depth, her passage screaming against the hard flesh invading it. For a moment the pain ruled her. It was white-hot and blinding. She struggled to escape.
“Shhh…”
It was only a sound, combined with soft kisses against her temple. The pain vanished as quickly as it had come. She gasped for breath, trying to relax with his length lodged deep inside her.
Tears eased down her face. She lifted her eyelashes to see her husband’s concerned look. It was a deep emotion that burned in his eyes. But she gasped when she realized that her fingernails had cut into his skin. Blood colored her nails and she jerked them away in horror.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not.” His voice was raspy now. All hints of control vanished. “Claw me.”
His hips flexed and he drew his cock out of her body.
“Share it with me, Helena.”
His eyes glowed and he thrust deeply into her spread body. Her passage took him with only a dull ache. She did as he commanded and dug her nails back into his arms. There was too much sensation to contain inside her. She couldn’t remain still, her hips lifting once again to press up tighter against him.
His nostrils flared. It was a tiny movement but her gaze seemed fixated on it. She clawed at him and he snarled softly.
“Dinnae ever submit to me, Helena.”
She answered him by meeting his next thrust. Hard and thick, his cock filled her, feeding that need that had gnawed at her since she met him. It wasn’t romantic but it was true. She wanted him just like this, deep inside her. Her breath was rough and so was his. His hips flexed and bucked between her thighs. She clasped him to her, trying to hold onto him and keep him deep inside her. There was no reason to keep her eyes open. She wanted to immerse herself in the sensation, the fullness of his flesh filling her, the smooth sliding of their skin as he moved on top of her.
Pleasure tightened her once again. This time it was centered deeper, all the way inside her passage. She was straining up off the bed, striving to help drive his length toward that knot of throbbing sensation. A moan pasted her lips, followed by a second one. The pleasure peeked before it broke again, spearing through her flesh with sensation that was mind-numbing. She twisted in it as if a flame had been put to the bedding. Above her, Keir snarled and ground his cock into her. A series of hot spurts filled her, satisfying the last of her hunger. She didn’t know why, only that satisfaction washed over her, leaving every muscle limp. Pleasure lingered as Keir hunched over her, his elbows keeping his chest from crushing her. His chest labored with hard breaths that rasped through his teeth.
He lifted his head, showing her an expression that touched her heart. It was so full of admiration and tender concern that tears eased from her eyes.
“Yer tears bring me to my knees, lass. Dinnae cry. It won’t hurt so much again.”
He rolled over, leaving her, and she shivered, feeling his withdrawal keenly.
“I understand….” But she didn’t understand why she felt deserted.
Keir didn’t give her time to investigate her odd feelings. He rolled right out of the bed. The firelight bathed him in scarlet now that the flames had died down. He picked up his kilt while she tried to smother her tears.
Of course he was finished with her….
But he returned to the bed, on the side that his sword was leaning against the wall. He lay back down and slipped an arm under her waist. Pulling her close, he nuzzled against her, kissed the tracks her tears had left on her cheeks.
“I always sleep nearest the door, Helena.”
He pressed her cheek down onto his chest. The sound of his heart filled her ear. She sighed, grateful for the excuse to be silent. She noticed how lonely her bed had been. The scent of his skin brought a contentment that pulled her into a slumber that was deep and unburdened by any worries. There was only the embrace of the man holding her.
Nothing else mattered.
Keir didn’t sleep immediately. He was too fascinated by the woman in his arms—the soft brush of her breath against his skin, the steady throbbing of her heart—all of the tiny details of life that he had never noticed in a bed partner before. Remaining awake to enjoy it was not a chore. Stroking her smooth shoulder,