Page 38 of The Black Wolf's Captive

‘Don’t Ailsa, let me see you. It stirs my blood to look upon you.’

‘I should not let you, it is not right,’ she gasped as his fingers found the soft mound between her legs.’

‘Oh, but it is right. You are my wife and the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. The sight of you makes me want to do such things to you,’ he said, slowly and gently circling his fingers until she pushed herself against them.

Her surrender was absolute. ‘Oh Duncan,’ she sighed, ‘do what you will with me but please… don’t stop.’

The way she said his name, her lustful invitation, was irresistible. With a moan of longing, he lifted her slightly and slid into her.

Ailsa held her breath then moved against him, sliding against his hardness as his hands grasped her hips and he urged her not to stop. ‘Do you like that’ he said breathlessly.

‘Yes…yes,’ she gasped.

‘Then I won’t stop until you know what it is to please a man and have him please you in return. Gods you are lovely,’ he said, grinding his hips against her.

She moved tentatively at first still trying to cover her nakedness but Duncan would have none of that and firmly removed her hands from her breasts and from between her legs. ‘There’s no shame in this lass. Let me see you, all of you.’ When she showed herself he swelled and hardened inside her, marvelling at her passionate response to his touch, seeing her self-consciousness ebb away as her desire grew.

Duncan fell back onto the hay and looked up at her taking her pleasure from him. He had never seen anything so lovely. Her head was thrown back, nails digging hard into the taut muscles of his stomach, strands of thick hair tumbling down over those glorious breasts. He pressed gently against the soft cushion of bright hair between her legs, causing Ailsa to draw her breath in sharply and arch her back. She moaned softly and gasped out his name and he could hold himself no longer and pushed her down onto him as he joined with her.

When his breathing slowed he pulled her against his belly, kissing her face softly, hands buried in her hair. Still inside her, he rolled her over onto her back and lifted himself up onto his elbows to look at her face. She was smiling, the softness in her eyes still there and intensified by fulfilment. Ailsa MacLeod had wanted him at last and the pleasure had been mutual.

‘I didn’t know it could feel like that,’ she said in wonder. ‘I…I thought that for a woman, it was something to be tolerated.’

‘Not tolerated, savoured. I told you to trust me, did I not?’ Duncan replied as tender feelings threatening to overwhelm him. He held her, stroking her hair, with his plaid thrown over them, until the day faded to twilight. Then he lay over her and took her again, slowly this time, as she pressed herself against him and clung to him. He revelled in every sweet-smelling part of her and stilled her soft moans with his kisses as she reached the heights of ecstasy once more.

Much later they dressed and slipped back into the castle. Duncan left Ailsa at the foot of the stairs with a lingering kiss and she was gone. He stood a while looking after her as a warm sense of triumph flooded through his bones, feeling a surge of male pride at having sent a woman from him well bedded but also a sense of peace and fulfilment. He had known that she wanted him just as he had a growing realisation that he needed her to.

He would not go to her room tonight though he dearly wanted to for even now he still doubted her attraction to him. So far he had bound her to him by force not affection and he did not want it to be that way between them, for him to have her lovely body without ever touching her soul. He would be patient, keep his distance and let her come to him. If she wanted him she would seek him out and if not, then he could at least hang on to some shred of pride. He had decided he wanted her above all else; now she had to decide if she wanted him beyond the protection he offered.

Duncan was pulled out of his reverie by the noisy arrival of his men back from their latest patrol. Tired and muddied they had little to report and had encountered no incursion into MacLeod lands and Rory seemed disappointed by this turn of events.

‘The bastards are laying low for the time being it would seem and if we do encounter them they melt into the mist and rain before we can come to grips with them. But they hurt us all the same Duncan.’

‘Aye, the Sinclairs are cunning and cowardly in equal parts and won’t challenge openly but still, they damage us. It is death by a thousand cuts. They must be building up to something though, they won’t have given up their ambitions just yet,’ said Duncan grimly.

‘No you’re right. Oh, but I have news from your uncle, we encountered his messenger on our way home. He has a letter for you.’

‘Send him to me at once.’ Duncan turned to go.

‘Did you spend a good day whilst we were out on a fool’s errand chasing ghosts?’ said Rory.

‘Aye, I had a fine day.’

‘Did Ailsa like the horse?’

‘Aye’, she did,’ replied Duncan casually. ‘You were right, women do like gifts.’ And with that he bounded up the stairs, taking them three at a time.

‘Wonder what’s put a spring into his step?’ thought Rory as he went to find the messenger.

Chapter Thirteen

‘We leave soon,’ Duncan said with finality and in a tone that brooked no opposition. The passionate man she had lain with just a few hours ago was gone and a glaring stranger stood in his place. Ailsa’s disappointment with this turned to anger. She had been awake all night unable to sleep for thinking about what had happened in the stable, marvelling at the pleasure Duncan’s hard young body had given hers. She had delighted in the realisation that she could make him do it again wherever and whenever she wanted and now this! To be shaken awake in the half-light of dawn with him barking orders, it really was too much to bear.

‘I won’t go.’

‘You must.’

‘Why must I?’

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