by Jennae Vale
“Cormac,” she breathed, a shy smile lighting her lips. She reached her hand up, fingers brushing his lips. He captured her hand in his and softly kissed it. She scooted up a little higher and kissed his cheek. “You were wonderful,” she said. “When can we do it again?” Jenna giggled brazenly.
“Whenever ye’d like, love.” Cormac’s heated gaze let her know he was ready at a moment’s notice.
“How about now?” Jenna asked.
Cormac didn’t need further invitation as he seared her lips with another burning kiss.
FOURTEEN
The smell of bacon and coffee tickled Jenna’s nose. She slowly opened her eyes, to find that Cormac was wide-awake and watching her and she suddenly remembered what she’d been doing all night and with whom. A lazy smile crossed his face as he reached out to caress her cheek.
“Good morning,” Jenna managed to mutter as she stretched and sat up. The aromas from the kitchen had her mouth watering and her stomach grumbling. “If you’re here and I’m here, who’s cooking breakfast?”
“I heard yer cousin Dylan come in a short time ago. At least I believe ‘tis he, based on the singing,” Cormac teased.
“What time is it,” Jenna looked around frantically, in search of the answer to her question.
“Oh, my gosh, it’s almost eleven! I never sleep this late!”
“I dinnae think ye did much sleeping, love.” Cormac had his eyes trained on her suggestively. “Do ye not remember?”
“How could I forget,” she giggled. “But I have to get up. I have to call Bill about the restraining order and then I thought I’d take you across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. Maybe we could have dinner there.”
“I’d like that, but are ye sure ye wish to leave this bed?”
“Well, as much as I’d rather not, we really should get up. Besides, we’ll be back here tonight,” she smiled at him saucily.
“Ye are a woman after me own heart.” Cormac lunged at her and before she could dodge him, he had her in his arms and was kissing her senseless. When he was done, he hopped out of bed, grabbed his kilt and adeptly had himself wrapped up and ready in seconds. “I’ll shower after breakfast, aye?” Jenna was left breathlessly glassy-eyed by his kisses. “Are ye well, Jenna? I’m verra hungry. Come, let’s go see what yer cousin and Chester are up to.” He pulled the blankets off her and taking her by the hand, helped her out of the bed.
Jenna was speechless, but not in a bad way. Cormac was an amazing man and she was coming to appreciate him more and more with each passing day. Now she just had to convince him to stay. After last night, I should be able to do that, no problem. She threw on a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt and followed Cormac out to the kitchen.
“Dylan, ‘tis good to see ye, lad,” Cormac announced boisterously.
“Wow! Someone’s in a good mood this morning,” Dylan answered, slapping palms with Cormac.
“Chester, I’ve missed ye,” Cormac said, watching as Chester wriggled all over the kitchen in excitement.
“That dog sure loves you,” Jenna observed. “At first I thought sure you were wearing bacon cologne, but I can see that even with the smell of real bacon in the room, Chester is totally interested in only you.”
“Bacon cologne?” Cormac wrinkled his nose at the thought.
“What are you doing here, Dylan?” Jenna asked.
“Well, I didn’t mean to interrupt you two love birds, but I felt bad about bailing on you last night and I wanted to make it up to you, so I thought I’d come over and make you breakfast. Besides I have a ballgame to go to today.”
“Ah, the truth comes out. You didn’t really feel bad about last night,” Jenna accused.
“No, but I knew you’d probably be happy to go with our Scottish GQ model here,” he winked at Cormac.
“GQ model?” Cormac repeated.
“I’ll show you what I mean.” Dylan left the kitchen and came back momentarily with a copy of GQ. He opened it to a page with a cologne ad and a model in a tux. “GQ - Gentlemen’s Quarterly,” he explained, handing the magazine to Cormac.
Cormac looked at the magazine, touching the pages as he turned them, and then back up at Dylan, with a puzzled expression on his face. “I’ve never seen a book like this before.”
“Technically, it’s a magazine, but I guess you probably don’t have these where you’re from.” Dylan went back to cooking their breakfast and Cormac continued to examine the magazine carefully.
“I have to go call Bill,” Jenna said. “I’ll be back in a minute, babe.” She rubbed Cormac’s back and walked from the room, leaving Dylan and Cormac alone with Chester.
***
“Why did she call me babe?” Cormac wondered aloud.
“It’s a term of endearment, like honey or sweetie,” Dylan offered. “You made some progress last night, my man. She hasn’t looked this relaxed and happy in forever. I don’t expect you to tell me all the gory details, but did things go well?” Dylan queried.
Cormac was baffled by his choice of words. Mayhap gory meant something different in this time. “Aye. They went verra well. I believe Jenna will come with me now. Edna was right after all.”
“Congratulations, dude! I’m excited for both of you,” Dylan announced. “You still have a couple of days left though, right?”
“Aye. Jenna is taking me to…” His voice trailed off when he couldn’t remember the name of the place she’d mentioned.
“Sausalito.” Jenna appeared in the doorway. “Well, that’s all taken care of. Jonathan won’t be bothering me again.”
“Why, what happened?” Dylan wanted to know.
“He showed up last night outside the gala. I think he was hoping to get Cormac involved in a fight,” Jenna explained.
“You kept things cool, I take it,” Dylan stated.
“Yep. No fight occurred and I decided immediately I would call Bill this morning and get a restraining order. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.”
Dylan tossed some bread into the toaster oven and then put the cooked bacon on some paper towels to drain. “How would you like your eggs?”
“Scrambled, please,” Jenna answered.
“Cormac?” Dylan asked.
“I’ll have whatever you’re making,” Cormac stated.
“Okay then, I’ll whip up a batch of my famous veggie scramble.”
“I’ll get the dishes and pour us some coffee,” Jenna offered.
“May I help?” Cormac asked.
“No, you just take a seat at the breakfast bar and let us do the rest,” Dylan said.
Cormac watched the cousins as they moved around the kitchen, Dylan expertly cooking and Jenna getting dishes, cups, silverware, and napkins. She poured the coffee into three mugs and set one in front of Cormac, along with the cream, sugar, and a spoon for stirring. She set a cup next to Dylan and taking hers, added cream, and sugar.
Before long, they were seated side by side at the breakfast bar enjoying Dylan’s wonderfully cooked breakfast. Chester was happily munching on a piece of bacon, which Cormac had handed him surreptitiously.
“Thank ye for breakfast, Dylan. ‘Twas delicious,” Cormac said.
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you liked it,” Dylan answered.
Cormac rose from his place and headed towards Jenna’s room.
“Hey, where are you going?” Jenna questioned.
“Shower,” Cormac replied.
“I’ll join you.” Jenna followed close on his heels. “Dylan, you can handle the dishes, right?”
“Sure,” Dylan snickered.
Cormac was a bit surprised when Jenna announced she’d join him. Did she mean to shower with him? If so, he had no objections to the plan. In fact, he thought it a fine idea. She put her hands on his waist as she followed him down the hallway. He couldn’t believe the shift in her attitude from day one of his arrival, to this moment. He was so happy he thought he’d burst. Cailin and Ashley would be so surprised to see Jenna when he b
rought her home with him.
***
The hot shower filled the bathroom with steam and Jenna thought her life was pretty perfect right at this moment, and it would be even more perfect once she convinced Cormac not to go back to Scotland. Sure, he did have some issues they’d have to deal with. He couldn’t go around thinking he was from the sixteenth century and that a witch had sent him to the present day, but she’d get him some help and he’d be fine, because he was amazing in every other way. She still wasn’t quite sure that Dylan hadn’t been involved in some elaborate practical joke on her, but both Dylan and Cormac assured her that wasn’t the case. Could she believe them?
“Are ye joining me, love?” Cormac asked from inside the shower.
“Oh, yeah, sorry. I was just thinking.”
Cormac’s hand extended from behind the shower glass to pull her in with him. “And what were ye thinking?” he asked, water running in rivulets down his body and making Jenna quiver with anticipation.
“I was thinking how amazing you are.” They stood face to face in the large double shower, the length of their bodies touching. “Here, let me turn on some of the other nozzles.” She reached behind him and turned a knob which had water spraying them from every angle. “How’s that?”
“‘Tis good,” Cormac said, watching her closely.
Jenna grabbed the soap and began lathering Cormac’s chest. The feel of his skin under her hands was making her crazy with desire. She looked down and discovered it was having the same effect on Cormac. She made her way down to his abs, which rippled under her touch and then further still until she grasped his hard length in her soapy hands. Cormac groaned in apparent delight.
“I believe I may have died and gone to heaven, lass.” He leaned back against the shower wall and Jenna took full advantage of his obvious enjoyment. She seductively stroked his thighs, all the while lubricating her hands with soapy bubbles.
“Turn around so I can wash your back,” Jenna ordered.
Cormac did as he was directed and she proceeded to wash his back and very shapely butt.
“Okay, all done,” Jenna announced a few minutes later.
“I dinnae believe I am done, Jenna.” Cormac scooped her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he backed her into the shower wall and drove into her, exactly as she’d hoped he would.
Jenna couldn’t remember ever being this turned on. There was something about this man that got her all hot and bothered, just from looking at him. This was the icing on the cake. She held on tightly to his shoulders, but she knew he wouldn’t drop her. He was giving her the ride of her life. The sensations overtaking her body left no room for further thought and she let herself get lost in the pleasure.
“Jenna. Jenna.” He breathed her name, his hot breath tickling her ear as his pace increased and she felt him pulsing deep within her at the very moment that she let go, burying her head in his shoulder to stifle the scream that wanted to escape her lips.
FIFTEEN
“I have to stop in at the office for a minute or two. Just to drop off my parents’ award.” Jenna announced as they prepared to leave the house a short while later.
Cormac nodded, not sure what or where the ‘office’ was. He followed Jenna downstairs into a room, with a small car inside it. It was the color of silver and something about it proved very appealing to Cormac. He walked around the car, examining and admiring every detail from all sides.
“You like it, huh?” Jenna noted with a grin. “Most guys do. Come on, get in.” She motioned for him to open the passenger door.
Cormac watched Jenna open her own door and he strode around to the other side and opened his. He climbed into what was a very small car, but he discovered that despite its size, he fit perfectly. He remained silent, busy studying the seats, the windows, the roof and every other aspect of the vehicle.
Jenna hit a button on the dashboard and the garage door opened. Cormac watched as she turned the key and the car came to life with a roar. This was very different from Dylan’s truck. He really wanted to learn how to drive one, but Jenna had told him he couldnae, because he needed a license.
“Ready?” Jenna asked.
“Aye,” Cormac was excited to go out with Jenna today. He was feeling a strong bond with her and he hoped she felt the same. It seemed that she did, based on the last twenty-four hours. He would be leaving soon, and he was determined to take her with him. After the night and morning they had shared, he didnae believe he would have any trouble convincing her to go with him.
***
As they pulled out of the garage, Jenna’s heart was singing inside her chest. A few days ago, she would never have believed she’d find herself falling for Cormac. Especially after the way he came into her life and even more so, after she had sworn to steer clear of men following the Jonathan fiasco. She loved the way everything seemed so new to Cormac. He looked at the world around him with awe and a sense of disbelief. Things must be very different in the part of Scotland he came from.
She laughed to herself and shook her head.
“What’s so funny, lass?” Cormac asked, drawing his attention away from the car for a moment.
“I was just thinking about how far we’ve come, since that morning on the Marina Green.”
“Aye. It seems so long ago,” Cormac smiled in agreement.
Jenna drove through the streets of San Francisco, stopping at every red light, which was one of the headaches that came with driving in the city. Fortunately, once they’d finished in the Financial District where they would be dropping off the award they were off to Sausalito and the traffic would thin out.
Jenna pulled up in front of The Sinclair Foundation building and they were met by the valet. “Miss Sinclair, it’s good to see you,” the valet said as he opened her door.
“Thanks, Jimmy. We won’t be too long.” Jenna smiled brightly at the valet patting his arm before leading Cormac in through the sliding doors of her parents’ building. She stopped at the elevator bank and pushed the call button.
While they stood waiting, Cormac looked at the doors of the elevator, seeming baffled. “What is going to happen?” he asked.
“We’re just waiting for the elevator, to take us up to the top floor,” Jenna answered.
The doors to the elevator opened and Jenna motioned for Cormac to follow her inside. As the doors closed behind them, Cormac jumped and Jenna found herself once again amazed at his seeming lack of worldliness.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be okay. It’s faster to take the elevator, than to walk up the stairs,” Jenna reassured him, placing a hand on his arm.
Arriving at the top floor, the doors opened and they entered the executive suite where they were greeted by Susan Mitchum, the executive assistant to the Sinclair family.
“Hi Susan,” Jenna greeted her warmly.
“Jenna, I wasn’t expecting to see you today!” Susan’s eyes wandered across to Cormac who stood behind Jenna quietly. “I see you’ve brought a guest.”
“Oh, yes - Susan, this is Cormac MacBayne. Cormac, this is Susan Mitchum. She’s our very capable executive assistant.”
“‘Tis a pleasure to meet ye,” Cormac said politely.
“And you,” Susan smiled, returning her attention to Jenna. “Can I help you with anything, Jenna?”
“I’m just dropping off the award from last night. Do you want to take it?” Jenna asked.
“Sure. I’ll put it in the display case.” Susan took the award from Jenna. “It’s beautiful. You never know, sometimes they look like football trophies,” she laughed. “By the way, Jenna, I have some papers for you to sign. Your Dad asked that I have you sign them when you next came in.”
“Oh, sure. I’ll just be in my office.” Jenna took Cormac by the hand and led him into a large room, beautifully decorated and with an incredible view of the city from the floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows. Jenna went and sat behind the desk. She glanced at the mail that was sitting there, waiting for her attentio
n and then opened her laptop to check for e-mails. While she was busy responding to them, Cormac walked over to the windows and stood silently, awestruck by the view.
“‘Tis incredible. I can see all the way to the water from here.”
“It’s one of the best views in the city,” Jenna stated proudly.
“Here are those papers, Jenna.” Susan walked in with a stack of folders and placed them on Jenna’s desk.
“What are all these?” Jenna wondered aloud.
“Some contracts, letters, and proposals. Your Dad has already approved all of them. Here’s his e-mail, explaining everything.” Susan pointed to the top piece of paper.
Jenna quickly glanced over the e-mail and then grabbed a pen and went to work signing the various forms. Cormac hadn’t left his spot by the window. Jenna made quick work of the papers and then handed them back to Susan. “Here you go. Thanks, Susan.”
“No problem. Where are you off to now?” Susan asked.
“We’re heading over to Sausalito. Cormac’s visiting from Scotland, so I wanted to show him some of the sights,” Jenna said.
“You should go through Muir Woods, too. It’s so beautiful. Those giant redwoods aren’t found everywhere, you know,” Susan suggested.
“That’s a good idea, I think we’ll do that. Thanks again, Susan. Either Dylan or I will be in soon. You never know.” Jenna got up from the desk. “Cormac, we should go.”
Cormac turned from the window with a look of wonder on his face. A crooked grin lit his face as he headed towards Jenna and Susan. “I cannae wait to tell my family back home about all the wondrous things I’ve seen here.”
“Well, there’s more to see before you go.” If you go, Jenna thought.
The Golden Gate Bridge was unusually traffic-free as Jenna guided the car across. Cormac looked to be enthralled by all that lay before him. The sun was glinting off the water, which was dotted with the tiny white sails of boats slicing through the waters of the bay below the bridge on this beautiful day. Besides the cars, there were pedestrians strolling along and taking in the view, along with those riding bikes and running. Jenna was feeling relaxed and happy. She hadn’t had this feeling for a long time and had almost forgotten how it felt. She was actually enjoying the view. It was fun to see it through the eyes of another. Especially someone who was so obviously excited by it all.