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‘You don’t want me to.’
‘Oh, you are insufferable, and I do want you to stop, and I don’t want you to…’ Her words were cut off by his mouth on the back of her neck, biting and kissing. He spread her legs wide and brought his hand around between the furs and her belly, and then downwards.
‘Now Morna, you must lie still and endure your second lesson, and do exactly as I say,’ he laughed.
This time it was all ease and pleasure and her grasping on to him and calling his name and arching her back as their bodies met. Will was tireless, with his gentle fingers, and made love to her slowly and surprisingly tenderly, when the first time had been so urgent and forceful. Morna was soon lost to his touch as she slid against his fingers, and he filled her again and again, holding her down with his weight until she was a slave to her pleasure. She cried out and buried her face in the fur to stifle the sound.
***
Morna woke to a soft dawn filtering through the fabric of the tent with a smug smile on her face, feeling such love for the world and everything in it. She felt tender between her legs and the thought of where Will had been and what he had done brought a fresh rush of lust. She giggled and bit her lip and squeezed her legs together. This lying together, she liked it. What other secrets of the bedchamber was she to learn? The anticipation was too much. She gazed down at her sleeping husband and lover, should she wake him with kisses all over his hard body? Could she be that bold?
Morna pulled back the blanket and smiled at the sight of Will’s nakedness. When her lips met his chest, the gold hair tickled her lips, and he smelled of leather and the ocean and sweat and lust. He wriggled a little at her touch but did not wake.
Morna moved her hand lower.
Oh, but he looked so gentle in sleep, all the ferocity and fire gone from his face, leaving it simply beautiful. It was then that a cold finger of dread reached out and poked her in the heart.
This was too good to last.
She had never been this happy in all her life, this feeling was so precious that it would break her to lose it.
A less than discreet coughing outside the tent heralded the arrival of Waldrick. ‘Laird. I must speak with you at once,’ he hissed. ‘Laird, make haste.’
Morna shook Will awake.
‘Laird, make haste,’ hissed Waldrick, louder this time.
Will rolled his eyes and eased himself away from Morna’s body with a quiet curse and a kiss on her mouth. He opened the tent flap and regarded his man balefully.
‘Will, the Cranstouns, they have gone, all of them,’ said Waldrick. ‘Away at first light, they must have been, no sign of their ship where it was anchored the other side of the headland.’
‘Our ship?’
‘Still at anchor in the bay thankfully. Our men are vigilant.’
Will turned to Morna. ‘We may have a battle on our hands getting home. Best brace yourself for some rough sailing,’ he said grimly and, just like that, reality came crashing back into Morna’s world.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Will’s birlinn flew over the waves at the mouth of the bay, the stiff dawn breeze straining the sails to breaking point. He moved rapidly around the vessel shouting at his men who were all gathering arms and making ready for a fight. Morna tottered after him, clinging on where she could, as the ship surged wildly, along with her heart.
‘Will, if you fear an ambush, why are we sailing right into it?’
‘If my suspicions are right then Cranstoun never meant to honour anything he agreed to at this parley and, ambush or no, he must be dealt with.’
‘And what did he agree to?’
‘I did not tell you, aye, for we were too busy getting to know each other, were we not?’ He smiled into Morna’s eyes. Her gaze was softer after what they had shared last night. He must protect her at all costs. ‘We agreed that we must unite, Morna, to face the English or Robert the Bruce, else our land and our lives are likely forfeit. This war has dragged on to the point of exhaustion. Soon one side must gain the upper hand. Whoever wins, once the dust settles, they will turn their eyes to these Isles and seek retribution. We must come together to protect what we have and to increase our bargaining power in any negotiation. If we stand together, we survive. If we do not, then the full force of English or Scottish justice will pick us off, one by one.’
‘And Wymon had no intention of keeping his word.’
‘His word means nothing, and it never has. I was a fool to believe that this time it would be different. I fear I may have tipped him over the edge into treachery by proclaiming my new allies as the Buchanans. A misstep on my part, for which I hope we do not pay too dearly.’
Morna frowned and so he took her by the shoulders.
‘I fear he brought more ships or had them follow him here, out of sight. When we come out of this bay, somewhere on our journey home, they will attack us, I am sure of it.’
‘Then why sail out of the bay?’
