Page 26 of The Cruel Highlander (From Enemies to Marriage #3)
CHAPTER 25
Aiden had eventually lain down next to Valorie on the blanket, but he was still keeping a close eye on her face. Something about his gesture was making her somber, and Aiden was determined to fix it. Besides, the profile of Valorie’s face, bathed in sunlight, was all Aiden wanted to look at anyway.
“Thank ye for saving me… again,” Valorie said. With a bit of relief, Aiden assumed that her mood was just due to everything that had happened, but he wished the waterfall was doing more to cheer her up.
When Aiden didn’t reply, Valorie turned onto her side to look at him. She was looking at Aiden with adoration, and he did not know how to respond to it. Aiden wasn’t a hero — he was inherently selfish. He wanted to keep Valorie for himself just as much as Tavish did, except Aiden would sooner cut off his own arm than see Valorie hurt.
Aiden guessed that was the difference; he would always do everything in his power to see Valorie happy and safe. And while he wanted her, desperately, Aiden would walk away if that’s what she wished. Aiden would pine for her from afar for the rest of his life, but he would leave her alone if she asked it of him.
Aiden still had doubts that he would always be able to protect Valorie, and she would never be completely safe from harm, but when Aiden had thought Valorie might be lost, he realized he would rather have her with him for whatever time he managed to get than never have her at all.
Neither of them knew what the future held, but the outlook was bleak without Valorie in his life. And no matter what the next day brought, Aiden wanted to spend today with Valorie and the next day and the day after that.
Aiden had let Myles’ hold on him stretch too far. Aiden’s own fear and trauma had him pushing everyone away as a form of protection. He thought that if he kept himself alone and separate, he would be safe, but that had not been a life. Aiden was simply existing before her, but with Valorie, he was finally starting to live.
Emboldened by his realizations, Aiden inched closer to Valorie, and with each movement, he let go of some of his fear. The woman lying next to him was fierce and strong, and Aiden was not the same boy he once was. He didn’t need to be alone in order to be safe. Together, they were a formidable pair; together they could do anything.
Finally, Aiden lay directly in front of Valorie. They were so close together now that he could see all the little freckles on her cheeks and nose. Once again, Valorie had a challenge in her eye, and this time, it was one Aiden wanted to meet head-on. He was ready for her.
Aiden surged forward, grabbing Valorie by the back of the neck and taking her lips in a heated kiss. Valorie’s hands found their way to Aiden’s back, squeezing and scratching him as they continued to share a deep kiss. Their lips moved in tandem together, their passions aligned.
They lay side by side on the blanket, their arms wrapped tightly around each other. Aiden felt Valorie’s breasts rising and falling heavily against him, and he pulled back slightly to give himself space to fully worship her body with his hands. Now with access to the front of Valorie, Aiden caressed her neck and arms and breasts, running teasing touches across every part of her that he could reach.
With the sounds of the waterfall filling his ears, Aiden felt a swelling underneath his plaid from kissing and teasing the lass. It had not gone unnoticed; with the extra space between their bodies now, Valorie’s shy hand was caressing him with a slow and steady motion. Aiden gently stopped her hand; she didn’t need to do this for him. He was happy just to be here with her. After yesterday, Aiden did not want to push her.
Sensing things were going too fast, too quickly, Aiden pulled back completely from Valorie, putting a few inches of space between them again on the blanket.
Valorie looked him in the eye and announced, equally determined and sad, “I daenae care that our time together is limited; I want to experience this with ye.”
* * *
“Limited?” Aiden asked Valorie, shaking his head at her. “I will never leave ye, lass. Nothing about this is limited or temporary to me. I want ye for life,” he growled.
“Come here, Val,” Aiden said, and Valorie went easily, snuggling back into the circle of Aiden’s arms and burrowing into his embrace. Half of her body lay on top of his and she squirmed a little, not wanting to crush him, but Aiden held her tightly in place.
“I donnae want this to be limited either Aiden — I want everything with ye,” Valorie said quietly.
“Good.”
Valorie lifted her head off Aiden’s chest and tilted her face up to his. When he just stared at her in wonder, she reached behind his head and pulled him in for another passionate kiss.
Kissing Aiden felt like coming home, like finally taking a deep breath after being underwater, like that first taste of freedom. Valorie knew without a doubt that this is where she was meant to be. No far-off land or adventure would ever measure up to this feeling right here. Valorie was greedy now that she had Aiden for real. She wanted it all, she wanted to travel and experience the world, and she wanted to do it with Aiden.
Desiring more of Aiden, always, Valorie deepened their kiss, opening her mouth and letting her tongue tangle with Aiden’s again. He followed suit, fully immersing himself in their kiss.
“Valorie,” Aiden groaned against her lips. Valorie’s body filled with heat knowing that she caused that sound to come out of his mouth. Aiden was desperate for her, and it was a heady thing.
Slowly, Aiden reached his hands down towards the hem of her dress. He held her eye the whole time, giving her ample opportunity to change her mind, but she wanted this.
Still moving slowly, Aiden began to lift the dress up Valorie’s body. She had to lift herself off him at times, but she was still wearing the simple sheath she put on this morning, so at least there were no intricate ties for Aiden to struggle with. Valorie lay on top of him now in just her undergarments, flushing heavily under his close inspection.
“I want to see all of ye, Val,” Aiden said, and Valorie heartily nodded. He flipped them over, so Valorie lay on her back staring up at him. She watched closely as Aiden slowly removed the rest of her clothes. She had never been this exposed to a man before, and Valorie fought the urge to cover herself, but as soon as she saw the hungry look in Aiden’s eyes, she relaxed.
Rising up to his knees, Aiden used one hand to remove his shirt and quickly took off his plaid as well. He was apparently no longer moving slowly because Valorie barely had time to admire his naked form before he surged back to kiss her again.
Aiden rocked himself against her, and Valorie cried out at the first feel of him bare pressed against her. He felt impossibly large, but Valorie had little time for nerves once Aiden started kissing and sucking on her neck while also teasing her taut nipples.
“Aiden,” Valorie moaned into his ear.
“Ye’re beautiful, Val, absolutely stunning like this,” Aiden told her, and despite already being completely bared to him, this comment was the one that caused her to flush deeply.
“I have been wonderin’ how far that blush of yours goes,” Aiden said, admiring and stroking the heated flesh across Valorie’s chest.
When Valorie started to squirm underneath his attention, Aiden smirked and resumed his teasing. He brought his fingers back to her center now, stroking that one spot that drove her crazy.
“I need ye, Valorie,” Aiden groaned before rising up on his elbows and looking down at Valorie. Looking back at him, Valorie was ready too. She wanted to share her first time with Aiden. She ran her hands over his abdomen, admiring the way the muscles there were strained.
“Aye, Aiden, please,” Valorie agreed when Aiden positioned himself at her entrance.
Ever so slowly, Aiden began to slide his length inside of Valorie. She cried out at the first feel of him, stretching her. Aiden paused, with just the smallest amount inside of her, to check in, but she whined in his ear, “More, Aiden; I need ye too.”
Aiden continued filling her, and she felt each bit of him until he was fully sheathed inside of her. Aiden let out a deep groan as he leaned back down for another kiss.
Valorie was desperate for more, first with Aiden’s teasing touches, and now, he was just holding himself inside of her for several long moments as they kissed. Valorie tried to buck her hips, but Aiden let out a dark laugh and kept her in place beneath him.
“Aiden, please, I want everythin’,” Valorie cried out.
“Not yet, lass, have patience,” Aiden responded before capturing one nipple in his mouth and taking the other one between two fingers. The sensation had Valorie’s back arching against the blanket, and she finally started to feel some friction, letting out a low moan.
Aiden too moaned at the movement, and it seemed to spur him into action. He pulled back from her breasts and finally started to move inside of her, increasing his pace and hitting the spot inside of Valorie that made her vision blur.
With each thrust, Valorie got closer and closer to the edge. She was meeting Aiden’s hips, and both of their breaths were coming in heavily now.
“Val” Aiden chanted as he kept up his strokes. Valorie could feel herself right there at the edge already when Aiden reached down and started stroking her core again.
“Aiden!’ Valorie cried out as she finally found her climax. Her shakes and moans seemed to set Aiden off as well, and he came deep inside of her, groaning out her name.
Aiden collapsed on top of her on the blanket. Valorie could feel his heart racing in time with hers, and they both fought to catch their breath. Aiden lifted his head to kiss Valorie one more time — a slow, passionate kiss.
When they separated, Aiden rolled over on this back and pulled Valorie back on top of him. She sighed into his embrace as he ran gentle fingers through her hair and across her back. Valorie felt complete, laying on him like this. The waterfall today was the best surprise she’d ever had, and she couldn’t wait for more days exactly like this.
Realizing there was something she still needed to say, Valorie took her head off Aiden’s chest and met his eyes.
“I love ye Aiden,” Valorie whispered to Aiden; she forced herself to hold his gaze and was rewarded with the most beautiful look she’d ever seen. Aiden was looking at her with such devotion, Valorie thought she might burst at the seams.
“I love ye too, Val,” Aiden said back to her with another kiss.