Ciara. You should get home before you are missed.’
He slid from the bed and gathered up her clothes, only then realising that she did not move. Well, she did move, but that was only to stretch her body like a cat, elongating her spine and rolling on to her belly, giving him a glimpse of her beautifully sculpted arse. Her long, blonde curls swirled over her body, hiding just enough to be enticing.
‘My parents believe I am spending the night at Elizabeth’s,’ she explained. ‘A last night alone with a dear, dear friend.’
He did not like deceiving his friend and mentor, but the alternative was a slow and agonising death at his hands for even touching his daughter this way.
‘You did not touch me with your hands,’ she said. He’d hoped she’d not notice that. Leave it to her to pick up on it.
‘You asked me for a kiss,’ he said, walking to the bed and holding out her clothes. ‘You got your kiss.’
‘You make it sound like a chore,’ she said, laughing. ‘I thought men enjoyed tupping.’
He sat next to her and tossed the clothes on a stool. ‘Men do. But we are not … tupping. I told you—’
‘I understand your boundaries, Tavis. And I thank you for them. But will touching me cross that line?’
‘You are killing me by inches!’
‘Then we can talk instead.’ She held out the weapon and he suspected she knew it would work. It did.
He turned and was on her before she could react. He lay over her, enjoying the feel of her. He eased one leg between hers from the back and slid it high, grazing the hair and rubbing until it eased up against her womanly flesh.
She sighed and leaned back against him, exposing her breasts to him. He slid his hand across them, caressing them until she arched against him. Positioned as she was, her neck was open to him and he leaned down and kissed her there, enjoying the way she shivered in his grasp.
Every sound she made pushed him to pleasure her more. He moved so that she lay half on him and eased both hands around her waist so he could stroke the folds between her legs. She lifted her leg over his, giving him access and he slipped his fingers along the wet flesh. Her breathing became shallower with each touch and she shifted restlessly against him. This time she and her body knew what to expect and she responded to each caress. He found the little bud buried in the folds and touched it. She moaned and opened more to him. He kissed her neck and bit down gently on the cord of muscle there. Her indrawn breath was her reply.
‘Now, Tavis, now!’ she demanded.
He did as she asked and moved faster and faster against her readied flesh until she fell apart in his arms.
It was magnificent to see and to feel. Neither of them moved for several minutes and it felt incredible to hold her like this.
‘Now it is time for you to go, Ciara,’ he whispered as he relaxed his hold on her and rolled away.
But she followed him and slid her arms around him. ‘Now? Now when you are ready?’
She could feel the moment his resistance melted, for he turned in her arms and slid up against the headboard of the bed, giving her complete access to his body.
‘Here, like this,’ he said, as she knelt next to him and wrapped her hands around him.
‘Like churning butter,’ she said, intent on her purpose once she got the movements in a smooth rhythm.
He laughed then, leaned over and kissed her on the mouth. It made her lose her pacing, but she got it back. He did not laugh after that. He may have panted, he may have moaned, but he did not laugh …
Later, Tavis took one of her hands and slid his fingers between hers.
‘Now you must go,’ he whispered, kissing her knuckles.
‘Aye.’
‘Do you have regrets about coming here now?’ he asked softly, not letting go of her hand.
She started to answer, but what good would it do? So she shook her head. She began to sit up and he helped her this time.
Ciara knew she was not done here yet, even if Tavis did not. She’d come here with two purposes in mind and only one was accomplished. Accomplished well and wonderfully and now she would never have to wonder what it would be like to find pleasure in his bed. But the more serious task lay ahead.
They dressed in silence and he poured her a cup of ale before she left. Ciara knew he would follow her back to make certain she made it safely and without being recognised—he could not help himself. She turned to him before lifting the latch and stopped.
‘I have one more request of you, Tavis.’
‘Do not ask me to watch you marry him, Ciara. I cannot do that, even for you.’
She smiled, her eyes filling with tears. She shook her head and glanced away for a moment. ‘Nay, not that.’
‘Then what do you ask?’ he said quietly.
‘Tell me of Saraid’s death at your hands. I would know why she haunts you even these years later.’
‘Ciara,’ he said, his voice pleading with only that word for her to stop.
‘I would know why the woman you loved above all keeps your heart and soul bound to her, even in death. You owe me at least that.’
He grimaced at her, but it did not put her off.
‘Do you know that I plotted to trip her on her way to the church for your wedding? To keep her from marrying so that you would wait for me?’ Tears gathered once more, but she smiled through them. ‘Elizabeth and I were ready to lunge and bring her down.’ She nodded then. ‘Now when I look back, I realise it was a grievous error on my part not to have done it.’
‘You did not?’ He narrowed his gaze and laughed then. ‘You did? What stopped you?’
‘I saw the way you looked at her from your place by the door.’ She took in and released a breath. ‘I knew then that that was what love looked like.’
‘I did love her,’ he admitted the obvious.
‘You looked at me that way on our journey to Perthshire. I saw it then.’
‘I cannot deny the love I feel for you. I just cannot put you in the same position I did Saraid.’
‘Tell me, Tavis. Explain how you killed her.’ She dropped her shawl around her shoulders and sat down in his chair. ‘I am not leaving, not giving myself to another man instead of the one I love, until I understand what keeps your heart imprisoned.’
‘She was carrying our bairn,’ he said, rubbing his hands through his hair and turning away from her to stare into the fire that now burned low in the hearth. ‘And she had terrible fears about it. Terrible. She would beg me every night not to leave her alone. Not to let her die.’ He glanced at her with bleak eyes and then continued. ‘God forgive me, but I tired of it. She became too scared
