Highland Grace (40 page)

After she’d settled once again beside him,
bathed him off, and rolled her body into his, he said, “I’ve a
craving for something sweet.”

She lifted her head. “Sw—?” she began in
confusion, but giggled when she saw the berry tart in his hand.

He took a bite of the tart and chewed. “Mmm.
You know how much I love these comfits.” Then he dribbled some of
its juice onto the tip of her breast and licked it off.

She moaned and turned onto her back,
arching.

“You liked that, did you?” he purred. This
time, he allowed even more of the juice to dribble onto her breast.
It ran down the sides and onto the mattress. “My pardon,” he said,
“you may sleep on my side of the bed tonight.” Her only answer was
to press against him. Taking the hint, he positioned his palm under
her breast and lifted it before opening his mouth wide and drawing
it deeply into its recesses. He suckled her then, massaging the
breast until he got what he craved. A blissful moan rumbled up from
deep inside him. This—This, he thought, must be the ambrosia of
which the ancients had spoken.

Jesslyn gasped in shock and desire as she
felt him draw nourishment from her.

After a moment, Bao raised his head and gazed
into her passion-filled eyes. “I hope you don’t mind, I wanted a
bit of milk with my tart.”

Thankfully more amused than shocked by the
bawdy jest, she chuckled and shook her head before lifting it from
its resting place on the pillow and kissing him, sucking and
nibbling the remnants of the tart and milk from his bottom lip.

“I want you inside me, Bao.”

He groaned and tucked his head into the curve
of her neck. “Believe me, my love, I want that too. But we
cannot.”

She shoved at his shoulder and he lifted up
and caught her eye.

“Aye, we can. ‘Tis been long enough. I spoke
to your Grandmother about it and she says that I have all the signs
of being fully healed. Please. Please let us just try.”

Bao wanted to say no, he really did, but
somehow what came out of his mouth was, “Aye, all right. But I’ll
have to prepare you first.”

She grinned. “I was hoping you would say
that.”

“Spread your legs, vixen.”

She did and he settled his head between them.
After dribbling berry juice over the hood of her clitoris, he
lapped and nibbled, then started a gentle suction. When he’d
brought her to peak twice, when he could easily slide his finger
into her, when he could feel the soft swell of her inner flesh,
touch her turgid bud with his tongue, he knew she was ready to
receive him.

He slid up her limp form, leaving hot kisses
along the way until at last he was cradled by her womanhood. “Open
your eyes, Jesslyn.”

Her lids drifted open and he stroked the hair
off her damp brow with the palm of his hand. “Wrap your legs around
me.”

She did more than that, she wrapped her arms
around him as well. And then she lifted up, just as he began to
press down. In the next second, he was home. “Oh, God. I love you
so much,” he said and scorched her mouth with a long, deep,
ravenous kiss. He started to move then, slow, gentle, and she
matched his rhythm.

He felt her turn her head to his cheek, felt
her lips caress the shell of his ear and then she whispered. “I
love you, too. Give me another babe—not now, but soon. Next year.
All right?”

“Aye.” A surge of pleasure took him by the
shorthairs and his movements grew more rapid. He grasped her hips,
held them up so he could plow more deeply.

She winced.

He paused. “Am I hurting you?”

“A little, but…mmm. It feels good, too. Don’t
stop.”

He began to move again. For the next few
moments, their cries of passion melded in the room. Both ground out
the other’s name as they climaxed, first Jesslyn, then Bao.

Afterward, when they were both near to
unconsciousness, he managed to say, “You are serious? You truly
want another babe so quickly?”

“Aye, I do.” She raised up and propped her
head on her hand. “Don’t you?”

He grinned. “Oh, aye, I surely do.”

* * *

It was a bright, warm morn in July when
Daniel, Maryn and Nora departed the Maclean keep, heading back to
the holding that held Daniel’s heart, back to his mother’s clan,
his
clan, the MacLaurins. Bao had been officially named
laird and chieftain over the Macleans the sennight after Branwenn’s
departure, but Daniel had wanted to wait until Nora was older to
make the long journey home.

“I’m going to miss you desperately,” Jesslyn
said to Maryn. They stood beside the cart that held her friends’
chests and other belongings. She quickly scanned it to make sure it
was well bound with rope.

Maryn followed the line of Jesslyn’s sight.
“Can you believe how much more we’re taking back with us than that
with which we arrived?”

“I know. A babe, for one thing,” she gently
teased, giving her friend a quick glance before turning her eyes
back to the cargo loaded on the cart. “It seems so long ago now,”
she continued wistfully, “so much has changed between us since that
time.” She looked back at her friend and grasped her hand in both
of her own. “Back then you were a stranger, a rival to the life I’d
mapped out for myself and Alleck. But now you are not only my
dearest friend, but my sister as well.”

“Aye,” Maryn replied. “Which means we
will
see each other again.
Often
. Daniel
promised.”

Jesslyn laughed. “I made Bao promise the same
thing to me! Although, ‘twas not very difficult; he adores his
brother, after all. And since Branwenn has been lost to him, he
feels an even greater need to keep close ties with his other family
members.”

“Daniel feels the same way,” Maryn said.

“I wish Grandmother Maclean could have been
here,” Jesslyn lamented, squeezing Maryn’s hand.

“Aye, but with Lara’s death, Aunt Maggie
needs help taking care of Callum’s wee daughter.” Callum’s wife had
run off with the outcast and permanently marred Giric in the moon
after
Bealltainn
and was found a sennight later. Both were
hiding in a cotter’s hut on the Gordon land, with her near death
from a fall she’d taken on one of her wild rides across the glen.
Callum had been summoned immediately and he had stayed by his
wife’s side until she’d finally succumbed to her injuries and
passed away.

“Aye, and Callum needs her comfort as well,
I’m sure,” Jesslyn replied.

Maryn nodded. “He’s always been close to
Grandmother Maclean.” She sighed, saying, “Poor Callum, he’s had
quite a bad time of it this past year or so.”

“Aye, he has. But he’s strong and he’s
matured over the past moons since I first met him—he’ll be
fine.”

“You are right, I know you are, but I cannot
help but worry for him. We’ve been friends for many years and I
hate to know he’s suffering so.”

“He’ll be fine,” Jesslyn repeated, feeling
the need to assure herself as well as her friend. She took in a
deep breath and slowly released it as she gazed around the
courtyard. “This place will seem like a tomb with you and Daniel
gone.” She turned her gaze back onto her friend. “And who will I
get to do my sewing?” she jested.

“I know Bao will do it for you, if you ask.”
Maryn answered cheekily.

“Ha! Ha! What a wit you are,” Jesslyn replied
with a grin.

Daniel and Bao walked up beside them then.
Daniel put his arm around his wife’s waist, drawing her up against
his side. “What has you grinning?” he asked Jesslyn. “Never say you
are
glad
to see us leave, dear friend of mine.”

Jesslyn’s eyes misted as she gazed at her
handsome auburn-haired friend. She ignored his jest and said
instead, “Thank you. Thank you for bringing me and Alleck here.
Because of you I have another love and a new babe. I have the life
I craved, but never thought I’d find again.”

Daniel placed his hand on Bao’s shoulder and
squeezed, giving it a little shake at the same time. “You’re a fine
chieftain, Bao. Our grandfather would have been proud to pass on
his legacy to you.” Daniel gazed around him, taking in the scenery
for the last time. “We must leave now, Laird Donald will be
waiting.” Maryn’s father was to meet them along the road and travel
with them back to the MacLaurin holding. He had agreed to a long
visit while Maryn settled in as mistress of the MacLaurin keep.

After a few more moments of final farewells,
Daniel, his family, and his entourage departed.

Jesslyn and Bao stood in the courtyard for
quite some time after the dust had finally settled, sad but filled
with hope for their future.

“I meant what I said, you know,” Jesslyn
murmured. “I
do
have the life I craved, the love I
craved.”

Bao turned and wrapped her in his arms,
hugging her close. “’Twas my brother that I thanked, but in truth,
‘tis you who have my deepest gratitude. You saved me, lightened my
soul, brought depth and meaning to my life.”

“As did you for me.”

“Will you meet me later? At our special
place?” Bao murmured against her ear.

“Our special place?” Jesslyn asked in
confusion.

“The waterfall, my love.”

Jesslyn smiled and sighed, snuggling even
further into her husband’s comforting and loving embrace. “Aye,
that sounds wonderful. The weather is just right for a swim.”

“I’m sure Alleck will not mind spending a bit
of time with his wee brother and the nurse while we are gone.”

“Nay, he will not. As a matter of fact, I
believe he’s up in the solar with them right now. He’s very sad
that Maryn and Daniel had to leave, even tho’ he’ll see them again
a few moons hence when he begins his training. I tried, but I
couldn’t get him to come down to say farewell to them this
morn.”

“Daniel and Maryn spent some time with him
last eve while you were with Bao Li. They said their farewells to
each other then,” Bao reassured her.

Jesslyn nodded, rubbing her cheek against her
husband’s chest.

Bao kissed her forehead.

They stood that way—content, joyous, and
silent—until the terce bell chimed. Then, in unspoken accord, they
at last turned and, arm-in-arm, slowly made their way back toward
the steps of their home.

The End

Highland Grace : Book Two : Highlands Trilogy

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Available May 2012:

Highland Vengeance

Book One in the Highlands Trilogy

By

K.E. Saxon

A Family Saga / Adventure Romance

DANIEL AND MARYN’S STORY

* * *

Available November 2012:

Highland Magic

Book Three in the Highlands Trilogy

By

K.E. Saxon

A Family Saga / Adventure Romance

CALLUM AND BRANWENN’S STORY

* * *

HIGHLAND MAGIC : Book Three : Highlands Trilogy

PROLOGUE

Cilgerran Castle, Southern March Region, Cambria

The Betrothal Feast, July 1205

Gaiallard de Montfort settled back in his
chair and studied the chaos all around him. This betrothal would
bring him the demesne he’d been craving, but at a price for which
he was growing more resentful as each day passed. He was expected
to wed an awkward rustic, a mere girl! He, whom the ladies of the
court had given the title ‘golden wolf’, both in and out of the
bedchamber. Oh, she was pleasing to look upon. Her dark hair framed
her face in a becoming enough manner and accented her most
attractive asset: her large eyes bore the color of kings in their
amethyst depths. But even his young sister had more curves than
this boyish girl. And she was as green as his page—and just as
unschooled in the ways of the court, mayhap even more so. How many
times now had he been humiliated in front of his comrades by her
graceless overtures and simple dress? If he had not given her, as a
betrothal gift, the lovely purple velvet dress she now wore with
the gold embroidery edging the square neck and sleeves, or the gold
silk chemise beneath it, he had no doubt she’d now be wearing that
godawful saffron woolen thing she’d worn to at least five of the
seven previous evening meals this past sennight. Had she no
understanding of the place she would be taking, had already been
expected to take by his side? She was no good representative of his
position in the hierarchy. In fact, she had made him a
laughing-stock at court. And last eve, when she’d stumbled upon him
with his sister—well, she would simply have to grow accustomed to
such encounters as they were a well-established part of life
amongst those of noble birth. He clenched his jaw to keep from
groaning aloud in frustration. Why, oh, why had fate not been
kinder to him? If all had gone as he’d planned, he’d even now be
presiding over the demesne of
Castell Crychydd
with his
chosen mate, Caroline de Montrochet. Now, there was a beauty, a
perfect example of nobility, virtue, and womanliness. Gaiallard’s
eyes were drawn once more to the trestle table below where the lady
in question now sat nibbling a portion of sea fowl.