Cailín (Lass) (Anam Céile Chronicles) Page 13

  “Indeed! I have heard some discourse of those,” Deirdre replied with interest.

  “They have been gaining popularity in recent years, and are especially sought after by young men planning to propose to their lady because of the significance of the meaning they carry.” Deirdre appeared curious fer more.

  “Look here.” Donovan took me hand in his, lifting it fer show as he commenced with his honoured depiction. “The hands symbolise the friendship that guards the heart, the very same heart that symbolises love and affection that wears the crown of loyalty and trust, making the bond grow stronger day by day . . . ‘til eternity." He grinned proudly and turning, kissed me full upon the mouth.

  “Thus, in a nutshell, the meaning of the Claddagh ring could be summarized as, ‘Let Love and Friendship Reign Forever’.” Quite pleased Deirdre be with herself fer grasping the notion.

  “Precisely,” Donovan returned. “I determined to find a ring fer Aislinn that be as meaningful as she be to me.” He gazed to me again. It delighted me so to see him beaming.

  “Oh! You must allow me to help you plan the wedding!” Deirdre insisted. That would be just the sort of thing I could imagine her doing well.

  ‘Twas then I noticed that Deirdre be surrounded in a radiance of crystalline-like shimmers all around her as upon the new fallen snow blanketing over her natural bright yellow luminosity.

  How curious . . .

  “And when shall this long-awaited blessed day occur?” she probed on, and then persisted without waiting fer our answer. “I may have just enough time to plan for later this summer . . .”

  Donovan and I we both simply looked at each other.

  “I suppose then, that you have yet to decide upon a date?” Deirdre affirmed. Without waiting fer our answer, in her typical fashion, she continued on as she held out her hand to Fergus who was approaching us. “We have some joyful news of our own to share . . .” They exchanged exuberant glances. She turned back to us placing her hand upon her abdomen. “We are with child!”

  “Oh, Deirdre, Fergus, how wonderful that be! So pleased we be fer you!”

  Chapter Twelve

  Could we, I would have married Donovan that very day! On the other hand, circumstances be as they were, we could not be married ‘til he was finished with his apprenticeship. That wouldn’t be fer three more years!

  I believed those surely would be the longest years of me existence! If only I had known the nature of the trials I would have to endure.

  During that prolonged time, our love, as well as our passions grew ever stronger. Or, at least, I know mine surely did!

  As eighteen I be, and a full-fledged woman then, I endeavoured to convince Donovan to make love to me. Afflicted I be with increasingly overwhelming urges and many profound changes that I disregarded as merely being part of me becoming a woman.

  And always, much to me amassing frustration, did he decline me advances, upholding me virtue. “Wait ‘til our wedding day we must,” Donovan would tell me.

  Honestly, I did not know how much longer I could contain meself in his presence!

  One day when Donovan came to Deirdre’s to pick me up, he wore a simple, lightweight sweater. Admittedly, not much notice had I taken in his apparel before then, but this day it did rather strike me, mostly because simple folk such as we typically did not don clothing of colour. Blue ‘twas, more specifically cerulean; the only time I had viewed that exact hue be in the colour of the sky on a perfectly clear day, sunlit and vibrant.

  Never had I fancied the colour blue much, yet upon seeing Donovan wrapped in it, the striking contrast of that colour against his white skin and dark hair, I be done fer! And, adorned in that as he be, deepened the hue of his eyes, converting them into the most spectacular shade of blue!

  To make matters all the worse, the material of the sweater ‘twas so downy soft it virtually called out ‘touch me’! An inordinate amount of time I spent with me hands upon him whilst he wore that sweater! It provided me a charming justification to do something I had been endeavouring to avoid, vowing to remain on me best behaviour— being too brazen.

  “Where ever did you acquire a sweater of such colour?” I asked him, captivated as I fell into his waiting arms.

  Donovan smiled as he answered, “Oh, me Aunt and Uncle they brought it back fer me from their trip to France. Pleases you, does it, Aislinn?” he enquired hopefully with his modest smile, making me heart melt once again.

  I reached out to feel of it; allowing me eyes to easily fall shut under the sensuousness of the feel of its material under me fingertips; a slow, sensuous smile spreading over me face in answer to his question.

  Donovan took me on another jaunt, this time over the hills of Conamara, not nearly as far as the Cliffs be, but still it be a fair ride out. Not that ever I did mind long rides seated beside to him in the cart . . .

  “Aislinn, please do play your fiddle fer me,” Donovan entreated. “I do so delight in hearing the enchanting music which springs forth from your hands.”

  Picking up me fiddle, I honoured his request, playing fer him virtually the length of the trip. It delighted me nearly more than anything that he found such pleasure in me music.

  Ah, Conamara! How it exemplifies the peaceful solitude and rugged beauty of the west of Éire with its ever-changing landscape and dramatic contrasts of sea, sky, land and bog: the expansive sandy golden beaches reaching out into the Atlantic, craggy yet majestic mountain peaks of the Twelve Bens, pre-historic bogs and shady glens, the laced network of mist covered lakes, broken into innumerable creeks, bays and little harbors; the Owenglin river, flowing into the sea at An Clochán. The sunbeams as they come and go cast such a range of tint, light and shadow that constantly the mood and tone of the unique landscape be altered entirely.

  One moment, ‘twas all beautiful spring flowers, swollen buds covering the trees, newborn lambs dancing upon the hills. And then, in the next, everything seemed to transform drastically.

  The last vestiges of sunlight glimmered through the clouds, floating past the canopy overhead. Fer quite some time, Donovan and I stared in awe at the fiery blaze of the sunset glistening over the sea. Then all too rapidly, the sky began to transform.

  Darkness as though night had fallen suddenly altered the sky, the wind gusting as though it were the end of the world. We watched the lightning as it took its stage atop the clouds. The startled, frantic chirping of the birds as they dashed about searching fer shelter served to warn us further.

  Prompted by the birds’ instincts, Donovan suggested, “Ought we seek out shelter?”

  Having little concern fer any of it, I wrapped me arms about his neck and gazed into his eyes. I stretched me neck up, to reach me lips to kiss along the line of his jaw. Finally, Donovan bent his head to kiss me. Standing quiet in the rain, we kissed unhurriedly, the rain drenching us. I did not have a care fer anything but his lips.

  Nonetheless Donovan— concerned fer me well-being as always he be, evidently considering me more fragile than really I be— pulled his lips away from me all too soon and dragged me along to seek out proper cover from the storm.

  Donovan and I ran along laughing as children as the rain beat down upon us. A few hundred metres off we found a cozy little cove with a rock overhang on a sandy beach that provided us cover from the storm. What be the point by the time we did reach it, I do not know, as already drenched we were regardless!

  The night flooded in. Warm and sweet and endless it would prove to be.

  We stood there, water pouring off of our garments, onto the once dry floor of the temporary shelter. Donovan took notice, frowning at once.

  “I suppose we should remove our wet wears, then . . ?” I suggested all too hopefully, beaming with a gleeful grin.

  Donovan looked up at me, rolling his eyes.

  “Very well, but if we do not, a dry place this will not remain fer long,” I strove to convince him. “And ‘tis so cold I be growing in these. I do believe soaked to the bone I be!” I fibb
ed, feigning a shiver as I wrapped me arms tightly about meself.

  Postpone fer him to decide I did not, as me fingers set to unbuttoning the back of me bodic. I could detect from his face that he debated whether or not to protest. Consequently, rather than allow him the chance, I briskly popped the rest of me gown open and let it fall to me feet.

  At first, he just stood there stunned, his eyes wide in marvel as he beheld me in naught save me corset and pantalets. And then, to me pleasant surprise, his hands went to the bottom hem of his sweater and began to lift it up, his darkening eyes remaining affixed upon me body.

  I watched him as he removed his lovely, albeit now drenched, blue sweater. To me utter delight, finish there he did not, as Donovan undid his trousers and let them drop to the ground, stepping out of them. As he did not don undergarments, I gasped viewing him there before me in all his glorious nakedness. Oh, beautiful were the flawless angles of his form, long and lean his muscles rolled!

  A treasure ‘twas just to gaze upon him as that.

  Me eyes wished to drink him in and dwell there fer always. Yet, never satisfied, I longed to feel the certainty of his bare skin under me hands. I stepped forward, reaching me hands out to touch him, but Donovan caught me before I could satisfy me impulse.

  How could he expect me not to want to touch him with him here as this before me?

  “Well, this hardly be fair now, is it then?” he said playfully, his hands finding the lacings at me waist. I sucked in me breath as I felt him pull them free, me corset loosening across me ribs. I could scarcely believe he be truly condoning this!

  Donovan carefully finished loosening them so that he could raise it over me head, and not allow it to fall to the ground and become muddied. He began to lift it and as I raised me arms high into the air with eager compliance, me eyes locked onto his.

  At once, I felt the coolness of the moist air upon me exposed skin as me breasts bounced free of their restraining garment. In the moment before our eyes recouped contact, butterflies flooded me stomach with the realization of being viewed in this manner by a lad fer the first; and then I became filled with elation, delighted ‘twas Donovan— he the only one I ever could have imagined it to be. I lifted me eyes to meet his, taken aback to discover his eyes as never I had seen them before, with a distinct smoldering in them.

  That which burned in his eyes did fire me soul.

  His knowing look gave me all the reinforcement I needed to fulfill me restrained desire, to feel of him beneath me fingertips. I took a half step forward and laid me hands upon his chest, adorned with curled little hairs. Me fingers played with them fer a spell before roaming to circle around his pert little nipples.

  I stroked across Donovan’s chest to his broad shoulders and slowly down the muscles of his arms to his hands, of which I took hold and brought to me skin, encouraging him to caress me as he wished. I discerned he be assessing the situation as carefully he placed his hands upon me waist, before allowing his hands roam slowly over me body— gently at first, then progressively more devotedly.

  Me skin jolted with pleasure from the feel of his hands upon it and I moaned as Donovan cupped me breasts. They spilled over from his hands as sensually he massaged them.

  He pushed his face into me hair breathing in. “Delicious you smell from the rain, Aislinn,” Donovan mouthed as he kissed me in earnest.

  His hands were in me hair as he was pressing his lips against me to kiss me hungrily. Me hands gripped his arms, pulling meself tighter to him.

  Heat coursed through me as I felt me body responding to him in so many ways.

  Between kisses Donovan paused, as though contemplating something. Me impatience growing more pronounced, I prayed his deliberation would result in his taking of me.

  Donovan brought his mouth back to mine, I still holding onto me breath. Upon breathing in again, me head ‘twas filled with his strengthening sweet musk.

  Deeper into the shallow cave we did retreat and finding a dry spot once again, he pulled me down to the ground. As Donovan lay there upon his back in all his glory, peel me eyes away from his form I could not.

  On the ground beside him I sprawled out, striving to entice him in a similar manner.

  Donovan rolled onto his elbow, viewing me fer a long moment before pulling me against his side. Then he pulled me over onto his chest and brushed the wet hair back from me face so he could kiss me.

  Lying there as that, we listened to the rain, the silent energy between us screaming piercingly from within the straining confines of our bodies. The thunder crashed as though to give emphasis to the chaos that raged within me body. Feeling his body moan under me hands . . . His lips ever so provocatively close to me lips. . .

  “Your eyes speak to me without need fer a single word,” Donovan whispered over me mouth.

  “Oh? And just what is it they be telling’ you?” I probed him enticingly.

  Donovan didn’t bother to answer, but rather he kissed me hair. His hand found the small of me back and held me closer against him, against his swelling groin. He groaned in response. Arching me body against him, his lips found mine with eagerness. His mouth following the line of me jaw, Donovan explored the length of me neck.

  As the lightning illuminated the outside fer just a moment, I caught a glimpse of his eyes in the dark. They be smouldering, just as mine. The burning in his eyes caused flames to rise higher within me.

  “Around you, Aislinn, the night turns absolutely luminous!” Donovan marveled, staring at me as though ‘twas the first time ever he looked upon me. Then again, I suppose in that way, ‘twas . . .

  If only tonight we might share a bed made of flowers. Blessed our bodies would lay so entwined. Nonetheless, I’ll happily take what is offered to me, if this dirt floor be all that ‘tis! Me fever burns me deeper than ever I have known. Deep in this hollow of earthly desires, I wonder, will we burn in heaven as we do here?

  “I would love to touch the sky with you tonight, Donovan. Take me within yer strong arms, hold me up so high and never let us come down,” I beseeched him.

  “When truly you be mine, I’ll give meself to you again and again,” be his riposte.

  “Donovan, I truly be yours now! I could not possibly be any more yours! And beyond willing I be now to receive what you have to give me,” I tried to convince him.

  To me frustration, he merely sighed in response.

  “To merge together with you, I desire,” I persisted, letting the moment overtake me. “I want to know you down to the bone.” As soon as the words escaped me lips, I hoped they would not shock him. Yet also, I hoped he would comprehend the seriousness of me insinuation.

  Nonetheless, still he leaned in and kissed upon me breasts, his lips velvety against me skin, before trailing their way up to me mouth. “Just to taste your kiss, I will kiss your lips forever on a night as this,” Donovan murmured into me mouth huskily, the starlight shining in his eyes.

  Oh, how I treasure yer kiss. It tastes as nothing on earth! Hot, as to burn me lips. Breathing with yer breaths . . . Feeling yer skin upon mine . . .

  “Breathe out so that I may breathe you in,” I whispered breathlessly, becoming overheated with his kisses, wishing to experience, to absorb each and every infinitesimal element that fused to create him.

  I breathed in too deep, and me head became weightless. One single breath be all it took to lead me to insatiable desire.

  Ahh, the fragrance of his sweat, so honeyed . . . Oh, drunk I be with me desire! The air be dense and me head ‘tis beginning to sway. Never do I want to come down from this!

  The occasional groans he with which he taunted me ears served only to fuel me fire.

  “Growing impatient I be of awaiting to be consumed by you, Donovan!” I pleaded with him. “Heaven cannot wait forever. Pray let me feel you make the decision.” I aspired to tempt him further by reaching me hand down to grasp around him.

  Somehow, he managed to ignore it, instead taking me face between his palms. “Trust me, Ai
slinn, I can appreciate what ‘tis that you endure,” Donovan told me compellingly. “Compared to me desire fer you, the stars they be but a mere dusting in the sky,” he portrayed. “Still, that desire I have resolved to restrain, fer honour you I will and defer this ‘til the time be right.”

  “Surely then, you do not truly comprehend the intense need I have fer you in this very moment. Oh, that you could feel what I be feeling right now, taste of the raging hunger within me . . . devour it . . . calm it,” I groaned. “Nothing stands between us here, Donovan. Not anyone but you and I will ever know . . .” I attempted to convince him. “Moreover, believe I’ll certainly die if wait the entirety of another year I must!” I cried, taking to stroking him with me palm zealously.

  “Heaven bent you be to take me hand and lead me to the fire, Aislinn!” Donovan scolded, sitting up and pulling away from me frantically clutching fingers.

  Pouting, I curled up, a wildfire born of frustration burning away within me. The throbbing ache I felt fer him that assaulted me body relentlessly now mingled with the biting sting of his rejection.

  I heard him sigh heavily, and then felt his hand upon me shoulder, pulling me back. “Granted, wouldst I spend forever here with you as this, still I would not be satisfied. So, lay down beside me fer as long as it may last, Aislinn, on this night where all be ours.”

  “Let me hear you breathing fer me, sighing fer me,” I whispered to him. “Me alone.”

  Lips moving softly, he kissed me face as I laid me head upon his chest, stroking his skin with me fingers ‘til sleep found me.

  During the night I be jolted awake to the most horrific nightmarish vision of Donovan’s death. To be truthful, ‘twas meself who robbed him of his life. I observed meself naked bent over him, with me lips affixed to his neck. Me teeth sank into his throat and I be drinking his blood! As a vampire! How could that be? Never could I do anything to harm him!

  It terrified me, but still, I refused to accept it. But dream it I did not, essentially I saw it, whilst fully awake, as though it were a dream.