Aihan appeared in one of Cat’s evening gowns, this one in green silk; she had altered it to fit, and she looked lovely enough to make his heart ache.
Alex and Fiona arrived at the front door and Col let them in, ushering them into the front parlour, which had also been transformed since he last ventured into it, with flowers and beeswax polish, the holland covers removed from the furniture. He offered his guests a whisky and Aihan joined them, slightly flushed.
Alex bowed over her hand, and she bobbed a curtsy. The two women nodded at each other politely. Col had contrived toask Alex not to mention his request for information about ships going to China; he didn’t want to raise Aihan’s hopes if the attempt proved abortive.
“Dinner is ready,” said Aihan, and Col led the way to the dining room and saw their guests seated while Fergus and Willy, wearing their best outfits, produced the first course. The boys were also dressed in their best and on their most exemplary behaviour.
Col watched all this, bemused at the transformation in his household. It reminded him of the earlier days of his marriage when they used to entertain more frequently. His father had been alive then and the boys much younger. The house had more servants too. A butler and cook, maids, and even a footman. The outdoor staff included grooms for the stable and gardeners for the grounds. Fergus’s job had been gamekeeper, and he seldom came into the house. How things had changed over the years.
Aihan had produced a range of finger food for the first course: those pork buns that had become a favourite with the boys, some pan fried parcels of some soft dough with meat filling, and some little balls of meat. All with a flavourful sweet and mildly spicy sauce in which to dip them.
Col watched Alex and Fiona eyeing the strange food with slight looks of trepidation.
“It’s good, Uncle,” said Rory with an encouraging smile to Alex, as helped himself to one of everything.
Alex cast a look at his wife and shrugged, reaching for a meat ball.
Fiona took one of the pork buns and bit into it.
“That what I want the rice f’our for,” said Aihan with a smile.
Fiona nodded, chewing and swallowing slowly. She took a sip of her wine—Fergus had found the best wine in the cellar. Col was surprised there was any still drinkable. “Very interesting,” she said politely.
Alex tried one of the dumplings next, and his grin showed that he like them. Reaching for another, he murmured to Fiona, “You need to get the receipt for these!”
Fiona raised an eyebrow and tried one. She nodded. “Um yes, I like those,” she said softly.
“I get Cam to write you out receipt,” said Aihan with a sunny smile.
The second course included noodles and pan-fried meat and vegetables in a spicy sauce, which seemed to go down well with the guests. For dessert, Aihan had returned to more traditional Scottish fare with a steamed fruity pudding and custard. By the time the last of the pudding had vanished, the initial constraint had evaporated, and conversation was free flowing and friendly. The copious quantities of wine imbibed might have had something to do with that.
Seeing his guests out the front door, Col was stifling a yawn, exhausted. His back was still sore. Shutting the door, he wrapped an arm round Aihan. “Ye’re amazing, lass, how did ye pull that off with so little time?”
She grinned and kissed his chin. “Fergus and Wee and the boys all assist me.”
He yawned and she said, “Ye go to bed, I take dogs out.”
Col retired to bed and was half-asleep when Aihan joined him after walking the dogs. He was still forced to sleep on his belly, and put out an arm to cuddle her as best he could. She rested a hand on his buttock and tucked her leg over the back of his thigh. She was naked, and her mound pressed against the side of his hip. It woke him up.
Lifting himself up on an elbow, he looked down at her. She was lying half on her side, half on her back, her hair a loose black cloud round her head and a slight smile on her face.
He bent his head and kissed her. They had shared a few kisses the last several days but nothing else. His body was reminding him of that fact now. They had been in the habit of having sex most nights. And some mornings too. She was always a willing bed partner, and he had ceased feeling guilty over the pleasure they shared a while ago. It seemed senseless to reject something that felt so damned good and was doing no one any harm.
He deepened the kiss, ignoring the slight twinge from his back. The hand that wasn’t holding him up found one of her lovely little breasts, and his mouth traced kisses down her neck.
She panted a bit but said, anxiously, “Yer back?”
“Fook my back,” he growled against her skin. “I need ye under me, lass, it’s been a sight too long.” He lifted himself up, and she arranged herself under him, her legs either side of his hips. Lowering himself into the cradle of her hips, he murmured, “That’s better.”
Stroking her lips with his cock, he found her wet, which was no surprise. He’d yet to find he had to do much to arouse her. She always seemed ready for him.
“Oh, Hana,” he groaned softly, finding her mouth with his, as his cock sought the entrance to her body. He slid in easily and held still to enjoy the blissful, warm snugness of her.
She moved under him, and he let her, holding himself in place deep inside her while she worked herself into an orgasm. He enjoyed orchestrating her pleasure with his mouth and his fingers, but he’d found she was just as happy to make herself come on his cock, and seemed to have no difficulty doing so. It was, he found, deeply arousing, and made sex easy and uncomplicated when they were both tired and just wanted to get to the point.
With the current state of his back, it was good to let her take the lead. He’d come easily enough when she was done. Whichsounded prosaic and unromantic. But in the throes of it, it wasn’t at all. It was fucking erotic.
“Fook,” he groaned as she worked her body against his, squeezing him with her internal muscles and gripping his upper arms tightly. She raised her head a fraction and bit the muscle of his shoulder and then dropped her head back, arching under him, and let out a cry of completion. She slumped under him, panting, and grinned sloe-eyed at him.
