17
When the kiss ended Sarah smiled. It was a strange feeling, to be in his arms, made all the more strange by the sensations that were swimming in her mind. She had never felt this way before. Indeed, she had never imagined herself feeling this way before, especially not about a Highlander. But the way he was with her, so tender and gentle… Sarah had not believed a Highlander was capable of such a thing.
Drew's kisses were passionate and loving. She felt safe in his strong arms, and the feeling of his tight, sinewy skin underneath her delicate fingers was pleasing to her. He had a masculine scent, smelling of blood and war and a warrior spirit, and this sparked an intense desire within her.
But it was his eyes that enchanted her.
They were deep and soulful, and spoke to a kind, compassionate soul. When she saw him she did not see the Highlanders as she had pictured them, brutish and savage. What she saw was a man who looked at her with respect, who looked at her with awe. When she looked into his eyes she saw his feelings for her reflected, and she became quickly aware that she was not just a simple handmaiden to him.
In his eyes there was no sense of cruelty. He saw her and found her beautiful. She was the woman who saved his life, not one who needed saving. Never had she been looked at in that way before, not as a woman in her own right. For the first time in her life she knew what it was to have someone look at her for just being herself. Lord Flynn had only loved her because he thought she was nobility. Drew looked at her with ardor because he genuinely felt that way about her.
It was almost too much to believe that a man could feel that way about her, but it was true. She was special to him, and he was special to her, even though it was difficult for her to admit.
With his tight muscles, tall frame, and broad shoulders, Drew looked every inch the barbarian that Lord Flynn so often described, and the idea of the Highlanders that had been present in Sarah's mind. But the reality was that Drew was thoughtful, with hidden depths to him that Sarah would never have guessed at just by looking at him.
She could even accept that he had nothing to do with the death of her parents. Sarah was not an unkind person, and the hatred she had held within her breast for Highlanders all these years had been very uncharacteristic of her. She simply wasn't a person who could hold onto pain or blame someone who was blameless.
This war had nothing to do with the last, and if Drew was right about the beginnings of the war then there was only one man to blame; Lord Flynn.
Harold was the bloodthirsty one, the one who was eager for war. Now that she thought about it she realized that war had been on his mind all the time. It hadn't surprised her that he had hanged a man without him committing a crime, and she started to wonder if that was what had happened on the road to his stately home. It would certainly have explained why there were guards around.
All Sarah had to do was open her heart and let Drew in, and she found it to be the easiest, most natural thing in the world. She placed her hand on the side of his face and smiled at him. It felt good to be in harmony with another person, and she was now doubly glad that she had run away from Lord Flynn.
It would have been a grim fate indeed for her to have been shackled to that life, to a man who would never truly love her. Even now, after just a brief experience of the power of love she knew that she would not want to experience anything else, and she could not turn her back on it.
Even more impressive than Drew's physique was the manner in which he held himself, enduring the pain that must have been lancing through his body. Sarah had never experienced anything like a javelin in the thigh, so she could only imagine what he must have been going through, and yet he was still standing tall and strong, enduring the pain so that he could kiss and embrace her.
Sarah smiled demurely.
“I apologize if I do anything out of the ordinary. I am...inexperienced in these matters,” she said, blushing again. She had already done much of that in Drew's presence. The Scot made her tingle in ways she had never experienced before. Her stomach swam, and when she was being held in his arms she felt as though she would melt.
Drew smirked and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. His fingers were rough, but she liked that somehow. It was better than Lord Flynn, who only ever pretended to be a man of action. Drew was a man who had clearly lived in the wild, who knew how to take care of himself and thus knew how to take care of Sarah as well.
“Ye dinnae hae anything tae worry about on that front, lassie,” he said, and leaned in for another joyful kiss. Sarah turned away though, her cheeks blushing, and she hoped Drew would realize that she must have been troubled by what occurred. He remembered what he knew about English women, and how a kiss signified a great deal. The intimacy of the moment had come as a shock to her, not understanding what the sensations inside her meant.
“I am sorry, lass. I forget myself. I dinnae know what got intae me. I suppose it must be a sign of the war. When a man's blood starts rushing he is liable tae dae things he would not ordinarily dae.”
Suddenly Sarah felt Drew's entire weight pressing on her shoulders, and she had to summon all her strength to not collapse to the ground. It lasted only a moment, before Drew fell to the ground, his injured leg causing him great pain again.
Agony was etched upon Drew's face. He clutched at his leg and howled in pain. Sarah fell to his side.
“I'm so sorry!” she cried, wishing that she could do something to take away the pain.
“Is nae your fault,” Drew muttered through the pain, but Sarah couldn't help but feel there was more she should be doing.
Looking down, she peeled the cloth away to look at the wound and drew back. It was dark and red. The blood had dried into a deep crimson, and the wound looked nasty.
“I don't think it should be left like this,” Sarah said, pulling the cloth away. It was dried and hard with all the blood it had soaked up and needed to be redressed. Sarah looked around for a clean part of her garment and pulled it away again.
“If ye keep doing that ye won't hae any clothes left...nae that I'll be complaining,” Drew murmured, his eyes twinkling despite the pain.
Sarah ignored him and placed another dressing over the wound.
“I don't think you'll be walking anywhere today. You need to give it rest,” Sarah said.
Drew leaned his head back against the rock and shook his head with disappointment.
“I feel so helpless,” he uttered in frustration.
Sarah didn't know what to say to him. His physical prowess was evident, and it must have been difficult for him to accept that his body wasn't at its usual level.
“I wish I could do more.”
“Ye hae done enough. I would nae be sitting here if it weren't for ye. Ye saved my life. I can never repay ye for that.”
“It was the right thing to do.”
“Ye are a kind soul, lass, a kind soul indeed. I think ye may be right about me needing some rest. I can feel myself getting tired already. I think I'll just close my eyes for a little while.”
“You do that, Drew. Just rest, and I'm sure you'll be feeling better when you wake up,” she replied, stroking the top of his head and placing a kiss on his forehead. Drew's head lolled to the side as he quickly fell asleep, and Sarah was amazed at how quickly the gentle giant could be tamed.
She stood up and walked around. It would be so easy to escape now, to continue her adventure into the heart of the forest to a new life. But what kind of life would it be? The smart thing to do seemed to be to leave Drew here, but then she thought about the future. What if she always regretted leaving this place? What happiness might she miss out on if she walked away?
There was no telling if she could make it back to England safely. As Drew said, there were plenty of dangers that lurked in the forest. Even then, there was still a chance that Lord Flynn could find her. If she stayed with Drew however, Lord Flynn would never find her. It seemed strange to admit it, but the safest place for her might have been with the Highlander.
It was an easy choice to make. Sarah was intoxicated with thoughts of being in his arms again, of their feelings defying the boundaries between them.
She was struck with thoughts that were similar to those she had experienced when seeing the battlefield. As the dead lay strewn upon the ground she noticed how they were all the same. It didn't matter if they were English or Scottish. They were all dead. It was the same in love. Being of two different cultures did not matter to Sarah, for it was their love that was important. It was true and sincere. She could feel it in the very depth of her soul.
She smiled as she thought of all this, and decided that she was not going to leave.
Instead, she chose to spend the time bathing. She had intended to bathe in the river the previous day before Drew had presented himself. Now that he was sleeping she could peel off her garments and wash herself in the river.
Glancing over her shoulder to make sure that Drew wasn't peeking, she began to get undressed, letting her clothes fall to the ground. The only witness was the horse, and he didn't seem to pay much attention to her.
The warm breeze felt good against her skin, almost as good as Drew's body. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself, imagining being enveloped by his strong arms again. The sensation of his kiss haunted her, and as she stepped towards the riverbank her body glowed with arousal.
Dipping her toe in, she found that the water was quite warm. The trees broke over the river, allowing the sun to shine directly onto the water, heating it all the way down. The water was crystal clear, with occasional foam rushing by. She smiled as she felt the liquid surround her feet, and then submerged herself fully.
She dove under the water, opening her eyes to the cerulean-shaded depths of the river. A few fish swam by, but not enough to alarm her. The ground was rocky, but the current was gentle, so she did not have to worry about being swept along and dashed against the rocks.
The water was refreshing over her body, and she felt alive. It was strange to think that a vicious battle was raging somewhere near this peaceful glade. It was almost a shame to think that soon they would have to return to that world, a world of war. It would have been perfect to live off the land in these words, and call nature home.
When her lungs began to burn she pushed herself up and broke through the surface of the water. It cascaded all around her, and her hair splayed out. She shook it and watched droplets of water trickle all down the curves of her body. She felt around her stomach and her hands reached lower, below the surface of the water, and found the heat between her legs.
A soft moan escaped her lips as she let herself sink down in the comfort of the water. She breathed in the sweet smells of the forest and let the soft water surround her body. The fresh water slipped into her open mouth and lingered on her lips before sliding down her throat. Then her mouth turned into a smile.
She sank down into the warm water and let it wash over her. The relaxing feeling took her far away from thoughts of the war and the terrible suffering she had endured. She closed her eyes and was transported to another realm, a realm where she was free of strife and anguish. After a time she stood up in the water and washed herself, letting the water drip and trickle all over her naked body, scrubbing herself clean with her own hands.
“Dae ye need a wee hand there, lassie?”
Sarah was so shocked that she lost all sense of balance and fell under the water. Gasping for air, she kicked up and pushed herself out of the water, then realized that Drew was able to see all of her. Her arms quickly shot around her body and covered her breasts. The water came up to her hips. Her long hair, thick and heavy with water, hung to the middle of her back.
While at first she was embarrassed and concerned with her own appearance, she eventually looked at Drew and saw an immense desire in his eyes. His gaze roved over her body, ravishing her, and she quickly had to admit that she liked it. The goosebumps that appeared on her skin were evidence enough of that.
“You shouldn't sneak up on a woman like that, Drew. It's not very polite,” she said, shocked and embarrassed.
“Well, ye know me, lass, I'm a Highlander. Apparently we dinnae care about politeness.”
“No? Then what do you care about?” she asked.
Drew hobbled over to the riverbank. Evidently his leg was feeling better. He peeled off what little clothes he was wearing, although her cloth was still tied around his leg, and came to the river. He sat down on the bank and pushed himself in, letting the water come up to him.
Sarah was amazed by his purely masculine physical form. Never before had she seen a naked man, especially not one in such fine form as Drew. She was a little scared, but more intrigued and excited. His torso rippled with muscles, and was covered in a thick bed of hair that narrowed in the middle of his stomach, drawing her eyes down to his manhood. It stirred a deep desire within her, for it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.
Her tongue ran over her bottom lip as her mouth dropped open, wanting him to be close to her, needing him beside her.
“I care about a great many things, lass,” he said in his deep burr, coming ever closer to her all the time. She stayed where she was, unable to move, and then, as he got within reach, she twisted around and turned her back on him, but she let her arms fall to her sides.
Sarah felt the water ripple around her as Drew moved towards her, and a smile played upon her face. His arms wrapped around her waist. He buried his head into the nape of her neck. Hot breath rushed over her and her knees shook, but she remained standing. His hands ran over her arms, and behind her she could feel his manhood pressing against her, hard and ardent.
She turned around to look into his eyes. They shone in the sunlight. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him closer to her, closing her eyes as their lips met in another sweet kiss.
Their tongues danced together as the heat rose within them. When Sarah opened her eyes again she was surprised that the water was not on fire. Her hands fell to his chest, running through the thick bed of hair that covered his manly torso. Staring in amazement, she drank him in, this epitome of masculinity.
Then she looked into his eyes and saw that he had the same look. He gazed at her, eyes lingering over her body, a deep, passionate hunger lurking within them. His hands came around her waist, holding her hips tightly. His beard scratched against her as he buried himself in her neck, then kissed all the way down, cupping her breasts in his hands.
Sarah allowed the sensations to rush over her. It felt as though she was sinking in the water. Never had she known that this would be possible, that all these feelings existed. For the first time it felt as though she was truly alive. Her heart raced. Her skin tingled. Her hands trembled with excitement as she caressed Drew's tough skin.
And everything was drawn to his manhood.
Her hands fell down the sides of his body and slipped under the water where they found their target. Veins rippled down his hot flesh. He murmured with contentment as she curled her fingers around him and began to stoke him, slowly at first, but increasing the pace as she grew more confident.
He held her tightly, her soft curves melting perfectly into his rough, Highlander body. The sun shone down upon them, as though blessed by the gods, and they sank into the water together.
A wide smile appeared on Sarah's face as she felt Drew's body tense with every movement of her hand. Then she clamped her eyes shut as his hands explored her body and found her most intimate area. Their deeds were hidden beneath the water, secret and clandestine, just like their love.
“Oh Drew,” Sarah whispered, barely able to form any coherent words as the pleasure and arousal swam through her body. “I've never been touched like this.”
“Ye are the sweetest thing I've ever known,” Drew moaned in his rough brogue. The rumbling sound of his voice in her ear only made Sarah even weaker at the knees, and she clung onto him for safety.
While their hands worked under the surface, they kissed passionately and lovingly. Occasionally Drew would tilt his head down and take her breasts in his mouth. Sarah leaned her head back, her long hair dipping in the water as she offered herself to him. In turn, she too kissed Drew all over, enjoying the taste of his manly skin, tracing the scars over his body.
“Where did you get all these?” she asked.
“The Highlands are a rough, wild place,” he replied.
He was a rough, wild man, and Sarah found herself unable to resist him. A loud moan burst out of her mouth as his fingers reached the deepest sweet spot inside of her, creating magic in her soul. Her body convulsed, and if she had not had Drew to offer support she would have fallen into the water, sinking to the bottom, for she was quite sure that she did not have any more strength left within her.
Sarah's mind was hazy, intoxicated by all the sensations swimming inside her. It was as though lightning had struck her, and all she could do was give herself over to the pleasure. It was like a wave carrying her to paradise, and for a brief moment she wondered if she even deserved this happiness.
Drew's rough kisses found her mouth again, suffocating the moans that escaped her lips. A bright flame rose within her as he continued to curl his finger back and forth, beckoning whatever was inside her to emerge into the warm light of day. Sarah's skin flushed pink and with every moment that passed she became even more breathless, and when the moment of pure bliss came she curled up and jerked wildly, causing water to splash all around.
Overhead, birds scattered at the sound of her ecstatic cries, and with a heaving chest she fell into Drew's arms.
“Dae ye feel good, lass?”
“Oh Drew, I feel wonderful,” she said, kissing him softly. Then she screamed with surprise, for Drew hoisted her up in his arms and carried her out of the river. Looking down, she saw water trickle off the end of his long, thick manhood and her eyes widened at the sight of it. A deep hunger stirred within her.
Despite his wounded leg, Drew carried her over to the soft grass and laid her down. He rolled over her and enveloped her in his arms. Her wet hair splayed over the ground as he touched her skin. They smelled of summer and freshness, and Sarah wrapped her arms around Drew tightly, vowing to herself that she would never let him go.
Their tongues danced once again. Drew opened her legs. His hand reached down to caress her breast, his long fingers encapsulating her entirely, the hard nipple poking out between his fingers. Their bodies entwined to such an extent that Sarah wasn't sure where she ended and Drew began.
Then he shifted position, grunted, and her eyes shot wide as her maiden body was taken by a Highlander. Her nails dug into Drew's back as she braced herself for the feeling of him inside her, so big, so manly, and for a moment Sarah wasn't sure that she would be able to take it.
Drew's quavering breath rippled across her neck, drawing her in to the pleasurable paradise again. His hands were all over her, and at one point it felt as though she was being touched by a hundred angels. Her head twisted this way and that, eyes occasionally opening to see Drew's face contorted with sweet anguish. The sun blazed above him, golden and delightful.
The pleasure made Sarah delirious.
Drew's body came over her, dominating her, his muscles tensing as he thrust powerfully. Sarah was so small compared to him, her body cast in his shadow, but by giving herself to him she felt alive and happy for the first time in her entire life.
Moaning his name, she whispered into his ear, and as he made love to her he too whispered her name. Hearing it laced with so much passion and intense desire made Sarah feel like a queen, and a wide smile broadened over her face as she let the pleasure wash over her again.
Drew pinned her to the ground, his strong arms making sure she knew her place. It was as though she was caged by flesh, and there was nowhere else she'd rather be. The ground trembled because of the force of his thrusts, and Sarah felt the tension rise within them both. Drew was getting harder and faster. His hips thrust powerfully. His hands tightened around her, not willing to let her go.
Sarah gasped. Drew moaned. His hand found her thigh and lifted her leg up, getting even deeper. Sarah's mouth hung open. Sweat dripped from Drew's temples and felt like it sizzled on Sarah's aching skin. Everything was on fire. Everything was filled with desire and she knew that something glorious was about to happen.
She moved her hand up Drew's back, through his hair, and pulled his head down so that their foreheads were touching. Their mouths were so close that each rushing, gasping breath became one, and their hearts beat to the same rhythm. Then Drew bellowed loudly, a warrior's cry, and Sarah felt him release inside her. Their bodies convulsed wildly as the orgasmic sensations took hold, seizing her in a tremendously hot and heavy explosion that rendered her mute and incoherent.
Drew pulled himself away and rolled onto his back. Sarah followed his momentum, draping her arm over his heaving chest. Their bodies glistened with sweat under the sun, and they lay in the afterglow of passion, drained and delirious, but entirely satisfied.
In that moment she knew that sometimes a barbaric Highlander could be more noble than an English lord.