eyes, he remembered the wild rapture of pumping his seed into her. He couldn't ask more of life than the chance to keep Bonny Mhairi at his side until the day he died. He whispered a silent prayer that fate allowed him that privilege.
The evocative scents of crushed rose petals and sex tinged the air he sucked into his lungs. Swiving his bride had been a satisfyingly earthy experience. He'd feared he might need to coax her into accepting him as her lover, but while her shyness had been charming, she'd soon developed a gratifying enthusiasm for everything they did.
As long as he lived, he'd remember her broken cry of completion as she reached her first climax. While he couldn't wait to turn to her again, he retained enough grip on manners to give her time to recover from his attentions. He recalled her pleasure, but he also recalled how she'd stiffened when he first moved inside her.
Even then she'd been courageous. No pleas to stop, no tears. She'd offered herself up with a wholehearted generosity that had awed him. They'd both found paradise soon after. A paradise he planned to return to again and again.
Carnal images flooded his mind as he started to think of all the things he'd teach her. He cuddled his slumbering wife close and drifted off again, still with that gentle smile his face.
***
An insistent tattoo on the door was next to disturb Callum. Dull-witted with sleep, he rolled over to meet dazed blue eyes staring at him out of an unforgettable face.
"What is it?" Mhairi asked drowsily, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder.
"Devil if I ken," he grunted. He kissed her ruffled hair, then rolled out of bed, only to find himself subject to an unwavering inspection.
"Goodness me, ye really are a superb specimen," she sighed, her cheeks turning pink as her gaze roved his naked body. "I didnae take enough time to appreciate ye last night."
Her bright, interested gaze focused on the part of him that swelled with predictable anticipation. Whoever the hell it was outside had better have a bloody good reason for interrupting a man the morning after his wedding night. Unless Achnasheen was on fire, Callum had better things to do than deal with his kinsmen.
As the knocking continued, he strode across to open one set of shutters. It was still raining. Gray light flooded the room, revealed the chaos of the bedclothes and the irresistible woman propped against the pillows.
He stretched and yawned. "They'll go away."
"Callum, it might be important." Mhairi’s husky tone reminded him of the soft sounds of enjoyment she made when he was inside her.
He groaned and bent to collect his plaid from the floor, wrapping it around his waist. "It had better be."
When he was halfway decently clad, he glanced back at his bride whose hungry eyes still devoured him. A brief laugh escaped. "Ye might want to pull up the sheets, my bonny, or the rest of the castle will discover just why I'm smiling this morning."
Her blush intensified as she realized she was bare-breasted. What a sight she made with her firm, round bosom uncovered and that mane of russet hair flowing around her shoulders.
Callum didn't linger to watch her scramble to cover herself. Looking at her was fatal to his willpower. He swung toward the door and opened it to reveal Duff waiting on the landing.
"What in God's name is the matter?" he growled, running his hand through his untidy hair. "It had better be something that cannae wait."
Duff to do him justice only cast one quick glance past Callum to where Mhairi sat in bed. "Och, Mackinnon, unless it was an emergency, I’d leave ye and your lady in peace. But Brian has just ridden in from Bruard to say that the Drummond is setting out at the head of an army to lay siege to Achnasheen. And according to him, he’s no’ far ahead of them."
Hell.
The news wasn’t unexpected, but he’d hoped to have at least a few days’ reprieve. When Callum met Mhairi's eyes, that beguiling dreamy haze had vanished. She knew just what this meant.
He looked back at Duff. "Get the word out to the crofters. The ones nearest the castle will want to take shelter with us. The ones further out can probably stay where they are or hide in the hills. Tell them to bring any supplies they can carry. I dinnae imagine the Drummond will be able to maintain a long siege, but he may decide to lay waste to the glen." Since before he’d abducted Mhairi, Callum had been preparing for an armed response from the man who was now his father-in-law.
"Aye, Mackinnon."
"Set watchmen along the road to Bruard."
"I've sent them out already."
"You're a braw laddie, Duff."
"I've got the women collecting water from the burn, too."
"Good." There was a reliable well at Achnasheen, but if they needed to douse fires, extra barrels of water would come in handy.
"I've also got the laddies clearing the area in front of the drawbridge of anything that might prove useful to the Drummonds."