In Bed With A Stranger(26)

"Surely you do not sleep here?" She didn't care if her voice sounded  frantic, she was desperate to gain some small amount of distance from  his hands. His touch drove her insane.

"My father has not yet been gone a full year. I never moved into his  chamber, just as I didnae begin taking my supper on the dais. This  chamber is better than the one I've been using. I had it furnished for  ye. This bed was made for our children to be conceived in."

His arms tightened around her while he nuzzled against her neck drawing a  deep breath in her hair. "I hope ye enjoy it as much as I am."

She did …

She wiggled as shock washed over her. It was the truth that she enjoyed the feel of his large body pressing against her.

"I warned ye once, Wife, keep me awake and ye'll need to entertain me."  There was a hint of teasing in his voice now. His thumb brushed the  nipple back and forth as his fingers cradled the soft mound. His cock  thickened against her bottom, drawing a shaky breath from her. She  tottered on the edge of bliss, not really wanting to think anymore.  Especially not when her body felt so good.

Pandora's box …

"But no more entertaining tonight. I'd be a demanding brute if I pushed ye for more so soon after taking yer innocence."

She wasn't so sure that he'd taken anything. He had been bold, entering  her chamber in spite of her refusal, but in those moments after he'd  joined her, she'd offered as much as he had demanded. Her face burned as  she recalled exactly how much she had wanted to be taken. She wriggled,  trying to gain some space.

"So now you believe that I am not loose." Hurt edged her words. His embrace tightened, holding her against his body.

"Aye. It's nae an uncommon way of proving the issue."

There was no softness in his tone. But there was a ring of approval that  she should have detested. Instead a small smile curved her lips because  measuring up to his standards was something she did see the value of.  Knowing that he was pleased stroked a portion of her heart, filling her  with tender contentment. It was very tempting to lie back against him  and savor the moment.         

     



 

Oh, it was foolish to let the emotion wrap around her. But she couldn't  stop it. Her eyelashes fluttered as she drifted off into slumber, warmer  and more content than she could recall. A memory of her mother's face  as she lay against her sire, filling her dreams. Sometime during the  night, the face changed to Brodick's and she snuggled against him,  holding onto his arm where it draped across her chest.

A warm hand stroked her shoulder. She muttered in her sleep. It felt  quite good, that petting. She lifted her eyelids to discover who was  being so motherly towards her.

Her mind snapped to attention when she looked into a man's eyes. For a  second she was confused, stunned by the masculine face. His hair was  tossed from the night and there wasn't a stitch on him. Nothing to  shield his body. The early dawn light washed over his hard chest, down  across his belly and along his thighs. He stood up, stretching his arms.  Her eyes were glued to the sight of his magnificent body. The church  would condemn her fascination with his earthly form, but her gaze roamed  over him, touching the firm skin.

The sight was magnificent.

He turned, considering her with his midnight eyes. Even in the light of morning they seemed forged out of the night.

"I enjoy the look of ye tumbled in my bed quite a bit." His attention  lowered to her breasts that were bare and uncovered. "Aye, I believe  I'll take to waking up beside ye often."

She pulled the heavy bedcover over her nude body. He chuckled at her  action. She expected him to tease her again but he bent down to retrieve  his shirt where it lay on the floor. His kilt was draped over the foot  of the bed and half onto the floor, the wide leather belt used for  holding it around his waist lying a few feet from the bed. As he  shrugged into the creamy linen shirt, she lowered her eyes to look at  his cock. It stuck out from his body, the head slightly red. A deep  chuckle jerked her attention back to his face. A grin decorated his  lips.

"I'll have to see about making sure ye get a chance to look yer fill at  me later." He shrugged his shoulders into the shirt. It slithered into  place, the length of it falling to cover his cock.

"But nae now."

He scooped up his kilt. Using the end of the bed, he laid it in even  pleats over the belt. His hands were confident at the task, telling her  that he was not a man who expected service. She might even forget he was  a titled man while watching him lean back over the bed. He grasped the  ends of the belt and secured it around his lean waist. When he stood,  the kilt fell perfectly around his thighs. His self reliance drew her  interest. She found him likeable and that frightened her. Fear laced her  thoughts as she contemplated a man she could see her heart growing fond  of. If he'd been anything like Philipa, she'd have ignored him easily.

"Good morning, mistress."

Helen's voice bounced off the chamber walls. She led a string of maids  in through the door, not stopping until she was leaning in among the bed  curtains. The maid beamed. Helen reached for the heavy bed coverings  and tugged them clean to the foot of the bed. Slumber evaporated  instantly as Anne grabbed at the edge of the comforter. She flopped over  onto her belly as graceless as a newly caught fish, her eyes rounding  when the morning air brushed her bare bottom.

"No need to be shy, mistress." Helen was surprisingly strong, pulling  the thick cover clear off the bed. A satisfied smile lit her face.

"Here now, out of bed with ye."

Helen didn't wait for Anne to overcome her modesty. She gently grasped a  wrist, pulling her out of the bed. The row of maids all lowered  themselves. There was a snap of fabric behind her. But she froze as she  looked into Brodick's eyes. He stood watching her, his expression  unreadable.

"There now." Helen held up the soiled sheet triumphantly. She showed its  bloody stain proudly to the waiting maids. They all lowered themselves  once more before turning to fetch her clothing. Brodick eyed it,  satisfaction lifting his eyes. He had his boots on now and looked like  the earl once more, the man she'd woken up with hidden behind a  controlled expression.

"It will serve as a fine example to the castle folk to have this flying  outside yer window." Helen inspected the sheet closely, nodding  approval. "Aye, indeed it will. Too many of the young are tempted to  dally outside of marriage."         

     



 

Helen refused to give up the sheet, keeping a tight hold on it. She  watched the maids bring forward Anne's clothing with a keen eye.

"The lot of ye take notice, the lass is nae having her monthly curse."

Every set of eyes flew to her bare thighs. Anne groaned softly, more  embarrassed than she'd ever been in her life. Helen had no pity for her  plight. The senior maid took an edge of the soiled sheet that was still  clean and swiped it along her inner leg.

"You see? White as snow it is."

"Helen … "

The maid didn't look a bit contrite. She lifted her chin, satisfaction shining in her eyes.

"Just making sure that there is no question of yer honor." She aimed a  hard stare at the frozen maids. "From any corner of the castle."

"Aye, ma'am."

"Ma'am."

"Indeed, mistress."

"'Tis so, ma'am."

Helen nodded approval. The maids began to dress Anne taking care to lay  each garment softly against her skin. Her unbound hair was lifted gently  by one set of hands while another eased her doublet up her right arm.  Brodick watched, seemingly interested in her dressing.

"We'll have some of yer clothing altered by tonight. Yer mother's  housekeeper should be demoted. None of yer corsets are the correct  length on the sides. Such an oversight is shameful."

A maid was closing the front of her doublet when a fist landed on the door.

"Open it." The earl spoke with firm authority that sent every maid to lowering herself instead of doing what he wanted.

"Now, Ginny."

Helen didn't lack command presence-the maid jumped to the ring of  urgency in her voice. One of them pulled the door wide. Cullen and Druce  stood there along with three other men.

"Thank ye for attending us, my lords." Brodick sounded more serious than an executioner. He pointed toward Helen.

The senior maid proudly pulled the sheet wide between her outstretched  arms. Anne felt her face burn as the men all inspected the stain. They  didn't say anything, only stared before their gazes drifted over her.

"'Tis settled then."

Brodick nodded as he swept the room with a firm glance. He paused at  each maid before eying the men. When they had all returned his nod he  moved across the chamber to her.

"I do see the value in some traditions. Now the matter is proven truly."  He stroked a hand across her cheek, tenderness flickering in his eyes.  It vanished almost as quickly as his fingers finished stroking her face.