Page 40 of The Laird's Unwanted Wife
Gerald held his tongue as his heart skipped a beat. She was right, of course. A man who wanted distance certainly wouldn’t invest as much as he had in Mollie, nor would he hold her to the same standards as those under his banner.
“And when we speak, there are times I see ye let yer guard down, Gerald. Where ye’re nae just Laird MacLiddel, but a man I could see meself happy to call a husband.” A small smile crossed Aileen’s lips, her attention drifting toward the carved face of the bookshelf.
Her expression flickered with knowing, and Gerald suddenly found himself drawn to her entirely. That smile seemed to light up the room, spreading a warmth that the castle hearths could never seem to produce.
“But then ye step away.” Aileen’s smile wobbled, and a chill ran down Gerald’s spine. Such a simple act, yet it had such a dramatic effect on him. “And ye take of a piece of me with ye.” She shook her head, her hands now gripping the edge of the desk for support. “I daenae ken how to go back to how things were, when that happens.”
She was trembling.
“But I want to respect ye and yer boundaries—I’m nae the only one with a troubling past, and it’s nay right to force ye to destroy a boundary for me own sake.”
Her fingers gripped the desk so tightly—Gerald wanted his hands to be squeezed instead.
“But even as I say that, I want tobewith ye, in a way we agree on. And it tears more pieces from me, and it’s hard to stitch it all back up with holes and jagged edges, and …”
Aileen’s voice broke down completely, her bravado nearing its end. And yet, her reason for interruption wasn’t due to her own internal fear, her anxious stammering. It was because in that moment, Gerald closed the distance between them and caught her in a kiss.
21
Everything went blank once Gerald’s lips met hers. Her emotions, once quickly unraveling, suddenly began to coalesce into a tight, aching warmth that spread to the tips of her fingers, leaving behind a tingling sensation.
The feeling only intensified once Gerald grasped her hand, briefly breaking free from their kiss to lead her palm gently across his face. His beard was surprisingly soft, with a hint of coarse curl that reminded Aileen of the harsh battles he’d faced all his life.
“Breathe,” he ordered softly.
She did so, taking in his scent immediately as the forest in his eyes quieted her soul. It was sharp, comforting; a mix of wood shavings and the fresh feeling snow gave when it first fell to earth.
Her fingers worked gently through his beard, toward the nape of his neck—he really did have incredibly thick hair, curled from years of tight braids worn for combat. Aileen let her arms rest against his shoulders, leaned in just enough to, perhaps, encourage him to offer another kiss.
And another kiss he did offer, one that lingered far longer than the last. With his own hands freed, Gerald moved to explore Aileen’s face as well, gently caressing her cheeks as the callousness of his skin sent pleasant shivers throughout her body. Then, he moved across her chin, down her neck, and past her breasts, lingering close to her hips before stopping himself.
“It’s all right,” Aileen assured, wanting nothing more than for him to hoist her upright there and then. But even with her assurance, Gerald seemed to reconsider, opting instead to return up to her bodice, his fingers flexing experimentally against the pull of her strings. A hot wave of shame washed over Aileen’s face, and she wondered briefly if, perhaps, her husband found her lack of a bosom disappointing. Yet, Gerald only continued to play with the strings, loosening them ever so slightly with a curious frown.
“There’s really nothing to look at,” she began, only to gasp as she felt him tug the string loose, causing the bodice to release its firm hold against her. Her gaze met his—still curious, still intent on continuing—but his fingers lingered, waiting for her to consent.
Aileen offered a slight nod, but Gerald remained still. “If … if ye wish,” she began, feeling completely ridiculous as she stood before him. “But, it’s nay as impressive as others, I’m sure?—”
A startled gasp escaped her as Gerald let go of the fabric, her bodice dropping to the ground and leaving nothing but the thin silk of her gown between them.
The sudden rush of cold air prickled across her breasts, her nipples immediately perked and were visibly present against her dress. And all the while, Gerald seemed to be admiring her, flat and undefined as her bosom truly was. His hands experimentally rose along her ribcage, the material bunching against her skin as Aileen’s breath hitched.
Then, with no objections from her, Gerald offered another kiss as he began to caress her tenderly. His fingers explored the rise of her nipples beneath the silk, a sensation that caused a numbing warmth to pool between her legs. She felt her legs give out briefly, and Gerald only leaned in closer, pressing her body against his desk as his legs gently trapped her waist.
She could feel him between her legs, a stiffness against his trousers; that, coupled with his teasing fingers and insatiable taste for her skin, quickly sent her into a dizzying state of euphoria. There were so many points of contact, and Aileen felt herself ravenous for more.
“Gods, ye’re beautiful,” Gerald growled suddenly.
Her hands clutched the back of his shirt, her fingers digging into his flesh as he continued to work her, kiss her, and touch every part of her she’d felt shameful of. The flatness of her chest suddenly meant very little to her as he continued to tease the perks of her breasts, as his cock continued to press against theinnermost part of her legs she once found too thin, too weak to even hold her own frame.
Each kiss sent a new wave of pride across her body, a sense of femininity Aileen hadn’t experienced for herself in a long, long time. And all of it melded into an indescribable heat within her core, a bubbling warmth she had only managed to ignite with her anger, her feelings of desperation, and indignation.
And it built to a feverish pitch as his lips traveled across the nape of her neck, down the exposed parts of her chest not covered by her silken dress. The brush of his beard, the tingling of silk against her nipples, the stiffness of his being against the skin of her legs … an unfamiliar moan tore itself free from Aileen’s chest, fueled by the growing pressure at that spot between her thighs.
She felt the heat rush across her and out through the tips of her fingers, her toes, leaving behind a pleasant trembling that wracked her entire being.
Gerald was quick to embrace her, carefully easing her off his desk and making his own frame the support she so desperately craved in that moment.
He then sank to the ground, cradling her against his chest as her legs splayed out in front of them, his own forming a barrier to hold her within his embrace. To the fluttering beat of his heart, Aileen simply took the moment in, vaguely aware of her husband’s hand stroking her hair.
