Page 60 of A Rake at the Highland Court
“I will never tire of making love to you, wife. I can never get enough of you, of us together.”
Cairstine opened her mouth to agree, but her release ripped through her, depriving her of all speech except for his name, which she chanted reverently as Eoin followed her over the edge. They lay together, eventually wrapped in the plaid when the air grew chilly as the day progressed. They nibbled on their picnic in between rounds of making love.
“Eo?”
“Aye,mo chridhe,” Eoin kissed her cheek as she stroked the back of her fingers over his temple.
“That nightmare I had, the one with the cliff. You told me to jump, that you would catch me. I didn’t think twice before I leaped. I knew you would be there. I knew you would save me. The dream might have scared me, but it was that part that made me realize how much I love you. I trusted you in that dream, just as I trust you in real life.”
“I will always catch you, Cairstine. But that assumes I’ll ever let you go long enough for you to fall again.”
Epilogue
Cairstine closed her eyes as wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm her. Again. She moved her one-year-old son to her other hip as she rubbed her fist over her breastbone.
“Mama, mamamama,” Brice babbled as he clapped his hands, a hank of Cairstine’s hair clasped among his sweaty fingers.
“Where is your da, my wee one?” Cairstine jiggled her son up and down as she kept swallowing. She cast her gaze toward her twin daughters, Aila and Isla, playing with their cousins Torquil and Leith. At just over four years, the twins were a few months younger than Torquil, who would one day be Ewan’s heir. Two-year-old Leith watched as his brother trotted a miniature carved horse in front of him, fascinated with the neighing sound Torquil made. “It is aboot your nap time, wee one. When your Auntie Allyson comes back from putting Teague down for his nap, you shall go for yours.”
The twins’ delivery put a tremendous strain on Cairstine’s body, scaring Eoin half to death. He swore he would never touch his wife again if she might have to go through the agony of childbirth again. His resolve crumbled the first time Cairstine straddled his lap and slipped her hand beneath his plaid. She’d compromised for two years, and they took care not to conceive. This proved to be a miracle, considering how they still couldn’t keep their hands off one another. Brice was only a month older than Allyson and Ewan’s youngest son Teague.
“Cairstine?” Eoin’s voice floated to her as he wandered into the nursery. “Were you calling me?”
“Aye. Can you hold Brice for me? I need a moment of privacy.” As soon as she handed their son to Eoin, she dashed from the chamber. She could hear Eoin’s chuckles, and she knew what he assumed. But when she reached the chamber pot in their room, she heaved over it, casting up the meager breakfast she’d eaten. As astute as her husband was, she was shocked he hadn’t deduced why she wasn’t herself for the last few weeks. She’d seen the midwife that morning, but the woman only confirmed what she already knew. She wiped her mouth after swishing water in it. She found a sprig of mint and chewed it before returning to the nursery.
Eoin was attempting to disentangle his hair from Brice’s hands and a few razor-sharp teeth. Cairstine extricated the locks from the tiny tyrant before kissing Eoin. Heat crackled between them as their tongues tangled. Eoin wrapped his arm around Cairstine’s back and pulled her closer.
“I think these weans need to spend more time with their grandda. I think during Brice’s nap would be a wonderful opportunity,” Eoin offered her a devilish smile. Cairstine nodded, having already asked Andrew to mind the children. She had intended to rest, but she figured she could sleep during her old age. She rarely turned down time spent alone with Eoin, especially now that they had children.
“I’ve already asked, and he should be on his way soon. Allyson will put Brice down. How was your morning?” Cairstine inhaled Eoin’s scent of soap and fresh air. She knew he’d been in the lists, but she also knew Allyson planned to track him down.
“I suppose you know that Allyson’s asked me to carve them another bed. Teague is getting too big for his crib, and I learned a little secret I’m sure you’ve known for days. They’ll need the crib again in a few months for their next bairn.”
“I’d heard something aboot that. Eo?”
“Yes,mo chridhe.”
“Do you think you’ll have time to carve two beds because I shall need Brice’s crib around the same time Allyson—" Cairstine squeaked as Eoin squeezed her against him. He carefully set Brice on the floor, and the toddler promptly crawled away to the other children.
“Another bairn, Carrie?” Eoin lifted her off her feet and held her so they were eye-to-eye. “So just now? Is that mint on your breath?”
“Aye,mo ghaol.” Cairstine grinned as Eoin’s mouth dropped open. She swooped in for a kiss that stoked the endless fire that existed between them. He eased her back onto her feet.
“You’re as bad as your brother,” Andrew announced as he entered the nursery to cheers of “Grandda.”
“Aye,” Eoin crowed, as he swept Cairstine into his arms and carried her out of the chamber, not putting her down until they were lying on their bed together. “To think we ever believed we were headed down different paths.”
“Our lives are but one path,” Cairstine murmured, before husband and wife forgot about the rest of the world.
