“Oh crap.” She looked up at him, the guilt plain on her face.
“Oh crap is right. Mother, Elaine, I would like to have a word with Alethia in private.”
They fled, glancing sympathetically her way as they passed.
“Give them to me,” he commanded.
She shook her head. “Nope.”
“You will.”
“I won’t.”
In two strides he was before her, lifting her skirts in search of the contraband.
“Stop it!” She shoved his hands away and jumped from her place, putting the chair between them. “You know what you are?” she shouted. “You’re a walking, talking oxymoron!”
Malcolm opened his mouth to retort, only to be interrupted.
“That’s right.” She stomped her foot. “An overbearing, arrogant, bellowing contradiction.” Her breathing had grown rapid, and her eyes were wide with fear. She looked ready to flee at the slightest provocation.
Alethia feared him.
In an instant, all of Malcolm’s anger dissipated. He couldn’t bear to have her fear him. “What do you mean, lass?”
“You demand I answer your questions, but you ignore mine. You declare you want me to be safe, but you won’t let me feel safe. Hugh would have raped me if you hadn’t intervened. I haven’t gotten over that. It’s just a stupid dagger.” She retrieved the small knife from the sheath strapped to her calf. “Don’t you get it? Carrying this makes me feel better.” She sucked in a huge gulp of air.
“You say I’m not a prisoner here, but you won’t let me have any freedom. You demand I have faith in you, and you have none in me.” Her voice quavered.
Her shoulders slumped. She looked defeated. He was responsible, and the knowledge laid him low. She spoke the truth. He shoved the chair separating them aside and took her into his arms. Holding her close, he bent to touch her forehead with his. “Woman, were you but a wee bit smaller, I would tuck you away in my sporran for safekeeping.”
He kissed her before she could cause him more grief with her words. Twining his hands in her hair, he slanted her head to gain better access and ravished the velvety sweetness of her mouth with his tongue.
Her dagger dropped to the floor with a thud. She wrapped her arms around his waist. Alethia pressed against him, and he could feel the tension leave her on a sigh. Lifting her into his arms, he crossed the room and laid her on the cushioned bench, lowering himself to cover her. Her soft moans incited his passion to a fever pitch. If he wasn’t careful, he would take her right here in his mother’s solar.
Moving to her neck, he inhaled her irresistible sweet scent. He kissed his way up to her delicate ear and cupped one of her breasts through her gown. She arched into him and groaned. Hard and aching, he pressed his mouth against the swell of her breast where skin met gown.
“Malcolm,” she whispered, drawing his face back to hers, kissing him with a passion equal to his own.
Frantic with desire, he undid the laces of her gown, tugging it down her shoulders. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of the dusky rose of her nipples against the exotic light brown of her flawless skin. Malcolm bent to her, taking one delectable bud into his mouth. His body tightened beyond endurance as she writhed with pleasure and pressed into him, tangling her fingers in his hair.
Switching to lavish her other breast with equal attention, he found the hem of her gown and ran his hand up the soft velvet curve of her calf, coming up to caress her thigh. She gasped and jerked at the contact. He’d explode if he didn’t take her.
No. This was not how he wanted their first time to be. He wanted a wedding night for them, a memory they would both savor as they grew old together. Alethia deserved honor and respect, and here he was behaving like a rutting stag. It took all of his will to rein himself back.
Raising himself, Malcolm devoured her with his eyes and traced a finger from her forehead down her fine, straight nose to her full lips. “We need to talk.”
“Now?” she groaned. “You wanna…talk?” She pushed herself up to sitting and attempted to put herself back together with fingers that fumbled and trembled slightly.
Her labored breathing did naught to help him calm his raging lust. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, focusing on more important issues needing his attention. “Aye, lest we do something we might both regret.”
“Right.” She shot him a disgruntled look. “You started it.”
He chuckled. “Aye, I’ll no’ deny my culpability. Here, let me help.” He reached out to retie her gown. Settling her beside him, he reveled in her tousled appearance.