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"Aye, but then apparently Conran got thinking on it and felt he and Geordie should do it so Alick could continue on with their plans for him to visit Saidh," Rory explained. Mouth twisting, he added, "No doubt, Conran did no' wish to be stuck with that particular chore himself, so took Alick's task so Alick could still head to MacDonnell."
Aulay arched his eyebrows at that. "Alick planned to visit Saidh?"
Rory nodded. "Aye, the boys were talking after they got the message from ye that Jetta had awoken and decided Alick should visit Saidh and see if she had any spare dresses that might fit Jetta. They all felt she might soon want to wear more than Mavis's borrowed shifts and such now that she is awake."
"Good God, nay!" Aulay said at once.
"Nay?" Rory asked with surprise.
"If Saidh finds out about Jetta she will ride straight here to find out what is about. That is the last thing we need right now. Tell Alick to go find a cloth merchant instead. Some of them also carry already sewn gowns. But even if he can no' find one who carries them, he should buy cloth and we could set several of the women at Buchanan to sewing."
"Ah," Rory murmured, suddenly looking down at his feet and appearing uncomfortable in general.
"What is it?" Aulay asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Actually, ye misunderstood me. Alick has already been and left here. He is on his way to Saidh's as we speak."
"What?" Aulay growled the word.
"Aye," Rory said apologetically. "He arrived just after we returned from hunting and ye came back upstairs to break yer fast with Jetta."
"And ye're only telling me this now?" he snapped.
Rory shrugged. "I forgot."
"God's teeth, Rory! Saidh'll be headed here by dawn," Aulay said with exasperation.
"Maybe no'," Rory said. "Mayhap ye'll be lucky and when Alick gets to MacDonnell it will only be to learn that Saidh is off visiting Edith or Murine, or Jo."
"When have I ever been that lucky?" Aulay asked with disgust.
"Hmm," Rory said and then grinned. "Ye're right. She'll be here by dawn."
Cursing, Aulay turned away and nudged the door open. He then stepped into the room and used one foot to push the door closed on his brother's laughing face.
"Bastard," he muttered to himself as he started toward the bed. His footsteps slowed, though, and he then stopped and grimaced at the tray he held when Aulay realized that Jetta was sound asleep and snoring softly.
Jetta wrinkled her itchy nose and reached up sleepily to scratch it, managing to poke herself in the eye instead. Fortunately, it was closed, but the action brought it open and she peered blearily around at the dim room and then glanced to the window to see the weak predawn light slipping around the shutters. It was early yet, she saw and closed her eyes, intending to go back to sleep, but a soft snore made them pop open again and she sat up to peer down at the floor beside the bed.
A smile curved Jetta's lips when she spotted her husband there, still sound asleep. The man had been up and out of the room every morning since their tryst on the table nine long days ago. Mavis had been the first face she'd seen this last week and two days, when she'd arrived to help her with her morning ablutions. Aulay had only rejoined her once she was up and seated at the table, ready to break her fast. Aside from his no longer being there when she woke up, another change was that he hadn't kissed her even once since then, or done any of those other delicious things that had given her such pleasure.
Her smile faded at the thought. Jetta had no idea what had happened. Was he angry with her? Did he not find her attractive anymore? Her hand moved self-consciously to the bald spot on the back of her head. It seemed they'd shaved away the hair there to tend to her wounds. Those were healed now, but the hair hadn't grown back more than an inch or so and felt strange when she touched it. It probably looked strange too, Jetta thought with a frown.
Still, she'd had that hair missing since before waking and it hadn't seemed to stop him from kissing her and . . . er . . . stuff on the table then. Jetta had no idea why he hadn't touched her since, but was beginning to worry about what that might mean for her marriage. Not that he wasn't still kind and attentive. Aulay spent all of his time with her once Mavis had helped her with her ablutions and such and left the room. He returned then and played chess and other games with her, or told her tales about his brothers and sisters and growing up. He also took every meal with her, and was constantly fetching sweets and other snacks for her in an effort to make her eat more.
In truth, Jetta didn't think she could ask for a better husband. He was most kind and attentive. It was just his refusal to kiss and touch her that was different, and she found it worrisome. Jetta didn't think she could bear living with him for the rest of her life if she never again got to enjoy the pleasure he'd shown her. In fact, she now found she craved it constantly. If his hand brushed hers, or his arm, or if he even looked at her lips, her heart tripped and started pounding with excitement and anticipation. And all she had to do was look at him and she wanted him to kiss or touch her. But he didn't, and she was hurt and confused by the fact that he no longer seemed to want to.
Jetta peered at him silently, trying to sort out why and suddenly realized that while he had shown her great pleasure that time at the table, and even the time before, she had done little but moan and groan and cry out in response. She'd barely even kissed him back properly, let alone touch him in return. Not only had that been incredibly selfish, but it may have made him think she did not wish him to do the things he'd done to her. She needed to let him know that she did enjoy and desire his attentions that way, and the best way she could think to do that was to show him.
Letting out the little breath she'd been holding, Jetta straightened her shoulders and slid her feet to the floor, only to pause and simply sit on the bed, contemplating her husband. He was lying on his side, cocooned in his plaid, which might be a problem. She would surely wake him up did she try to unwrap him, and Jetta suspected that if he woke up before she at least did something to rouse his interest, he would bring an end to her efforts before they had even started.
Biting her lip, she considered him briefly and then smiled and turned to pull the largest fur off the bed and into her lap. Grasping it firmly in hand, she then stood and let it drop to the floor between her and her husband before gently and carefully laying it over him. Straightening then, she backed up and sat on the edge of the bed to wait. It seemed to take forever, and Jetta was beginning to fear that it wouldn't work, and then he murmured sleepily and shifted onto his back, pushing the furs and plaid restlessly away from his overheated body.
Jetta almost leapt to her feet and clapped and squealed over the fact that her plan had worked, but she managed to restrain herself and then she lost the urge as she took in what her actions had revealed.
Aulay hadn't just pushed away the fur, he'd pushed off the plaid too. He was now covered only by a linen shirt that was presently tangled around his stomach, leaving him completely on display from the waist down.
Jetta had thought she'd known what to expect. She instinctively knew she'd seen naked babies, both male and female. But the little jigglies she'd seen on baby boys bore no resemblance to the monster sleeping in its nest of curls that she was presently staring at. And she had absolutely no recollection of seeing that before.
Good Lord! What was she supposed to do with it?
The question echoed in her head briefly. Unfortunately, no answer came to her mind and Jetta actually considered lying back in bed and pretending to sleep until he woke up and left the room. But then she steeled herself and shook her head. If she wished to enjoy the pleasure he showed her, it did seem she should show him some too. Besides, she would just do to him what he had done to her. That should work . . . shouldn't it?
Grimacing, Jetta slid off the bed to kneel beside him and glanced nervously from his sleeping member to his sleeping face and back as she tried to figure out how to start. Aulay had begun by kissing his way up her thighs, and then . . . well, she wasn't quite sure what he'd done once he'd reached the spot between her legs. She felt sure he'd licked and nibbled and . . . well, frankly, she'd been so excited and wound up, she'd concentrated on the sensations he was causing rather than what exactly he was doing.
So, kissing, nibbling and licking it would be, Jetta thought. That was what she would do. How hard could it be?
Kneeling next to him, she pressed a kiss to the skin just inside of one of his knees, and then the other, and then a little higher on each leg, and then a little higher still, and then she raised her head and blinked as she noted that the sleeping monster had woken and was slowly stretching. She bit her lip briefly, but then straightened her shoulders again and began to press kisses along the length of the monster itself, her eyes widening as it grew longer and began to stand under her attention. It was becoming quite impressive by the time she kissed the tip, but when she experimentally closed her mouth over it Jetta learned just how hard it could be as it swelled even more and pushed against the back of her throat.
