Chapter 12

The moment Macauley's lips had touched her own, Cathleen had forgotten everything else. The kiss had wiped away any negative thoughts that lingered, replacing them with nothing but pleasure and lust, warm and thick like honey. Still, those words he had told her echoed in the back of her mind when they pulled apart, a warning and a torment.

Honesty. Honesty is the most important thing tae me. I dislike lies, he had said. Out of all the qualities he could have picked, this was the one that surely damned Cathleen. She hadn't been honest with him from the start and as much as she wanted to confess everything to him, she couldn't bring herself to do anything other than follow him as he dragged her out of the water and behind the waterfall, where the earth had formed a small ledge fertile with grass.

How could she tell him the truth now? How could she admit that he had very good reason not to trust her and that he had been right from the start about her? He would hate her if she came clean. Hoping for any other reaction would be nothing but wishful thinking.

If all she had with him was that day, those few moments of complete connection, then she wanted to make the most out of them. She tried to banish those thoughts entirely, to focus on the sight and feel of Macauley's body under her hands, taking in as many details about him as she could. She tried to memorize the lines of his shoulders, the slope of his back, the honed muscles of his chest and stomach that led to his hard length. He truly was a handsome man, she thought, skin glistening with water and marked by a few scars, which she dared to trace with her fingers.

She wanted him, too, and though she had never even seen another man naked before, she held no fear—only excitement, her heart beating wildly in anticipation of what was to come. Everything she knew about the relations between a man and a woman came from what she had heard from other women and what she had learnt from her craft, but it would have to do. She hadn't let her inexperience stop her from doing much worse, much more dangerous things. She wasn't going to let it stop her from doing this either.

When their lips met again, Cathleen laid her hands on Macauley's shoulders and then traced a path down his body, allowing herself to touch, to feel every twitch of muscle where their skin met. She couldn't get enough of those kisses; she couldn't get enough of him. She wanted him closer, impossibly close, until the two of them became one.

Dipping his head, Macauley kissed a blazing path down her neck, nibbling gently on the sensitive skin where her neck met her shoulder. Cathleen shuddered, the slight edge of pain only serving to intensify the pleasure of his kisses, head falling back in a silent plea for more. She knew his short beard was bound to leave a pink burn behind, a mark that was a testament to their union—another slight discomfort that heightened her senses, making the brush of his lips feel all that more pleasurable.

Cathleen couldn't help but whine at the loss of his touch when Macauley pulled back from her, but it wasn't for long. He swam towards the waterfall, motioning at Cathleen to follow him, and when she did, she found a small, steep path that led up to a wide ledge behind the rushing water. Macauley climbed first with the practiced ease of someone who had done it many times before, and Cathleen mimicked his footsteps, holding onto his hand as he helped her up.

She took a moment to look through the falling water, out to the valley that stretched ahead of the lake. It felt secluded there, a place just for the two of them, where nothing and no one could disturb them. Faolan and his orders seemed so far away then, incapable of doing any harm.

Macauley's arms snaked around her waist as she took in the scenery, and Cathleen leaned back against him with a content sigh. Soon, though, his roaming hands reignited that urgency inside her as they slid over her body to cup her breasts, his lips forming soft words against the skin of her shoulder.

"Turn around," he whispered, his breath hot on her flesh.

Cathleen turned around slowly. When he fell to his knees on the ground before her, Macauley looked up at her, pupils blown wide with lust. Slowly, his hands moved from her thighs to her stomach, caressing gently, and then settled on her breasts, her breath cut short by the tender touch.

"Ye're so bonnie, Cathleen," Macauley said in an almost reverend tone as the thumb and forefinger of each hand closed around her nipples, hardened by the chill and now by his attentions. A zap of pleasure coursed through Cathleen's spine at the foreign sensation, her back arching as if her body sought more of that feeling on its own accord, pressing into Macauley's hands. His gaze never left hers as he teased her, his fingers relentless as they tugged and rolled the sensitive buds, his lips leaving a hot trail over her stomach as he scattered kisses there. Cathleen's fingers tangled in his hair, holding him close, a tingling spreading over her limbs. "I want tae taste ye."

As he spoke, Macauley moved his hand down her body and over her mound, and then over a spot that had Cathleen gasping, mouth falling open in equal measures of surprise and pleasure. "What…" she began to ask but then her voice trailed off, her words replaced by a moan as Macauley pressed more insistently against it.

Abruptly, though, he stopped, a small frown creasing his features. "Have ye… have ye never done this before?"

A furious blush spread over Cathleen's cheeks, going all the way to the tips of her ears. She shook her head, hands twitching in uncertainty. "Never."

He would find it strange, of course, since a simple villager girl as she was supposed to be wouldn't be held to the same standards as a noble. Had she truly been a commoner, no one would expect her to stay pure. Though his frown deepened, indeed, there was also something in his gaze, something pleased and ravenous. Slowly, he pulled her down onto the grass, laying her out on her back, and then hovered over her, tender fingers pushing a few stray locks of hair away from her face.

"I'll make ye crave this," he said, leaning closer to capture her lips in a kiss. "I'll give ye pleasure like ye've never had. Ye dinnae ken what ye dae tae me, Cathleen… look."

Taking her hand, Macauley guided her to his manhood, making her squeeze around the sizeable length. A groan of relief tumbled past his lips, hips twitching. "Ye could push me down an' ride me all day an' I'd give ye that an' more."

It was intoxicating, having so much power over such a man as Macauley. Cathleen could imagine it; pulling him away from the council meeting and into a room, taking her pleasure from him and knowing he would be glad to give it.

"But first I want tae taste ye."

With that, he trailed his hand down her body once more but this time, he circled her entrance, making her quiver with desire. He gathered some of her wetness and brought it to his lips, sucking on his fingers with a moan as Cathleen watched, wide-eyed, chest heaving with every breath. Then, he brought his fingers to her opening once more, this time slick with saliva, and gently pushed one inside.

The intrusion made Cathleen writhe underneath him, hands reaching for his shoulders and digging into hard muscle. The pleasure that coursed through her was unlike anything she had felt before, just enough to make her crave more while providing no release. With a smirk, Macauley lowered his head, his tongue darting out to swipe over that sensitive spot he had teased with his fingers in a way that had stars exploding behind her eyelids.

Distantly, she could hear the moans that seemed impossible to hold back, her own voice sounding foreign in her ears. She was certain she had never sounded so far gone, so needy, and the realization was so embarrassing that she clamped a hand over her mouth and tried to pull back from him to collect herself.

Macauley would have none of it, though. His hand found her hip, holding her still, and he looked up at her, shaking his head.

"I wish tae hear ye," he said, adding a second finger and twisting them in a way that made it impossible for Cathleen to stay quiet. "I wish tae hear ye scream me name. Stop that or I'll hold yer hands down."

Cathleen froze and at her reaction, so did Macauley. For a moment, they only stared at each other, unmoving, before Cathleen smirked under her hand, refusing to remove it.

"I see," Macauley said, answering with a grin of his own. "This is how ye wish tae dae it?"

Cathleen nodded, hand still firmly clasped over her mouth. She twitched when Macauley withdrew his fingers, the sudden emptiness forcing a whine out of her, but then his hands were reaching for her wrists to pin them down onto the ground by her hips. Though Macauley's grip was gentle, when Cathleen tried to pull her hands back, she found it impossible. The thrill of it quickened her heartbeat and the next moan that flew past her lips was entirely unbidden, much to Macauley's satisfaction.

"Spread yer legs," he demanded, tutting softly when Cathleen let her knees fall apart a little. "Wider."

After a moment of hesitation, she let her legs fall wide open, knees hooked over Macauley's shoulders. He wasted no time before he descended upon her, lips brushing over her folds, his tongue licking long, slow stripes over silky skin. The pliant softness of his tongue was a contrast to the grip that held her wrists pinned, each drag of it over her entrance forcing another stuttered moan out of her, each louder than the last.

Pleasure coiled and grew deep within her, the sensations intensified by the drag of Macauley's beard over her thighs. Her hips seemed to have a mind of their own, rolling ceaselessly as she tried to satisfy that craving, her body knowing what she needed better than her mind.

When Macauley wrapped his lips around the bud over her entrance, tongue flicking mercilessly over it, it didn't take long for Cathleen to reach her climax. Her entire body convulsed, back arching off the ground as her muscles tensed, an almost unbearable pleasure pulsing all throughout her body. For a few moments, she could hear nothing but the rush of blood to her head and she could feel nothing but wave after wave of contentment.

When she finally came back to her senses, Macauley was hovering over her, tongue flicking out to lick her wetness off his lips. He smiled at her, hands letting go of her wrists to cup her face and kiss her softly.

"How was that?" he asked, though Cathleen was certain he already knew and was only boasting. She swatted his shoulder with a roll of her eyes, and Macauley chuckled, giving her another kiss.

Though Cathleen's limbs felt heavy and movement seemed impossible, she reached between them, fingers wrapping around his length. "Ye're nae satisfied, though," she said, stroking him like he had shown her earlier. Macauley braced himself on his forearms over her, thrusting shallowly into her fist, his forehead dropping to rest on Cathleen's chest.

"I dinnae have tae," Macauley said, though he seemed unable to stop.

"I want tae," Cathleen assured him. "I want ye… inside."

Macauley's hips stuttered at those words, a moan ripping through him. As embarrassing as it was for Cathleen to admit it, it was worth it to see him like this. It was even more worth it when he pushed her thighs wide open with a firm hand, settling between them to slide the tip of his manhood over her entrance, teasing her.

"How much dae ye want it?" he asked, his smile just as teasing as his actions. "Tell me."

"Macauley!" Cathleen protested, the blush spreading all the way to her chest. "Dinnae be cruel."

"I'm nae cruel," he said, leaning closer to whisper in her ear. "I only ask because I want it very much. I wish tae bury meself inside ye an' take ye until ye come apart. I wish tae feel ye shudder an' drip around me as I fill ye with me seed."

Cathleen could only moan at that, hips tilting to try and force him inside. "Please," she said. "I want it. I want it very much."

Satisfied, Macauley wasted no time before he finally entered her, the first slow thrust stealing Cathleen's breath. She felt so full, stretched tight around his length, the size of him overwhelming at first.

"Relax," Macauley said softly, stilling when he was buried fully inside her. His hands petted her gently, sliding over her stomach, her thighs, her breasts, until she could breathe again, settling. "That's it. That's it, mo ghraidh. Ye're so wet fer me… so tight. I promise I will be gentle."

As he spoke, Macauley began to move in a slow, sensual roll of his hips. He pushed until she gasped, feeling a moment of pain, before being overcome by pleasure. He then slowly pushed deep inside her, grinding against her mound, the drag of his hardness against her flesh so pleasurable that all Cathleen could do was beg for more, hands reaching for him to pull him closer. Their bodies moved in an unhurried rhythm, slick skin sliding together, their lips meeting in frenzied kisses as they both came closer and closer to the edge.

"I want tae be inside ye forever," Macauley said, punctuating his words with a harder thrust, one that rocked Cathleen up the grassy ledge. The movement brushed something deep inside her that made her groan, head thrown back in ecstasy.

"Again," she gasped. "Harder."

Macauley didn't need to be told twice. His grin turned hungry as he grabbed her hips and quickened his movements, thrusting into her with single-minded purpose. With every brush of his manhood against that spot, Cathleen twitched around him, her walls tightening with pleasure. When Macauley's fingers found her nipple, tugging hard at it, Cathleen's climax washed over her once more, her pleasure so all-encompassing and overwhelming that she screamed his name, her vision whitening out for several seconds.

Macauley wasn't far behind. Moaning softly in her ear, he reached his own peak, spilling himself deep inside her.

For a few moments, neither of them could move. They only lay there, panting against each other, Cathleen still twitching around him where they were joined.

"I'm fallin' fer ye," Macauley said, voice so quiet it was almost inaudible. But Cathleen was certain she had heard him right and guilt speared through her gut. She, too, was falling for him. Damn it, she had been far gone for a long time already. There was no denying it anymore.

She had no choice but to tell him the truth. She and Bonnie had to tell everyone the truth, in fact. The Drummonds were good people. Perhaps they could do something to help, to put an end to all this before a senseless war broke out.

She had to talk to her sister. They had to find a way out of this and speak with Kian and Macauley that very night. At least then, if Macauley still wanted to be with her, he'd know who had chosen to let close to him.