more complicated once I started questioning my feelings for you. I wasn’t even sure what I was feeling since love was so foreign to me—though not anymore,” he said with a playful poke to her side.

“So, what you’re saying is that you couldn’t resist my beauty and lovely nature.”

“Beauty, aye,” he said with a nod, then shook his head. “Lovely nature is debatable.”

She jabbed at his chest and grimaced, doing more damage to her finger than his hard chest.

He grabbed it and kissed it. “I am sure there is a lovely nature in you somewhere. Maybe it resides with Autumn since Dru had the difficult task of surviving.”

She sighed. “Autumn is a bit more cultured, more able to hold her tongue.”

His eyes widened. “Are you sure about that?” He kept hold of her finger when she went to poke him again. “You’ll just hurt yourself again.”

She sighed more heavily this time. “To be honest, I don’t even know if Autumn exists any longer. She’s been hidden away so long.”

He kissed her finger again. “She’ll be free soon enough.” Seeing how talk of Autumn soured the moment, he asked. “So, you put something in my food to knock me out.”

She grinned wide. “It didn’t seem to keep you out long. You caught up with me.”

“Thanks to Star. She got me to you fast once I realized you left me, which you will never do again,” he ordered sternly.

She shook her head. “Never. Never will I ever willing leave you again.”

His arm tightened around her. “As I told you. I will always find you no matter what.”

“You don’t know how much that truly means to me, husband, or how appreciative I am of knowing that you will always be there for me, and I will always be there for you.”

“Then we will have a good life together, Dru. I’ll make sure of it.”

“We both will,” she said and went to kiss him when her stomach grumbled.

He laughed. “You’re hungry and there is a hot kale and cabbage stew waiting for us.”

Dru licked her lips. “I am going to hug Mave next time we see her.”

“You know this is her home?” he asked as they both slipped out of bed and dressed, though Dru only pulled on her shirt that fell past her knees and Knox wore his plaid, leaving his chest bare.

They fell easily into each other’s arms as they left the room, and the familiar comfort touched Knox’s heart.

“It was easy to piece together once you look around,” Dru said and struggled to reach two bowls off a shelf.

Knox reached over her and grabbed them easily and sniffed the air as he did. “Is that bread I smell.”

Dru spotted the covered loaf. “That gets Mave two hugs. So, Mave told you about this place.”

“She offered it to me as a safe haven when needed, though with hot food waiting for us here, I believe she was expecting us.”

“Well, you’re in for a treat. Mave is a good cook.”

Knox never smiled or laughed so much then when he was with Dru and never had he felt so content. To him this was a peek into the future and the way their life would be, and he intended to do whatever it took to get them there.

Dru rested her arms on the table to approach the subject she preferred to ignore but couldn’t. Not if she wanted a life with Knox and she wanted that more than anything.

“What next?” she asked.

The serene moment was broken, but it couldn’t be helped.

“Facing Lord Torrance can wait. We need to find out who wants you dead. Is there anything you’ve done while being Dru that could have angered someone enough to want that?”

She started shaking her head before Knox finished. “Nay. Dru can be annoying, but she’s wise enough—” She stopped and turned her head to stare at the hearth.

“You recall something,” Knox said, leaning forward. “Tell me.”

She turned back to look at him. “The Monk saved me from being hung for stealing a horse. The noble let me go because The Monk claimed I belonged to him.”

“Did you steal the horse?”

“Aye, I did. He mistreated that animal horribly and one of his young warriors as well. The warrior badly wounded in battle. He never fully recovered and the noble cast him out of the clan claiming he was useless to him. So?—”

Knox held up his hand. “Don’t tell me. You stole the horse and gave it to the wounded warrior so both could find a better life.”

“You understand,” she said gleefully.

“You can’t go trying to heal all the ills and misjustices of the world,” Knox cautioned.

“Nay, but I can do my share.” She scrunched her brow. “That noble is too afraid of The Monk to do anything to me.”

“On that we agree.”

“Anything else you can think of?”

She shook her head, nothing came to mind.

“You peddle information?—”

“Merchant of information,” she corrected.

“Merchant,” he smirked. “Maybe it has something to do with information you provided someone, or maybe you know something someone doesn’t want you to know.”

“I wouldn’t even know where to start with that.”

Dru saw his expression shift. And the look in his eyes changed completely.

“What is it?” she asked.

“What if the revenge has more to do with your mum than you?”

Dru let his suggestion sink in, giving it thought, then she shook her head. “I don’t see how that could be. Her life revolved around Lord Randall. Please him or suffer, though?—”

Knox waited.

“He shed tears over my mum’s grave.”

“He attended her burial?”

She recalled the memory. “Nay. He came later when all had left, and dusk was near to falling. I was ready to shout at him, chase him away, and then I saw him go down on bended knee. Tears fell from his eyes, and he said, ‘I am so sorry, Cerise. I should have been here when you needed me. Been braver than you while you faced death, but I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. I should have treated you better, loved you properly. Please forgive me.’ It was the only time I saw that he actually cared for my mum. That he actually loved her.” She shrugged. “But he lied.”

“How so?”

“My mum said he gave his word that he would see me kept safe and see me wed to a decent man. From what I found out, the man who he, and now Lord Torrance, intend to wed me to is far from a decent man.”

Knox scowled. “That is no longer a worry. You are my wife now and will stay my wife. We will have a long life together.”

May Fate hear you and grant us that , she thought.

Rain suddenly pelted the cottage and Knox hurried outside to make sure Star was safe and secure from the downpour.

Dru was quick to help hang his plaid to dry by the fire when he returned, then she helped dry him, which landed them back in bed and she got to do most of the touching this time out of pure persistence and a bit of a playful tousle.

They fell asleep wrapped around each other, the same thought on both their minds.

Never would they be parted. Not ever.