“I never intended to make love with you,” he confessed. “Intimacy goes against my Templar teachings.”
“I know,” she said, understanding his conflict. “But the Brotherhood is dissolved, and your life is your own.” She pressed soft kisses over his mouth, mimicked his action in sliding her lips down the thick muscle of his throat. “Make love with me, Cailin. I am not a foolish lass but a woman who loves you. Give me this night, memories to keep until you return.”
Face strained, he nodded. “If I have to crawl, I will come back to you, that I swear.” He kissed her, hot, hard, his hands driving her mad as his mouthdemanded more.
* * * *
Slowly, Cailin worked his way over her body, learning what she enjoyed, lingering, then moving lower. Her sweet taste filled him, and he lost himselfin the moment.
Given his Templar teachings, though he’d tried to convince himself ’twas wrong to make love with Elspet, she felt right in his arms.
He kissed his way along the flat of her stomach, then edged lower, loving her response, the way she arched as he parted her and exposed her moistness to his view.
Taking his time, he touched, teased her, savoring her soft cries of pleasure. As she began to tremble, aware she was close to the edge, he straddled her and pressed his hard length against her wetness. “I…” Stunned by the words that formed on his tongue, Cailin stilled, overwhelmed by emotion.
Eyes dark with need, Elspetsurged forward.
Cailin’s mind blurred, the startling words tangled in his mind as he sank deep into her slick warmth. She cried out as he tore the thin barrier of her innocence, and he stilled, his breaths coming fast. His body demanded that he take, but he held. Regardless of how much he suffered, he would give her the time she needed, give her the tenderness she deserved.
He caressed her cheek. “I am sorryfor the pain.”
Sweat glistened upon her face and happiness filled her eyes. “Dinna be. This, us, ’tis beautiful.”
Wanting her to forget the hurt, he claimed her mouth as he caressed her breasts. When she shifted restlessly beneath him, he began to move. With each stroke, she rose to meet him, and he lost himself to all but her, how her body welcomed his. As her silky wetness tightened around him, she came apart. Heat surging through him, Cailin followed.
His mind a pleasurable blur, Cailin rolled to his side and drew her with him, needing to hold her, wanting this moment to last forever.
Chapter 16
The soft crackle of fire slipped into the haze of Elspet’s sleep. She shifted, grimacing at the soreness of her body, then smiled at the memories of the hours through the night when she and Cailin had made love, of his tenderness, of his every touch.
Emotion tightened her throat as she withdrew the necklace from beneath her shift, stared at the silver Celtic cross with a rubyat the center.
His mother’s.
Yet Cailin had pressed her to keep what was obviously important to him. Humbled, she stroked her finger over the forged cross. Never had she believed she’d find such happiness. Against an unlikely start, he’d won her heart. Warmth filled her as she turned over to face him.
The pallet next toher lay empty.
She listened for a moment.
At a soft nicker, she glanced toward the place where they’d hidden the horses deeper in the cave. After a slow, languorous stretch, she dressed, then headed to where torchlight flickered from thesmaller cavern.
She rounded the corner. Illuminated within the soft wavering light, Cailin tightened the cinch.
Elspet savored the play of his muscles, and her body tingled. They needed to leave, but mayhap she could convince him to tarry fora short while.
Loosening the ties of her shift, Elspet walked over, wrapped her arms around him, and pressed her body against his back. “I was hoping to awakenin your arms.”
He stiffened.
Unease trickled through her, but she dismissed it. With the hard travel ahead, he was tense about the upcoming day.
Cailin turned, caught her wrists, anddrew them away.
His taut expression set her on edge. Merciful saints, something had happened, the reason he was awake. “What is wrong?”
“You couldbe with child.”
