“A few months. I’m only just barely showing.”
“The dress hides it, I couldn’t even tell. I’m so happy for you, Carissa. Garret is so good for you.”
“He is.” Carissa’s eyes went cloudy as she thought of the man who had saved her life in so many ways.
The two talked until dark settled over the grounds, and then more once they had put the children to bed. Carissa told Ashleigh about everything from the time she had arrived in Ireland all the way up to Ashleigh’s own appearance.
“So Detective Cahill is here, huh?” Ashleigh nodded after Carissa had told her about him and Chloe.
“He is. Arrived about two months after I did.”
“I wondered where he’d gone. A couple of his coworkers had come around asking if I’d seen or heard from him. He seems like a good man.”
“He is, and he and Chloe are so happy. She’s a sweetheart. She actually healed Leon after McLaughlin got his hands on him.”
“Sounds like it’s been a busy few months for you.”
“It has.” Carissa laughed lightly. “What about you?”
“Pretty much doing exactly the same thing I was before. Working and taking care of Jackie.”
Carissa nodded and stared into the flames that danced in the fireplace.
“Why do you think she sent me?” Ashleigh asked Carissa. “You said Chloe is a doctor too, why not just send for her?”
“There is no one better at helping people than you, Ashleigh. You saw yourself, Leon was pretty bad off. I had tried to stop the bleeding but was definitely in way over my head until you showed up.”
“Do you think she’s going to take me back?” Ashleigh wasn’t quite ready to admit that she never wanted to leave. Sure, there were things she was going to miss, but with Jackie, Carissa, and Gabby a permanent part of her life, she would be willing to give it all up.
“I don’t see why she would, Wade and I are both still here.”
“But you two found love. You're both married to someone from this time. Maybe she can’t send you back because of that.”
“So, marry Leon.”
Ashleigh snorted and very nearly spit out the whiskey she had taken a drink of. “Your joking, right?”
“Maybe I am,” Carissa said softly and watched her friend amused. “Maybe I’m not.”
“I literally just met the man today, and he was on his deathbed for nearly half of it.”
“It would just be an awfully large coincidence if you weren’t meant for each other.”
“How do you figure that?”
“I was sent to Garrett, and we fell in love, got married, and are now expecting a baby. Wade was sent to Chloe, and they fell in love and got married. You were sent to Leon—”
“To save his life,” Ashleigh finished.
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“Pregnancy has made you weird.”
Carissa laughed and lightly touched her stomach.
“I swear, if you say ‘maybe it has,’ I’m leaving,” Ashleigh said as she bit back a laugh of her own. Damn, it felt good to be laughing with her best friend again.
“Then I will just say, perhaps.” Carissa stood. “I am exhausted. I can’t wait for you to meet Kettie.”
“Named the baby already?” Ashleigh asked amused.
“You are full of jokes tonight, aren’t you?” Carissa asked.
“I usually am.”
“That’s true. Kettie is Garrett’s mom, and I have a feeling you two will get along wonderfully.”
“Then I am excited to meet her as well. Night, Carissa.”
“Night, Ashleigh. Let me know if you need anything.”
“I will,” she said, standing. “Let me walk with you upstairs, I am going to go and check on Leon.”
“Leon, huh?” Carissa bumped her shoulder into Ashleigh, and Ashleigh laughed.
“You have jokes too, it seems.”
Chapter Six
They walked up the stairs, and after hugging Carissa and peeking in on Jackie who slept soundly in the room Carissa had given them, Ashleigh headed across the hall to Leon’s room. She had asked for a room near his so she could keep an eye on him. Although she had to admit, it was probably for selfish reasons as well.
She crept in and saw that the fire was still burning, so she added another log that had been placed next to the hearth and walked back over to check on Leon’s wounds. He was sound asleep, and she took a moment to study his face. Why did she have to find herself wanting to climb into bed with him?
She leaned over him and was beginning to lift his bandage when she suddenly found herself underneath him, his hand to her throat. How the hell had he moved so fast? She hadn’t even realized what was happening!
“Leon, it's me.” She pushed at his hand and saw in his eyes when he finally woke up.
“Ashleigh, I’m so sorry.” He pulled off of her and fell off of the bed. “Ouch!”
“Leon!” She reached for him and got tangled in the sheet he had half pulled off of the bed with him. She tumbled down and landed on top of his bare chest.
“Oh, no, I’m so sorry. Let me help you.”
She felt his hands on her waist and looked down to see him staring at her.
“I find I’m no longer in a rush to get up.”
“Leon, your abdomen has to hurt by now. You’ve moved around more than you should have and managed to fall off of the bed. I need to look at it.”
She tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but all that managed to do was put her in direct contact with his arousal, which spurred her own.
“I’m sorry I attacked you,” he said softly. “I was not awake.”
“I know you weren’t, and it's alright. I wish I knew how those thieves got the drop on you, you’re fast.”
He grinned up at her, and she felt part of the ice she had forced onto her heart in reference to all things men begin to melt away. Damn you, Leon, she said to herself. Still, she wondered what his perfectly kissable lips would taste like.
When she looked in his eyes again, they were dark and full of heat. “If you’re going to kiss me, then you best do it, lass. I don’t know how much more of your gaze I can take before I am no longer the honorable man I strive to be.”
“What if I wanted to?” she asked him.
“Then I find I would have to oblige you.”
“Being the honorable man that you are,” she said softly and then pushed off of him.
Leon stood, and she gulped in a breath when the sheet fell away, and she realized he was naked. Damn you, Leon, she said to herself again. She found she was saying that a whole lot more often than she would have ever thought possible.
“Are you seriously naked right now?”
“Do you not sleep nude?”
“I do not, unless I’ve gotten lucky and passed out that way.” Which hasn’t happened since Jackie’s father, she said to herself. Damn, it had been so long. She had never been one to hop in bed with a man she just met. In fact, she had only been with two men in her entire life. But now, she found herself wanting to throw Leon down and find out just what she had been missing.
After all, there was still a part of her mind that insisted she was dreaming, and if that were the case, what harm would it cause?
“Gotten lucky?”
“Never mind. Get in bed.”
“Do I bother you this way?” he asked without moving.
She eyed his face and did her best to keep her gaze from drifting down to the massive arousal. But shit, she was only human, after all. How unfair was it that he was blessed with an absolutely magnificent face and body, a sense of humor and a freaking huge— “You don’t bother me at all, Leon,” she said quickly. “In fact, I’m betting you’ll see me naked as well before long.”
His eyes widened in surprise, and his nostrils flared. “That so?”
“Probably. But for now, you need to heal.”
“I’m feeling just fine.” He took a step toward her.
“No.” She put
her hand up against his hard chest. “You will pull those stitches out with what I have planned, so you will just have to wait.”
“Woman, you have no idea what you are doing to me right now.”
“I have a pretty good idea since I’m doing it to myself also.”
He leaned down and pressed his cheek against hers. She closed her eyes and turned her head to offer him her mouth, what harm could come from a little taste?
She got a whole hell of a lot more than a little taste. The second her lips met his, energy shot through her, and she groaned. Leon gripped her hair, and her hands came up to his biceps. She squeezed lightly and let out another moan when she felt the steel beneath. She was only a woman, after all.
His tongue teased the seam of her lips, begging for them to open, and she obliged. Never had another man awakened in her what Leon had managed to bring roaring to life now. If there was any doubt in her mind as to whether or not she was going to end up in bed with him, it was erased with their kiss.
Leon pulled back and looked down into her eyes. “If we don’t stop now, I’m going to throw you down on that bed, and you won’t be leaving tonight.”
“Then I suppose we should stop,” she said, disappointed in herself. She knew he needed to heal, though, and that took precedence. Her primal urges could wait. She pushed back and moved out of the way of the bed. “
“Lie down, and I’ll check your bandages.”
He did as she told him to and watched her intently as she looked him over. He could not have ever expected the effect she would have on him. He had very nearly done what he had told her he wanted to, just without the prior warning. Had she told him no, he would have stopped, but he regretted giving her the forethought. She was unlike any woman he had ever met. Carissa was great, but Ashleigh had a fire in her soul that matched her flame-colored hair. He wanted his hands all over her body, to see whether she was just as spirited in bed as she was out of it.
She brought something to life in his soul that he had long thought dead. He hoped she planned on staying at Castle McKinley, because after what had happened tonight, he would do whatever was necessary to keep her.
Chapter Seven
“Momma, get up!” Ashleigh opened her eyes to see Jackie bouncing on the bed next to her. “It’s daytime!”
“I see that.” Ashleigh squinted in the light and smiled at her excited daughter.
“Can we get up now?” she asked as she continued bouncing.
“Yes, but stop bouncing. You're making me seasick.”
“You’re so silly, Momma. We aren’t on a boat!”
“Are you sure?” Ashleigh grinned and grabbed Jackie to pretend to throw her overboard. Jackie laughed wildly, and Ashleigh set her down gently. She climbed out of bed in the nightgown Carissa had given her.
She dressed quickly, pulling on a gown that had been set out and helped Jackie get into her own clothes.
“Can we see if Gabby is awake yet?” Jackie whispered as they walked out into the hall.
“In a minute, honey, I need to check on my friend really quick.”
“The one who was hurt before?”
“Yes.” Ashleigh pushed the door open slightly, so only she could see in. She wanted to make sure Leon was dressed before she let her daughter in. She saw he sat on the edge of the bed, and she was relieved to see he wore a kilt around his waist.
“Morning,” she said cheerfully and pushed the door open the rest of the way.
“Ashleigh,” he said softly. He smiled when he saw Jackie peeking around her legs. “This must be the wee Jackie I’ve heard so much about. I’m Leon.”
“Hi,” she said shyly and stayed where she was. Ashleigh was happy to see it was genuine delight on his face at the sight of her daughter. Nothing fake like some of her dates after Jackie’s father had shown.
“How are you feeling?”
“Well,” he said simply and stood. When he winced, Ashleigh started to rush toward him, but he held up a hand.
“I’m fine, Ashleigh. Honest.”
“Let me take a look.”
“If it will make you happy,” he said and lifted the light shirt he wore.
“This doesn’t look good, Leon.” Her heart sunk at the sight of the wound. It was red and hot to the touch, which more than likely signaled infection. “Do you feel tired?”
“Slightly, but I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“I need to clean this. Take your shirt off and lie back down. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Mommy, is he okay?” Jackie whispered when they left Leon’s room.
“Yes, honey, his booboo is just bothering him. Come on, and let’s go find Gabby.”
Ashleigh found Gabby with Carissa and Garrett in the dining room. She had some hot water and fresh bandages sent up to Leon’s room and grabbed them both some breakfast.
“Is everything okay?” Leon asked her as she cleaned and bandaged his wounds again. The redness didn’t seem to be spreading yet, and there was no drainage, but she was worried he might be developing an infection.
“Seems to be, I’m just worried it might be getting infected.”
“I feel fine, Ashleigh.” He gently touched her hand. “Fine enough that I find myself wishing your beautiful lips were on mine.”
“There.” She stood and moved the dirty bandages off the bed. At first he thought she was ignoring what he had said, but then she turned to him.
“I feel something for you.”
“I feel something for you as well.”
“More than just physical.”
His eyes narrowed on her face. “I am interested in more than your body, Ashleigh.”
She sighed and sat on the bed next to him. “I don’t understand. We literally only just met yesterday.”
“I find I don’t like to question when good things happen to me.”
Ashleigh turned to face him. What the hell, she leaned forward and placed her lips on his. He ran his hands up in her hair and held on while she straddled him. Mrs. Kinley had sent her here, after all, she thought to herself. The woman seemed to be an excellent matchmaker. Jackie was safe with Carissa, she knew, so why shouldn’t she take this time to herself?
She groaned when he pressed his arousal where she wanted it most and pressed back against it.
“Ashleigh.” His voice heavy, he looked into her eyes.
“You said you feel fine, right?” Nervousness filled her mind, what if he was rethinking?
“If we don’t stop now—”
“So don’t stop,” she said and took his lips again.
Heat raced through her veins, and she wanted to feel his skin against hers. She stepped off of the bed and pulled at the laces of her gown until it fell to the floor. Leon stared at her, his eyes heavy, and she knew he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him.
She wasted no time getting back on the bed and cried out when his hand cupped her. He groaned when he felt her and then rolled her over onto her back.
“I need to tell you something,” he said, and pulled back just far enough to see her face.
“What is it?” she asked breathlessly.
“I’ve never—” he hesitated. “You would be the first.”
“Really?” she asked, surprised.
“I just thought you should know.”
Ashleigh smiled. “Thank you. Now come back.” She wrapped her hand around his neck and pulled his mouth back to hers.
His hands raced down her body, feeling every curve, every inch of flesh. The fact that she would be the only woman he had been with just pushed her higher. She pulled up his kilt and was grateful that the stories were all true, he wore nothing underneath of it.
When she wrapped her hand around him, he moaned and ground against her hand.
“Now,” she said breathlessly, tired of waiting. She ached for him, her entire body was on fire, and he was the only one who could put it out.
He pushed into her, and the moan that escaped his lips was more than she could ta
ke. She shattered, the orgasm ripping through her, unlike anything she had ever felt before.
“Ashleigh,” he said her name on a moan and began to move. She met him thrust for thrust until she fell apart again, only this time he went with her.
“That was amazing,” Ashleigh said as they gasped for air.
“It was indescribable,” Leon said and pulled her closer to him.
“I have to ask, Leon, how is it that you were still a virgin?”
“I had wanted to wait until I was married, or at least that’s what I told myself. I never met a woman who made me so weak.” He smiled at her, and she grinned back.
“You don’t feel weak to me,” she said lightly as she squeezed his bicep.
“I care for you, Ashleigh, and I hope you intend to stay at Castle McKinley,” he voiced his fear, and it felt good to get it off of his chest.
“I have no travel plans.” She smiled and stood. “I do need to check on Jackie, though. I imagine she is having a blast with Gabby.”
“I am glad you and Carissa found each other once more. I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”
“I hope I lived up to the expectation.”
“And then some.”
Ashleigh dressed and then leaned down to kiss him.
“Are you coming back?” he asked. She saw the worry in his eyes, and it made her heart soar. He truly did care for her. She could see it, and who cared if it made no logical sense? She was a romantic at heart, and the thought of love at first sight, or at least something liked that, made her heart soar.
“I’ll be back, Leon. Maybe I’ll see if Jackie wants to have a sleepover with Gabby?”
He grinned, and Ashleigh realized she was falling. Hard, for a man she just met. And slept with, she added. If that Mrs. Kinley was matchmaking through the centuries somehow, she should have her own website.
“So, I slept with him,” Ashleigh said to Carissa as soon as they were alone.
Carissa spit out her water and gaped at Ashleigh.
“Already? When did you have time to—” She laughed. “Oh, ‘can you watch Jackie, please? I need to clean Leon’s wounds.’ HA!” Carissa laughed harder. “How was it?”
Their Own Time Page 14