The Wicked Bride (Lions of the Black Isle Book 4) Read online

  What was she supposed to do now? The mattress shifted. She jumped to her feet and whirled. Broderick stood, back to her, and slipped his great plaid from over his shoulder, then began unbuttoning his shirt. He sluffed the shirt off and she felt her eyes go wide at sight of the broad expanse of muscled flesh. He tugged the belt free of its clasp, tossed it onto a nearby chair, then began to unwind his plaid from around his body. Jocelyn dove beneath the covers and faced the wall. A moment later, the covers twitched and the mattress dipped under his weight.

  What would he do? Would he reach for her? Lay between her legs and—

  She gulped.

  “Ye know your father will be looking for proof of our consummation in the morning.”

  Jocelyn jumped at the sound of Broderick’s deep voice.

  She turned onto her back and lay unmoving. “I am ready.”

  He laughed. “You are hiding under the covers, Jocelyn.” She started to answer, but he said, “Dinnae worry. I will deal with your father.”

  Voices sounded outside the bedchambers, followed by a loud pounding on the door. Broderick cursed, then threw the covers aside and jumped from bed. Jocelyn peeked over the top of the blanket and drew in a sharp breath at sight of his naked buttocks. God have mercy, the man was a chiseled god. He reached the door, slammed the drawbar aside, then yanked the door open. Her father, his companions, Broderick’s three brothers and their wives stood outside.

  “Devil’s balls, Broderick,” his brother Connor cursed. “Put on some clothes.”

  “A man is supposed to be naked on his wedding night,” he said.

  His eldest brother stepped into the room and closed the door. “What happened?”

  When Broderick finished telling the story, he’d put on his kilt and Jocelyn sat between him and his brother on the bench in front of the fire. Aidan nodded and said he would speak with her father.

  Broderick shook his head. “It will do not good. Did ye see Sir Kevin with Stewart?”

  Aidan nodded.

  “He will make sure everyone knows the circumstances of our marriage. Not to mention, by now, Kristine has told half the population of the Black Isle that she caught Jocelyn and I in the gardens.”

  Aidan looked at Jocelyn. “How do ye feel about this?”

  “It is all my fault.”

  “Not quite all.” Aidan glanced at his brother.

  “I know,” Broderick said. “If I had no’ been in the gardens with Kristine, none of this would have happened.”

  “That is true,” Jocelyn said with vehemence.

  Broderick lifted a brow. “There is the small matter of you being in the gardens.”

  Her face warmed.

  Broderick’s eyes narrowed. “I see. You followed me into the gardens.”

  “It isnae what ye think,” she blurted.

  “Ye didnae want to consort with me in the garden?”

  “Nae.”

  “Then—” Understanding filled his eyes and he began to laugh.

  Aidan exchanged a look with her, then said, “What is so amusing?”

  “Ye should have seen her, Aidan. She was a wildcat. I wish there had been more light. I would have given anything to have seen Kristine’s face when Jocelyn punched her.”

  “She shouldnae accused ye of ravishing me,” Jocelyn said with heat.

  He stopped laughing, but his lip twitched in amusement. “Why would she think otherwise? I am a rogue.”

  “Only because ye chase women like Kristine.”

  Surprise shone in his eyes. “Ye think the right woman can reform me?”

  Jocelyn snorted. “Men cannae be reformed.”

  “Then what hope is there for me?”

  “I no longer know.”

  Broderick looked at his brother. “Spoken like a woman.”

  Aidan rose. “You will have your hands full, brother.” He strode to the door. “I will let everyone know the marriage is official.”

  Jocelyn shot to her feet. “But we havenae—” She caught the look in Broderick’s eyes.

  “The night is young,” he said, as the door clicked shut behind his brother.

  Chapter Four

  Jocelyn’s pulse leapt when Broderick stood and stepped so close that she was forced to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact.

  “So ye intended to scratch Kristine’s eyes out, eh?” he said in a soft voice.

  She shrugged and his eyes flicked to her bare shoulder. He lifted a hand and traced a finger along the bare flesh. A shiver raced down her arms.

  His gaze shifted back to her face. “How old are ye now, sixteen summers?”

  Jocelyn lifted her chin. “Seventeen.”

  A ghost of a smile played on his mouth. “How did ye grow up without my noticing?”

  “Ye were too busy consorting.”

  The smile lifted into a grin. “Will ye fault me for being a man?”

  She arched a brow. “Is that to be your every defense?”

  “God help me, you have grown into a woman.” He gently grasped her shoulders and pulled her close. “What do ye understand of the ways between men and women?”

  She held his stare. “Enough to know that isnae a stick poking into my belly.”

  Amusement—and satisfaction, if she wasn’t mistaken—gleamed in his eyes. Emboldened by his reaction, Jocelyn lifted on tiptoes and brushed her mouth against his, then pulled back. His eyes darkened. Her breath caught.

  “Ye dinnae have to do this, Jocelyn.”

  She kissed him again and, this time, he pulled her closer and returned the kiss. When his tongue gently flicked against her mouth, she tentatively opened and he swept inside. Her heart began to beat fast. He tasted of the wine he’d been drinking. She hadn’t given thought to how a man would taste. He pulled back and drew her against his chest. His heart beat as frantically as did hers. A strange sense of womanly satisfaction coursed through her. Broderick Munro desired her, Jocelyn Nichols[TS1].

  “I dinnae want to hurt ye, love.” He smoothed his knuckles down her cheek.

  Jocelyn drew back enough to look up into his eyes. “Ye would rather be with Kristine tonight?”

  He laughed hoarsely. “Nae. I meant, the first mating between man and woman can be painful for a woman.”

  She looked up at him through her lashes. “Then pleasant, aye?”

  He sucked in a breath.

  Jocelyn stepped from his embrace then pushed down her remaining sleeve and shimmied out of the dress. The fabric pooled on the floor at her feet.

  She stared up at him. “Do ye no’ want me as your wife?”

  His hands remained at his sides and he didn’t answer. Fear sent her heart into a wild rhythm.

  He nodded. “God help me, I do.”

  Joy burst through her. She dared not believe it.

  He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. Carefully, he laid her on the mattress, then lowered himself on top of her. She’d imagined this moment a thousand times, but the fantasy was but a shadow of the reality. Her head spun. He kissed her gently, as if she would break. She wanted so much more.

  He slid kisses along her cheek. When he reached her neck, he grasped her hair and gently pulled it back so that her neck was bared to him. The kisses continued downward. He nipped at her flesh. Mother of God help her, she wanted him to do that to every inch of her. A hand covered her breast. His fingers were so warm and—she sighed. His mouth continued its downward slide, along her collarbone—she shivered—then to the curve of her breast. Even through the fabric of her under-tunic his mouth was warm and moist. How much farther would he go? The secret place between her legs clenched. His mouth closed over a nipple and she shivered. He gave a low laugh that reverberated against her flesh.

  She wiggled beneath him. “Something is wrong.”

  He snapped his head up.

  “Have I hurt ye?” he demanded.

  Jocelyn hesitated. “Should we no’ be naked?”

  He blinked. “Ye want to take your clothes off?” br />
  “Is that no’ the best way to do this?”

  He stared for two heartbeats. “Aye.”

  She waited.

  Broderick shifted his weight onto his elbows and cupped her face with his hands. “This night is no’ what either of us planned. Ye are sure this is what you want?”

  “I have planned this since I was twelve,” she said.

  He blinked again. “What?”

  “I have loved ye all this time.” Jocelyn trailed a finger along his jaw. “I knew we would one day wed.”

  He stared for another moment, then slowly shook his head. “Ye are a wonder, my lady.”

  “Wife,” she corrected.

  His eyes darkened. “Aye.”

  Broderick shoved off her and before she realized his intent, he pulled her up and dragged her undertunic over her head. Warmth flushed through her when his eyes darkened with what she now knew for certain was desire. He quickly had his plaid off and again lowered himself on top of her. When his flesh met hers—and his hard length now lay in all its naked glory against her belly—her breath hitched. He was magnificent.

  He kissed her again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and his chest crushed her breasts in delicious discomfort. He slowly rocked and she startled at his hard ridge riding along the top of her belly. Then he reached down and gently pulled her legs wider, so that he settled between her thighs. The intimate contact caused gooseflesh to race across her arms.

  “There will be a moment of pain,” he said.

  She nodded, unable to speak as he fitted his cock to her channel. Gently, he eased inward. The sense of being filled caught her off guard. She tensed.

  He stopped. “Have I hurt ye?”

  Jocelyn nodded. “It is just…different than I expected.”

  Devilry gleamed in his eyes. “In many ways, love, I promise.”

  Before she understood his intent, he shoved inside her—hard. Pain pinched deep and she cried out. He stilled, inside her to the hilt. He felt impossibly large…impossibly good. Was this everything? He slowly pulled back, then thrust again. Again, then again. Soft pleasure spread through her. This was strange, but oh so nice. He levered himself up onto his elbows and kissed her. Jocelyn breathed him in. He began to thrust faster.

  Her heart jumped to a gallop. Heaven help her, this was very nice. He deepened the kiss, and thrust his tongue inside her mouth, mimicking the motion between her legs. Her head whirled. This was too much. How did a woman stand it all? He broke the kiss and lowered his head to take a nipple in his mouth. When he gently bit down, pleasure streaked from her breast to the pleasure building in her sex. He suckled, and the pleasure increased.

  Jocelyn instinctively pulled her knees up, her feet flat on the mattress. He groaned and plunged deeper and faster. She felt something building deep inside her, but before she could identify the new sensation, her body quivered then splintered with blinding pleasure. Broderick stiffened and filled her with his seed. He thrust slowly, again, then again, and finally his weight came down fully on her. Her heart swelled. She was truly and fully married to the man she loved.

  Broderick’s weight crushed her into the mattress. For several heartbeats, he didn’t move, then he withdrew from inside her and slid onto the mattress at her side. He pulled her into the crook of his arm and wrapped his arms around her.

  She lay there, until her heart finally slowed, then said, “Was that consorting to your liking?”

  He drew back, then cupped her face with his palms. “A man doesnae consort with his wife.”

  “But—”

  He shook his head. “A man makes love to his wife.”

  A tremor rocked her belly. “Love?” she repeated.

  “Aye. No woman has made me feel as you do.” He chuckled. “I dinnae know why I did not see it before.”

  “But you do now?” she asked.

  He smiled. “Aye, lass. I love you.”

  ###

  From the Authors

  We hope you enjoyed the Lions of the Black Isle. You may be seeing the Munro brothers again—along with their handsome kin. Up next for Sue-Ellen and Tarah is the mini-series The Marriage Maker. Connect with us and keep up our upcoming releases and events.

  Sue-Ellen and Tarah

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  Tarah Scott

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  [TS1]

 

 

  Tarah Scott, The Wicked Bride (Lions of the Black Isle Book 4)

 

 

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