Mysty McPartland (17 page)

Dalla lay shivering beneath the covers, not only from the cold that invaded her bones, but the realization that her husband would be soon making love to her. Once the very thought of his loving thrilled her, now it sickened her to her stomach and she was so frightened she didn’t know how she would even handle the situation.

She lay stiffly when
the door opened, her eyes flew across the room and she lowered herself further down the bed trying to hide. She prayed with all her heart that she could get through the next few minutes without giving herself up to this cold unfeeling man again.

Quietly e
ntering the bedroom, Tarrel’s gaze went straight to the bed and finding his wife there grunted in satisfaction. He closed and bolted the door, limping across the room, sitting down on the edge of the mattress, he pulled off his boots and, making sure, he didn’t put his weight on his sore leg stripped off his clothes.

He turned and pulled down the covers and gazed at his wife’s beautiful body, he
hardened instantly and slid on the mattress, he drew her under him. Without looking at her face, his mouth claimed hers in hot devouring kiss, it had been to long since he tasted her sweetness and he was over whelmed with the need to have her.

The moment he reached the bed, she knew it would be useless to fight; she turned away when he started to undress, but once his body covered hers, and she lay stiffly beneath him and closed her off mind. Forced herself to ignore the feel of his hot flesh burning hers and the kiss that threatened to consume her. No, she must remember that this man wanted nothing from her, but to see to his comfort and the use of her body.
And by God that would be all he would ever have, never will I give him more.

So lost in his passion, he never noticed that she wasn’t responding. He moved between her thighs and entered her with one powerful thrust. He groaned deep in his chest when he felt her tight, silken sheath surround him. He was back in his angel and she was going to take him to heaven again.

He lifted his mouth and gaz
ed down at her and when he saw the cold emptiness in her eyes, he realized then that she had not once responded to his kiss or his entry into her body. His hand came up and gripped her chin so she wouldn’t turn away from him. “Ye canna fight it, woman. I ken deep inside ye, that ye still want me.” And to prove his point, he glided in and out of her, but when she just stared at him with those cold empty eyes, he felt something inside of him crack.

With a growl of frustration and
furious, he tore his gaze away and with frustrating rage, he took her mouth in a hard, bruising kiss as he drove into her with one powerful thrust after another. It didn’t take him long to find his satisfaction and once he spilled his seed; he rolled of her dissatisfied and burning with anger. Knowing that she deliberately denied him heaven.

He was in pain and his
fury for her burned inside of him, he was also disgusted with himself, he practically raped his wife and he was sickened at what he’d done. He turned his head, glared at her back, and felt even worse when he saw that she was curled up in a fetal position. A wave of guilt washed over him and he ruthlessly shoved it aside.

Just a
t that moment, the candle went out and he was never so grateful to the darkness, his hand itched to reach out and bring her to his side. He wanted to beg her forgiveness and soothe her but he fought against it, he pulled up the covers and once they were settled over them, with a heavy sigh rolled onto his side away from her. After all he told himself she was the one who denied both of them pleasure and he damn well didn’t have anything to feel remorseful about.

In the heavy silence
he lay staring into the darkness, he felt the cold knot of guilt and shame sit like a heavy ball in the pit of his stomach. Even though his body was sated, he still felt unsatisfied knowing that he never attained heaven with his angel. No, he realized now he just visited hell and it was a place he never wanted to be taken to again.

It only took this night to make him finally understand that his wife would never care for him and whereas once she willingly accepted his love making, she would not now. He wondered if it was because he sent her away when he had been injured, or if it was because the love she felt for the other man was now consuming her.

Well if it was the latter it was just too damn bad, she would never know the kiss or touch of any other man but him. He would try again to make love to her and hoped that she would respond, if she didn’t, he didn’t know what he would do, all he knew that this angel was his for all eternity.

Somehow she managed to suffer through her husband’s invasion of her body and once he finished and left her, she curled up on her side away from him. It took every effort she possessed not to let the tears fall, where once his love making used to be something of beauty it now left her feeling cold and abused. She didn’t know how long she could let this continue before it finally broke her, she just knew she could not let it happen again.

Unable to sleep
, she lay awake long into the night; she was frozen in a cold, emotionless void. She regretfully admitted that the one thing that always burned hotly between them was their love making and now even that no longer existed. If there were any tears left, she would have cried, but she didn’t have any more to give, they were all used up the first week that her husband sent her away.

And now after he just used her so selfishly, she felt nothing but loathing for the man she once loved with her whole heart. The years ahead looked bleak, cold and desolate and for the first time in weeks, she felt her heart ache over the knowledge. She didn’t know how she would ever survive such an existence, but somehow she would have to find a way.

****

A month passed in slow agony since he
left his bed after his accident and after two weeks of making love to his wife, Tarrel finally admitted defeat. She never once responded to him, she lay beneath him each time cold and unmoving. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but swallow it he did. After the torturous fortnight he’d sent her from his bed, not wanting to look at her or have the temptation near him that she was refusing him.

It galled him bitterly, but he could not bear it anymore and decided that the best thing to do would be to put the enticement far out of reach. He knew that every time he made love to her she hated him more and more and before things could get any worse between them, the situation was already bad enough. Glancing around the hall, he was not surprised to find her not there; his wife it seemed was only interested in seeing to her duties and little else.

His
clan was downcast and resentful over the fact the mistress they had come to love and adore was now a distant unemotional piece of flesh that felt nothing. No longer, did her laughter ring out around the hall, no longer did her happy smiles brighten everyone’s heart and he knew that he was to blame.

He watched her now as
came into the hall and moved through the room with her eyes downcast, making sure she never made eye contact with anyone, when she started to climb the stairs, he sighed irritably and turned away. He dragged his fingers through his hair in frustration and wondered if there was any way to change the situation before it descended further into the pits of hell.

It was then he noticed the hall door opening
again and he jerked up when he saw Beatrice walk in. Hell, what was she doing here? Quickly, he turned towards the staircase and sighed in relief when he saw no sign of his wife. He would have to get rid of the wench and fast. The situation between Dalla and himself were unstable enough as it was without having his former mistress here. He rose to his feet and went to meet her.

Beatrice
, even though doubtful ever since Lady Lisa approached her with her wild plan, decided after much consideration and remembering what a fine lover Laird Tarrel was in the end readily agreed to the woman’s suggestion.

Now as she pushed opened the
door, and gazed around, her eyes lit up when she found the only man that would ever be the one who completely satisfied her, she was now certain her decision to come here was the right thing. Knowing that he was in a loveless marriage had managed to take some of the sting out of his ending their affair a few months before he wed. She felt no guilt over being here now and watching him coming towards her, she smiled at him seductively.

Swiftly moving through the hall he
reached his former mistress, he ignored the eyes of his clan and smiled in welcome. “’Tis a pleasure to see ye, Beatrice, but I dinna think it is wise that ye are here.”

Reaching out
she placed her hand on his massive chest and smiled up at him coquettishly. “Mayhap nay wise, my love, but I canna keep away. I miss ye terribly.”

Her words
were like a soothing balm to his battered ego and now he didn’t want to send her away. He reached for her hand that lay on his chest and held it in his. “Well then ‘tis happy I am that ye are here. Come now and let us sup before I see ye to ye room.”

Pleasure washed over her at
his warm welcome and she let him lead her down the steps and across the room to the high table. Once they were both seated, she turned and smiled with such joy and with the heat of passion blazing in her light blue eyes. It also pleased her that his wife didn’t seem to be anywhere around.

Now
they were seated, he smiled when he saw the hunger and lust in the woman’s eyes, he turned his head slightly and met the glares of anger were like a hot pokers stabbing at him as his clan scowled at him and Beatrice with disgust and animosity.

It w
as at that moment he knew he lost their respect; it galled him to realize that his wife won his clans devotion so easily. Turning back to Beatrice, he never noticed his wife coming down the stairs as he bent his head closer to the woman at his side and listened to her soft words.

“Och
, Tarrel, I have missed ye greatly. My bed is lonely and the ache between my thighs is unbearable.” She forced herself to blush and smiled with embarrassment, but she was thrilled to have so easily captured his attention.

Even though having Beatrice flattering his bruised ego
was gratifying, was surprised that he felt not one ounce of desire for her. All he craved was the angel he married and he knew as he sat speaking to his former lover that he would not take her up on what she so blatantly offered him.

He sat with hooded eyes, thoughtful, maybe if he kept
the woman around his wife would soon realize what she was giving up. Aye, it seemed the perfect plan to him and he grinned with anticipation. A little light flirtation couldn’t hurt and wouldn’t do anymore damage to his already failing marriage.

Pleased at seeing the smile on
his face, Beatrice was confident that she would have him back in her bed tonight. She placed a hand on his thigh and leaned into him so that her breast pressed against his bicep. “’Tis late and tired I am, Tarrel, do ye nay think we should go up to bed.”

Swiftly his eyes moved away from the hot
, decadent promise in her eyes, he took a quick glance around the hall and was surprised to see all his clan still sitting at the tables. From there glares of loathing, he knew exactly what they were thinking and snorted softly in annoyance.

He knew his behavior tonight had
managed to turn his clan against him.
Hell, by the looks of them they were ready to tear me apart.
Well damn it, he was still laird here and he could do as he wished
and by damn I’ll do just that. If my damn wife doesn’t want me why shouldn’t I have a woman that does.
At least Beatrice would respond to him and he wouldn’t be making love to a woman who lay beneath him cold and unresponsive.

With that thought in mind, his other plans were completely forgotten. He rose to his feet, held out his hand to help Beatrice,
and with a hard little smile he led her through the hall to the stairs and each step they climbed the revulsion at what he was about to do slowly drove away whatever lust or revenge he planned. It drained out of him completely leaving only shame and disgust.

No, he could no
t do it, he just couldn’t do it, he found it impossible to take this woman to bed or any other not after he experienced heaven with his angel. Nay, he would leave Beatrice at her door and go to his own chamber and tomorrow, he would see the wench on her way. He definitely did not need another woman in his life, it was already hell and he didn’t need another lass making it even worse.

Chapter Nine
teen

As she returned downstairs knowing that no one would see her, especially her husband, Dalla swept her gaze around the hall and then lifted it to where he sat. She stopped walking when he saw him seated next to a tall blonde haired lady and leaning into her so intimately. By the expressions on both of their faces, there could be no mistaking that they were once lovers and perhaps still were.

It was anothe
r crushing blow and she knew she could not take another moment of watching them. Quickly, she spun around and headed back up the stairs, with the growing knowledge that she could no longer remain in her husband’s home. She could not stand by and watch him take another woman to his bed, she had been right in the beginning, and he would never remain faithful to her.