Page 54 of Taken By the Highland Villain
The sides of the small stream were lined with moss nearly the same shade as Valerie’s eyes, and the air was filled with the sweet fragrance of heather and various flowers.
It was the most beautiful spot in MacFinn lands, and it had once been a favorite destination for his mother and sister to havepicnics, especially in the spring and summer months when the flowers were in full bloom.
Jude hadn’t been back since his sister’s kidnapping and his mother’s passing. At some point, he’d thought that he’d never come back here—not unless it was to drink himself into a stupor or burn the entire place to ash so he wouldn’t be reminded of the happiness he’d once shared with his family.
Now, he was glad that he’d never given in to that impulse.
Seeing Valerie, head tilted back and eyes sparkling as she trailed a hand over the flowers, was wondrous. The whole world seemed brighter, despite the gray skies and the lingering scent of water in the air.
A moment later, Jude jumped as a drop of water hit his cheek. The water was cold, and the impact was far more noticeable now that he lacked the cover his beard had provided.
Another drop hit his forehead, and Valerie yelped, her eyes turning skyward, just as the rain began to fall in earnest.
“Bloody…” Jude bit back the rest of his curse, then limped forward to take Valerie by the arm. “Come. I ken a place where we can wait out the rain.”
“We could try to ride back…” Valerie trailed off as the rain began to fall harder.
“And we’d be drenched to the bone and beggin’ to catch a summer sickness if we did.” Jude shook his head and began to lead her to the far side of the meadow. “Doesnae look like it is more than a summer cloudburst—should be over within thirty minutes or so. Ye can wait that long, can ye nae?”
“Aye. But where…” Valerie trailed off again as she spotted their destination.
It was a modestly sized cave, almost a crack in the cliff face.
“And ye’re sure there are nay animals using it?”
“Shouldnae be.”
There was no track or sign of any beast, but even if there was, Jude was confident in his ability to drive them away.
Inside, the cave was dry, somewhat cooler than the air outside. Jude scarcely minded the temperature, but Valerie was soon shivering in her damp clothes. Jude considered giving her his riding cloak, but she took the decision from him by stepping close and burying her face in his shoulder.
Jude wrapped his arms around her at once. “Valerie…?”
“It is nothing. Only that ye’re warm and I feel cold.”
She started to step away, but he pulled her closer, drawing her to where the two of them could sit most comfortably against the rocks.
It was a simple matter to arrange them, with him leaning against the stone, his legs outstretched, and Valerie on his lap, both of them wrapped in his cloak. The warmth between them was pleasant and comfortable.
For several minutes, the two of them sat in silence, soaking in the warmth of each other and watching the rain outside the cave as it fell in a silvery-gray curtain.
Jude scarcely noticed when Valerie’s hand came up to toy with the laces of his shirt, loosening them so her fingers could glide through the hair on his chest and tease his nipples.
The sensation was interesting, but it seemed idle amusement, and Jude was content to amuse himself in turn by stroking a hand across her belly, his thumb brushing the already taut peaks of her breasts, which stood out clearly against the damp fabric of her blouse.
He did notice, however, when her hand slid lower, across his stomach to his belt, then lower to caress him through the fabric of his riding trews—riding trewsshehad made for him.
Jude’s breath hitched, hissing out between his teeth as she slid her hand lower to stroke the growing bulge beneath the fabric.
“What are ye…?”
“Hush.” Valerie stretched up and kissed him, the kiss light as a butterfly’s wing against his jaw, before she cupped his face in her free hand and kissed him more firmly on the lips, claiming his mouth as he had often claimed hers.
Her lips were soft, the kiss gentle but demanding, her tongue sweeping into his mouth and dueling with his with a skill he hadn’t imagined she might show.
Somehow, she undid the laces of his trews, her hand parting the fabric to grip his swelling member. Jude grunted as she stroked him, freeing him from the confines of his trews so that his erection was between the two of them, pressed against the soft fabric that covered her belly.
It seemed impossible not to respond—mold his hands to her narrow waist, then slide them up her sides to cup her breasts. The laces of her bodice came loose so easily that it almost seemed she might have planned it, her blouse sliding down her shoulders to bare her bosom to his touch.