warm and so, so soft against her hardness. He sucked and nibbled on her flesh, and Skye gasped with pleasure as small darts of liquid fire raced through her veins, leaving her weak. With a smile of triumph Adam rolled her onto her back, and began thrusting into her honeyed warmth. Skye's nails dug fiercely into his muscled shoulders, but her rounded hips began to thrust back at him. He pushed deeper and deeper into her until she thought he could go no further, but the next thrust penetrated deeper still as she threw her legs up and wrapped them around liim. Now her nails raked down his back, scoring the smooth skin with fine crimson lines. Skye felt she was soaring; soaring higher than she had ever gone before. She felt helpless beneath his strength, and yet she felt stronger than she ever had.
The first wave of passion washed wildly over her, and Adam slowed his movement despite her whimpered protest. He laughed softly, a deep and sensuous sound. 'Oh no, little girl, not quite yet. You're a hungry wench, I can see, but I’m of a mind to play with you a bit longer. What you started, sweetheart, I shall finish.'' All the while he spoke he moved slowly upon her. Again he increased the tempo of his erotic rhythm until she was sobbing with pleasure.
The whirling world was filled with a golden light that pulsed and throbbed all about her. His possession filled her with unbelievable peace amidst the turbulence of their passion. He gave so much, and Skye wanted to give back, but the second wave overtook her, and then in quick bursts the third and forth waves overcame her, rendering her almost unconscious, and she cried out. To her surprise, he cried out also, and then she felt his seed filling her full, and his head dropped to her breasts. She could barely catch her breath, but she kissed his head and caressed the back of his neck soothingly. He rolled away from her, and they lay side by side until at last the storm had passed and they drifted into a contented sleep.
When they awoke the morning was well along, and Skye scrambled guiltily from the warmth of their bed. 'God's nightshirt!' she swore. 'My family will think me a slugabed. 'Tis past nine, I'm certain, and I had planned to visit my Uncle Seamus today. Where in Hell is Daisy with my bath water?' She flung open the bedchamber door and peered into the day room.
'So, ye're up!' Daisy looked somewhat askance at her mistress, and Skye realized she was nude.
'Where's my bath?' she demanded with an effort at nonchalance.
'If I'd fetched it earlier,' Daisy replied tartly, ''twould be ice cold at this moment. I'll see to it now, m'lady,' and she busded out of the room.
'You've the prettiest bottom I’ve ever seen,' Adam teased her.
Skye whirled about, laughing. 'Oh, 'tis a bold one you are, my lord husband! It's a good hour's ride to my uncle's house, and I did promise him I'd come whenever I arrived back on Innisfana. 'Tis certain he knows I'm here, and has, I've not a doubt, been waiting for me since dawn. He's an old man, Adam, and frail. I would not disappoint him.'
'We'll not disappoint him, little girl, and I intend to ride with you, for I've not met the good bishop. Does he hate the English, too?'
'I’m not sure it's all the English, Adam. Just the ones who happen to gain his disfavor by not agreeing with him,' she chuckled, and Adam laughed.
'In other words,' he said, 'a typical O'Malley.'
She launched herself at him, grabbing a large handful of his dark hair and yanking. 'Beast! I can see I must teach you to be more respectful of the O'Malleys of Innisfana!'
He wrestled her to the mattress, and then across the bed as they playfully fought and struggled until both collapsed in a fit of laughter. Mischievously he spanked her bottom, eliciting a shriek of outrage from her. ''Twill teach you better manners toward your lord, wench!' he scolded with mock ferocity.
'My lord is a lop-eared ass,' she threw back, rubbing her injured flesh.
Adam grabbed Skye and drew her down into a passionate embrace. 'My lady is a hot-blooded little bitch who arouses me beyond mortal comprehension,' he murmured softly as he began to nibble at her lips.
'Is
Skye squirmed from her husband's arms, but their eyes met in total understanding and love. 'I’m coming,' she said to her tiring woman.
'So am I,' Adam said, beginning to rise from the bed. 'Get thee hence, Daisy lass, unless you're interested in my bottom and…' He waggled his eyebrows at her threateningly.
'Who's to wash my lady?' Daisy demanded, outraged.
'I will,' came Adam's reply.
'More than likely ye'll end up back in that tumbled bed,' Daisy grumbled, 'but who am I to say. Very well then, I'll give you both fifteen minutes, and as fer being interested, m'lord, there's nothing ye've got I ain't seen before.' Then with her nose in the air Daisy flounced out.
Skye giggled at Adam's look of outrage as much as Daisy's tart comment. 'Aye, Adam,' she further teased her husband, 'Daisy's a married woman now, and I've heard it said that Bran Kelly can hold his own with the best of them.' Then sticking out her tongue at her husband, Skye scampered from their bedchamber to the day-room, where the tall oak tub had been placed before the fire. Wrinkling her nose with pleasure, she breathed in the rose bath oil already perfuming the room in the tendrils of steam that came from the hot water. Quickly she pinned her hair atop her head. Adam caught up with her as she was about to climb up the three wooden steps that led to the tub, and twirling her about, he kissed her.
'We're never going to get bathed and off to my uncle's,' she protested faintly against his mouth, thinking how good it felt to be enclosed in his arms.
'Yes, we will,' he said, and lifted her into the tub before climbing in to join her. 'Good God! I'm going to smell like a damned garden, madam!'
''Twas your idea to bathe with me,' she pointed out.
'Aye,' he grumbled, 'but I can imagine what your brothers will think if they get a whiff of me.'
'Our delay in getting up, plus Daisy's gossiping should reassure them on all counts,' Skye laughed. 'Come now, m'lord, you promised to maid me.' She handed him her soap. 'Wash my back!'
'Only if I can wash your front as well,' he countered.
He turned her around and began soaping her long back. 'You were more fun when you were my sometime mistress,' he teased, chuckling at her gasp of outrage. 'Aye,' he murmured, kissing the tempting back of her neck, 'being a wife has sobered you greatly, little girl.' He turned her around, kissed her on the nose, and, handing her the soap, said, 'Now you wash my back, madam.'
'Only if I can wash the front, too,' she mocked him.
'If you dare, little girl,' he said.
'What will my uncle think of you, Adam de Marisco?' she lamented.
The old bishop of Mid-Connaught thought very well of his favorite niece's new husband. They had never met face to face, but Seamus O'Malley felt he knew Adam de Marisco from all the things that Skye had said of him over the years; from his reputation as the lord of Lundy Isle; and from the letters they had exchanged, letters that usually had to do with Skye and her well-being. Seamus O'Malley knew that Adam loved his niece, and the old man understood that love was what she needed most of all. The love of a strong and good man; a man who would stand tall and prevent Skye from pursuing any future reckless course.
Seamus O'Malley was in his middle seventies, and he had not been a well man for two years now. Because of his destruction of Burke Castle there was a price on his head; a price no one had dared to collect yet. Still, the fact of it filled his life with a tension that had not been there before. In the last six months his health had deteriorated greatly, and he had not left Innisfana Island to care for the spiritual well-being of his people. He lived in a big stone house on the cliffs overlooking the sea, but despite his illnesses, he yet said the early mass in the nearby village church each morning.
It was midday when Skye and Adam arrived to see him. The door to the house was opened by Maeve, the wife
