Highlanders Collection. Ann Lethbridge

mean for that to happen.’

      His gaze had gone cold, as he stared at the weapon. His eyes were like glass, hardly seeing her at all. The way he was looking at her, she wasn’t certain she should touch him again.

      When there came no answer, she repeated, ‘Bram?’

      Bram took a deep breath, then another. He didn’t want to feel the kiss of the blade against his skin. The scars upon his back itched in memory, though he knew Nairna meant him no harm.

      ‘Finish it,’ he ordered, steeling himself. He didn’t want to look like a half-shorn animal, just because he couldn’t control his response to a knife.

      Nairna’s fingers moved over the shaven skin, as if searching for any other cuts. Her light touch seared him, setting his senses on edge.

      He wanted to remove her gown, seeing every part of her. Having her stand so close and not being able to do as he wished was honing the edge of his frustration.

      Her green eyes regarded him with apprehension, as if she could read his thoughts. A shaky breath released from her lungs, but she raised the dagger to the curve beneath his chin, gently cutting away at the ragged surface.

      The glint of the knife entranced him and he found it hard to keep his gaze fixed upon her. He hadn’t realised he’d been holding his breath until she moved the knife away and he expelled a sharp exhale.

      ‘I’m almost finished,’ she whispered, soaping the underside of his throat. Her gentle fingers moved to touch one cheek while her hand brought the blade against his skin, removing the last bits of beard growth.

      He endured the scrape of the dagger, every muscle clenching at the touch of metal against his skin. And when she’d finished, he seized the blade and tossed it across the storage shed. His arms captured her, bringing her up against the back wall. He kissed her hard, unleashing the dark needs that possessed him.

       Chapter Nine

      Nairna couldn’t grasp a clear thought as Bram conquered her mouth. The heat of his lips, the way his tongue stroked hers, made her knees go soft.

      He drew his fingers over the rise of her pulse, down the exposed flesh at her bodice. Nairna shivered, unable to understand the feelings he’d aroused.

      With the shadow of his beard gone, Bram appeared even more handsome. The planes of his face, the slant of his jaw, held the appearance of an ancient warrior.

      His hands moved to the laces of her gown, loosening them. The wool was heavy, a barrier between them. He waited a moment to see if she would voice a protest, but she couldn’t have spoken a single word if she’d wanted to.

      He slid the fabric away from her shoulder, lowering his mouth to the bared skin. He exposed her breasts in the cool night air and cupped the fullness of them, running his thumbs over the softness of her hardened nipples.

      A tremulous, swollen desire tightened inside her. She bit the inside of her cheek as he abraded her sensitive skin with his roughened palms. The vein of desire seemed to run from her taut breasts down to the wet centre of her womanhood. Her fingers dug into his shoulders when his mouth trailed a path down her throat, resting upon her heart.

      And when his lips curved over her breasts, it was as if she’d been struck senseless. His hot mouth teased her nipples, his tongue swirling and sucking. Nairna tried to pull away, but he held her trapped. He kissed every part of her breast, all the way to the sensitive tip. With every fierce suckle, she felt an answering throb between her legs.

      ‘I love the taste of you,’ he murmured upon her skin. His mouth descended on hers in a possessive kiss. Sleek and hot, he invaded, mercilessly taking her mouth for his own. She tasted his need and trembled beneath the onslaught.

      He took her back against the wall, supporting her weight with one knee. ‘I want you, Nairna,’ he murmured against her cheek. ‘More than anything in this world.’ Wild and tempting, his tongue teased hers.

      The length of his erection rested between the juncture of her thighs and Nairna could hardly breathe.

      The wildness in him was barely beneath the surface, held by a single thread of control. But right now, Nairna was starting to edge that control away from him.

      Bram wanted to draw her down upon the mattress, stripping away her clothing until her bare skin rested beneath him. He wanted to fill her with himself, invading her softness until she cried out with release.

      But he’d never taken a woman before and didn’t know what he should do. When his hand moved up her skirt, he sensed the sudden change within her. Nairna’s hands rested against his chest, and though she kissed him back, she appeared nervous about it.

      He released her, stepping back. ‘Do you want to do this?’

      The uncertainty in her eyes made him pause. ‘I won’t deny you, Bram.’

      Something didn’t seem right about her acceptance. She covered her breasts, adjusting her clothing until the outer gown fell onto the ground and she wore only her shift. The creamy linen clung to her and her nipples were taut against the fabric.

      Nairna lay down upon the mattress, no longer looking at him. ‘I’m ready.’

      Ready for what? Bram stared at her undergarment, trying to make sense of it. He removed his tunic, kneeling down beside her. Nairna inched the hem of her shift higher, until it bunched near her thighs, just below the curve of her bottom.

      Understanding suddenly dawned upon him. ‘Did your husband take you like this?’

      She nodded, her face bright with colour. ‘It’s your right, as my …’ she looked at the ground as though she were uncomfortable with the words ‘… my husband. And I do want children, so …’ Her voice trailed off, but he detected the anxiety beneath her veil of calm.

      He’d heard of men taking a serving wench in that manner, simply lifting her skirts and driving deep inside. But it wasn’t what he’d imagined. He wanted her naked beneath him and it was sobering to learn that her experience wasn’t at all what he’d expected.

      Bram ran his hand across her hair, moving down to her face. ‘Was it always this way?’

      She nodded. ‘Bram, if you’re planning to—’ She stared up at the ceiling again. ‘It’s all right.’

      ‘Did he ever give you pleasure?’ he asked. ‘Or was it simply a duty?’

      ‘It didn’t hurt me.’ She looked worried, as if she were afraid she wasn’t giving the right answers.

      ‘That’s not what I asked.’

      And when he saw the confusion in her eyes, he understood the truth. Though Iver MacDonnell had taken Nairna’s virginity, he’d taught her nothing about enjoying the marriage bed.

      Bram stretched out beside her, forcing her to look at him. ‘I don’t want it to be that way.’ He didn’t want her to lie like a stone while he took her. He knew women could be pleasured, that sex was meant to be enjoyed by both of them.

      How he wished he knew what to do. Nairna huddled on the edge of the mattress and it didn’t seem that she understood what he was talking about.

      ‘Nairna,’ he said quietly, ‘look at me.’

      Clearly embarrassed, she blurted out, ‘I know I never pleased Iver. I thought there ought to be more, but I couldn’t feel things the way he could.’

      ‘There’s nothing wrong with you. Only with him.’

      Even as he spoke the words, he felt his own apprehensions worsening. If her previous experience hadn’t been good, what made him think he’d be any better? He wanted to touch her, to explore her body and learn how to bring her to fulfilment. But she appeared so upset, he didn’t know how he would ever calm her anxiety.

      He pulled her into his embrace and Nairna rested her cheek against his