Highland Strength (Book 3)

Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Sheena came to herself slowly. Light steaming in from a nearby window, warming her face, and making her eyelids translucent. The heavy, warm weight of Aonghus’ arm lay over her stomach, and she was content to lay upon her back, Aonghus’ warmth seeping into her side from his position beside her. A smile on her face, and aches in parts of her body she had not known could ache so, and her heavy eyelids slowly blinked open.

A small squeak emerged from her before she could stop it. Her breath caught, as she waited for her heart beat to slow. Aonghus moved beside her, groaned a little under his breath, and tightened his arm, before his breathing went back to the rhythm of sleep once more. While her eyes locked into the startlingly clear eyes of Scottie. He did not look away immediately, but he blushed bright red, and she knew it was not the situation but the fact she was not looking away, and he was trying so hard to keep eye contact, but soon he had to switch to looking more towards her cheek and ear.

Not wanting to move, she could feel the blanket Aonghus must have thrown over them. It ended just above her breast and she could not help but be grateful for that fact. In a low toned voice, not quite a whisper, she looked up at Scottie. “Have you just woken, Scottie?” He took a moment to answer, his eyes seemed to catch upon a lock of her hair which had curled around her ear. Reaching up, she moved the strands, and watched as his eyes moved with the action. “Scottie?” he just nodded in response, but she would never push him to do more than he was comfortable with.

“Are you hungry?” She had no idea how she was staying so calm in this situation. It was only by chance Scottie had not happened upon them during the night, and she had forgotten about the laddie while she and Aonghus had been…intimate. Guilt started to eat at her, but she focused on him now. In one jerky movement he shook his head. A muffled sigh came from Aonghus behind her, and Scottie cocked his head to one side, his eyes still locked on a spot nowhere near either of their eyes, but somehow she knew Aonghus was now awake, and Scottie knew this.

Aonghus was his usual self it seemed, this morn. “Good morrow, Scottie, how are you laddie?” His voice was too loud in her ear, not an ounce of guilt or embarrassment about him…she felt like turning over and hitting him over the head…hard. Scotties brow furrowed so much his eye brows practically touched together. “Sheena, why you sharing a blanket with Aonghus?” She could feel the colour start at her chest, a prickly heat there as it spread up her chest and throat and her cheeks must have been crimson. “Um, well, now Scottie…there, well, it…” A silent chuckle reverberated through her, and she knew Aonghus who was going to feel no small amount of pain when she finally managed to get out of this situation. “Oh, Scottie, lad. When a woman agrees to be your wife, then you will understand. That I promise ye.”

There was a pause. A very pregnant one on the part of Sheena, as she replayed what had just been said a number of times, before the sunk in, and their meaning became apparent. A hand coming to clasp the blanket to her chest, she sat up in one movement. Her head coming around to see if Aonghus was making a jest or not. His expression was completely serious, which was a change for him, as usually there was at least a glint of mischief in his eye, yet it was not there at that point. His face was almost blank, watchful. “What?” Her voice was a mere whisper, yet whip sharp in the still air.