Page 21 of To Wed a Laird (English Brides and Highland Vows #1)

Rose opened her eyes very slowly and looked around her. A stab of fear penetrated her as she remembered a shadow of the events of the night before, but she was reassured by the soft daylight streaming through the half-open shutters of the sick room.

As she looked around, she saw Cormac sleeping in a chair beside the bed, and a surge of hope washed over her. Why would he be here unless he was concerned about her—even cared for her? Then she realised that he might just be feeling guilty for letting her go out unprotected.

That was when she noticed the shadows under his eyes, and the fact that his face was darkened with a few days worth of unshaven bristles.

At that moment, he did not look like the Laird of a mighty estate, and despite the distinctly manly beard growth, there was an air of boyish vulnerability about him.

How she loved him! But did he feel the same?

He had obviously been there for a while, and it was at that moment that Rose wondered how long she had been unconscious. Her shoulder and back felt sore, but it was not the sharp pain she had felt when she had been stabbed, but a constant dull ache.

Rose pushed herself into a sitting position, then screamed as a bolt of sheer agony shot down her back, which became even more excruciating as she flopped down onto the bed again.

Cormac had just fallen asleep; despite his best efforts to stay awake, his body had simply given up the fight, and he had lapsed into a fitful slumber.

However, Rose’s scream penetrated his unconsciousness like a spear into his flesh, and in a second he launched himself out of his chair and was by her side.

“Rose,” he cried. “Rose, stay with me!” Cormac laid his trembling hands on her arms and she looked into his eyes, those eyes that had been the same colour as a bright summer sky, but which were now shimmering with tears.

“Forgive me, Rose,” he said hoarsely. “I should never have let that happen. I-I should have been there sooner.” He cupped her face in his hands. “I should never have let you risk your life for me, but I could not hold in my anger. I love you, Rose.”

Rose shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, but she could not do so because the words would not come. She merely watched Cormac as he, too, struggled with words.

Cormac gripped her hands and lifted them to his lips, then kissed them tenderly.

“You have no idea how afraid I’ve been, Rose,” he said tenderly.

“I cannot imagine my life without you in it any more, and Elspeth would be grief-stricken if you left us. Please stay, Rose—for me, for Elspeth. Be my wife. Be Elspeth’s mother, I beg you. ”

Rose had never seen such an expression of love and hope on anyone’s face before, but she was still unable to speak, this time because of the tears that were clogging her throat.

She nodded, then breathed, “Yes,” and kissed him.

Cormac thought he might weep with joy. He folded Rose into his arms carefully and held her as he felt her return his embrace.

They lay wrapped in each other’s arms for a long time before the healer came to check on Rose, then they reluctantly drew apart, but Cormac would not relinquish his grip on her hand.

“How dae ye feel, miss?” the young woman asked when she saw that Rose had regained consciousness. She put her hand on her forehead to feel Rose’s temperature.

“Better, thank you,” she replied. “I am still in a bit of pain, but,” she smiled at Cormac, “I am healing.”

The healer nodded. “Willow bark tea, food, an’ a bath will make ye feel much better.” She looked at Cormac pointedly. “M’Laird, maybe ye should go an’ take care o’ yourself as well. Ye look a bit tired.”

Then she turned and left.

Cormac laughed. “She means I look very dirty and is very politely telling me to leave you alone,” he said, picking Rose’s hand up to kiss it again. “But Rose, I don’t want to leave you, even for a second.”

He gazed at her with a desperate intensity that made her want to beg him to stay, but she had to be sensible.

“But you must,” Rose told him. Her voice was husky from disuse, but her eyes were warm with love as she gazed at him. “And I promise I will still be here when you come back.”

Cormac nodded and kissed her forehead, then left, pausing at the door to look back and smile at her. He was so tired he could hardly stand up, but Elspeth had to know the good news.

He found her in Nell’s rooms, where she was reading aloud to the old lady, who was sitting doing a pile of her and Cormac’s mending. She looked up expectantly, and when she saw Cormac’s smiling face, she gave a squeal of delight.

“Rose is awake and well,” he said happily.

Elspeth’s face lit up. “Can I see her?” she asked eagerly.

“Not yet, sweetheart,” he replied. “The healer will let us know when, but I have one more piece of good news to tell you.”

“What?” Elspeth jumped out of her chair and ran to stand in front of him.

“Rose and I are going to be married,” Cormac said, smiling down at her.

Elspeth’s mouth dropped open in disbelief, then she began to clap her hands and laugh in delight.

“She is going to be my Mammy!” she cried, her face a picture of sheer joy.

Nell, rising from her chair, came over to Cormac and hugged him. “I knew this would happen the first time I saw her,” she said tenderly, smiling at him. “Ye needed each other, an’ Elspeth needs ye both, dae ye no’, hen?”

“Yes, and Nell—” Her voice was eager. “I will need a new dress!”

“Well, we will have tae get busy,” Nell replied, laughing. “I have got tae make the bride’s dress as well. What colour dae ye think is best?”

Elspeth thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up with mischief. “Rose-pink!” she replied, laughing gleefully.

Elspeth’s wish was granted when Cormac supplied the material for the bridal outfit, although he was not, of course, allowed to see it.

The dress was made of rose-pink velvet with long, fitted satin sleeves of the same shade with a modest sweetheart neckline and a long skirt that flared out from the hips.

Rose wore a jewelled tiara that had belonged to Cormac’s mother in her hair, which had been left loose to drape gracefully over her shoulders. She had no other ornamentation apart from the small posy of roses that she carried.

“I think ye are ready now, Rose,” Nell said approvingly as she looked proudly at the dress she had crafted with her own hands. “Ye look like a queen.”

“Thank you, Nell,” Rose replied, smiling joyously. “I feel like one in this beautiful creation. Thank you, for the loveliest dress I have ever owned, Nell.”

Nell smiled tearfully, unable to speak. She hugged Rose, then took her hand and led her to the chapel, where Elspeth was waiting.

She had been instructed by Cormac to be very, very good, but her eyes widened as she saw Rose in her gorgeous dress.

She was just about to cry out in delight when Rose put a finger to her lips to keep her quiet.

Rose extended her hand to take Elspeth’s, and they walked down to the altar, where Cormac stood watching, grinning broadly as he took in the sight of the beautiful woman who was about to become his wife.

Elspeth put Rose’s hand in Cormac’s, and he kissed her forehead, then turned to Rose. He said nothing, but his eyes said everything he needed to express. He was dressed in his clan finery, and as Rose gazed at him, she wished she could run out of the church just so that she could be alone with him.

Cormac must have read her mind because he leaned down and kissed her cheek, whispering, “Soon.”

The minister said the blessing, then read a few relevant Bible verses before he invited them to make their vows.

Cormac knelt down on one knee and his voice was infinitely tender as he took Rose’s hand in his and looked up at her.

“Rose, my love,” he said. “I fought against loving you, but I can no longer fight. I thought I was being disloyal to the memory of my late wife, but now I know that I must move on. When we met, I was hostile to you, and I am deeply sorry, but now I know I cannot live without you because you are my heart, my soul, my everything. Let me be by your side to love and protect you as long as we live, Rose. Will you?”

“Yes, Cormac, I will,” she replied. “When I met you, I was unsure of you, even a little afraid, but as I came to know you I saw that you had a gentle heart, and I want that heart to be mine because I love you. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my whole life. I want to be your wife, and mother to Elspeth and any other children we may be blessed with. Will you have me?”

“I will,” he replied, and his smile was radiant as he stood to wrap his arms around Rose. “I love you, my sweetheart. Let us never be parted from this moment onwards.”

Then he kissed her, and they smiled at each other lovingly as they turned to leave the church.

The wedding feast was incredibly lavish, and Rose was delighted, but not surprised, to see that pride of place on the table were a few large haggises. She looked up at Cormac, laughing, then said, “You know me so well, My Laird!”

Cormac smiled at her fondly, then raised his eyebrows and said suggestively, “I know just what you like, My Lady!” Rose was not blind to his less-than-subtle insinuation, and laughed.

The evening wore on, and they obliged their guests by dancing to the music, talking to their guests and eating the delicious food that the cook had prepared for them.

They were just about to sneak away to their room when Elspeth rushed over to them.

Elspeth took Rose’s hand and looked up at her adoringly. “Are you my new Mammy now?” she asked.

“Only if you want me to be,” Rose replied, her voice gentle as she kissed the top of Elspeth’s head.

“I want that very much, Mammy,” Elspeth replied.

“That makes me very happy,” Rose said, smiling fondly at her new daughter.

“Now, Elspeth,” Nell said as she came up behind them, “I think there is a bit o’ that weddin’ cake wi’ your name on it!” She took the little girl’s hand, then led her back into the Great Hall.

A number of loud, suggestive comments followed them as they passed through the door, then Rose breathed, “At last!”

She had no time to say more, since Cormac suddenly swept her off her feet and marched her upstairs and along the corridor to the chamber which they were to share for the rest of their lives.

After Rose had opened the door, Cormac carried her over to the bed and set her down on her feet beside it, then kissed her for the first time as his wife.

“I have dreamed of this moment,” he murmured, looking down into her hypnotic eyes.

“I have too,” Rose whispered as she began to undress him until she had bared his magnificent chest, which she kissed all over until he drew in a tortured breath.

“Enough,” Cormac said in a tone of mock sternness. He turned her around, then began to undo the buttons at the back of her dress, kissing his way down her spine as he did so.

Rose moaned as the gentle pressure of his lips teased her with a soft, ticklish pleasure, and she sighed with delight. She felt her dress drop from her shoulders, quickly followed by the rest of her clothing, then she whipped the belt from Cormac’s kilt.

She looked down to see that his erection had sprung out to greet her, and swiftly clasped her hand around it, causing him to gasp in pleasure and surprise.

Rose looked up at Cormac with a wicked gleam in her eyes, then, to his shock, she took him in her mouth and began to suck, swirl her tongue around him, and gently scrape him with her teeth.

“Rose…” Her name was a drawn out moan as he plunged his hands into the thick chestnut mass of her hair and arched his neck back, almost undone by the intensity of the pleasure she was giving him.

“Stop, Rose, please,” he begged.

“Am I hurting you?” she asked fearfully, drawing back from him.

Cormac pulled her to her feet, smiling. “No, but I want to be able to satisfy you, and I will not be able to if you keep doing that.”

He pulled her tightly against him, then laid her on the bed, and for a moment did nothing but look at her, his hungry gaze travelling all over her body.

“Well, My Lady MacTavish,” he said wickedly. “It is time we became truly man and wife.”

Then he bent down to suckle her breasts again, and it was Rose’s turn to writhe as he inflicted sweet torture upon her, leaving nothing out. No part of her body escaped his attention.

Cormac kissed his way down to her sensitive bud, then separated her thighs with his thumbs to give himself more room to pleasure her. He gave her the same treatment she had given him, using his tongue and teeth to tease her almost to the point of no return.

Rose cried out as the pleasure inside her built, but just as she was about to reach her peak, Cormac withdrew and bent to bestow a passionate kiss on her lips.

“I am so glad you came into my life,” he whispered.

Rose looked into the face that had come to mean so much to her, and her eyes filled with tears of happiness. “Make me your wife, Cormac,” she said huskily.

Cormac kissed her once more, then she felt him surge into her, and she cried out his name as she raised her hips to meet every thrust of his body.

It was glorious, and as Cormac’s thrusts became harder and faster, the pressure inside her grew, and Rose felt herself rising to meet the peak of bliss she knew awaited her.

“Cormac!” she cried out as she reached it, and waves of ecstasy washed over her, making her whole body tingle delightfully as she clung to him. She felt as though she might fly away if she had nothing to anchor her to earth.

Cormac saw the moment his wife reached her climax and cried out his name, then he let himself go, and for the first time he spent inside her, heedless of the consequences.

He was free—they both were free—to make love without hiding it, free to make a child if they wished.

He shuddered against her as the waves of pleasure gradually lessened, and he came down to earth slowly and reluctantly. He wrapped his arms around her and they lay for a while, saying nothing, but surrounded by the afterglow of passion.

Cormac could have held Rose forever, loving the feel of her soft, warm skin against his.

“I love you, my beautiful wife,” Cormac said tenderly, looking down into her fascinating eyes.

“As I love you,” Rose replied. “Forever and ever.”

Thank you for reading my story!