Chapter 13

13

A nne opened her eyes and stretched out her toes. The echoes of pleasure lingered in her body. Tingles swept through her, right from the tips of her toes and fingers all the way to her scalp. Her heart continued to beat rapidly and long, satisfied breaths passed through her lips.

The morning light broke through the window, illuminating them in a golden haze. The blanket was halfway down their bodies. Drops of sweat glistened on Finlay's chest. She spread her fingers over his body, enjoying the warmth. It was as though he had a fire inside him that was burning far more intensely than anything else she had ever felt. It had scorched her, and she knew she would never be the same again. Last night had been more than she had ever hoped. She had known it would from the first time he kissed her. The way he had touched her and loved her, the way he had allowed her to know her own body more intimately. It was as though until this moment she had not been truly alive.

Now that she had experienced this pleasure, she realized why so many people yearned to chase it and were ready to risk so much just for a glimpse of the elusive thing. A smile played on her lips as she recalled the sensations, and they were so powerful that they almost brought the same pleasure crashing through her again. He had left her breathless and delirious, and for a time she wondered if she was lost in a dream, for surely life could not be this perfect?

Finally, she had something of her very own, something that only she possessed, and she had done it with a man of her choosing, and she had chosen it freely. It was a nice way to bookend their relationship, she thought. It was such a shame, she considered as she looked at his beautiful face, that it had to end this way. It was clear, however, that he would not offer her marriage, and she could not get on with things if he was going to be this jealous. Perhaps she would offer him one more opportunity, though.

She stroked his cheek with a single finger. He stirred and a smile broke upon his face as he saw her. He leaned down to kiss her, and she became lost in this kiss. Suddenly, heat rose within them again and she reached down, searching for his manhood under the blanket. She murmured with delight as she found it, curling her fingers around him. He petted her and kissed her head as he adjusted his body slightly. She felt it grow in her palm. The heat made her tingly. She loved knowing that she could get this reaction from him. While she did this, he reached down and placed his palm against her most intimate area. There was a spike of pleasure, one that was welcome now. At first, it had been unfamiliar and exotic, but she had quickly grown to love it.

They pleasured each other in this manner before he rolled on top of her and kissed her slowly. His thrusts were more measured on this drowsy morning, gentler and deeper, but no less passionate. She enjoyed every movement of his body, placing her hands against his spine and feeling the tremors of pleasure as they careened through him. She closed her eyes, arching her neck back as the sweet sensations overwhelmed her and she became lost in him.

How simple it would have been if the world could have always been like this, she thought. This connection they shared was deep and profound, but it was also fragile. Her soul soared as the heat burned through her, and then he relaxed beside her again.

"Perhaps I should always be late for dinner if this is the result," he said, a chuckle rolling from his lips. Anne playfully slapped him on the arm.

"Ye will dae nae such thing," she scolded. He took her hand and kissed it, caressing her fingers gently.

"It is incredible, being with ye," he said.

"Incredible enough tae consider marriage?" she asked, the words slipping out before she had a chance to reconsider. He turned his head away and she knew she had made an error.

"Anne, I told ye before that I cannae guarantee anything. Until I hae won my father's favor back…"

"Would greeting him with a bride nae be enough tae win his favor?"

"It's nae as simple as that," he said. She could already feel him pulling away from her.

"Then let me help."

"Nae," he said sharply, and rose to a sitting position, swinging his legs off the side of the bed.

"Finlay," she said desperately, putting her arms on his shoulders.

"There are things ye dinnae understand, Anne. I wish I could explain them tae ye, but it's tae complicated."

She looked down at her naked body, thinking that perhaps this was the only night when she would truly know what it was to make love.

"Besides, I'm sure that yer uncle would never allow ye tae marry a man who was out of favor with his father," Finlay continued. And there was another complication, the lie she had woven. She pinched the bridge of her nose, hating that she had seduced him to bed under false pretenses. It was only a matter of time before he discovered the truth, and what would happen then? He would see that she was nothing more than a harlot, and so perhaps they should leave it as it was. Life was not a thing of happy endings after all. It was a hard grind and she had never been destined to fall into the lap of a noble. This was the closest thing she could have to a real romance, and she would cherish it forever. It was just a shame that it could not last for longer.

"I'm gaeing downstairs tae wash up. I'll be back soon," he said, cupping her chin in his hand and kissing her softly. The heat lingered as he pulled on his clothes and walked out of the door. He left his other things behind. Anne got dressed, dark thoughts swirling around her mind. She had done what she had set out to do, but it was clear that she was never going to win him as a husband. She had to think of her and Rory's future. If she didn't make the most of the opportunities at this gathering, then she would always regret it. She needed enough money to fix the holes in the roof, or even buy them a better home. There were plenty of targets. She had played the role of a naive noblegirl for too long and had started to believe the dreams they had, but she had to remind herself that she was common. Finlay had his own problems to contend with, and it was best if she left him to deal with them.

She grabbed his coin purse, thinking that he wouldn't miss it considering his father was nearby. After all, he had paid for the dagger without thinking twice. He would hate her for it, for running away from him. Perhaps it would be easier that way. She blinked away the tears in her eyes as she slipped out of the room and lost herself in the breakfast crowd, finding Rory.

Rory's lips were greased with bacon fat and he looked sullen. There were shadows under his eyes. "I came by the room last night. Thought it best tae nae interrupt," he said dryly.

Anne averted her gaze and blushed. "It's all over now," she said, giving him a glimpse of what she had stolen. "I think ye were right. It's better tae stick tae the plan. If we make the most of this opportunity, then we can gae anywhere we want, and we will nae need anyone else."

Rory breathed a sigh of relief. "It's better this way. At least we will nae hae tae worry about anyone discovering the truth."

Anne nodded, looking around cautiously in case Finlay should show his face. She could come back to gather her things later. She would disappear, becoming little more than a ghost to him. She could lose herself among all these people and there would be no chance of him tracking her down, even though she liked the thought of seeing him again.

She chastised herself. There could be none of those thoughts. She needed to harden her heart. Finlay could not marry her, and even if he could, he would eventually find out the truth. It was easier this way, easier than having to lie to him for the rest of her life, easier than loving him as well, because love always led to pain. It hadn't exactly worked out for her parents, had it? Her mother had left her life of privilege for her common father and what had it gotten her? Nothing but death.

"Let us leave this place for a while. I cannae risk him discovering us," she rose from the table and dragged Rory with her. The stolen gold nestled against her hips. She glanced around again just to make sure that Finlay wasn't nearby, and then headed towards the door. She steeled herself against the regret that swam in her heart. She couldn't help but think of how things might have been different if she stayed in that warm bed with him and lingered in the affection they had for one another, but that was a life a girl like her could not be afforded. The gods were not generous like that.

However, as she left she heard some voices shouting. They were rough and coarse, cursing. It seemed too early for words such as this. Most people ignored the commotion, not wanting to get involved in whatever local business was going awry. Anne was one of these people, seeking to stick close to Rory and sidle away unnoticed.

That's when she heard Finlay's voice among the cacophony. She twisted her head immediately and saw that three men were dragging Finlay away. He was protesting loudly, flailing his legs about. The men had a firm grip on his arms, preventing him from moving them. As his head bobbed about, she could see a panicked look on his face and she wondered who those men were and what they were doing with him. She wished that he had told her more details about how he had fallen out of favor with his father. Could this be connected to that? Perhaps his father did not take kindly to him spending his evenings in taverns. Had there been an agent who had spied on herself and Finlay? Perhaps he wasn't supposed to stay the night with a woman such as her. She drew her arms across her chest and cast a furtive gaze around, worried that someone was watching her. Nobody came to grab her though, only Finlay seemed to be of concern.

"Anne, let's gae," Rory said, an anxious look on his face. Anne took a step in his direction, but then paused. She looked back towards Finlay, who was disappearing among the crowd. Soon enough, he would be gone from her vision entirely, and her life. Was this really how she wanted it all to end? His problems weren't her problems, and yet they had shared so much already that she felt she ought to help.

"Just give me a moment," she told Rory, who promptly rolled his eyes. Anne hitched up her skirt and strode through the crowd, determined to catch up with Finlay and demand an explanation from his captors. Despite everything she told herself, she couldn't tear herself away from him. There was an errant, whispered thought at the back of her mind that wondered if this was the same way her mother had felt about her father.