A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “He lies when he says such things. I mean it. I’ve never seen anythin’ more exquisite than ye.” He caught the back of her neck and traced his fingertips down from her throat to her stomach in one slow, tingling line. A moment later, his lips followed the same path.
Gently, he lowered her down onto the bed. She gasped at the friction of his mouth on her skin, arching her back in her eagerness to feel more. He smiled against the swell of her breast and took her nipple into his mouth. Explosions of bliss burst inside her, until her body needed to writhe upon the coverlets to ease some of the delicious tension in her tightening muscles.
“I should apologize for nae dancin’ with ye at our weddin’ the way I danced with ye tonight,” Noah murmured against her skin, halting the procession of his kiss at the knot of her drawers.
Saoirse panted as if she’d never take a full breath again. “Ye made amends for that tonight, though.”
“Nevertheless, I’d like to say sorry.” He smiled as he undid the ribbon of her drawers.
Her hips lifted off the bed as he drew the undergarment down her thighs, unpeeling it from her skin. She still didn’t quite understand what he meant by saying sorry, as her drawers fell to the floor. Nor did she have time to dwell on what he could mean, as he pressed his lips to her thigh.
Sinking back into the reverie of him, she reveled in everything he could show her. Indeed, she was almost too eager, wanting him to hurry up and show her everything. But he seemed determined to take his time, adorning every part of her legs, from her ankles to her thighs, with his kiss and the brush of his tongue. Soon enough, she relaxed, realizing that they had all night if they wanted.
Until he makes me leave,she thought for a second, but the unexpected flick of his tongue against her secret nub soundly expelled anything but pleasure and her husband from her mind.
“Noah!” she cried out, startled and thrilled in equal measure.
“I’m makin’ amends,” he said mischievously, as he curved his arms around her thighs and buried his face between them.
She’d dreamed of his fingertips on that same spot since the music room, but that was nothing compared to this. His tongue was warm and skilled, tasting her until her knees trembled and her thighs shook. Perhaps, that was why he held them so, to keep them steady.
“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness,” she panted, gripping handfuls of the coverlets as the delirious shivers continued up into her belly. They rose higher still, until her entire body quaked.
The sound of her pleasure seemed to spur Noah on, as he slipped his fingers through the furrows of her. A scream of bliss lodged in her throat as he pushed those fingers inside her, never once pausing the firm strokes of his tongue. It was as if he wouldn’t be content until she’d melted into the bed.
As the world spun and she became nothing but a tapestry of bliss, woven together with threads of sparking, pulsing ecstasy, she felt the rousing conclusion begin to gather like rolling thunder. All of the musicians were playing their part, and she—the audience—held her breath as the music of her bliss grew more and more powerful, blocking out everything else. The servants could have bellowed about a fire breaking out, and she wouldn’t have heard a thing.
“Noah, I… I—” She could say no more as pure pleasure struck her, tightening every muscle in her body. Her fingertips reached for Noah’s free hand, her fingers sliding between his as the wave crashed and crashed, seemingly without end. Yet, he was both her anchor and the cause of the storm. She held on, squeezing his hand until the tide of ecstasy began to retreat.
At last, she could breathe again.
Slowly, Noah withdrew his fingers and tasted her just once more, before lifting his head. He flashed her a smile and kissed his way up her stomach and chest, seeking out her mouth.
“Can ye forgive me?” he murmured against her lips.
She nodded weakly. “Och, I… could forgive ye… anythin’ after that.” She grinned. “Just daenae… get any notions.”
“I wouldnae dare.” He kissed her hard on the mouth, his hips resting between her shaking thighs as he pressed flush against her.
Wrapping her arms around him, Saoirse held him closer, kissing him with all the hope she harbored in her heart. They stayed that way, not rushing, not worrying, just entwined together in peaceful harmony.
A short while later, he drew back from her kiss-swollen lips and gazed into her eyes. The expression on his face intrigued Saoirse. He looked sad and happy, all at once, as if the moment was bittersweet.
“Is somethin’ the matter?” she whispered, afraid she might break the spell that had changed him into this passionate, charming, sweet individual.
He shook his head. “I just wish I could turn back the clock and do it all again, the way ye deserved. I wish I’d wooed ye from the start. I wish… I wish a great many things when it comes to ye.” He swallowed thickly. “For one thing, my heart would’ve liked to have met ye first, but… I want it to be yers ‘til the end of my days. The last and only to have a place here.” He took her hand and pressed it to his chest.
“As I hope the same for ye,” she replied, on the brink of happy tears. “Though ye’ll be first, last, and only.”
His brow furrowed. “My past doesnae upset ye? Do ye… ken of it?”
“I have nay reason to let it upset me, now that we’ve sealed our promises to one another. As for what I ken of yer past, I ken enough, and I prefer to think of the future.” She smiled and stroked her fingertips across his cheek, drawing them down to his lips.
“As do I,” he gasped. “Thanks to ye, as do I.”
It wasn’t a confession of love, but Saoirse wasn’t foolish. Thinking back on all her parents had told her before she was married, she now understood what they had meant. An immediate love likely couldn’t last, like wildflowers plucked in a moment of impulse, but if two people made a promise to bury the bud of love in rich, fertile soil, it would grow and bloom and flourish. Every year, it would strengthen and prosper, the flowers and new buds multiplying until nothing could destroy it.
I will nurture this. I will nurture the garden of our affection, until it blossoms into love.Watching tears sparkle in his eyes, Saoirse knew he felt the same. In a way, it was a greater, more meaningful confession than that of love. For this was a promise of it. Something that, according to Scott, Noah would not have been capable of until she came along.