Chapter 12

Ilyssa felt her body was burning. It had to be, for the power of Bran’s tongue was setting her alight. Her head thrashed from side to side as he took her with his kisses on her very core. The pleasure was somehow greater this time, more all-encompassing. It had to be because he showed no hesitation. He took her fast with his lips, purposefully, then slid his hand up. His fingers barely teased her opening, before he moved his lips to a bud of nerves outside of her, pleasuring her with that sensation, as he slipped his fingers into her wetness.

She arched her back, moving her hands above her head to grip the hearth rug. He had complete control of her body now as she spread her legs wide, not wanting this sensation to finish. She moaned, loudly, not holding back.

“Bran… Bran…”

Her body beaded with sweat. As she opened her eyes, staring down at Bran, their eyes connected. A shock of pleasure erupted in her body as she trembled at the sight of what he was doing to her.

When he broke off, suddenly, she whimpered.

“Dinnae stop,” she begged, as he moved back up her body, only now, he was setting her legs around his hips. He rocked his body against hers, rubbing his hardened length against her through his trews. It made her throw her head back, moaning again. “Bran, dinnae stop!”

“Ye want me?” he asked, whispering in her ear. He took her earlobe in his mouth, sucked, and bit down playfully. At the shock of the sensation, her hands gripped his back, pulling him down closer. “Say it.”

“I want ye,” she pleaded. The words between them were sultry in the air, husky whispers mixing with the crackling of the fire.

“What dae ye want me tae dae tae ye?” he whispered, breathily, now moving his lips down her neck to the curve of her collarbone where he placed openmouthed, wet kisses. He tugged on the opening of her dress, snapping some of the laces across the front of her gown. She didn’t care and went to help him, pulling the gown off her shoulder. “Tell me, what dae ye want me tae dae?”

“Make love tae me,” she pleaded. “Bran, please. Here, in front of this fire. Make love tae me.” She looked down at his trews as he removed the gown from her body. She pulled at them around his hips, desperate to see all of him at last.

He kicked them off. She looked up at him in amazement, her eyes transfixed to the size and hardness of his length as he took hold of her chemise and lifted it over her head.

When they were both bare, not a stitch between them, he moved over to her again.

“Say it.” His voice was so deep, it was unrecognizable. She planted her hands on either side of his face, pulling him down toward her for a kiss. Their tongues tangled together, as he took hold of one of her knees and raised it high over his hip. She pulled back an inch.

“Please,” she begged. “Don’t hold back anymore. Take me.”

These words seemed to break him. He moved toward her, his kiss softer this time than before. It was so sensitive, so tender, that her hands grew soft on his back, her fingers trailing up and down his bare skin.

She felt his length nudge her entrance, his hardness stretching her. She inhaled sharply, feeling the pleasure grow, then he entered her hard. The sudden pain made her pull back from their kiss, her fingers digging hard into his back. He moaned suddenly, a look of pure pleasure on his face at both the sensation and what she had done to hold onto him.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, kissing up and down her neck. “When it passes… it will never hurt again.” He gently rocked into her. As quickly as it had come, the pain faded. In its place, this simmering warmth had started in Ilyssa’s gut.

“Please… faster,” she begged, needing more from him.

He smiled above her, planting one hand firmly into the ground beside her head and rocking into her. He moved faster now, harder too. Intoxicated by the sight of what he was doing to her and the feeling, she watched him, her hands planted to his muscled stomach as he moved the two of them together.

“How long have ye wanted this. How long?” he asked between his growling breath. “Say it, Ilyssa.”

“God kens,” she said between her gasps. “Too long.” Though she had only just realized it. “It was always ye, Bran. Always ye.”

He bent down, kissing her, planting their lips together.

He moved then suddenly, pulling out of her. She whimpered, desperate for his touch again.

“Dinnae stop, Bran,” she begged.

“Trust me. I am nae going tae stop. Want tae try something else?” he whispered. He sent such heat through her body that she could not speak. She just nodded instead. He smiled in the most deliciously seductive way, then he took hold of her knee and angled her body around.

Amazed, she fell on her side, looking up at him as he moved both of her legs to hook over one of his hips. He now had sight of her rear and her bare breasts at the same time. He bent down, taking one of her areoles in her mouth and sucking hard. She gasped, arching her back at the sudden thrill that shot through her body. As a rush of wetness escaped her body, he entered her again at this new angle, somehow managing to reach even deeper inside of her than before.

She gripped both him and the hearth rug as hard as she could, basking in the feelings that were cascading over her body.

“I have wanted ye fer years,” he murmured against her skin, kissing up the side of her body and to her neck. “Wanted this. Nay other man can touch ye, Ilyssa. Nay man.” His possessiveness was somehow even more thrilling than she ever could have expected. He kissed her neck, biting down playfully.

With that touch, it drove her over the edge. Her body experienced a wave of pleasure that was both sudden and alarming in its power. She could not stay still and thrashed her head from side to side, both hands shooting to take hold of his firm biceps as he rocked into her, throughout her high.

She had heard whispers before about how pleasure between a man and a woman could climax into something overwhelming, but she had not expected it to be as powerful as that. Her whole body trembled as her body tightened around his length, basking in the feeling of his hardness and the way that he wanted her.

“Bran.” His name was constantly on her lips as she came down from his high. He continued to rock the two of them together, then suddenly pulled out.

She looked down, watching as he took hold of his length and pumped just once. His length spilled onto the rug between them. Amazed at the sight, she watched with parted lips.

He wanted me this badly. This much!

She moved her hand over his, finishing for him, feeling his hardness between her fingers as he gazed at her, his cheeks reddened from what they had done.

Then it was over. They were both panting, staring at one another now their need was filled. Ilyssa was the first to break the silence, laughing in the most thrilled way. He laughed too, bending down and kissing her. Their sounds became mingled with their kisses, as their bodies molded together on the rug. She could feel his length and the mess they had made together. It was all the more arousing again, knowing what they had done and how much they had been unable to resist one another.

“I cannae marry him,” she whispered, indulging in the feeling as Bran kissed down her neck and toward her breasts again. “How can I dae it when I love ye this much, Bran?” The words were out of her mouth without thinking. Bran halted, his lips on her breast, then he suddenly raised, his eyes level with hers.

“I love ye too.”

Her chest heaved up and down. If she’d had the energy, she would have made love to him again just hearing these words.

They kissed with fresh fierceness, their hands all over one another in the attempt to be close. Her fingers gripped his back, her legs hooked around his hips, as he held tightly onto her waist with one hand, his other tangled in her hair.

“I willnae let him marry ye,” he said in hear ear. “I promise ye that. Ye dinnae ken how long I have loved ye, Ilyssa.”

“How long?” she whispered.

“Since we were young. It took me until now tae truly understand it, but I have always felt differently about ye.”

She closed her eyes, basking in this happy feeling as he kissed down her body again. He reached her breasts, playing with one between his fingers as the other he took in his mouth. She gasped at the sensation.

“I didnae ken what I felt fer ye,” she confessed. “But it was always there. Always.” She tangled her fingers in his hair. “I just didnae ken how tae put it intae words.” Her confession made him kiss her harder again.

“Ah, Ilyssa.” As they pulled back from one another, Bran raised himself on his hands over her. “I need tae talk tae Tad. I need tae talk tae him about what happens now.”

“Will ye ask…” She couldn’t finish the sentence.

Fer his blessing?

Yet Bran seemed to know what she meant without the words. He nodded, and she couldn’t help smiling.

I dinnae think I have ever been so happy in me life.

“Kiss me again,” he playfully ordered. She tugged on his shoulders, pulling him down for that kiss.

Ilyssa left Bran’s chamber sometime later. She felt dizzy and lightheaded after what they had done, but thrillingly happy too. She knew she should return to her chamber, bathe to freshen up, yet she was unable to concentrate on her route and found herself quite lost in the corridors.

I cannae stop thinking about him.

Distracted, she kept reliving what they had done, thinking of how Bran had made love to her with such passion, taking her as if they had known every part of one another’s bodies for years. She longed to return to him now but knew she could not. Bran had said he wanted to talk to Tad.

“Ilyssa, there ye are.” Tad’s sudden voice made her turn around in surprise. He had a face like thunder. He was so enraged that as he walked, his hands were balled into fists.

Nay. Does he ken? Has he guessed what Bran and I did in that chamber?

Then Tad was suddenly beside her.

“That bastard!” he raged under his breath.

“Who?” she said, her hands going to her chest as she thought of Bran.

“Laird Gilroy. He has refused me latest offer.”

“W-what?” Momentary relief that Tad was not talking about Bran was quickly swallowed by horror. “Ye mean he still insists on the marriage? On the contract’s conditions being met?”

“Aye, he does.” Tad paced up and down beside her. “I have just heard straight from the vicar’s mouth that Cillian has set a date with him fer the wedding too. Ilyssa.” He paused in his pacing to look at her. “It’s in one week.”

Terror washed over her body. All warmth she had known from Bran’s touch left her as if Jack Frost himself had settled on her heart. She stumbled against the wall beside her, falling onto a stone windowsill. Tad took her shoulder, steading her.

“It willnae happen,” he declared with earnest intent. “The time has come fer me tae leave though, tae see what more I can offer him. I shall return before the wedding, ye have me word on that.”

Ilyssa didn’t have the strength to speak. Her expression must have said it all though for Tad looked in pain and squeezed her shoulder.

“I will get ye out of this. I’ll go talk tae Bran now. We’ll make a plan of what we dae from here.”

Ilyssa watched him go, disappearing fast down the corridor. Once he was gone, she found her strength again. She leapt to her feet and ran, scurrying as quickly as she could back to her own chamber.

Inside, she found Catreena, who was waiting with a smile on her face.

“Well, I thought leaving ye alone with Bran a good thing.” Abruptly, her smile vanished. Clearly, she had seen Ilyssa’s expression. “What is it? What is it I dinnae ken?”

Ilyssa walked into the room. She sat down heavily in a settle bench placed by the fire and covered her face with her hands.

“Me braither’s wondrous plans have come tae nothing. Laird Gilroy has refused his latest offer.”

The creaking of a wooden seat showed to her that Catreena had capitulated down into the seat on the other side of the fire.

“Ye look devastated.”

“How can I nae be?” Ilyssa wailed and snapped her hands away from her face to see Catreena’s somber expression staring back at her. “Me braither and Bran keep saying they will find a way tae fix this, that all will be well, that I should trust them.”

“Ye dae trust them, dinnae ye?”

“Yet this is different.” Ilyssa found her feet again, standing before Catreena and raising her voice. “This is out of their hands. Me future has been bound by me grandfaither, a man long dead, and a man who only ever kenned me as a bairn.” Her voice broke off as she walked away, placing her hands to her chest.

She longed to be back with Bran now, to remove this icy feeling from her chest. If she could just find the safety of his arms, then all would be well. She could lose herself in the heat of his kiss and touch, listen to him whisper lustful things in her ear as he made love to her, rocking their bodies into an oblivion of pleasure.

“What happened with ye two?” Catreena suddenly asked.

“What?” Ilyssa asked distractedly, starting to pace around the room.

“Ye and Bran. Did ye at least talk before Tad came tae find ye?” Catreena asked, looking hopeful.

“Does it matter if we even did talk?” Ilyssa asked, her whole body taught with fear and rage.

“Something is happening between ye. I ken it, Ilyssa, even if ye dinnae want tae admit it.”

“It doesnae matter if there is something, daes it?” Ilyssa asked, tears springing to her eyes that she tried to blink away madly. “All of it could be fer nothing. We could be separated in seven days times if I am forced intae that church tae marry another man.”