A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (44 page)

Lachlan sat down cautiously on the edge of the bed and reached a tentative hand out to touch Muira
’
s shoulder.  She tensed when his fingers brushed against her body, but didn
’
t pull away.  He rubbed her back soothingly, willing her to relax.

“
I want to ask you a question,
”
she whimpered after a few minutes of silence.  Lachlan nodded his head, although Muira couldn
’
t see the gesture. 
“
But I
’
m afraid of your answer,
”
she squeaked tearfully.

“
Afraid?
”
Lachlan frowned deeply. 
“
Whatever for?
”

“
Because I know you
’
d never lie to me, and I
’
m afraid of hearing the truth,
”
she confessed miserably.

“
Oh lass,
”
Lachlan groaned. 
“
What
’
s wrong?
”
he demanded.  He reached for his wife again, and this time wasn
’
t content with a meagre pat on the back.  He lifted her into his arms and settled her on his lap so that he could hold her against his chest. 
“
What is it?
”
he pressed, hooking a finger under Muira
’
s chin so that she was forced to look up at him.

He watched her take a deep, trembling breath. 
“
I
’
m I enough for you?
”
Muira blurted in a rush.

“
Enough
for me?
”
Lachlan repeated incredulously. 
Surely she couldn
’
t mean- couldn
’
t
doubt
-

“
In- in bed?
”
Muira clarified, turning crimson. 
“
Because I know- that is I
’
ve heard- that a lot of men look for pleasure outside their marriage bed,
”
she muttered, unable to meet his eyes.

While Lachlan tried to unglue his tongue from the roof of his mouth he marvelled at the cruel peculiarity that Muira could know
this
apparent fact when she had known so little else about the sexual side of marriage!

“
And you think that I
’
m one of those men?
”
Lachlan eventually choked, gaping at her, unsure whether he was offended that Muira would think him capable of abusing her in such a manner, or if he was merely in a state of disbelief that she seemed to be questioning the rapturous bliss he felt whenever he was inside her body!

“
I don
’
t know,
”
she whimpered, tugging her gaze away from his. 
“
I know that when we- well, I feel- but I don
’
t know how you- how I
…
compare
,
”
she spluttered, rather incoherently.  Lachlan managed to follow the gist of what she was saying however.

“
Aww, lass,
”
he breathed softly, tempering the hurt he felt in being so accused in light of Muira
’
s obvious insecurities. 
“
You
’
re the only woman I
’
ll ever need,
”
he promised.

“
But am I the only woman you
’
ll ever
want
?
”
she pressed sadly. 
“
Because I- I don
’
t think I can share you, Lachlan,
”
Muira confessed shakily. 
“
I mean I know it
’
s not really for me to say, and I know it
’
s all my fault, and that I tricked and forced you-
”
she was forced to stop when her husband pressed a finger against her lips.

“
Who said anything about sharing?
”
he growled fiercely. 
“
Do you honestly think I would do that do you, Muira?  That I
could
do that to you?
”
he demanded, gripping her tight and shaking her slightly. 
“
You think any woman could tempt me into bed now that I
’
ve had you?
”
he panted, desperately wanting to
prove
what he was saying by showing her once again how perfect they were together. 

He wanted to love her until she understood that they were made to be together, that nothing had ever surpassed the pleasure he felt when he was in her arms- when he was inside her body, but her present condition hardly allowed for it.

“
But Morag-
”

“
Morag couldn
’
t hold a candle to you,
”
Lachlan snapped, and it was true. 

The other woman had probably been with half the unmarried men in the castle, and more than her fair share of the married one
’
s too.  Experience had made her a skilful lover, but that was all it had done.  There had never been any spark for Lachlan, even in the beginning- Morag was pleasant, and attractive, and willing to please, (if she was pleasured, physically or financially, in return,) but it had never been an arrangement Lachlan had seen lasting long term.  He
’
d been looking for a way out before even leaving for Castle Cameron- that was what the ring had signified.

Muira in comparison could set him aflame with a look, a smile, she was a drug and he was very happily addicted, satisfied in the knowledge that she was
his
and his alone.  He wanted to teach her everything.  He
wanted
to pleasure her and send her into ecstasy.  Loving Muira was unique, he wasn
’
t just taking her body, but worshipping it, it wasn
’
t a merely physical joining, there was something deeper, something almost spiritual, as it their souls had mated and entwined.

“
You
’
re my
wife
, Muria,
”
he breathed, burying his face in her hair. 
“
Don
’
t you understand what that means to me?
”

Was that a rhetorical question?
  Muira desperately hoped so, because she didn
’
t have an answer ready to give Lachlan.  She didn
’
t know what she meant to her husband, but she knew that it tore her apart to think about him being with another woman.  To be jealous of lovers Lachlan had had in the past was illogical, Muira knew that, but knowing that was the case made it no less painful.  And to have it thrust in her face as Morag had done was just about unbearable! 

Besides, Lachlan might not mean to stray, but would he be able to resist the lures of other women?  Muira fretted, especially when she was unable to
…
service him herself.  She couldn
’
t imagine that he was used to denying his desires.  Haven
’
t he proven as much when he
’
d taken her in the forest?  Muira
’
s cheeks grew warm at the memory.  So, she had to make herself available at almost all times
…
a temptress whose bed he wouldn
’
t
want
to stray from?

Well it soundly like a good plan, but Muira didn
’
t know that she was learned enough in the required skills yet
…
she hadn
’
t even been married a week!

“
You
’
re ignoring me now then?
”
Lachlan sighed unhappily, dragging Muira from her thoughts.

“
No!  I
’
m not,
”
she said quickly, and then she sighed too. 
“
I
’
m just confused, and-
”

“
Sick,
”
Lachlan said gently. 
“
I should let you rest,
”
he murmured.  Muira hoped that she wasn
’
t imagining the look of reluctance in his eyes as he helped her back under the bedcovers.