Panting, his head dropped to her forehead. He eased his weight off her, lying at her side, his hands still caressing her silken skin. Breathless, she looked up at him, her green eyes dark with passion. As he ran his hand lightly down her body, she shivered.
“Lass, ye delight me,” he said huskily.
Smiling, she said, “I haven’t quite figured out what it is you do to me.”
He laughed and pulled her to him so her back was to his chest and his arms encircled her. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to keep doing it then, at least until you get it sorted out,” he said, and kissed her head.
~ * ~
In moments his breathing had become slow and regular and she knew he had drifted off to sleep. She found that a little astonishing because she felt energized. As she listened to his deep steady breaths, she enjoyed feeling the weight of his arms around her.
She had never really imagined what it might be like to fall in love, or to feel loved by a man. Smiling to herself, she supposed that as a young lass she might have had some romantic notions about love. She couldn’t really remember too much about her parents’ relationship. Like her marriage to Niall, her parents barely knew each other when they married, but they had seemed affectionate. She remembered her father’s sorrow when her mother died. Maybe they had grown to love each other.
After her father died, she’d had precious little time to think of much else other than protecting her clan and herself from her vicious uncle. The fear of who her uncle might choose for her accompanied any thought of marriage, so she avoided romantic thoughts at all costs.
Now she found herself in the arms of a husband who, by all accounts, was a good man who was respected by his clan. She enjoyed his company and she reveled in his love-making. She knew she could love Niall, but she feared he could not love her in return. She had heard him tell Cairbre, “My heart was never part of this bargain.” A voice inside of her told her to tread carefully, there would be pain on this road. It would be best to accept what Niall could offer, but at all costs protect her heart.
Then Father James’ words came back to her. You have learned the surest way to open yourself to hurt is to love and yet you love anyway. She realized it was too late. Not only could she love him, but she feared she had already lost her heart to him. If you can’t love me back, Niall, please, please, don’t hurt me too badly.
~ * ~
The sun had risen when Niall woke in the morning with the beautiful nymph from last night still in his arms. The lacerations on her back had mostly healed, leaving red scars. He knew eventually they would fade, joining the other fine white lines there, but he wondered if he would ever be able to look at them without a murderous rage building. He leaned down to kiss her white shoulder. She stirred and rolled over to face him. Smiling sleepily, she said, “Good morning.”
“Good morning, my sweet,” he said and kissed her. She stretched like a cat as she wrapped her arms around him, returning his kiss full measure. He wanted nothing more than to make love to her again as he had last night, but he knew he should give her a little time. He pulled away, saying, “Ah, temptress, we will have to pick this up later, or nothing will ever be accomplished at Duncurra again.”
“Well, then, get off me, ye brute,” she said, laughing. As he rolled to his side, she hopped out of bed, washed quickly, and dressed. After watching her for a bit, he, too, rose to dress and as he did, she asked, “Niall, have you given any more thought to Tomas?”
He really didn’t want to start the morning out with this, but he knew he had to address the issue. Resigned to it he answered, “Some. Tell me, why was Tomas living in the stable at Cotharach?”
“Because I was fond of him and my uncle is cruel.”
He frowned and said, “I was looking for a bit more information than that.”
She sighed, “It isn’t just that Uncle Ambrose is cruel, it is almost as if he enjoys causing pain. He takes pleasure in his victim’s reaction to it.” The anger Niall felt earlier, when looking at her scarred back, rose again.
Katherine paced as she explained, “I learned if I controlled my emotions and didn’t let him see he was hurting me, he soon lost interest in trying. Then he discovered he could hurt me through other people. If he saw me show someone a kindness, causing that person pain became another way to punish me. When Tomas’ grandfather died a few months ago, Uncle Ambrose found a new target in Tomas. He said he was being very generous to let Tomas live in the stable and if anyone interfered, they would be punished. I interfered a bit.”
Niall arched an eyebrow saying, “The scars on your back suggest ye interfered more than a bit.”