Cait
thought it was terrible how circumstances could prevent people from being together with those they loved and cared about the most. She felt herself unwanted and unloved for so many years, but now she had a love that most could only dream of. A love the king and
Edana
could never openly share.
Duncan met her eyes, noting her pooling tears, understanding too. He cleared his throat, inviting them into the castle. The king seemed embarrassed by the reverence and obeisance of Duncan’s household and servants, but Duncan insisted on a large, celebratory meal for the king and his men.
While preparations were made, the reunited family went
abovestairs
to introduce the bonny new baby to her royal grandfather. When Henna learned that the king was in her presence, she nearly fell to her knees.
“You
musn’t
think of me as the king,” he said to the old woman. “
Just a doting grandfather come
to see his new
bairn
.” He peered down at the baby
Cait
placed in his arms.
“Oh, what a treasure.”
Wonder shone in his eyes. “What a treasure you have here, daughter.”
“I know it, father. I know.”
* * * * *
Cait
watched from the window as her mother and father walked in the gardens under the cover of dusk.
“Stop spying,” teased Duncan. “Let them be. They have not had enough time alone all these years.”
“I’m not bothering them. I’m only watching. I just...I still can’t believe it.”
Duncan drew her from the window seat, embracing her.
“Someone as loving as you could only have been born out of love.”
“In that case,”
Cait
whispered, “Bonny will
be loving
too.
The very
lovingest
bairn
on earth.”
“I sincerely hope so.” He kissed her tenderly. “I’m sure she will be.”
As his kiss deepened,
Cait
reluctantly pushed him away.
“What? What is it?”
“Henna says...that you are to leave me alone.”
His laugh rang out so loud that
Cait
shushed him. “Duncan, you’ll wake the baby!”
“And then Henna can put her back to sleep, and leave us alone. She is meddlesome, that old woman. And how long does Henna demand I let you be?”
“Six months.”
“Six months!” he roared. Again
Cait
shushed him with a frantic fingertip pressed to his lips.
“She said one month at least,”
Cait
whispered, “but that six months would be best.”
“And what do you say, wife?” he whispered back, all devilish temptation now, his tongue coming out to lick her finger.
“I wish it were no time at all.”
“Well, I believe there are many, many things we could do to each other that wouldn’t harm you. And I think Henna would have told you so too, if she wasn’t such an ornery old crone.”
“Duncan!” chided
Cait
.
“Or if she didn’t think we would resort to them on our own before too long. She may be ornery, but she is not stupid.”
“You say I am naughty,” she said as his hand made its way to the now-pulsing spot between her legs, “but I think you are generally the naughty one between us two.”
“Perhaps.
But you are the one who will end up over my lap getting her saucy bottom spanked.”
She shrieked as he upended her, swatting her.
“Duncan!”
“Yes, dearest?”
“Let go of me!”
“I think I won’t.”
He swatted her bottom again,
then
ran his hand up her thigh, flipping the skirt of her gown up so she was bared to his gaze.
“What if Henna comes in?” she whispered.
“I guess she’ll get an eyeful of your naughty behind, nice and spanked and red.”
He smacked her again and then reached around the front of her to tap on the sensitive bud between her legs. She moaned as desire flared and spread.
“Now who’s naughty?” he whispered.
“Oh, Duncan, please, please...
touch
me again, harder!”
“Here?” He pretended confusion, landing a smart slap to her buttock.
“Please!” she begged.
“Between my legs!”
Again he only tapped and fondled her lightly, making her squirm and arch against his hand.
“Oh Duncan!”
His hand soothed her now reddened cheeks, quieting her. She lay still, desperate to behave, to do whatever he wanted, if only he would touch her again. In time, her patience was rewarded as he again reached to stroke and
tease
her. This time, he alternated between firm slaps and delicious caresses until she fell apart, kicking and moaning in his arms.
“Hush,” he said. “Be quiet or Henna will come.”
“Quiet?” asked
Cait
when her breath returned to her. “I think they probably heard those spanks down in the hall.”
“I’m sure they’re relieved to know that the earl’s naughty wife is getting exactly what she deserves.”
He drew her dress down and pulled her to her feet.
“And now a naughty husband would like to get what he deserves.
On your knees,
Cait
.”
Epilogue
The buzzing of bees and the unseasonably warm sunshine made Duncan drowsy as he leaned back in the grass. His eyes flitted between his toddling son Alec and the two dark curly heads leaning together over the sand.
“An ‘o’ is next, Bonny. It’s simple, like this.
Just a circle.”
The little moppet pushed her mother’s hand away impatiently.
“Mama, I can do it. I can do it myself!”
“Yes, I see. Now the two
n’s
are next. They’re exactly the same.”
“That’s the easy part, mama.”
“Yes, but don’t write them backwards.”
Cait
watched as Bonny toiled over the sand with her stick,
then
looked over at Duncan. He was smiling indulgently.
“You don’t mind, do you?”
“No, not at all.
If her mama reads and writes, then she must too. And soon enough, you’ll be able to teach this one,” he said, swinging Alec up into his arms. The little blond boy squealed with laughter.
“Perhaps Bonny can teach her brother. Couldn’t you, Bonny?”
Cait
prompted.
The almost-four-year-old wrinkled her nose. “He can’t do it,” she scoffed. “He can’t do anything.”
Duncan laughed at her saucy expression. “Every bit as naughty as her mother, that one,” he said under his breath to
Cait
. “Tell me she’s not.”
“Oh, she’s much naughtier than I was at her age. I think she’s more like her dad.”
Duncan put Alec down and swung
Cait
up over his shoulders instead, landing one sharp slap on her behind. “What do you say we send the children back with Adele for their nap and go for a swim, just you and me?”
Cait
peeked back at him shyly. “I think that sounds...nice.”
“Nice?” he murmured. “Not exactly what I had in mind. Naughty, more like.”
“Naughty?” whispered
Cait
as Adele came to lead the children away with a knowing smile. “Look, you’ve embarrassed the nurse again.”
“I can’t help it. It’s
all your
fault. And now I’ll have to force you to take off every stitch of your clothing and come pleasure me in the middle of the lake.”
“You can be so unreasonably demanding sometimes.”
“With such a wayward wife, I have to be. Enough talk. Disrobe.”
She did, stifling a smile at the intent way his eyes followed her. She may have teased him just a little dawdling with the ties.
“Now my turn.
Undress me,” he said when she stood before him naked. His eyes scanned the trees around them as she took his clothes off. His men knew better than to intrude on their privacy at this particular lake, but he was cautious anyway. As soon as he was naked too, he led her into the water.
For a while, he was content to drift in the water and watch her swim around. She was like a fish, his wife.
A lovely, beguiling fish.
He dove under the water to grab her heels and surprise her. He could hear her scream even beneath the surface, and swam up with a splash.
“That’s not funny, Duncan. You scared me to death!”
“Come here.” He ignored her indignant scolding and drew her to him. Since she’d borne him two children she’d become a lot more outspoken and brave in her ways, but he used it to his advantage most of the time. She wrapped her legs around him as he drew her arms behind her back and held them tightly there.
“I’ve got you,
Cait
,” he whispered.
“I know. I like it when you have me,” she admitted, nibbling at his ear.
“But will you like what I do to you?”
“I always do. Well, most of the time,” she qualified, thinking of a particularly strict punishment he’d given her last week, when he’d tied her to the bed and pleasured her for over an hour, never allowing her to come. He had lectured her instead, and put her to bed with unsatisfied raving lust. It had been a difficult night.
But today, he was not out to discipline her. No, he had a decidedly different look in his eye.
He swam her over to a rock jutting out of the water and nudged her towards it.
“You know what to do.”
Cait
bent over the rock, arranging her hips just at the rounded edge where they fit most comfortably. She looked over her shoulder at Duncan, who was already nudging against her with his jutting cock.
He spread her open as she arched back against him. He dipped into her pussy first, slick with arousal,
then
withdrew. It took only a little effort to press inside her narrower passage, and she moaned as he drove all the way inside. Although she had long since learned that this method of lovemaking did not result in babies, she still enjoyed being taken this way every bit as much as Duncan enjoyed the taking.
“Give me your hands,” he growled as she scrabbled for purchase on the smooth surface of the rock. She quickly offered them back to him and he took them firmly, holding them at the small of her back. “Good girl.” He felt her
relax,
give herself up to his intimate invasion.
“
Ohhh
,” she sighed. “That feels so...”
“So what?”