“I’m very proud of you, love,” he whispered, and slid out of her.
She pushed her hair away from her face and turned towards Kade. “My word, honey. I think you need to go away more often.”
Kade growled. “Never again, Samantha.”
“Sorry.” Sam giggled. “Too soon?”
He pulled her close and kissed her, as he lifted her onto the bed and stretched out beside her. “I thought I was going to lose you.”
“I know.” She stroked his chest. “But whatever this gift is came at just the right time.”
He nodded. “You’ll find more abilities manifest as time goes on.”
“That’s what Fiona said. Kind of cool, because I thought this might be the only one I get. Not that I’m complaining. It’s really kind of cool, but I’m not sure the ability to make people do what I want them to do is a good thing. I would never want to abuse it.”
“The fact that you’re concerned about that is probably why you got the gift in the first place. And according to the book, as my mate, you’ll be gifted with more.”
She settled her chin on her hand and raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re good value, then?” He chuckled and Sam grinned. “There it is.”
“What?” he asked.
“Your laugh.” She kissed his chest. “I have missed that most of all.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’ve missed my laugh most of all?”
She grinned. “If you’d like to repeat what you did earlier, I could amend that statement.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“More like an invitation,” she retorted.
“I accept.”
He flipped her onto her back, laid a fingertip gently on her forehead and whispered, “Ég ætla að kyssa þig hér …,” and then ran his finger down to her hip and then her ankle. “… og hér og alls staðar þar á milli.” (I am going to kiss you here… and here and everywhere in between.)
Sam sighed and raised her chin to receive his kiss.
* * *
Two days later, Samantha stood in front of the mirror and tried to bring her wayward hair to heel. Pepper sat in her desk chair while Fiona and Payton sat on the bed and read a gossip rag. Kade had reluctantly left her to pick up his brothers and Angus, who had flown to Scotland with the “dissidents” and delivered them to the Council for decision of their fate. They were due to arrive at the Gastonian in an hour, where the ladies were scheduled to meet them.
“Kade just left you ten minutes ago,” Pepper said.
Sam scowled at her in the mirror. “Your point?”
Pepper crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “My point, strange one, is that you can’t look any better than you already do and your fiancé wouldn’t care if you shaved your head. He’d still look at you like you’re the only woman on the planet.”
“I agree,” Payton piped in.
“Are you suggesting I shave my head?” Samantha retorted.
Pepper giggled. “Oh, I’m not suggesting, Sammi… I’m saying.”
Sam smiled and opened her mouth to say something just as Pepper’s cell phone rang. She ignored it.
“Your mom?” Sam asked.
Pepper nodded. The phone pealed again and Pepper let out a frustrated groan.
Sam laid the brush on the bureau. “Just answer it, Pep. She’ll keep calling, especially if she’s drunk.”
Pepper nodded and answered the call. “Hi, Mom.”
She listened for a few minutes and cringed. “I don’t know where your cat is, Mom. He’s probably roaming.”
Sam raised an eyebrow in question. Pepper’s mom was probably drunk and the cat was probably sitting on her lap.
Pepper’s face went ashen. “What do you mean?” she asked as she stepped out of the room. She returned within a few minutes. “Hey. I need to take care of something. Can you do without me for a bit?”
Sam nodded. “Sure. Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Mom’s melting down. I’ll be back by dinner.”
“Can we do anything?” Fiona asked.
“No. She does this a lot,” Pepper said.
Sam hugged her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes.” Pepper forced a smile. “Now, enjoy your man. I’ll see you later.”
Sweetheart? What’s wrong?
Pepper. Sam sighed. Something’s going with her mom. Are they here?
Landing in about twenty minutes.
Are you coming here or to the hotel first?
I’m surprised you have to ask. You are always first.
Sam smiled. What about your brothers?
Kade chuckled. They aren’t nearly as beautiful as you.
Ah, so I’m first because you think I’m cuter than them?
Aye.
Sam stopped herself from laughing out loud. I don’t know, honey, Connall’s really pretty for a man.
I’ll tell him you said that. I’ll see in you in a little bit.
Hurry.
Of course.
LESS THAN THIRTY minutes later, the doorbell pealed and Sam rushed to open the front door. She was gathered up into Kade’s embrace and kissed until neither of them could form a coherent sentence. She looped her arms around his neck. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He kissed her again. “Och, love, I missed ye.”
“I’ve missed you more.”
He grinned. “Not possible.”
“You’ve been apart for less than an hour,” Connall retorted as he pushed Kade aside and hugged Sam. “You two really should get a room.”
“If Kade didn’t have to pick you up from the airport, we would have,” Sam challenged.
Connall laughed. “Touché. How are you?”
“I’m great.” Sam grinned as Kade pulled her back against him.
Brodie and Angus had managed to slip inside and were speaking with their mates. Payton seemed a little warmer to Brodie since her scare, but Sam could tell she was still a little leery.
“Are your parents home?” Kade asked.
Sam shook her head. “No, they left a while ago. I’ll set the alarm and we can go.”
The group made their way outside so that Samantha could lock up and then she followed Kade to the car. They’d planned ahead and rented the stretch limo for the week, knowing they’d more than likely travel often as a group.
“I’m glad he’s back with you, Sam,” Connall said. “He’s been a pain in the arse.”
Sam laughed. “How is that even possible?”
“You have her fooled, it would appear,” Brodie complained.
Kade took Sam’s hand and smiled. “Absolutely. Like taking candy from a baby.”
Sam snorted. “Have you ever tried to take candy from a baby?”
“Admittedly, no.” He kissed her fingers. “But I’d imagine it’s about as easy as convincing you I’m perfect.”
The banter continued as the group climbed back into the limo. Sam noticed a darkness cover Connall’s face and she frowned. Within seconds, her phone rang and Dalton’s name came up. “Hey, Dalt.”
“Hey. Pepper’s mom was attacked.”
“What? What happened?”
Kade squeezed her hand and she gratefully took the comfort.
“We’re not sure,” Dalton said. “I’ve got a team going through the house now, but Pepper’s gotta be somewhere else.”
Sam sighed. “Bring her to the Gastonian. Kade booked the whole place and there’s plenty of room for her. Don’t take no for an answer.”
“I won’t.”
“Meet us at the hotel and we’ll all head to the restaurant together, okay?”
“Okay, great. Thanks.”
Sam hung up and sagged against Kade. “Pepper’s mom was attacked.”
“What did Dalton say happened?” Kade asked.
“He’s not sure. He’s got a team at the house now.”
Kade kissed her fingers. “We’ll protect Pepper, you know that, right?”
Sam nodded. “I know. The big issue is whether or not sh
e’ll let you.”
“She won’t have much of a choice, Sam,” Connall said as the car pulled up at the hotel.
Kade slid from the back seat and then assisted Sam. She was pleasantly surprised that the rest of the group scattered, with the promise to meet up in an hour for dinner.
Kade gave her a lascivious grin and whisked her up to the penthouse suite, where she found herself kissed and undressed in record time. She didn’t come back to earth until they were forced to acknowledge the time.
Sam glanced up at the bed from her place on the floor, sprawled over Kade’s chest. “I remember that bed being quite comfy.”
He chuckled. “I do too. I’m looking forward to actually sleeping there tonight.”
Samantha giggled. “Me too.”
Kade’s phone buzzed. “Where are my pants?”
“Here,” Sam said and handed them to him.
He pulled his phone from the pocket and sighed. “Everyone’s waiting for us in the parlor.”
She kissed his chest. “Thank you for the quickie.”
He grinned. “There’ll be much more to look forward to after dinner.”
“Can’t wait.”
* * *
Kade and Samantha headed downstairs and met everyone in the foyer. They arrived just as Dalton walked in the front door with Pepper. Samantha planned to hug her friend, but hesitated when she saw Pepper catch sight of Connall.
Like magnets drawn together, Connall approached Pepper and smiled as he held his hand out to her. “Pepper, lass.”
“Yes,” Pepper said.
“I’m Connall,” he said.
“I’ll be damned,” Kade whispered.
Sam glanced up at him. “Are they?”
“They’re mates.”
Sam laid her fingers over her lips. “Kade, really?”
He kissed her temple. “Aye.”
“Well, that worked out just about perfectly, didn’t it?”
“Did it?” he asked.
“She has been my sister-in-heart since we were seven. Now, she’ll be my sister-in-law for real.” He grinned and Sam sagged against him. “I didn’t really need to say that out loud, did I?”
“Remember when I said I loved hearing your thoughts and secrets?”
She smiled up at him. “I love you. You know that, right?”
“Intimately.” He leaned down and whispered, “I love you too.”
Sam leaned closer to Kade, reveling in his strong arms wrapped around her, and watched as her best friend started her own magical journey.
“Galdrastafir virðist ófullnægjandi á einhvern hátt (Magical seems inadequate in some way),” he whispered.
She glanced up at him. “It does, doesn’t it?”
“Tilvera högg með boltanum af eldingum vafinn í regnbogans.”
She giggled. “Exactly! Lightning wrapped in a rainbow.”
As he kissed her, Sam said a silent prayer of thanks. She’d found the man of her dreams and she couldn’t have been happier.
Published by Piper Davenport
Copyright ©2017 – Trixie Publishing
Pepper Brooks has always dreamed of escaping her small town life and her alcoholic mother. Working double shifts at her dead-end waitressing job, she saves every penny in order to join her best friend in Scotland. Her plans are threatened, however, when she finds herself alone and in danger with no apparent way out.
Connall Gunnach is traveling to the United States to attend the wedding of his brother when he is bombarded with panic. However, the panic is not his own. He realizes his destined mate is in peril and he must find her before it’s too late. But when he does, he discovers she already has a champion and a massive chip on her shoulder… and he is a man of many secrets.
Will Connall be able to convince her to trust him and him alone?
Will Pepper be able to put aside her past hurts in order to fully embrace her destiny?
PROLOGUE
Six Weeks Ago
PEPPER BROOKS STOOD frozen to the floor of the diner, and not because there was probably some kind of syrup still there from the day before. A cassette tape had been hidden under the poor excuse for a tip, and she wracked her brain in an attempt to figure out how… more importantly, who.
The table had been filled with teenagers obviously out past their curfew, but she couldn’t imagine them putting the tape under the money. The last time she’d seen a cassette tape was a hundred years ago. So how did it get there? She picked it up and saw that it was the single of “Every Breath You Take.”
Last week a movie poster for Fatal Attraction had been slipped under the wiper blade of her car, and the week before that a forty-five of “My Obsession” had been mailed to her here at the diner.
She didn’t need this! She already had more than enough on her mind and could feel the rapid approach of a nasty headache. Her friend, Samantha Moore, was moving to Scotland and Pepper was already missing her. When Pepper moved from California to Savannah in second grade, she and Samantha became best buds and had been inseparable ever since. There hadn’t been a day they hadn’t talked or seen each other, usually both, and Pepper didn’t know what she was going to do without her “sister” close.
“Pepper! Order up,” Hank yelled.
Pepper jumped and shoved the money and the tape in her apron. “Coming.”
Her boss was in a mood tonight… had been all day.
She made her way to the window and spent the next two hours so rushed off her feet, she forgot all about the cassette.
* * *
Pepper’s phone rang for the fourth time in fifteen minutes. She frowned and ignored it—again. The number was restricted, so she never answered, and they never left a message. But now they were beginning to piss her off. The calls had started the day after the cassette tape had been delivered. The person called three times a day, then four… now it was escalating.
“Pepper!” Hank snapped. “Where the hell is your head, girl?”
Pepper glanced at him through the food window and shook her head. “Sorry, Hank.”
He muttered something under his breath and pushed a plate through the window. Pepper picked up her order and set it in front of her customers, forcing a smile and counting the minutes to the end of her shift.
* * *
Four Weeks Ago
“Bye, Hank,” Pepper called as she closed her locker, grabbed her purse, and started toward the door. “See you tomorrow.”
“Don’t be late, girl.”
“I won’t,” she said… but she probably would be. She hadn’t slept through the night in almost a week. The barrage of mysterious calls, combined with her mother’s drunken middle-of-the-night tirades, made it impossible.
She headed toward her car, keys at the ready, and unlocked the door. As was her habit—after watching yet another horror flick alone—she checked the backseat and then jumped inside and locked the door. She hadn’t received anything from her secret admirer in three days, and instead of that making her feel better, she was more nervous than ever.
Her phone rang. She picked it up and saw Dalton Moore’s name on her screen. She almost ignored it. Almost.
“Hi, Dalt.”
“Hey. I can’t believe you answered the phone.”
“Me neither,” she grumbled.
“Is there anything I can do to make you forgive me?”
Dalton Moore was Samantha’s brother and the man Pepper had sworn never to speak to again. He was a playboy of the worst degree but in a moment of weakness, he’d convinced her to give him a chance and they went out on a series of dates. Just as she’d started to give him a piece of her heart, she’d walked in on him “enjoying” his receptionist… on the desk in his office.
The worst part of it was she couldn’t tell Sam. Her best friend never even knew they’d dated, and now she couldn’t share her heartbreak with the one person she had always told everything to.
Pepper sighed. “I’m not mad anymore, Dalt.”
“I wis
h I could explain.”
“I’m sure you do. But you said you can’t, so let’s just leave it, okay? I’m heading home, so I need to hang up.”
“Can we have lunch next week?”
“Maybe.” She turned the ignition. “I gotta go. ’Bye.” She hung up and rubbed her forehead. Lord, she was tired. Her phone rang again and she answered it. “Dalton, seriously, we’ll talk next week.”
A hiss came over the line and then, “It’s not Dalton.”
Pepper went very still. She swallowed. “Um, sorry, I think you might have the wrong number.”
“I don’t have the wrong number,” the low voice came.
She didn’t recognize the man’s voice… she could only tell he was southern because of his thick accent.
“I’m a little disappointed in you, you know,” he droned.
“Excuse me?” she snapped.
“I sent you several gifts and you threw all but the cassette tape away.”
She’d forgotten about the cassette.
Shit, it must be in my other apron. How did he know?
“I don’t know who you are, but you must have the wrong number—”
“I don’t have the wrong number, Pepper. Don’t hang up.”
“Why not?”
“Because if you do, bad things are going to happen.”
“Oooh, I’m scared.” She snorted. “Listen, weirdo, I don’t know who you are, but you need to quit harassing me. If you don’t, I’ll call the authorities. I know people.”
She didn’t really, but it sounded good.
He laughed. “Like your friend, Dalton Moore? He’s not a real man… not like me.”
He knows Dalton? WHAT?
“And if you even think about talking to Samantha Moore, I will kill her,” he continued.
“I’m hanging up now.”
She did and shook her head. The guy was obviously a kook who had too much time on his hands. She couldn’t believe he’d actually got in her head. Tonight, she planned to have a glass or two of red wine and sleep like a baby.
* * *
Pepper stood in Jonesy’s stall and ran the brush over her beloved Arabian’s neck. “Who’s my good boy? Hmm?” Jonesy nudged her with his nose and she giggled. “Okay, okay. You did really well today. You deserve a peppermint.” She dug in her pocket and pulled out the treat. Jonesy took it gently from her palm, nodded his head, and took his time with his favorite candy.
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