Page 30 of One Forbidden Kiss with the Laird (The Cinderella Shepherd Sisters #2)
Before she could stop herself she reached out and gripped Callum’s shirt, pulling him towards her. She kissed him, long and hard, not letting go of his shirt until she felt his hand come up to cup her face.
‘What are you doing, Selina?’ he murmured when he pulled away.
‘I am fed up with being sensible, following all the rules,’ she said, knowing her words were madness.
There was this rebellious part of her that wanted to experience what it felt like to have the man she loved make love to her, even if it was just once.
Already they were risking so much, being out her in the woods together, she suddenly wanted to throw caution to the wind and take what she wanted.
She rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him again, revelling in the warmth of his lips, loving the way he could not resist trailing his fingers over her skin.
‘We shouldn’t…’
‘Do you want me, Callum?’
‘Of course.’
‘Then let us just enjoy this moment, without any expectation of another.’ She kissed him again and felt the hardness in his trousers as he pressed against her. There was still a hint of hesitation, but as she drew him to her he groaned, unable to resist.
After a moment she pulled away and, holding his gaze, she slipped Callum’s jacket from her shoulders, then gripped the hem of her chemise and lifted it up over her head.
Never before had she done anything so brazen, but it was liberating just doing exactly what she wanted for once, without worrying about pleasing anyone else.
‘You’re beautiful,’ he said, taking his time as he looked at her. ‘I knew you were beautiful, but you’re more than that. You’re perfect.’
He closed the gap between them and kissed her again, his lips soft but insistent.
As they kissed he trailed his fingertips down her naked back, stopping just at the top of her buttocks, then repeating the movement all over again.
His touch was gentle, a mere caress, but as his fingers danced over her skin Selina felt her body begin to warm.
Up until now she had felt in control of their encounter, but as he touched her she felt him take charge, now as fully invested in their dalliance as she was.
‘You still have all your clothes on,’ Selina whispered in between kisses. She felt disorientated, as if she had been swimming underwater for a while, that euphoric giddy sensation.
‘You wish me to disrobe?’
‘It seems only fair.’
‘Your wish is my command, my lady.’
Callum kicked off his boots, coming back to kiss her before he pulled away and quickly unfastened his trousers and then lifted his shirt over his head.
Selina couldn’t help herself. She stepped forward and laid her palms against the sculpted muscles of his chest, feeling the heat of him against her hands.
She curled her fingers so her nails were resting against his skin and raked them gently down his torso.
He let out a shuddering breath and then inhaled deeply.
‘Are you sure you haven’t done this before?’ he murmured.
She smiled and shook her head, dipping lower with her hands so that she grazed the waistband of his trousers.
‘I still think you’ve bewitched me. I feel like one of those Greek sailors, entranced by the beauty of the witch Circe, willing to do anything for one kiss.’
Selina moved in closer so her lips were touching his ear. ‘You can have much more than one kiss.’
He took his kiss and then guided her over to the clearing, laying his jacket carefully on the ground for her.
He ensured she was comfortable before giving her a wicked grin and then straddling her, leaning forward to kiss her soft skin.
Selina gasped as he trailed his lips over her breasts, circling her nipples until she wanted to cry out.
When he finally grazed one nipple with his teeth Selina groaned loudly.
A jolt of pleasure shot through her body and she felt a pulse of warmth between her legs.
Within a minute Selina was writhing underneath him as he nipped and sucked and kissed her breasts.
As she arched her back to meet him she let out a moan much louder than she meant to and they both froze at the sound. Selina squeezed her eyes tight, biting her lip, wondering if it had been as loud as she felt it was.
Neither moved for a minute and then another, and only when the woods remained silent after that did Callum move, pressing his lips close to her ear.
‘Hush, my love.’ It was an instruction, but also a challenge, and as he moved away, his body raking against hers, she knew he was going to make it very hard for her to keep quiet.
This time he did not stop at her breasts, but carried on lower with his kisses.
Instinctively she pressed her thighs together, only relaxing as he gently coaxed them apart.
She gasped as his lips trailed lower and had to press the back of her hand against her mouth as he flicked his tongue against her most private place.
Selina was lost almost immediately. The sensation of Callum’s lips on her and his fingers as they dipped inside her made her back arch and her breath come out in short pants.
She never wanted him to stop, yet she did not know how much she could take.
The tension built deep inside her until she felt a release and then wave after wave of pleasure coursing through her body.
Callum raised himself up and now Selina could see he had pushed off his trousers. While she was still in a haze of pleasure he held himself above her, until he was certain he had her full attention.
‘We can stop if you want,’ he murmured into her ear. ‘It might kill me, but we can stop.’
In answer she pressed her hips up against his and felt him slip inside her.
At first he moved slowly, giving her time to adjust, but as her body began to respond, her hips moving in time with his, he started to move faster until they found the perfect rhythm, their bodies coming together over and over again.
Selina felt the pressure building again and this time she did cry out, the sound cutting through the quiet woods until she buried her face in Callum’s shoulder. As she felt her muscles tense and pulse, Callum stiffened, too, his head thrown back in ecstasy.
Callum held himself above her for a minute while Selina regained control of her senses, then ever so gently he moved off, collapsing back on to the ground beside her.
It took a long time for Selina to drift back down to earth and as she did she felt suffused with a warmth and satisfaction that she was not expecting. Even as she had initiated their intimacy she had wondered if she would regret it once it was over, but instead she was lying here feeling satisfied.
She knew nothing had changed, not really.
Callum was still destined to marry Catherine and Selina was due to leave Scotland in a mere few weeks.
Their futures hadn’t altered, but she had allowed herself a sliver of happiness, something to hold on to while she made the long journey south to her new life.
‘That was unexpected,’ Callum said, his voice gruff. Selina turned to face him, aware they were both lying naked in the middle of the forest, but unable to summon the strength to get up.
‘Certainly unplanned,’ Selina said, ‘But perhaps not unexpected. It has felt like an inevitability ever since we first shared a kiss.’
‘Perhaps,’ he said, a smile lingering on his lips for a moment before it was replaced with a frown.
She knew he was thinking of what happened next, of the weight of responsibility he now felt for her as well as his promise to the people of Ballachulish.
She felt the first flicker of sadness threaten to ruin the warmth and happiness of a few moments earlier.
She did not want to think about the future, about the time when Callum would stand at the altar and say his vows to another woman.
She knew their intimacy did not change anything, not really, yet even though she had told herself she would not get possessive she felt stirrings of jealousy.
‘We should get dressed, before anyone else happens upon us.’
As Selina stood Callum’s eyes raked over her body and she wondered momentarily whether she could sink back down on to his soft jacket and pretend the rest of the world did not exist.
‘You’re right,’ Callum said, not moving. ‘Then we need to talk about what happens next.’
Selina stiffened for a moment, then shook her head. ‘Nothing happens next,’ she said as she pulled on her chemise and petticoats.’
‘Of course it does. I am not without honour, I would not…’
Selina shook her head firmly. ‘It changes nothing, Callum.’
She did not want to discuss it, to draw out the pain any further than necessary. Quickly she took her dress and slipped it on, reaching round behind her to do up the fastenings as best she could on her own.
Callum was on his feet now, pulling on his own clothes.
‘Of course it changes things.’
‘No,’ Selina said firmly.
She suddenly felt completely overwhelmed.
She did not want to argue with Callum, to have to tell him why a union between them would be doomed from the start.
He had made his promise long before she had ever met him, she would not be the reason he let his people down.
What was more, she did not want to be a burden, a duty he resented as the years went by.
Better to take her happy memories and leave.
In time Callum’s face would grow hazy in her mind, she would never forget him, but she might be able to find happiness without him when the pain of these last few weeks faded.
‘Goodbye, Callum,’ she whispered, then turned on her heel and ran, not stopping until she reached the road. Only then did she check behind her, hating how much her heart was breaking as she realised Callum was not following her.