Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“Nay. Nay… please… dinnae… please…” The soft, broken cries roused Aedan out of a sound slumber. He blinked, then sat up.

The fire was banked to warm embers, the lanterns mostly out. He was still in the healer’s cottage, although a night and a day had passed, lying beside Thora on her pallet before the fire.

Thora twitched, then whimpered. “Wait… please… dinnae go…” One hand moved, as if she were reaching for someone in her sleep.

A nightmare. He’d had enough of them to know the signs. And hadn’t she told him that part of her heedless determination to act on every inkling of warning was due to a loss, or some terrible misunderstanding, in her childhood?

He reached out and laid a hand on her unwounded shoulder. “Thora. Wake up lass. It isnae real.”

Another whimper, then a gasp, then her eyes flew open. “They didnae…”

“’Tis all right. If ye’re seein’ the past, ‘tis long past. If yer fearing fer what happened taeday, ye’re the only one who took more than a bruise or two. The men ye pushed out o’ the way are nae the worse fer it. Unless one counts drinkin’ too much ale and spirits and sufferin’ a sore head taemorrow.”

Thora blinked at him. “A tree fell…”

“And ye acted quick enough tae save two lives. The healer says ye’ll ache fer a while, but ye’ll mend with time.”

She started to move, then winced. “Och, me shoulder…”

“Took a branch half as big around as me thumb through the muscle o’ it. ‘Tis nae surprise if it hurts, even with the medicine ye were given. Aedan laid a gentle hand on her bandaged limb. “The splinters also tore up yer arm and bruised yer side.”

Thora grimaced at him. “I can feel that. ‘Tis… uncomfortable.”

“Ye’re lucky ‘tis all it is. Ye could have had yer skull cracked in two or half yer bones broken when that tree came down.” Aedan swallowed against the thick pressure in his throat as he recalled those harrowing moments in the snow. “If the branch that entered yer shoulder had been larger, or hit lower down, it could have killed ye.”

“I tried tae get out o’ the way.”

“Ye barely succeeded.” His voice rasped in his throat, but for once, Aedan didn’t care if he sounded emotional, or less than perfectly stoic. “Ye nearly died!”

“But I didnae. And nae one else did either, which is what I wanted tae prevent.” She sounded so calm, so at ease with the fact that she’d nearly been killed that Aedan wanted to shake her. He might have given in to the urge, had he not been almost painfully aware of her injuries

“That isnae me point. Ye near did perish. When first I saw ye underneath that tree, I wasnae sure ye lived. All I could see was ye, motionless, in blood on the snow.” He bent closer, his voice a raw, horse whisper as he continued. “I thought ye dead, and all because o’ me own arrogance, because I didnae believe ye when ye said something was going tae happen.”

Thora blinked, visibly startled by his words. “But… ye didnae ken… the warning was too unclear. It could have meant anything. Ye had nae reason tae pay heed tae it… that was why I had tae come with ye…”

“Dinnae make excuses fer me, when ye ken full well I didnae intend tae heed yer warning.” Aedan couldn’t help the growl of exasperation that filled his voice. “Ye may have felt ye had tae go because ye couldnae see the danger clearly, but ‘twould nae have mattered had ye nae sensed I thought ye were wrong, or being foolish and overly fearful.”

“I…”

“Enough. We could argue this until the new year dawns, and nae ken anything more, nor come tae any agreement.” Aedan leaned close to her, his hand curving to tenderly cup her jaw. “So understand this, Thora MacTavish… understand that I believe ye. I may nae always be able tae bring meself tae trust yer gift completely, but I believe ye, and I willnae have ye risking yer life.”

Thora blinked at him, her eyes shadowed by pain and hazy from sleep and the medicine the healer had given her for her injuries. “Ye sound as if ye’re worried fer me…as if ye care about me.”

There was no point in denying it, not when every man who’d gone traipsing with the Lachlan for the Yule Log had seen his panic in the clearing. “I did. An’ I dae.”

Thora blinked again. “But… I’m nae really yer wife… nor yer love…” Her voice was a confused, whisper, barely audible even as close as he was. “’Tis only…”

“Dinnae tell me ‘tis only’ aught, Thora. It may have started as such, but ye and I both ken that ‘tis far more now. I kent it the first time I kissed ye, and dinnae act as if ye felt naething when we stood under the Kissing Bough taegether.” He met her gaze, determined to make his point. “Can ye honestly say ye think differently? That ye didnae feel the same heat and desire that I did?”

“I… I did. An’ I…” Thora reached up to run her good hand across his face, before clutching weakly at his shirt. “I still dae.”

The soft admission slipped past all Aedan’s defenses like a well-aimed arrow. In the face of such raw, earnest vulnerability, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to lean forward and place a gentle kiss on her soft, rose-petal lips.

Her mouth was warm, no longer chill and blue tinged as it had been when they’d arrived, her lips pliant against his own. She tasted of medicine, beef broth and mulled wine, tinged with the faintest hint of pine.

He’d only intended it to be a chaste, gentle kiss, a way to reassure her that he did care for her, and to reassure himself that she lived and would be well. Then Thora gasped, her mouth opening and tongue lightly brushing along his as her hand tugged him closer.

Aedan’s restraint vanished like mist on a summer morn. His free hand slid under her head and shoulders to cradle her as he pulled her close and the kiss deepened between them. His mouth claimed hers, passion like sparks dancing between them as his tongue danced with hers in an effort to map every inch of the welcoming softness of her. It was sweet and it was fierce, and the strength of it made his blood burn and his manhood strain painfully against the heavy winter leggings he wore.

All the desperation he’d felt since seeing her motionless under the tree transmuted into desire, and Aedan felt himself in danger of being swept away.

By the time the need for breath drove them apart, his blood was singing with a heady blend of desire and concern, as intoxicating as the finest wine or mead. His erection was stiff against his leggings, aching with need.

Then his eyes caught sight of the bandages, and he felt the fire recede a little, and his sense return. Thora was injured. He needed to be careful.

A tug on his shirt made him look down to meet Thora’s gaze again. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes half-lidded with desire. Her hand tugged at his shirt gently. “Please… Aedan… more…”

He knew what she was asking, and he yearned to give it to her. However, now that he’d had a moment to breathe, he also knew it would be a mistake. For one thing, there was no guarantee that such exertion wouldn’t tear open the wounds in her shoulder and arm and do her more harm.

For another, Thora might want him now, but she was also under the influence of the medicine she’d been given, her mind addled by herbs, pain and the blow she’d received. If he gave in to her request now, he would never forgive himself for taking advantage of her state.

And Thora would probably never forgive him either. He couldn’t allow such a fate to come to pass.

“Aedan…” Her hand slid clumsily down his shirt to his belt.

“Nay. Nae any o’ that.” Aedan caught her hand before she could let it drift any lower to start undoing his belt. He caught the flash of hurt and unhappiness in her gemstone-colored eyes and bent to kiss her forehead. “’Tis nae that I dinnae want tae lass, fer I dae, and ye can see it well enough.” He offered her a wry look and a pointed glance at the prominent bulge in his leggings. “Even so, I willnae risk injuring ye further. I’ll nae be granting that wish until the healer says we may.”

Thora made a frustrated sort of mewling noise that almost made him laugh. “I… Aedan… I want…”

This time he did chuckle. “Och, I can see that well enough.” Aedan lowered himself onto his side and did his best to ignore the aching hardness pulsing in his groin.

Gently, he slid his hand from her cheek, down the column of her throat, the traced a feather-light touch across the tops of her breasts, mindful of the bandages around her left shoulder and arm. “Dinnae fret, lass, there’s plenty o’ other ways o’ finding pleasure.”

Plenty of other ways, and he was fairly certain she was unschooled in a man’s touch. She was far too shy about her modesty to have known the pleasures and the touch of a lover.

Thora blinked at him. “I… what…”

“Relax. Ye dinnae have tae dae thing. Just let me tak’ care o’ ye.” He lowered his voice to a rough, husky whisper, letting his breath ghost over her skin. She shivered at the feel, and he smiled. “Dinnae worry lass, I’ll nae leave ye wanting.”

Color bloomed across her cheeks, leaving her complexion looking like rose petals on snow, surrounded by a halo of glimmering night. “I…”

“Just relax…” He slid his hand under the top of her dress, to cup her right breast and tease the nipple gently. “Relax, and let me enjoy ye, and give ye pleasure in turn.”

She wanted him. She also knew that it was unwise to want him, but she couldn’t remember why and she wasn’t sure she cared.

Everyone else in her family had found a lover, who’d become a spouse. Aedan Cameron was handsome and strong and honorable. He would be a good partner, and a good lover. Why not follow the course of her desires.

Her shoulder hurt still, but it was nothing compared to the desire that sent sparks dancing in her blood and made her mouth go dry as she watched him shift into a comfortable position. Or at least, a somewhat more comfortable position than the one he’d adopted earlier.

She wanted him. She tugged at his shirt again. “Aedan…”

“Patience, little trickster.” His laugh was low and rich and deep, like treacle. Then his hand slid lower, dragging the fabric of her dress downward to leave her breasts exposed to his heated gaze.

His hand slid lower, to caress her belly, and Thora’s muscles quivered at the sensation. It felt… she couldn’t describe it. Like sparks darting from the trail of his fingers to her core, to pool in her gut.

Then his mouth fastened over her right breast, even as his hand continued to trace random patterns on her belly. Thora gasped, and would have squirmed, but his hand and his weight kept her from doing more than shifting restlessly against him as Aedan used lips and teeth and tongue to tease the sensitive mound into a hardened peak. She whimpered as his teeth scraped lightly across the now taut nipple, followed by a wash of his tongue and a breath of cool air that made her feel as if her belly muscles were all contracting at once.

Need pulsed through her, need and heat, mingled with pleasure. Pressure built low in her core, moisture pooling in her sex as she moaned his name. “Aedan…”

“What is it ye want, little trickster?”

“Ye.”

“Aye… and what dae ye want me tae dae?”

“Touch me…”

His hand caressed her belly, lower but not low enough. “I am touching ye.” He bent to tease her left breast with a little nip of teeth and the tip of his tongue, and Thora shivered again, muscles quivering under the sensation.

“Nay… I mean… please… touch me…” Her cheeks burned, flushed furiously at the idea of saying the words out loud. “Please… lower…” She flexed her thighs and rocked her hips a little, hoping he’d realize what she was hinting at.

From the smile on his face, he understood quite well, but it didn’t stop him from continuing to tease her. “Och, ye mean… here?” His thumb traced across her navel, dipping briefly into the valley of it, before lightly stroking across the line of her hip, brushing the edge of her buttocks, and coming back up. “Like this?”

“Nay… I mean… dinnae play with me Aedan…” She squirmed, trying to move up so his hand could touch her where she most wanted it. “Lower.”

To her dismay, he removed his hand from under her dress and began to caress her thigh and shin. “Yer legs, are they sore?”

“Aedan…” Her voice was a breathless whisper, bordering on a whine. It would have been louder, had she not been afraid of waking the healer.

Aedan cocked his head, his hand moving slowly up her leg and dragging the skirt upward. Thora shivered as his hand brushed her knee, then slid lightly over the flesh of her thigh. “Here?”

“Higher… and…” She parted her legs slightly. Her muscles quivered, her whole body shivering under his touch as his hand slid up the inside of her thigh, across the soft skin, toward her damp, heated sex.

He stopped just short of the entrance, and she wanted to scream. “Here?”

“Higher…” She whimpered the word. “Please, Aedan… stop teasing me…”

Her whimper turned into a gasp as his hand caressed her mound, fingers carding through the soft, fine hairs that covered it. His hand covered her sex, stroking softly, and Thora moaned and rocked into his touch as much as her body would allow.

“Och, ye’re so wet… waiting fer me…” Aedan slid the skirt up higher, exposing her heated flesh to his gaze, and the cool night air. He smiled at her, dark and teasing, and dragged his fingers through the liquid of her arousal. “The smell o’ ye… the sight o’ ye, waiting fer me, begging fer me… dae ye have any idea what that might dae tae a man?”

He lifted his hand and slowly, torturously, licked her arousal from his fingers. The sight was as arousing as his touch, and Thora whimpered again, legs parting wider in invitation. “Please…”

Aedan lowered his hand, middle finger dipping into her navel before he slid his fingers down from there, across her mound, to the upper edge of her sex. Thora’s body reacted, hips flexing into his touch.

“Part yer legs wider fer me. I want to see ye as I touch ye.”

Trembling, she obeyed. She felt nearly mindless, unable to think, and unable to tell if it was the medicine or his touch that fogged her thoughts.

She didn’t care. She wanted more. Her tongue wouldn’t form the words, so she rocked her hips into his touch again, pleading.

Aedan slid his hand down, to caress the lips of her sex, fingers trailing over the soft folds. The sensation was nearly unbearable, pleasure sparking through her like a building bonfire as he stroked her sex with light but firm pressure.

A finger slid between the slickened folds, caressing the inner walls and Thora gave a muffled cry as a jolt of lightning seemed to pass from her sex to her core. Aedan stroked her again, a little deeper, two of his fingers parting her outer folds as his other finger caressed her inner walls.

In the wake of his touch, cool air touched places she’d never felt before, and Thora shivered. The sensation was different, but still pleasurable.

Aedan’s thumb slid across the top of her sex, between the edges, and found a small nub of flesh at the top of her entrance. He slid his thumb across it, and Thora gasped and arched against his hands. “Aedan…”

Another stroke, another lightning bolt of intense pleasure. Then another, and another, until the only thing keeping her from writhing off the pallet was Aedan’s hand and his weight, keeping her close so she couldn’t hurt herself further.

One finger pressed deep inside her, pressing into the narrow channel of her core. It burned, stretching her inner walls, but any discomfort she felt was diminished by the pleasure it caused as he caressed her. Thora moaned as he began to rock his hand inside her, finger gliding in and out of her body in slow measured thrusts.

The heat built up, pleasure spiraling higher, past her ability to think of anything but his hand inside her, pleasuring her, drawing more and more heat and ecstasy from her.

Another finger pressed into her, stretching her further, changing the angles so that every thrust of his hand changed what she was feeling.

She was going to burn up, she was going to go out of her mind… she was going to drown in heat and pleasure and Aedan…

His thumb traced over the sensitive nub of flesh, then circled it, and at the same moment his mouth latched onto her left breast.

The wave broke, and Thora’s release swept over her, hips arching as her fluids gushed over Aedan’s hand. The world dissolved into heat and pleasure, a tidal wave of both like a sea of the most perfect and wondrous flame. Aedan’s hand maintained the rhythm as she convulsed with pleasure, then again, then again, riding the waves until she was utterly spent.

Afterward, she watched him rise, and realized that at some point, he’d undone his lower garments to free his heavy, rigid erection. His hand traced lightly over the shaft, pumping almost idly as he moved, until he made a soft noise and dropped to his knees as his own release spurted onto the stones.

For several moments, all she could do was stare at him, her vision still hazy with afterglow of her pleasure, and her muscles bonelessly relaxed. Then Aedan shifted, and managed to gather a damp cloth from a nearby basin. He rolled over with a grimace of effort, and set about cleaning up the mess he’d made.

Afterward, he helped her clean herself, and redressed both of him. The haze had largely passed, but Thora still felt weighed down with lassitude, her eyes heavy as she watched him move about.

Finally, Aedan returned to the pallet, holding a small cup of liquid that smelled of familiar herbs. Willow-bark for pain, and valerian for ease and easy sleep. Thora eyed it uncertainly. “I’m well enough.”

Aedan smirked, but didn’t move. “Drink it anyway. Otherwise, ye’re likely tae feel far too much o’ the pain later.”

Her shoulder was aching, more than it had been. Even so, she didn’t want to fall asleep without confirming one thing first. “Ye’ll stay with me?”

“The Wild Hunt itself couldnae move me.” Aedan’s smile was a warm and tender thing. “Dinnae fret. I’ll be here when ye wake.”

Thora nodded, reassured by his words, and drank the tisane quickly. She grimaced at the sharp bitterness of the willow-bark, and was all too happy to accept a cup of mulled wine to wash the taste away afterward.

Once she was done, Aedan set the cup aside, and laid himself down beside her, careful to avoid her wounded shoulder. Thora watched him settle down, his warmth and solid presence comforting her as he wrapped an arm lightly around her waist.

Safely wrapped in Aedan’s arms, Thora sighed, closed her eyes and surrendered to the pull of a healing sleep.