Page 16 of Stolen by the Rival Scot (Tartan Trails of Love #2)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

H er breath caught in her throat at his question. It was not just the question. It was the intensity with which he asked it. That, and what was happening between them. Their eyes locked, her heart thumped in her chest, battling between the desire growing at his words, and the timid embarrassment of her innocence.

She felt awkward, and uncomfortable, and yet, at the same time, driven to push through it; determined to break through the barrier that held her back from telling him what she really wanted to say.

And yet, even as her eyes, wide with wonder and longing, told him what she desired, she could not find her voice. Like something had a grip on her throat, she could not open her mouth and speak. It was a long time since that had happened to her.

Edward held her gaze, his eyes searching her face for the answer he sought. He did not have to look far, for she certainly was not hiding it. And then, after the longest moment, he took hold of her arm and pulled her down beside him. She lay on the soft pillow beside his and gazed longingly into his eyes. She felt herself mesmerized by them, falling into the swirling pool of his obvious desire.

Slowly, he moved his face to hers, and, filling the desperate need that ached in her stomach, he pressed his lips against hers. Again, the symphony of sensations danced around her body when he slipped his tongue into her mouth. At first, his exploration was gentle, soft movements over her teeth and against her tongue.

But then something changed, she felt the desperation in his kiss. The want for more. The need for more. He pulled her in closer, as though her proximity would satiate him, his lips pressing eagerly against her own, as they both panted breathlessly.

“I want ye, Evelyn,” he growled against her mouth. “I want ye more than I have ever wanted anything in me life.”

His words terrified her, and yet, her own body fought against her fear. She ached for him, the sensation stronger than it had ever been before. Hardly realizing the words that tumbled from her lips, she said, “I want ye too.”

Edward pulled back, his eyes boring down into hers, as though to make certain she was of sound mind.

“Ye are certain?” he panted. “Ye are certain it is what ye want?”

She nodded, for she feared if she spoke again, no sound would come from her throat. But the nod was all he needed, and without hesitation, Edward plunged his lips against hers once more.

At the same time, his fingers tugged at the strings of her corset, releasing it from her body. Evelyn shifted so he could move it from beneath her, but she was too lost in his kiss to help.

His lips trailed down over her throat, soft gentle kisses that made her skin pebble. Panting at the ache that grew stronger by the second, Evelyn was taken over by her body’s reaction.

Edwards breath danced on her collar bone, his lips moving lower and lower, until she felt an exquisite sensation as they reached the nipple of her breast.

“Oh, god,” she breathed, feeling his tongue flick over and over.

“Ye are so beautiful, little bird,” he murmured, though his voice sounded like it was so very far away. “Yer skin is so soft, so delicate.”

Evelyn felt Edward her skirts upwards towards her waist. Her back arched as a warm ache blossomed at the apex of her thighs. And then Edwards fingers found her skin, leaving a trail against the soft flesh of her inner thigh as he moved higher and higher.

Parting her legs, she beckoned him in. Begging for his touch in the part of her that desired it the most. A desire she had never before felt, but that, in that moment, overwhelmed her beyond anything she had ever experienced or even imagined she could desire.

And then, he was there. How he knew where she needed him to touch her, she didn’t know, but nor did she care.

“Oh. Oh,” she cried, as his wet fingers brushed against her.

“Och, ye are so wet, Evelyn,” he growled, his tongue still flicking against her nipple. Both his actions were driving her crazy, and her body writhed beneath him. “Ye are so ready fer me,” he continued. “But nae yet.”

His words made little sense, but then, nothing made any sense as she fell into a delirious ecstasy she could not describe. All she knew was how wonderful it felt. Panting with desire, her whole body now danced beneath is touch. His fingers worked systematically, rubbing her over and over. She felt herself climbing, floating, aware of nothing else but what he was doing to her.

“I want ye tae come fer me, Evelyn. Come fer me, me love.”

His fingers moved faster now, carrying Evelyn along, and she, powerless to stop it. She didn’t want to stop it. Breathless, her body reacted to his tender touch, floating higher and higher.

“Oh, god,” she panted. “Oh, god. Oh, god.”

And then suddenly, the most intense sensation she had ever experienced exploded across her body, and she cried out as her body convulsed over and over. The sensation was blissfully euphoric. A place with no thought. A place she didn’t want to leave. She had no idea where she was, but nor did she care.

Her heart thumped in her chest, she gasped for air, and her body continued to soar for a little while longer.

When she finally opened her eyes, Edward was smiling down at her. Clearly, he was pleased with himself, but there was far more in his expression. His eyes were raging with passion and delight. He gazed at her with an adoration she had never seen from him before, and though she felt self-conscious, she could not bring herself to tear her eyes away from him.

It lasted for a moment longer, before Edward moved, positioning himself above her. Gazing down at her, his eyes now asked a question. Permission for him to continue.

Evelyn nodded, answering him in her own silence. She wanted him now more than she could have ever imagined she would want anything in her life. He had opened a door and invited her through it. A door into a magical place she had not known existed. She wanted to continue on. To experience everything there was to experience. For their bodies to join together, and for her to feel him inside of her.

“Ye are innocent, Evelyn. This is going tae hurt a little at the start, this first time. But it will feel good too. I’ll be gentle. I promise.”

Those words worried her, and yet, she still floated in her euphoria, and thus, shaking her head, she dismissed her fear.

“All right,” she whispered.

And Edward kept his promise.

With his hands planted either side of her, and her arms wrapped around his neck, she gasped as he slowly entered her, feeling herself stretch around him. It felt different than her earlier explosion, pleasurable in a different way.

His eyes bored down into hers, never leaving her gaze, watching her, while breathing heavily at the pleasure that he was evidently experiencing.

“Och, Evelyn,” he growled, his voice so guttural it sounded like it came from another. “Ye are so wet, and warm.”

Slowly, he rocked back and forth, entering her a little more each time his hips moved toward her. She could feel herself climbing again as he moved a little faster, a little deeper. But he was holding back. She could sense it.

“Tak’ me, Edward. Please,” she begged.

A flash of fear crossed his face, but Evelyn shook her head. “It’s all right. I want it. Please, Edward. Please.”

He hesitated for a second more, and then nodded. It was almost like he had been waiting for her word, for only then did he plunge himself into her. As he let out a loud sound of satisfaction, Evelyn winced at the sharp pain she felt deep inside. He frowned, and slowed, but she tightened her grip on his shoulders, thrusting her hips into him, telling him without words what she desired.

After that, Edward seemed to let go completely, and thrusting into her over and over, Evelyn felt that same sensation as before building in her. She climbed higher and higher, pressing her head into the pillow, while their bodies clashed together. She was close now. Teetering on the very cusp of that euphoric sensation. The friction between them pushed her on, lifting her higher, and then, her body convulsed as that delirious feeling took her over once more.

Edward roared a second later, his head flung back, the veins in his throat pulsing and extended, while his whole body stilled as he emptied himself inside of her.

And then, he remained there, his eyes locked on hers again, both of them panting, breathless, satiated. Evelyn could not explain it, but a connection had formed between them. A connection words could never achieve. A connection that had bridged a gap that, she was certain, would never again, come between them.

Later, after they had rested for some time, Edward’s arms wrapped protectively around her, Edward kissed her forehead gently.

“I must go, although I wish I didnae have tae. I need tae leave ye fer a little while. But I will return tae ye, little bird.”

“Why?” Evelyn asked, feeling disappointment washing over her.

“There are questions I need answers tae,” he said, pushing himself out of the bed and beginning to dress.

“About the attack,” she replied.

“Indeed. By now, I imagine the guards who were with ye have been questioned. They are likely tae have some answers at least, and I ken the men are waiting fer me and me instructions,” Edward said solemnly. “The attack mak’s little sense tae me, but someone needs tae pay fer what they did tae ye.”

The soft adoration she had relished from him only a half hour earlier had now dissipated. Edward not only looked determined, he also looked angry.

“And Freya and Morgana,” Evelyn pointed out.

Edward shook his head. “The attack was about ye. I am certain o’ it. Why wait fer me family tae travel all the way here, only tae attack them? It doesnae ring true tae me.”

“So, they were after me,” Evelyn breathed.

Edward lowered himself on the bed, leaned over to her, and took her hand in his. “I swear tae ye, Evelyn. I willnae let a hair on yer head be harmed again. I mak’ that promise tae ye right now.”

She smiled then, for such was his conviction, there was no room for disbelief.

“I’m sure the others would like tae see that ye are well. Perhaps ye could go and find Freya and Morgana. They’ll likely be worried,” Edward suggested.

“Aye. O’ course,” Evelyn replied.

Morgana and Freya’s worry had not even occurred to her. But for the first time since their hurried wedding, she had opened her heart to the possibility that she could be happy. That this forced marriage could hold much more than years of misery, as she first imagined it might. Besides, Edward had taken her to places she didn’t know existed. And though she was conversing with him as though things were as they always had been, she still felt her soul attached to the euphoria, as though it clung to her, and she to it. It was simply too beautiful to let go.

Upon reaching the bedchamber door, he turned back to her. “I will find Caitlin and send her up tae ye.”

And then, he was gone, the door closing quietly behind him.

Evelyn was left with a rush of feelings swirling within her. Not all the feelings had to do with the wonderful experience they had shared, but they were certainly the most prominent. The first kiss had been only a promise of what might come, for what he had done to her and where he had taken her far surpassed the feeling of that first embrace.

Leaving the bed, she removed the remainder of her clothes and slipped on a nightgown. If Caitlin was on her way up, Evelyn did not wish to be in such a state of undress. A state that would make it obvious to the young maid what might have happened between her and Edward.

At that thought, she smiled again as she recalled Edward’s lovemaking. Her stomach flipped at the memory of it. Maybe things would work out all right after all. Happiness had been such a distant notion. An experience anyone else could have, but not her. At least, that is what she had thought before that day.

Of course, the attack had scared her half to death, but it also paled into insignificance compared to what she and Edward had shared.

Evelyn was still wistfully replaying their time together when a sharp knock shook her from her thoughts.

“Come,” she said.

The door opened and Caitlin appeared, her brow furrowed with concern and worry.

“Och, me lady,” she gushed, hurrying to the bedside where Evelyn sat. “Are ye all right?”

Evelyn smiled and nodded. “I am fine, Caitlin. Truly. How are ye feeling? I ken ye were distraught at what happened.”

“I am still distraught,” the maid replied, her eyes like glassy pools. “Ye were nearly killed. I watched the man strike ye, and I thought, fer a certainty, that ye were going tae die ‘afore me very eyes.”

“Och, Caitlin,” Evelyn gasped, pushing herself off the bed. Taking hold of her maid’s hands she gazed at her compassionately. “All is well now. Ye must nae let what happened distress ye so.”

Caitlin shook her head, a tear falling down her cheek at the motion. “Those words are easy said, me lady, but I cannae stop what happened from replaying in me head. Over and over, I see that brute strike ye. Over and over, I hold me breath, waiting fer the fatal blow.”

“And yet, I am here,” Evelyn said softly. “Standing alive and well ‘afore ye.”

More tears began to flow, and not knowing what other words might comfort her, Evelyn took Caitlin by the shoulders and pulled her into a comforting embrace. The young maid remained there, sobbing for a little while. Caitlin’s words had elicited Evelyn’s own sorrow, for now, the fact that she had killed a man returned to her.

“And I killed a man,” she whispered.

After a moment of comfort, Caitlin pulled away and looked Evelyn straight in the eye. “I’m glad ye killed him,” she hissed. “He deserved naething less.”

Half an hour later, Evelyn found herself in the drawing room with Morgana and Freya, who, after inquiring how Evelyn was, repeated Caitlin’s sentiments.

“I was terrified fer ye,” Freya lamented, her eyes dancing with emotion. “I surely thought ye would be killed. Only fer yer bravery, Evelyn, none o’ us might be here.”

“Indeed,” Morgana agreed. “How ye feel is entirely understandable. I cannae imagine how I would feel, smiting another. But I dinnae judge ye at all fer what ye did. Had I been in the same position, I could only hope I would have had the courage tae dae the same.”

The women instilled a little more confidence in Evelyn by their words. While the experience was likely something that would haunt her for the rest of her life, it had been a necessity. It had been her or him.

Now that she thought about it, that was exactly what James had said about the battle between himself and her uncle the day before, when he had arrived. At the time, she had taken his words on face value. Now, however, they had a far deeper meaning. She had lived the very same moment. The fear, the utter terror. The immediacy of a decision, of survival.

Over the following hours before supper, several councilmen came to see her in the drawing room. They all more or less said the same thing. How sorry they were that such a dreadful thing had happened, how happy they were that she had returned to them relatively unharmed. And how determined they were to discover who had attacked the women and why.

“We are working with the laird in trying tae discover who attacked ye, me lady,” Michael said. “He is angry, and confused, like the rest o’ us.”

“Ye are nae on yer own in that, Michael,” Evelyn replied. “We have spoken about the ordeal in length,” she gestured to the women sitting with her, “and none ‘o us can recall any clan colors or flags.”

Michael nodded. “The guards with ye relayed the same. Which mak’s one wonder. The very lack o’ clan colors o’ the men denote deception in their approach. Like they were trying tae hide who they were.”

It made perfect sense.

“What o’ the wedding feast tomorrow?” Freya asked. “Will it still go ahead?”

Michael smiled warmly. “Naething is changed, me dear. We have even more tae celebrate than ‘afore, fer we have ye all safely back with us. And celebrate we will.”

The following morning, Evelyn woke having enjoyed a long and deep slumber. Taking a deep breath in, she sighed.

“My, that is a big sigh.”

Nearly jumping with fright, she turned to see Edward, perched up on one elbow, gazing down at her. He was already dressed and had clearly been awake for some time.

After supper the previous night, she had retired earlier than he, for even after the sleep in the afternoon, she felt exhausted. Edward had told her it was the shock of what she had experienced. After kissing her forehead, he had added that he would join her after.

Evelyn had clearly slipped into a deep slumber because she had not heard nor felt Edward climbing into the bed beside her.

“How long have ye been awake?” she asked, casting her eyes at his fully clothed body.

“Long enough,” he replied with a half-smile, “tae enjoy watching ye sleep.”

Self-consciousness washed over her and she felt heat rush to her cheeks. “I’m sure there are far more interesting things ye could be doing.”

Her husband shook his head. “I disagree. Besides, this morning feels a little different, dinnae ye agree?”

Her cheeks bloomed more fiercely, for she knew that he was referring to their lovemaking the day before. “Aye,” she replied softly. “Aye, it daes.”

“Today is our wedding feast and celebration, Evelyn,” he declared, as though it was something of which she was unaware.

She smiled, feeling slightly amused at his strange sentence. “I ken,” she said pointedly. “It might have passed yer notice, but I have spent the last month preparing it.”

He grinned then. “It hasnae passed me notice. I ken ye have worked very hard, and I am grateful. What I desire tae ken is whether ye are ready fer it?”

“O’ course, I am.” She frowned a little at his unusual question. “Why dae ye ask?”

Edward shrugged. “Och, I dinnae ken,” he said, his tone playfully droll. “Maybe it has something tae dae with the fact that ye’ve hated me fer so long, forced me tae sleep on the floor, hardly spoken tae me fer days at a time, and have generally been dead against our marriage from the beginning.”

Her smile widened. Not only at his tone, but at the very succinct and factually correct synopsis of their relationship so far. She was also fully aware that the day before had changed everything between them. He knew that too. It was written all over his face. In fact, she had never witnessed him so relaxed and, dare she say it, happy.

And it has been me fault.

Yes. It had. She had not made things easy for either of them. What a difference a day makes.

Still gazing at her with that satisfied smile, he said, “So, me question is now this. Are ye happy tae be celebrating our wedding this day?”

Had he asked her that question two days ago, Evelyn could have been certain of her answer. She had not been happy for a long time, and certainly not under the circumstances she had found herself in.

Just as she opened her mouth to reply, a sharp knock came on the door.

“Enter,” Edward called out.

The door opened, and Caitlin peered inside the room. “Och, I apologize, me laird. I didnae realize ye were here.”

The young lass began backing out of the room again, but Edward lifted a hand and waved her in. “Come, Caitlin. Please. Come in.”

As Caitlin bashfully walked further into the room, Edward jumped off the bed energetically. Looking from Evelyn to Caitlin and back again, he said, “I will leave ye lasses tae it. Ye have much tae dae tae ready yersel’ fer the day ahead.”

Striding across the room, he reached the door. Before leaving, however, he looked back at Evelyn.

“This isnae the end o’ our conversation, little bird,” he said, smiling playfully at her. “Ye owe me answers.”

Feeling her face flush once more, not only at his playfulness, but at the tender name he had called her in front of Caitlin, Evelyn could only laugh.

He rewarded her with a huge grin, and then left, closing the door behind him.

Caitlin stood there, her eyebrows hitched, a soft smile on her lips. “Well, it appears things are much better.”

The young lass appeared pleased at the interaction she had just witnessed, and she wasn’t the only one. As Evelyn sighed deeply, she felt a deep sense of contentment. A sense that maybe, her new life had just begun.