Page 37 of The Mad Highlander
“Aye,” Iris said nervously.
“Ye shouldnae say things ye dinnae mean,” Cayden told her, placing his hand over hers on his chest. “Ye make it sound as if I could da anythin’ to ye.”
Iris brought her eyes up to meet his. She took a breath. “Aye.”
Her heart pounded furiously as he slipped the robe from her shoulders and tossed it across the room. She fumbled at his shirt, needing to discover what was below. Iris gripped the edges of his shirt and lifted it over his head.
What am I doing?
Raw panic filled her body as she watched him stand to kick off his boots. He towered above her like a mighty oak, scars crossing his body like the bark of a tree. Her chest rose and fell, a thin fabric the only thing between the Laird and her body. She was willing to give herself to him fully.
Cayden paused at the end of the bed and looked her up and down with hungry eyes. Iris stood and placed her hands on his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin this time.
“I’ll keep ye safe. I promise” He searched her face.
“I ken ye will.” Iris kissed his chest, drawing her lips over his scars. She let out a small gasp when his hand reached around and cupped her rear.
He hoisted her up into the air, and she wrapped her legs around him. He looked into her eyes again before tossing her onto the bed. Once more, he towered above her, and she felt small before him. She needed the safety that he brought—she needed him in her bed.
“I want ye,” Iris whispered. She did not know if it was he or the protection he brought, but seeing his broad chest before her, she was only thinking with her body now, and she longed to touch him. From the look in his eyes, he would ravage her.
Cayden knelt on the bed, and it creaked under his weight. He crawled his way up beside her, his feet hanging over the edge of the bed. He brought immediate warmth even if their bodies were not touching. She watched his chest rising and falling.
Her brazen confidence began to fail her. Iris leaned to the side and blew out the candle beside her bed, bathing them both in darkness. Silence filled the chamber. She listened to the Laird breathing in the darkness. She wanted his touch, but she didn’t at the same time. She was the one who had invited him into her bed, but now that he was beside her, she was not sure what she wanted.
He was handsome and commanding, but she was still scared. Of an attack? For her brother? Of the mad laird? She did not know.
Cayden finally broke the awkwardness. “I must thank ye.” He swallowed hard.
“For what?” Iris probed gently.
“I have a terrible temper. I’m nae sure why or even how, but ye help me control it. There are fewer outbursts now, and I nae longer feel as if I will snap an’ hurt…” his voice trailed off.
Feeling touched by his admission, Iris turned over and propped herself up on her elbow as she strained her eyes in the dark to look at him. A chink in the drapes allowed just enough light into the room to make it possible for her to see the vulnerability in his eyes.
I dinnae ken who he is, but he is nae who I thought he was.
“I ken ye wouldnae hurt me,” she said gently before reaching out and stroking his cheeks, feeling the stubble that had begun to grow on his jawline.
Cayden’s eyes shone hauntingly blue in the dim light of the moon. Her breathing suddenly deepened as he came a little closer, his hand venturing to her face as he drew her in for a kiss. Everything felt right as a shiver of pleasure ran through her body. His kiss was soft and chaste for only a moment but quickly descended into the same passion they’d had in the light of the room. His tongue snaked out and brushed her lips before entering her mouth.
A soft gasp escaped her throat when he pulled her closer, placing his hand behind her back before caressing her skin through the fabric of her nightdress. He was as warm as fire against her, and she felt any resolve melting as their bodies pressed together. She wanted him.
“I cannae go any further until we are married.”
The words shocked Iris, and it felt like the air had been sucked from her lungs. She opened her mouth to respond, but the Laird spoke first.
“There is still something that I can show ye now.” His voice was deep and thick with passion as he growled against her lips.
“What?” Iris felt her pulse racing when his hand slid over her hip, gently caressing her flesh through the fabric. She wished for him to tear it off and claim her in the bed—to make her feel something other than the panic she had experienced that day.
“Do ye trust me?” Cayden asked, pausing right before he began to lift her dress.
Nodding, she gave her consent and pressed her lips against his, hungry for more of his touch.
Cayden growled in response and gently gripped her sides, pushing her onto her back. She looked up at his hungry gaze. His eyes swept over her body, causing a wave of heat to rush through her veins as the pit of her stomach knotted deliciously with anticipation.
Pulling her lower lip through her teeth, she allowed him to move her arms, placing them above her head before gripping the edges of her nightdress and slipping the garment over her head. Herskin broke out in a light layer of bumps as he gazed down at her naked body, his eyes filling with hunger.
