"I have loved none, but I have made love to enough to know what is pleasing to lovers," he said. "There are men who believe a woman"s body is for their pleasure alone. They take what they want from women and care nothing but for their own enjoyment. I have learned that a man"s greatest pleasure comes from giving his woman pleasure too. You are a virgin, of course. Tell me what you know of lovemaking so I may correct the misconceptions first, and then add to your knowledge."
"Could we not just do what needs doing, my lord?" she asked nervously. "I ache in every joint from today"s challenge, and want nothing more than sleep." Her cheeks were pink at having said the blunt words just spoken.
Fingal Stewart laughed aloud. "Oh, Maggie mine," he said, "never have I known a woman of such candor as ye are. But what we do this night is more than just a duty." Reaching out, he took her hand in his. It was cold, but her slender fingers curled about his. That was good, he thought. "You aren"t afraid of me, are you?" he asked her.
"Nay," she responded. "I know ye now and believe ye to be a good man."
"Are ye afraid of the coupling?" he queried.
"Nay!" Maggie quickly said. Then blushing, she admitted, "Mayhap a little, but only because I am not certain what is expected of me." She sighed. "I do not like being so wretchedly ignorant, my lord."
"Ye must trust me, Maggie mine," he said, "and I have learned these past months that your trust is not easily or quickly given."
"To not be in control of my life is difficult, my lord. I know these are words a man does not often hear from the lips of a woman, but I trust you enough to utter them to you without fear of a beating."
"I will never beat you, my lady wife. A man who beats a woman is admitting his own defeat, and I have never admitted defeat in all my life. Now we both know what needs doing this night, and we shall do it. Then we shall sleep, for I tell you truly that my body aches even more than yers. Ye were not an easy opponent to overcome, Maggie mine." He smiled warmly at her as he spoke.
The words came out before she might stop them. "Ye dinna beat me, my lord."
"I disarmed ye, la.s.s," he replied with a grin, appreciating the fine line of distinction she had drawn and not in the least offended. "And then yer grandsire declared me the victor. Do ye really want to disagree with the old man?"
"And break his heart?" she replied. "Nay, I do not. But ye did not really beat me, my lord. My silence allowed ye the victory, but I am not unhappy with the outcome."
"I am very relieved to hear it, la.s.s," he told her softly. Then he brushed the back of her hand with his lips, slowly kissing each finger upon it. He turned the hand over and placed a deep kiss upon her palm as he looked into her lovely face.
Maggie"s hazel eyes grew wide with surprise as she felt a ripple of excitement race through her. She had never known the palm of one"s hand could be so sensitive.
"Take off yer night garment," Fin"s voice instructed quietly, his eyes meeting hers.
"Will ye take off yers?" she countered, her heart beginning to thump in her ears.
In response, he loosed her hand and pulled his night garb off, tossing it carelessly to the floor. "Turnabout is fair play, madam," he told her.
Unwilling to play the shrinking virgin, Maggie yanked her gown over her head and tossed it bravely onto the floor next to his, but she grasped the coverlet up with one hand to cover her naked b.r.e.a.s.t.s, not daring to look at him now.
Then to her surprise Fin stood up. "Look at me," he said to her. "Look and see how a man is fashioned. If you have questions, I will answer them."
This certainly had to be the oddest wedding night any couple had ever had, Maggie considered. Then, raising her gaze, she looked at the naked man before her. He was surely the most magnificent male creature ever created, she decided, despite her lack of sources for comparison. Oh, she had seen men in the fields naked from the waist up. She had seen others, their lower torsos wrapped in linens as they labored on the few hot days of summer. She had even seen glimpses of male b.u.t.tocks as they eagerly used a la.s.s in the hay or the hedges. But never had she seen a fully naked man, or one of such perfection.
He was wonderfully tall, and his limbs were in perfect proportion to his trunk. His arms, his chest, and his back were muscled, but not overly so. His calves were exceedingly shapely, his thighs strong. He was not a hairy man like some she had seen. There was the lightest covering of down on his legs and arms. His broad chest, however, was smooth. His b.u.t.tocks were firm, and she was certain she saw a dimple where his spine split the flesh into twin moons. His feet were large, suiting his size. A thick thatch of black curls sprang forth from his mons. His manhood hung long and relaxed amid it. It didn"t look at all particularly dangerous, Maggie thought. In fact it seemed rather indifferent. What if her body didn"t excite it? After all, he had said he was marrying her because the king had told him to wed her. It had hardly been a flattering commentary.
Fin had turned himself slowly so she might observe him at her leisure in his entirety. Now he held out his hand to her. "Come, madam," he said. "Ye"ve now seen me. I would see ye." He gently peeled the coverlet from her hand and drew her forth from the bed onto her feet to stand where he might view her as freely and as frankly as she had viewed him. She was statuesque for a woman, taller than many men, but he still towered over her. She was beautifully formed with shapely arms and legs, a light ripple of muscle across her smooth shoulders that eased into a long back. Her b.u.t.tocks were surprisingly round and plump. He wanted to kneel then and there to nip at them, but he didn"t. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were round but not overly large. The nipples upon them could be called dainty. Her slim torso boasted a narrow waist that flowed into well-proportioned hips and trim, but firm, thighs. Her mons was covered in chestnut-colored curls, the hue of which matched her long hair. Unlike some women, she did not pluck her curls. His eyes fell at last to her feet, which were slender and long in keeping with her height.
"Yer a beautiful la.s.s," Fin finally said.
Maggie colored. She had hardly breathed as his gray eyes had slowly explored her female form. But now unable to help herself, she sneezed.
"Into bed with ye, la.s.s," he said, quickly pushing her toward the furniture in question and as swiftly climbing in next to her.
It had been done so quickly, Maggie didn"t have time to consider it, but suddenly she was lying side by side with this man who was her husband. He put his arms about her, and she gave a little cry of surprise. "Oh!" He was wrapped about her, and the sensation of his flesh touching her flesh was amazing to her.
"Yer chilled," he said with understatement. " "Twas selfish of me to keep ye from our warm bed, feasting myself on yer fair form, Maggie mine," he apologized.
"Yer my husband, and ye may do as ye please with me," Maggie said.
"Nay," he replied, surprising her. "It was thoughtless, la.s.s, but yer so beautiful."
"So are ye," she murmured back. She was beginning to feel warm again.
Fin chuckled. "I dinna think I"ve ever been called beautiful, but I thank ye."
His arms tightened about her, and he kissed the top of her head.
Maggie winced.
"What is it?" His voice was filled with concern.
"If ye might not hold me so tightly, my lord," she said to him. "My neck and shoulders really do ache. I don"t ever recall being so sore."
He loosened his grip upon her. " "Tis difficult not to hold ye tightly, la.s.s," he admitted to her. "It seems as if I"ve waited forever to hold ye."
"Ye but came to Brae Aisir less than four months ago, my lord," she said.
"But I knew then ye were to be my wife, and when I saw ye, how could I not want to hold ye in my arms?" Fin felt her firm young body cradled against him, and a frisson of desire raced down his spine. He knew what was expected of them that night, and she knew too, but he didn"t want this first experience with him to be unpleasant. And he realized that until Maggie was with child, he would be expected to be with her each and every night but for a few. He wanted to prepare her for what was to come, and he wanted her content when it was over. Whether her pa.s.sions could be fully engaged by him he didn"t know, but their couplings should be enjoyable, and she should not dread them.
Could they love each other? Did such a thing as love even exist? Was it possible for them to find it together? Fingal Stewart really had no answers to his own questions. But he did know if they liked and respected each other, if they could enjoy the coupling of their bodies and produce bairns for Brae Aisir, the marriage would be a good one. It was the best he could hope for now. The time for talk had ended.
"My lord," she began, but he stopped her mouth with a quick kiss.
"Enough, la.s.s. Let me lead ye, Maggie mine. And while it pleases me to hear ye call me my lord in public, in private I would prefer ye spoke my name." His lips met hers once again in a deep pa.s.sionate kiss.
Maggie almost swooned with the sweet pressure of his mouth on hers. She didn"t know if she would ever love him. Was love even real? But a man who kissed her as he was now kissing her certainly could be liked. She kissed him back, feeling his big palm cupping her head as his lips worked against hers. She felt a need to open her own lips to him, and his tongue slid between them to touch, to caress her tongue. Maggie shivered, for she had never imagined such a thing. It was exciting, thrilling, and without her even being aware of it at first, her tongue caressed his back.
When she realized what she was doing, Maggie wasn"t certain she should be shocked by her own behavior, but Fin certainly didn"t seem to mind. Indeed, he seemed to encourage her actions. Her heart jumped in her chest when his other hand fastened itself about one of her b.u.t.tocks to bring their bodies into seriously close proximity. The warm hand on her bottom made her briefly faint with excitement. The sensation of their bodies, breast to chest, belly to belly, thigh to thigh, caused her to pull her head away from his delicious kisses, gasping with pleasurable shock. "Oh my!" she whispered. The feel of his skin against hers, the scent of him in her nostrils, was utterly and amazingly intoxicating. "I don"t know what to do," she said, softly surprised by the sound of her own voice, and that she was able to speak at all.
"Nay, Maggie mine, remember that I will lead ye tonight," Fin said as he now laid her back among the pillows. He sighed audibly. "Ye have the most delicious mouth, love. I could kiss ye all night long but that we have other business to attend to first." His fingers brushed against one of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Then bending, he ran his tongue slowly between the two round globes. "These are two sweet fruits to be treasured," he told her.
His fingers brushed a breast, slipping beneath it to cup it in his hand.
No one had ever touched her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. For that matter, no man had ever touched her body at all. Maggie wasn"t a simpleton. She knew he was beginning to make love to her, but the reality compared to the servant la.s.ses" gossip was totally different. She hadn"t known her heart would beat so quickly, or that ripples of ice would race down her spine followed by a fiery heat that made her want to cry out. Everything he was doing to her was unfamiliar, but it was wonderful. She heard herself saying to him, "I know ye must lead me, my lord, but instinct makes me want to do something other than lie like a log."
"Let yer instinct be yer guide, la.s.s," he told her. Then his dark head dipped to take one of her nipples into his mouth.
"Sweet Jesu!" Maggie cried softly. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she felt the tug of his lips on her breast because at the same time she had felt a tug in her nether regions. How was this even possible? But as he suckled on her, the sensation didn"t go away. Indeed, it increased her rising excitement. She sighed, her delight obvious to him.
He released the nipple and began to press kisses down her torso. He could feel her body quivering beneath his mouth, but she had shown him no fear to his actions so far. She would naturally have a virgin"s anxious moments, but so far she was taking to his mouth and hands easily. He ceased his kissing and lay back. She needed to see the havoc she was causing to his body.
"Dinna stop," she said softly. "I like what yer doing."
"I like it too," he replied, "but ye have wanted to partic.i.p.ate in our first pa.s.sion, so I shall instruct ye in what to do, Maggie mine. Sit up and touch my c.o.c.k. I know ye have not touched one before. This one will pierce yer maidenhead soon, and afterwards it will find its home in yer sweet sheath. It will water yer hidden garden and give ye my seed. Touch it, and know it, love. It is more fearful of the advantage ye will soon hold over it than ye can be of its small power in releasing yer virginity."
She sat up, amazed to see the formerly lean and lank flesh was swollen hard. Reaching out, she wrapped her hand about it, surprised to see that her fingers did not quite meet. Its former length was even longer now. "Twas a most impressive weapon indeed.
Releasing it, she let her fingers stroke it briefly, then reached beneath to cup his pouch in her warm palm. " Yer b.a.l.l.s are cold to my touch," she said to him. "Should they not be heated with yer l.u.s.t as yer c.o.c.k is, my lord?"
"Ye must call me Fin, Maggie mine. I know not why a man"s b.a.l.l.s are chill, but they always are. "Tis a mystery." He was close to flinging himself atop her, for the hand now playing with him had set his blood aboil.
She nodded as her fingers teased innocently at him. "Yer c.o.c.k is quite upstanding now, my . . . Fin." She gave it a little squeeze that almost destroyed him.
"Aye, it is. I think we must now consider the removal of yer maidenhead," he replied in what sounded like a calm voice. He gently pushed her back as she released her hold on his manhood. Then he began kissing her again as his hand stroked her torso, moving slowly lower and lower until he reached the nest of chestnut curls. He crushed her mons gently but firmly several times as she gasped with surprise into his mouth. A single finger ran along the slip separating her nether lips, pressing through them to find her little love bud. Fin was pleased to find she was already moist with her rising desire.
He had not been wrong. She was going to be a pa.s.sionate woman.
Maggie lay as still as a doe in the brush waiting for what was going to come next.
When his finger touched a hitherto unknown place between her nether lips and began to worry it, gently at first, and then with more urgency, she cried out in surprise. He silenced her with more kisses as the tip of that terrible finger played harder. Her head spun, and when a burst of utter pleasure overcame her, she pulled from him, crying out again. "Sweet Jesu! No more, I beg ye. "Tis too delicious."
He did not answer her, instead stroking her flesh into ease, and then moving lower.
Maggie was tightly shut to him. His finger tenderly coaxed the flesh barely enough to begin the gentle pressure that would open her first to his finger, and then to his manhood.
Fin felt her body begin to resist him. "Nah, nah, sweetheart, ye need to be readied for what is to come," he murmured to her.
G.o.d"s toenail! Why didn"t he just mount her and be done with it? Maggie wondered to herself. It had to be better than all this antic.i.p.ation he was causing to build up within her. She tried to be at ease, and felt the tip of his finger slip into her. "Oh!"
Again he said nothing. Instead, he pushed his finger to the second joint.
"Oh!"
And finally Fin sheathed the digit in its entirety. He let it remain there so she might get used to the pressure of it. Then he began a slow rhythm with the finger, moving it back and forth. He was painfully aware as he did so of the ache in his own c.o.c.k.
"Ohh!" Maggie half whispered. Then she felt herself relaxing and enjoying his sensuous actions. She wanted more. To her great surprise, she realized a primitive instinct made her want that big c.o.c.k of his pushing inside her. Was she wanton? Or was it natural for a wife to desire her husband so greatly? "f.u.c.k me," she whispered. "Not just with your finger, Fin. I am ready to take you within me. Please!"
The invitation was more than welcome. It was a relief, for his c.o.c.k was throbbing mightily. Now he needed to take her without spilling his seed too quickly. Nudging her thighs apart with a knee, he covered her body with his. Slowly he guided his aching need into her. First its head, then inch by slow inch until he reached the barrier of her innocence. It was tight, and she winced visibly as his manhood touched it. There was only one way of doing this, Fin knew. Looking into her face, he saw her eyes were squeezed tightly shut. He almost smiled with the sweetness of it. "I"m sorry, la.s.s," he told her, pulling back slightly, then driving himself fully into her sheath.
The shock of it, the burning pain that filled her, caused Maggie to scream. She began to beat at him, her fists thrashing beneath him in an attempt to dislodge him.
And when she couldn"t, Maggie, to her embarra.s.sment, began to cry.
Fin kissed the tears from her cheeks, murmuring soothing sounds. " "Tis done now and "twill not hurt ever again, Maggie mine," he a.s.sured her. Did no one tell her it would hurt? Her maidenhead had been lodged tightly. He continued kissing her tears, which, to his relief, had now ceased. He kept himself very still for a few brief moments.
"I knew it would hurt," she whispered, "but not like it did. Are we done?" She did not open her eyes to look at him.
Fin laughed softly, brushing her lips with his. "Nay, love, we"ve but begun." Then he began to move gently upon her, struggling to hold back the explosion of pa.s.sion that was threatening to overcome him.
The pain had disappeared almost as quickly as it had come. Now the sensation of his c.o.c.k thick and hot within her engulfed Maggie. Her whole body seemed to be deluged with sensation as he thrust to and fro. She was overwhelmed with languor. Her body, so tense but a few short moments ago, was alive with a plethora of new sensations.
She could divine that he was being careful, gentle with her. Would another man have been so? She couldn"t imagine Ewan Hay taking such care with her.
Maggie suddenly wrapped her arms about Fin, drawing him closer to her. His rhythm began to increase. His strength made her absolutely breathless with what she suddenly realized was her own excitement. "Yes!" she breathed into his ear.
Fin groaned as her hot breath whispered against his flesh. He wanted her to know some pleasure from this first coupling, but it was becoming more and more difficult to hold back the l.u.s.t boiling inside him. Then he heard her make a small mewling sound, and looking at her face, he saw the touch of ecstasy glowing. "Aah, Maggie mine," he cried out as his body stiffened, then jerked hard several times.
Somewhere in the delicious haze that had briefly overcome her Maggie felt his c.o.c.k spasming, and she knew he was releasing his seed into her. Would it take root tonight, or would they have more nights to create an heir for Brae Aisir? She hoped the latter as he fell away from her, lying upon his back and breathing hard.
"I meant for ye to have more pleasure," he said, his tone filled with regret. "I wanted yer first time in my arms to be something ye would remember, but G.o.d"s toenail, la.s.s, I was like a lad unable to control my l.u.s.t for ye."
"But I liked it, Fin," Maggie told him. "Except, of course, for the pain. Ye made me feel as I never had before. I know I will enjoy our future couplings."
He laughed low, rolling onto his side to look at her. "Ye found a bit of delight, for I saw it momentarily in yer face," he told her. "But one day perhaps I will be able to make ye cry out with joy as we couple. I want that for ye, Maggie mine. I never cared about it with the women I used to slack my l.u.s.t. Their bodies were for my delectation. I paid for them, and while I liked giving them pleasure, it didn"t matter if it was nothing more than a quick coupling. But with ye, my wife, "tis different. I want perfection for ye, and I shall keep trying to attain it until I can give it to ye." Leaning over, he kissed her mouth, pleased that she eagerly kissed him back.
She was surprised by his revelation. Was it possible if she used her body to please him that she would hold a certain small power over him? He had said something similar earlier, but she had not understood it then. Now she thought she did. Reaching out, she caressed his face. "Ye were careful with me, and I thank ye for it."
"We are wed until death," he responded. "I want us content with that. I want our bairns to grow to man- and womanhood in a happy home with parents who honor and respect each other. Had I simply satisfied my l.u.s.t, ye should not have enjoyed this first coupling. Ye might have grown to fear our couplings, and I didn"t want that to happen."
"I will not fear them now," Maggie rea.s.sured him. "Will ye mount me again tonight? I still ache from our contest today, but I should not mind at all if ye wished to have me once again."
Fin laughed again. Would he ever grow used to Maggie"s candid tongue? And it had proved a delicious tongue. Eventually he would teach that facile little tongue new uses that would surely surprise her at first. "Nay," he said. "The deed has been done. On other nights I will enjoy making love to ye the night long, but tonight I think we both could use our rest. Look beneath ye, la.s.s, and see the proof yer grandsire will be proud to display come the morrow."
Maggie shifted herself, and was astounded to see beneath her the b.l.o.o.d.y stain of her virginity now turning brown upon the fine linen sheet. And she could see her thighs were smeared with dried blood too. She fixed her gaze on Fin. "Aye, we have done well, my lord, and Grandsire will not be shamed."
He arose from her bed, gathering up their two night garments. Handing her hers, he put on his. Then he climbed back into bed with Maggie.
"Ye are not returning to yer own bed?" Many men preferred visiting their wives, and then sleeping in their own beds.
"Tonight I would be with ye," he said as he gathered her into his arms. The delicious feel of her bottom pushing into him was intoxicating. Reaching around, he captured one of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and burying his face into her scented hair, sighed contentedly. Very quickly he was snoring lightly.
Maggie, however, remained awake a bit longer digesting this evening. This man she had been ordered to wed was turning out to be a better bargain than she had ever antic.i.p.ated or even imagined. He was intelligent, and he was swiftly learning the ways of the Aisir nam Breug. He had quickly settled into the keep, and he had been easily accepted by all. The Kerr clan folk were usually not so quick to countenance strangers, but they had taken to Fingal Stewart as if he were one of them for all his life.
She snuggled against the sleeping man, enjoying the sensation of his hand clasping her breast. The coupling had been good. His restrained pa.s.sion had opened a whole new world to her. Maggie could not help but wonder what that pa.s.sion was going to be like when it was fully unleashed. And would she be able to match his ardor? She very much wanted to match it. Aye! She did! Her eyes were growing heavy, but before she fell into a contented sleep, Mad Maggie Kerr considered that she had never before pondered such a thing. Why was she contemplating it now? The coupling was for the purpose of creating heirs for Brae Aisir. That"s what the church taught. There certainly was nothing more to it than that. Or was there? She realized as she finally tumbled into sleep that she couldn"t wait to find out.
Chapter 7.
To their mutual surprise they slept late, and no one came to disturb them. Maggie was amazed to find him still in her bed. His eyes were closed, his breathing even. She took the opportunity to look down at him. She had been correct in her observation the past night. He was handsome-not pretty like a la.s.s, but in a masculine way, with his long straight nose, high cheekbones, and long thin mouth. He had shaved his face yesterday, but already a shadowy veil of black beard was beginning to show itself. His eyelashes were certainly thick for a man"s, Maggie thought. His eyes suddenly opened, and she found herself staring into molten silver.
"Oh!"
"May I a.s.sume ye like what ye observe, madam?" he teased, and the long mouth turned up in a smile.
"Aye, yer a bonnie lad, Fingal Stewart," Maggie answered back pertly. She wasn"t going to blush and simper like some little fool, although his open eyes had surprised her.
"Yer a bonnie la.s.s," he responded. "We"ll make pretty bairns together."