Moved beyond anything she had ever experienced, Catriona shifted to cup his face in her hands, making him look at her.
“Malcolm, when I look at ye, I dinnae see a broken man. I see a fine, good, brave man with a big heart. One who cares fer others, who’s saved me life more than once. What happened tae Arran, it was terrible, aye. But it wasnae yer fault. It was an accident. Ye were just a bairn, how were ye tae ken? Ye must forgive yersel’, as I’m sure Arran has long ago.”
He stared at her with something like disbelief at first, as though he had been expecting rejection or disgust and could not quite trust her reaction. When she stroked his cheek with the backs of her fingers, he caught her hands in his and drew her closer still.
“Ye’re a fine man, Malcolm Gordon, a fine laird loved by his people. And ’tis about time ye started tae realize it.”
“Cat?”
“Aye?”
“What I said, about our kissin’ bein’ a mistake… I didnae mean it. It was a lie. It wasnae a mistake at all, and I dinnae want tae forget it.”
A warm glow blossomed in Catriona’s heart, making her feel it was about to explode with joy.
“I’m sorry fer hurtin’ ye, Cat, truly I am. I only said it because I felt so bad fer wantin’ ye. It felt like I felt like I was betrayin’ Duncan after I’d sworn tae protect ye. I never thought I’d have tae protect ye from mesel’.”
Catriona shivered in anticipation as his arms went around her waist and he crushed her against his naked chest. This time, there was nothing rushed about their kiss. It began as a slow, soft exploration of each other’s lips.
The rest of the world melted away as she lost herself once more in the deliciously warm, sweet taste of his mouth on hers, of his tongue entwining with hers in a passionate dance, which she had feared she would never feel again.
“Catriona, yer lips are so soft, I’ll never stop wantin’ tae kiss them,” he whispered into her mouth, one hand wound into her hair, cradling her head, the other cupping her behind, his touch igniting that familiar fire deep within her.
“And I never want ye tae stop,” she murmured, pressing her hands to his warm skin and trailing her fingertips down the strong column of his throat, his broad, muscular shoulders, then over his nipples and the dark, springy hairs covering his chest she had been longing to touch.
It was not long before their kiss deepened in intensity as passion sparked in them both. Catriona threw herself into it with luxurious abandon, meeting Malcolm’s desire with her own, reveling in the taste and touch and feel of him as they explored each other’s mouths with tongues and lips, nipping and teasing.
She saw the hunger in his eyes and it roused her desire for him to even greater heights, piling fuel on the fire he had lit within her.
“Malcolm,” she whispered against his lips, running her palms over his skin, wanting to feel every inch of him, and wanting him to do the same for her. Her nipples hardened as if seeking his touch and chafed impatiently against her shift, wanting to be free. Heat pooled between her thighs, and she felt a throbbing ache which she knew in her bones only he could satisfy.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“Och, Malcolm, ye make me want ye so much, I never kent I could feel like this,” she breathed, greedy for more of him. She pressed herself against his chest, weaving her arms around his muscular neck and tangling her fingers in the dark laces of his hair, pulling him closer, entwining her tongue with his in a frantic dance of pent-up desire. Her entire body was alight now, every particle of it burning, quivering, craving more of his touch.
Her breathing quickened as her curious fingers traced his many battle scars, and she reveled in the power that seemed to ooze from his very bones. She needed more of him. She hardly knew what possessed her, but she suddenly wanted them naked, their bodies pressed together, skin on skin.
“Malcolm, let’s take off our clothes. I want tae feel ye against me,” she murmured against his lips, eliciting a low, raw groan from his throat that only stoked her excitement.
“I couldnae agree more,” he murmured, maintaining the kiss as he rose, lifting her with him, and carried her over to the enormous bed with a few swift strides. Gently, he laid her down on the coverlet. Then, while she watched in excited anticipation, running her tongue over her lips, he shucked off the rest of his clothes, until he stood before her in all his magnificent glory.
She gasped in wonder, drinking him in. For her, he was the epitome of masculine beauty, from his tousled curls and the hard, sculpted planes of his face and dark, stubbled jaw, to the way his broad chest tapered into the muscle-ridged vee of his waist, to his long, powerful legs.
But her gaze was inevitably drawn to the huge shaft of flesh springing from its nest of dark hair at the apex of his muscular thighs.
“Omigod, Malcolm, ye’re so… big!” She had seen men naked before in the infirmary, but nothing remotely like this. “How…” She hesitated, gesturing with her eyes at his manhood. “… however will it fit inside me?”
His grin widened. “Dinnae fash yersel’ about that, lass. He’ll fit all right, and bring ye much pleasure as well.”
She blinked at him uncertainly, wanting to believe him, feeling an odd pull of excitement as she stared at the thick column of flesh pointing at her.
He paused, his brows knitting and his grin fading to a look of concern. “Though there may be a wee bit of pain at first, andsome blood as well, ye bein’ a maid still. But only little, and it will pass quickly. I promise I’ll nae hurt ye, but if ye’re nae sure we can stop.”
The sincerity of his concern made her not fear what lay ahead. She smiled and held out her arms to him. “I trust ye completely, Malcolm. I dinnae want tae stop. I’ve never wanted anythin’ more in me life than I want ye.”
His grin broke out once more, hungry and wolfish, as he advanced on the bed, his manhood bobbing almost arrogantly as he moved.
“I’m happy that ye want me, lass. ’Tis the same fer me. Ye dinnae ken the trouble I’ve had keepin’ me hands off of ye,” he murmured huskily, climbing on the bed and coming close to her on his knees. He hung over her on his forearms and kissed her deeply, making the burning ache between her legs even hotter.
