Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

A va’s words made Kai jerk his head upward. There was such a possessive look in his eyes that she could have squirmed in delight.

“As ye wish.” One of his hands slipped down to her skirt. He didn’t once look away from her, maintaining the connection of their gazes as he drew her skirt up a little at a time, revealing more and more of her legs. Ava became breathless, feeling the coolness of the air against her bare legs as she waited for him to do something more.

His other hand slipped across her thigh, his fingers caressing her in the most delicate of ways as he closed his lips to hers. The kiss was somehow even more sensual now, slower and more passionate rather than a rushed heat.

Intoxicated by his kiss, she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him, as both of his hands slid along her thighs. One made its way up to her hip, the other along the inside of her thigh, closer and closer to the juncture between her legs. She began to pant in anticipation, into their kiss. He bit down playfully on her bottom lip, making her open her mouth wider, just as his fingers brushed that sensitive spot between her legs.

That first touch was a shock to her system. For one wild second, Ava felt an instinctive urge to push Kai away because of her past, the fear of being touched by any man, but it passed quickly.

The pleasure of it, the lack of fear, was like a new world being discovered. Had she really ignored this part of life for so long? With Kai she felt safe, pleasure, excitement.

I am nae afraid. Nae when I am with him.

A victorious feeling exploded inside of her. She felt like the man who had attacked her all those years ago could not hurt her anymore, not now that Kai was showing her what it could truly be like between them.

Ava moaned into his lips as Kai’s fingers explored. He didn’t push far, but moved delicately, slowly, exploring her. She had not expected such spikes of heat and excitement from such a small touch, but it was overpowering her, making her legs even weaker than before.

He set up a rhythm, his fingers circling and teasing a particularly sensitive spot just outside of her. Ava began to tremble with the excitement of what he was doing, not only the pleasure he was causing, but knowing that it was Kai that was doing it. Then his finger slid down a little and slipped inside of her.

Ava gasped, pulling apart from the kiss a little. Kai held her gaze, his eyes so hooded that she knew he was holding himself back from doing even more.

Then Kai shifted their position. He anchored one hand against her waist as his other drew deeper. The passion with which he looked at her as he set up a faster rhythm now made her moans grow louder. She couldn’t look away from him, fearing that the moment she did, she would break the spell and all this excitement, this intimacy, would be lost.

He leaned forward, whispering so that his lips just hovered above hers out of reach.

“Ye have nay idea how I have wanted this. How I have thought of it. Nothing could have prepared me fer the way ye are moaning, Ava.” He kissed her, lightly, teasingly. “Ye make me want every part of ye.”

It was like a wave of pleasure was passing over her. He moved his fingers faster, somehow reaching deeper as his thumb found that sensitive spot outside of her. She clung to him, out of fear of falling as he continued to drive her toward an oblivion. She imagined he was really taking her against that door, and not just with his fingers.

The pleasure crashed over her. With her eyes firmly closed, she moaned his name, clinging onto him so much that she feared she clawed marks into his skin, though he didn’t seem to mind. He kept on moving his hand, thrilling her, as he placed his lips in the curve of her neck and kissed her again. He rocked their bodies together as she came down from her waves of pleasure, then he held her, his fingers toying in her skirt as they just embraced.

Ava wasn’t sure how long they stood there, bodies together, hands all over one another, but they kept kissing, stealing light touches.

“Kai,” she whispered after some minutes, knowing at some point, one of them would have to say something. “Did ye mean it? What ye said. About… how long ye have wanted this.”

He bent forward and rested his forehead against hers. The intimacy of the movement made her hands wrap around his waist, holding him as near to her as was possible.

“It was the complete truth, love.”

She closed her eyes. He hadn’t called her that for a few days now. To hear it again made her heartbeat flutter.

“Yet ye and I both ken one thing.” Kai lifted his head. “Yer path in life is set away from me now, isnae it?” His breath stilled a little.

With a sudden lump in her throat, Ava trailed a hand down his chest, wanting to be near to him. She couldn’t agree. She couldn’t even nod, though she didn’t need to. For they both knew it to be the truth.

“There is naething more I would love tae dae than tae show ye here right now how much I want ye, what ye mean tae me, Ava, how I…” He sighed. For one minute, she thought he was going to tell her that he loved her, but she dismissed it. “Yet I willnae be the one tae ruin ye.” He released her, his hands moving to the door. She ached to feel his touch again. “And it is because I care about ye so much, that I cannae ask ye tae choose a different path.” He bent toward her, his lips brushing hers. She kissed him back with sudden fervor, though she released him almost as quickly when she felt how his lips remained soft, without urgency. “In another life, eh, Ava? Maybe then, we could have kenned each other in every way.”

Ava felt her heartbreak. Somehow, in the midst of everything that had happened, her feelings for Kai over the last few weeks had deepened beyond anything she expected. His kindness, his refusal to take things further even now, made her both love him and hate him. For as much as she wanted him to touch her more, she knew he was right.

“Our paths are different ones,” she whispered. “Just… hold me fer one more minute, Kai. Please?”

He moved at once, sliding his hands across her waist and pulling her away from the door, into his chest. Cradled there against him, she closed her eyes, committing every second of what had passed between them into memory, before she let go and turned to leave. As she walked away down the servants’ corridor, she looked repeatedly back toward him. She was certain she would never forget the way he looked at her through the candlelight, just as she would never forget how with only his kiss, and his touch, he had given her such ecstasy that she had never known was possible.

“Ava? Ava! Are ye paying attention?”

“What was that?”

Kai had to stop himself from laughing as he stood behind Ava in the great hall.

Lyla and Thora had taken it upon themselves to prepare another Yuletide feast. They said it was in honor of their guest, Laird Blair Grant, though Kai suspected they had other plans up their sleeves. Whenever he went near Lyla and Thora these days, he sensed subterfuge and cunning in the air.

Lyla and Thora now stood in the great hall, gesturing to where all the decorations would be placed for the evening’s dinner. Laird Finley MacKinnon was doing his best not to fall asleep in his chair after he’d consumed rather a lot of wine and the large fire in the room was keeping him toasty. The seat where Laird Grant was supposed to be sitting was empty, though Kai had no wish to find out why. Without Laird Grant there, Kai knew Ava had been unabashedly looking at him alone.

Aye, she hasnae stopped looking at me all day in truth.

He couldn’t deny he’d been sneaking glances her way too. Ever since they had kissed the night before in the kitchen, and he had pleasured her, exploring her for the first time ever, he had been restless. She had been even more amazing than in his dreams. Despite himself, he longed to feel her again, longed to hear her moan. At least, that’s the reason he gave to himself as to why he hovered so near her chair now.

“Are ye listening Ava, or nae?” Thora accused, hands on her hips.

“Ye have me full attention,” Ava declared, leaning toward them and a little away from Kai.

“Good. Then ye’ll be happy tae perform the formal dance with Laird Grant at the feast.”

“Formal dance?” Ava repeated. “What kind of dance?”

“Very similar to the volta, with a few extra steps. Come, we shall demonstrate.” Thora took up Lyla’s hand and together the two of them moved into the middle of the space to dance together.

Laird MacKinnon started off by humming the tune for them, but in his drowsy state, his eyes soon closed and he slouched down beside the fire. Ava’s lips fell open as she watched what was an undoubtedly complicated dance.

“See? Nothing complicated about it,” Lyla declared as she curtsied and Thora bowed. “Now, it is yer turn.”

“Nothing complicated?” Ava stood. “Ye two forget that I am used tae dancing with a weapon more than I am a man.”

“Ye danced a volta with Kai at the feast in me castle,” Thora reminded her.

“That was different. A volta is simple enough and Kai…” Ava looked at him, blushing red. The emotion of embarrassment and warmth flooded from her. Kai had to stop himself from growling out possessively. “Kai is a good leader.”

“Then let Kai lead ye now.” Thora flicked her fingers as if the matter was already decided upon. “Come braither, lead Ava in this dance. Within minutes, ye’ll have it sorted, I’m sure.”

“Ye cannae prevail on him all the time tae…” Yet Ava’s objection trailed off as Kai presented his hand forward.

Why would I ever refuse an opportunity tae dance with her?