Days of Gold (Edilean 2)

“Lass!” he said, his voice husky. “You will unman me.”

“You mean no other woman has looked at you?”

“Not like this.” He started to turn over, but she put her hand on his back and kept him in place.

“I’m not done with you yet.” She felt another scar on his left thigh. “And this one?”

“Dragged by a horse over a broken piece of iron. I nearly lost my leg with that one.”

“And you were?”

“Ten.”

“I’m glad you came to me whole.”

“Whole and growing,” he murmured. “Edilean! I can take little more of this.”

She moved down to his feet. There were several little scars around his ankles, but none that looked as though they’d threatened his life. She sat down at his feet and looked at the long, glorious, nude form of him before her. How strange it a

ll was, she thought. She’d gone through her life being warned by nannies and teachers to keep her body covered at all times, but here she was, totally naked and staring at this magnificent man who had on not a stitch.

Slowly, she slid her body up his, feeling her breasts on every inch of him, kissing his warm, dark skin all the way up. When she reached his neck, he turned over to pull her on top of him. “Wait!” she said, “I want to see the front of you.”

“How about if you look while sitting up?”

“Sitting—?” she began, but then he lifted her and sat her down on top of the part of him that was eagerly awaiting her. “I see,” she said. “Sitting. What do I do now?”

“Anything you want to,” he said in a way that made her smile—and feel powerful.

“Is it like riding a horse? Shall I try posting?” She went to her knees and began to move up and down, slowly and rhythmically. She’d spent a great deal of her life on a horse, and her thighs were strong.

“How about a gallop?” she said.

Angus pushed her down onto the bed, never breaking contact. “How about if your horse takes command and runs away with you?” he said as he thrust into her.

“Yes,” was all she said.

An hour later, Edilean was asleep, her nude body half on his, half on the bed, and Angus wanted to stay with her forever, but he could hear people stirring about and he knew he must get up. If he didn’t, within minutes someone would be pounding on his door, wanting to know where things were and why wasn’t he handling whatever problem had come up.

This will be my last day, he thought as he eased himself out of the bed, careful not to disturb Edilean. He’d let her sleep some more, then he’d come back to the room and they’d... He wasn’t sure what they’d do, but he knew that they’d do it together.

As he dressed, he watched her, looked at her beautiful, bruised face, at the way she twitched her nose while she slept, the way her small body showed under the covers.

I hope she’s with child, he thought, and paused as he pulled on a shoe. Yes. With child. A little girl who looked just like her. They’d name her Catherine after his grandmother. Catherine Edilean. Angus smiled. What would the last name be? Since he was a wanted man, they couldn’t use McTern, but then he didn’t want to continue using the Harcourt name either. When she woke up, he’d have to talk to Edilean about it, and together they’d choose a new name.

When he was dressed, he tiptoed out of the room and went into the tavern.

Dolly glanced up at him. “Thought you’d quit. Or maybe you just want to because of the filly you have in your room.”

Angus smiled. He was used to living where no secrets were kept. “Just another one,” he said. “Nothing special.”

“That’s not what I heard.” She nodded toward the young man who’d brought Edilean to him the day before. He was sitting at a table with half a dozen other men, and he was telling a story that obviously fascinated them.

Angus turned away so Dolly wouldn’t see his frown. “And what has he been telling people?”

“That she can fight as good as a man.”

“What else?”