Medieval Highlands 01 - Highland Vengeance (19 page)

*

Daniel woke Maryn the next morn with a trail of soft kisses up her neck, ending at her earlobe. He nibbled and suckled the soft flesh until she trembled beneath him.

She moaned, half asleep, and rolled onto her back.

Daniel took immediate advantage. Softly, oh so softly, he trailed the tips of his fingers first along her bare arm and then across her collar bone.

Her eyes drifted open and her gaze focused on him.

“Good morn, sweetheart.” Not wanting to give her time to awaken entirely before he’d finished his assault, he dipped his head and sipped her lips. Gently prodding them open with his tongue, he tasted more fully of her sweet bounty as he continued his teasing exploration of her body. He lightly trailed his fingertips from her collarbone down to the peak of her right breast, circling it until it had beaded for him, and then widening the course, making a spiral over her entire breast. ‘Twas so delicately formed, so plump, so round. He turned direction then and slowly made his way back to the peak, imagining the time when his tongue would instead do the exploring.

Believing she was dreaming, Maryn allowed herself to enjoy her husband’s sensuous, phantom caress. ‘Twas much more vivid than the other dream she’d had while in her bath, for her skin now felt molten and she avidly craved those exploring fingers of his to find and soothe the throbbing ache between her thighs.

“You like this, do you not, sweetheart?” Daniel murmured against her lips.

When his hand settled, heavy and warm, over her breast, she came fully awake. Godamercy! He touched her in truth! Panicked by the thought of comparison to the bounteous lady Jesslyn, Maryn rolled away from him. “You promised we could wait a few moons before we did that, Daniel.”

“Aye, sweetheart. Forgive me.” Placing his hand on her shoulder, he rolled her to her back once more. “I regret frightening you, but I’ll not regret touching you. Ever. You tempt me beyond the bounds of reason, of restraint.”

A thrill ran through Maryn at his heated declaration. Had she made a mistake in not allowing her husband to continue to touch her in such a carnal manner? It certainly seemed that he truly desired to do so. And mayhap that showed that he was beginning to care for her more than he did for the Lady Jesslyn. She prayed so. Setting aside all of her doubts of the night before, she decided in that moment that she would do her best to get past her fears and allow her husband to bed her soon. After all, ‘twas what she yearned for as well.

*

Later that morn, Maryn sat and listened to the elders as they introduced themselves to Daniel. After the last one had settled back on his bench, Daniel rose. “I wish for you all to accept my bride into clan Maclean,” he began, gravely. “‘Tis my will that there be no more hostility toward her for the role she played in the raid of your horses. ‘Tis best to put the past behind us and begin anew.”

After the Maclean clan elders had given their agreement to his precepts and welcomed Maryn, Daniel asked, “Must I worry that Callum will return with a MacGregor contingent and fight to have his position returned to him? Or cause trouble because he lost his bid for Maryn’s troth?”

“Nay, lad. You need not concern yourself with Callum,” the most aged of the Maclean elders replied. “He’s not given us any reason to believe, thus far, that he is resentful of our decision to replace him or angry that he was thwarted in his attempt to wed the lass.”

“And what of the horse marshal?”

“He’s gone. Left not more than a day or two past the night of the thieving.”

Satisfied, Daniel indicated that Maryn was permitted to leave.

*

Late that eve, Daniel made his way back to his and Maryn’s bedchamber after eating supper in the hall. He’d been surprised when Jesslyn and Alleck had arrived, having had no notion that he’d agreed to the arrangement. But his grandmother had quickly reminded him of his consent this day past and then he’d been ashamed that he had not thought of it himself. After all, Alleck was accustomed to dining with him, and the lad might have had wounded feelings if he believed Daniel did not want to have him at his table any longer.

But he’d missed Maryn. His mind had been filled with thoughts of her almost every minute of the day as he’d gone about the business of the lairdship. When he’d learned that she’d remained in their chamber all day and that she’d decided to dine there as well, he’d been disappointed but he’d understood, for she was overwrought and needed her rest. And he would have joined her, but after declining supper the eve before, he had felt obliged to dine with his grandmother and his invited guests this eve.

He eased open the door, not wishing to wake her if she were sleeping. His gaze immediately came to rest upon her. She was seated beside the hearth sewing a stitch in the large tapestry he’d seen in her chest when she’d packed some of her belongings prior to their journey here.

She had not yet noticed his presence and he took the opportunity to study her. She must have become warm from the fire, because she’d untied the laces at the top of her deep purple gown and had done the same with her saffron chemise. As she worked, the smooth curves of her breasts billowed with each breath. And tho’ the undergarment covered the lower portion, the view was sufficient to cause his hands to clench with the desire to explore them once again.

Imagining the taste and feel of them in his mouth, his blood rushed. And knowing she’d imagined the same thing made him even more avid to continue the next stage in his seduction. Was it too soon? He prayed not. He knew he’d frightened her that morn, but she’d also responded eagerly to his every touch. He quivered with the need to caress her, to pull the gown off of her and finally have her naked in his arms. She wanted him as he wanted her, and that knowledge drove him forward. He strode over to her and lifted her from her stool.

“
Oh!
Ah, ‘tis you—”

“You are…lovely.” Daniel fisted his hands in her hair and hungrily feasted upon her mouth.

She leaned into him, pliant and warm in his arms.

Blood of Christ!
Her taste was the sweetest ambrosia ever imagined. With a gentle touch, he stroked her cheek and then followed the caress with a heated kiss. Using only the tips of his fingers, he lightly traced the length of her neck, and again followed the action with his lips and tongue. Finally, he trailed his hand down to her breast. The peak pebbled in his palm and he rolled it between his thumb and forefinger, readying it further for his mouth.

With a gasp, she squirmed out of his arms and jerked the opening to her gown closed with trembling hands.

Daniel’s temper snapped. “I am at the end of my patience. The promise I gave to you cannot stand, for I cannot wait that long. ‘Tis time for me to bed you.” He took a step forward and she backed away. “Need I remind you that ‘tis also your duty?”

“I cannot, not yet. But I promise you that I’m trying to overcome my reticence and I do feel more comfortable with you as each day passes. I beg you, do not force me.”

Force
her? With effort, Daniel took in a deep breath and relaxed his stance. “’Twill never come to that, I give you my vow.” He took another step toward her and reached out.

She scampered out of reach.

His brows slammed together. “You do not allow me to hold you?” he asked harshly. “What game do you play?”

“Mayhap ‘twas a mistake for us to kiss, until I’m ready to allow you to bed me.”

“Nay, I’ll not give that up as well,” Daniel said through gritted teeth. “Be very clear on that, Maryn.”

“All right.” Her sigh held frustration. “But your behavior toward the lady Jesslyn shows a flagrant indifference for my feelings. Can you not see that? And until you give me some indication that
my
feelings take priority with you over hers, I will not carry out my
duty
as your wife.”

Daniel snorted in disgust. “So, until
I
renounce my friendship with Jesslyn,
you
will not be my wife in truth?”

She shrugged her shoulders.

He took that as affirmation. “Well I will not do it. I do not abandon the people I care for.”

“I’m not asking you to abandon her, only to change your behavior toward her. You act as if she’s your love—your lover.”

“I will say this only once more and I want you to hear me: I-am-not-enamored-of-Jesslyn! We-are-
not
-lovers! Let go of this petty jealousy, before it ruins our marriage!”

Her gaze turned forlorn. Folding her arms over her chest, she shook her head at him.

Daniel literally saw red, reading the action as a refusal to believe him. His heart aching, he wanted to hurt her as she had hurt him. Now, way past the point of caution, he growled, “You are as cold as a trout. I made a bad bargain, I see that now. I
should
have wed Jesslyn instead.”

She slammed her palm over her heart and sucked in a breath as a shattered expression came over her countenance.

A twinge of guilt pricked Daniel’s conscience, but he refused to bend to it. “You cannot expect me to remain celibate for our entire life together. I see now that I must find comfort elsewhere. You may keep your virtue, my sweet, for I do not care to ever touch you again. Enjoy your cold bed.”

As if he’d run her through with his sword, a tormented moan erupted from her throat, sending an answering pang through his heart. Again, he fought it. Swinging around, he stormed toward the door.

“‘Tis fine with me, you unmannerly idiot! I have so hated your amorous attentions anyway!” she yelled. The prideful words balmed his chiding conscience and propelled him out the door.

*

For long moments after Daniel slammed out, Maryn stood numb, unseeing. He’d left her, and she had no notion whether he ever intended to return.

Why had she said that? Tho’ her husband had made ugly accusations, she should not have worsened the problem by rebuking him with lies.

Maryn paced the bedchamber, heavy tears flooding out and worry filling her breast.
Was
he going to find ‘comfort’ with another woman?
With Jesslyn
? Her heart clinched at the possibility.

Over the next two hours, Maryn vacillated between sorrow and worry over Daniel’s continued absence. She wanted to beg his forgiveness for the rude words she’d given him as he was leaving earlier, and she hoped that he would do the same in return, so that they could mend this breach and begin anew. She was not sure how she was going to deal with her anxiety over his continued close friendship with his ex-betrothed, but the thought of living in a state of anger and resentment was even more unacceptable.

Maryn gazed, unseeing, into the flames of the hearth, worrying the tip of her thumbnail with her teeth. She would do what was needed to make her marriage work. Even if it meant giving her body to Daniel before she was convinced that he cared more for her than he did his beautiful friend.

Her decision made, she turned and settled in the chair by the hearth to await her husband’s return. She fell asleep, but awoke an hour later. Her eyes and face were swollen from the tears she’d spent and her heart was a leaden, sore weight in her chest. Daniel had still not returned and the realization that he did not intend to do so finally began to dawn. This new sadness added another load of suffering to her already overburdened heart and she forced herself to rise and go to bed. She dearly hoped that Daniel’s anger would wane, that he would be amenable to working things out with her in the morn.