Page 131 of Ruined By the Ruthless Highlander
“She couldnae stand to see people in pain, so she learned from the healers.” A small, bitter laugh escaped him.
Marian’s hand squeezed his knee gently. “Why did she leave?” she asked.
“I daenae ken,” he said, his voice tight. “But she left before the wars began and never came back,” he swallowed. “Her chamber is still as it was.”
His jaw clenched harder as Marian shifted closer, breathing softly beside him.
“Perhaps,” she said slowly, “she left because she couldn’t stand to see you suffer from the war.”
Lachlan raised his head slowly, meeting her eyes. He had never considered that possibility. And though it did not explain why his mother never returned, Marian’s simple words gave him a sense of closure he could not have found from her.
He nodded as she tied a clean cloth around his thigh, his gaze softening. “Perhaps… I can think of it that way.”
They stayed like that for a long moment.
Marian’s hand remained on his knee, and his gaze locked onto hers. Then, slowly, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.
Her kiss was shy at first. Her hand moved slowly from his knee, coming to rest on the back of his neck. She moved her lips as though she wasn’t sure what to do with them. But her breath tickled his lips, and that was enough to ignite a small fire in his chest.
He kissed her back, feeling every slight tremor in her lips. His arms came around her, pulling her closer as he avoided the tender spot on her side. His fingers trailed down her exposedshoulder, and she shivered slightly, her body pressing harder against his.
Lachlan pulled away, his eyes searching hers for a brief moment. He was hungry for her. Every nerve in his body tensed, aching for the sweet release of her touch.
He took her hand and placed it softly over his heart so that she could feel how it beat hard for her. A small gasp escaped her lips.
Her lips stayed parted, red and soft, inviting him for another kiss. And he gave in, his mouth crashing onto hers with more passion this time.
Marian’s back arched softly. She lowered herself onto the soft bedding, and he followed her. His knees pressed into the fur on either side of her, and her hand found its way around his neck, holding onto him.
Lachlan exhaled slowly.
She looked even more beautiful from that angle.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Marian swallowed.
Lachlan’s hand slid carefully along her back as though he were afraid she might disappear if he held her too closely. Her body tingled in places that had previously hurt, and she felt herself slowly let go, forgetting all about the day she’d had.
She released a soft breath. Their lips danced against one another, and she breathed, allowing his tongue to stroke hers.
It was different from anything they’d ever shared.
Marian closed her eyes, opening her heart to him as he professed his love to her with his tongue. She felt every bit of it—his passion for her and her quiet desire for his touch, blending in one large symphony.
Her thighs pressed together as she writhed underneath him, wetness pooling in her sex as heat coiled low in her belly.
Lachlan suddenly broke the kiss, moving back until he was standing in front of her.
“Mairi,” he whispered the name she had come to love, holding out a hand.
Marian blinked. Her fingers trembled slightly as she placed her hand in his, and she rose to her feet, finally standing in front of him. His eyes fell to her dress, lingering on the shoulder where the flimsy material barely held together.
He moved closer to her, reaching around her to unfasten the dress from behind, pulling off the one good shoulder until the fabric slipped to her waist.
Her breath hitched. She closed her eyes, conscious of the appearance of her bruised skin as she stood in only her undergarments, half-bare from the waist up.
Lachlan placed a kiss on her clavicle, breathing against it. She flinched despite herself, the soreness still fresh beneath her skin.
