“I love Lachlan,” Alyce said feeling the need to say it.
“Then let love be,” Honora said.
“What do you mean?”
“I discovered, quite by accident, that love is wiser than we are. If we would just let it be, not make demands or imprison it, but simply let love have its way then we finally taste its true joy.” Honora smiled. “I have so enjoyed this time with you and Tavish seems to be enamored with you.”
The little lad had his head snuggled in the crook of Alyce’s neck and his tiny fingers had firm hold of her blouse. His little body was warm against her chest and she loved having him there wrapped in her arms.
“How can you not love the little charmer, or his brother,” Alyce said with a smile to Ronan who was half asleep in his mother’s arms.
“I hope we can continue our tracking lessons,” Honora said.
“I would very much like that,” Alyce said.
“There you are!”
Lachlan’s shout stopped both women.
“Where have you been?” Lachlan asked hurrying over to them. “I was worried.”
“Were you so senseless by our lovemaking this morning that you forgot I told you I was meeting with Honora?” Alyce asked with a teasing glint.
Lachlan was struck speechless.
Honora grinned. “It’s so wonderful to see that you have met your match.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Lachlan said with his usual charm and turned to his wife. “And how could I have remembered anything after I appeased your insatiable appetite for me not once, but twice this morning.”
“Thrice, husband, not twice,” Alyce corrected.
Honora laughed.
“What’s so humorous?” Cavan asked, joining them as Tavish held eager hands out to his approaching father, who scooped him into his arms.
“A debate over the number of lovemaking bouts this morning,” Honora said candidly.
Cavan looked aghast. “I can’t believe you told them we made love two times this morning.”
“Got you beat,” Lachlan said with a smug grin. “Three times.”
“Four,” Artair sang out joyfully from behind them, his daughter Blythe snug contently in the crook of his arm.
With a serious expression Honora looked to Alyce. “We should find out what Zia’s putting in Artair’s brew and get some for our husbands.”
Alyce burst out laughing and Honora joined in.
“Ours sons need their nap,” Honora said after her laughter subsided.
“So does Blythe,” Artair said and walked off with them, though he teased Lachlan one last time. “I’ll see if Zia has any extra brew for you.”
Alyce slipped her arm around her husband’s and leaned against him. “You need nothing to enhance your prowess. You brought me to pleasure more than three times this morning; you always do.”
He kissed her lightly. “You know you just set my loins on fire.”
“I was hoping.”
He swung her up into his arms and walked to the cottage mindless of the villagers who stared smiling, while a few giggled.
As soon as the door closed Alyce kissed him with a hunger that surprised her, though it shouldn’t have. There wasn’t a time she didn’t want her husband. He was like a tonic she couldn’t get enough of no matter how many times he quenched her thirst.
He kissed her with just as much fervor and slipped along the length of her after he placed her on the bed. They lay side by side kissing, not touching or shedding their garments, simply kissing. Gentle and lazy, frantic and hard, the kisses went from one to another heating their passion with every thrust of a tongue or a simple brush of their lips.
Lachlan rested his hand on her waist and began to stroke along her hip, down her leg and Alyce tingled with anticipation of his intimate touch. She doubted they would have time to shed their clothes for she was wet and throbbing for him already.
She wanted to tell him to hurry and then urge him to take his time. She wanted him badly, yet she didn’t want this pleasure to end too soon.
His fingers tugged up her skirt and slipped beneath and she moaned and he teased with slow caresses that seemed to take forever to reach her and…
The mournful horn had them both jumping in shock.
“Something’s wrong,” he said and took hold of her hand to help her up. “We must get to the keep.”
Alyce didn’t argue, she was all too aware what the sound could signify; an attack.
Lachlan whipped a wool cloak around her before they left the cottage and grabbed his sword. The villagers were in action for battle, women hurrying children to the safety of the keep and the men rushing with swords and bows in hand to man their posts.