It was an accident when he suddenly pushed inside her. Saidh rose just that little bit too much and his erection was suddenly pressing into her as she lowered herself. She stopped briefly with just the head inside and then raised herself again and lowered just that little bit, teasing him as he had her before she dropped until the bottoms of her thighs slapped the top of his.
Greer released a guttural groan then and held her in place briefly, but then reached one hand between them to caress her as the other hand began to lift and lower her again. She realized only then that he could have taken control at any moment, but had allowed her to tease him. She didn’t care. She stopped thinking altogether then, stopped worrying about rhythm, and teasing him. Her body was in pursuit of its pleasure and left her mind to take a hiatus as it began to move of its own volition, pressing into his caress and thrusting into his invasion with an eagerness that matched the tightly wound need building inside her. When it exploded inside her, she clawed at his back and froze with him deep inside to ride the waves. She was unsure which triggered Greer’s release, but in the next moment his cry joined hers and they rode the waves together.
Chapter 15
“Ye said ye found proof that the arrow was no’ an accident?”
Greer lifted his head from Saidh’s uninjured shoulder and sat back in the chair to peer at her. The quaking that had taken over his body as he’d poured himself into her was just beginning to slow, but she already looked fully recovered. He couldn’t help thinking it was damned unfair how women came away from such passion feeling energized and frisky, while a man, at least this man, came out feeling as if he’d been run over by a full contingent of mounted warriors and was in need of recovery time and a nap.
“Aye,” he said finally. “We found a spot where the grass was pressed down. Obviously someone had been laying there fer a good while. But ye had to be shot from a standing position for the angle the arrow entered ye.”
“So they laid in wait and then stood to shoot as I rode into view,” she murmured quietly.
Nodding, Greer caressed her cheek, marveling that he had been lucky enough to find her. With most women he would have had to explain what it meant. He also would have had a terrified, sobbing woman on his hands. Not Saidh. She looked annoyed rather than weepy and afraid.
“And the merlon that fell?” Saidh asked now.
“There are chips at the edges of the stones and in the bits of mortar that remained behind,” he said solemnly.
“So, someone chiseled the stones free and pushed them off,” she said on a sigh.
“Aye, but then we already suspected that was the case anyway ere we went to double-check.”
“Why?” she asked with surprise, and then guessed, “Because ye kenned the arrow was no accident?”
“Nay, because when Aulay was carrying him above stairs, Alpin told him that he saw someone on the battlements, pushing at the stones just ere they started to fall,” Greer explained, and then added, “ ’Tis the only reason he managed to get ye both out o’ the way in time. Had he seen it e’en a heartbeat later we might ha’e lost both o’ ye.”
“Did he see who it was?” she asked quickly.
“Nay.” Greer sighed unhappily. “The sun was in his eyes. All he saw was a black figure. He could no’ say if ’twas man or woman or even a child.”
“Oh.” Saidh lowered her head with disappointment, and then turned her gaze to where her fingers were toying with the hair on his chest and whispered, “I am sorry. Had I realized, I ne’er would ha’e taken Alpin and—”
“ ’Tis done,” Greer said solemnly, covering her hands with his own. “Ye’re sorry and ye’ve vowed it’ll no’ happen again. Leave off fretting o’er it.”
“But Alpin—”
“I am guessing ye did no’ drag him out there with him protesting the whole way,” Greer interrupted dryly.
“Nay, but still—”
“Saidh,” he said gently, halting her words again. Taking one hand from hers, he caressed her cheek. “I can see ye’re suffering some horrible guilt o’er this. Ye feel responsible fer Alpin’s getting hurt, do ye no’?”
“Aye,” she breathed unhappily.
“Well, don’t,” he said firmly. “Alpin chose to join ye in escapin’, and probably most eagerly. ’Twas foolish. Ye both got hurt and could ha’e been killed, but ye weren’t. And I ken Alpin will no’ blame ye fer his injuries. Ye needs must let it go now. Regret and guilt are useless emotions that hold ye in a past that’s already gone . . . and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that allowing yerself to be dragged down by the past helps no one. It jest keeps ye from ha’ing both feet in the present where ye should be.
“Now,” he said, catching her at the waist and lifting her so that he could stand up. “Aulay’ll be waiting fer us below. Let us straighten our clothing and go talk with him. We need to sort out a way to catch whoever is behind these attacks before they try again.”
Saidh’s eyes widened at the news that she was going to be allowed below, but she didn’t comment, merely turned her attention to quickly cleaning herself up and then dressing. Fortunately, the maids were continuing to supply this room with a basin of water and fresh scraps of linen for ablutions. At least, the basin on the stand was full of water. Saidh quickly used it to clean herself up, then dressed and went downstairs with Greer.
Aulay was already seated at the trestle tables as Greer had said. Her other brothers were there too, all but Rory, who was apparently still upstairs with Alpin. Whether he was still working at cleaning his wound, or just sitting with the lad to be sure he was well, she didn’t know.
“How is yer head?” Aulay asked as Saidh settled at the trestle tables with them.
“Fine,” Saidh said with a shrug. “ ’Twas a trifling wound at best.”
Aulay narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “I do no’ ken why I ask. Ye’re jest like the lads.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dougall asked, stiffening.
“It means e’ery last one o’ ye could stand there, yer hand sawn clean off, and blood gushing from the stump, yet each o’ ye’d still say ye were fine and ’twas a trifling wound.”