I didn’t understand much of what he was saying, and Mary’s story, the little she had explained, wasn’t coming to mind as I stood there with the muscles beneath his clothes pressed against my chest. His breath was sweet and warm against my face, and when he stopped talking I unthinkingly leaned forward and pressed my lips against his.
His response was immediate. His hands moved from my shoulders to the sides of my face as he cupped my cheeks in an effort to get closer. He growled into my mouth as his tongue sought entry, and I willingly opened myself up to him. His teeth grazed my lips, and I got the feeling that he was struggling to control his anger.
The painfully exquisite tug of his teeth on my lower lip caused my legs to turn to jelly as I melted against him, moving my lips against his in a furious dance of give-and-take. I heard myself moan as I pushed my body more tightly against him.
Abruptly, he pulled away, leaving me wanting and confused. He slid his hands to my shoulders, effectively pinning me to the stone wall and holding me at arm’s length away from him.
“Doona do that again, lass.” He paused to catch his breath and removed his left hand to run it through his hair. “Next time ye do something like that to me, I willna be stopping myself, and ye have already made it clear ye want nothing to do with me.”
The words escaped my mouth before I had time to rein them in. It was my dream after all. I could do what I wanted. “Don’t then.”
He stretched his arms out farther, locking his elbows into place and stared back at me. “What did ye just say, lass?”
Blood ran to my cheeks as embarrassment set in. I looked down and tried to remember the accent before I continued. It was too late to back down now. “Then, doona stop.” The words came out breathlessly, and in an uncharacteristic show of courage I reached up to pull his hand from my shoulder as I placed it on my breast. I shyly glanced up at him, “Please.”
He groaned and reached to grab my hand, pulling me swiftly along behind him once again.
*
The stranger slowly sat down his goblet, made his excuses to the villagers surrounding him and walked to the side of the castle, watching until he was sure the laird and his new wife had made their way up to their bedchamber.
He’d been given only two orders as he’d left Ramsay’s quarters; not be found out as a stranger at the wedding and to wait until the appropriate time to set the fire.
Pivoting his head, the stranger made sure all eyes around him were diverted elsewhere as he worked one of the flaming rods from their post and turned the flame so that it lay on the ground, slowly scorching and taking root over the grass that sat underneath its light.
Once the ground slowly caught flame, the stranger turned and walked away, mounting the horse he’d tied far away from everyone’s sight and rode as quickly as he could away from Conall Castle.
Chapter 12
I stumbled along as we entered the castle’s main doors, cursing the length of my dress as I went. He was moving just as quickly as he had before, and taking the stairs at this pace proved impossible. I slipped, almost busting my lip against the cold stone steps.
I yelped, but before the impact his hands were around my waist, lifting me off the floor.
“Sorry, lass.” He bent his head to plant a quick kiss on my lips as he carried me up the staircase.
Blushing once again, I allowed my head to fall against his chest. God, he smells good. I have to remember to write every second of this down as soon as I wake up. I could live off of this dream for years.
“Doona fall asleep on me yet, lass.”
I threw my eyes open and squealed as he playfully pinched my bottom. This man was impossible to keep up with. His moods seemed to change rapidly, and this Blaire person had obviously done something to displease him greatly.
“We’re here, lass.” He carried me into the bedchamber, and I couldn’t help but inwardly chuckle at the fact that I was now living one of the covers of the various romance novels sitting on the shelves at my home. My subconscious was clearly pulling at things from previous fantasies.
Coma Husband sat me gently on my feet as he turned to close the chamber door.
I turned away from him to take in the room. Wood, stone, and furs surrounded me, all melding together to create the most sexy and masculine room I’d ever seen. I closed my eyes to breathe in the delicious scent of the room’s luscious materials just as Eoin flattened himself against my back, wrapping his arms around my waist.
He nuzzled his mouth against my neck, and I could feel his hot breath on the exposed skin at the top of my dress. My heart was racing with anticipation as he touched his lips to my neck, trailing kisses from my collarbone up to my ear. He nibbled it gently, and I reached my hand up behind me so that I could run my fingers into his hair.
His hands left my waist, and he followed the length of my arms with tender, light touches that sent tremors down my spine and caused my nipples to harden beneath the dress.
He must have known the effect it would have, for he immediately dropped his hands to cover my breasts, and I gasped at the sensation.