Page 16 of Never Marry a Highlander

“Thank goodness that is finished,” Lorena said over two hours later.She sat on one of the trunks and Edith sat on another.“Thank ye for yer help, Edith.I ken this only added to yer workload.”

“I dinna mind, my lady.I will miss ye when yer gone.”The lass had tears in her eyes which gave Lorena an idea.“Edith, do ye have a mon here ye are attached to?Or family?”

“I just have my mother, who lives with her sister.I stay at the castle.Why do ye ask?”

“I wonder if ye would like to travel with me to Dun Ugadale as my maid?I doona ken if the laird’s wife has a personal maid, but I’m sure with two women in the keep the extra help ye would provide would be welcomed.”

The lass grinned.“I would like that, my lady.Truthfully, I am quite tired of kitchen work.”

“Then ye better run off and pack whatever ye want to take with ye.Just tell Agnes that ye will be going with me so she’ll need to find someone to take yer place in the kitchen.”

The lass practically skipped from the room.Lorena looked around at the bedchamber she’d lived in all her life except for the two years she was married to Avery.In this room she’d cried many tears and recovered from bruises.She shuddered wondering why she wanted to stay here instead of Dun Ugadale.

Mayhap it had been a way to irritate Craig.She smiled.It appeared she had accomplished that.She no sooner finished that thought when the man walked into their bedchamber.

She knew immediately that he’d had more than he normally drank of whisky.He also looked at her in a way she’d remembered when he’d given her a bath.Flutters began in her stomach, and she licked her lips.She wasn’t sure if she was ready for this, remembering how the marriage bed had been with Avery.Pain, humiliation, and disgust.

Lorena waved at the trunks.“I’m packed.”Maybe if she could keep him talking, he would grow weary from the drinks and go to bed.

He walked up to her and cupped her cheek with his warm, large hand.“Ye are so beautiful.”He bent and kissed her lightly on the lips.

Fear overtook her.She pushed him away.“If ye plan to leave at first light, I’ll need to get some sleep.”She attempted to walk past him, but he tugged her wrist and brought her back.

“Nay, doona walk away.”

Her heart thundered and her mouth dried up.Pain was all she could remember.“Mayhap we should get someone to carry the trunks down.”

Craig shook his head.“Already taken care of.”She attempted to pull away, but he held her snugly against his chest.“Are ye afraid, lass?Do ye think I would e’er hurt ye?”

Of course he would hurt her, that was what joining between a man and women was.At least for the woman.She started to back up, but he held firm.He ran his warm hands over her back and leaned in once more to kiss her, but this was not the kiss he’d given her at the wedding ceremony.Or just now.All he did was brush his lips back and forth over hers.“Mayhap ye should take this kirtle off.Ye would be more comfortable.”

She started to shake her head back and forth but he held her face still and took her mouth again with passion and desire.He nudged her lips until she opened, and he slid his tongue into her mouth, touching all the places she never would have guessed were sensitive.

Her stomach began to clench, and she felt the space between her legs growing damp and swollen.This was not something she had ever felt before.It was both frightening and wonderful.She pressed that part of her body against him, feeling the swelling of his male part.

Craig pulled away from her and nuzzled his mouth against her neck, kissing licking, and nipping.He sucked on her earlobe and breathed into her ear.“I want ye so bad, Lorena.I canno’ wait any longer.‘Tis too much of a temptation each night when I lay alongside ye.”

Had she been in her right mind, she would have reminded him that he was welcome to sleep somewhere else.But her brain was having a difficult time putting thoughts to her mouth.

The mouth he was now ravishing once again.Apparently, she wasn’t good at kissing and paying attention at the same time because she felt her clothes fall to the floor without knowing how they’d been removed.

Before she could think about that, her strong warrior—also naked—husband scooped her into his arms and walked them to the bed.