Chapter 26

"Ach, me God, 'tis too cold! Nay, Odhrán, dinnae dae it. I'll pass out with the cold!" she pleaded between screams of panicky laughter, wriggling in vain to escape his grip. Soon, she found herself pulled under the freezing water of the loch, where Odhrán let her float off his shoulders before grabbing her by the waist and cannoning her upwards, so that she flew clear out of the water and tumbled back in with an enormous splash a few feet away, shrieking hysterically.

"I'm comin' fer ye again," he mock threatened, waggling his eyebrows at her as he tossed the water out of his eyes and swam rapidly after her.

"Nay, nae again, Odhrán, ye beast!" she cried, trying to swim away from him, but she was too slow, and he caught her by the ankles and dragged her back, wrapping her against his chest with his arms.

"Seems I've caught me a mermaid," he murmured, covering her face with warm kisses that, despite the cold water, made her blood run hot. She wound her arms about his neck and her legs around his waist, buoyed by the water. She clung to him, pressing herself wantonly against the ridges of packed muscle of his chest and belly, reveling in his strength and his smooth skin between her thighs.

"Mmmm, maybe nae a mermaid but a kelpie," she panted, kissing him deeply, teasing him with her lips and tongue in the way he had taught her, wanting him badly.

"Aye, a very naughty one," he murmured into her mouth, returning the kiss passionately while at the same time swiftly snatching the scarf from her head so that her hair tumbled down in a dark mass to float about them like water weed.

"Well, if ye're going tae be like that," she spluttered, reaching for the black ribbon holding his hair back and pulling it free. His long dark locks floated out into the water, mingling with hers. They laughed at the sight, making it all swirl about them in a dark cloud as they kissed and greedily ran their hands over each other's bodies.

Maddison squirmed and moaned in pleasure when she felt Odhrán's fingers roving between her legs, stroking her rosebud and pushing inside her. But when she reached for his erection, it was not there.

"Och, what's happened tae him? He's like a wee snail, all curled up and hidin' away. Does he nae want me? Am I doin' cheming' wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"Nay, 'tis the cold water makin' him shy, is all. He'll soon come out of his shell when we get warm again, ye'll see," Odhrán explained gently, his moving fingers already driving her to the edge of distraction.

"Then let's go and get warm. I need ye," she gasped, her fingers twining in his soaking hair.

"That's funny because that's just what I was hopin' ye'd say," he murmured, grinning as he cupped her behind and carried her all the way out of the water, over the gravely strand, and on to the soft grass, her legs still about his waist. There, he laid her down and knelt between her thighs. In one swift movement, he pulled off his shirt.

Maddison smiled, filled with lust to see his body revealed in the sunlight. She ran her hands teasingly over the rippling muscles of his shoulders and arms, over his back and buttocks, kissing him all the while.

"Och, Odhrán, ye're so braw! I'm so lucky tae have such a husband," she breathed, meaning every word as she looked into his eyes, dazzled afresh by the beauty and power of his body and the things he could make her feel. His eyes darkened to a stormy gray, the intensity of his gaze on her, stoking her passion.

"Wheesht, woman. Now, feel," he told her huskily, taking her hand and placing it on his shaft, while he ravaged her breasts with his mouth, hungrily sucking and nipping at the rock-hard peaks.

Her body quivering with bliss, Maddison gasped and gripped him harder, working her hand up and down his shaft. He groaned deep in his throat, and she thrilled at the sound, feeling the hot slickness running between her thighs as his fingers sought her core once more and tantalized her now burning folds.

"I need ye now, Odhrán, now," she begged, unable to wait any longer to have him inside her.

"Mmm, say it again," he murmured, his words muffled by her breasts, his fingers spearing into her once more. She mewled in pleasure, throwing her head back, and opening herself wider to his explorations.

"Odhrán, I need, ye, I want ye, all of ye, inside me right now," she panted, bucking against his fingers while her hand worked the hardening length of his shaft that, to her amazement and satisfaction, continued to grow.

"I cannae refuse ye, me lady," he whispered hoarsely, pulling his fingers away and lowering himself to hang suspended above her, kissing her hungrily as he looked into her eyes. She let out a low scream and clutched at his shoulders convulsively, winding her legs around his waist as he pushed into her, his entire length filling her to the brim with a single thrust of his hips.

"Och, Maddy, I needed ye so much. Ye feel so good," he groaned, wrapping her tightly in his arms as he moved inside her, the fingers of one hand tangling in her hair and cradling her head, the better to pin her in place and return her kisses searchingly.

"Mmmm, ye feel good tae me too, Odhrán, better than anything, ever," she breathed against his lips, her nails raking his back and buttocks, already gripped by the mounting pleasure he always seemed able to elicit from her. "I cannae get enough of ye."

"That must be because ye were made fer me, Maddy," he panted, speeding up.

"Aye, I think that must be so," she murmured, gripping him with her legs as they moved together in perfect unison, their passion rising equally as they bucked against one another on the soft grass, their kisses becoming more frantic as they finally reached a shuddering climax together.

In the afterglow, they stayed like that, with the sun beating down on them, laughing against each other's damp, hot skin, their breathing ragged as they recovered from the ecstatic moment. After a while, Odhrán rolled to the side, his arm around her, while she flung her leg over his waist and her arm across his chest, allowing the hairs on his chest to tickle her nose as she lay her head there.

"I can feel yer heart beatin'," she told him, stroking his chest gently, finding the strong, steady thump, thump, thump by her ear strangely comforting

"It only does that fer ye, Maddy. When ye're nae around, 'tis just a useless lump, good for cheming'," he answered with a small chuckle that reverberated against her head. "Och, I think I must have died and gone tae heaven. Lyin' here like this, in the sun, with ye by me side, I feel so… free, like all the rest of the world has disappeared," he went on, hugging her to him and kissing her damp, tangled hair.

"Aye," she agreed with a contented sigh, understanding exactly what he meant. "'Tis like a wonderful dream, and I never want tae wake up."

"D'ye really mean that?" he asked, tilting his head to look into her eyes as if to verify her words. Filled with a deep tenderness, she smiled up at him and gently brushed strands of hair form his forehead.

"Aye, I dae. I've never been so happy in me life as I am at this moment."

"Does that mean ye're glad we're wed now?" he asked. The tenderness almost overwhelmed her when she heard the scintilla of doubt in his voice. The urge to banish all his doubts about how she felt about him was too strong to resist any longer. She leaned up on her elbow and looked into his eyes intently, tracing the line of his lips with her finger.

"I'm much more than glad, Odhrán. I'm over the moon. How could I nae be when I have such a wonderful man tae call me husband? I'm a lucky woman indeed," she whispered. Inside, she was summoning up the courage to finally admit the truth she had been holding back for so long for reasons that no longer seemed important. But before she could speak the words, he pulled her into a hug and showered her face with small kisses.

"Och, ye say such nice things about me! I dinnae ken if I'll ever get used tae it. I've nae been a good man in the past, and I've done many bad things, things I'm ashamed of. When ye hated me at first, I understood it. It was nae more than I expected since most of me life had been like that. Except for Liam and Tadgh, naebody has ever cared about me, but that's nae the same thing at all as havin' a woman who cares about ye. 'Tis all new tae me.

"When ye were so worried fer me when I fought with Rollo, and then the way ye looked after me when I was hurt, and… the passion between us… well, I started tae hope ye might have come tae care fer me a little after all. I would have been content with that." He a paused, giving a small sigh that tugged at Maddison's heartstrings. She listened attentively as he went on.

"But then, when ye kissed me when I went off tae fight the battle, it was as if all the angels in heaven were chemin' down on me at last, showin' me what true happiness was. I felt ten feet tall, ready tae take on any army. Sometimes, I cannae help wonderin' what I've done tae deserve ye. I get scared that ye'll be taken away from me, as a punishment for the things I've done. It would break me heart tae loose ye."

"Odhrán, dinnae say so!" she gently chided him, wanting to comfort him at the same time. "Aye, ye did bad things, but that was because ye were forced tae live in yer faither's shadow and obey his commands. He was yer example, and there was nae one tae teach ye any different."

"Ye say that, Maddy, but I'm a grown man. I cannae just keep blamin' everythin' on him like a child." He looked at her appealingly. "How can a man who secretly plotted his own faither's death so he could be the laird and then ended up killing him truly be a good man? 'Tis nae a good feelin' tae be such a man. 'Tis like a black shadow on me soul that I'll never be rid of."

Alarmed by the turn of the conversation, Maddison sat up, the better to see him.

"Odhrán, listen tae me because I ken what I'm talkin' about," she said vehemently. "Yer faither was a cruel, unfeeling brute, a murderous monster who never showed ye a whit of love or respect, nae even as a wee bairn, and he maligned yer poor dead cheming tae yer face. He was a coward who used ye, his only son, tae dae his dirty work, all the time danglin' the future of the lairdship over yer head like a threat. He taunted ye and made ye feel less of a man tae keep control of ye because he was weak and kent nay other way but threats and violence tae keep his wee bit of power.

"He sent men tae me home and slaughtered me parents and me elder braither in their beds, in cold blood. He intended tae kill all me braithers, and he left that letter ye told me about, tellin' Rollo tae complete the job of chemi' out me whole family and takin' over our clan. That included me, and if it were nae fer ye, I would be dead too."

She paused to catch her breath, feeling the old anger for Murphy Lennox rising inside her. Odhrán leaned up on his elbows, about to speak, but she held up a hand, saying, "I'm nae done yet. He sold women, respectable daughters of lairds, at an auction as if they were cows! An auction of human flesh! Have ye ever heard of such a thing. What sort of beast does such a thing?"

"Ach, God," Odhrán suddenly moaned and sat up, putting his head in his hands.

"What is it?" she asked, putting hand on his shoulder, concerned she had upset him. "Are ye all right?"

"That auction, it was me idea," he admitted.

"Yer idea?" she echoed, removing her hand, shocked at the revelation. "What d'ye mean?"

"Ach, I kent it would come tae this," he said mournfully. "Now ye'll go back tae hatin' me again, and I'll lose ye. This is me punishment."

"Tell me what happened," she demanded.

He sighed heavily. "It was after ye'd been locked up in the dungeons for nigh on a year. Faither kept on and on at me every day tae find a wife and give him some grandbairns. He even gave me a list of lassies he thought would be suitable, based on the poor state of their faither's finances, of course. He kent he only had tae wait 'til the lass's faither died tae take over his clan too. All he cared about was land and money, and he didnae care how he got them.

"But I was so in love with ye, Maddy, and I couldnae stand the thought of marryin' anyone else. That was just a stupid dream, and I kent it well. How could ye dae cheming' but hate me? But cheming' inside me, it just wouldnae let me give up thinkin' of ye bein' me wife. So, I had tae scheme and plot tae find a way tae save ye."

"Och, Odhrán," she whispered, her pity overcoming her shock.

"Faither just kept chemin' on the pressure fer me tae marry," he said, with anger in his voice. "But at the same time, he kept threatenin' tae kill ye. I could nae stand it. I had tae come up with an idea tae stall him. Since I kent ye'd never be mine, all I wanted was tae return ye safely tae yer braithers. If I could nae have ye, then I'd be miserable, but at least I could breathe easier if ye were back with yer family. What the bastard left of it, at any rate," he added in a growl, his fists clenching.

"Dinnae say anymore if ye dinnae want tae," Maddison told him, hating to see him so tormented. She was gaining a terrible insight into how truly miserable his life must have been under his father, and her heart went out to him.

He shook his head. "Nay, I want tae tell ye. I've never told anyone about all this before, and I want ye tae ken who I really am." He took a breath before continuing. "Tae keep faither sweet, tae stop him from killin' ye, and tae buy me some time to figure out a way tae free ye, I had tae accept tae marry another lass. But I had tae come up with a plan I could be sure he'd agree tae, cheming' that would appeal tae his greed.

"I had the list of daughters of the impoverished lairds who were prepared tae sell their daughters tae the highest bidder. I figured out that an auction would work best since we could keep a cut of the money raised by the sales of the lassies. I kent that would please Faither, and I was relieved when he took the bait and agreed. So ye see, it was all me idea. I organized it all," he paused, his eyes full of sadness, before going on.

"But it all went wrong. Diarmaid got in before me and bid fer the maid I believed tae be Morin McIrving. Only it turned out she wasnae."

"It was Lillie," Maddison supplied.

"Aye. I was furious at the time because Diarmaid outbid me fer her and upset all me plans. I kent Faither would take it as yet another sign of me failure as a son, and that would put ye back in danger. I was at me wits end by then. But then, I realized it could nae have turned out better as I could convince Faither tae make a deal with yer braithers…"

"Tae exchange me fer Lillie."

"Aye. If I could pull it off, ye'd be free at last and back with yer family. It was the only way I could think off tae get ye out without I' us both killed. Then I'd wed Lillie, and Faither would nae be able tae blackmail me any longer because as soon as I put a bairn in her belly, the lairdship was as good as mine."

"Poor Lillie. She must have been terrified."

"Aye, she was. I felt sorry fer her, although I didnae even ken the lass. It sounds terrible tae say it, but shchemingaethin' more tae me than the means tae set ye free, Maddy, I swear."

"I believe ye. But by that time, she and Diarmaid had fallen in love," she observed, casting her mind back to that dreadful time.

"It seems so, aye. But when I made the deal with yer braithers, Diarmaid assured me they'd nae consummated the marriage. That was good enough fer me. I had nae clue he was lyin' and intended only tae use Lillie as bait tae get ye back. He never meant tae let her go at all. That was where me plans all went wrong."