Page 65 of The Wrong Highlander (Highland Brides 7)

She blinked in surprise at the suddenly wet nipple as cool juice gathered into a drop at the tip and dangled briefly. Just before it would have dropped, Conran caught Evina by the waist, lifted her to sit on the table and bent his head to catch the drop of sweet liquid before it fell.

Evina bit her lip and clasped his shoulders as he drew her nipple into his mouth and laved the rest of the juice away. When he straightened, and made as if to kiss her, she stopped him with a hand on his chest and then tugged his shirt up. Conran immediately set the half-eaten peach on the table beside her and helped, catching the hem of the shirt she’d lifted and tugging it up and off over his head.

By the time he finished, Evina had grabbed the peach. He grunted in surprise when she ran the cool fruit over one of his nipples, but didn’t stop her as she then closed her mouth over his muscled chest and sucked the pebbling nipple between her lips.

Conran uttered another surprised grunt, and clasped her head with one hand as she did it, and Evina smiled and then nipped at his nipple, before releasing it and turning to apply the same treatment to his other one. When she finished and raised her head to meet his gaze, there was a somewhat bemused expression on his face.

“What?” she asked uncertainly. “Did ye no’ like that?”

“Aye, much to me surprise I did,” he admitted in a growl, and took the peach from her. “Take off yer tunic.”

Evina raised her eyebrows at the demand, but caught the tunic where it had gathered around her waist, and lifted it off over her head. She then let it drop to the floor and lifted her chin to peer at him. Waiting to see what he did next.

What he did was offer her the peach back. Evina hesitated, half expecting him to move it away when she reached for it as she recalled his trick with the cherry in the clearing, but he didn’t. He let her take it and murmured, “Ye should finish it. Ye need to rebuild yer strength.”

Evina narrowed her eyes. There was something about his expression that made her suspicious, but after a moment, she raised the peach and took a bite. The moment she did, Conran lowered his head and began to nuzzle her ear. Closing her eyes, she chewed and swallowed and took another bite, her head tilting and a moan humming in her throat as he nipped her earlobe and kissed her neck. When she was down to the pit, he straightened and gestured toward the tray on the table behind her. Evina set the pit in the tray and then started to reach for one of the linens on the table, intending to wipe away the peach juice that had slid from the fruit and run over her hand, but Conran caught her by the wrist to stop her.

Blinking in surprise, Evina glanced to his face and then simply watched as he raised her hand to his mouth and began to lick away the juices, his tongue rasping over her palm. Her eyes widened slightly as the action caused a reaction in her body, but she began to squirm on the tabletop when his tongue ran between her fingers, sending butterflies fluttering in her stomach. That was unexpected, she thought, and when he closed his mouth over one finger and suckled as he drew it out, she couldn’t resist reaching for him. Catching him by the hip, she tried to draw him closer, but he resisted and moved on to her second finger instead.

He was driving her crazy. Who could have imagined that licking her fingers could be so enervating? She’d licked her own fingers often enough and never felt this excited need that was building in her.

“Conran,” she protested finally, pulling on her hand and his hip at the same time.

“Aye,” he murmured, and gave up on her hand to kiss her lips instead.

Evina kissed him eagerly back, a combination of need and relief flowing through her as he moved closer and she was able to slide her arms around his waist. She wanted him again. Needed him even. She wanted to again experience that pleasure he’d shown her. She wanted her blood to sing, and her body to throb. She wanted him touching and licking and inside her, Evina thought, and tried to tell him that by reaching for the hardness between them and clasping it in hand, trying to draw him forward and into her.

When Conran caught her wrist and broke their kiss, she opened her eyes and scowled with frustration. For some reason, that made him smile, but he said, “Murine and Dougall arrived today and Niels is expected tomorrow.”

Evina blinked, her mind slow to adjust to this new subject, but then she realized what he was saying. Niels and his wife were the last of his family coming. Once they arrived, her father would want to hold the wedding, she realized, and stared at him silently, her mind working. Evina’s first instinct when her father had announced that she’d have to marry Conran had been refusal. She’d tried to talk him out of it and, failing that, had considered fleeing. But then Conran had started spending time with her in her room, talking and playing games to help pass the time.

It was the talking that had slowly begun to change her mind. Conran was a good man, a smart man, a patient man. Even when she’d got frustrated and testy at being stuck in her room, he’d remained good-humored and pleasant. And he’d promised never to hit her, she recalled. He’d even agreed to have it put in the wedding contract. And then there was the pleasure he gave her. That first time in the clearing had been just awful, but her experiences with him since then . . . There was no pain. It was all pleasure now, even when he’d joined with her again the last time. Her body had welcomed him . . . and it wanted him again. She wanted him again. The marriage bed was no longer something she feared but something Evina yearned for.

Still . . . She would be giving him power over her. She would lose the independence her father gave her, and Conran might not be as easygoing as him. He might expect her to actually follow the marriage vows and obey and—

“Evi?” Conran asked gently. “Will ye marry me?”

Evina stilled in surprise at the question. It was the first time she’d been asked. She’d been told she was marrying him by her father, but even he, who she knew loved her, hadn’t made her feel like she had a choice, or that he cared whether she wanted to or not. Conran though was asking. She almost said yes for that reason alone, but then caught the word back and told him, “I won’t promise to obey ye.”

Conran nodded as if he’d expected as much and assured her, “That’s fine. I wouldn’t want ye to risk yer soul by lying before the priest and God anyway.”

Evina smiled faintly, but still hesitated.

“But I’ll add to me own vows and promise before the priest and God ne’er to hit ye,” Conran said now. “I’ll also have that put in the marriage contract as I said I would. I’ll approach yer father about it first thing on the morrow.”

The words made Evina relax completely. He hadn’t forgotten his promise. With everything that had happened, she’d feared—

“Will ye marry me, lass?” he asked again, his voice solemn.

Swallowing, she met his gaze, and managed to get out the word, “Aye,” in little more than a croak.

It was enough. Conran bent to kiss her again with a passion that startled her with its strength. He was like a conquering warrior claiming his treasure, his mouth and tongue devouring and demanding a response. Evina didn’t hesitate more than a minute before giving it to him. She might have a few small qualms still in her mind, but her body knew what it wanted and was ready to celebrate this victory with him.

Conran woke up on his side with Evina cradled against him. Her bottom nestled against his groin and his arm wrapped around her waist and bent so that his hand could cup her breast. It was heaven, and he decided then that life would be a joy if he could wake up every morning just like this.

And he would, Conran reminded himself with a smile. As soon as Niels arrived they would have the ceremony and Evina would be his. At least, she would be if he got that marriage contract dealt with. Conran was surprised the Maclean hadn’t already approached him about it, but it had to be taken care of before the wedding and that would be today if Niels arrived as expected.

Removing his arm from around Evina, he eased out of bed and then gently tucked the furs around her. The lass didn’t even move. Conran wasn’t terribly surprised. While they’d slept all day and evening the day before, they’d been up most of the night exploring each other’s bodies. Evina was proving as bold and adventurous as he’d hoped when he’d thought her an experienced widow. The experience might be missing, but the enthusiasm was definitely present and they’d made love on the table, then the furs, and then she’d tried to pleasure him with her mouth and hand as he’d done for her. That had been more an exercise in frustration than anything, but she would improve with some tutelage, and he was pleased that she had been willing to try it. Besides, his frustration had given way to pleasure once he’d made her stop, rolled her onto her hands and knees and thrust into her from behind so that he could fondle her breasts and touch her as he drove them both to the edge of pleasure again and again until he’d relented and pushed them both over that edge.

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