ye, they do. They have dedication now. ’Tis good, for the time to fight draws near.”

She rubbed the slight swell of her belly as she spoke. Battle was inevitable, but it troubled her still. She worried for Caelen, for her clan, for Caelen’s family. She worried for the future of her babe.

“You’re frowning, lass. Are you feeling poorly? Perhaps you should lie down a spell and rest.”

Rionna shook her head. Caelen worried endlessly and fussed over her night and day. He’d undertaken the task of ensuring that she rested and never lifted a finger so as not to overexert herself. Unfortunately, his obsession had bled over to Sarah as well.

“Tell me, Sarah, did you rest endlessly when you were pregnant with your bairns?”

Sarah frowned. “There was work to be done, lass. Of course I didn’t lay around.”

Then as if realizing what she’d said, she scowled and leveled a stare at Rionna.

“I was not pregnant with the next laird nor was I a slight lass like yourself. Your husband worries. You should accommodate his request that you be at ease during your confinement.”

“Confinement is right,” Rionna muttered. “ ’Tis most ridiculous. You are right about one thing. There is work to be done and we need all the hands we can manage and yet I’m pushed aside and told to rest. It makes no sense. I am healthy. I haven’t even been ill, not one day. The tiredness left me after my third month.”

“The laird is a determined man. It won’t be me who goes against his decree. The whole clan knows of his wishes for you, lass, so it’s not just me who’ll be reminding you of your duty.”

“If I don’t have something to do soon, I’ll go daft. I cannot stay inside the keep day after day moving from one chair to the next. I’ll grow fat and lazy and then what will happen? Caelen will set me aside for a prettier, fitter wife.”

Sarah laughed. “Come now, lass, you won’t be pregnant forever.”

Caelen paused in his training and looked up as if knowing he’d find Rionna there watching. A slight smile lifted his lips and he nodded his acknowledgment to her. It gave her a ridiculous thrill every time he looked her way. Even though she despaired of the fact that he was oversolicitous, at the same time, she took great joy in the fact that he was so mindful of her well-being.

He may not admit that he had any soft feelings for her, but ’twas obvious he hadn’t hardened his heart to her.

“Soon you’ll give me the words I want, husband,” she whispered fiercely.

“What’s that you say, lass?” Sarah asked.

“ ’Tis nothing. I was but talking to myself.”

“Come away. ’Tis starting to snow.”

Rionna allowed Sarah to pull her back inside the keep and the two women walked down to the great hall so Rionna could warm herself by the fire.

Despite Rionna’s earlier misgivings about learning the managing of the keep, after Caelen’s insistence that she remain inside, she had decided she needed something to occupy her time, so many a day had been spent by the fire as Sarah went over Rionna’s duties as mistress.

As Rionna stood by the fire, her mind wandered, as it often did when she was left alone with her thoughts. One of her duties as mistress was to ensure the comfort of her husband and to see to his care as surely as he did to hers.

Of late, he’d fussed endlessly over her. He pampered her and coddled her until she was positive she was going to be thoroughly spoiled by the process of bearing a child. Perhaps ’twas his aim in order to gain her agreement to have more in the future.

She smiled at the thought. He wouldn’t have to do much convincing.

Still, it only seemed fair that she reciprocate.

Deciding that an evening of pampering was in order for her husband, she had one of the large tubs delivered to her chamber and directed the women to be on standby with buckets of hot water when her husband retired to their chamber.

She laid out the plain soaps that had no scent and made sure she had clean bathing cloths. She bade Gannon to carry up wood since Caelen would suffer apoplexy if she were to do it herself. Then she laid a fire in the hearth and called for a flagon of ale and the evening meal to be served in their chamber.

Satisfied with her effort, she surveyed her handiwork and then went below stairs to await her husband’s arrival from the courtyard.

She fidgeted and paced while she waited. Finally, an hour later, the men began to filter into the hall, all ready for the evening meal. As soon as Caelen made his appearance, she hastened to greet him.

“I’ve arranged our meal to be served in our chamber,” she said in a low voice. “Come above stairs so that I may attend you.”

He gave her a puzzled look but allowed her to lead him toward the stairs. They were nearly run over by the women scurrying out of the chamber, buckets in hand, as they went below to fetch more hot water.

“What are you about, wife?” he asked when she sat him by the fire.

She pulled at his boots as he regarded her with lazy amusement.

“I’ve arranged for a hot bath followed by a hot meal. ’Twill soothe your aches and warm you through.”

He lifted one eyebrow as she tugged one boot free of his foot. “What is the occasion?”

She smiled and began work on the other boot. “ ’Tis no special occasion.”

A knock sounded and Rionna gave the call to enter. Four women came in bearing more water and added it to the already steaming tub. As the women left, Rionna trailed her fingers over the surface.

“I think ’tis ready.”

When Caelen would have begun undressing himself, she put her hand on his arm to stop him. Then she began pulling his clothing down until he was nude before her. She took his hand and guided him toward the tub. He stepped over the side and groaned softly as he sank into the hot water.

She let him sit there a moment with his eyes closed before she collected the washing cloth and soap and knelt by the tub. He opened his eyes to look at her as she pressed the cloth to his chest and began to wash.

“I am unsure of what I’ve done to deserve such attention, but you’ll not hear a single complaint cross my lips.”

“You have been working tirelessly without rest for weeks now,” she said softly. “You’ve insisted on my resting, but not your own. You indulge me and pamper me and yet no one does the same for you.”

He laughed. “I’m a warrior, Rionna. No one pampers warriors.”

“This wife does,” she defended. “An evening where you are waited on hand and foot will do you good.”

She began washing his back in lazy, sensual strokes. His muscles rippled underneath her touch and his breath caught and expelled in a jerky rush.

“I think you may just be right about that. I rather like the idea of my wife serving me in the privacy of our chamber. It opens up a lot of colorful possibilities.”

She leaned over and silenced him with a kiss. She dipped her hand into the water and trailed her fingers down his belly to his cock. Gently she rubbed up and down over his hardness.

“I must be sure to clean everywhere,” she murmured.

“Oh aye, you mustn’t miss a single spot,” he murmured back as he nibbled at her lips.

She leaned back and then went to collect the heavy pitcher from the washbasin. After directing him to scoot forward in the tub, she began to wash his hair.

She loved running her fingers through the long strands. She soaped and rinsed and dug her fingers through the thick pelt, massaging and stroking as she sought to give him comfort.

“Your hands are magic, lass,” he murmured. “ ’Tis the truth I’ve never had so much pleasure from something so simple as a washing of the hair.”

“If you stand by the fire, I’ll dry you,” she said as she rocked back on her heels.

“You’ll not have to ask me twice if I want another opportunity for your hands on my body.”

He stood, and water ran down his back, over his firm buttocks, and down his legs. He stepped from the tub and then turned to face her, his back to the fire. Her gaze was riveted to his body. Were she ninety, she’d never grow tired of looking at this man. He fascinated her. He appealed to her feminine senses in a way a man had never before appealed to her.

“If you continue looking at me so, you’ll find yourself on your back with me between your thighs,” he said gruffly.

She grinned then and stepped forward to began wiping the moisture from his body. She rose up on tiptoe to gather the strands of his hair and squeeze excess water away. When his hair no longer dripped, she began to rub down the rest of his body.

’Twas the truth she had every intention of pampering her husband this night, but she was so enjoying the experience herself that she felt guilty over the pleasure it brought her.

With his chest and arms now dry, she dropped to her knees to rub his hips, thighs, and lower legs. For now she avoided his groin, wanting to draw out that particular form of torture.

Then she rose up on her knees so that her mouth was mere inches from his swollen cock. “Tell me husband, will you be too weak to partake of your evening meal if I pleasure you now?”

His eyes glittered at her mischievous teasing. He slid his fingers through her hair and pulled her roughly forward until the tip of his erection rested against her bottom lip.

“I’ll manage somehow.”

Knowing what the image of her on her knees while he stood over her would do to him, she slid her mouth over his hardness and took him deep.

“Ah, lass,” he moaned. “Your mouth is the sweetest pleasure I’ve ever known.”

His fingers curled into her hair and then he loosened his hold as if worried he’d hurt her with his urgency. Then he tightened his grip again when she swallowed against the head.

This time she’d not draw out his pleasure. She intended it to be quick and sharp, a precursor of what was to come.

She curled her hand around the base of his shaft and stroked down as she sucked down to the tip. Then she tightened her fingers and stroked back up as she swallowed him whole once more.

Over and over she took him hard and fast until he went up on tiptoe, straining to go deeper. He tried to pull away when ’twas obvious he was about to gain his release, but she resisted and took him to the back of her throat, holding him captive there until with a harsh shout he poured himself into her mouth.

She continued to slide her tongue and lips over his length until finally he framed her face in his hands and pulled gently from her grasp. He reached down to help her to her feet and pulled her close when she stumbled. After a moment she pulled away and offered him his trews.

“Come to the bed so that I may brush your hair,” she said as he reclothed himself. “Our food will be here soon and then you can eat.”

She perched on the edge of the bed, and he sat on the floor between her knees while she brushed the tangles from his hair. After awhile she put aside the brush and pulled her fingers through the strands, enjoying the feel against her skin.

He reached up and caught one of her hands and brought it around to his mouth. He kissed her palm and then turned it over to press a kiss to each of her knuckles.

“What prompted this display of affection, wife?”

“Well, you did advise me that such displays were not appropriate in front of the men,” she said primly.

He gave a shout of laughter. “I’d hope not, lass. Not that I don’t love the sight of you with your lips wrapped around my cock, but ’twould incite a riot among my men. ’Tis best if we keep such matters private.”

She grinned and leaned forward to hug him. She kissed his temple and then released him when a knock sounded at the door. “That will be Sarah with our evening meal. Don’t move. I’ll return in a moment.”

She made Sarah wait in the hall and returned a few times to bear in the food. When she had everything, she dismissed Sarah and closed the door.

First she poured Caelen a goblet of ale and handed it to him. He watched her all the while she prepared a plate. His gaze was intense and possessive, like he’d love nothing more than to strip her down and take her there on the floor.

’Twas the truth, she’d love nothing more as well, but there was food to be had and her husband was likely starving.

She curled up beside him on the floor, shivering softly. Her clothing was slightly damp from attending to Caelen’s bath. Her husband frowned and put his hand out to touch the sleeves of her gown.

“You’re cold. And wet.”

“Aye, ’tis not of import.”

“You’re shivering.”

“The fire will warm me soon enough.”

He took the plate from her and set it on the bed. Then he got to his feet and pulled her up beside him. In a reversal of roles for the evening, he divested her of her gown and then removed her underdress, leaving her na**d to his avid gaze.

“Your skin glows so warmly in the light of the fire,” he murmured. “I think ’tis the way I’d like you to remain for the evening.”

He settled back on the floor but instead of allowing her to sit beside him as she had before, he pulled her down so that she straddled his lap.

“ ’Tis too cold on the floor. You’ll sit here on me so you’ll not be cold.”

He touched the tiny swell of her belly and then laid his palm over it. “How is our child this day?”

“I’ve not felt him move yet, but I think ’twill be soon. I’m small and Sarah says I’ll feel him move sooner because of it.”

“I hope not too small,” Caelen said with a frown. “ ’Tis God’s truth you don’t look big enough to push out a child.”

“You worry too much. I’ll be fine.”