Page 94 of Desiring the Highland Laird
She pushed aside the curtain nearest the headboard and placed her clothes in a neat stack on the bedside table. Then she placed the stone on top of that and pretended it wasn’t glowing. If she ignored it, perhaps it would go away.
One more glance at Callum who brooded beside the fire with his legs outstretched, the flickering light reflected in his features. It was disarming how handsome he was and how much he madeher pulse race and her heart pound. The image of him there by the fire reminded her of the dream of him, before she met the man in the flesh. Before she traveled back in time. Her blood ran hot for him when she awoke as it did now.
Ignoring the pounding desire through her—or trying to—she settled down on the bed, pulling the blankets to her chin as she tried to sleep. But sleep would not come as her mind raced with all sorts of thoughts of what was to come if the MacDonalds were truly on their way. What, then, would happen to her if Callum perished in the fight?
She shoved that horrid thought away. The last thing she needed was to worry about something that hadn’t happened yet. If there was to be a fight, though, it was time for her to tell Callum how she felt. She may not get another chance. She sat up, clutching the bedclothes to her chest with her heart racing.
She was certain he felt the same about her. She was risking her heart if she told him and he didn’t reciprocate.
It was worth the risk.
She needed him to know. The best way to tell him was to show him.
She slipped out of bed, standing beside it in nothing but her shift. She was instantly reminded of her dream when she was still in Edinburgh. That seemed so long ago now. Her heart pounding and her hands shaking, she stepped toward him, pausing beside him.
“Callum?”
He looked up at her, his glassy eyes changing from despair to intrigue. Without a word, she shrugged off the shift and let it pool around her feet. Her belly tightened and there was a warming at the apex between her thighs as his appreciative gaze swept over her bare skin glistening in the firelight.
“Och, lass…”
She climbed into his lap, placing two fingers over his lips. “Don’t say anything more.” Her words shook when she whispered them.
She slipped her hands under his tunic. His skin was warm from the nearby fire, sending a dreamy sensation through her as she pushed up the material. He didn’t fight her when he allowed her to take it off him and drop it on the floor. Her hands roved over the hard plains and springy hair of his chest. He tilted his head back as he looked up at her, desire flickering through those deep blue eyes that reminded her of the darkest part of the ocean. She bent to kiss him, their lips melding together. His mouth was sweet and hot against hers. A mewl escaped her.
Callum’s hands were on her waist as he positioned her over his lap. She was aware of his hardened length beneath his plaid. The material was still wrapped around his waist despite the loss of his tunic. She fumbled with it to get it out of the way while his hands trailed up her back, leaving gooseflesh in his wake. When she finally had the plaid moved, it was a moment of victory.
He eased inside her. A shuddering breath whooshed out of her as his fingers tightened on her hips, helping her to rock against him. Her breasts brushed against his chest, the fine hairs there leaving a tingling sensation through her nipples. He seemed content to let her set the pace and move against him how she wanted, which sent ripples of pleasure through her.
Evie’s fingers dug into his shoulders as every muscle tensed. She tossed her head back as the climax nearly overtook her. He groaned, trying to move her off him but she held fast. Realizing what he meant to do, she tipped her head down to his, their eyes meeting in a blaze of searing emotion.
“No, don’t,” she panted. “I want to feel you with me.”
He stilled for a brief moment, question flickering through the blue depths of his eyes.
“Are ye sure, lass?”
She moved her hands to his cheeks, relishing the roughness of the stubble against her palms. Her lips brushed his. “Very sure.”
Their mouths fused together as they soared to heights unimaginable together. She kissed him with a hunger she had never experienced before. In that moment, she understood fully that she would never love another for the rest of her life. Callum was the one for her.
When it was all over, she stilled, unwilling to move from his lap. Her muscles were still tensed, her breath ragged. Their bodies were both slick with sweat from the burning heat of the fire and the torrid fervor of their actions. She refused to move.
And she was glad she didn’t when she felt long, slow kisses down her neck, then across one collarbone to her shoulder. Soft, damp kisses that sent her reeling. She clutched him to her, her hands tangling in the long lengths of his hair. Whatever happened, joy shuddered through her that they’d had these moments together.
“I love you.”
Oh, God. She hadn’t intended to say the words aloud, but they slipped out. She was thankful, at least, she wasn’t facing him as he still had his lips against the tender flesh at the base of her throat. He went completely still against her.
He tightened, his arm muscles flexing around her as he gripped her in his arms. He stood up, breaking the intimate contact between them, much to her dismay. But then elation rose through her as he walked to the bed and gently lowered her down. He slid in next to her, pulling her against him and kissing her temple.
“Och, lass, I love ye, too. And now that ye’ve admitted it to me, I intend to tup ye properly.”
She wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by that, but she couldn’t wait to find out.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Morning came fartoo quickly, but come it did. Evie huddled under the blankets, nestled against Callum’s broad body, her head on his chest, watching the dawn illuminate the window in his bedchamber. How long would this moment of bliss last until the day interrupted? She savored it.
