Page 12 of Highlander’s Sloth

And when she looked at his rugged body and dark lashed blue eyes, Kirsty knew she did not consider that such a difficult thing to do. Parts of herself seemed compelled to draw closer to him. Her fingers longed to run through his short brown hair, scrape her nails over his skin, feel his mouth press against her lips. When he ran one hand from her knee to the top of her thigh, her breath caught in her throat, and she gasped.

Callum knew the signs of a body awakening to experience pleasure to the fullest. He waited for Kirsty to relax and ease herself back onto the bolster, and then he shifted closer. Slowly drawing his arm under her neck and shoulders, he began using his free hand to stroke her body until he could feel her respond with abject delight to his caresses. She tilted her head back, exposing her neck, and gave a soft moan. He kissed her neck, and her moans became louder. It was as though she had forgotten there was a hall of merrymakers just a few doors away. All she could focus on was how wonderful his hands and lips were making her feel.

He found something so refreshing in how she did not bother hiding her responses. She was wholly spontaneous and reacted naturally to the sensations she was experiencing for the first time, shivering with anticipation when he stroked her thighs and pushing the sheets down when her body warmed to his touch. For the first time in many years, Callum found himself looking forward to the entire experience a maiden presented him: the delicious buildup, the wild melding of bodies, and the panting release.

Over the next few hours, Callum and Kirsty experienced what their bodies had to offer one another, and both were beyond happy with the results. The roosters were heard crowing to signal the breaking dawn when they finally found themselves too exhausted to continue. It was the first time Callum had romped with a woman between the sheets for such an extended length of time.

After looking at Kirsty’s face as she rested peacefully in his arms, he fell asleep with a contented smile on his face. There was much to be said about the matrimonial state after all.

It was past noon the next day when Kirsty rose and managed to find a maid to bring her water hot enough in which to bathe. She looked over at the sheets sadly; the last remnants of her maidenhead stained the middle of the bed. Her body belonged to Callum now, but she fought against the notion he would or could own her soul too.

I really must set about finding me own maid as soon as I can! I’ll nae bother meself trying to train these ones to bustle about, so help me!

After washing and dressing, Kirsty sat down at the desk in the bedchamber and scribbled a note to Christine, telling her the beddan was far more enjoyable than her sister-in-law had led her to believe, and then requested Christine to send a suitable dresser and maid to Macanroy Lodge as soon as she could find one.

After rummaging around in the drawers and managing to find a small lump of sealing wax, Kirsty went looking for a messenger to ride to Mac an Goill for her.

The lodge was slumberous. Once again, she found the occupants half asleep, dozing away the effects of a light dinner. There were more than a few pained expressions to be seen walking the corridors, indicating to Kirsty that the servants had spent last night celebrating the wedding with the Macanroy whisky.

She eventually found her way to Lady Elspeth’s bedchamber, and after a tired voice bade her enter, she went in.

“Begging yer pardon, Lady,” Kirsty said to the reclining figure on the divan, “but I am needful of a groom to ride posthaste to Mac an Goill for me with a letter for my sister.”

Lady Elspeth sighed and reached for the handbell resting on the small tambour-topped desk next to her, saying, “Ye are so busy about yerself today, dearie, will ye no’ rest awhile here?”

Not wanting to be rude but chafing to be off about her business, Kirsty did as she was bid, saying, “I woke to find the bed empty, Lady Elspeth. D’ye ken where Callum has gone?”

Even as the words had left her mouth, a strange reluctance to meet her husband this morning overwhelmed Kirsty’s mind. How could she look him straight in the face after what they had done together last night? She could not even blame her wild behavior on the whisky; she had not drunk enough of the stuff to account for her lusty gyrations and screams of ecstasy. And as satisfied her husband had seemed to be with her eager acceptance of his embraces—as indeed she had been—Christine had mentioned nothing to her about how maidens found themselves becoming insatiable for more and searching for their husbands the next day so as to make them repeat the experience!

However Kirsty felt about facing Callum again, she was to be disappointed.

Lady Elspeth waved a lazy hand, saying, “He goes off to do his business here an’ there, dearie. I find it so fatiguing to keep track of it all. But by all means, make yerself acquainted with the lodge. The west wing dates back nearly two hundred years, or so I’m told. I have never made the least push to discover anything more than that—of that you may be sure!”