His father leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms on his chest. In the surly tone he reserved for Alex’s mother, he said, “What is it, Mòrag?”
His mother opened her mouth to shout at him, but with an effort she stopped herself.
“Fergus, ye must remove every woman from this house who our son has bedded at one time or another.” His mother made this astonishing statement in a calm and reasonable voice, as if she were saying they were out of salt or needed another barrel of wine.
Alex and his father exchanged glances, but they were both too startled to say a word.
“Are ye men such fools that ye can’t see what is happening?” she asked.
“I’ve no idea what ye are talking about, Mother.”
“It comes as no surprise that your father is wholly lacking in consideration for a new bride,” his mother said. “But, Alex, can ye no see how it hurts Glynis to have these women about?”
“What is it ye think I’ve done?” Alex felt self-righteous, which was a rather new sensation for him. “I’ve not touched a woman since I was wed.” Hell, he had not even touched his wife.
“I am relieved to hear that,” his mother said, pressing her hand to her chest. “Then it isn’t too late to mend things with Glynis and convince her to stay with ye.”
Alex felt as if the ground were shifting under him. He knew Glynis was upset, but was she planning to leave him already?
“What are ye saying, Mòrag?” his father asked.
“That the two of ye are mistaken if ye don’t think these women have found ways to let Glynis know they’ve been in Alex’s bed before—and expect to be again,” she said, and Alex had the impression she was talking about herself as a young wife as much as she was about Glynis. “Ye don’t help matters, Alex, by being an even worse flirt than your father.”
“I joke with them,” he said, lifting his hands. “It means nothing.”
“And just how is Glynis supposed to know that?” his mother asked.
“I gave her my promise.”
“Just as every philandering husband in the Highlands has done before ye,” she said, “including her first husband and your father.”
“I will no change my household to suit ye, M—”
“Ye will do it, da,” Alex said, cutting his father off. Then he left them to find his wife.
* * *
Alex found Glynis walking alone on the beach. She was barefoot, his island lass. Seeing her like this, he felt a deep longing for her that had nothing to do with salvaging his pride or needing a mother for his daughter. Alex wanted this woman at his side, and to have her look up at him with a smile in her eyes.
When Glynis saw him, she stood still and waited for him, with the wind blowing her hair and skirts. She looked so pretty, but her eyes were sad.
“Sit with me?” he asked.
She gave him a tight nod and let him take her hand. He led her up the beach to sit in the tall grass where it was dry. Still holding her hand, he told her about his conversation with his mother and father.
“I’m going to try to explain this to ye and be truthful,” he said, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand, “though ye won’t like part of what I have to tell ye.”
“I want the truth,” she said.
“All right,” he said. “From the time I was a young lad, my father told me that men like us needed women like we need the sea—and that one woman would never do for us. So there were always women about my father’s house. Willing women, if ye catch my meaning.”
He glanced at Glynis. She was staring out to sea, but she was listening.
“That was just how it was,” he said. “I thought nothing I did before we wed should matter. But I didn’t realize how it might seem to ye, being here.”
Glynis was thoughtful for a long moment. Finally, she turned to him and said, “Would ye want to share a house with men I had bedded?”
“I had the impression there was only one man before me.” And if Alex had his way, that man would be weighed down with chains at the bottom of the sea. Speaking very carefully, he asked, “Have there been many?”
This, of all things, brought a smile to her face. She touched his arm, and it amazed him how the slight gesture could soften him. She had him in the palm of her hand. God help him if she ever knew it.
“There was only the one,” she said. “And he was worthless.”
Alex had the sense not to tell Glynis how much this pleased him, but he lifted her hand and pressed it to his lips. “We’ll leave for North Uist tomorrow, and we’ll make ourselves a different kind of home there.”
“For certain,” Glynis said, and gave a short laugh.
“I told my father he must change his household if he wants us to ever come here again.”
“He’ll do that?” she asked.
“I suspect my mother will do it for him.” Alex could almost hear her: I’ll stay just until Fergus’s whores can be replaced with decent clanswomen—preferably toothless, elderly ones. “She’s been wanting to do it for years.”
“I don’t want the women to be turned out with nowhere to go,” Glynis said.
Alex cupped her cheek with his hand. She was such a good woman—as Ilysa said, better than he deserved.
“I’ll ask my mother to send them home to their families or find husbands for them.” If Alex had to figure out how to deal with a wife, every man should.
“What about that woman, Mary?” Glynis asked in a quiet voice.
“I did bed her a few times, but I ended it before I went to the gathering at Shaggy Maclean’s,” he said. “I’m no proud of what I did, for she was married at the time, but I broke no vow.”
“I heard ye with her outside,” Glynis said, her voice still very low.
“I was asking her to leave.” He took her hand and kissed it again. “Glynis, ye are the only one I want. Are ye determined to make me suffer longer, or will ye come to bed with me now?”
Glynis looked at him with her clear gray eyes. “I will.”
Finally, he was taking his wife to bed—a place where he knew his ground.
CHAPTER 40
What are ye doing?” Glynis cried when Alex lifted her off her feet and started carrying her up to the house.
“I’m letting everyone know that I’m dying to ravish my wife,” Alex said, grinning at her.
Glynis felt embarrassed and pleased at the same time by his intention to proclaim to the entire household that she was the one he’d chosen, the woman he wanted. The guests who had stayed overnight cheered as Alex carried her around the hall—overjoyed, no doubt, that they would have a fine story to tell. As Alex carried her toward the stairs amid the shouts, Glynis caught a glimpse of Sorcha sitting between his parents. All three were clapping, and Alex’s parents both looked happy for once.
“Ye can put me down now,” she said when they reached the bedchamber door.
“Hell no,” he said. “I’m no risking the bad luck that lurks in doorways a third time.”
She rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help laughing when he kicked the door open and carried her through. As soon as he set her on her feet, he swung the door shut and pressed her against it. The laughter died in her throat when she saw the longing in his eyes.
“Ach, I’ve been wanting ye so much,” he said, holding her face in his hands.
Her eyes closed as his mouth met hers. For a long, long time, he just kissed her, not as a step to something else, but as if he wanted to do it forever. His fingers slid into her hair and supported her head as their tongues moved against each other in deep kisses.
Glynis felt adrift and breathless as he kissed her cheeks, her eyelids, her hair.
“Cronaím thú,” he said. I missed you.
His hands slid down her shoulders and arms. As they fell into deep kisses again, he held her in a firm grasp with his hands splayed over her ribs and back. Her breasts ached for his touch. Desire swept through her. She reached between them and rubbed her hand over the length of his erect shaft, drawing a deep groan from him and a sigh of her own.