Page 30 of Kilted Seduction
Aedan looked down at her. “We cannae disappoint them. And ‘tis tradition. ‘Twould be bad luck tae ignore it.”
“Aye.” Thora reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. “A kiss then, fer luck and tradition, and Yuletide cheer.”
She’d intended to offer a quick, chaste kiss, and cite shyness if anyone asked her about it, but the press of Aedan’s lips on hers drove every thought of caution from her. The mouth that claimed hers was firm, lips dry and slightly rough but intoxicating all the same. He tasted of roast meat and mulled wine, and something she didn’t recognize, but which seemed purely and utterly his. Smoke from the candles filled her nose, along with the scent ofAedanand rendered her powerless to pull away.
It seemed he felt the same, for the kiss became more demanding, more urgent. A hand that had cupped her cheek went to the back of her head, tugging her closer as his lips parted and his tongue flicked across her lips in silent question.
She could no more have denied that question than she could have learned to breathe water. Her mouth opened, welcoming his touch and his claiming as the kiss deepened still further.
A loud wolf whistle brought her back to her senses, and she and Aedan jolted apart. Despite his tanned skin, she could see his cheeks were flushed, his eyes wide, and she suspected she looked every bit as dazed. Her skin was humming, and in the brief moment before he pulled away entirely, she could feel that she was not the only one who’d been caught in a wave of desire.
Then Aedan took a deep breath and gave her a wry smile. “Dae ye think we’ve satisfied them, wife?”
Thora swallowed hard and glanced around his arm. Several of the ladies were blushing and fanning themselves, and the men were either smirking or outright leering. “Aye.”
Pulling back from the sweet heat of Thora’s mouth, and the pliant responsiveness of her body, was one of the hardest things Aedan had ever done. He was sure of it. His blood burned with the desire to pull her closer, to find some quiet corner to continue what they’d started. His manhood ached with arousal, and it was only Thora’s proximity and her long, full skirts that were hiding just how affected he really was.
If she’d really been his wife, he would have swept her off her feet and carried her to the nearest room for some privacy and showed her just how much she heated his blood.
As it was, he had to take deep breaths and think of snow for a moment before the raging heat and aching erection began to subside.
Once he was able to walk without wincing - though not without a certain amount of discomfort - the two of them joined the others at the table. Kendrick clapped him on the shoulder. “And here I was, thinkin’ ye might be telling tales this morn… but if that’s the way she greets a kiss from ye, then I envy ye man!”
“Och, I had wondered on yer reluctance tae speak meself.” Arthur nodded. “I thought perhaps ‘twas a brief liaison where ye were forced tae dae right by the lass afterward – ‘tis kent tae happen - but seein’ that kiss…” He trailed off.
Abruptly, Aedan remembered their story from the previous night. They’d mentioned her brother had caught them and brought them before a priest. He wanted to kick himself, or Thora, or both of them.
Of course with a tale like that and his reticence concerning their marriage bed, someone would think it was a marriage that had been demanded by her kin, rather than a bond of affection. He wanted to groan at how neatly he and Thora had nearly tripped themselves up.
Thora was already smiling sweetly at the men, with an air of gentle bemusement. “This morn, me lairds?”
“Aye. There was some discussion this morn, and ‘twas noted the two o’ ye were quieter than one would expect o’ a newly wedded couple…” Arthur trailed off. Aedan wished the man could have been half as uncomfortable this morning as he was bringing up the topic now.
Thora blushed and looked away as if abashed. “Och, never say Aedan isnae willing tae fulfill his position as a husband! But he was bein’ kind tae me, and didnae ask fer much. I’d bruised me back in fallin’ last night, ye see, and between that and the headache I had from facin’ the cold and wet yesterday…”
Lachlan laughed. “A headache, ye say lass?” The elder laird had been drinking steadily throughout the day, and though he held his alcohol well, his manners had slipped slightly. “I’ve heard it said that a headache is what a lass claims tae have when she doesnae wish tae properly fulfill her duties tae a man, as a wife or lover.”
Thora colored, and Aedan could see a spark of ire in her eyes, though she controlled it well. “Och, I dinnae ken about other women, me laird, but I do get headaches from long exposure tae the cold. Even taeday, I’ve had a dull throbbing in my temples… I was hopin’ some food and drink would ease it, and mayhap a hot bath…”
“Mayhap. I rather think that we menfolk must pity Laird Cameron, fer I’ll wager ye’ll leave him without any means tae relieve himself after what ye’ve inflicted on him just now.” Lachlan chuckled, and there were snickers all around the table.
There was a snide tone to his words, and a smug twist to his mouth that made Aedan want to hit him or challenge him to a duel for Thora’s honor. He didn’t dare of course - such things were frowned upon during a festival, especially when the cause was simple words, and the speaker was one’s host.
He still wanted to hit the man.
He wasn’t prepared for Thora to stand up and take his arm. “Me laird… if ye’ll excuse me, I need tae speak tae me husband. I wish tae make sure he’s nae in any distress, since ye’ve brought it tae me attention.”
Aedan doubted Thora was about to suggest they surrender to Lachlan’s words, but he followed her willingly enough. Anything was better than remaining there and trying to politely ignore Lachlan Ross’s gibes, and his obvious attempts to either cause a rift between them or prove to his guests that the marriage was a farce.
He didn’t know why the Laird Ross was so determined to do so, when the wedded state of his allies was no affair of his. However, the fact that Lachlan so clearly wanted to tear them apart was more than enough to convince Aedan to make sure his attempts failed.
Thora led him to a secluded alcove some distance from the Great Hall, then turned to face him, her expression tight. “Mark me.”
Aedan almost lost his footing at her blunt words. “What?”
“The kiss wasnae enough. He’s still suspicious, and I dinnae trust what he’ll try next. Worse, I dinnae want him convincing the other lairds he’s correct. We’ll never survive if they all suspect us and are lookin’ fer proof that we’re nae as close as we claim.”
She was correct, but even so…
