Page 62 of Promises to Keep

He got my skirts up in the front and then his kilt up, muddy and damp, against my stomach, then with a firm grip on my thighs, he entered me, fast and hard, breathlessly,Och.

To hold me up there was a shoulder, pressing against mine, his forehead pressed to the wall, his hips plowing, with bullish exhales, animal, beast-like, he fucked me hard. Until he came with a moan and pressed against me, in a collapsed-like state. His mouth against my throat, his breath vibrating on my skin. “Och, I feel gratitude, thank ye, Kaitlyn.”

“God, I think you just saved my life.”

“Ye would hae fought him.”

I groaned. “I didn’t have my knife.”

He chuckled. “How many times will ye hae near death experiences afore ye remember tae strap on yer knife in the morn?”

I wailed, “I don’t know!”

He chuckled. “I feel a great deal better.”

“Me too. That was necessary.”

CHAPTER 32 - KAITLYN

My legs were still up and around him, but he was shivering from the cold and his legs were shaking from the effort. “You’re shaking.”

He kissed my jaw, lifted me from the wall, and carried me, laughing, to a low wooden bench. He laid me down, sat at my feet, and lifted my legs up tae his lap. He joked, “Yer skirts are like a blanket.”

I put an arm under my head, and watched him. He looked shaken.

“Are you okay?”

“Aye.” He dropped his head back tae the wall. “I think.”

“That was scary.”

“Aye, if we haena returned who kens what would hae happened.”

I nodded.

“But also, ye ken, I am a grown man, a powerful king, but yet I felt like that young man who was trying tae protect ye, remember? He was a bit lost, in over his head.”

“Yeah, I remember.”

The corridor was dark and cold, a high, thin window at the stone end of the room let in a bit of blue moonlight. It fell across his face, setting the mood — noir, sad.

“You are a very different man from those days. Then, you were the son of Mairead, the younger brother of Lizbeth and Sean, you had little consequence, but now you are Magnus, you are important — a father, a husband, a king, though none of them here seem to notice. But you don’t feel the need to prove yourself to them anymore, right?”

“Right. But still...”

“Yeah, I know.”

His thick strong hand was resting on my skirts, I entwined my fingers in his.

“I am just feeling as if I am disrespected.”

“Yeah, that happens when you go home, when anyone goes home. It’s easy to be disrespected, no one seems to get how important you are, but I see you, Magnus, I know how important and powerful and humane and generous and wise you are.”

“Thank ye, I am verra glad ye are okay.”

He closed his eyes and exhaled.

“Another thing we ought tae speak on — are ye goin’ tae be okay tae hae another bairn?”

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