Julie Garwood - The Bride

I'm too cunning for the Kincaid. The time has come to challenge him once again.

I'll kill the bitch tomorrow.

The child will have to wait… It can only be one pleasure at a time.

God give me the strength to hide my joy.

Jamie was sound asleep when Alec finally came to bed. She looked beautiful to him, peaceful, too. He really shouldn't wake her up, he thought, even as he moved the blanket away and pulled her into his arms.

She grumbled in her sleep, then threw one slender leg over his thigh. The woman was giving him hell even in her sleep, for when he trailed his fingers down her back, she mumbled something he didn't understand but guessed was shameful, then slapped his hand away when she rolled over on her back.

He wasn't at all deterred. Her nightgown was bunched up around her thighs, and in the soft candlelight, her skin was dappled gold. Her legs were tangled in the covers. Alec kicked the covers out of the way before trapping her with one thigh. He made short work of removing her gown, smiling over the muttering that action caused. She could even look disgruntled when she was sleeping.

He moved her hair out of his way, trailing the silky rose-scented strands through his fingers as he nuzzled the side of her neck.

She sighed with pleasure. Alec raised his head to look at her. He smiled when he saw that she didn't look at all irritated now. He kissed her softly parted lips, the center of her chin, her neck again, then moved lower to kiss the gooseflesh on her chest.

Her shivers woke her up. She wasn't at all cold, though. No, she was getting warmer with each moment… with each kiss. Alec was caressing her breasts with his hands, his mouth, his tongue.

He was such a gentle lover with her, she thought in wonder. He could make her melt in his arms. His hand moved down to circle her navel, then lower still, until his fingers were stroking the soft curls between her thighs.

Her body was ready for him. She was hot, wet, and as her sweet moans told him, almost as wild with need as he was. He teased her stomach with his tongue. She clung to him and finally pulled on his hair when she'd had enough of that torment.

"You make me ache to have you, Jamie," he whispered.

"Have me now, Alec," she whispered. "Don't make me wait any longer. I want…"

Her moan of pleasure when his fingers stretched inside her ended her plea. She arched against him even as she tried to pull his hand away. "Stop this torment, husband. Come to me now."

Her hands moved down to capture him. "Two can play this game," she whispered, her voice a husky promise.

Alec groaned deep in his throat, then pulled her hand away. "Not tonight, she can't," he whispered. "I can't hold back much longer, Jamie."

He moved between her legs, cupped her thighs, and thrust inside her with one powerful surge.

She cried out in ecstasy.

Alec immediately stilled inside her. "Did I hurt you, love?" he asked, his worry evident in his gaze.

"No," she told him with a low moan. "You didn't hurt me."

"I'm being too rough," he whispered, still unconvinced he hadn't harmed her. He tried to pull back, to ease himself away from her, but her legs held him in a grip that wouldn't allow retreat.

"Don't you dare stop now," she whispered. "I'll die if you do."

"So will I, Jamie," he admitted on a ragged breath. "So will I." He might have managed a smile, but he couldn't be certain. His body was demanding release, yet he was determined to give her fulfillment first.

He captured her mouth in a searing kiss as he thrust deep, deeper still. Her body accommodated him so completely, so tightly, so wonderfully. He wanted her fire to consume him, amazed she would so easily make him burn for more, more, always more.

Jamie felt as though he was taking her to the stars. She gave herself over to the wonder then, clinging to the man she loved to share the splendor only he could give her.

As soon as he felt the first tremors of her release, he gave a final thrust and spilled his hot seed inside her.

He didn't know how long they stayed together. He thought he never wanted to leave her, though, and it wasn't until his heart and his breathing had calmed that he remembered he wanted to tell her he loved her.

"You get better each time, wife," he whispered as he rolled to his side.

Jamie rolled with him, tucked the top of her head under his chin, smiling over the teasing lilt in his soft burr. "You said practice would make me better," she reminded him. "I had no idea we'd practice so often," she admitted.

He could tell she was arrogantly pleased with herself. Alec smiled against the top of her head, then whispered in Gaelic, "I know you don't understand what I'm saying to you, Jamie, but I've need to tell you in my own language. I love you, lass, with all my being."

He felt her stiffen against him during his recitation, but when she tried to pull away from him, he held her secure. "I love you because you're so gentle and loving, caring, too. Ye have a heart of gold, lass."

She all but melted against him then. "But most of all, Jamie, I love you because you're such a truthful woman. Aye," he added when she stiffened against him again, "I could never love a woman who'd try to deceive me, but I have complete faith in you."

He thought she might have turned into stone. It took all Alec's determination not to laugh. "Good night, Jamie," he whispered, in her language.

"What did you just say to me?" Jamie asked.

She was trying to sound blase. "I said good night," Alec drawled.

"Before that," Jamie whispered, a tremor in her voice.

"'Tis not important," he countered.

She pushed away from him so he'd be able to see her frustration. "Did you mean whatever it was you said?"

He shrugged. Jamie almost lost her temper then and there, but she'd already determined to give Alec quite a surprise tomorrow: she was going to kneel before Edgar and recite her pledge in Gaelic.

She wasn't going to let Alec ruin her surprise. There was that, yes, but there was also the fact he'd just told her he loved her because she was so truthful.

She was good and trapped by her own hand. And why did she suddenly sense that Alec knew it?

It was the sparkle that came into his eyes, she decided. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

"Because you look as though you're trying to solve all of England's considerable problems," he answered.

"I have thought of a small problem that needs solving," Jamie admitted.

"Tell me what it is."

She shook her head. "I will solve it tomorrow, Alec. It's my problem, after all.

I will take care of it. Trust me on this."

"Oh, I do trust you, wife."

"You do?" she asked, looking very pleased with him.

"Of course. Honesty and trust are like the right and left hands. They're both important… Now what's the matter?" he asked, trying not to laugh. "You're frowning again."

He decided he'd baited her enough for one evening. "It's late, Jamie," he said as he pulled her back into his arms. "You must be exhausted after your long day.

You shouldn't be trying to solve your problems now. You should be-"

"Sleeping," she interjected with a sigh.

"No," he countered. "You should be pleasing your husband."

"I just did please you, didn't I?"

"You've still to get it right, lass." He rolled her onto her back. "But you're most fortunate to have a patient husband."

"I have an insatiable husband, Kincaid. Do you know how many times we've-"

"Am I to keep count of our lovemaking, too?"

Jamie only had enough time to wrap her arms around her husband before he captured her laughter with a long kiss.

They made slow, sweet love. And all the while, Jamie kept hearing his pledge of love. Tomorrow, she promised, tomorrow I will give him my pledge in Gaelic.