The Highlander's Temptation (19 page)

Lorna pushed off his lap, standing between his deliciously naked knees. Nervous as hell, her limbs quivering and legs threatening to buckle. Never having done more than kiss a man
, she wasn’t sure how to proceed. Knew she should let Jamie take the lead, but she couldn’t. Not if she was going to be the one making this decision. It was her virtue to give away, and she wanted him to have it.

By God, her brother had better see them wed.

She reached out, fingers trembling, and swirled her forefinger on the crisp hair of his knee, her nail slightly scraping the center until he groaned. She remembered staring at those knees weeks ago. Recalled how floored she’d been by something she’d seen on any number of men thousands of times. She was still stunned.

“Ye have beautiful knees,” she said.

Jamie gave her a crooked smile. “Och, the wine has gotten to your head.”

She shook her head, tendrils that had come loose from her plait falling into her eyes. “Nay, Laird Montgomery. I adore your knees wholly sober.”

Jamie reached for her, gripping her hips in his hands. He tugged her closer so her knees hit the bench. “Why did ye pull away from me, Lorna? Was it to tell me about my knees? I want ye back on my lap so I can kiss ye some more.”

She chewed her lip, knowing exactly why she’d pulled away, and it wasn’t because sh
e wanted to be further from him, nor deny him more kisses. Quite the opposite in fact. “Because I canna remove my gown while sitting on your lap.”

Jamie sucked in a breath, shook his head, cursed beneath his breath,
“
Mo creach
.” His gaze grew serious as his eyes hungrily roved over her. “I am the luckiest man in the Highlands.”

Lorna reached behind her, tugging at the laces of her gown. When the fabric loosened she
tugged one shoulder off, the warm air touching her skin like a kiss. Her chemise was thin, only held onto her shoulders by the tying of two ribbons, no sleeve. ’Twas the only way she could stand so many layers in summer.

Jamie’s eyes widened as he watched her, filling her not only with anticipation, excitement, but nervousness, too. His desire for her was obvious, but she’d never been nude with a man before.

“Will ye make me the luckiest lass?” She slipped off the other shoulder and shimmied so the gown fell in a pool around her ankles. Though she stood in her chemise, she felt like she was naked. Exposed. Her nipples pressing like two ripe buds against the fabric.

W
hile she was anxious for what would happen next, she wasn’t afraid. This was Jamie. Her love.

Jamie stood up, closing the short distance between them, the heat of his body surrounding her as he tugged her into his arms. “Och, I’m going to make
ye a verra, verra, lucky lass.”

Chapter Eighteen

Jamie’s arrogance and promise of pleasure only endeared him more to Lorna. She loved his confidence, and judging from his kisses, she was certain he would indeed have her feeling more than lucky. There was nothing better to her, than a man who was determined to see her pleased.

Already she felt blessed to have met him. Not only because he’d saved her life, or because he made her skin tingle
with urgent need, but because he allowed her to be herself, encouraged her even. A gift she couldn’t ask more for. When she used to think of marriage as suffocating, that she’d lose her freedom, she now realized that life with Jamie wouldn’t be anything like that.

It would be a dream come true.

Her dream come true.

Jamie gazed on her with something akin to admiration. His lids were lowered, heavy with desire, and the only thing that would have made the setting more perfect was a torch by which she could better see his eyes.

He touched his fingers to her shoulder, skimming two beneath the strap of her chemise, but he didn’t try to remove it, just placed his fingers there. Her skin burned where he touched, and she shuffled from foot to foot in an attempt to ease the urgent pulse between her thighs. Every inch of her skin was suddenly alive, over sensitized. Her mind hummed.

“Will ye let me kiss ye?” he whispered.

She’d let him do a whole lot more than that, but her voice had vanished, caught somewhere between her emotion thickened throat and nervous tongue. Lorna nodded and tilted her face up. Jamie met her halfway, curling a hand around the small of her back and lifting her slightly off her feet.

Their bodies slid easily together, her softer curves
melding against his hard flesh in a tantalizing mix of raw, potent sensuality.

“I canna believe what your kiss does to me,” Jamie murmured as he nibbled her lower lip. “I burn for ye.”

Lorna’s eyes closed in pleasure as he teased a path with his lips and tongue over her throat, stopping just over her heart which beat so frantically, she was sure it must have vibrated his mouth.

Jamie set her back down
, unpinned his plaid and tugged off his
leine
shirt, laying it on the ground beside them. Lorna gasped at the sight of his nude torso. Aye, she’d seen it before near the sea when he’d joined the other men on Beltane, but it seemed to shock her once more because now… Now she could touch him.

With tentative fingers she reached out and traced her fingers over his collarbone, down the center of his chest and then over the thick muscles of his chest, her palm covering his nipple. Crisp hair tickled her as she explored and the sudden urge to kiss his skin, t
o breathe in his scent, took hold.

Lorna leaned forward and pressed a kiss over his heart, feeling rather than hearing the pulse beat there. Jamie sucked in a breath, his muscles rippling beneath her lips.
He cupped her face and kissed her tenderly, before sweeping her into his arms and laying her down on his shirt.

“I’ve never made love in an orchard,” he said, smiling at her as he came down over top of her. “Never made love to a woman like ye. Never felt this way about anyone.”

So many firsts for him, Lorna was thrilled to know she wasn’t the only one experiencing firsts, but she was also glad he knew what he was doing, for she was clueless.

Jamie rested with one thigh on the outside of hers and the other between her legs, pressing gently to her heated center. His elbows held up his weight as he leaned forward to kiss and tease her mouth. Fingers traced her breasts, her ribs,
and with each passing moment, Lorna knew with conviction she was doing the right thing.

“Are ye nervous?” he whispered.

Lorna shook her head. “Nay. Not with ye.”

“Good. I dinna want ye to be nervous.” He tugged at the hem of her chemise, pulling it slowly up to her hip, his fingers splaying on her bare thigh, moving to stroke the inside of her thigh, edging closer and closer to the place that sparked like fire. His fingers feathered over the hair on her mons, slid between her folds, over a knot of flesh that had her gasp
ing, hips involuntarily bucking.

“Aye, lass, let me know what ye like.” He nibbled at her ear lobe, kissed her neck, all the while his fingers rubbing small, fiery circles over her slick flesh.

Lorna could hardly breathe. Could hardly control the movements of her body. She jerked, hips rose and fell, thighs opened. Pleasure radiated her being and she was certain she’d drunk from some forbidden pool to feel so decadent. Jamie moved lower, tugging a nipple into his mouth as he slid a finger inside her woman’s sheath.

All sense left her. “Oh!” she cried out, her insides pulsing, quickening, reaching for something. She threaded her fingers into his hair, tugging, pushing, unsure if she wanted more pressure or less but absolutely certain she wanted more of these feelings.

Jamie didn’t remove his finger, but pushed in another all the while the pad of his thumb continued to circle over the overly sensitive flesh near the top of her sex. She held her breath, stilled, not wanting to move in case the pleasure stopped.

“Let go, love,” he murmured against her breast. “Breathe, feel.”

She let out her breath, only to gasp as he quickened the pace of his fingers. One breath, two breaths and then she cried out as something inside her shattered, firing off potent waves of pleasure in every direction. Seconds passed where all she could do was feel, ride out the storm of ecstasy. Finally, the waves subsided, leaving her feeling warm, calm, and yet, eager for more.

“Did ye enjoy that?” Jamie asked, gazing
down at her.

Lorna nodded, certain her voice wouldn’t work.

“That was your pleasure, your release,” he said.

“I…” She cleared her throat. “I didna know it was possible.”

“Want to feel it again?”

She nodded eagerly.

Jamie winked at her, a grin splitting his face. “Wanton woman ye are,” he teased. “Perfect for me.” Jamie moved to kneel. He held out his hand to her and pulled her into a sitting position. “We must remove this.” He tugged at the laces of her chemise, then pulled the fabric over her head. “Good God, ye’re beautiful.”

He stared intently at her, reached forward and cupped her breasts, then leaned down to kiss each in turn, swirling his tongue over one nipple and then the other. Lorna moaned, that aching pulse between her thighs building anew.

Abruptly, Jamie pulled away. “I want ye so bad, lass.”

“Aye, I want ye, too.”

Lorna reached for the belt of his plaid, and kept her eyes locked on his as she undid the hooks. The fabric fell around his knees revealing his hips, muscled thighs and the thick length of his arousal.

She drew in a deep breath as she stared at him, never having imagine
d a man’s sex would look so enticing. With three brothers, she’d seen it before, but never like this. Not aroused, and fairly begging entrance to her body and her wanting to part her thighs for him. Deliberately, she glanced up at his face, to see that Jamie stared at her with intent question.

“Are ye all right?” he asked.

“Aye, Jamie. More than all right.”

“Thank God. I dinna think I could walk away without sinking inside ye.”

Lorna lay back on his shirt and reached for him. “Me either.”

Jamie positioned his knees between her thighs, then sank on top of her, Lorna’s arms wrapping around his waist.

“Lift your legs, love,” he whispered against her ear as he teased the sensitive flesh there.

Lorna did as he asked, lifting them up around his hips, feeling the night air kiss her wet sex just before he covered her with his body. The thickness of his erection pressed hotly to her, making her wonder just how this would work. But she didn’t have to wonder for long.

Jamie reached between their bodies and began to stoke her fire once more with his fingers, his mouth finding hers and kissing her with such fierce passion, she felt the stirrings of her release once more. And then he was pushing against her, the thick tip of his shaft pressing at her opening.

“This may hurt a little,” he murmured against her lips. But he didn’t give her a chance to question him.

He pushed against her slickness, and she felt her body stretching to accommodate, then as he surged forward, a painful pinch made her cry out and stiffen, fingers digging into the skin of his back.

Jamie stilled
, pulled his face back and stared down at her. Concern etched his features.

“Does it pain ye much?”

Lorna didn’t want to be seen as weak, but it had been painful—like stubbing a toe in the dark, or slicing your finger when chopping carrots. But the pain had lessened. She wiggled beneath him, noting that not only had the pain almost disappeared, but that she
liked
the feel of him inside her.

“The pain is gone,” she said, smiling up at him and wiggling again.

Jamie groaned. “Dinna do that.”

“Why?” She did it again, sucking in a breath when his pelvis rubbed against
her firing nub.

Jamie lowered his forehead to hers, their noses touching. “Because I’m already close to losing control.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Lorna trailed her fingers up his back at the same time she lifted her legs a little higher. The move had Jamie sinking deeper inside her and Lorna moaned. “It feels so good.”

“Aye, love, so good.” Jamie slid out slowly, every inch he moved sending ripples of pleasure through her.

When he pushed back inside, his pelvis tucking into hers, she raised her hips, crying out at the sudden, shocking sensation.

“I like this,” she murmured.

“I love your passion.” Jamie took her mouth in a heated kiss as he continued to move slowly out of her, then drive back inside.

The friction made her dizzy with need, desire. Every movement pushing her closer and closer to that pinnacle point she’d reached before. Now she understood what real desire was, what the bards and minstrels sang about, the deeper meaning beneath their words was revealed to her in Jamie’s arms. Pleasure was intoxicating, delicious, and what made it more so was that she shared it with a man who she loved beyond reason and made her feel the same way.

Jamie buried his face in the crook of her shoulder, kissing, licking, nibbling on her skin. His pace increased, and Lorna found it even harder to breathe. Blood rushed through her ears and spark after radiating spark fired inside her.

“Jamie!” she cried.

Her back arched of its own accord and she locked her ankles around him, writhing as a climax even more powerful than the one before tore through her. The primal cry of pleasure that tore form her throat sounded surreal and distant compared to the pounding sensations whipping through her.

“Oh, Lorna,
aye, love, let it come,” Jamie growled, thrusting faster and faster.

Clinging to him, she knew she’d never be
able to let go, completely unable to resist the potency of his lovemaking. Wave after wave washed over her, drowning her, until finally she was able to catch her breath. But Jamie didn’t cease his torment, in fact, moments later, he clutched at her hips as he pounded harder, shuddering and crying out. He collapsed over her, for a moment, resting his weight on his elbows, until both their breaths had begun to quiet.

“That was
breathtaking,” Lorna murmured.

“Unearthly,” Jamie replied. He kissed her gently on the lips and stroked her face. “Ye’re a passionate lover, Lorna.”

“As are ye.” She smiled up at him, feeling proud of herself for having been able to please him as he’d pleased her.

“Saints, lass, but ye’ve had me undone.” Jamie
kissed her on her lips, then moved to rest his face on her belly, tracing his finger over her hip bone before kissing the spot. “I look forward to us being man and wife when I can make ye call out my name again and again, night after night.”

Lorna’s belly rumbled loudly, causing her cheeks to flame hot. From his place on her
stomach, Jamie chuckled. “Your body is in need of sustenance.”

Jamie sat
back on his heels, reached up and plucked an apple from the tree. He took a big bite, juice dribbling over his chin and then pressed the apple to Lorna’s lips.