A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (24 page)

She was so close, so close, tighter and tighter she felt her body coiling, until she couldn
’
t breathe for the pressure in her womb, until it was just too much to endure, and she shattered in violent ecstasy, clenching around her husband with a keening cry of his name. 

Muira fell into a sea of bliss, waves rolled through her body in crashes of pleasure.  Lachlan flipped their positions with a strangled groan, plunging hard and deep, just once, twice, three times more and then he too was lost in the intensity of his release, spilling himself inside his wife in hot, sticky spurts.

Lachlan managed to roll back into their original position before collapsing, which meant that Muira ending up curling atop his heaving chest instead of pinned underneath him, as she tried to catch her breath and recover her completely disorientated senses.  She could hear his heart thundering next to her ear.  A smile lit her face when she released that the tempo exactly matched the racing of her own blood. 

She felt like she should speak, but what they had just shared was so perfect that it seemed to transcend words.  Her eyelids were heavy, her body exhausted, but gloriously sated, and so, when Lachlan shifted a fraction to cover them again in the blankets, Muira said nothing, simply drifted asleep again, a soft smile still touching her lips.

..ooOOoo..

Lachlan did not sleep for very long.  He dozed dreamlessly only until the workings and bustle of the inn and its other guest roused him.  Muira was still fast asleep though, and still curled on top of his chest.  She was breathing deeply and contently, as if she hadn
’
t a care in the world.  Looking at his wife, as she slept so soundly, caused a warm, glowing feeling to spread through Lachlan
’
s body, which culminated, most curiously, just to the left hand side of his chest.

It was going to be hard for Muira at Eilean Donan Castle, he feared.  He could not imagine that the other MacRae
’
s would take too kindly to having a Cameron settled in among their number.  Lachlan also wondered if it would have a detrimental effect on his own position within the clan.  However, deciding he would be better off thinking about things if and when the problems arose, he went back to studying his wife.

He still had trouble believing that she was really his- but she was, his lips curls into a smile of very masculine appreciation.  She most
definitely
belonged to him after the previous night
’
s love making and their early encounter that morning.  Lachlan had been both amazed and delighted by how receptive she was to his touch, and how enthusiastic she was in his arms. 

If Muira had just been a woman from his own clan, then she could very well have been the bride that he would have chosen for himself, Lachlan reflected thoughtfully. 

He was dragged from his reverie by a light knock at the room door.  He scooted out from under Muira
’
s soft, warm body, (grinning to himself and shaking his head when she still didn
’
t wake,) grabbed his kilt from the floor, put it on and then opened the door a fraction.  Lachlan looked down into the face of one of the pub
’
s maids.  The young woman bobbed in a curtsey and asked if he would like some hot water brought up before breakfast.  Lachlan nodded his thanks and then shut the door, turning back into the room to find that Muira was finally stirring.

“
Good morning, beautiful,
”
he smiled, striding back across the room and popping a kiss on her upturned lips.  She yawned, blushed, and smiled shyly back at him.

The water, when it arrived, wasn
’
t enough to bathe in, but it was hot and enabled them both to wash themselves clean before dressing.  Breakfast was as rustic as dinner, a hunk of brown bread, served with a wedge of cheese, some honey and few sour apples.

“
You
’
ll eat better tonight,
”
Lachlan promised, polishing off Muira
’
s unwanted apple, after finishing his own. 

His wife shot him a hesitant glance. 
“
If your clan let me eat at all,
”
she murmured fearfully, staring down at her hands.

“
Muira-
”
Lachlan sighed, but she interrupted him.

“
Have you worked out what you
’
re going to say yet?
”
she asked timidly. 
“
How you
’
re going to explain me?  We
’
ll need to both have the same story if we
’
re to be believed.
”
 

She looked so terribly afraid that Lachlan wanted to reach for her and pull her into his lap.  He rather thought he knew where such a move would lead however, so he managed to restrain himself. 

“
Perhaps you should just tell your Laird the truth,
”
she murmured unhappily.

Lachlan frowned. 
“
I told you that I would think of something, Muira, that I would look after you and keep you safe,
”
he said, in a tone that did not brook argument. 
“
And that,
”
he said finally,
“
is what I intend to do.
”

..ooOOoo..

Of course, it was all well and good making these bold, dashing statements
, Lachlan thought later, as he helped to reload Muira
’
s things onto the back of the carriage
, but how did one actually follow through?

He was wondering if he could present the match in its most positive light, claiming that it had been a move on his part to try and strengthen the fragile peace that Graem, his Laird, was seeking between the two clans? 

Lachlan didn
’
t know if he could get away with that for very long though.  He was quite certain that the Camerons wouldn
’
t keep quiet about the precise terms of his marriage to Muira if any of them were ever asked about it- a problem that foiled every lie that he wanted to concoct.

So now, as he made for the stables, Lachlan was wondering how far he could bend the truth.  He could tell Graem that Muira
’
s honour had been compromised, and that he had been the only one in a position to help her. 

He could go so far as to say that it had been his finding her out on the road that had caused the trouble, which was more or less the truth.  Graem would ask why she
’
d been out without an escort, but Lachlan was confident that they could think of some innocent reason. 

This really did seem the best route to travel he decided, as he saddled up Faidhiach, resolving to work out the bumps in the story as he rode the rest of the way to Eilean Donan.

“
Lachlan?
”

He turned towards the now familiar voice of his wife, surprised to find Muira standing amid the hay and stalls.

“
You really do mean to ride today?
”
she asked,
sadly
…
?  Lachlan frowned and tried to puzzle out her tone.

“
Well I was planning to,
”
he said slowly. 
“
Just to stretch Faid
’
s legs,
”
he added, giving the horse an affectionate slap on the shoulder. 
“
But if you want me to ride with you-
”
he began carefully.

“
Oh, no!
”
Muira said quickly,
too
quickly. 

Lachlan swallowed a smile.  His chest was once again infused with warmth. 
“
I was just going to give him his head for a couple of hours and then hop back into the couch with you,
”
he said, turning to check the girth, although he could imagine the blush that would be colouring his wife
’
s pretty face. 
“
I didn
’
t think you
’
d want to arrive at Eilean Donan, effectively, on your own?
”
he said calmly.

“
No, I-
”
Muira stammered. 
“
I didn
’
t- I don
’
t
…”
she took a deep breath. 
“
Thank you, Lachlan,
”
she murmured.  He shot her a smile and nodded, watching, still grinning to himself as she wandered back out of the stable.

..ooOOoo..

Lachlan loved the feeling of freedom that came with the act of riding a horse at full pelt down the empty highroad.  He was, guiltily perhaps, thinking about nothing other that the raw power he had at his command.  Faidhiach gave an enthusiastic whinny and threw himself into the gallop, rounding the next corner only to pull up short.  If Lachlan had been less of a horseman he would have been unseated, as it was, he surveyed the scene before him and cursed. 

A large Scots Pine had fallen right across the road, completely blocking the way.  Lachlan scowled at the tree, for all the good that did.  It looked to be completely dead, and had been for several years no doubt; hence, that fact that it hadn
’
t taking a great deal to blow it down
…
apparently.  There hadn
’
t been any especially strong gales lately though, which made Lachlan instantly suspicious.  He reached for a weapon and then quickly dismounted.