body.
“I…” Ailsa paused and took a deep breath before continuing, “I think ye better leave.”
“Is that what ye really want, lass?”
“Aye,” she said, but the word burned like a harsh branding on her tongue. She had to force it out, knowing it was the right thing to say. They were from different worlds after all. Her feelings for him were irrelevant, especially when compared with her feelings for her family and her people. She would always do what was best for them, even at the risk of sacrificing her own happiness.
“Liar.”
Hard lips descended on her own before Ailsa could protest. Suddenly, she was pushed back into the room and the door closed behind them. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and hands bunched the fabric of her light shift, stroking over her hips and dragging her closer.
Ailsa knew she should call out for help or push him away. She knew she should have screamed, too; but, deep down, the same part that felt heat and butterflies whenever she was around Finlay wanted this. It was so much more than the maids had described and so much more than Ailsa had ever imaged.
Wet heat slid into her mouth in the shape of Finlay’s tongue. His tongue dueled with her own, stroking playfully, then luring her over into the cavern of his mouth. A game ensued, one that Ailsa didn’t fully understand, but one that Finlay was a master of.
Playful strokes turned into powerful licks and soft bites on her lips. He was teasing her, baiting her with the real passion and pleasure she craved. It made her desperate to discover what was behind the forceful thrusts of his tongue into her mouth and the soft bites and soothing nibbles on her lips.
On its own accord, Ailsa’s hand slid up Finlay’s arm, tracing his muscles and memorizing their shape. Then, she stroked over his biceps and around the hair at his nape. Perhaps it was some sort of animalistic instinct, one that recognized the lion in Finlay and wanted to be with him; but, whatever it was, Ailsa’s hand locked in his hair and she shifted closer to him. She lifted high on her tip toes and stroked his tongue with just as much force as he’d showed her. Then, she bit his lip and followed it up with a soft kiss to take the sting away.
Strong, callused hands found their way from her waist to the back of her thighs. Then, Finlay lifted her up and she immediately locked her legs around his waist. Heat suffused her body from where his manhood fitted against her core.
The butterflies in her stomach picked up. They swirled dangerously, as they tried to escape her body. Ailsa wanted to let them free. More than anything, she wanted to let go.
“Help me.”
The words tumbled from her lips and onto his. She pulled back and looked down at Finlay. A strained smile curved his lips, as he looked up at her. Then, he shifted her body to press more firmly into her feminine heat, making her gasp.
“I will, dear one. Do no' worra.”
She briefly sensed that he was carrying her, then the soft material of her mattress hit her back. It was another testament to the changes that he had brought them. Goose feathers were now stuffed into her mattress, making it far more comfortable than it had been when straw was in the mattress before his arrival. The goose down was one of the small luxuries she allowed herself.
She had struggled between buying a new dress, new clothes for her brothers, or feathers for her bed. As much as she'd chastised herself at the time, calling herself a fool and daft, at this moment she was happy for the comfort.
Around them, the linen net fell back into place, blocking out the insects that found homes in the warmth of the castle. Finlay loomed over her, the laces of his linen shirt were undone and revealed a dusting of gold hair she hadn't seen before. When he'd been shirtless in front of her, sweating from his work in the field, Ailsa had tried not to stare too much and avoided her