A Beautiful Lie (The Camaraes) (67 page)

“
What did he say?
”
Lachlan asked gravely. 
“
Did you get to see him before MacEantach
…”
but he let the sentence trail off unfinished.

“
Yes,
”
Muria sniffed, wiping at her eyes.  She wasn
’
t certain why she was crying, but she couldn
’
t seem to stop.

“
And?
”
Lachlan breathed.  His voice seemed to waver. 
“
He
’
s going to take you away?  Back to Castle Cameron?
”
he groaned.  Muira looked at her husband, and blinked at him through teary lashes.

“
He doesn
’
t know,
”
she confessed, edging a fraction closer to Lachlan. 
“
I- I didn
’
t tell him about- about-
“

“
Why not?
”
Lachlan blurted, looking thunderstruck.

“
I couldn
’
t,
”
Muira whispered, and then, unable to stop herself any longer, she reached for her husband, and buried herself against his chest. 
“
I was s-so frightened, Lachlan,
”
she choked, clinging to him tightly.

“
Oh lass,
”
he breathed gruffly, looping his arms around her body and tugging her onto his lap. 

She sobbed wretchedly, soaking his shirt, while he gently rocked her, as if she was a child, running one of his large hands soothingly up and down her back, and murmuring calming nonsense. 

“
Promise me that you won
’
t go wandering off on your own again?
”
he begged. 
“
Not when that animal is still free to roam the castle.
”

“
I promise,
”
Muira whimpered. 

She knew that it wasn
’
t possible to always be with Lachlan, (that she would have to get used to taking a maid around the castle with her while Tavish was still in residence,) but she
wished
that it were!  Muira was certain that the only time she was going to feel safe was when her husband was with her. 

“
Thank you,
”
she hiccupped, nuzzling against his chest, breathing in the wonderfully familiar masculine scent of his skin.  She had missed it so much.

“
I wish you would let me do more,
”
Lachlan growled softly, but the huskily quality of his voice was more a comfort than a threat.  The barriers that he had so carefully put in place, to protect Muira from himself, were shattered now after the incident with Tavish.

“
You
’
ve done so much,
”
she murmured.

“
Not enough,
”
Lachlan argued thickly.  Muira
’
s whole body tingled when her husband
’
s lips brushed the top of her head. 
“
Not yet.
”

Muira tilted her head back.  She only meant to be able to study Lachlan
’
s face, but the darkening gleam of her husband
’
s eyes informed her of what she had actually done- opened herself to be kissed
.  Was her heart skipping because she did or didn
’
t want to feel his mouth against her own
…
? 
Muira licked her dry lips hesitantly, and heard the low groan that lodged itself in Lachlan
’
s throat. 
He wanted her
…
still, after everything, but he was doing everything in his power to try and hold back
.  The realisation was strangely empowering.

“
Muira?
”
he rasped in question, as his wife timidly raked her fingernails across his shirt.

“
Thank you,
”
she whispered again, trying to give Lachlan permission to do as he pleased with her body, without telling him that she wanted it as badly as him.  She had accused him of being just like Tavish, but he wasn
’
t
…
he had never disgusted her, the thought of being fused as one with him had never revolted her.  It always left her hungry and needy, even when she didn
’
t want it to.

Didn
’
t she want it to?
  The answer now seemed a very clear
yes
.  She wanted to feel Lachlan
’
s lips and hands working over every inch of her body.  She wanted to feel his cock surging between her legs.  She wanted to remember that he was a part of her in a way no one else ever could be.  He wasn
’
t going to falter though- he wasn
’
t going to take anything that wasn
’
t given.  Muira could see that iron resolve now in his eyes.  And so, seizing her courage, she strained her neck to brush a kiss against his lips.

It was feathery light; more a whisper of breath than of skin, but it was exquisite in a way that Muira couldn
’
t even begin to put into words
…
everything that their bodies did together felt exquisite.  She dabbed her lips against his again, growing bolder as it became clear that Lachlan wouldn
’
t try to push her away, wouldn
’
t try to stop her.  His hands moved tentatively over her figure, gently relearning the lush curves and contours without demanding anything more. 

Muira wanted to give him more though.  She wanted to give him everything.

“
Lachlan,
”
she purred, twisting on his lap and straddling his thighs.  From the look on her husband
’
s face she had taken him completely by surprise. 
“
I-
”
she began, but she stopped herself;
did she want to confess how much she wanted this-
him
- was she ready to make that leap of forgiveness?

“
Muira, you don
’
t have-
”
Lachlan began slowly, as though it was taking an enormous amount of effort to push the words out past his teeth.  Muira stopped him however.  She laid a finger against his lips, and leant a fraction closer to him.

“
Kiss me?
”
she whispered huskily. 
“
Like you used to?
”
she whimpered, no longer caring if she was revealing too much.

Lachlan groaned- a deep, carnal sound of the very last of his restraint giving way- and then he lunged forward and captured Muira
’
s mouth, parting her lips without hesitation, so that his tongue could sweet into the moist hollow and feast upon her sweetness.

Lachlan wanted to gorge upon her, he felt as though he had been starving for her touch, and he knew that there was only one way that he was going to be able to sate his hunger.  He needed to be inside her.  At the very first hint of Muria
’
s willingness, his cock had stirred enthusiastically to life
…
but he
had
to remember that this was
not
just about his own wants and needs, he had to convince Muira with his actions of all the things that he
’
d failed to convince her of with words.

He took his time in reacquainting himself with her mouth, kissing her so thoroughly, so deeply, that Muira was soon limp and pliant in his arms, and breathlessly trying to answer every wicked lick of his tongue.  She squirmed restlessly, knocking against the unmistakable evidence of her husband
’
s huge arousal.  She drew a sharp breath and broke their kiss, leaving Lachlan feeling crestfallen and guilty.

“
I can
’
t help wanting you,
”
he rasped the sort of apology.  He watched, holding his breath, as Muria
’
s eyes darkened, as if with lustful understanding.  Her lids dipped a fraction and her swollen lips parted temptingly.

“
Don
’
t help it,
”
she purred, knotting her fingers in his hand, forcing his head back so that he was made to look up at her as she knelt above him. 
“
I
’
m yours,
”
she whispered, rocking against the bulge in his kilt. 
“
You don
’
t have to help it.
”

Lachlan grunted, but then stilled the bucking of her hips.  He dragged her down onto the mattress on top of him, stealing a squeal of surprise from his wife
’
s lips, and then he quickly inverted their positions, pinning her beneath the hard, solid weight of his body.  He looked in her face for any lingering trace of fear, but to his relief he found none.  All he could read in Muira
’
s eyes was a desperation that matched his own.  His cock twitched eagerly when he realised this, but Lachlan was still determined not to lost control.  He wanted to worship her.  He wanted to send her into raptures.  But he wanted to be
certain
that was what she wanted too.