Page 51 of In Bed with a Highland Liar

When Aaden’s hand slipped down her back, all the way to where they were joined, fingers tracing the seam of them, Lilith cried out in equal measures of surprise and pleasure. Aaden chuckled in her ear and grabbed her buttocks instead, pulling her even closer until her mound dragged against his stomach with every movement of their hips, the pressure on that sensitive spot building up to her climax once more.

“Ye’re so wet fer me,” he whispered in her ear, pulling the lobe between his teeth for a moment. “Ye feel so good, Lilith.”

It was all she needed to come apart on his length, moaning his name as she trembled in his arms. It seemed to last forever, the aftershocks coursing through her time and time again as she twitched in his lap, and Aaden held her through it, whispering praise in her ear and running a soothing hand down her back. When she finally recovered, Aaden smiled at her and flipped them over once more, until Lilith was suddenly on her back, Aaden’s hands firm on her thighs as he spread her legs wide and chased his own climax.

There was a tenderness to his movements still, every thrust careful and measured, but Lilith wanted him to lose himself entirely. She reached up and threaded her fingers through his hair once more, pulling hard and smashing their lips together, and it was then that Aaden’s hips stuttered, spilling inside her with a moan.

Almost instantly, he collapsed on top of her, pushing the air out of her lungs, and Lilith gave a breathless chuckle as she petted him through it. After he caught his breath, Aaden nuzzled her neck, settling boneless over her until Lilith had no choice but to push at him, trying to get him off.

“Ye’re too heavy fer this,” she complained and Aaden grumbled something unintelligible before he finally rolled off her. He didn’t go far, though; he only laid next to her and pulled her in his arms, tucking her head under his chin.

His body had finally warmed up and so had Lilith’s, their skin exchanging heat until they were both comfortable even without being surrounded by the blanket. Lilith burrowed closer and Aaden let out a little satisfied sigh, already halfway asleep.

Lilith could only wish she had such luck. Now that she knew the truth, her only concern was getting back home and informing everyone of every bad deed Laird MacEwan had ever committed. She didn’t want that man near her family, near her people. She feared the damage he could do—the damage he could have already done.

The storm still raged outside, though. The wind blew through the holes in the roof, whistling loudly, and the rain fell relentlessly over the land. Lilith had no choice but to wait it out, hoping it would clear up the following morning.

Until then, she would lay in Aaden’s arms, listening to the gentle rhythm of his breathing.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Lilith woke to the sunlight that was cutting through the last lingering storm clouds. It shone unbridled into the abandoned keep, bathing her surroundings in a soft light. In the darkness of the storm and the night, she hadn’t had the chance to take a good look at the building, but now she could see just how much time had left its stamp on the place. Damp clung to the walls, the stones crumbling, moss and vines crawling up in the fissures. The fire had died, leaving nothing but coals that glowed a gentle orange. In its stead, a circle of sunlight kept their sleeping area bright and warm, trickling in from the crumbled ceiling.

Aaden had not yet stirred. In his sleep, he was tense, his brows pinched together and his hands curled into fists. It was strange, seeing him like this when he seemed so relaxed in his waking moments, so at ease with everything and everyone around him. One would think he would be more peaceful in sleep, but that seemed to be when his worries caught up with him, and Lilith couldn’t help but wonder if they manifested as nightmares.

With the storm long gone, it was time for them to return to the castle. Lilith had much to say to her father and her sister. She was going to reveal the truth to them about Ruadh, about his scheme and all the lies he had told her family. He had done more than enough damage to Aaden’s and her families’ lives, and they all deserved to escape his tyranny once and for all.

Lilith watched him as he slept for a few more quiet moments, taking in the rise of his cheekbones, the slope of his nose, and the strong line of his jaw that she had come to love in the short time they had spent together. He was a handsome man, there was no doubt about that, but it was the warmth and the kindness those features held which had nurtured that love to bloom inside her. Not to mention his love.

Slowly, Lilith leaned closer to Aaden and pressed a delicate kiss to his lips. In response, he let out a soft sigh and blindly chased after her, hands reaching for her even in his sleep. Lilith settled closer to him and kissed him again, once on the lips before pressing a few more to his cheeks and forehead. With each one, Aaden came closer and closer to consciousness, until he was blinking his eyes open, fully awake.

When their gazes met, Aaden gave her a smile as he snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his body. He nuzzled into her neck with a soft sigh, his breath tickling the sensitive skin there, and it soon became apparent to Lilith that he was more than interested in another round of the previous night’s activities. His hand trailed down her back, resting over her rear for a moment before his fingers sank into the ample flesh, and his manhood pressed, hardened and insistent, against her thigh.

“That was the best night o’ me life,” Aaden whispered against her lips and Lilith couldn’t help but laugh, nodding in agreement.

It would be easy for her to lose herself in him. It would be easy to surrender to her desire, to kiss Aaden unhurriedly in the quiet of the morning and take her pleasure from him once again. For a few moments, she even entertained the idea, rolling her hips languidly against his and drawing a quiet moan from his lips.

But there were more important things to do, and they both knew it. Lilith had to put a stop to this before they both lost themselves in each other again, forgetting everything about the world around them.

Gently, she placed a hand in the center of Aaden’s chest and pushed him back, separating their lips. Aaden only mumbled something incomprehensible, though, and went after her mouth once more, barely managing to kiss the corner of it before Lilith pulled back again, this time her hand turning firm and unrelenting.

“What?” Aaden asked, confused at being denied his pleasure. There was a pout on his lips, one that made Lilith chuckle, reminding her of a petulant boy who had been denied a treat. “Why are ye pushin’ me away?”

“As much as I’m enjoyin’ this, we must figure out what tae dae with yer uncle,” Lilith pointed out. “What about yer maither? What about me family? Ruadh sounds like a dangerous man an’ I dinnae want him near them. I dinnae want Evander near Freya.”

“I dinnae think Evander kens anythin’ about this,” Aaden said, though he didn’t sound entirely convinced. “He is… misguided, that much is true⁠—”

“Misguided?” Lilith had to scoff shaking her head. She sat up and looked down at Aaden, who rolled on his back and pillowed his head on one arm, the other draping over Lilith’s thighs in a placating gesture. “He is far more than simply misguided. The way he has treated Freya is… it is deplorable an’ vile an’ shameful.”

“Aye, I ken,” Aaden said gently. “I ken. I’m nae tryin’ tae excuse his behavior. I am only sayin’ that I dinnae think he kens what his faither has done. Perhaps he does but as terribly as he has treated yer sister, I dinnae think he would go tae such lengths as tae help Ruadh keep our maither imprisoned.”

Lilith didn’t know what to think. She hardly knew anything about Evander, after all, other than the fact that he was a philanderer and had no regard for Freya. Perhaps it was different with his mother.

“Still, even if Evander isnae helpin’ him, it doesnae mean that yer uncle willnae hurt me family or yer maither,” Lilith pointed out. “We must dae somethin’ tae stop him.”

“Ruadh will only release me maither after we wed,” Aaden said and the reminder of his original goal to trick her into a marriage was like a vice around her heart, her chest aching with it. Though she believed Aaden when he said he had truly fallen for her, it was difficult to forget so easily that his purpose had been to use her. Lilith pushed it aside, though. With time, the pain would fade. With time, his love would overshadow everything else.

“As much as I wish fer us tae wed, I dinnae wish fer Ruadh tae have what he wants,” Lilith said, brows pinched together in a frown. “I cannae allow him tae win.”