Stretching under him as he stirred the embers of her excitement back to life with but a kiss, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and responded in what was at first a desultory fashion, but soon turned more invested. When he then ground his hardness against her, she murmured excitedly into his mouth and let her legs fall apart so that he settled more comfortably between them and pressed more intimately against that part of her he’d earlier been caressing. The effect was most galvanizing, sending shock waves of need and excitement through her again as he ground against her in rhythm to his tongue thrusting into her mouth.
Claray groaned, arched and thrust into the caress with mounting excitement, and then his tongue withdrew and she felt something pushing into her again. But this time it was not a finger; it was much bigger, and painful as he tore through her maiden’s veil.
Conall’s mouth on hers muffled Claray’s pained cry as she locked around him like a vise. Her arms and legs were suddenly clenched in an effort to hold him in place and keep him from moving as she struggled with the shocking pain. Despite that, she suspected he could have kept going had he wished, but he didn’t. Conall remained still briefly, giving her a moment, and then broke their kiss that was no longer really a kiss anyway, and raised his head to peer at her with concern.
“I’m sorry, lass,” he got out finally, his voice a husky growl. “The first time is—”
Claray covered his mouth with one hand and shook her head. Ere she’d died, her mother had spoken to her about the first time a woman was with a man. At the time, she’d been bewildered as to why her mother would think she should when Claray was quite sure at that point that she would never marry. In the end, she’d just put it down to the illness affecting her mother’s mind.
However, she understood now that it hadn’t been the illness. Her mother had known this day would come and had wanted to prepare her. Claray didn’t need him to tell her that the pain was to be expected . . . and truthfully, it wasn’t as bad as she’d thought it might be from her mother’s description. It was just in an area where that kind of pain didn’t usually occur. And she supposed that its coming in the midst of such pleasure made it more shocking as well.
Now that he wasn’t moving, however, the pain was fading quickly.
“Are ye all right?” Conall asked when she finally let her fingers drop from his mouth.
Claray nodded, too embarrassed to speak or even meet his gaze.
“Is the pain better?”
He sounded worried and somewhat strained, she noticed, but still couldn’t meet his gaze and merely nodded again.
They were both silent for a moment, and then he cleared his throat and said, “I’m going to move, lass, and I want ye to tell me does it hurt. All right?”
Claray eased her grip on him, and nodded for a third time, and then waited. After the briefest pause, Conall began to ease out of her. Much to her relief the sharp pain did not return. All she felt was a slight twinge. There was no pleasure now either though, and the feel of him then pressing slowly back into her body was just odd now that all of her excitement and need were gone.
Aware that Conall was watching her face, she forced what she hoped was a smile, but suspected might have looked more like a grimace when a little breathless puff of laughter slipped from his lips, and then he stilled fully buried inside of her and began to kiss her again. This time his lips brushed over her closed eyes, then her nose, each cheek and finally found her mouth to nip and suck at her lower lip briefly, before settling into a more proper kiss.
It wasn’t the deep, hungry kiss she’d grown used to. Instead, it was a patient, gentle seduction that had her slowly relaxing. It was only once she began responding that he deepened the kiss, nursing her passion back into play. Shifting to rest his weight on one hand, he then let the other trail down her body to caress her breast and Claray moaned and arched her back, pushing herself more fully into his touch as her nipples tingled and hardened. When he then lifted himself slightly so that his hand could drift down between them to caress her above where they were joined, Claray gasped and shifted into that touch too, her hips beginning to move of their own accord, drawing him deeper into her body and then releasing him to slide partway out before drawing him in again.
There was no pain now. Or at least not enough to override the pleasure he was causing, and she was soon moving almost frantically, seeking out the release she’d experienced earlier. Claray was vaguely aware that Conall was holding himself as stiff as a plank, nothing moving but his fingers against her slick skin as he let her use him for her pleasure, but had no idea what it must have cost him until she cried out into his mouth as she found her release and his stillness ended.
Breaking their kiss then, he rose up onto his knees, hands clutching her hips and raising them off the bed as he began to thrust into her almost violently. Claray was at first startled by the ferocity of it, but once that passed, she became aware of the way his body rubbed against hers, the feel of him inside her and her own excitement returning and building once more. In fact, she was quite sure she was about to find that lovely release again when he suddenly stiffened, full deep in her, and roared her name as she felt heat pouring into her. Her eyes widened when he then sank down on top of her, gathered her in his arms and rolled to his back, taking her with him to rest on his chest as she felt him shrinking inside of her.
Claray lay still where he’d settled her and listened to his breathing slow and grow deep. But it wasn’t until she heard a slight snuffling snore that she realized that Conall had fallen asleep and it was definitely over. The realization was not a happy one since she was still a bit worked up, her body achy and wanting the release it had expected.
For one minute, she considered nudging him awake again to ask him to please finish what he’d started, but Claray didn’t have the nerve to do something like that. Besides, it occurred to her then that while she’d slept the majority of the journey from Kerr, Conall hadn’t. He and his men had ridden through all but one of the nights of their trip. Considering that, she supposed it was rather amazing that he’d managed to stay awake as long as he had and given her pleasure twice.
And really, was she truly going to complain that he hadn’t given her pleasure for a third time? What of her poor soul? She’d been all-fired worried about that earlier, but was now annoyed that he wasn’t continuing to give her pleasure?
Obviously, this pleasure business had her thoughts all twisted up. ’Twas no wonder Father Cameron warned against its evils all the time. Which just reminded her that she had to talk to the priest in the morning.
Sighing unhappily, Claray eased off of Conall’s chest and shifted onto her back beside him. The moment she did, Squeak scrambled to her and nestled into the curve of her neck. It was only then she recalled the tiny creature. She reached up to pet him lightly, wondering where he’d been while she and Conall had . . . well, obviously he’d been somewhere safe. Perhaps the corner of the bed or something, because he seemed unharmed. They hadn’t squashed the poor little guy.
Leaving her hand cupping his little back, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep. But Claray had done little else but sleep for the last four days and wasn’t tired now.
Puffing out a breath between her lips, she opened her eyes again and was considering her options when she recalled the tray of food and drink that Mavis had brought up. It reminded her that Cook had been going to make a light repast for her wedding celebrations and she wondered if any of the men had bothered to eat on returning to the keep. She was pretty sure that Conall couldn’t have. She’d barely got out of the bath ere he’d arrived in their room. Although she supposed he might have managed to eat something if he’d returned directly after she’d come above stairs and had eaten quickly.