Blessing The Highlander (8 page)

 
           “Well, it would nae be mine!”

 
           “All the same, wife, tis how it will be. I aim ta bathe ye so nae more harm is inflicted ta your wounds.”

 
           “‘Tis sinful!”

 
           “Nay. We are wed. There can be nothing sinful in what we do together.”

 
           She was shocked! No retort would come to her mind as she realized that he was right. She could have gone off on a rant if he had not stated everything so matter-of-fact.
Damn his cool, calm logic. How do you argue with that?
Frustrated, she turned allowing him access to her laces.

 
           As each layer of clothing was removed he felt his shaft grow harder… to the point of aching by the time she was completely bare. Her bruises were already commencing to fade from her midriff. The cut on her temple was healing well, the swelling practically gone. His gaze traveled to her full breasts, aching to suckle her salmon colored nipples, down past her bruised ribs to a small waist he could almost engulf in his hands. Her hips flared just enough for child-bearing, her legs long, silky and attractively muscled. Her feminine parts were concealed with a forest of dark fiery red curls.

 
           Garrick groaned inwardly. How was he to survive her bath without being unmanned? “Me stars, Seonaid, ye are beauteous!”

 
           She blushed profusely as she tried to shield herself with her hands. “Nay! Do nae rob me of this vision, wife.” He swept her into his arms as if she were a feather smoothly depositing her in the bath.

 
           The warm water was heavenly, she thought as she lay back in the tub. The heat teasing every ache from her battered body as it soothed her nerves. Her eyes closed as the steamy liquid swirled round her.

 
           Garrick shed his tunic and knelt beside her. He smelled the soap as he gathered some on a small linen rag. Heather. The innkeeper’s wife had provided it. It would suit her, he mused.  “Lean forward so I may reach your back,” he said as he gently nudged her shoulder. She complied languidly.

 
           His ministrations to her body was almost reverent as he worked his way around to the front of her carefully brushing over her bruises, down each of her silky limbs, across her shoulders to lave her full breasts with soap.

 
           He removed the pins from her glorious auburn hair undoing the thick braid that was wound around her head like a crown. He gently ran his fingers through the red-gold tresses that pooled in the floor behind her. He loved her hair. The color was like none he had ever seen. Who was this wife that he had been so privileged to discover? He did not care. She was his now and heaven help anyone who tried to seize her!

 
           “Lean up Seonaid so I may wash your hair. Then ye will be finished.” She did as he requested and was soon sitting before the fire wrapped in a large linen cloth combing the tangles from her hair.

 
           Behind her, Garrick hastily shed his plaid and entered the tub for his bath. She giggled to herself as she grasped that he was going to smell like heather.

 
           Her hands slowed their journey through her long locks as she contemplated the bedding to come. She was afraid. What if she displeased him in spite of his reassurances? Would he set her aside? Abandon her? She shuddered with dread. She did not comprehend why abandonment was such a great fear for her. Had something in her past caused this sentiment?

 
           Garrick, detecting her stillness, asked, “What is distressing ye, lass? Do ye fear the consummation?”

 
           She nodded. “There is pain?”

 
           He ceased toweling himself in mid-stroke eyeing her for a moment. She glanced over her shoulder at his silence and quickly looked away blushing clear to her toes. He was a lot of man. Even more so naked. She attacked her hair furiously, attempting to eradicate the image that was seared on her brain. Why the sight of him flustered her so, she did not comprehend.

 
           “Aye, mo cridhe, I am told that there be a wee bit of pain for the woman the first time. But I will be as gentle with ye as I am able.”

 
           She discerned that he would. He has been constantly gentle with her thus far. She nodded, gnawing her lower lip. Garrick flung on his tunic and offered Seonaid a cup of watered wine as he procured the comb from her grasp. “I dare say twould be less painful than what ye are causing with this comb,” he chuckled as he took over the task.

 
           She gave him a chagrined smile. The apprehension began to ease as he ran the comb through her fiery hair working out each snarl he encountered. The wine lulling her into a calm equanimity.

 
           He pulled her heavy tresses aside kissing her tenderly on her graceful neck where it merged with her collarbone. Her breath hitched for a moment then released on a sigh as he slowly blazed a path to her shoulder and back again. He turned her in his arms to dwell in the depths of her emerald green eyes, mesmerized by the eddying gold and blue swirls running rampant as her passion began rising. “Your eyes are enthralling, Seonaid,” he murmured as he lowered his sensuous lips to brush against hers. Once again there was a jolt as sparks flew through their limbs.

 
           “There is a tingling,” she breathed as his lips moved down her throat to capture a salmon-tipped breast with his warm lips.

 
           “Aye,” he groaned as he drew the tip of her breast into his mouth suckling avidly. Her back arched as she cried out in pleasure. Her fingers plunging into his raven hair holding him in place. Her stomach tightened as liquid pooled in her virginal sheath. Seonaid whimpered as he released her nipple then gasped in pleasure as he claimed its twin. As Garrick abandoned her breasts, he rose, conveying her to the bed. He loosed the linen toweling from round her, tossing it to the floor. As she made room for him on the linen sheets, he stripped out of his tunic standing naked before her.

 
           Seonaid began to gasp for air. He was magnificent! All six-foot five of him. His shoulders were wide with well-muscled arms. He had a deep chest attesting that he wielded a sword often. His girth tapered somewhat then merged into his large, muscled thighs and solid calves. But what captured and held her eyes was the heavy, extended shaft between those thighs! Her eyes grew round as she looked up at him. “I think you are mistaken, my laird. Something that size will cause pain each and every time!”

 
           He shook his head. “Nay lass. Your body will adapt, I swear.”

 
           “Tis excessively huge! Twill nae fit!” She was adamant as she crept backwards on the bed.

 
           “Have I lied ta ye yet, lass?” She shook her head. “Then trust me on this. I am nae speaking fictions ta ye now either.” He pulled her into his steely arms kissing her. His tongue played across the seam of her mouth prodding gently for entrance. She tentatively parted her lips and his tongue dove into the sweet, hot recess… mastering her senses and commanding obeisance. She surrendered...how could she not?

 
           He bombarded her senses with wave after wave of desire till all cohesive thought escaped her. All she could do was feel… writhing beneath the onslaught of her senses. She was on fire!

 
           Garrick was losing control. Seonaid’s mewling and moaning under his touch was shedding him of it. He had not once known a woman who was so responsive to his touch. His hand explored the crevice that hid her most feminine parts… caressing her pearl.
Jesu! She is so hot and wet for me!
He groaned as he pressed his finger into her tight sheath, working it around to stretch her sufficiently to receive him.
I will be unmanned afore we join if I am nae careful!

 
           As he worked his second finger inside her, she began wildly thrusting her hips. He heard her keening as her body shattered in an explosion of pleasure, her sheath grasping his fingers forcefully.

 
           She began her descent from her pleasure plateau as Garrick settled himself between her damp thighs, the head of his shaft just inside her entrance. His cerulean eyes were black with desire as he commanded gruffly, “Look at me...look at your mate, mo cridhe agus anam… me wife.”

 
           She raised her sated gaze to his lust-filled eyes. He thrust deeply and swiftly into her breaking the thin barrier as he roared, “Mine! At this moment till eternity ye are mine!”

 
           Seonaid cried out at the abrupt pain as he broke through and stilled, waiting for her body to adjust. He rested on his elbows, trembling with need as he kissed her tears away. “Twill nae hurt again, Seonaid. This I promise ye.”

 
           “Tis improved now, Garrick.” She moved her hips slightly and found no pain. Garrick growled deep in his throat as he tried to restrain himself from losing complete control. His member was throbbing with painful need as he sensuously thrust his hips in and out of her liquid hot sheath. Her long legs enfolded his waist of their own accord as her body began to throb once again promising glorious release. Their tempo increased in harmony and as one they cried out their ecstasy.

 
           Gasping for breath, soaked in sweat, Garrick murmured, “A ghealaich agus air ais.”

 
           “What does that mean?” she asked languorously in his arms.

 
           “Ta the moon and back.” He smiled at his bride. “That is where ye just took me.” He leaned over her kissing her swollen lips before he left the bed to retrieve a cleaning cloth.

 
           When he returned, he spread her thighs and tenderly wiped away the virginal blood, then set the cloth aside. She watched him curious as to what he was doing.

 
           Garrick glanced at her. “Did I hurt ye overmuch, wife?”

 
           She shook her head. “Nay. I was just pondering what ye were doing with the cloth. I could wash out the stain if the cost is too dear.”

 
           “Nay, me sweet. ‘Tis our proof.”

 
           “Proof? Proof of what?” she asked naively. “And for who? I ken of nae need for proving anything to anyone.”

 
           He returned to bed, settling his new wife in his arms. As he covered the both of them he enlightened her of the necessity. “I am Laird… and as such, I am required ta find me an untainted bride so the bloodline will be assured. Me clan expects it of me. It is a surety for our children.” He hesitated. “It will, moreover, be proof for your kin if we ever find them that ye are truly wed.”

 
           Seonaid considered what he told her as she snuggled in his warm embrace. She found his explanation to be plausible. “Tis a wise idea,” she yawned. “Husband?”

 
           “Aye wife?”

 
           “My thanks for being so longsuffering with me and taking the time to clarify things. I ken that it is nae the nature of most men.”

 
           Garrick gave her sleepy face a stunned look. She was right about that. It was not in his nature either… but when he thought about it, he had been explaining more to her in the last few days than at any other time he could recall. He scoffed to himself as he reasoned that he was doing so because of her memory loss. “There will be periods that I will nae do so, Seonaid. That is when ye will have ta trust me decisions. But ye are welcome.” He kissed her brow and closed his eyes for some well-earned rest.

 
           “Aye...I will always trust your decisions,” she mumbled as she finally dozed off.

            Seonaid stirred just before dawn and studied her new husband’s appearance… awestruck. He had a strong face she determined in accord to herself. She was fortunate that he was the one who had stumbled upon her. Her heart expanded as she reminisced their joining. She had feelings for this man...intense feelings. She was not certain what they were though. Was it lust? Desire? Or something more? She could not say. They were virtuous feelings though, of that she was convinced.

 
           She arose from bed since sleep evaded her and clothed herself. Her thoughts meandered over all that Garrick had attained for her up till now. Seonaid’s eyes sparkled as she settled on a splendid notion.
I will have fare to break our fast fetched for him! It will be a pleasing surprise!
With that decided, she silently opened the door slipping from the room.

 
           Seonaid located the innkeeper’s wife in the kitchen a short time later and gave her the request. She was returning to their chamber when grimy hands seized her forcefully by the waist covering her mouth. She gasped as he squeezed her bruised ribs triggering fresh pain through her. His putrid hand encompassing her mouth caused her to gag. She endeavored to scream as he picked her up with the arm about her waist. As her feet left the flooring she began thrashing and kicking at her unseen assailant. Her eyes darted wildly around in the dark passage searching for someone or something to aid her.