Mysty McPartland (12 page)

Quietly closing the door, he wondered just how he could possibly wake his wife. Grumbling, he finished dressing and after wetting a cloth with cold water, he wiped it over her face. He grinned down at her when he saw the astonished expression in her eyes and her sputtering outrage when she woke up.

“
What in blazes are you doing, you great fool.” Trista glared at her husband balefully.

Not in the least annoyed by her rudeness and chuckling, he stood up from where he sat on the bed. “Well sweet ‘tis the only way I could think of to wake you without pouring a jug of water over ye.”

“
Humph, from my way of thinking you didn’t need to wake me at all.” She sat up and eyed him suspiciously.

“
Aye I did. Seems poor Jenny is in need of ye help.” He said seriously all laughter gone, but he groaned when he saw her jump out of bed and raced around the room finding her clothing. Dear God, how he wanted her again, even though he just spent the afternoon making love to her, he still craved her.

When
he dropped Trista at Jenny’s cottage, he wandered back to the hall in the darkness. The next few days, he decided that he would spend the time with his wife so that they would get to know each other better. And hopefully, spending so many hours with her he would be able take some control over this unquenchable lust for her.

Though lusting after one’s spouse was a good thing
, it should not have such a powerful grip on him that he was mindless to everything else. He also thought that while they were together it would be a good opportunity for her to finally start understanding and accept her new life as well.    

****

Close to dawn, Trista opened the door to her chamber. She was so exhausted that as she made her way across the room, stripped off her garments and dropped them on the floor. By the time she arrived at the bed she was naked.

A
bout to reach out and pull the covers down, she saw them lift and without a word, climbed on the mattress. The very moment her head touched the pillow, fell instantly asleep curled around her husband.

Rieph could only shake his head and pulling the blankets over them both, wrapped his arms around his wife and tried to go back to sleep.

It was late morning when she woke and stretching, she grimaced at the pain in her shoulders from the bruises left there by Jenny. Gingerly, she touched her cheek and felt the tenderness left there by the fist that the large woman swung at her.

A
h well, it was well worth a few bruises to have Jenny and her baby alive. She sat up as the door opened and her husband came in with a smile on his face and a tray in his hands.

Pleased to see his wife awake and as he neared the bed, his smile died and he almost dropped the tray he carried. “Dear God in heaven, lass, who has hurt ye? Tell me who dare to lay a finger on ye and I will kill them!”

At first, she observed his reaction with wide astonished eyes, before laughing loudly, she shook her head. “No need to be so fierce, Rieph. It was only Jenny who was in great pain and didn’t realize what she was doing. Now is that food for me? If it is I’m famished.”

Still not fully convinced that the woman could have caused the bruises to his wife's face or shoulder, he felt the familiar heat curl through him at her husky laughter, but when she called him by his name, his heart stopped for a beat or two. “All right, sweet. Now here ye eat this up and I’ll have water fetched for ye bath.”

After p
lacing the tray on his wife’s lap, he tried to ignore the fact that his wife was naked beneath the sheet that she held against her breasts. Taking a deep breath, he sauntered over to the door and stepped out of the bedchamber.

Before he
went down to order the water he drew in deep breathes trying to contain the lust building inside him. When he though he had it under control, went downstairs. He was only gone a few minutes and strolled back into the room. He was about to open his mouth to speak when the servants bustled with buckets of water.

Impatiently he waited for them to
leave and finally when the chamber door closed behind them spoke up. “How would ye like to spend the rest of the day with ye husband, sweet?” He asked and with a raised brow waited for her response.

Her eyes widening at his unexpected question, she wondered at the change in him and as she ate, contemplated her answer. “I would like that very much, Rieph. Mayhap we could do some fishing.” Thinking about spending the day with him and getting to know him better would help them come to a better understanding with each other, she decided.

Surprised by her request he scratched the side of his head he could see by the bright light shining in her eyes she was very eager at the prospect. “Now how would a lady like ye ken anything about fishing?”

Pretending to take offence, she removed the tray from her lap and tossed the sheet aside. Standing up, she saw the look in her husband’s eyes. The heat from them was making her legs grow weak.

It took her a moment to remember what they were discussing.
“I’ll have you know, Sir, that I know how to fish and a lot more.” Her eyes dancing with mischief, she swung her hips suggestively as she strolled across the room and stood just inside the bathing room door. She turned to glance over her shoulder when he spoke.

“
Ye are enjoying teasing me are ye nay, lass.” Hell, he was so damn close to picking up his wife and carrying her back to the bed.

Her tinkling laughter filled the room and she spun around placed her hand on his chest when he came to stand beside her. “Aye, but I fear that I am feeling the effects just as much as you.”

A rush of desire stormed through him and growling deeply, he reached down, swept his wife up and carried her back to the bed laying her down. He hastily tore off his clothes and fell gently atop of her, where she welcomed him with open arms and open thighs.

After they both recovered from their furious lovemaking, he once again picked her up and carried her back into the bathing room. Where he stepped into the tub of now warm water and sat down with her sitting on his lap. “Now my wee wife we are going to take our bath and then I will take ye fishing.”

             
Chapter Eleven

Still bemused from the
ir love making, Trista wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck. She laughed softly when he said they were going to go fishing. Studying him from beneath her lowered lashes, knew that it would be some time before they would go fishing or even leave the bath for that matter.

Stirred again by her soft laughter, Rieph felt his blood heat up once more. Bringing his hand up, cupped her breast and squeezed it gently when she arched into his palm and groaned.

H
is mouth swooped down and took hers hungrily. He turned her so that she now faced him and straddled his hips. Both his hands played with her breasts bringing both of the tips to hardened little buds.

She held onto his wide shoulders and arched her into his palms and when she felt him harden and grow between her thighs pressed herself closer. She moaned into his mouth as pleasure flooded her.

The very moment she rubbed teasingly against his erection with her hot moistness, he picked her up and impaled her in one stroke. Burying himself deeper than he had ever been before. Continuously, he lifted her up and down his pulsating length.

All t
oo soon though, she was taking over finding her own pace and rhythm. His hands fell away and once again went to her breasts. He broke the kiss, bent his head, caught one of those strawberry buds between his lips and suckled greedily.

It was exciting and she rode her husband and gloried in the power now that she could control their love making. But when he took her breast in his mouth, she cried out and held his head against the sensitive flesh.

Her innocent movements were driving him wild, his sweet wee wife would raise herself up, and hold just the tip of his erection inside of her, just before she plunged herself down encasing all of him. He could feel his blood boiling and his seed gathering and knew that he would not be able to stop it from erupting.

One hand tangled in her hair, the other lying beneath a bosom he shifted his mouth to capture the other nipple between his lips. He slipped his hand
down and clasping her small rounded buttocks, increased the pace until they both exploded with their release.

After hastily bathing each other
, they were both now dressed and ready to go down stairs. But before they did, he swept her up and gave her dewy mouth a quick kiss. “Come along, wife, or else we’ll never leave here” and placed her back on the floor.

Happy laughter tinkling out, she skipped to the door. “You are a randy rogue, Black Warlock. But I’m going fishing and if you want to join me you best hurry.” And with that she lifted her skirts up above her knees and raced away.

Loudly laughing at his undisciplined wife, he took off after her. He was unaware that they were being observed.

The few people left in the hall stared in wonder as they watched the laird’s wife and their laird race laughingly across the hall and outside. Never had they ever seen their leader so carefree and gay and they did not know if they liked the change in him or not.

****

Near sunset, Trista came running into the hall with Rieph chasing her. Both of them laughing and both soaking wet. Her dog barking merrily, following behind.

Silence fell over the great room which was full of people. No one uttered a word all of them stood or sat in stunned silence.

Neither of them noticed as they raced up the stairs and up to the tower room where the door was loudly closed behind them.

Payne smiled widely and once his brother and wife passed by, roared with laughter. Damn it was good to see Rieph happy and carefree. He turned to the guest sitting beside him and winked.

Laird Quinn Gordon stared wide eyed at his friend and could not believe what he just witnessed. He turned to Payne who was laughing uproariously. “Damn…what in the hell is going on with Rieph?”

This made Payne laugh even more and he slapped Quinn on the back. “’Tis his whey-faced Sassnech wife who has my brother acting like a fool at last. I should warn ye, Quinn, ye may as well forget seeing my brother tonight.”

Quinn could not believe that his friend was so taken with his wife and an English lass at that. But then again, he’d seen how beautiful she was as they ran passed. He also recognized the lust in Rieph’s eyes and couldn’t blame the man.

****

For five days Rieph played, laughed and loved with his wife as much as he could, but a few times she’d been called away to help someone. At those moments, he found himself at a loss and cursed the person who needed her. And much to his annoyance there were periods he could not ignore his duty altogether.

It had been an amazing interlude but now it was over, it was his responsibility to take up the mantle of laird. Playtime was over.
Now though as he lay in bed with his wife wrapped around him, he knew that today he would have to go back to being laird. It was time and he needed to get back to his duties.

H
e did not like it and he knew that she would not understand the changes that would happen. He hoped though that after he spoke to her, she would at least have some small measure of understanding. He hugged her close, letting these last few hours of peace and happiness steal into his soul.

F
or the first time in his life, he realized that he had never been so carefree or happy. It would be very hard to give this up, but he would. Life was harsh and cruel here in the Highlands and somehow, he would have to make his wife realize that fact, but he did not want to. He wanted her to remain loving, innocent and lighthearted however, he knew that it was going to be impossible.

It was a fact
though that one day, hopefully far into the future she was going to find out just how painful and unpleasant life really was. Under no circumstance did he like the idea but it was a reality.

I
n all probability his wee sweet wife was going to experience heartache and suffering and there wasn’t any damn way to shield her from the nasty side of life. He could only pray she wouldn’t be broken by it.

  When she stirred, he huffed out a breath, rolling over so they faced each other; he brushed his mouth over hers and started to explain. “Trista ye ken I have enjoyed the days we have spent together. ‘Tis sorry I am that it is over. Though I wish they could continue it cannea. We both have our duties to the clan and ‘tis time we take them up again. As ye laird and husband I hope ye realize now that ye must seek my permission when ye wish to do something.”

When he finished he noted her bewildered expression and the hurt clouding her eyes.
Only wanting to take away her confusion he kissed her briefly once more, regretfully he shifted away.