Her legs parted of their own accord, wanting the release only he could give. “Please,” she panted, her voice almost unrecognizable as her own. “I need you now.”
His mouth returned to hers, his tongue swirling in unison with his finger, building her craving for his touch until stars exploded. Fiona stiffened as wave after wave of desire washed over her. A wail surfaced from deep within her and Kellach caught it in his mouth while he deepened his kiss, covering the sound of her release. When the last rush ended, she collapsed, totally replete, having experienced her first true orgasm.
Kellach had only begun. He rolled over, pulling her on top, reaching up to mold her breasts while at the same time sliding down so that he could gain access, his tongue thrusting and probing. Fiona’s breath quickened until, her head thrown back in ecstasy, her body convulsed once again. Easing down, her long hair cascading over his body, she moved against him, a gentle rocking motion, urging him on. Flipping her over, he gazed into her face, sensuous in the flickering light of the candle.
Fiona moved her hands slowly down until she cupped his length, marveling at the size and satin feel of his member, stroking softly. He waited, allowing her to explore as she desired. “No wonder your name is mentioned so frequently in the marketplace,” she whispered.
His lips claimed hers in a long, demanding kiss. “Women gossip, but few really know of what they speak.”
Spreading her legs, Fiona positioned him at the opening to her sheath. Triumph flashed across his face. Moving slowly, he entered her, so tight and hot and ready for him, forcing himself to take his time. Stunned, he paused as a barrier stopped his progress. “You’re a virgin!” he said accusingly.
“I never said I wasn’t,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Don’t be,” she replied, rubbing her hands down his face.
With one quick, hard thrust, the barrier was breached. A small gasp of pain wrenched itself from her lips. He waited, allowing her body to adjust, until she lifted against him, digging her heels into the bed, impaling herself further and moving against him. Plunging in, again and again, sweat dripped from his brow as hunger overwhelmed him, craving what only she could give. Higher and higher he climbed, loving her with every part of him.
Moaning and crying and willing him on, Fiona gasped his name as she came again. He threw back his head, shouting as he spilled his seed, pulsing over and over and, finally, collapsing on top of her.
They lay panting, astonished by the heights both had reached. Kellach rolled to the side, gathering her against him, pressing light kisses to her brow.
Gone was the last vestige of doubt she had. Gone was the loneliness and frustration of the earlier years. In high school, when her friends had giggled and dreamed of fumbling around in the back seat of their boyfriends’ cars after the prom, she had taken her cousin to the dance. In college, while other girls partied and changed boyfriends as easily as they changed underwear, her time had been taken up with studying and working, leaving little time for personal relationships, other than the few “Alfreds” who had surfaced occasionally. For her, this moment was the culmination of everything she had ever desired.
Kellach pulled Fiona even closer, molding his body to hers, her bottom pressed against him, fitting perfectly. His hand began a leisurely exploration, memorizing each curve of her form. Pausing at her breast, he massaged and pinched the nipple until it peaked in response. Fiona stiffened, desire rising again. His manhood lifted in response, hard and probing.
“Do you never get tired?” she asked, pretending annoyance.
“Where some things are concerned—never.” Nor did he—again and even again.
Kellach rose early, the sky had just barely started to lighten when he left the warmth of the tent. Fiona still slept, burrowed down in the covers, no doubt fatigued from yesterday’s ride and the fact that he had kept her awake most of the night. For himself, he had never felt better! A few of his men were up and about as well, and sly grins followed him wherever he went.
“I could barely sleep,” Durlach said loudly, feigning a yawn. “Too much noise all night long coming from yon tent.” He looked long and hard at Kellach, and snickers paid tribute to his brashness. Kellach’s mouth twitched in response.
Durlach tried again. “I thought to offer my assistance to Fiona since it appears her sleep was troubled. Had I attended her, she would have slept easier long before she did,” he bragged. Eyes dropped and smirks covered most of the faces in attendance.
Kellach turned to Durlach. Retribution would be swift. “Had your assistance been accepted, there would not have been nearly as much noise and then only for a very short period of time.”
Durlach’s eyes popped and his mouth dropped open. Having dealt out the subtle punishment, Kellach smugly resumed his rounds, laughing to himself.
Men’s laughter woke Fiona from a deep sleep. She stretched, memories of the night racing through her mind. Good grief, she thought, how am I going to face anyone out there? From the sounds of things, something had everyone quite amused. Hopefully it was not at her expense. Kellach’s side of the bed was still warm to the touch, so he hadn’t been gone for very long. She cuddled down, enjoying the heat he left behind.
Everyone out there was busily readying for the ride while she lazed about. She winced, mentally despairing about getting on that miserable animal again. Her legs did feel better but she held little hope that the long ride today would improve things. What she wouldn’t do for a big cup of coffee right now, and the morning paper—just some paper, any kind would be good! Never before did she realize how much she depended on toilet paper. A modern invention that was not easily replaced. Heaving a sigh, she threw back the covers and dressed quickly, shivering in the chill morning air.
She combed out her hair and braided it in one long braid, and then cleaned her teeth, grumbling as she used the present day answer to a toothbrush—a chew stick! A chew stick, as it was termed, was usually just a twig that was soaked to soften the fibers and then mashed and used to rub around the teeth. Not very effective from her point of view and probably one of the reasons dental disease was so common. One of these days, if she was stuck here, she was going to have a real toothbrush made. How hard could that be?
Men were hurrying back and forth as she crawled from the tent. Catching sight of her, Kellach offered a hot cup of tea, his gaze softening. Warmth permeated her as she returned his look. “You should have wakened me when you got up.”
“I thought you needed the rest,” he said low, his voice husky and adding weight to the comment.
“I won’t argue the point,” she conceded quietly, “but I don’t want anyone to think I am not doing my part. This is for my benefit, after all.”
His eyes twinkled. “There have been benefits for me as well.”
Fiona flushed, hoping no one else had overheard the comment. She glanced surreptitiously around but everyone seemed bent on some particular task and did not appear to be privy to their conversation. She relaxed somewhat until Durlach strode up, a mischievous smirk on his face.
“I see you are finally up. Did some small thing keep you awake last night? You look tired this morn.”
Fiona prayed for the ground to open up and swallow her, but would have been happy to find a rock large enough to crawl under. Heat flooded her face. She attempted nonchalance. “I don’t know what you mean?”
“I was kept awake myself by strange noises. I am unsure whether there was a large feline yowling at the moon or a wild boar grunting as he rooted.” His face belied the innocent posture of his comment.
God, if I am going to die soon, she prayed, now would be a good time.
Kellach cleared his throat. “Those noises, as you call them, were me showing you what a real man can do, even under the most inhospitable circumstances. You would do well to pay attention, but only experience can forge the man.”
Durlach laughed, undaunted by Kellach’s remark. “‘Tis true, every man must le
arn. I will make it a point to listen in at every possible moment.”
Kellach snorted and turned away. Durlach was too clever by far. Camp needed to be broken and he had other things to do beside fence with the young whelp, even though the game was challenging. Another time—when Fiona was not present.
Twenty-Eight
A cold breeze gusted, a foreshadowing of the coming winter. Kellach’s face lifted to the north, reading the winds and the sky, hoping the weather cooperated until they returned home. Time to make haste! A quick breakfast was had of dried meat and flat bread washed down with hot tea. The animals were saddled, loaded and waiting to go. Kellach again led Fiona’s mount to her. This time, extra padding had been added to the saddle along with a heavy blanket draped down both sides to add protection for her legs.
“Just be careful you don’t fall off,” Kellach advised, “the padding is not secured to the saddle.”
Just great! Now she had to worry about falling off along with everything else! She appreciated his thoughtfulness, though. Kellach lifted her up and waited while she settled in and then wrapped a huge cape around her. Each of the other riders also wrapped a heavy cape around himself and down the sides of his mount, trapping heat generated by the horse. They had been following a course near the base of the southern range of mountains and it was decidedly cooler today. Kellach started out and everyone fell in line. Fiona was determined that this time she would keep pace and the ornery horse would do what she wanted when she wanted it to.
They traveled hard and fast again. Kellach’s concern about the changing weather affected all of them. By late afternoon, they reached the point where Kellach had originally found her. They took a short rest and while they did, she looked around, but there was nothing there, nothing to help her.
“We should reach the place of rocks where you first rested by nightfall.” Kellach came up behind her. “Do you see anything that would help you remember?”
“No, nothing here, but my memories are so disjointed, I hardly remember being here, only small bits and pieces.”
“Perhaps as we near where I first found your tracks, your memory will open up.”
“Maybe, but I’m not overly hopeful.”
The rest was over and once again they made fast time, through endless expanses of open ground, stretching on and on. Mountains loomed in the distance, to the east and north, as well as the southern range they had been following. This area was a basin surrounded by mountains on all sides, an enormous basin, but a basin all the same, and the central area was a vast desert. They crossed water courses, mostly dry this time of year or too muddy for human consumption. As fortune would have it, because of the colder weather, insects were not a big problem. Fiona had come prepared with an elixir of pennyroyal repellent just in case.
The wind was a constant irritant and it was a bad-tempered group that finally reached the place of rocks. After dismounting, Fiona wandered around, looking for any clues. There by a larger rock was the small pile of stones she had thought to use to fight off animals. How pathetic they seemed to her clear and rational mind, but they had been her salvation that awful night.
“You slept there,” Kellach pointed to a large rock.
“How do you know that? What was it that you saw?”
He shrugged. “I but saw the signs, or things were not as they should be.” He made it sound so simple. “We should make camp, the light will be gone soon and it will be much colder tonight.”
“Will you stay with me again?” she blurted out.
His eyes bored into her. “Are you asking me?”
Suddenly shy, she ducked her head. “I…I…yes, if you really want to.”
He reached for her. “I do,” he said nuzzling her hair, “for whatever amount of time we have, I want to share it with you.”
More tents were erected, the men less willing this night to sleep out in the cold. Durlach once again started the evening meal, although Fiona was moving about better and more able to do a share of the work. Animals were fed and hobbled and guards were posted. By the time full dark had fallen, she was fully ready to retire. She lit a small oil lamp at the fire and crawled into the tent, happy to be out of the cold wind. Tomorrow they would reach the point where Kellach first found her tracks and the real search would begin. He had promised her three days’ time to search and she was excited and nervous about the prospect. Everything she knew and wanted was back home—or was it? How was she to give up Kellach so easily if it came to that? Despair settled in—she could not have it both ways.
The tent flap lifted and Kellach entered, cold air following him. He secured the flap and began to undress. He looked at her expectantly and she slowly followed suit, climbing into the cold covers, shivering in anticipation. Nervously she waited, would he come to her or would he withhold himself as before, expecting her to make the first move? Without preamble, he took her into his arms, his warmth welcomed in the chilly bed.
The night was a repeat of the previous one. Kellach was almost insatiable and taught Fiona what true desire was. His touch started raging fires that only he could quench. Kellach seemed to want to fill a lifetime in two short nights. Perhaps he did believe her somewhat.
The next day, Kellach found the spot where he first came upon Fiona’s tracks. The wind had blown away any sign that might have been there, but Kellach knew the land and this was the place. They made camp and several of the riders fanned out, searching for anything unusual. Circling slowly outward, they searched for hours until darkness began to fall. Nothing of any consequence was found during their search. Kellach had not forgotten his promise and tomorrow they would resume the search. At the end of the three days, if they had found nothing, they would return to the settlement and if Fiona was true to her word, a wedding was in the offing.
Depressed by the first day of failure, she was nonetheless eager to aid in the search and tomorrow, whether Kellach wanted her to or not, she would take part. There had to be something there, something not fitting within Kellach’s or his men’s experience, something perhaps only she would understand. Tired and feeling dirty, Fiona heated water at the fire and retired to her tent to wash. Her hair would have to wait. She had no way to dry it and didn’t want to have wet hair when it turned so cold at night. She had just finished up when Kellach entered the tent, his eyes lingering appreciatively.
“Do you think we will have any luck tomorrow?”
“I cannot say, only time will tell, but if there is something to find, we will find it.”
For three days they searched the surrounding terrain. Over and over again, they covered the same ground, looking for anything that might seem out of place or different. Each night, the answer was the same—nothing. By the end of the third day, she was ready to admit defeat. She could not fault Kellach or his men’s unfailing determination and perseverance, even though she knew that none of them truly believed they would find anything. They had tried and they had failed. It was time to return to the settlement.
That night, Fiona shed tears, certain now that she could never return to her home and this place would be her future. So despondent was she that Kellach only held her that night, his closeness a balm to her sore heart. Sleep eluded her until the early hours of the morning and when she finally did sleep, nightmares plagued her. When morning finally came, she was tired and listless, unable to shake the melancholy that gripped her. The men were unusually quiet as they broke down the camp, affected as well by the gloomy atmosphere.
Kellach urged the small band to hurry along, the signs were too abundant to ignore the fact that a winter storm approached. He could only pray that it would hold off until they reached the settlement. Concern for Fiona was uppermost in his thoughts. She had been too silent since they began the journey back. Whenever she did deign to speak to him, her eyes registered sadness and defeat. Perhaps when they returned to the settlement, and she was nearer to Tanith and her other close relationships, the spark would return. He would not press her, some things only time could
heal.
For himself, he was not unhappy with the turn of events. Each day of the journey had been a trial for him, wondering if that was the day Fiona would leave. The promise he made was not forgotten and he and his men had searched long and hard to no avail. But their failure left its mark on her and he wondered if she would hold it against him.
The wind was blowing harsh and cold and the long cape was truly appreciated. The ride would have been harder to endure without its warmth and the warmth of the horse below her. Her legs and behind were much better, Fiona decided. Either that or they were long past the point of having any sensation left. She was becoming a seasoned rider as well, no longer did she fear climbing on the animal.
The little mare grew accustomed to her touch, and along with the small tidbits Fiona fed her, they were almost friends. Good thing, too, since it appeared she was stuck here. She glanced ahead, her eyes finding Kellach easily. He rode ahead frequently, scouting the land and keeping an eye out for bandits or any other possible perils. It would be good to be back to the settlement. Never fully expecting to return, she was finding it hard to be her usual self. Kellach appeared to understand and did not push her or rebuke her about the trip being totally useless. No “I told you so’s” from him! From the way Kellach was pushing the group, he was getting more worried every minute that they would not reach the settlement before the storm hit.
Twenty-Nine
The two days’ travel time back were a blur and it was a thankful group that finally entered the confines of the settlement on the late evening of the second day. As they neared Kellach’s abode, Tanith’s little family came out, expectation and delight at seeing Fiona creased all their faces. Conan went crazy, running around the horses’ hooves and Fiona was afraid he would get stepped on in his frenzied exhilaration at seeing her. Nothing to be done but get down and cuddle him for a few minutes while he thoroughly washed her face, his brown eyes happy and adoring. Machar threw himself around her, hugging Conan as well,
10 Timeless Heroes; A Time Travel Romance Boxed Set Page 19