Page 19 of Oath of a Highlander (Arch Through Time #25)

E meric lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He had no idea how many hours had passed since he’d said goodnight to Anna. Was it midnight yet? Perhaps. The clouds obscured the moon and stars and he had no way to mark the passage of time.

Filled with a nervous energy, he’d been unable to sleep and so had filled his time with other tasks. He’d polished his sword. He’d oiled his bow. He’d mended a tear in his plaid with a bone needle and thread. He’d finally flung himself down onto his bed and closed his eyes, determined to fall asleep. But he’d opened them again a moment later, unable to stop the swirl of thoughts churning through his head like the storm outside.

His father. Irene MacAskill. But mostly, mostly, the woman in the room opposite.

He didn’t know what to make of the revelation about her meeting with Irene MacAskill. He’d thought her arrival in this time was some sort of accident but now it was clear there was more to it. But what? But most of all, he found his thoughts returning to what had happened between them earlier today .

He’d never trusted anyone, not even his sword-brothers, with the truth about his father. Yet, he had not questioned his decision to share it with Anna. It had felt right. And now that she knew, he didn’t feel the vulnerability that he’d expected to feel, not the shame that another person was privy to his family’s dirty secret. No, he felt lighter, freer, like he could breathe more freely. He hadn’t understood how heavy a burden that secret had been until it had been lifted. By Anna. By this woman from the future who set his soul alight.

He closed his eyes, summoning her face into his mind. Those smiling eyes, that wild, midnight hair, those lips that felt so perfect against his own.

Nothing else seemed to matter when she was around. He could almost feel the sensation of her hair against his fingers, the sensation of her back against his chest as they’d rode, her lips on his, her tongue in his mouth...

His hand absently went to his lips, recalling the intoxicating sensation.

It was impossible. She was a woman from the future, with knowledge and experiences he could never understand. He was a Highland warrior, bound by duty and tradition. They were worlds apart.

But he didn’t care.

He wanted her. He wanted her like he’d never wanted any woman in his life. The thought of her sent fire straight to his groin. She was so close, only on the other side of the hall. Just a few steps and he could be there, carrying her to her bed.. .

He clenched his fists harder, trying to get control of himself.

ANNA TOSSED AND TURNED . Try as she might, she could not get her thoughts to settle. What was Emeric doing right now? Was he sound asleep, untroubled by dreams? Or was he lying there thinking about her like she was thinking about him?

She thumped her fists on the bed in frustration. This was not how things were supposed to go. She was supposed to be the cool one, the one in control of the situation. But she wasn’t. She wasn’t in control at all. Somewhere along the way Emeric bloody Mackintosh had broken down all her defenses and left her heart exposed. And there wasn’t a damned thing she could do about it.

She sat up and stared at the door, chewing on her lip. What should she do?

WHAT SHOULD HE DO? Emeric knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to burst into Anna’s room and kiss her until she surrendered. Then he’d make her his, take her to heights of pleasure that would have her screaming his name.

Damnation. Just the thought of it made him hard.

He scrambled to his feet and began pacing. This was no good. He either had to do what he was thinking about, take the risk, and knock on Anna’s door, or he needed to go and stand outside in the rain to cool off .

Still not quite sure what he’d decided, he strode across the room and flung his door open.

Only to find Anna standing outside.

ANNA WASN’T SURE HOW she’d gotten to the door. It hadn’t been a conscious decision, or at least, not one that she could recall. She’d simply found her feet moving, driven by some force beyond her control. She didn’t even have time to second guess her actions as she found herself at Emeric’s door, hand poised to knock.

But before she could do so, the door swung open, revealing Emeric in all his rugged, semi-undressed glory. His chest was bare and with the dim light behind him casting a shadow, it highlighted every curve and hard line of muscle on his body.

She gasped in surprise and momentarily forgot how to breathe. Emeric looked equally startled. His gaze fell on her disheveled state. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.

“Anna.” He breathed her name like a prayer, his voice rough. “I... I was...”

She placed a finger to his lips to silence him. Before she could lose her nerve, she stepped past him, crossing the threshold into his room without an invitation. He closed the door behind her and leaned on it. She was acutely aware of him behind her, the air in the room heavy with tension and unspoken desire.

“Anna,” Emeric said, his voice a low rumble. “What are we doing? ”

Anna turned to face him. She could feel her pulse hammering in her throat. “You know what we’re doing. You know why I came.”

Emeric said nothing, and as the silence stretched, she felt a sliver of doubt.

“Am I...am I wrong?” she asked. Had she misunderstood? Did he not feel the same?

Emeric stood frozen, watching her with an intensity that made her skin tingle. He was beautiful—fierce and vulnerable at the same time. His eyes, dark under the shadow of his brows, held a desire so raw it took her breath away.

He pushed himself off the door, striding closer until he stood before her, close enough for her to feel the heat radiating off him. His hands reached out and cupped her face gently.

“Nay,” he breathed in a ragged whisper. “Ye are not wrong.”

He bent his head and his lips crashed into hers in a ferocious kiss that burned with unspoken need. She responded with a moan, her hands reaching up to anchor in his thick hair. The taste of him was intoxicating, setting her senses alight, shooting fire straight to her core. She felt him groan against her, one hand pressing into her back.

His kisses deepened, becoming more demanding, his tongue exploring the recesses of her mouth in a tantalizing dance that left her dizzy. This was not a polite exploration but an all-consuming possession that left no room for anything else. She gave as good as she got, meeting him stroke for stroke, loosening all restraint as desire obliterated all her thoughts .

Suddenly he lifted her off the floor, cradling her into his strong arms and carrying her over to the bed. He laid her down gently on the soft mattress, his body hovering above hers.

His fingertips traced the line of her collarbone, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. Her breath hitched as he leaned down, his lips ghosting over hers in a teasingly light caress.

“Emeric,” she murmured, her hands finding their way to his chest, running along the hard planes of his abs. He groaned against her mouth, a low rumble that vibrated through her whole body, setting off a wave of delightful shivers.

His lips began a trail downwards—across her jaw, down her throat where he nipped and licked at her pulse point. Then lower still, tracing the curve where her neck met her shoulder before he reached the edge of her shift.

He paused, his eyes lifting to meet hers. There was a question in them, a request for permission. She answered by pulling the fabric over her head, discarding the shift onto the floor.

Emeric hissed at the sight of her, his gaze hungry as it roamed over her bare skin. “God help me,” he murmured against the shell of her ear before his lips began their descent once more.

Anna arched her back as Emeric’s lips left a trail of kisses along the valley between her breasts and then along her ribs. At the same time his hand caressed lower, a whisper of touch against her hip that made her sigh and move restlessly beneath him. Her fingers skimmed through his hair as he mouthed a path across her belly, every kiss, every nibble sending spasms of pleasure winding through her.

“Ye are beautiful,” Emeric murmured, his voice a velvet whisper in the dark.

She twisted beneath him, a keening whimper escaping her lips as his lips reached the tender flesh of her thighs. “Emeric,” she moaned, the sound half plea, half demand. He lifted his head to look at her and she caught a glimpse of his normally bright eyes, now dark with desire.

“I need you...” Her words hung heavy in the air between them, a plea echoing within the quiet darkness.

Emeric held her gaze as he slowly traced his fingers along her inner thigh, sending a shudder through her. “Are ye sure?” he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

She nodded fervently, unable to form words.

“Then ye shall have me,” he replied.

Slowly, Emeric began to move again. He started at her knees, placing soft kisses on the inside of her thighs that sent goosebumps racing across her skin. His hands were warm on her legs as he spread them apart to make room for himself between them.

With one hand, he expertly unwound the plaid from around his waist and tossed it away, leaving him gloriously naked before her. The sight of his arousal, all the glorious length of him nearly sent her over the edge. She reached out to run her fingertips along his length. Emeric’s eyes slid closed where he knelt above her and gave a long, shuddering moan .

He took her hand, guiding it with a gentleness that belied his desperation. “Anna,” he moaned, his voice choked with raw need.

His hand released hers as he positioned himself above her, his strong arms on either side of her head. His eyes roved over her face, as if memorizing every inch of her before his mouth descended onto hers in a searing kiss.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him desperately as he dropped his weight onto her and she felt the tip of him touch the heated skin between her thighs. She gasped into his mouth, her body arching instinctively closer. Emeric groaned low in his throat and his body shifted as she felt him pressing at her entrance. She bit her lower lip and tightened her grip on him, silently urging him on.

With one swift move, he thrust inside her. She gasped at the intrusion, her breath hitching as she felt the slow stretch of her body accommodating him. It was a beautiful mixture of discomfort and pleasure that left her clinging to him, her fingernails digging into the solid muscles of his back.

He stilled for a moment, allowing her time to adjust before he began to move. Slowly, he withdrew and then pushed forward again, a tender rhythm that had her gasping and moaning beneath him. Each thrust was a delicious pressure that built and built until she thought she would burst from it all. His body was hard and heated against hers, their slick, sweat-covered skin sliding together in a dance as old as time.

“Anna,” he murmured against her ear, his voice rough and husky. He moved deeper within her, his hands gripping her hips to angle her just right. “Tell me what ye need. ”

“More,” she moaned. “Emeric...more.”

His response was immediate. His movements picked up speed, growing more fervent as he drove into her again and again. Their bodies rocked together on the bed, the only sounds in the room their breathy moans and the creaking of wood.

His name tumbled from her lips again and again amidst her gasps and moans and the sound only seemed to drive him wilder. His thrusts grew more powerful, each one jolting pleasure through her, driving her towards the edge.

“Emeric!” she cried out as he tipped her over the edge, and she exploded around him. Waves of pleasure rocked through her, making her convulse and shudder beneath him.

He followed a moment later, burying his face into her neck as he grunted and spasmed with his own release. Emeric collapsed beside her on the bed and pulled her into his arms. She went willingly, resting her head on his chest, his skin damp with sweat and the aftermath of their lovemaking. His heart pounded against her ear, matching the rapid beat of her own.

For a long while, they lay entangled in silence, the only sound their shared gasps for air. Anna’s fingertips traced absent patterns on his chest as she listened to his heartbeat gradually slow.

Emeric’s hand, calloused and warm, came to rest atop hers on his chest. He laced their fingers together, pressing a lingering kiss to her knuckles.

His voice was soft, barely above a whisper when he spoke. “Did I hurt ye? ”

Anna turned her face into the crook of his neck, pressing a soft kiss to his skin. “No,” she murmured, her voice muffled against him. “Never that.”

A heavy sigh of relief rumbled through Emeric’s chest. His arms tightened around her in response. She felt so right there, wrapped in his arms. She had done it. She had taken the risk and it had resulted in...this. Lovemaking like she had never known before, yes, but something else as well, something she could not describe. It made her feel...alive. He made her feel alive.

“I never thought I would be so glad to get caught in a rainstorm,” she said eventually.

A slow smile spread across his face. “Me neither.”

He bent down to capture her lips in a slow kiss. Desire roared to life in her again, sending heat flooding her core. And if the bulge pressing against her thigh was any indication, Emeric felt it too.

She moaned against his lips, tangling her hand in his hair and pulling him closer. Suddenly she didn’t feel tired at all.