Never Seduce a Scot (The Montgomerys and Armstrongs #1)(66)

Part of it was simple greed. If he could not go up to bed immediately with her, he wanted her with him so he could at least hold and touch her. He’d waited all day to be able to enjoy the simple joy of merely having his hands on her skin.

The other part was that he wanted to make it clear to his clan that he valued his wife and she had a permanent position in the clan. He’d use every opportunity to reinforce that idea. He wanted it well known that he fully supported his wife, Armstrong or not.

“Your wife has abandoned us,” Bowen said in amusement.

“Aye,” Graeme said. “She’s sleeping soundly.”

“Perhaps ’tis time you should retire,” Teague offered. “The lass looks exhausted. I didn’t think she’d be able to keep her head up during the meal.”

So he wasn’t the only one to note Eveline’s fatigue. It made Graeme angry that she was working so hard for acceptance when he’d already accepted her.

“Aye, I think it is time for me to take Eveline up to our chamber. If you’ll excuse us.”

He stood, bearing Eveline easily in his arms.

“Father,” he said with a nod in the priest’s direction. “We’re glad to have you, and you may start on Rorie’s instructions at your discretion.”

“Eveline’s too,” Rorie piped up. “She wants to learn as well.”

“Eveline, too, then,” Graeme said in a soft voice.

Perhaps it would keep her too occupied to worry about doing hard labor in order to satisfy what she thought the women of the keep would respect. In truth, Eveline was far more worthy of their respect than they were worthy of hers.

“I look forward to instructing two such intelligent women,” Father Drummond said, a broad smile on his face. “I have a feeling this will be one of the more entertaining tasks I’ve ever undertaken.”

Graeme walked beyond the group of men and then glanced pointedly at Rorie to let her know she should take her leave as well. She reluctantly rose from her chair and bid the others good night.

When Graeme reached their chamber, he nudged the door closed behind him, and then he carefully set Eveline on the bed.

If he were a generous man, he’d simply divest her of her clothing and tuck her into bed. But he knew that was not what he wanted. He wanted to awaken her with kisses and caresses. He wanted to make her moan with pleasure, and then he wanted to possess her again.

Two days was all he could bear to wait for her to recover from their first union. He could be patient and tender with her. But what he couldn’t do was wait another night to take her.

He’d thought of little else but how good she’d felt, how beautiful she was, and how … complete … she made him feel.

He leaned down to kiss her even as he began to ease her clothing from her body. The many layers confounded him and sorely tried his patience. He wanted nothing more than to just rend the material and bear her to his gaze as quickly as possible, but the gown she’d worn was obviously something of value and meticulously stitched.

He nibbled at her earlobe as he continued undressing her. She twisted and sighed, smiling in her sleep, which made him grin.

When she was completely naked on the bed, he lowered his mouth to gently suckle at her breast.

Her eyes flew open, still hazy with sleep, and she seemed disoriented for a moment. Then she seemed to realize where she was and what Graeme was doing. Her eyes widened and then darkened with answering desire.

She arched her body, stretching like a cat, clear invitation in her body language. It was all the encouragement Graeme needed.

He hurriedly stripped himself of clothing and found her propped on her elbow, watching as he returned to the bed. He reached for her, wanting nothing more than to feel her naked flesh against his.

When he was over her, propped on his elbows, his face just inches from hers, he said, “I’ve tried to give you time to recover, but God’s teeth, Eveline, I want you so. I cannot wait any longer.”

She smiled and lifted her chin so she could kiss him. “I’ve more than recovered. I want you, too, husband.”

With a groan he crushed his mouth to hers, drinking deeply of her sweetness. His body was flush to hers and her softness beckoned, such a wondrous contradiction to the hard planes of his own body.

He rolled, taking her with him so they lay side by side and he simply stared into her eyes, absorbing the glaze in her expression. Desire was evident. It mirrored his own and he had to task himself with treating her gently, no matter that she said she was recovered.

His instinct was to roll back atop her and plunge as deeply into her welcoming body as he could. He wanted to remain inside her, simply feeling her around his cock. He would be content to spend the entire night surrounded by her warmth.

She stirred restlessly beside him, as if she, too, couldn’t wait for him to possess her again. He ran a hand up her leg to her shapely hip and then up her side with a gentle caress until he reached the swell of her breast. There he cupped the soft mound and rubbed his thumb across her puckered crest until it hardened into a point. Then he angled his head down and drew the nipple into his mouth, sucking until she let out a moan and arched farther into him.

Pushing himself farther up so he was above her, he reached down, sliding his hand between her thighs, satisfied to find her hot and damp with desire.

He rubbed over the tiny nub hidden in her woman’s flesh, eliciting another sigh of satisfaction from her. Then he pushed her gently onto her back so he had full access to her body, her br**sts, everything he wanted to kiss and touch and caress.