Highlander's Desire (The Matheson Brothers Book 1)

by Joanne Wadsworth

  That night, he’d shifted form with his father and searched the woods, tracking the lad by his scent alone and when they’d found him huddled deep within the dense brush on the cold and damp ground, a little of his anguish had eased. Elizabeth’s brother, although suffering a broken leg, would survive that day.

  The wind plastered his tunic against his chest and whipped his shoulder-length hair about his neck as he sailed toward the sleepy village. Houses of stone and clay, cloistered tightly together and surrounded by a high stone wall, beckoned him with the promise of the one who awaited him within.

  He steered his skiff toward land, lowered the sail as he neared the pebbly shore and jumped into the knee-deep water. He hauled his boat half onto the beach then stopped as the faint fragrance of lavender and all things sweet reached him. ’Twas Elizabeth’s scent, one that had embedded itself deep into his mind the week before.

  “Kenneth!” Elizabeth raced through the gap in the stone perimeter wall, her blue gown swishing about her legs and her long golden-blond locks catching the moonlight and shining like silk as her hair streamed behind her. She hurried down the stony trail, onto the beach and bounded into his arms. He barely planted one foot back in time to cease them both from toppling over. “I knew you’d come for me this eve,” she breathed in a rush. “Your grandmother spoke to me after you found my brother. She said I would be the one and to remain in wait for you.”

  His grandmother was a sneaky one.

  Filled with joy, he twirled Elizabeth around then set her back on her feet and lowered to one knee. Holding her hand in his, he spoke the words drawn from deep within his soul. “You’re my mate, the one woman I wish to share my life with. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”

  “Aye, I’d like that very much.” Her eyes sparkled, such a striking hue of sapphire. “Would you like to speak to my father?”

  “Nay, I shall simply steal you away and inform him on the morrow that you’re to be my bride.” He swung her into his arms, leaned over the side of his skiff and set her gently on the center seat then pushed the boat into the water and leapt aboard.

  Tonight was their night, and no other’s. He would woo his chosen one as she deserved and she would be his, for all time. Exhilaration, unlike any he’d ever known before, surged through him.

  Chapter 5

  Panting for breath in the back seat of the SUV, Iain nipped Isla’s lower lip then pulled back an inch as Kirk drove them toward the village. His woman could distract him completely with her passionate, mind-bending kisses.

  “Where are you going?” She tugged him back and nuzzled his neck, her teeth razzing over his skin. If she bit him now, he’d be hard-pressed to hold back. If only they were alone.

  Kirk pulled into a parking space on the main street next to Daniel’s vehicle.

  The department store in front with its wide glass doors set within a sandstone brick frontage sat between a three-story tavern with accommodations on the top two levels and a florist shop with a bright red door and hanging baskets of colorful flowers.

  “This village looks so quaint.”

  “My mother adores this department store. She insists it sells everything one could ever need. You should be able to find all you’re after here.” He hopped out, came around the back and opened her door. He led her up onto the pavement then gently wiped a streak of dry dirt from her cheek.

  “Maybe we could grab a bite to eat afterward. I missed breakfast.” She glanced at the tavern next door to the store. “Do we have time for that?”

  “We’ll make time.” He clapped Kirk on the shoulder as he joined them. “Reserve us a table. Order for me if you like.”

  “Will do.” Kirk wandered into the tavern that held a restaurant they patronized regularly.

  Isla rounded the hood of Daniel’s car, opened the passenger door and nabbed a red leather purse from the front seat.

  Finlay stepped in beside him. “I’m glad you’ve got her back. Now, make sure you don’t lose her again.”

  “Thanks for keeping me sane while we searched for her.”

  “No problem.” Finlay followed in Kirk’s footsteps.

  Isla spoke to Daniel and the two hugged before her partner trailed after his brothers.

  She sashayed across to him, caught his hand and tugged him inside the store. He pulled a trolley from the bay and weaved through the aisles as she browsed, her hips swaying far too enticingly in that super snug denim. All he wanted to do was drag her against him, stamp his mark on her as he had last night and ensure she never left his side again. The chase this morning to catch her had worn at his nerves. Hell, he really needed to be alone with her, and soon. He’d take her to the cabin. It was the perfect place.

  In front of him, Isla thumbed through a rack of jackets, her golden gaze darting between the clothing and him. “Are you all right?”

  “I’ll be fine once I’ve got you alone.”

  “We’re fairly alone now, give or take the odd shopper.” She sidled closer, pressed her entire body against his, every glorious and curvy inch of her. “We could even call this our second date.”

  “If this is our second date, then I’m sorry about the tagalongs.”

  “I can handle them, plus I’m used to being around my clan and I’m rarely alone.” She wandered from his side toward a carousel of jeans. She pulled a few pairs off it then rummaged through a pile of shirts on the shelves and slung her selection into the trolley. She added a swimsuit and shorts, skirts and blouses and a low-cut slinky red dress he couldn’t wait to see her in. In the footwear department, she added Nike sneakers and socks, sandals, and a pair of sexy red five-inch heels that made his mouth water. “Time for undergarments.” She winked. “This way, my big bear.”

  In the lingerie section he most definitely drooled as she flicked through lacy bras and skimpy thongs. She chose what she needed in her size then added a sheer white satin camisole and a pink nightie with bear paw prints on it. He palmed the print that matched his hand size to perfection. “I can’t wait to see you in that, or out of it.”

  “Should I get the matching bed-socks, or do you want the honor of warming my toes at night?” She pressed him back into a gap between two racks of dressing gowns and on her tiptoes, kissed his chin. “By the way, you are bringing the naughty streak out in me. I’m usually such a good girl. I’ve never fraternized with a man in a department store before.”

  “I should hope you haven’t, and I’ll warm a lot more than your toes the moment you give me the word to.”

  “Sexy second date talk. I like it.” She stepped back and walked across to the health and beauty section. After browsing, she selected some makeup, a toothbrush, and a packet of cosmetic wipes. She added her bundle to the growing pile then picked up a box of condoms and tapped the box. “Do we need these?”

  The condoms stared him hard in the eye. His cock, already partially hard at being this near her, hardened to the point of pain. He cleared his dry throat. “That’s entirely your choice. I’m happy with or without, although to complete the bond, we’ll need to be skin on skin the first time.”

  She eyed the box and frowned. “Hmm.”

  “Tell me what you’re thinking.” He slid a finger under her chin and lifted her gaze to his.

  “Clan births are down. It took Emma five years to fall pregnant and there was nothing medically preventing her from conceiving. Hers and Daniel’s baby is the first cub to grace our clan in five years.”

  “It’s been five years since our last clan birth too. Couples are struggling to conceive at Ivanson Castle and without any medical reason why.”

  “Do you think it’s got something to do with the prophecy?”

  “I don’t know. Do you?”

  “I’ve no idea. Something certainly isn’t right though.” She turned the box over. “So, the question is, do we use these or allow the natural course of events to unwind?”

  “Whether we choose to use them or not is one decision we don’t have to make
right at this moment.” He slid the box from her hands and added it to the trolley. “If you wish to use them, we shall. If not, then we’ll discard them. Either way, my desire to be with you will never waver, condoms or not.”

  “Thank you.” She peeked in both directions of the deserted aisle. “Can I tell you something rather personal?”

  “Of course. You can speak to me about anything.”

  “I’m feeling hot just at the thought of completing the bond. I want your body sliding against mine, all skin on skin and nothing else. I’m also surprised by how much I want it. It’s as if from the moment we met, the relationship I’ve denied us both these past five years is the one thing I want, and right now.” She rubbed her chest against his and her hard nipples poked into him. “I want to touch you, for you to touch me. The desire is riding me hard.”

  “I feel the same way, and honestly, I’m about to come in my pants just from being this near you.”

  “Really?” She nibbled on her lower lip, her gaze skimming down to his crotch. “Would it be possible for me to touch you? I want to make you come like you did with me last night. It felt so good.”

  “Damn it, woman.” There wasn’t a chance he’d ever deny her such a request. All of him was hers. He pushed their trolley into an empty changing room at the end of the aisle, swept her inside with him then closed the door on their large cubicle. Stalking her, he caged her against the wall and planted both hands either side of her head. “Touch me as you please, but wherever you touch me, I’ll touch you in return.”

  She wriggled the hem of his silver-threaded shirt up, her eyes widening on the bulge in his pants then gently, she caressed his cock and balls through the soft leather and smiled at him. “Do you like this kind of touch?”

  “Immensely.” And the word ‘immensely’ could barely express just how much, but his actions might. He captured her mouth with his and kissed her. He twined his tongue around hers and moaned as she rubbed him harder below. Turnabout was fair play. He opened her shirt—his shirt she’d tied together with the front flaps—and cupped her breasts through her tank top. Her nipples, so hard and pointy, demanded his touch. He pinched the tips then moaned as she opened the button-fly of his pants, freed his shaft and curled her fingers around him. One stroke was all it took for his balls to tighten and lift and when she swirled her thumb over his head, he shot his load into her hand. He grunted, the sound muffled against her neck as he bent over her. “Damn it. I didn’t meant to come that fast. My apologies.”

  “Don’t be sorry, because I intend to make you come again.” She continued to stroke him, and he got even harder. Surly coming twice in so short a time was impossible.

  “I can see you’re going to make me lose my mind, but I’m not losing it again without you.” He opened her jeans, slid his hand inside her silk panties and rubbed her tight nub. Taking her mouth in a hot kiss, he devoured her until the sweet honey scent of her arousal rose and saturated his senses. When she gasped and shuddered in his arms, he slid one finger deep inside her channel and growled at the delicious tug of her inner muscles tightening on him, pulsing and pulling.

  “Want you bad—need to bite you—still coming,” she panted as her body squeezed him even harder.

  If she wanted him, he’d give her exactly what she asked for. He gripped his jacket collar and shirt with his free hand and hauled it to the side of his neck, her orgasm still dragging his finger deep within her. “Bite me,” he urged. “Now.”

  “Aye, my big bear.” Still caressing his shaft, she sucked his offered skin and bit down, so hard he came, soaring over the edge of no return as she bucked against him, her channel sucking on his finger so greedily.

  He held her as they both came back down, his heart beating a rapid tattoo against hers. “Isla,” he murmured, “I can’t wait to join with you fully.”

  “I can’t wait to join with you either. My bear wants to play, and she intends to have her wicked way.” Her knees wobbled and she clung to his shoulders. “Don’t let me go. My limbs are like jelly.”

  “Tonight, we roam, just the two of us.” He kissed her again, soft and languidly, then he forced himself to pull away before he took her all over again. When he joined with her fully, it’d be in complete privacy and in one of his favorite places on Earth.

  “I tossed some cosmetic wipes in the trolley before. We could use them to clean up.”

  “Good thinking.” He lifted the tab on the packet, pulled a bunch out and carefully wiped her hand of his come then himself and buttoned his pants.

  She tended to herself below, straightened her clothing and binned the cloths in the corner trash can where he’d tossed his. “Now I’m really hungry.” One sexy smile.

  “Then allow me to feed my little bear.”

  * * * *

  After leaving the checkout area, Isla walked outside to the SUV as Iain carried her purchases. Mmm, her core still tingled from the exquisite orgasms he’d given her, one that had toppled right over the next as he’d made her soar from her body and reach the stars.

  He opened the trunk and as he set her bags inside, she leaned against his back and stroked his broad shoulders. She caressed downward, over his rigid biceps and back up again. “I hope you don’t mind public displays of affection.”

  “I’d be a fool if I did.” He closed the trunk and faced her, his eyes a molten pool of liquid gold. “My body is yours to touch, as and when you wish.”

  “The same goes for you.”

  “Then that will make for an interesting time away together.” He twined their fingers and led her though the tavern’s front door and past a corner table in the entranceway with a decorative oak-aged beer barrel with the Innis and Gunn stamp emblazoned on the front.

  A long carpet runner of rich burgundy and blue ran the length of the wooden floor in front of the bar up ahead. Standing behind the bar’s polished oak countertop was a portly barman dressed in black pants and a white shirt with a red and blue checked tea towel slung over one shoulder. He poured a drink for a business man dressed in a gray suit who perched on one of the four barstools.

  Behind the bar stood a tall display cabinet with engraved wooden columns and intricately designed architraves, its shelves filled with beer mugs, shot glasses and wine and champagne flutes. This tavern looked so similar to the one at home where she and Dad ate every Sunday. They usually ordered her mother’s favorite meal, bangers and mash. She’d miss this Sunday’s meal, only two days away. A wave of sadness washed through her.

  “You’ve gone quiet all of a sudden.” Iain stroked the inside of her palm with his thumb as they wandered across the room toward Daniel and his brothers seated at a large round table, their legs kicked out in front of them and beer mugs in hand.

  “I’m reminiscing. Every Sunday Dad and I eat out at the local pub. There aren’t many Sundays we miss. Only those when work calls us away. Dad started the tradition with Mum before she passed.”

  “How did that happen, her passing? If you don’t mind me asking?”

  “You can ask me anything you like, and she had cancer. She discovered a lump in her breast during the early stages of her pregnancy with me. They operated but she wouldn’t allow the doctors to treat her any further than that, not while she was expecting. Unfortunately, the cancer spread quickly. She was so sick toward the end and the doctor delivered me as soon as he could. She passed just a week after I was born.” Tears welled in her eyes. “She gave up her life so I could have mine.”

  “She loved you, right from the very beginning.” He cupped her cheek, stroked his fingers back and forth.

  “That’s why I can’t lose my father. His heart was broken when she passed and all he wished for was to join her in her death. He would have taken his own life if not for me and the fact my mother had made him promise to give me all the love he held inside him, to raise me as she would have.” She snuggled deeper into his touch.

  “You’ll never lose him, and of that I give you my absolute word.”

&nbs
p; “Thank you.” She’d hold onto his word, knew to the depths of her soul he spoke the truth.

  He led her around the table and pulled out a chair for her next to Daniel.

  “You’re crying.” Daniel eyed her then scowled at Iain. “Do I need to hurt someone?”

  “I was telling Iain about my mother and how she passed.”

  “Ah, I see.” Daniel tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, as affectionate with her as he always was. Growing up together, tussling as young cubs and later in life, relying on each other as partners, had forged a bond between them no one could break.

  “Hands off my woman.” Iain leaned forward, his gaze as hard as shards of ice on Daniel.

  “No, no, no.” She gripped Iain’s leather-clad thigh and rubbed. “You two aren’t allowed to fight because of me. There’s no taming an alpha male’s bear, but I’m certainly going to try.”

  “Here’s our waitress,” Daniel intervened.

  Fabulous. Perfect timing. She smiled at the blond-haired woman in her impeccably pressed black pants and tartan-collared white shirt as she set a platter of breads and dips on the table. The woman dipped her head then weaved back around the tables and through the swing door into the kitchen.

  Daniel nudged a glass of lemon and lime bitters toward her. “I ordered this for you earlier, and a medium steak and salad along with a side order of fries.”

  “Extra ketchup?”

  “Of course.”

  “Wonderful. Thanks.” She swirled the ice around the frosty glass with the red straw then sipped her drink as Iain frowned at it. She eyed her beverage. “Is there something wrong with my drink?”

  “He knows what to order you.” He took a swig from his beer.

  “Oh.” Territorial bear. “Your brothers know what to order you, right?”