Entangled With You

by Knightley, Diana

I sighed over-dramatically. “Convince me...”

  His fingers dipped and played between my legs, I lost myself in it, my breaths coming faster, my—

  “Ye are ready for me...”

  “I am, god I do, but not yet...”

  I arched my other breast toward his mouth. He sucked and nibbled then shook his head and dropped his forehead to my breast. “Please, Kaitlyn...”

  I arched toward his mouth more. “You know it takes me twice as long...”

  His mouth closed over my nipple, his eyes closed, his breath panting. He pulled away from my breast. “I ken tis true, but I canna — I need...“ His dismay was evident.

  I wrapped my legs around his back, tantalizingly close. I shifted down a bit, closer closer — he moaned and it was almost a growl — until I was a second away from him. My arms wrapped around his head, fingers wound through his hair, I whispered, “Say something in Gaelic.”

  His voice was wet, hot, breath and vibration, “Chan eil an t-sìde cho...” He paused and adjusted his hips edging closer.

  I tightened my legs, holding him still, separate, apart. “More.”

  With a breath of air he said, “...math an-diugh 's a bha e an-dé.”

  “Oh god, Magnus,” I whispered in his ear. “More.”

  He nuzzled his forehead to my shoulder. “Tha droch shìde ann — dreich.”

  I gasped, okay, and he slid into me with another groan. He rose up above me and drove into me over and over, delicious and desperate and intense and very very very fast. A few moments later and he was done. Collapsed on me. I felt his gratitude in every inch of his body, especially between my legs where he was finally calmed.

  We kissed long and slow. “God, you were frantic for me. That was very hot.”

  “Aye.” He kissed me. “I like ye verra much, mo reul-iuil, even when ye are tryin’ tae kill me.” He rolled off me onto his back and pulled the covers over us.

  I laughed. “I hardly think you’ll die just because I make you give me a little foreplay first. What were you saying in Gaelic?”

  He chuckled. “I was speakin’ of the weather.”

  “Oh my god, Magnus, I thought I recognized one of the words, the weather!”

  “Twas all I could think on in my desperation for ye. I was talkin’ about the weather in my head.”

  I laughed. “That is the freaking funniest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  He curled his face into my shoulder laughing. Then abruptly stopped, leaned on an elbow and watched the door.

  I stopped to listen.

  Zach’s voice.

  “Zach’s mother is dropping off Ben, probably.”

  “Aye, I will rise tae check with the security.” He went to his drawer and pulled on a pair of pajama pants and pulled a T-shirt over his head.

  “That didn’t look painful at all.”

  “I feel much better.”

  I sighed. It was good news, but also meant we had a lot to do.

  * * *

  I heard the indistinct mumbling of Zach and Magnus in the living room. A few chirps from Ben. Emma’s whispers and the soft footsteps of Emma carrying Ben upstairs. But then Zach and Magnus continued murmuring.

  And a moment later, they continued.

  They were in the living room, near the tv. I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt to go join them.

  I wish I hadn’t.

  They were both facing the weather channel and a dramatically red-colored blotch of radar-imagery over the center of Florida.

  “What is it, a storm?”

  Magnus put out an arm for me.

  Zach said, “Yes, I noticed it as I was answering the door. This was a few hours ago, a big storm they didn’t see coming. It lasted for a half hour and then dissipated quickly.”

  “That’s right above Gainesville.”

  Zach said, “Yep.”

  I asked, “Do we go get the vessels?”

  Magnus scrubbed his hand up and down on his face. “Twas just the first look for it. How many days did the vessel in Scotland take?”

  I said, “There was a storm every day for almost two weeks before we got to it.”

  “Aye, we have some time. We have a wedding tomorrow, and I am too drunk tonight tae time journey.”

  “I agree. On Sunday we’ll deal with it.” We stood nodding at the screen as it changed to a car commercial. “That being said, Zach, I’m sorry, we probably shouldn’t watch Ben tomorrow night after the wedding. Just in case.”

  “Definitely. No worries, we get it. I actually don’t think Emma could leave him anymore anyway. That was a long time tonight. We’ve got the hotel tomorrow night. We’ll take Ben with us.”

  “Thank you for understanding. Now get some sleep you’re getting married tomorrow.”

  “See you in the morning.”

  Magnus kissed me on the forehead. “I need tae speak tae security on the back deck. Will ye return tae bed?”

  “Actually, I’m kind of awake now. I’m going to sit on the couch and watch tv.”

  Chapter 11

  A wind pushed Magnus in through the door. “Tis cold outside tonight.”

  I was snuggled under a blanket, one of the soft fluffy ones, at one end of the couch. The tv softly flickered with an infomercial. I had been searching for something cool to watch, something entertaining. Instead I found mindless: an ad for a super strong tape. Magnus joined me on the couch, leaned on me between my legs. I placed a pillow under his head on my stomach and we pulled the covers up over both of us. He asked, “What is this then?”

  “Shhhhh. It’s an advertisement for a super strong rubber sealer.” I twisted one of his curls around my fingers. “The guy on the tv cut a boat in half and now he’s going to use the tape to seal it up.”

  Magnus watched the ad, his brow lowered, eyes squinted. “How much does this cost?”

  “It’s not that expensive, actually.” The man tossed the boat in the water, got in it, and floated around. The boat was cut in half a second before, but now it was seaworthy. “If it works that good, it’s cheap.”

  “We should order some, have it come by airplane.”

  I gave him a sad smile. “Yeah... But we don’t really have a need for it. That’s the thing about infomercials you have to use your willpower and not order stuff while you’re drunk.” I sighed. “I’m nervous.”

  He shifted to look up at me. “I ken ye are, mo reul-iuil.”

  I stretched his lock out long and twirled it back into place. “Grandma says when my stomach feels this way not to think of it as fear but excitement. She tells me I have nothing to fear, only things to do. I reminded myself of that when I walked down the aisle to you on our wedding day. But now — now it really is fear. I can’t convince myself that it’s not. I don’t know how to talk to myself about it.”

  Magnus solemnly nodded. “Perchance ye need tae stop talkin’ tae yourself on it, mo ghradh. When I am preparing for battle, I have tae ready myself with tasks. I sharpen my sword. I dress carefully so I daena forget anythin’. I ready my horse with attention and care. I focus on those tasks so I daena have time for the fear. Though tis there just behind my stomach.”

  “You get scared?”

  “Aye. Sometimes. Mostly for ye. I am scared I winna be able tae keep ye safe.”

  We looked long into each other’s eyes. I fiddled with his hair and took a deep breath. “So yeah, on second thought, we need to order some Flex Seal. Can you get me my purse from the counter?”

  Magnus retrieved my bag from its spot beside the stack of books on childbirth. “I’m going to teach you how to drunk-order products we don’t need.”

  I called the number on the screen and ordered two rolls of Flex Seal tape.

  “Who are ye callin’ for it?”

  I pressed my hand to the bottom of my phone. “It’s a lady somewhere in the Midwest, she’s taking my order, then asking for my credit card number. Someone in a warehouse will put it in a box and mail it to me.”

  Magnus shrugged,
“Och, so much.”

  While I was ordering it, I changed the channel. There was a commercial for an upside-down tomato plant grower-thingy. “Want one of those, Highlander?”

  He watched for a moment. “Tis a plant that grows upside down? Aye, tis magical.”

  I dialed that number too. While I had that service rep on the line I changed the channel again. A man was selling chamois rags. I gestured toward the screen and Magnus smiled. “Och aye, ye see what it can do?”

  “I do and it’s only two payments of $19.95.”

  “I have nae idea if tis good.”

  “Trust me, it can clean that mess? It’s good.” I changed the channel while I gave that service rep my credit card number and found an elderly woman selling copper-bottom square pans.

  “Order that one for Chef Zach,” Magnus said.

  I giggled. “Oh yeah, he’ll love it.” He would hate it. His pans were special, awesome, chef pans, definitely not infomercial pans.

  Finally we came to a channel where a man was selling knives by cutting through tomatoes.

  I said, “I don’t know if it’s because I’m drunk, but he looks drunk.” He spun his knives and tossed something in the air and sliced through it but looked a little slurry while doing it.

  “Aye, he’s had a nip of the whisky before he came intae the tv.”

  I giggled. “Do you think he’s inside the tv?”

  Magnus laughed. “Tis the only explanation.”

  “Yeah, I guess so. Should I order the knives?”

  “Aye, the man has almost chopped off a finger, perhaps if we order the knives he will climb out of the tv and go home tae bed.”

  I called the number, ordered the knives, gave her my credit card number, and Hayley’s address and hung up the phone.

  “I love you Magnus.”

  “I love you too, mo reul-iuil.”

  “That helped a lot. I’m almost tired enough for sleep. But there’s one more thing to watch.” I switched from the television channels to YouTube and searched: funny cat videos. I found a twenty minute compilation. “Settle in, Scottish Highlander, I’m going to introduce you to the best my culture has to offer.”

  A minute later we were both laughing. A few minutes past that sleep was on me, pulling me down, knocking me out.

  I do remember this: the strong arms of Magnus lifting me from the couch, carrying me to our bed.

  Chapter 12

  I entered the kitchen and announced, “Zach cover your ears. Maybe go la la la.”

  He dutifully covered his ears. Emma and Magnus turned to me. “There’s good news and bad news today. Both are that I just started my period.” I pulled down the Midol bottle from the cabinet and dropped three into my palm.

  Magnus said, “Aye.”

  Emma said, “I was wondering, but didn’t want to ask.” I shot all three into my mouth and swallowed them down with water.

  “Yes. The whole sordid thing is completely behind me, so we don’t have to wonder or anything.” I hugged Magnus and kissed him and said directly to him, “And I literally don’t have to talk about it anymore, okay?”

  “Och, aye.”

  “Good, I need coffee pronto.” I smiled at Zach. “You can stop now.” He dropped his hands.

  “I just announced that I’m PMSing on your wedding day, and that I need coffee to try to get on top of it.” I turned to Emma who was rocking Ben on her hip.

  “Emma, I promise you, I’m on top of it. Not trying, I am. It’s just you, only you, today.” I pulled out my notebook. “Your appointment for your hair is in one hour. Then we come back here to get into your dress. Then the limo will take us to the — what’s the weather?”

  Zach said, “A fucking nightmare.”

  “See, that’s why we got the booking on such late notice, because everyone knew the weather would suck. We won’t go out to the beach. We’ll do it in the reception room beside the dinner tables. It will be fine, right, Emma?”

  She grinned as Zach brought her a big plate of waffles covered in strawberries and whipped cream. “It’s already bigger, more magnificent than any wedding I ever thought I’d have.”

  “See, Zach? That’s why you’re marrying her, she’s perfect. She sees gloomy, windy, stormy weather on her wedding day and she calls it magnificent.”

  A stack of waffles appeared in front of me. “...and you and Magnus will take Ben to an indoor gym to wriggle around on mats and beat pans against a wall, then you meet us here, give us Ben, and you go and we’ll meet you there.” I placed a line of checks down the list.

  These weren’t my ‘finished’ checks, these were the ‘nervously checking’ checks. But the good news was I had nervously checked them all. One task, done.

  Chapter 13

  “You look really beautiful.” I fluffed the simple veil down her back.

  “It’s not too much?”

  “It’s the perfect amount of much. Perfect.”

  Ben said, “Ma-ma!” And patted her on the breast.

  “I’ve got to get married fast, this dress does not accommodate a breastfed baby.” I put my arms out, “Ben want to go dancing?”

  He climbed into my arms and I started dipping and swaying with him like a maniac before he figured out I wasn’t as cool or as milky as Emma. “The music starts in three minutes. I’ll leave you with your mom.” I swooped Ben out the door. He was giggling. I was barely cramping. This wedding had been pulled off. In two weeks we had done it, beginning to end. Well not end, yet, almost end. Okay it hadn’t started yet.

  I met Magnus in the front row of the hastily arranged chairs set up in a square in the middle of the room. The tables were pulled away to the side and the guests would have to help us rearrange the room after the ceremony. No one could complain because there was a torrential downpour outside — sheets of rain, sideways, and everyone was on their best behavior about it so Emma wouldn’t freak out. Of course Emma never freaked out. It was one of the great things about her.

  Most of our friends stood along the edges of the room, around the tables, cramped in corners. The chairs in the middle were for family and that’s where Magnus and I sat because we were family too.

  Ben spied Zach standing at the front of chairs with the minister, and called, “Da! Da!” And everyone collectively oohed and ah-ed because that was really freaking cute. Zach chuckled. I jiggled Ben a bit to keep him happy and gave him his favorite chewy-teething toy.

  The music started and Emma walked in. I clutched Magnus’s arm. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

  “Aye, he is a lucky man.”

  “He is, he’s so lucky. And we are too.”

  Magnus kissed me on my forehead and pressed his cheek there, making me feel just so loved.

  The ceremony was simple and special. I could tell that Zach’s family didn’t think it was lavish enough. Emma’s family didn’t think it was religious enough. So I concentrated on Zach and Emma’s faces: nervous, excited, in love. That was all I needed to see. They said they would love each other forever and ever until “death do us part.” Tears welled up in my eyes.

  Zach’s lower lip trembled, Emma’s eyes sparkled, and they nervous-laughed when Ben called, “Mama!” while they held hands. And that was it, they were declared married, officially a family though for years they had been one anyway.

  Ben had enough of me. His arms outstretched I excused myself through the audience and handed him off to Emma after they ‘kissed the bride’ which was apparently a thing in their ceremony. I came back to Magnus with a smile.

  * * *

  With everyone pitching in it only took a moment for the tables and chairs to be set up again for the dinner. Magnus and I milled around talking to everyone. The only sucky part was Hayley and Michael were determined to stay on opposite sides of the room, so I had to choose my conversations. I said, “You’re going to have to be a grown up here and at least let me talk to James.”

  “Fine, as long as you tell him to tell Michael that I’m fine, that I’m moving on, th
at I danced with a guy at the club last night. I almost stayed the night. I even thought about bringing him to this wedding but that would have been awkward, ‘Hey, one-night-stand, want to go to a wedding with me tomorrow for my ex-fiancé’s brother?’”

  “There is no way to make that un-awkward.”

  “True that.”

  Chapter 14

  Magnus stood to make his speech.

  He looked nervous and commanding at the same time. He wore a dark tuxedo coat with a white shirt and a kilt in deep colors of green and blue, his family tartan. He had a basket-handled sword strapped by a leather belt to his hip and his sporran was silver and fur. I was super proud of him and so glad he was home. This wedding was for Zach and Emma but there had been whispers for so long about me and my mysterious Scotsman that I was so glad to put them to rest, here, now.

  “When I arrived on these lovely windswept shores...” He gestured toward the French doors. Outside the beach was being pummeled by sideways rain, whipping wind, and the sea grass was horizontal. A few people laughed. It was a truly crappy day to have a wedding.

  “I had the good fortune tae meet my wife, Kaitlyn, on that first day and my life was changed forever. She introduced me tae an American grocery store, the controls for the winds in my house, and she brought Chef Zach intae my life. And Emma.”

  He spoke directly to Zach. “Ye have been a friend, a confidante, and a brother. And through the years ye have become like family tae Kaitlyn and me, with Emma and your son Ben who has made our lives so much noisier and more joyous than before. I find it hard tae imagine my life without ye.”

  He looked around the room with a warm smile. “I am only regrettin’ that I have nae control on the weather, I would have wanted clear skies for him on this happy day.”

  He raised his glass toward Mr and Mrs Greene, “It has been a pleasure meetin’ ye, ye’ve raised a fine son.” He raised his glass toward Emma’s parents, “A congratulations tae ye for gainin’ such a caring son for your daughter.” He raised his glass to Emma. “I dinna mean tae leave ye from it, Emma, goes tae ye as well.”