Celtic Spirit (Celtic Storm Series Book 4)

by Ria Cantrell

  “Oh, I plan to, Warrior. But first I want to make you as wild as you have made me.”

  And wild was a good way to describe it, because Derek felt the wild abandon that had come so easily to his soul mate now come to him as well. When she climbed atop him, it was all he could do to not shake the rafters with his moans and cries. It was pure ecstasy and bliss and he intended to savor every sweet sensation.

  Chapter 34

  As light filtered in through the arrow-slit window above them, Kiera woke with a start. She half expected the previous night to have been a dream, but as she stretched beneath the comfortable furs, she felt the massive strength in the arms of the man who held her as he slept.

  Oh my God, he is still here and I can still feel him.

  She could feel a few other things as well. She was positively achy in places from their night of passionate love making. She lost count of how many times he had made love to her during the night. She hated to leave the cozy little love nest, but she needed to get back to the Keep. She was sure she was already late so she tried to wriggle out of his arms. He mumbled, “Nay, not so fast, lass. Ye’ canna’ leave me just yet.”

  Turning to face him, she kissed him fully on his mouth and she said, “I have to go. There will be people waiting to see the castle.”

  “Let them wait. Stay with me.”

  He kissed her and cupped a breast in his large palm, gently urging her nipple to bead in his hand

  Kiera pushed him off gently and she laughed, “No, you big beast of a man. I have to go. Besides, I think I am too sore to start that again.”

  Concern creased his brow and he said, “Did I hurt ye’, my love? I know at times, I forgot to be gentle.”

  “You did not hurt me, Derek. But a girl can take only so much in the small amount of hours we spent together.”

  Grinning languidly at her, he said, “Ye didna’ seem to complain about it last night.”

  Guys…they were all alike, she thought with a smile. The fact of the matter was that this guy was not like any of the guys she knew. This guy had made her realize just what had been missing in her life and she knew she would never be able to be without it again. She bit his earlobe gently and said, “I did not complain. You are right. But I really have to go now. I promise I will come back as soon as I can.”

  Kiera squirmed out of his seductive grasp and scrambled to find her clothes, which were now scattered about the wooden planks of the flooring in the tower room. Leaning on one arm beneath his head, Derek watched her as she tried to find her wayward underpants and he reached beneath the furs and twirled a pair on his finger.

  “Looking for these,” he said with a grin as she crawled on all fours searching for her clothes. Only that was not the black lace thong she had worn last night! They were the ones that had disappeared after she had that dream encounter with him. She blushed at the memory and she said, “Where did you get those? Don’t answer that. I already know. You are a very evil man, Derek Campbell.”

  “I never claimed to be a good man, Love.”

  Snatching her panties off his finger, she stood and pulled them on quickly. She was in desperate need of a good hot shower, but that would have to wait until later. Derek lay back with his hands behind his head and he watched her pull on her jeans and bra, finally slipping the angora sweater over her head. He liked watching her dress almost as much as he had watching her disrobe before him. She was beautiful in her hurried frenzy to dress, with her lush mink-colored locks tussled from their night of play and sleep, which now spilled over her shoulders. Her lips looked full and pouty and he gathered it was from all their moments of kissing. She was a man’s dream.

  Kiera looked around the room, now lit with the sunlight of day and she wondered at the things she saw strewn about the place. There were pieces of furniture from eras gone by and trunks that seemed to be bursting holding things from times long ago. While the main part of the tower room was sparsely furnished, there were objects from all different centuries, Kiera supposed, neatly collected against the far wall of the room. The painting of Jenna Brandham was there, alright, leaning against a wall, opposite his pallet. As Kiera had suspected, he had taken it, to see her own image when she had sent him away and that thought tugged at her newly opened heart.

  “What is all this stuff, Derek?”

  “Well,” he said sheepishly. “A man gets bored after seven spans alone. The things from many different times fascinated me. I have collected them over the years.”

  Kiera wished she had time to look at all the things that were actual artifacts and not kitschy replicas but it would have to wait. For now, she would have to get back to the main Keep and see to her daily tasks.

  Her heart was so full of love and wonder at a man who had braved the past and had a love for things not of his time, that he would collect them like a child collected toys. Kneeling down to kiss him, she said, “Promise to show me these wonderful things when I come back. I am suddenly fascinated by the things of the ancient world.”

  “Ancient…hmm, Lass, a man does not like to be reminded that he is ancient.”

  Kissing him fully, she said, “I love that you are. It’s part of your charm. I have to go, but I promise to come back as soon as I can.”

  He kissed her again, and said, “Aye. Come back soon. And could ye’ bring me some food? I suddenly think I can eat and after what ye’ did to me last night, I am famished.”

  Kiera looked at him curiously. “Why not come to the Keep later? I am sure the cooks will get you something good to eat.”

  A sad look marred his beautiful face.

  “Lass…I dunna’ know if I will be a whole man outside of this tower. I experience things as a man here, but not out of it. Besides, even if I can, I willna’ be dressed properly and it may frighten people.”

  “Oh no, people love a man in a kilt. Trust me about that. It would add to the mystique of the tours, I think. But I do understand. I will try to get you some jeans in case you can enjoy the human experience outside of these towered walls. I think you would look hot in them.”

  “Hot? I dunna’ feel cold now, Lass.”

  “No, no, hot can mean fetching, as you say. Hot means…sexy.”

  With a slow grin, he said, “Oh. And ye’ think I am hot?”

  “As if you didn’t know! Yes, Blackguard. You are hot. I would say you are the hottest thing to rock my world.”

  “Rock yer’ world? Ye’ do have a strange way of saying things.”

  “I know…so do you.”

  “Kiera…I think ye’ are hot, too.”

  He said that with a big childlike smile. He seemed so proud of himself for speaking her vernacular. She smiled, too. It sure beat being called a Sasquatch.

  Kissing him a final time, because if she allowed herself to linger, she would never make it back to the Keep, she said, “I love you, Derek. Thank you for the best night of my life.”

  “Thank you for making me a whole man again…even if it is only in this tower. I love ye’, too, lass. Come back soon.”

  “I will,” she promised and then she hurried down the steps, much less carefully than she had ascended them on the previous night. She felt lighter than air and despite the ache in her thighs, she moved through the woods with relative speed and agility; hastening to meet the first tour of the day that was already cued up outside of the Keep.

  The time seemed to stand still until Kiera could get a break to take some lunch to the tower room. She just could not make the hours move ahead, it seemed. She had only about an hour between tours and so she took to the kitchens and rustled up as much food as she could fit into a picnic hamper. She grabbed a bottle of wine from her own private stash, a couple of beers, and some sparkling mineral water, as well. The hamper was loaded down with bread, cheese, luncheon meats, fruit, and assorted other things Kiera wanted Derek to taste and sample. She prayed beyond hope that the curse of his human limbo was finally broken and that he could enjoy some of the things she was going to bring him. The
hamper was heavy but Kiera did not care. It impeded her progress through the woods a bit, and though she could not afford to waste one precious minute, she was glad to take the things to her beloved warrior.

  Upon her arrival at the tower, with arms full and her bag digging into her shoulder, it was nearly impossible to budge the heavy door. She called, “Derek…I am here…can you come down to help me?”

  She thought that she heard nothing and was startled when the door pushed open and Derek stood there smiling at her. Practically dropping her basket, she was dying to kiss him, so he set the heavy hamper down and took her into his strong arms. The feel of his warmth permeated her suddenly chilled body, as the sweat from her exertion had dried and the cool shaded glade caused a shiver to race over her. Of course, seeing him again and being able to touch him sent a different sort of tremor to pulse through her. After kissing him for a deep moment, he grabbed hold of the heavy basket and carried it before him. Kiera trailed behind him and he turned briefly on the dimly lit stairs and said, “Careful, sweeting. I dunna’ want ye’ to topple down the steps.”

  “I am fine. We must hurry. I don’t have a lot of time before I have to be back at the Keep.”

  He raised an eyebrow in response and he said, “Oh, well then we shall have to make love first.”

  Laughing, she said, “I am afraid not, hon. I brought you lunch and that is all we will have time for at the moment. Besides, you have already made love to me and now you need to eat.”

  Derek’s stomach grumbled at the thought of being able to eat real food again. He actually could not wait to taste what Kiera had brought him. Once they reached the top of the stairs, Derek took the hamper and placed it on the floor. He then took Kiera back into his arms and said, “Ye’ willna’ deny me at least yer’ kisses, beautiful Kiera, will ye’?”

  “No, of course not.”

  For she could not. She was so relieved that she could still touch and feel him, and that the beautiful spell had not been broken. She needed him; it was true, but she wanted him to experience the other pleasures that came with being human and one of those was to taste food again.

  As she stood on her tip-toes to reach the height of his lips, he circled her thighs with his mighty arms and lifted her off her feet so she could kiss him. The feel of his hands pressing into her buttocks sent shocks of desire pulsing through her and it was not wasted on Derek. He turned her almost roughly and pressed her back against the cool stone wall. He felt her legs hitch about his hips and as the kiss deepened, he wondered if he would get to that lunch after all.

  Kiera felt him rise against her as desire was winning out over hunger and she moaned into his mouth as his kiss drew things from her that she was newly experiencing. Derek liked the sexy sound as it left her. She wanted him again. There was no doubt of that, but the last thing he wanted was to make her late again for her obligations and so he slid her down his body, allowing her to feel the sensual contact as her flesh connected with his. As her feet rested back on the honed floorboards, Derek broke the kiss. He said, “I’ve no wish to make ye’ late for the tours of the Keep. I fear if we continue, we will both have no choice but to finish this here and now.”

  Kiera did not want to admit that she felt a sense of disappointment of not being able to make love with Derek again at the moment. As Kiera stood, chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath, Kiera’s body tingled with need and desire. She did not want to wait to make love with him again. She needed to finish what they had started, here and now. Her body ached to be with him. As her eyes betrayed her emotion, Derek tucked his finger under her chin and said, “Not to worry, Lass. We will make up for it tonight. Ye’ will come back tonight, won’t ye’?”

  “I don’t think there would be anything to keep me away…except perhaps a bear…a bear would keep me away,” she said with a smile. She was trying to control her desire and thought her small attempt at a joke would quell the rising longing between them.

  “Then I shall have to keep all the bears at bay until ye’ are tucked safely into my bed.”

  Derek’s stomach grumbled loudly this time and Kiera laughed at the very human sound it made.

  “Come on. I will not have you starving to death on our first real day together. I brought some fresh bread and cheese and a bunch of other things you might enjoy. They had lots left over from the banquet this weekend. I don’t know if your medieval tastes will like this, but give it a try.”

  Derek broke a chunk of the bread off the end of the loaf and he smelled its heavenly aroma before plopping a piece into his mouth. His eyes practically rolled into the back of his head and he moaned as if he had just tasted the most wonderful food ever. Kiera giggled at his response. It was only bread. She could not wait until she could cook him a meal, herself and have him enjoy that. She had always loved to cook, but Jackson was a bit of a prig when it came to food. His tastes and appetites in food were as vanilla as his techniques in love making. He never wanted to try new things and somehow, Kiera was certain Derek was going to become quite the foodie if she had anything to say about it. She was also quite certain that Derek was not a man afraid to try things in bed. She was pretty certain his appetites would be adventurous to say the least. That thought left Kiera with delicious sensual images of uninhibited sexual encounters to explore with this enigma of a man.

  Derek gulped down a swig of the beer she had brought him and chased it with bites of cheese and salami. Even though it was spicier than the dried meats he had remembered, he savored it and enjoyed every morsel. Kiera’s heart warmed as she watched him eating with a gusto and thorough enjoyment. As she nibbled on a strawberry, and took a sip of the sparkling water, Derek kissed her. Her lips were sweetened with the berry she had bitten and he was utterly enchanted. Holding one of the strawberries to his own lips, Kiera said, “Here, taste this. I don’t know if you had them in your time.”

  “We had something like this, but I dunna’ remember eating them. I think they were used to make pigments…by the monks in the abbey.”

  “We call them strawberries and they are delicious.”

  Derek bit into it and he nodded. “Aye. They are delicious.”

  “People in my country make jams, pies, tarts, and lots of wonderful things from them. We also think they are a fruit of romance because they are shaped like the heart. Sometimes we dip them into something called chocolate and they are like heaven.”

  “What is this chocolate?”

  “Oh, I will have to bring some. I can’t really describe it, but it is wonderful.”

  Derek popped another strawberry into his mouth and he was enjoying all the bursts of flavor that now exploded on his tongue. He wondered about that, but after he had savored Kiera last night, he knew that his sense of taste had also returned. He had a sudden thought of tracing one of those strawberries over her beautiful belly and licking the trail of it off with his tongue. Kiera looked at him and wondered what he was thinking. He had suddenly gotten a very strange look on his face. If she could describe it, she would say it was a naughty expression. Yes, naughty was the perfect way to define it. She said, “I wonder what you are thinking.”

  “Hmm, it is not for innocent lasses to hear.”

  “I am far from innocent, Derek.”

  “Aye, lass, ye’ are. Why, even with yer’ lost maidenhead, I think ye’ had not experienced much in the way of things shared between lovers.”

  Kiera blushed at his words. He was probably right and she wondered if he found her lacking due to her inexperience. He stroked her cheek and as if reading her mind he said, “Dunna’ worry. It was perfect. There was nothing to complain about. I loved making love with ye’, but I promise we can explore anything that causes pleasure.”

  She blushed all the deeper at that promise, but she nodded, wanting beyond all she had known, to explore every aspect of passion with this man. It was as if someone had ignited a match that slowly caught fire with everything that surrounded it. Sex had just been okay before. She didn’t hate it
, but it had never been like the stories she read and she just thought that was because it was overblown for the sake of a story. Now she knew that was not true because the love and passion she had experienced in the few short hours with Derek were beyond her wildest imaginings.

  Leaning toward him, she kissed him. She said, “Derek, with you I am not afraid to explore those things. I want to make love to you in every possible way. I want to try everything with you.”

  “Do ye’, now? Well, we shall have to make sure that we do just that. Are ye’ sure ye’ canna’ stay for a little sport right now?”

  “As tempting as that seems, and yes, I want you so badly right now…no, I must go. I will leave this here for you to snack on and enjoy. I need to go, but I will be back after the last tour tonight. I am going to go into town and try to get you some clothes. I have no idea what size you are, but I will try to figure it out.”

  With a seductive and wicked grin, Derek said, “Yes, I want a pair of those jeans so I can look hot.”

  Kiera could be wicked, too, and passing her hand over the rising bulge that had formed beneath his kilt, she purred, “You would look hot in everything.”

  He groaned loudly and she kissed him quickly and took her leave. She knew that if she stayed even one more moment, she would be under him with her clothes gone. That thought made a flush of moisture form between her legs. She turned back briefly and saw him still standing with his back pressed to the wall, as if dazed. His chest was heaving up and down as he struggled to reign in his lust that had washed over him like a bursting dam. Kiera giggled at the effect she had on him and while she hated to leave him in that frustrated state, she had no choice but to return to the Keep. She liked that she had that effect on him. She had to do tours until about five in the evening. She would then take a cab to town to try to find some suitable clothes for Derek. The idea of trying to find clothes for him to try on in front of her sent her heart racing. This was going to be quite fun, she thought.

  Suddenly all the limitations of this relationship had dissipated and Kiera was excited at the prospects of helping Derek experience all that the twenty-first century had to offer. She was excited about the scenario of sharing it all with him. Her very ordinary and somewhat dull life certainly had taken a turn for the better.