Page 54 of Hunting for a Highlander (Highland Brides 8)

Chapter 14

“I noticed the rushes were growing a bit stale last eve when I brought up the sup fer yerself and Laird Geordie, and I was wondering did ye wish me to collect ye some fresh ones? Or mayhap some wildflowers to scent the ones ye have? Or both?”

“Oh, thank ye, Katie.” Dwyn smiled at the maid as they walked up the hall toward the room she shared with Geordie. “Fresh rushes and some flowers to scent them would be nice. ’Tis kind o’ ye to think on it.”

“Oh, well, Mavis most like would have thought on it the next time she came above stairs,” Katie assured her easily. “She just has no’ been in the room since the first day Laird Geordie woke.”

“Ye’re right,” Dwyn agreed, thinking the room had been too full of Geordie’s brothers and sisters for Mavis to get into the room the last three days. They’d had company with them in the room nonstop since shortly after everyone broke their fast until after the sup every day since Geordie had woken. Dwyn had seen Mavis look in on passing a couple times though, and suspected the first time she saw the room empty, or at least with less people, the woman would stop in for a visit. While Mavis had stayed in the background while the other would-be brides had been at Buchanan, once they were gone and Geordie’s siblings and their mates had arrived, she’d sat at the high table with them and visited often. It was how Dwyn knew the Buchanan brood saw Mavis as something of a second mother. She also knew the woman loved each and every one of the Buchanan brothers and their sister like their mother. It actually made Dwyn envious. She wished she’d had someone like Mavis as a child.

“Here we are,” Dwyn said, pushing those thoughts away as she moved ahead to open the door for the maid.

“Good morning, m’laird,” Katie said cheerily as she carried the tray to the bedside. “How are ye feeling this morning?”

“Better, thank ye, lass,” Geordie said, but his gaze was on Dwyn as she followed the girl.

Smiling at him, Dwyn let her gaze move over his newly shaved face and damp hair. She’d been concerned when he’d asked her to fetch Rory and Alick up to him when she’d woken this morning, and had waited anxiously in the hall, afraid that there was something wrong. She’d been pleasantly surprised though when Rory had stepped out and explained Geordie wanted a bath and had been asking if that would be all right, and if they couldn’t perhaps aid him with it. Dwyn couldn’t help but think that was a good sign, and had gone below to speak to Mavis about arranging one.

When the woman had suggested she might like one too, and said she’d have a second bath sent up to her sisters’ room for her to use if she’d like, Dwyn had nodded with relief. She hadn’t wanted to trouble the servants with a request like that. They were already doing so much for her and Geordie, but she hadn’t bathed since a couple days before Geordie woke. She’d been making do with washing up at the ewer since then, but had longed for a bath and the opportunity to wash her hair. She’d enjoyed that bath like none other, and had been grateful for Katie’s assistance in washing and rinsing her hair. The maid had even brushed it by the window where a warm summer breeze had helped speed the drying. Dwyn had left it down to help it finish drying, and knew it wouldn’t take long at all. It was already swinging around her rather than lying wet and limp.

Her gratitude made the smile she gave the maid a little wider than usual as Katie passed her to leave the room and pulled the door closed behind her.

“Yer brothers shaved yer face,” Dwyn said with a grin as she approached the bed.

“Did ye no’ like me with a beard and mustache, then?” Geordie asked with amusement.

“Actually, I did,” she admitted, her lips curving up as she settled on the edge of the bed next to him. “At least at first. ’Twas short and gave ye a sexy wild man look. But it did prickle a bit when we kissed.”

“Aye, which is why I shaved it off. I wanted to kiss ye without scraping yer sensitive skin,” he admitted, and then said, “Kiss me, lass.”

Her eyes widened, but Dwyn didn’t hesitate and leaned forward to kiss him. She sighed the moment their mouths met, and then opened for him when his tongue slid out to slide along the seam where her lips came together, a silent request for entry. She moaned, her back arching eagerly when his tongue filled her, and was pleased to hear Geordie’s answering moan. To her it felt like forever since he’d kissed and held her. He had only been awake three days, and was still weak, yet his response and the sudden wildness to his kiss matched her own.

When Dwyn felt his hand at her breast, she almost sucked his tongue out of his mouth with her gasp of shock. Breaking their kiss, she pulled back and stared at him.

Geordie grinned up at her with satisfaction. “I’ve been working at building me muscle at night, repeatedly raising me fingers, then me hands, then me arms, to regain me strength.”

“Oh,” she breathed, her eyes wide. His hand had followed her upright and he was toying with one erect nipple through the material of her gown.

“That’s no’ all I can raise,” he added with another grin, this one wider.

“Yer legs?” Dwyn asked uncertainly.

“Aye, I can raise them a bit, but no’ as much as me hands and arms yet,” Geordie admitted, and then added, “But that was no’ what I was talking about.”

When she blinked in confusion, he said, “I’m hot, lass. Could ye get these furs off me?”

“Oh, o’ course.” Dwyn turned to remove the large fur cover from him. It was made of several furs sewn together and very heavy, and the moment she pushed it off of him, the linen underneath popped up to form a small tent.

“Oh,” she breathed. First Dwyn stared and then she found herself reaching for the tent pole.

“Nay!” Geordie barked with alarm. When Dwyn glanced quickly back to his face, he smiled wryly and admitted, “Lass, all I’ve done the last two days was think on loving ye. ’Tis how I encouraged meself to work harder to regain me strength. I’d think on how I wanted to touch ye.” Grimacing, he added, “But I fear do you touch me now, I’ll no’ be loving ye at all.”

“Oh,” Dwyn repeated, uncertainly this time. Now she didn’t know what to do. Geordie did though.

“Undo yer lacings and bare yer breasts fer me, lass. I want to see ye and do no’ want to waste what little strength I’ve built up undressing ye. I’d rather save it fer touching.”

Dwyn didn’t hesitate. Meeting his gaze, she reached up to undo the lacings, surprised to see her hands trembling. It wasn’t shyness. There was very little shyness in her in regards to his seeing her body. Geordie had seen, touched and licked every inch of her before taking the wound that presently had him stuck in bed, and she’d dressed and undressed in front of him several times since he’d woken from that wound. But she was trembling like a virgin on her wedding night. Still, she got the lacings undone, and then quickly shrugged her gown off her shoulders.

“Stand up,” Geordie growled as she reached to push her shift off too.

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