Page 51 of Lost with a Scot
“There is never enough time to be with those we love.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “We must take each day as we can, and for a while, we can slow time.” He would find a way to give her what she needed, even if they only had a brief moment like this.
“Then don’t waste it, husband,” she whispered.
Anna’s luminous eyes held his gaze. She freed her hand from his and, with more confidence this time, plucked the buttons of his waistcoat free. He shrugged out of the garment and unfastened his trousers. Then he removed his shirt and pinned her to the door again, kissing her ruthlessly. Her hands roamed over the surface of his chest, making him feel more alive than he’d ever felt in his life. He conquered her fears by the sheer sensual distraction of his mouth, and she moaned as he lifted her skirts up and his fingers delved beneath the petticoats to find her center.
“Hold on to me, lass,” he said as he lifted her up into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. He pressed her against the door, using one arm as a shelf for her body as he freed his shaft and guided himself into her wet heat.
She threw her head back and gasped as he sank into her, and they both lost themselves at the connection that went beyond mere flesh.
“Are ye all right?” he asked, holding still to let her adjust to him filling her. Then he tested himself moving inside her, gently at first, seeing if it hurt her or if he could move faster and harder.
She managed a nod. “It feels wonderful—don’t stop.”
He’d never taken a woman like this before, but something about Anna brought out a wildness in him, the animal that he always sensed was just beneath the surface. But rather than be frightened by his intensity, she seemed to thrive on it and kissed him harder, dug her nails into his back and shoulders and clawed at him, just as hungry for the mating of their bodies as he was.
His sweet Anna clung to him as he thrust into her, their bodies fused by desire and a love that had been born in the land of their dreams. This woman was it for him. He had but one woman who would ever hold his heart.
Anna’s lips were sweet as honey as they made love against the closed door. It was part frenzied mating and part lazy enjoyment of each other as they tumbled into the explosion of pleasure that followed. He wasn’t sure how he still had the strength to stand after the climax that exploded through him, but somehow he managed to carry her to the bed and, with an exhausted chuckle, collapsed beside her and pulled the blankets over both of them.
She pressed her lips to his chest in a kiss before she drifted to sleep. Aiden lay awake, his mind and heart burning this moment into his memory. If they couldn’t freeze time, at least he would not forget the privilege of loving his wife.
CHAPTER13
The Lennox coach rolled to a stop in front of Lady Eugenia’s grand house on Park Lane. The faint sounds of music drifted out to the coach where Anna was sitting. She wore the new gown that Rosalind’s dressmaker had made for her. A diamond-and-pearl diadem rested in the coils of her dark-russet hair. She wore elbow-length white silk gloves and a red velvet cape. Everything about her declared she was royalty.
It felt as though she was back in Ruritania, preparing to make an appearance with her family. The memories of those glittering balls at the royal court were now tinged with sorrow. Those days were gone, and the memories would fade like the smoke that had billowed up above the burning ruins of her home. Even if Alexei became king, Anna’s life would never be the same.
“Are you ready?” Rosalind’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.
Aiden’s sister sat beside her, and Ashton sat opposite them. Both were watching her in concern, and she understood why. Ever since her memories had come back, she kept reliving moments where her parents had still been alive, and she and Alexei had been happy. The days ahead were full of shadows, and it was hard to leave these warm thoughts of the past when she knew they would never come back.
“I’m all right.” That was a lie. It was impossible to tell them how she felt. It was as though she was no longer just Anna. She was a princess, with all the responsibilities and burdens that such a title carried, and yet she was also the woman Aiden had rescued from the waves and married by the enchanted fairy pools. She felt torn, belonging in neither her old life nor her new one.
The thing she wanted most was for Aiden to be with her, but he and several of Ashton’s friends had gone ahead to the ball. They wanted to make sure that it was safe. It was unlikely she was in any danger, but she appreciated their concern. What did bother her was Aiden.
They’d made love last night with a new intensity that had left her stunned and overwhelmed in the most wonderful way. She’d never felt more connected to him than she had in that moment. All that had been missing was them being in his bed in Castle Kincade and knowing his wee beasties were about. She missed Aiden’s animals deeply. In just a short time, she’d grown to think of them as her beasties too, and she would have spent the rest of her life in that castle with Aiden, deliriously happy. But close to dawn, Aiden had changed subtly and withdrawn from her. She’d cuddled against him, but she sensed his thoughts were miles away.
She didn’t want to worry, but given all that lay between them, it was impossible not to. She had this terrible sense that she and Aiden were tumbling down a rocky mountainside and had no way to stop themselves from plummeting into the abyss below.
“Ashton will exit first, and I will help you with your train,” Rosalind explained as a footman from Lady Eugenia’s home opened their coach door.
Ashton gracefully left the coach and held a hand out to Anna. She placed her gloved hand in his and lifted her skirts with her other hand as she stepped down to the ground. Rosalind followed, her hands full of the long train of Anna’s gown.
The gown was red silk, with a cream bodice and cream underskirts embroidered with shooting stars and studded with pearls. Gold constellations and hundreds of pearls were embroidered along the long train. She looked every inch the princess she was.
The footman who held the coach door open gave a soft, startled sound, his lips parting as Anna thanked him. He even tripped over his boots as he tried to extend a leg out in a courtly bow. Torches and candlelight illuminated the exterior of the house as dozens of other coaches lined up to drop off their passengers. A chill in the air clung to Anna as she drew in a deep breath.
“Have courage,” Ashton whispered to her as they stepped inside the house. “Remember who you are, Anna.”
She nodded to herself, knowing he was right. She wasn’t a lost waif found half-drowned on the shore. She was a princess, a woman born to rule a country, to lead her people, and now her people needed her more than ever. Power flooded through her, and she knew she would find a way to convince King George to give her the military support her people needed.
“Remember who you are...”Ashton’s voice echoed inside her head as she prepared to meet the crowds.
Dozens of faces turned at her approach, and Anna summoned the old version of herself, the proud princess, to the forefront. What would Aiden think when he saw her like this? Bedecked in jewels and in a court gown fit for a queen? Would he be like all the other men and stand in awe of her, or would he smile at her in that secret way of his that let her know he sawher, not the royal title she’d been born with?
Rosalind let the train fall onto the clean marble floors once they were inside, and she joined Ashton as they walked ahead of Anna, leading her to the ballroom. Music poured from the corridor as she reached a staircase where a master of ceremonies called out the names of those who entered. Ostrich plumes dipped and bowed as women leaned in to whisper to one another as she passed. Gentlemen dressed in full court attire with knee breeches and tailored coats bowed respectfully as she made her way to the staircase. She searched every face, hoping to see her husband, but none were Aiden.
The master of ceremonies, a tall man with spectacles, accepted Ashton and Rosalind’s card and announced them. When it came to Anna’s turn, she had no card to give, but the man’s eyes narrowed in sharp recognition of who she was. He had been informed earlier by Lady Eugenia that she was coming.
