A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (31 page)

“
Come to bed,
”
he murmured, patting the space beside him.

“
In a minute,
”
she laughed quietly, kissing Lachlan
’
s cheek and then slipping out of his grasp.  He was too tired to resist the lure of slumber any long, and in a matter of mere seconds his breathing was deep and his chest was rising and falling steadily.

Muira stood and watched him for a few minutes.  She was exhausted herself, but the adrenaline (and terror) that had flooded her veins on arriving at Eilean Donan Castle was acting as a rather powerful stimulant.  She didn
’
t know if she would be able to sleep even if she did crawl beneath the covers, but then she wondered if it really mattered.  Just curling up beside Lachlan would be heavenly.

She had nothing to wear to bed though, no nightdress; her cases hadn
’
t been brought up to Lachlan
’
s room yet.  She could sleep in her chemise, but she had been wearing it for days, had already slept in it once, and after her frantic coupling with Lachlan in the woods Muira thought it better if she changed out of the undergarment
…
which only really left one option.

Muira slipped quickly out of her clothes, tossing them over the back of the chair where she had folded Lachlan
’
s things.  She felt a guilty little thrill as she slipped beneath the cover, revelling in the cool crisp feel of the clean sheets against her skin, and then basking in the warmth of her husband
’
s skin as she wriggled up against him.

She needn
’
t have worried about dropping off.  The second that she had finished entwining her limbs with Lachlan
’
s and let her head touch the pillow Muira was out like a light.

..ooOOoo..

She didn
’
t know how long she slept, only that there was still a little daylight left seeping through the windows when she woke- to the sound of cheerful humming.  Muria prised open one eye, somehow feeling more tired than she had when she lay down to sleep.  Lachlan was standing in front of a mirror trimming his beard.  A towel was knotted around his waist and his skin was damp from the bath that she assumed he
’
d just taken.

“
Ah, you
’
re awake,
”
he said, without turning to look at her. 

Muira wriggled back under the blankets and pretended
not
to be awake.  If she was awake she
’
d have to get up, and if she got up that would undoubtedly lead to all sorts of unsavoury activities, like meeting the MacRae
’
s Laird, and seeing Lachlan
’
s mother, and- all in all the bed looked a far safer place to stay.

“
There
’
s a fresh bath waiting for you,
”
Lachlan chuckled, which had the desired effect of coaxing Muira to abandon her pretence of sleep.

“
A bath?
”
she whispered hopefully.

“
Aye,
”
Lachlan grinned, nodding in the direction of a large brass tub that was sitting in front of the hearth.  The fire had evidently been lit while Muira slept, and it now looked to be burning very merrily.

“
Ooh,
”
Muira cooed in appreciative longing. 

She sat up, and then quickly clutched the blankets around her body, suddenly realising her predicament.  She was suddenly quite sure that she couldn
’
t walk across the room in front of her husband completely naked!  What had seemed like a good idea when she
’
d been hopping into bed suddenly looked a lot less clever in the sober light of day, (or evening, at any rate).

What was worse, Lachlan seemed to know what was troubling her, because he
’
d turned away from the mirror and was leaning against the washstand, watching her, a wide grin plastered across his face.

“
You will have to get out of bed, you know,
”
he said innocently, but Muira was sure that she could see the mischievous glint in his eyes, even from all the way across the other side of the room. 
“
I can
’
t very well bring the bath over there, Muira,
”
he said, continuing to smile.

“
I know!  I
am
getting out of bed,
”
she said, more to buy herself some time than anything, because she obviously
hadn
’
t
been getting out of bed at all. 

She wondered if Lachlan would let her wrap herself in a sheet and pad across to the bath, although just the thought of bathing in front of him caused an equally deep blush to colour Muira
’
s cheeks.  She couldn
’
t understand
why;
after the things they
’
d done together she would have thought herself past the point of embarrassment!

It was
different
now though.  Would he be as pleased with what he saw when he wasn
’
t blinded by passion?  Would he still think her as beautiful? 

She had to take that gamble.  Muira took a deep breath and slid a leg out from under the bed covers, followed closely by the other.  She let the sheet fall slowly from where she
’
d had it tucked under her chin until she was completely exposed, and then she stood up, letting her breath on in a whoosh of air, before finally daring to look at her husband.

Lachlan
’
s gaze reminded her of the lightning strikes that she and her brother, Ewan, had used to watch from the highest turrets of Castle Cameron as children.  It held that same intensity, and caused the fine hair on her arms to stand on end in just the same manner. 

Muira could feel her heart pick up a beat as Lachlan
’
s eyes roamed her body shamelessly.  She could feel her nipples tighten- feel the dampness that was already spreading between her legs, provoked by the slightly hint that he wanted her.  She sauntered across to the tub, accentuating the wiggle of her bottom, and letting her hand slide down the curve of her hip, while the outside swell of her breasts gently knocked against the inside of her arms.

She must be one of those very wicked, very wanton women she had always been warned against,
Muira thought.  But the trouble was, she really didn
’
t think that she cared.

“
Minx,
”
Lachlan growled beneath his breath, drinking in the enticing sway of his wife
’
s body. 

He watched as Muira glanced innocently over her shoulder at him, smiling sweetly.  She dipped one toe into the warm water to test it, parting her legs to an almost obscene degree, and angling her body so that Lachlan could see the swollen pink lips of her sex.  He groaned, loud enough for her to hear.  Muira shot him a triumphant glance and then slid into the bathtub.  

He couldn
’
t take her.  There wasn
’
t time.  Lachlan cursed that fact a hundred times over, but it didn
’
t mean that he was going to be the only one to suffer.  He padded over to the tub, crouching down behind his wife so that her back was to his front.

“
Someone
’
s been a naughty girl,
”
he purred.

“
Ah, and is there a punishment to fit this misdemeanour?
”
Muira giggled, and then sighed heavily when Lachlan leant forwards and dabbed a line of kisses across her shoulder blades.

“
Oh most definitely,
”
he breathed, letting his hands drift around her body so that he could lightly fondle her breasts. 
“
But first I think this dirty little girl needs a thorough cleaning.
”

“
Little?
”
Muira asked coyly, thrusting her ample chest into his waiting palms.  It was all Lachlan could do not to pounce on her, but he forced himself to remember his torturous plan.

“
Wicked,
”
he corrected, licking the shell of Muira
’
s ear, and causing her to moan loudly. 
“
Do you know what I want to do?
”
he rasped, reaching for a bar of soap and lathering it between his hands. 

“
I c-can imagine,
”
Muira gasped, as her husband
’
s hand started washing her.

“
Can you?
”
Lachlan chuckled. 
“
Can you imagine me crawling into the tub with you?
”
he whispered huskily, smiling at Muira
’
s little start of surprise. 
“
It
’
s big enough you know.
”
  He knew from past experience, but he didn
’
t want to think about that now. 
“
And then, once I was in there, with you, I wonder what then?  Do you know?
”