His mouth curved up. Then he began yanking off his belt and his clothes. She grabbed a cloth and climbed out of the bathwater. She dried herself off in a slow, sensual way while he hurried to climb into the tub and watched her. He was going to scrub himself clean, but she dropped the cloth, picked up a clean one, and began to wash his face.
“Hmm,” he said. “After battling it out with the fiends, I’ve never had this kind of treatment.”
“Aye, me either. Next time”—she washed his chest—“we’ll do this without having to go to battle first.”
“Aye, I wholeheartedly agree.” Then he ducked under the water, came up clean and shiny, and pulled her into the water with him, bathwater splashing all over.
She cried out in surprise and then laughed, the fun-loving gesture momentarily lifting the world's weight from her shoulders. It was a nice respite from their recent troubles, which they desperately needed. They were just a mated couple enjoying each other's company for a few precious minutes, living in the present without a thought for the future.
Now, she was sitting on his lap in the bathtub and all wet again. He spread her legs and began stroking her in that sensitive spot that begged for his touch. With his free hand, he pulled her hair aside and began kissing her neck.
Shivers of delight stole up her back. She forgot all about a celebration, the pack, that they needed to hurry and join the others. He caressed her breasts with his free hand while still stroking her between her legs.
She loved the smell of his skin, a mix of soap and sweat and something distinctly him. His touch was bringing her to the top of exquisite pleasure, the sound of his heart beating as fast ashers. And then she cried out with satisfaction. She was so glad they took the time to be with each other alone.
She thought they would be climbing out of the tub, drying off, and finishing this. Instead, he sat her on his staff and began to thrust. This was just…incredible.
With one hand,Alasdair reached up to gently tuck a stray strand of Isobel’s hair behind her ear. Then he kissed her there. He knew they needed to start the celebration with the pack, but he wouldn’t give up this time with Isobel for anything.
He rocked into her, guiding her, filling her with his masculinity. She smelled of sweet wolf and their musky arousal. His hand caressed her breasts, and she moaned with pleasure, her nipples protruding against his palms. She rocked against him, making him hard with need.
Then he was coming and groaned with release. “Gods, Isobel, you are the only one for me.”
She turned her head around and kissed his mouth. “Are you ready to celebrate?”
“I’m sure they havena waited for us.”
She laughed and climbed off him and out of the tub. He followed, and they dried each other off, smiling and kissing each other. They needed this time alone together.
Then they hurried to dress and headed out of the bedchamber. As soon as they reached the stairs, they could smell wild boar cooking and heard all the excited conversations.
When they walked into the great hall, the cheers went up. Everyone was clean, and he knew most had washed up at the loch. The staff would have made baths for Erik and Baldur, butthey might have bathed in the loch. Alasdair would have if he hadn’t had a mate.
“Time to celebrate my mating with Isobel, joining her family with ours, and fighting off the Viking threat.”
Everyone raised mugs of ale in salute and cheered. Isobel’s cousins and brother hugged her, and she hugged them back. But then they warmly embraced Alasdair also. That was another highlight of his day.
The meal was served. Then, there was feasting, music, and later, dancing.
Alasdair overheard Baldur saying to Erik, “If it comes to fruition, we could do this next with you and my daughter.”
Erik smiled, looking like he didn’t really believe it. He saluted Alasdair with his mug of ale, telling him well done on winning the lass over.
Alasdair saluted him back, then leaned over and kissed Isobel’s cheek.
She was snuggled up to him, and he was so glad he’d found her on the beach. He looked in the direction Isobel was watching, and he smiled. Mege and her friends weren’t happy about the news. But they seemed to be the only ones.
“They will come around eventually,” Alasdair said.
“As long as the rest of the clan is happy with our mating, it doesna matter about Mege and her friends.”
“Aye, true. All that is important is that I have you and your family is safe withourclan.”
“Our clan,” she said, and he wrapped his arms around her.
“Always and forever.”
EPILOGUE