It was difficult holding still when every instinct demanded that he press on to claim her as his forever. But nowhere near as difficult as staring down into her lovely face and seeing pain where he wanted to see rapturous surrender.
"Just…just give me a moment."
Her broken request made him feel like a barbarian. She opened her eyes and to his dismay, they glittered with tears.
"Och, I’ve made ye cry. Should I stop?"
She gave a thick laugh. "Dinnae ye dare."
He remained still. The snug clench of her muscles around his cock was torment and delight. "Are ye sure?"
Another gallant smile. But then even on that black day when he’d decided he never wanted to see her again, he’d always admired her spirit.
"Of course I’m sure, ye great galoot."
To his surprise, the childish insult made him smile. "That’s no’ a nice thing to call the man ye love."
The hands that gripped his shoulders flattened and started to stroke him. "No, but it’s what he deserves when he’s acting like a great galoot."
His smile faded. "I hurt ye."
"It doesnae hurt anymore."
Dougal shot her a skeptical glance. "And ye swore you’d never lie to me again. Shame on you."
To his relief, that made her laugh and this time her amusement sounded a little more natural. Even better, some of the tension seeped from her body. Without meaning to, he slipped a little deeper inside her.
Her lustrous eyes widened. "My heavens, do that again."
"As my lady wishes." Carefully he pushed forward, conscious of each changing sensation. Her tight grip on him, the ragged gasps of her breath, the fervent heat of her caresses across his back and arms.
When he was seated fully within her, her body welcomed him. This time, her sigh conveyed only enjoyment. He was so close to Kirsty, he felt they truly became one.
"Dougal, that’s grand."
He lifted himself higher on his elbows so he could see her. "It is."
She bowed up to kiss him on the lips. "Dinnae stop."
"I dinnae want to hurt ye again."
"I think we’ve gone beyond that." She combed his untidy tumble of hair back from his face. "It’s time for us to discover each other."
"Och, Kirsty…" Poignant emotion weighted his voice, although when he started to move, passion’s demands soon became paramount.
***
Kirsty braced for renewed pain, but there was just a smooth glide of pure pleasure. She released the breath she held and shifted beneath Dougal so next time he thrust, she lay at a new angle. A new angle meant new sensations, she discovered with startled wonder.
With a sigh, she gave herself up to the man she loved. Soon a wild spiraling need stirred and rose higher inside her, akin to those astonishing sensations she’d felt when he’d so wantonly stroked her between the legs.
This was like that, but even better. She curled her hands around his shoulders, feeling the powerful flex and release of muscle and sinew as he moved. The scent of arousal weighted the air. Dougal always smelled delicious, but this was a heavier, earthier scent than she was accustomed to.
Under her caressing hands, his skin was hot and smooth. His breath escaped in broken gusts. And still he moved inside her, inexorable as the tide. With his every thrust, that unfamiliar spiraling response coiled tighter.
Instinct made her tilt to meet him. Wanting more, but not sure what more meant. He gave a grunt of appreciation.
"Dougal, keep going," she forced out of a tight throat.