Chapter 15

15

Competing For Affections

D akota’s heart ached. She could feel it tightening in her chest as a wave of rejection crashed against her. Growing up, she always competed with Delilah for her father’s attention. After all, Delilah was the eldest daughter and the one her father always told her to look up to. And despite being happy her sister was safe, she couldn’t help but feel as if she were nothing more than a shadow when her sister was around.

Rushing through the hallway, Dakota tried to figure out where she wanted to go without drawing too much attention to herself. She moved swiftly, holding back the tears swelling in her eyes.

"Dakota." William’s voice drifted to her ears. Dakota wondered whether to stop or keep going. She knew there was no point in talking with him. After all, he barely even glanced at her while they sat side by side at dinner. All she saw was his infatuation with her older sister. Although, she knew she shouldn’t be surprised by this. Everyone always seemed to pay more attention to Delilah. It was as if she were nothing more than a ghost when her sister was around.

"Will ye stop for one moment," William said. Dakota paused and stared at the painting of an old woman.

"Aye, m’Laird, what is it I can do for ye?" Dakota asked as she brushed her fingertips over her cheeks. Mustering all the strength and confidence that she could, Dakota turned to face her husband.

"What are ye doin’?" he asked as he approached her.

"I thought I’d walk about the castle a moment to settle my stomach."

"And what could cause yer distress? Ye barely ate yer food. If the roasted turkey doesnae suit ye, there’s other things ye can eat."

"Truth is, I’m nae all that hungry."

William arched his eyebrow and stared at her suspiciously. His gaze caused her heart to flutter. She tried not to let her emotions overpower her, but her knees grew weaker by the minute.

"There’s somethin’ else botherin’ ye. What is it?" he asked as he stepped closer. She could feel the warmth of his body curling around her arms. The temptation to fall was nearly impossible to ignore.

"M’Laird is mistaken," Dakota said. "But what of yer guests? Ye left them in the dinin’ room alone. Surely they will start to question yer absence."

"My guests? Last time I checked those people are yer kin, nae mine."

"Aye, but I’m sure yer wantin’ time alone wit’ yer bride to be, are ye nae?"

"What are ye goin’ on about?"

"Delilah," Dakota gasped. The name stung the tip of her tongue. "She’s come back now."

"Aye, she has and in good health nonetheless."

"Then what are ye doin’ here wit’ me?"

"Ye are my wife," William said. "Where else would I be?"

"Stop playin’ coy," Dakota said as she threw her hands up and turned her back on him. "Ye wanted to marry her first. And seein’ as how we’ve yet to solidify our union, ye’ll send me away now."

"What put that idea into yer head?" William asked as his fingers curled around Dakota’s arm to spin her back around.

"Ye barely speak to me. When ye do, it is to scold me. And then there was one moment…" Dakota paused as she tried not to think about the way William kissed her so passionately. Her eyes drifted to his face as the warmth of her body drained from her. "And now, why are ye here? Why have ye come to check on me when it’s clear ye daenae want me?"

"I daenae want yer sister." William’s voice was low and jittery. It nearly sounded as if he struggled to get the words out.

"I daenae believe ye," Dakota said. "I saw the way ye looked at her. The way ye spoke wit’ her. Ye never have talked like that wit’ me. In fact, I think this might be the longest conversation we’ve had."

The grip around her arm tightened as Dakota noticed William’s stern expression twitching. It was like watching the earth trembling and causing little fissures in the dried ground to form.

"Yer sister Delilah is nae the woman I want," William said with a bit more confidence. "I want ye."

"Ye certainly have a funny way of showin’ it," Dakota said, shaking her head.

"I ken," William whispered. "And I wish there was a way for me to explain it to ye. But I cannae. Ye do things to me that I cannae understand."

William’s eyes shifted to Dakota’s arm as he brushed his thumb over her bare skin. His touch was hot and seared her to her bone. The air around her felt heavier, as if it were the middle of summer, with rains looming in the clouds yet moments from coming down.

"Try," she said. William stepped closer. Dakota moved back to keep her distance from him, only to slam into the wall. The painting hanging swayed from the hook, threatening to come crashing down on her. Holding it in place, William pinned her between his body and the wall. Air whizzed through her dried lips as she stared up at him, knowing he had enshrouded her with his body.

"Delilah isnae that woman I would ever consider havin’ for a wife."

"But ye did consider her, remember?"

"Aye," William snapped. "It was I she left at the alter if I recall. And it’s her actions that speak louder than words. I saw her wit’ ye comin’ around the castle. The things she said about our home."

"Our home?"

"Aye," William said. "Yers and mine. Ye stood up to her and put her in her place defendin’ me and me family."

"I ken how important such things are to ye," Dakota said.

"Which is why she never would have been happy bein’ here. Ye, however, have made this place yer home and accepted me as I am. Delilah would have tried to change me and we’d both end up unhappy. I swear to ye, there’s nay competition between ye and her. She is nothin’ but a reflection of the moon on a turbulent stream, shiftin’ and movin’ to suit her needs. Ye, however," William paused and lowered his hand. Dakota sucked in a deep breath as he cupped her face with his hand and leaned closer.

William’s breath crashed against her face. She tasted his breath on her lips as little bumps rose all over her skin. Deep down, she wanted him to kiss her. Yearned to have his lips crush against her mouth and make the world fade from view.

"Ye are the moon itself, steady, true, and loyal. Ye may be stolen away from me every so often, but I ken yer there. I daenae need to hunt for ye. All I need do is look up to find yer face shining on mine."

"Why then did it seem so easy for ye to talk to Delilah? It seemed as if ye’d been friends forever," Dakota asked.

"Yer sister reminds me of Cameron," William said as he traced his fingers down Dakota’s neck.

"Of a man?"

"Of someone who doesnae take the world seriously," William said. "Who changes wit’ the seasons and drifts through life as if on a breeze. And ye are nae like that at all. From the moment I saw ye, I wanted ye, Dakota. I wanted to ravage ye and claim ye. I wanted to pull ye from the stars and hide ye away from all other pryin’ eyes. Do ye nae see what ye do to me?"

"I see that I vex ye," she whispered as she lifted a hand to his chest.

"Vex, transfix, consume, irritate, ignite, aye. There’s a great deal ye do to me. And I’ve tried so hard to keep my distance from ye. To nae scare ye away. I even convinced myself at the weddin’ that this was nothin’ but a marriage of convenience, but the truth of it is, I wanted ye and was surprised that ye had nay other suitors."

"Ye daenae scare me," Dakota said. William’s gaze narrowed and his expression grew cold. She smiled at him. "At least ye daenae anymore."

"But ye still have reservations about me," he said. "I see the hesitancy in yer gaze."

"There is nay hesitancy, only wonder. Ye befuddle me. I thought ye hated me."

"Hated? Nay," William said, holding her face once again. "I hated myself for wantin’ ye so badly."

"Then give in and let me have ye," she whispered as she stared at the white fabric of his shirt. She could feel his muscles clenching under the fabric as if he were straining to contain himself.

"I daenae think ye ken what it is yer askin’," he whispered.

"Laird Rottrich?" Delilah’s voice drifted through the hallway stealing the warmth of Dakota’s body. Her back straightened and her eyes widened. A prick of envy shot through her. She didn’t want this moment to end. After all, it had taken her so long just to get William this close to her, and the thought of having him ignore her again was too much to bare.

William growled as he glanced over his shoulder. He shook his head as his lips twitched. Dakota gasped as he reached down and swooped her off her feet. He rushed to the closest doorway before Delilah could even be seen. The door closed quietly behind Dakota and she found herself gulping the air. Excitement pulsed through her as she stared at William. There was a hunger to his eyes she had seen only once before.

"I refuse to let some pretender steal this moment from us," William growled. "I’ve waited too long to have ye and I fear if I daenae have ye now, I willnae be able to stop myself next time."

William set Dakota on her feet. The only light was that of the silvery light of the moon as it drifted through the clouds. Dakota’s heart pounded in her ears as William stalked her. She bumped into a table and was about to whimper when William lunged and crushed his lips to hers, silencing her.

His lips were tender, yet the kiss was firm and hard. It was as if he was trying to draw out her soul. Her heart raced wildly about her chest as she clung to him. The need to have him was all-consuming . She didn’t care that they were in some dark room. Nor did it bother her that her sister was hunting for her husband. A wicked smile stretched across her lips as William pulled away and nibbled the length of her neck.

Hunger drove him as he wrestled with the fabric of her dress. The layers flew up to Dakota’s thighs as she studied him.

"What are ye doin’?" she whispered as his hand disappeared under the fabric of clothes.

"Showin’ ye how much I want ye." William’s teeth grazed her earlobe. Little bumps rose over her skin as his fingertip rubbed the tender bulb of flesh between her legs. Dakota’s mind raced as she looked up and focused on the way the silver light played and danced with the shadows in the room.

"William?" she whimpered as he slipped inside of her. She found herself stunned by the way her body reacted to his touch. Heat rushed through her as she gulped down the air like water. Her fingers dug into his shirt as if it were the only thing keeping her from plunging into the abyss.

"Do ye feel me inside of ye?" William’s hot breath caressed her neck and ear. Dakota bobbed her head. "Do ye ken how long I’ve waited to have ye? How I need ye?"

Dakota gasped as the muscles in her body tightened. She felt as if she would collapse any moment. William’s lips curled at the corners as his gaze remained locked on her, watching every twitch of her lips.

"Do ye want me?" he asked.

"Aye," she whimpered as he slipped his fingers deeper into her body.

"Right now?"

"Aye," she pleaded and clung to him. He kissed her neck, pulled out of her, and tasted his fingers. Dakota’s chest tightened as she struggled to catch her breath. He hoisted her onto the table, pausing momentarily to let his gaze run the course of her body. Dakota could feel his absence and licked her lips, wondering what he was thinking. She needed him to fill her, to replace her wants, and fulfill her desires.

Slowly, William pulled back the layers of her dress and dropped to his knees. Dakota gripped the edge of the table as he draped her legs over his shoulders. The wetness of his tongue startled her. She never expected the firmness of it to feel so smooth as it glided and flicked at the build of flesh between her legs. She gasped as her legs tightened around his head.

The room faded from her view as she threw her head back. Between the pressure of his tongue and the fingers slipping into her, she didn’t know what to think. A new sensation exploded from within her. Her body stretched to take more of his fingers as they pumped in and out of her. The moisture of his mouth on her eased the strain and tension.

Dakota pried her fingers from the edge of the table and entangled them into the fabric of her dress where William’s head was . She pushed his head down, praying he would go deeper. All she wanted was to melt into him. To be able to have him and truly be the wife he craved so badly.

"William?" she gasped as she heard the handle of the door jiggling. He grunted between her legs, refusing to let up. She bit her lower lip, trying to silence the whimpers escaping from her. The faster he flicked his tongue, the more her body twitched and ached.

"Ye taste like honeydew," he said, emerging from the layers of her dress.

"Please, daenae stop," she begged.

"Why?" he asked. "Are ye enjoyin’ yerself?"

"Aye, I am," she said as he pushed his fingers so deep into her, she arched her back. An explosion of lights filled her view as her legs trembled. Every muscle in her body went slack and she dropped to the table, heaving for air.

"Now," he said. "I have served ye well."

"Nay, that cannae be all," she gasped. "I need more."

"In due time," William said as he straightened her dress and raked his hand across his mouth. "For now, that will have to suffice."

Dakota stared at the ceiling. She didn’t know what to think or what to say. Her body ached but wanted more at the same time. Every fiber of her being felt relaxed and unhinged.

"Come," William said as he scooped her off the table. She fell into his chest as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Best get ye to bed."

"Will ye stay wit’ me tonight?"

William didn’t answer as he walked to the door and pried it open. His footsteps echoed in her ears as Dakota tried to burn the moment into her memory for all time . She breathed deeply, savoring his musky scent as he carried her to her room.

"I daenae want ye to leave," she said as he placed her on the bed. He smiled as he brushed her hair away from her face.

"In a few moments, ye’ll nae even ken I’m gone," he said as he lowered himself to kiss her forehead. "Rest and sleep in peace. Let nothin’ trouble yer dreams tonight."