Page 26 of The Lost Highland Prince (The Last Celtic King #1)

"I can't believe they gave ye such a big room. What are ye, a king or somethin'?" Maeve teased as Cailean led her into his rooms. Though they were grand, she was thoroughly relieved to discover that he had not taken the main laird's bedchambers for himself — the chambers where both Malcolm and Kyle had met their ends. Instead, it was another room, one she believed was often used for important guests.

"Somethin' like that," Cailean replied with a shrug. He closed the door behind them, and Maeve's heart leapt in her chest with the realization that they were truly, completely alone, perhaps for the first time ever.

Silence fell, comfortable but somehow anticipatory. Cailean didn't look at her right away. Instead, he walked over to the window, staring out of it and gazing out at the grounds below. She moved to his side after a moment, but although she looked out of the window too, she could barely focus on what she could see of the grounds in the darkness of night. Her whole being seemed focused instead on the heat of his body standing next to hers, and the awareness of how close together they were right now. It was like there was static between them, drawing them closer together with every breath, crackling with the need to close even the smallest gap that existed there.

When Cailean spoke again, his voice sounded almost too quiet, though she was sure he spoke at a normal volume — he was simply drowned out by the sound of her own racing heartbeat. She swallowed and forced herself to focus. "I did tell them I didnae need all of this; a cot would have been fine for me as well." He shrugged, then turned to face her. His gray eyes were intense, and he stared at her now with an unfamiliar yet desperately appealing look on his face. "But, well, I suppose havin' this room does have its advantages."

"Advantages?" Maeve asked, the word coming out in one heavy breath.

Cailean's arms slipped around her, his hands resting on the small of her back. She could feel their heat even through the silk of her dress, and when he pulled her a little closer so that their bodies brushed together, her whole body pulsed. She rested her hands on his chest, staring right back up at him.

When he swept down to kiss her, their lips melted against each other. They surrendered to each other's embrace, holding each other close, taking their time to allow all the love and passion they felt to echo through them. Their tongues met and their lips moved, and they lost themselves in the moment.

When they pulled back for a breath, Cailean rested his forehead against Maeve's.

"I adore ye," he murmured. He kissed her cheek next, his voice vibrating pleasantly as he whispered in her ear. "Without ye, none of this would be possible." He nipped playfully at her earlobe with his teeth. "I love ye with all me heart."

"Cailean…"

"Let me finish," Cailean told her. He pushed gently, and Maeve stumbled back, finding herself half-seated on the stone window seat in front of him while he held her. One of his hands slid up her back, curling in her hair, while the other stayed at her side. "I want ye tae marry me, Maeve. I want ye by me side for all of it — better and worse. I want ye tae be me queen."

His lips moved down now, his head bowed as he kissed her neck. Maeve rolled her head back, closing her eyes and enjoying the sensation. "Mmm. I love ye as well, more than anythin', Cailean. And I'd marry ye tomorrow if we were able. But I'm nae queen."

"Ye are a queen with or without me," Cailean told her. His hand crept down her left, finding the hem of her skirt, and he slowly lifted it up her leg, inch by inch. "And ye deserve tae be worshiped."

When his hand found her thigh, she gasped, and her hands grabbed his face, pulling him up for another deep kiss. As their mouths found each other, his fingers moved higher, and when they found her sweet spot, Maeve gasped out with a pleasure she'd never known.

"Hold on tae me," Cailean murmured in her ear.

She did, and his hand moved, working her sensitive spots, the rolling physical ecstasy that pulsed through her body matched only by the new sensations and joy in her heart and soul. She writhed against him, losing herself in the feeling, as he kissed her lips, her face, her neck, whispering her name over and over again. Then, all at once, came a sudden crash of indescribable pleasure. Her whole body seemed to tense, shuddering with an unbelievable heat and an intense thrill unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Then all at once, her muscles relaxed and her body sagged against his, caught in his arms.

When she came back to herself, Cailean pressed his lips against her forehead. "Ye're so bonny," he murmured.

"Cailean…" she breathed. "That was the most wonderful feelin'." And yet something in her body still pulsed with need, something still longed to be even closer. An unexpected shyness fell upon her as she whispered, "I want tae feel that way together."

Cailean moved back, his eyes meeting hers. She saw hunger there, true desire, but also a self-restraint that made her love him all the more. "Are ye sure?" he asked. "I ken it's nae been easy for ye…"

"I want ye," Maeve told him simply. "All of ye."

A low growl escaped his throat, and he kissed her again, long and hard. Then his arms were around her, lifting her up and carrying her over to the bed. He laid her down gently, and slowly, agonizingly slowly, undressed her. She lay there naked and willing, watching him, barely able to breathe as he started to remove his own clothes.

Soon, they were both completely unclothed, and Maeve could not take her eyes off him. Had anything ever been so breathtaking as the sight of this man before her now? Could she have ever wanted anything more in her life?

"Are ye sure?" he asked again.

In answer, she sat up and took his hand, drawing him closer. He followed willingly, moving atop her as she lay back down, and soon their bodies pressed together, truly vulnerable and stronger than they had ever been.

He kissed her again, and then slowly pressed into her, her hand on his hips to help guide him as he did. She had never experienced this before, and yet her body seemed to know what to do without any training, without any thought — as if she'd been created just to be here with Cailean in this moment. When he filled her, she let out a low moan, closing her eyes at the fullness beyond anything she could have ever imagined.

"Are ye all right?" he asked, and she heard a low huskiness in his voice that made her skin prickle with need.

She nodded, and Cailean began to move, slowly at first, then faster, harder, adjusting as Maeve responded eagerly. He held her and kissed her face, her neck, her breasts, never once taking his eyes from her, never once making her feel less than worshiped. They danced together there in the darkness, their bodies truly one, and soon enough Maeve felt that building sweetness upon her again.

"Let it go," he whispered, and she did, crying out this time as the release hit even stronger than before, and soon after, he let out a sound of his own. She felt the rush of him inside her, and then they both gently floated back down to earth, curled in each other's arms.

Cailean rolled off her after a few moments, but he did not move away, still holding her close. Maeve rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes in contentment.

"Did ye mean what ye said?" she asked him. "That ye wanted tae marry me?"

He pressed his lips against her hair. "Ye're already me queen in me heart," he told her. "Ye're me life now."

She snuggled in closer to him, allowing the newfound drowsiness to take her. "Me king. Me Cailean. Me heart is yers. Forever."

* * *

The morning dawned on the reclaimed Bruce Castle, and Cailean welcomed it in the war room, the sun shining through the windows and casting hopeful rays of light over the large map of the Highlands that took up most of the central table. Beside him stood Maeve, strong and secure, making him feel certain in his place here at the head of the table.

Others were with them too. Kier, Ewan, Hamish, and of course Senan stood nearby, discussing the next step amongst themselves as they waited for Cailean to speak. Darren and Fergus were there too, as well as Eoin, who stood close to the side.

Cailean cleared his throat and the room fell silent, all eyes now upon him. A sudden rush of nerves attacked and he faltered for just a moment. But then Maeve's hand was there in his, pressing gently but firmly, reassuring him and making sure he knew that whatever came next, he wasn't doing it alone.

This was where he was supposed to be. He knew that his mother and father were looking down upon him now, and perhaps his brothers and sisters as well. He hoped that wherever they were now, they were together. And he knew that no matter what happened over the coming weeks and months, he would always be striving to make them proud. But with Maeve by his side, he was sure that he'd be strong enough to do it.

"All right, we've had our well-deserved celebrations. It's time for our next move," he said. Everyone listened to him attentively, but Cailean didn't feel the nerves or anxiety he might have once expected. Instead, he felt inspired, even proud, ready to be the king he was supposed to be — if that was what it took to save his country, then so be it. "The first thing we need to do is gather more allies. The Bruces and the McNairs, we were once the biggest and most well-connected families and clans in the country. It's time tae build ourselves back up tae where we once were."

"How will we do that?" Darren asked. "We've already gathered a number of rebels…"

"We need more than just our stronghearted rebels," Cailean told him. "We need allies. We need tae search the country, maybe even beyond the borders, tae find those who were once loyal tae me father's name. We'll search high and low for the allies we need tae take on the False King and take back what is ours."

"And we will," Kier announced. "We're with ye, Cailean. We're with ye, our king."

"For McNair!" someone called out, and several others took up the chant. "And for Scotland!"

Cailean smiled, then held up a hand, causing silence to fall again. "All right," he said, "Let's focus. We've got work tae do."

* * *

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