“Never have I seen a woman more bonnie than ye, Kate,” he said. “I want to worship every part of ye. Will ye let me?”
Worship her?
Her?
She was too disoriented from the hot desire in her veins and his male beauty to think of it, but distant parts of her psyche shook their heads in disbelief.
She shut them up and let her body and her heart take over.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Come,” he said.
He rose and took her by the hand. He stepped on a small stool set by the washing barrel and climbed into the tub, then helped her in as well. The water was warm, just the right temperature, and Kate moaned at the wet touch of it on her sensitive flesh.
Ian sat on the bottom of the barrel and leaned against the wall. “Come here,” he said.
Kate went to him and settled between his legs. His erection that felt hotter than the water, pressed against her lower back. He reached out to a small shelf built into the edge of the tub and took a piece of soap. It smelled flowery.
“’Tis a Castile soap,” he said. “Made of olive oil, nae tallow as they do here. Father must have bought it a while ago. I canna imagine he’d have spent money on expensive soap in recent years.”
He foamed the soap between his hands, put it back on the shelf, and massaged Kate’s shoulders. She relaxed her head and sagged against him. His hands went down to her breasts and began massaging them, sliding over her skin, playing with her hardening nipples.
“Ohhhh…” she moaned. “This feels so good…”
“I wholeheartedly agree, lass,” Ian said.
He washed her, rubbing and caressing her breasts, then ran his hands down to her stomach, her sides and her hips.
When he reached her hips, he slowed his movements down. He gently kneaded her thighs and spread her legs. The gesture was so wanton, so sexy, Kate bit her lower lip. He slowly made his way towards her sex, every squeeze taking her higher into a cloud of delirious happiness.
Then his fingers were at her sex. He spread her folds and gently stroked here there. Kate arched her back at the intensity of the pleasure that shot through her. He began exploring her there, rubbing, slapping slightly, delicately tugging.
Kate hissed and moaned and shook while he found his way around her body.
“Ye like that lass,” he murmured. “How about this?”
He applied more pressure against her clitoris, and a shudder went through Kate’s legs. All she could manage, was a noise that resembled a meow.
“Oh, aye, I think ye like that.”
He continued his game while Kate tightened more and more strongly in her core.
Then he suddenly withdrew, lifted her, and turned her to face him. She straddled him, his cock pressing against her stomach.
Ian undid Kate’s hair, and the long tresses fell into the water and swam around her like sunrays.
“So beautiful, lass. How did I ever deserve ye?” he said.
He held her gaze, and there was a question in his eyes, as though, he was asking if she was really ready. She bit her lip and nodded. She wasn’t just ready, she needed him.
Lifting her in one swift movement, he invaded her sleek core. He cursed under his breath, and Kate almost fainted from the wave of pleasure. He withdrew, then thrusted again, diving inside her, stretching her to the most delicious limits. He wrapped one arm around her waist to hold her in place and increased the rhythm, pounding into her with throaty, growly noises.
With the other hand, he reached between her legs and found her engorged clit. The moment he touched it, she was on the edge of an orgasm. He devoured her with his eyes, as though he were seeing the sky for the first time after years in prison.
In his strong arms, and under his sweet assaults, Kate was unraveling, being peeled open to the very core of her soul. Their eyes were locked. He looked at her as though he’d die if he didn’t.
The orgasm took her like a hurricane, and as she tightened and convulsed around him, he stiffened, his hands digging into the flesh of her hips to pin her to him with every thrust he made.
She tightened and released, wave after wave in an eternity of world-shattering pleasure. The orgasm cascaded through her in a burning surge, and when it was over, she fell on top of him, into his arms. She hid her face in his neck, inhaling his delicious masculine scent.
As the aftershocks of their lovemaking were calming down, she stiffened.
She wanted to stay in his arms and have him at her side forever. She was falling deeper and deeper in love with him.
Loving him meant pain. Loving him meant her heart would be crushed. Because no matter how much she wanted to stay with him, there could be no forever for them.
Her sister and her nephew needed her. Without Kate, they’d end up on the streets.
The more she loved him, the more she’d be shattered into pieces when she had to leave. And she loved him more and more every minute.
Chapter 21
Thoroughly cleaned and satisfied, Ian held Kate in his arms. They lay in his bed after having made love two more times. He inhaled the scent of her skin and of her wet hair.
Thank ye, God, Jesu, and Mary for Kate.
Ian had never been so happy in his entire life. His body expanded and light, his blood flowing easily through his veins. The intensity with which she’d given herself to him, the responsiveness of her beautiful body, made him love her even more.
He stroked her arm. “Ye’re a blessing to me, lass,” he said.
She looked up at him. “Me? A blessing?” She snorted.
“Aye. And it pains me that ye doubt it.”
She hid her face against his chest, her hair tickling him slightly. “You just like my cooking.”
“Aye, I do. But ’tisna just that.”
