A Forbidden Night with a Scot (Sins in a Kilt #1)

Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

I n the days that followed the attack, Alicia kept her distance from Samuel as much as she could, too fearful that her father would suspect something. It was clear to her, even without speaking to Samuel, that he had said nothing to her father yet about their relationship, and the last thing she wanted was for him to find out by accident because Alicia couldn’t stay away from Samuel.

No, Samuel had to speak with him first, but with everything that had happened, Alicia figured he had not yet found the time.

But when will he speak with him? When will he tell him the truth?

Time was running out for them, and Alicia had begun to fear that her wedding to Laird MacTavish could not be avoided anymore. With the king’s insistence and Samuel’s inability to have a talk with her father, the future she had tried too hard to avoid was now hurtling towards her at an alarming speed.

It had already been weeks since that first letter. How much longer would they be able to postpone a meeting between her and Laird MacTavish?

Leaning against the windowsill at the top of one of the turrets of Castle MacLachlan, Alicia stared out into the distance, at the lands that surrounded the castle, the inky sky, the bright moon that dominated the heavens and made the stars around it seem dim in comparison. Ever since she had been a young girl, every time she had visited Castle MacLachlan with her father, she had always come to this turret to stare out into the distance, as it had the best view of the entire castle. Samuel had been the one to show it to her the first time, taking her, Emmeline, and Katherine there one morning so he could point at the nearest town.

Ever since that first time, Alicia had drifted there again and again alone.

She wasn’t alone now, at least not anymore. Footsteps approached her, and she turned to see Samuel there, walking towards her in silence. Once beside her, he, too, leaned against the windowsill and gazed outside, breathing in the fresh air that smelled like an oncoming storm.

“I kent I would find ye here,” he said as he turned to look at her with a smile. “Ye always loved this place.”

“I did,” said Alicia. “Still dae.”

For a few moments, Samuel only stared at her in silence, before frowning a little. “Is that me shirt?”

Alicia looked down at her clothes. She had forgotten that she had brought the shirt with her, pulling it over her dress to keep the chill of the night away. Her cheeks heated in embarrassment, but there was no point in lying. Samuel already knew the truth.

“It is,” she admitted. “I took it when ye left the room one day. Dae ye mind?”

Laughing, Samuel shook his head. “I dinnae,” he promised. “It’s quite endearin’.”

“Is it?” Alicia asked, surprised to hear this. “Ye think so?”

“I dae,” Samuel assured her. “It’s sweet.”

“I suppose a part o’ me was tryin’ tae claim ye afore I even kent what I was feelin’ fer ye,” Alicia said with a soft laugh, shaking her head at her own antics. It had been her way of feeling closer to Samuel, the only thing she could do to have him with her.

Now that she was so close to finally having what she had wanted for so long, it felt as though it would slip right through her fingers. She had never felt as close to, and yet as far from, Samuel before.

For a while, the two of them sat there in silence, gazing at the horizon. Alicia traced the tops of the trees, their shadowy figures, as they were outlined by the moonlight. Every time she visited, they were a little different.

“Earlier, when I came intae the healer’s chambers,” she said then, breaking the silence. “Forgive me… I shouldnae have done that. I didnae ken Faither was there, but I could have ruined it all. I could have ruined yer friendship with me faither."

She had surely jeopardized their friendship by being so forward, forgetting all discretion. Her concern was not an excuse for acting like she did, allowing her fear to take over before she could think twice about it. She had just been so relieved to see that he was alive and well after hearing that he had been shot with an arrow, and so she hadn’t hesitated before she fell into his arms, searching for some comfort.

“It’s alright, lass,” Samuel assured her, but Alicia didn’t feel any better about it.

Given the fact that Samuel had not yet spoken to her father, she couldn’t help but wonder if Samuel had changed his mind. Not so long ago, she would have asked him relentlessly about it and would have sulked for days if he hadn’t given her an answer she liked, but now she thought better of it. There was no point in interrogating him, nor would it help her case.

“Yer Faither only thinks it’s an infatuation,” Samuel added with a small shrug. “He doesnae suspect anythin’ more than that.”

“I see,” said Alicia quietly. “I suppose that is a good thing.”

For a few moments, Samuel simply stared at her and Alicia couldn’t help but feel as though he was peering straight into her soul. There was something scrutinizing about his gaze, something that made her feel as though he could see right through her.

Perhaps he could, she thought. Perhaps she was much more obvious than she thought.

“I understand if this is too much fer ye,” she said, breaking the silence. “It isnae an easy decision an’ ye already have difficulty speakin’ tae me Faither. If this is somethin’ ye dinnae wish tae dae?—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Samuel pressed a finger against her lips, shushing her. Then, he reached for the necklace he always wore around his neck, curling his fingers around it for a moment before he slipped it off and placed it around her neck instead. Alicia looked at it with wide eyes, picking it up in her hand to examine the intricate design.

“I was told as a young man tae give this tae the lass I love when the day comes,” Samuel said quietly, as though it was a secret shared between only the two of them. “It has taken me all this time but now I wish tae give it tae ye. I want ye tae have it, Alicia. Ye’re the only one I have ever loved like this. Ye’re the only one who has captured me heart. I will dae anythin’ in me power tae be with ye, I promise ye this, even though I haven’t done anything yet. I ken it’s taken me a long time… too long, in fact, but I will speak tae yer faither.”

Alicia was stunned speechless for a long time and could do nothing but stare at the necklace, shocked that Samuel had given her such a precious thing. He hadn’t even given it to his wife, she knew, as he had always worn that necklace around his neck. She was the first woman to have it. She was the only woman to have it.

Not knowing what else to do, she fell into his arms and kissed him, pouring everything she felt for him into that kiss. For the first time, she was certain that no matter what happened, no matter how many forces tried to tear them apart, Samuel would fight for her; for them.

Wrapping his arms around Alicia’s waist, Samuel pulled her close, deepening the kiss, but Alicia was mindful of the injury on his shoulder, which had yet to heal and would surely still take a long time. Placing a hand on his good shoulder, she pulled back a little even as Samuel chased the kiss, trying to capture her lips once more.

“Samuel, yer shoulder,” she said, but Samuel only made a vague sound of protest and kissed her again, much to her amusement. It wasn’t long before the kiss became more heated, Samuel’s hands roaming down her body to rest over her rear and then squeeze the ample flesh, drawing a soft moan from her.

At that moan, Samuel’s need only seemed to increase as he licked into her mouth, pushing her back towards the window. Once there, he spun her around so that she was facing out and pressed himself against her back, his lips instantly finding her neck to kiss and nip at the sensitive skin.

“I like ye in me shirt,” he said, whispering in her ear. “I wish tae see ye only with that on.”

Alicia couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her at the thought. The mere suggestion was so salacious that warmth flooded her cheeks, but she couldn’t deny the appeal of it as she imagined it. Samuel’s arms closed around her once again, holding her tenderly in his embrace as he scattered kisses on her neck and the edge of her jaw, and Alicia tilted her head to the side to give him more space, enjoying his unwavering attention.

Samuel’s lips left a hot trail on her skin, drawing a shiver out of Alicia. He seemed ravenous for her, and his blatant desire only served to heighten her own, urging her to lean into his touch and reach for him, twining their fingers as she tilted her head to kiss him. So eager was he that Alicia could feel his hardening manhood against her, pressing into her thigh like a promise of what was to come.

“I love ye,” Samuel said, mumbling against her lips as his hands slid down her body once again, touching every inch of her he could reach. “Never doubt that, Alicia. I love ye more than anythin’.”

Alicia would never doubt it again, she promised herself—and if she ever did, all she had to do was remind herself that she was the one wearing Samuel’s necklace, the tangible proof of his love for her.

“I love ye,” Alicia said, craning her neck to look in Samuel’s eyes. “An’ I want ye, Samuel. Please.”

“Here?” Samuel asked with a small, slightly amused smile. “Are ye certain?”

Alicia nodded fervently. She needed him desperately. Waiting until they got to a room seemed impossible to her in that moment and besides, no one visited that turret apart from her. No one would see them, no one would catch them in the act.

Samuel wasted no time before he gathered Alicia’s dress, pulling it up to her waist. His hands repeated the movement, palms dragging over her calves, her thighs, until they reached her rear and his fingers brushed against her opening, soft and teasing. She could already feel the wetness gathering there, between her thighs, and her hips moved back greedily, seeking a firmer touch.

She wasn’t the only impatient one, though. Samuel quickly lowered his trews and guided himself inside her in a slow, smooth thrust, one that took her breath away for a moment, leaving her gasping for air. His arms came to wrap around her once more, holding her close, and Alicia placed her hands over his, twining their fingers once more. Her body parted easily around him, his manhood reaching deep inside her with every thrust and sending jolt after jolt of pleasure through her. The slow drag of him against her sensitive flesh was a sweet torture, giving her just enough pleasure to drive her mad with lust, his name tumbling from her lips again and again like a prayer.

Through it all, Samuel held her, his face buried in Alicia’s neck, his hands curling around her torso, fingers dimpling the skin through her clothes. There was nothing like the closeness between the two of them, the physical proximity as delightful as it was all-encompassing. Samuel was all she could feel, his breaths all she could hear, his masculine scent all that surrounded her. There was nothing else but him in her world in that moment; nothing but the joining of their bodies, the slow rocking of their hips, the pleasure they found in each other flowing back and forth between them like the tide.

“Ye’re mine,” Samuel mumbled against Alicia’s neck, draping himself over her as he bent her over the windowsill, pushing himself impossibly deep. Pleasure spiked through Alicia, each thrust of his hips hitting a spot inside her that had her trembling in his arms and quivering around his length, and she braced a hand against the window to rock back into him, insatiable in her quest for release. “As I am yers. Never forget that, me love. Never.”

Heat coiled in Alicia’s core and her chest tightened at Samuel’s words, as though her body could not contain all the love she felt for him nor the force of her desire. It was a dream come true, one she would have never thought was possible, and now that it was her reality, her joy was boundless, pouring out of her in waves.

Clutching onto Samuel’s arm, Alicia lost herself in all the sensations—the warmth of his body as it blanketed her, the damp heat of his breath on her neck, the sounds of their coupling, the stretch of her entrance as his length pushed deeper and deeper with every slow thrust, filling her to the brim. Her moans echoed in the small turret, mixing with Samuel’s grunts as he neared his release, and when his teeth found her shoulder, clamping down as he spilled inside her, Alicia’s pleasure was torn out of her suddenly, her body clenching tightly around Samuel as she was pushed over the edge.

With a surprised moan, Alicia sagged in Samuel’s arms until he was the only thing holding her upright, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. The slow, sensual grind of Samuel’s hips as he chased the aftershocks of his release only prolonged her own, drawing out her orgasm for what seemed like an eternity.

When Samuel finally pulled back, he wasted no time before he pulled Alicia into a soft, tender kiss. “Come tae me chambers,” he said in between kisses. “Let me have ye again. Let me hold ye an’ kiss ye all night.”

Alicia couldn’t refuse such a request. With a smile, she nodded and took Samuel’s hand, following him out of the turret.

Samuel hushed Alicia softly as they ran to his rooms, though he couldn’t help but laugh, too, as she giggled in excitement. He felt lighter, younger even, infected by her enthusiasm and her good mood, but at the same time, he knew the importance of stealth. The chambers in that wing of the castle were all full, her father and sisters occupying three of them at the end of the corridor.

As they reached his door, Samuel pressed Alicia against it and kissed her while fumbling for the door knob at the same time. Distracted as he was, opening the door seemed like an impossible task, but he couldn’t bring himself to tear his lips away from hers. Every kiss they shared was too sweet, too intoxicating. He couldn’t help but want more.

In the haze of his passion, he didn’t hear the footsteps until it was too late; until he was already being grabbed by the back of his shirt and ripped away from Alicia, a strong hand throwing him to the floor. He didn’t need to look to know who it was. Before he even met Gavin’s eyes, a sudden wave of guilt pulled him under, choking him and settling heavy in his chest.