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It was around 2am when Tyra woke. She was slightly disorientated, then she remembered she was in Lachlan’s room. Tyra felt well-rested even though she had slept only a couple of hours. There was a flickering candle in the corner of the room, illuminating enough light so she could see. Tyra noticed Lachlan was asleep on the floor beside the bed, and she felt terrible that his large frame must be uncomfortable in the crowded spot on the floor.
Tyra got out of bed and crouched down, tapping Lachlan’s arm.
“Lachie, wake up.”
He was instantly awake and sat up, “Tyra? Is something wrong?”
“No, I am hale, but I think you should sleep in your bed, and I can sleep on the pallet.”
“No, tis all right I dinnae mind.”
“But I do, you dinnae look comfortable, and you need your rest.”
“Tyra, tis all right; go back to bed.”
She remained silent for a moment, then Tyra said, “What if we both sleep in your bed? Tis big enough for two.”
“No, I dare not risk it.”
“What if I promise not to ravish you in your sleep?” Tyra joked.
Lachlan started chuckling. “I cannot trust you not to steal my virtue.”
Tyra grinned and said, “I swear on my honor you will leave the bed in the morning untouched.”
“All right then, get back in bed, and I’ll join you.”
Tyra got into bed and pulled up the cover while Lachlan walked around to the other side.
It was when Tyra glanced up to watch Lachlan get into the bed that she gasped in wonder. He was shirtless, and his plaid hung low. Although the lighting was dim, it was enough to see his impressive physique. Tyra bit her bottom lip to stop from groaning. She suddenly felt as if the room was getting hotter as the blood rushed to her cheeks.
Her subtle glances did not go unnoticed by Lachlan. There was enough light for him to see every one of her reactions, and he was undone.
“Dinnae look at me that way if you wish to leave this bed untouched,” he growled.
Whether it was the feeling of exhilaration having witnessed new life enter the world, or the fact that she had wanted Lachlan for so long, Tyra openly flirted back.
“Mayhap, you need to put your breeks on Lachlan, or you will be the one who will not leave this bed untouched.”
Tyra gave him her back as she turned on her side, determined to ignore him. She heard a growl and yelped when the blanket was pulled off her.
She turned back to stare at Lachlan, and he was breathing heavily; his gaze bore into her soul.
“Do you mean that, Tyra? Would you welcome my touch if I offered it now? Because I want to feel every inch of you.”
Tyra nodded. “Aye, I want nothing more than to feel your hands on me, but only if you want it too.”
Lachlan kept his eyes on her and slowly unwrapped his plaid. He let it drop to the floor so Tyra could see the evidence of his desire. It was standing erect for the whole world to see.
“Do you ken how much I want you now?”
“Lachie,” Tyra gasped.
“Tyra, if we do this, you are mine. So, I will ask you once more. Do you want to remain untouched tonight?”
She shook her head, sat up, and said, “No, now come to bed.”
“Aye,” Lachlan said as he slowly crawled into bed before Tyra could change her mind. He pushed her gently back down so she was on her back, and he hovered above her.
The only thing between them now was a flimsy shift she currently wore.
“You’re beautiful lass, so bonnie,” he rasped as his lips came crashing down on hers.
Lachlan was lost in the wonder of finally having the woman he wanted in his arms. Her lips were soft against his, and he deepened the embrace as his hands roamed.
Tyra groaned and pulled away to gasp for air. Then she paused. “Wait, what about your woman. The one you were going to tell me about in the hall. Tis not right for us to do this if she is—”
“Wheesht love, my woman is right here. I am staring right at her,” he whispered against her mouth.
She relaxed.
Lachlan nipped her lips with his teeth, then growled, “You have too many clothes on.”
“Tis just a thin shift,” she said.
“Tis still too much. I want to feel your skin. Lift your arms,” he demanded.
Tyra did as requested while Lachlan pulled the flimsy gown over her head and threw it on the ground. He gazed down at her body, and his hands traced the contour of her shape.
He thought her breathtaking, from the voluptuous breasts with stiffened peaks to her narrow waist that flared out. He took his fill as his eyes raked her body all the way to the trimmed triangular patch between her thighs.
“Lachie, please touch me,” Tyra pleaded. Her hands rested on his bare chest.
Lachlan stared deep into her eyes as the candlelight flickered, providing an erotic backdrop for what they were about to do. He kissed Tyra slowly, tracing his lips down the contours of her neck. He moved down to her chest, held her ample breasts, and pushed them together. Then he lowered his head, flicked out his tongue, and licked both nipples at the same time.
“Argh,” Tyra moaned as her breathing came in short bursts. And still, Lachlan’s onslaught continued. He swirled his tongue across her stiffened peaks then sucked them into his mouth.
Tyra felt a shot of pleasure from her breasts to her core and bit her lips to keep from moaning louder.
Lachlan took his fill as he suckled and lavished attention on her nipples. He was so aroused by her moans of pleasure; he knew she was the type of woman who could come from this alone, but he wanted more. He wanted to be buried deep inside her the first time she came with him.
Lachlan continued licking a path to her belly until his mouth hovered above her core. He pushed her knees apart, found her hooded pearl, and dove in with his tongue.
Tyra almost came off the bed.
Hearing her whimpers of pleasure almost made Lachlan cum. He was hard as a rock. He needed to stop; he needed to be inside her because he was too close to hold back. He lapped her glistening folds several times before moving back up Tyra’s body. As he did, Tyra reached down and firmly gripped and caressed his length.
“No, I cannot last if you do that,” he pleaded.
“Tis my turn to repay the favor.”
She pushed him over onto his back and captured his lips with an open-mouthed kiss. Tyra then trailed kisses down the length of Lachlan’s body. Her hand remained on his shaft, rubbing up and down.
Lachlan was a slave to her passion. He groaned, and his breathing became erratic as he watched Tyra move lower. Her mouth hovered above his groin. She was staring right at him when her tongue shot out, and she licked the underside of his length from root to tip.
“Steady lass!” he hissed.
Tyra grinned, then twirled her tongue around his tip and suckled. Lachlan gripped the sheets and focused on not exploding. He stared down as Tyra set to work, pleasuring him with her succulent mouth. Lachlan watched his length disappear as she swallowed him whole.
He gritted his teeth and gently nudged her away, “No, m’eudail, please, I cannot last, and I want to be inside you when I find my release.”
She made a startled cry as Lachlan pulled her up.
“Ride me,” he snarled.
Tyra did not hesitate; she straddled Lachlan’s hips, caressed his length, and placed him at her entrance.
“That’s it, mo leannan,” Lachlan said. Take me.”
Tyra slowly sank down, impaling herself on his shaft. She felt every throbbing and pulsating inch of Lachlan sliding inside her. Tyra already felt full but still had a way to go. She panicked slightly. “Lachie, you are too big. I dinnae think you will fit,” she said breathlessly.
He growled, “No, you will take all of me. Breathe and calm yourself. Just feel me, love.”
His hand moved between them as his thumb sought out the pleasure point of her molten core. Lachlan began rubbing furiously as he continued to push his way inside, demanding she take more of him. He lifted his head and suckled a nipple. It had the required effect creating the slick lubrication needed. Tyra sank down lower until Lachlan was fully seated inside her. Her eyes glazed over with the sheer feeling of fullness and erotic pleasure.
Lachlan rasped, “That’s it, love. I want you to ken who owns every inch of you.”
He gripped her hips and began to thrust upwards.
“Aye, Lachie,” Tyra moaned as he filled her, withdrawing and surging back in.
“Place your hands on my chest and lean forward.”
She did as told, and then Tyra rode astride with abandon. Lachlan gripped her breasts with both hands while his thumbs continued to circle against her nipples before he began thrusting harder. Tyra matched his movements. She threw her head back and enjoyed the ride.
Lachlan groaned loudly as he tried to catch his breath. He had never experienced anything so visceral in his life. He gazed up at the beauty he was claiming. Her breasts bounced with each thrust as she took her pleasure. She was a vision, and Lachlan’s senses were filled with only Tyra. From her dimpled cheeks to her slick wet heat, he desired every inch of her.
He almost burst every time her sheath gripped his length. But he needed more, and he needed her to come before he erupted.
Lachlan sat up and spun her onto her back, never losing connection. He gripped her knees and pushed them further apart, giving him greater access for his ultimate invasion.
Tyra moaned with pleasure as Lachlan held her pinned to the mattress while he pounded hard and deep.
Tyra gripped his forearms and hung on.
They were both panting as loud moans escaped their lips.
“Watch us, sweeting. Where we are connected, look down. Watch me claiming you, mo ghràidh.”
Tyra glanced down, and it was the most erotic thing she had ever seen.
She gasped, “Oh, Lachie, tis very wicked to watch.”
But she could not look away as Lachlan’s long thick glistening shaft slowly thrust in and out of her heat. She saw every ridge and pulsating vein as he made love to her.
Lachlan was also mesmerized by the sight of their coupling. He felt aroused, performing for her eyes only. He was slowly losing control as he watched her tight glistening quim stretched wide to engulf his length then retract as he pulled out. His blood was scorching hot with the visual display.
“Do you not think tis wicked?” she whispered and half moaned.
“I think tis beautiful, for I am claiming the woman I love. You...are ...mine!” he said between thrusts.
Tyra glanced up and was struck by the truth reflected in his eyes.
She lifted her head and captured his lips with a searing kiss. That was all it took for them to pick up speed and momentum.
Lachlan groaned as he pounded harder and faster, and Tyra felt something detonate inside her. She screamed as her orgasm hit. Her sheath contracted around his length, gripping him like a vice as she shuddered.
Lachlan yelled incoherent endearments as he stiffened with the sensation. He plunged deep and erupted inside her coming so hard he could barely breathe.
When they had reached their peak, they collapsed into each other’s arms breathless and weightless, physically and emotionally satisfied beyond measure.
They fell asleep cocooned around one another, comfortable in the knowledge they would be together forever.
***
TWO DAYS LATER, EVERYONE was in the bailey where the men waited an extra hour while the most prolonged leave-taking in history took place between the MacGregors and their hosts. The Henderson children and MacGregor children took an age to say their goodbyes as they had all formed strong bonds playing around the Keep together. Then the MacGregor women and Henderson women took an even longer time to do as Beiste put it, “Whatever it is womenfolk suddenly find they need to do before they leave any place.”
They hugged Sorcha and baby Cináed at least a dozen times and cried over missing her already. Sorcha was an emotional wreck, partly due to hormones but primarily due to her sisters fussing over her.
Bram hovered a few paces behind; however, after another round of the women mollycoddling his son, he stepped in and removed Cináed from the circle, complaining they were smothering him to death.
Beiste, Brodie, Dalziel, and their retainers kept a wide berth as well. Each held a toddler in their arms while waiting on their womenfolk and older children to finish saying their goodbyes.
Niall and Iain stood beside them.
“Bloody hell, what the devil can they have to talk about now?” Niall grimaced as he watched the simultaneous high-pitched chatter going on.
“Tis as if they have not just spent an entire month together,” Iain said.
“I never ken what they’re blathering on about. I just nod my head and say, ‘Aye love’ if I hear my name mentioned,” Dalziel said.
Brodie said, “Aye, I once made the mistake of trying to join in while they nattered, and I nearly got my head bit off. Tis a frightful thing when women gather to talk.”
“Do they ever take a breath?” Iain asked.
“I can only speak for my wife, and I can tell you now Amie can talk underwater. She does not need air,” Beiste said, and the men started chuckling.
“I heard that Beiste MacGregor!” Amelia shouted as all conversation ceased, and the women glared at Beiste.
“Blast that hearing of hers,” Beiste muttered and stared at some imaginary point in the sky. Dalziel and Brodie stared at the ground, their shoulders shaking as they tried to stifle their laughter.
Iain and Niall just grinned.
Meanwhile, in female natter’s inner sanctum, Amelia gave last-minute instructions to all and sundry.
“Now, mind you read my notes, Tyra, if you have any troubles with salves. You ken what I said about sundew tis good for bairns. And remember a wee bit of rose and honey to help seal wounds but clean the wound first, so no dirt is trapped inside to fester.”
“Thank you, Amelia; I will keep your notes close.”
“Sorcha, be sure to mind what you eat, so it does not upset the bairn through your milk. I’ve given Cook instructions for a rich bone broth with greens. Try to get some milk and cheese into you as well and some bread for your strength.”
“Make sure everyone in the kitchen washes their hands if they mean to prepare any food for you,” Clarissa said.
Zala added, “And dinnae take the bairn out when the night is cold, and the air is wet. He still needs to build up his breathing strength. You must keep his chest warm.”
“I will, thank you, sisters.”
The women were quiet; then, before Amelia started tearing up, she hugged Sorcha again. That started the others off, and soon the women were sniffling and crying.
Tyra, Willa, Fia, and Yesenda stepped back to give the sisters some privacy.
Tyra envied their closeness, considering none were related by blood; their bond was one of the strongest she had ever seen.
When the MacGregor women were alone, Zala whispered, “Sorcha, about Lachlan and Tyra, I just want to reassure you that Heather is no longer a problem.”
“You did not kill her, did you?” Sorcha asked, shocked.
“Are you daft? No, I did not kill her. I meant she has agreed to stay away from Lachlan once I told her twas all a misunderstanding.”
“Oh, I see.”
Zala just shook her head and turned to Clarissa, saying, “Honestly, you kill a couple of people trying to defend yourself, and everyone assumes you do it for just any old reason.”
Clarissa grinned.
Then Amelia whispered, “Sorcha, I think tis working between Tyra and Lachlan. I ken she spent a night in his chamber.”
“I also happened to overhear Brodie and Dalziel talking about Lachlan. They said he has been looking to acquire land so he can settle with a new bride,” Clarissa said.
“Happen to overhear? Ris, you were hiding in the cupboard so you could listen in. Brodie told me he heard you sneeze,” Zala said.
The women then burst out laughing while still wiping away tears.
Having lost all patience, the MacGregor men waded in to extract their wives.
“Amie, we will visit again soon, save some gossip for next time,” Beiste said.
“Zala, tis time to go. We need to be on the road before the sun sets,” Brodie grumbled.
“Ris, the bairns are growing restless. We best leave before they set something else on fire,” Dalziel said.
It took another twenty minutes before the MacGregors finally bade farewell and rode away from the Keep.
As she watched the group move further away, Tyra had that unsettling feeling again, that someone was watching her. She scanned the bushland area but saw nothing. Tyra shook off the feeling and returned to the Keep with the others. She made a mental note to keep her dirk in easy distance at all times.
Tyra blushed when she walked past Lachlan. He was standing at the entrance to the Keep talking to a guardsman. His eyes softened when he saw her before he turned his attention back to the guardsman. They had spent no time together since that first night. With pressing duties to attend to, there had been no time to reconnect. When they saw each other in public, they acted as expected, not wanting to draw attention to themselves, biding their time until they could be together again. Neither one believing anything could ruin their blossoming affair. They were wrong.
***