She stared at him, her chest heaving, her body aching where before it had known only pleasure, and Greer pulled her head against his chest and rubbed her back. “I’m sorry, sweetling. I thought it best to get it done in one push than to draw out the pain.”
“What did ye stab me with?” she asked with confusion, not sure what had happened.
“Just me,” he said solemnly and then eased his chest back a bit so that she could look down and see that they were joined, his body disappearing into hers.
“Oh,” she said weakly. “I could ha’e sworn ye’d run me through with a sword.”
Greer frowned. “I ha’e never taken a woman’s innocence before. I had no’ realized ’twould be that painful. Mayhap we should jest—”
“Nay,” Saidh gasped, wrapping her legs around his hips to keep him in place when he started to withdraw, merely adding to her pain. “Just . . .” She closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. “Just stay put fer a minute.”
“Saidh?”
She glanced sharply around at that call from what sounded like Lady MacDonnell out in the hall. The door rattled, but fortunately didn’t open. Greer had dropped the bar, she saw. His forethought was impressive.
“Saidh, dear? Are ye all right?”
She squeezed her eyes briefly closed.
“Ye’d best answer or she’ll ha’e the whole castle up here,” Greer whispered by her ear.
Saidh nodded and forced her eyes open and called out, “Aye.”
“Are ye sure? I thought I heard ye scream, lass. Should I—”
“I’m fine,” Saidh said, forcing more conviction into her voice. “Truly, m’lady. I am sorry I disturbed ye. ’Twas jest . . . a nightmare,” she finished wearily and leaned her forehead against Greer thinking that her words were not far from the truth. What had started out as a pleasant dream had certainly turned into a nightmare when Greer had thrust into her. Dear God, she’d heard that the first time could be painful, but this was—
“Would ye like to talk?” Lady MacDonnell asked now. “Mayhap ’twould help if ye told me about yer nightmare.”
“Nay,” Saidh said at once, turning to peer at the door with horror, almost afraid it would open any moment despite the bar across it.
Something brushed across one nipple and Saidh glanced down with surprise to see Greer’s hand retreating. She followed it to his mouth where he licked the pad of his thumb, and then he lowered it again to brush it across the tip of the same nipple again. The warm wet, was quickly followed by cool as he brushed his thumb lazily back and forth, making the nub harden and rise and the aureole around it darken as it shrank and wrinkled, tightening in response.
Saidh swallowed as she watched, and then gasped as he did the same to the other breast, wetting his thumb and rubbing it lazily over her eager flesh. This time when she raised her face to peer at him, Greer lowered his head to kiss her, his tongue whipping out to continue to stir back to life the desire she’d thought had been killed by the joining.
“Would ye like a warm drink, mayhap? I could ha’e one o’ the servants bring ye some mulled cider or spiced rum. Mayhap that would help.”
“Nay,” Saidh groaned when Greer broke their kiss.
“Did ye say nay or aye, dear? ’Tis hard to hear ye through the door.”
Saidh gave her head a shake, trying to concentrate, and then sighed and called, “I’m so sorry I disturbed ye m’lady, and I appreciate yer kindness, but nay, I would jest rather get back to sleep.”
“All right then, dear,” Lady MacDonnell said and Saidh glanced sharply down again as Greer gave up on her breasts and reached between them to begin to caress the nub just above where they were joined.
Saidh bit back a gasp and clutched at his arms as he teased her passion quickly back to full life.
“But if ye change yer mind and need anything, I’m just up the hall, dear. And don’t ye worry about waking me,” Lady MacDonnell said through the door. “Ye just come see me if ye like. All right?”
“Oh, aye,” Saidh gasped, raising her legs to wrap them around Greer’s hips and dig her heels into his butt to give her leverage as she began to rock into his caresses.
“Very well then, good sleep, Saidh, dear. I’ll see ye in the morn.”
“Aye,” Saidh almost cried the word as Greer eased himself out of her and then slid back in. There was surprisingly little pain this time, and much more pleasure as he continued to caress her and Saidh began to clench around his body, legs, arms and entire body tightening in an effort to keep him where it wanted him.
When Greer pressed her face to his chest, she turned her mouth to his skin, knowing he was offering her a way to stifle the sounds building up in her throat. Little whimpering gasps issued from her throat and were muffled by his skin as he continue to increase the pressure mounting in her, and then he suddenly withdrew his caressing hand, to clasp her hips and pull her hard into his last thrust. But Saidh was already tipping over the edge of the cliff into her own release, and she cried out against his chest even as he released a guttural sound that she suspected was a roar, murdered in its infancy.
Chapter 8
S aidh rolled onto her back and stretched lazily, but stopped the moment her body protested in several places. One of those places was not one where she generally experienced discomfort and it made her eyes shoot open as memory rushed through her of the night and what she’d done.
What they’d done, she corrected herself, and turned her head on the pillow to seek out Greer, only to find the space empty beside her.