Once again, they moved swiftly over the glen. She’d failed at escaping.
The lateness of the hour caught up with her and she could no longer ignore the siren’s call to sleep. With little hesitation she rested her head against him and closed her eyes. It wasn’t long before Kieran heard her even breathing—she’d fallen sound asleep.
Holding her close played hell with his self-control. He wanted to cover her mouth with his and spend the rest of the night kissing her.
Her attempt at escape had come as no surprise. He understood her need to return home. What he didn’t understand was the compulsion to keep her by his side. Had he been bewitched?
He knew the moment she woke he would have a fight on his hands. Not one of his three sisters would have given in without a fight. He knew his lass would be no different.
They rode for another hour before Kieran called a halt. He regretted he’d have to wake Meredith. He enjoyed holding her slight weight against him—protecting her.
Carefully he dismounted with his burden. He felt her stir, knowing the peace of the night was about to end. He was hard pressed to explain why he acted the way he had. Normally he thought things through. A warrior, he never entered battle without a plan. Until now.
The trip to Castle Fraser would be long and arduous. They would have another full day of riding before they would see Fraser land. He needed his rest.
The angel in his arms, he saw, was now half-awake. Setting her down, he made quick work of creating a pallet for them both. He couldn’t trust her not to try and escape, and he didn’t want his men around her.
She was his.
After giving his men orders, he returned to Meredith. Without a word he pulled her into his arms and reclined on his plaide. “Come, Meredith, ‘tis time to rest.” He felt her resist for a moment—probably contemplating an argument—before she too got comfortable.
He pulled her close and placed a kiss on the crown of her head. “Sleep, Sweeting, you are safe.” Kieran wasn’t surprised to realize sleep would not be claiming him anytime soon.
* * * *
Kieran was in hell. A hell of his own design. Meredith’s sweet body called to him. He couldn’t explain the attraction, he’d never felt this way about another woman … ever.
And she was betrothed to his enemy.
Promising to keep his hands to himself, he arranged her so her head rested on his shoulder. Slowly, he ran his free hand up and down her back. She moaned at the caress and moved closer to him.
This had been a mistake. He was hard and aching for her. He wanted her. It was as simple and as complex as that.
Knowing he shouldn’t, he began to kiss her. Slowly, he touched his mouth to hers. He ran the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips—tasting, learning their shape.
He felt her stirring beneath his touch. “Shh, Sweeting, I won’t hurt you. Relax—allow yourself to feel.”
Kieran took a moment to gaze at the beauty beside him. Curling tendrils of hair brushed her cheek before resting on the furs under them.
Her beautiful blue eyes held his gaze, as he looked his fill. “Och, lass you are a bonnie sight covered in my plaide,” he whispered before lowering his mouth to hers.
Kieran expected her to pull back. Instead, she seemed to fit her body to his before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer, accepting his affection without reservation.
Despite Meredith’s kisses being untried they still inflamed his desire. He couldn’t get enough of the honey sweetness of her mouth. With every breath he drew her to him, every kiss imprinted her taste on him. Her innocence drew him as nothing else ever had.
Kieran ran one of his hands down Meredith’s back before bunching a handful of hair at her neck. His other hand palmed her backside, anchoring her against his throbbing manhood hidden beneath his plaid. The friction of her body against his was sweet torture.
With reluctance he pulled back from their incendiary kiss. He wouldn’t take her there surrounded by his men. “We need to stop, Sweeting. I willnae dishonor you here amongst my men, Merri mine.”
Meredith slowly returned to herself. Kieran’s kisses had set her on fire. Never had she imagined a kiss could so affect her. She was innocent to the passion shared between a man and woman. She wouldn’t admit it aloud—she couldn’t admit it to herself, but she’d been willing to throw all away because of a kiss from a Highland rogue.
Nothing had changed. Regardless of her feelings, she couldn’t stay with him. Of course, sharing such a passionate embrace wouldn’t help her convince Kieran she needed to return home.
She didn’t want to be a spoil of a raid. If only they’d met under different circumstances!
He was gentle and his embrace set her aflame. He wasn’t perfect—his stubborn nature and distressing habit of ignoring her when she spoke frustrated her. But, these were small matters.
Rolling away from Kieran she closed her eyes and tried to find sleep once again. Instead the impulsive idea of staying with Kieran tempted her as nothing else ever had. She knew she could be happy with him. Regretfully, it was her obligation to do as her father wished—marry Lord Langdon. It was a daughter’s duty she wanted to ignore.
She never wanted to marry Lord Langdon. Now, more so that Kieran made her feel safe and cherished. The way he held her—so gently, yet she felt secure. And his kiss … there was nothing in her experience to compare it to.
Never before had she felt as if her world centered on one person. She’d been swept away by Kieran’s kiss. She ran her tongue across her lips—shivered as she still tasted Kieran upon them.
It made her think of her wish on the Blue Moon. As if Kieran had been summoned by this magical night.
The door had opened upon a life she thought she’d never know. This kidnapping seemed more a blessing than a curse. Surely, it must be the magic of the Blue Moon.
A tear trickled down her cheek as she realized when she woke she would be free of this incredible spell. Her heart ached. Did she—could she—lose this man and the magic she felt when she was in his arms?
* * * *
Her warrior was a wretch! Now, in the harsh light of the day, she saw him for who and what he was. Handsome, oh aye. Never had she seen a man with such strength, such rugged beauty.
But the blasted man was pigheaded!
Before the sun had cleared the mountains, he’d nudged her side with his toe. So much for being the gentle lover of her Blue Moon wish. After waking her before the sun had cleared the mountains, he hauled her unceremoniously to their mount, where he secured her to his horse with a piece of twine. Where had her kind loving captor gone? The man who’d held her in the middle of the night and kissed her so gently it had brought tears to her eyes.
“Why have you secured me to your mount?”
“We have a long day’s ride ahead of us. I cannae worry about you getting into mischief and possibly getting hurt.” His stern tone told her there would be no swaying him.
Meredith sat upon the horse trying to find her ire. It shouldn’t have been hard. He’d kidnapped her, woke her at an ungodly hour and tied her to a horse. So why did she wish to taste his kiss again? She was a spoil of his personal war. She meant nothing to him. She needed to keep reminding herself of that very important fact, no matter how much it pained her heart.
Last night she’d almost convinced herself he was the warrior from her Blue Moon wish. Silly wisps of a girlish dream.
She’d been working on a pitch of temper and had been proud of her success until he mounted behind her. His scent and heat worked against her will. When he wrapped his arm around her middle and pulled her close, she forgot she was a pawn and wanted to return home. Instead she remembered his moonlit kiss and the desire he had awoken in her.
Seeing no harm in being comfortable, she leaned into his hold and wiggled around until she was contented.
“Lass, you need to settle down, you ken?”
“I am sorry, I am not used to riding. Until last night
, I’d not been on a mount for several years. I fell off my pony when I was younger. I like horses—but don’t care to ride.”
Meredith wiggled again trying to ease her tender backside. At Kieran’s groan, she turned to face him. “Are you feeling ill?”
“No. Why don’t you try to sleep again? I ken I woke you early.”
Meredith stared into his piercing eyes. “I am fine now. Mayhap we should take this time to learn about each other.”
Meredith smiled at the look of horror on Kieran’s face. Facing forward, she smiled—realizing she wanted to tease her Highlander. He’d been kind enough to give her the perfect opportunity—they were, after all, tied together. She planned to drive him insane with pointless chatter—a talent she’d honed to perfection. Surely after this he would send her home.
“I’ve never been in Scotland, your country is beautiful. I have always been fascinated by your myths. You know, stories of faeries, and the like. Truth be told, I have not traveled much. I suppose you have seen a great deal? Men are lucky they may travel far without worry.”
Meredith looked to see if Kieran was listening to anything she blethered about. She caught his eye and he smiled and nodded before looking over her head once more.
“I have always wanted to go to France. Mayhap Paris. Have you ever wondered what it is like to be female?”
The coughing and sputtering above her head was answer enough.
“Probably not. You are probably more concerned with planning your raids. Although I understand why you would steal from Lord Langdon. He has a reputation in the district for being cruel. I had only found out last evening I was to wed him. Well, perhaps ‘tis a good thing you have seen fit to take me. Of course, being alone with you now I will be ruined for any other English lord.”
Meredith stopped her narrative at the tightening around her waist. She tried to loosen his grip but was unsuccessful. “My lord, you hold me too tight.”
They rode on for a moment but he did not lighten his hold.
Meredith took a deep breath and held it before releasing it on a heavy sigh. She would not be ignored again. Not a physical person by nature, her Highlander seemed to bring out the minx in her. She’d never felt so safe with a male before. With a shrug she pinched the top of his hand—hard. Her action was rewarded. Kieran lightened his hold, but just barely. Pleased with his response, she patted his hand before laying her head against his chest and closing her eyes.
Kieran had never heard a woman talk for so long about so little. And the path her mind wandered—leaping from topic to topic as a butterfly flitted from flower to flower. He realized his angel blethered, and knew she did so when nervous or upset.
At some point between the time he espied her taking her moonlit bath and now, he’d fallen under her spell. Her talk of being ruined for other men caused a primal reaction to surface. He had no intention of ever letting another man touch her and live.
The woman was his.
He learned a lot from her during her bout of incessant chatter. Once she woke he would make sure she knew she wasn’t a spoil of his personal war with Langdon. Maybe in some small way she had been in the beginning, but things changed.
Kieran sensed she trusted him. She’d dropped her guard long enough to share her thoughts with him—uncensored thoughts. She was also able to sleep in his embrace, a fact that pleased him greatly.
Careful not to wake her, he untied her restraint after noticing her smooth skin had been marred by the cord. He frowned. Gently he ran his fingers over the injury, felt guilt knowing he’d been the cause of her hurt. She’d not said a word about her pain.
He was surprised to hear his angel let out a snore. With a smile he bent and placed a gentle kiss atop her head. He would enjoy the peace while it lasted.
He had no doubt his Merri would have a great deal to say once he told her his plans.
* * * *
The day wore on as Kieran rode in silence. His plan had been simple—ruin his one-time friend. Never had he thought to find a lass that whispered to his soul.
Mo Anam Cara. My soul mate, his mind spoke to his heart.
He knew Langdon was one step away from debtor’s prison—by Kieran’s design. Langdon had stolen from him and this was his version of an eye for an eye. Only, Langdon had inadvertently stolen something more precious than cattle or jewels when he’d broken the heart of Kieran’s cousin, Siobhan. She’d died from the betrayal.
All his planning had led to this instant—a lap full of beautiful woman. One who kept him in a constant state of arousal.
The focus of his thoughts began to stir. Before he could address the issue of marriage, he needed to prove to his Merri that, despite appearances, she was not a spoil of his personal war. She was his redemption.
“Did you sleep well, Merri mine?”
He watched as she arched her back in a small stretch.
“Oh, I beg pardon. I was more tired then I thought.”
“You did have a rather eventful evening.” Kieran smiled as he watched several emotions run across her expressive face.
Meredith met his gaze and held it. “Yes, it is not every day one finds themselves kidnapped. Are you planning on ransoming me? What am I worth?”
Kieran heard the frustration in her voice and smiled before whispering, “Nay, I shall not ransom you, lass.”
Though her eyes flashed fire, he suppressed a grin. What was she worth? More than the sun and the moon. She was worth a glen full of heather in bloom … she was worth his life. And he knew she’d believe none of it.
“You, sir, are quite vexing!”
Kieran bent his head and placed a kiss on her upturned lips. “I shall not ransom you. No man could pay your price. So what I shall do is kiss you again and again.”
Before she uttered a sound, he sealed her mouth with his.
This kiss was searching, gentle, a mingling of breath. Kieran traced her lips with his tongue, seeking entrance to the velvety sweet interior of her mouth.
He felt her shifting in his lap, hands grasping at his back, as she let him deepen the kiss. Tongues tangled and rubbed together slowly. Each savoring the connection. Nothing else existed, not his men, nor the problems he faced with Langdon. The only thing he was aware of was Meredith and how she fit against him.
Tightening his hold on her, he continued the kiss—pouring all the feelings he longed to share with her. He wanted to lift her so she could straddle his lap. His manhood throbbed with the gentle rocking motion of her body. Kieran pulled back before he acted on his desire and impaled her sweet body on his hard aching shaft. By God, she drove all reason from his mind!
“We must stop, Meredith. I want you, Sweeting, but we must wait for the privacy of my bedchamber,” Kieran said in a voice husky with desire.
Meredith slowly returned to sense of self. She ached with wanting. Things once so important now mattered not at all. He bewitched her. Her destiny wasn’t Lord Langdon. She’d lost her heart to a Highland warrior. A handsome Scottish rogue.
But, did Kieran feel the same way? He said he wanted her, but was that a forever kind of wanting—an I’m marrying you kind of wanting? Or was his desire fleeting, a here and now kind of wanting? Dare she ask? After all—she’d tried to escape—now she needed to figure out how to stay. If anyone was fickle in their thinking, was it not she?
Strange as it might seem, she knew her Blue Moon wish had been answered. Kieran had come for her. Aye, she’d wished for him. But did that mean he would care for her as she now did for him? The longer she allowed her thoughts to chase themselves, the more nervous and confused she became.
She was ruined in the eyes of society. Having never wished to marry Lord Langdon, she little regretted this situation. Her predicament had stopped that. Langdon would never want her now. Even so, her pride wouldn’t allow her to be used as a pawn.
She no longer denied her feelings for Kieran. She ached for him. His voice, his touch, his taste were sustenance for her soul. Her heart bonded with his th
e moment she set eyes upon him. The Blue Moon magic had brought them together. She needed to fathom where she stood with him, needed to know she wasn’t the only one falling in love.
“Kieran, what do you mean you want me? You want me as a form of retribution or you want me for me?”
“We shall speak of this after we stop for the night.”
“Why can we not speak of it now, Kieran?”
“Shh, Sweeting, I wish not our conversation be overheard by my men.”
Meredith caught the eye of his brother, Colin. The rogue winked at her causing Meredith to turn quickly around. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks, heard Kieran’s chuckle. Why did she have a feeling Kieran had already spoken with his men about his intentions toward her?
For the next hour Meredith sat quietly and waited. Waited to see what fate had in store for her.
* * * *
Kieran stopped for the night near a burn. Dinner consisted of roasted rabbit and an apple he’d managed to find.
After they’d eaten their fill, he pulled Meredith to her feet and led her away from the campfire. What he wanted to say was meant for his Merri’s ears and no other.
He led her to a hidden glen filled with summer wildflowers he couldn’t name, didn’t really care. Just knew it was the perfect place for his Merri. The setting sun painted Meredith in brilliant color. Her loveliness left him breathless, shaming the natural beauty around her. Bewitching him.
He wasn’t a man given to tender feelings, but a warrior as had been his ancestors. Even so, he could not—would not deny his heart had been stolen by the wee lass in front of him.
“I ken you are confused by my actions, Sweeting. I, too, have been at a loss to explain my behavior.” Gently he cupped her cheeks in his hands as he brought her gaze to his. “Last eve I was caught up in the magic of the moon. I wished for a lass who would speak to my heart. I found you mere moments later. You are my heart and I will forever remember the night Midsummer magic brought you to me.”
He lowered his head and gently—ever so tenderly—placed a kiss on her sweet mouth. With his lips barely leaving hers he whispered, “Will you marry me, Meredith? Stay with me, let me love you.”
Blue Moon Magic Page 19