Chapter 13

13

A idan's mouth slanted over Tillie's in the most delicious way. It was as if their mouths were molded to fit together. When he ran the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips, she was only too eager to open her mouth and see what other pleasures he might show her.

Tillie wasn't disappointed. His tongue slid inside her mouth and started caressing her own. She felt every stroke as if it was a fire licking along her nerves. Without even realizing what she was doing, Tillie slid her hands around his neck. One grabbed the back of his neck, as if she could hold him to her, while the other slid upward, her fingers weaving through his hair.

"God, woman," Aidan breathed into her mouth. "Yer goin' to be the death of me."

Tillie stiffened. Her eyes flew open, and she blinked. Aiden was so close to her, his face was blurry.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered. It was unnerving having him so close, his body pressed so tightly to hers. She had no idea what she had done wrong, but she wanted to fix it so that he could keep kissing her.

"Dinnae be," Aidan said. His voice was strained. "Ye have done nothin' wrong." He kissed her lips softly then withdrew to look at her. "Ye are doin' everythin' right."

A blush of pride bloomed in her chest. She didn't know exactly what she'd done, but the fact that she'd impressed Aidan was enough to give her courage. She pressed against his neck until his mouth covered hers again. A sigh escaped her when their lips met.

When one of his knees pressed between her thighs, urging them apart, Tillie happily complied. Until then, she hadn't realized Aidan had moved his lower body slightly to the side so that he could fit himself more easily between her legs.

The heat of his body enveloped her. She was barely aware of the birds chirping in the distance, witnesses to their intimacy. Briefly, she wondered what happened to the kitten since she hadn't heard its cries in a while, but that thought flew out of her mind when Aidan's knee found itself all the way up to her core and pressed lightly there.

Tillie gasped and grabbed a hank of Aidan's hair. Stars seemed to dance before her eyes, the pleasure was so intense.

"Like that, do ye?" Aidan whispered. His mouth left hers and started a trail across her neck.

"Oh, aye," Tillie agreed, nodding her head vigorously.

Aidan chuckled as he burned a trail with his lips up to her ear. When his teeth lightly nibbled on her sensitive lobe, Tillie sucked in her breath in surprise. At the same time, his knee continued stroking her in an erotic rhythm against her most private area.

Tillie's lower belly clenched, and she found it hard to catch her breath. She realized she was still holding a handful of his hair and forced herself to release it.

Mother mercy, what is he doing to me? Me body does not feel like me own.

One of Aidan's hands slid behind her neck while the other one cupped her throat just under her chin. His fingers splayed behind her head, becoming a barrier between her hair and the soft grass. The other hand lightly cupped her jaw, and his thumb and forefinger grasped her jaw and eased her head back slightly.

The new position made it so that his mouth fit even snugger, and his tongue was able to delve deeper. There was an unfamiliar moaning sound, and Tillie was shocked to realize it had come from her. From deep in her throat. An answering moan sounded, but to Tillie's ears it, sounded almost like a growl. It sent another wave of desire skittering through her newly awaked body.

His lips briefly claimed hers again and then continued the hot trail of kisses and nips along the other side of her jaw and neck. Tillie was near mindless with the pleasure he was giving her. After she'd let go of his hair, that hand had started roaming and exploring his broad back. It was amazing to her how hard his muscles were.

How would his skin feel to touch?

Tillie ached with the sudden need to find out. She tilted her head to the side to give Aidan easier access to her neck then slid her hand down his back until she reached the waistline of his trews. Her fingers grabbed a good portion of his linen shirt then bunched it in her fist and tugged the hem free.

Aidan instantly lifted his head. "What are ye about, Tillie?" His voice was husky and as smooth as whiskey at the same time.

"I want to feel ye."

The groan that came from him sounded like he was in pain. He dropped his forehead to hers and shook it slightly. Hot puffs of his breath bathed Tillie's face.

"Ye dinnae ken what yer askin'."

Tillie hadn't stopped lifting his shirt, even when he stopped kissing. Now, she got her first feel of his skin, and her fingers reveled in the pleasure of touching him.

"'Tis smooth," she said wondrously. "And hot."

Since his muscles had felt so hard under his shirt, she'd had the silly notion his skin would be rough like his hands. But his back was smooth, almost silky soft, and she couldn't have been more surprised.

Aidan leaned on his elbows and peered down at her with incredulous blue eyes.

"What?" he asked, and his voice sounded strangled.

Tillie blinked at him. "Your skin," she said. "It is much softer than I'd expected."

"My skin?" he repeated as if he couldn't understand what she was saying.

Tillie continued to caress his back, marveling at how her touch produced goose bumps on his skin. She reached her other hand down to his waist and pulled the opposite shirt hem out so that she could feel more of him. Her nails gently raked his back as she lifted his shirt all the way to his shoulders where she couldn't go any further. Aidan hissed through his teeth.

"Are ye done kissin' me then?" she asked innocently.

Aidan's eyes widened, and then he even chuckled, but it sounded self-depreciating. He rolled onto his back and flung an arm over his eyes. Tillie laid there, stunned, her body aching for… she wasn't sure what she needed. She knew that only Aidan could fix what was ailing her. Aidan and his kisses. His touch. They'd awoken something deep inside her. It was as if her whole body had come alive and was hungry.

"Aidan," she whispered as she sat up. She leaned over his big body, trying to see his eyes. "What is wrong?" Her gaze dropped to his crotch, and her eyes widened at the swelling there.

"Are ye in pain?"

He snorted. "Aye. Ye could say that."

"What can I do to help?"

He lifted his arm from his eyes and stared at her. "Are ye really that innocent, lass?" His other hand swiped in the general direction of his crotch. "Dinnae yer mother tell ye what happens between married couples?"

Tillie's gaze returned to his crotch, and her eyes widened even more. It seemed as though the longer she stared at the area, the more swelling occurred. She wasn't completely ignorant. She had seen animals in the act of procreation, and her mother had said it was basically the same thing between people. She'd been disgusted at the time, but as she stared at the appendage that separated men from women, albeit covered by his trews, Tillie felt more curious than offended now.

"Stop starin' at it," Aidan growled. Tillie jerked her gaze to his face in confusion. "It… affects me."

Tillie knew her mouth was hanging open, but she couldn't help it. She knew that when he looked at her in a certain way, it affected her, too. She never even considered the possibility that she could cause something similar to him.

Without meaning to, her gaze went back to his swelling member. She was fascinated and had the sudden urge to touch it. She even slowly reached out a hand toward it, but Aidan grasped her wrist and held her hand away.

He studied her for a minute then in one brisk movement, he leaned over her, pinning her to the ground much like he had before.

"Ye are playin' with fire, Tillie," he growled low in his throat.

Tillie stared at his lips, wanting him to start kissing her again. With a muttered curse, Aidan took her mouth, this time a little rougher than before, but she didn't mind. In fact, she seemed to crave it — as if she couldn't get close enough to him.

She gasped into his mouth when a warm hand cupped her breast. Tillie was shocked at such an intimate touch, but when his fingers started tweaking her nipple, the gasp turned into a groan. Pleasure surged through her body and seemed to be pooling at the juncture of her thighs.

Bare thighs, Tillie suddenly realized. While she'd been lost in his kiss, Aidan had somehow managed to lift her skirts. The cool breeze over her naked flesh did nothing to stem the flood of desire coursing through her veins.

"Tell me to stop," Aidan rasped, just a hair's breadth from her swollen lips.

Tillie blinked at him. "Why would I do that?" She was shocked at the husky note to her voice.

"Because if ye dinnae, we're goin' to consummate our wedding right here and now."

It was as if someone had thrown a bucket of winter fjord water on her before the ice was melted. Tillie stiffened and stared at him in shock. How had she not realized what was happening?

Aidan must have seen the surprise in her expression because his lips tightened, and he abruptly rose. Tillie immediately missed the warmth and weight of his body covering hers, but she was also thankful. She had been so lost with all the sensations he was drawing from her body that she hadn't realized just how close they had come to consummating their marriage.

Tillie wasn't a fool. She knew the deed had to be done for their marriage to be legitimate. But this was not how she wanted to do so — out here in the woods where anyone from the castle could stumble upon them. Good Lord, Paisley could come looking for her any minute since Tillie knew she'd been gone much longer than planned, and the maid was probably worried.

Aidan rose to his feet and held a hand out to help Tillie rise. Her face flamed, and she knew it must be a hundred shades of red as she quickly covered her legs with her skirt before placing her hand in his.

"I - I dinnae realize —" she began but Aidan cut her off.

"Aye, I ken that."

Tillie shook her head even as her blush deepened. "I mean, I dinnae want to be found by someone from the castle in such an… intimate position."

He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "Intimate position?" he repeated then shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. As soon as she was standing, he let go of her hands as if her touch burned him. He looked away, too, his gaze going to the cliff and the sea below.

Tillie stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do now. She watched him, her gaze locked on the side of his face and the way a muscle ticked in his jaw. His passion, it seemed, had been replaced with anger, and she had no idea what she had done to cause such a swift change. She didn't have much time to ponder, though, because he quickly turned on his heel and grasped her hand. There was only enough time to hastily grab her sketching supplies then she had to practically run as he led the way back to the path through the woods.

"Dinnae ever come here again," Aidan said, and his voice held no room for disobeying.