A Highlander's Destiny (Digital Boxed Edition)

by Willa Blair

  A sudden burst of noise from the party reminded them once more that they were not truly alone. Ian pulled away, gazing down into her eyes.

  “I want to do that again, but maybe we should get inside first. Otherwise the villagers will get a show.”

  He led her quickly to the small cottage, Abby almost jogging to keep up with his long strides. When they reached it, Ian pulled her into his arms again, covering her mouth with his.

  Ian opened the door and handed Abby the flask of wine. He scooped her up in his arms as though she weighed nothing, grinning as she shrieked. He carried her over the threshold, kicking the door closed behind them.

  When they reached their room, he kicked the door closed behind them and pressed her against the wall. Her arms came up around his neck as he hungrily took her mouth. After a few moments he pulled back and gazed deeply into her silvery-blue eyes.

  “Dance with me, my bonny sweetheart.”

  He led her to the middle of the room, and swayed with her to the drums that could still be heard through the open window, their bodies surging against each other in time with the beat.

  God, he could kiss her all day, and never grow tired of it! He swept his tongue into her mouth, savoring the taste of her. He finally drew back, shifting her in his arms so he could set her on her feet. Somehow she had managed not to drop the wine bottle, and he took it from her.

  He’d left a small fire burning in the hearth and now he used a piece of kindling to light several candles, which cast a soft light over the makeshift wedding bed. They kicked off their shoes and he led her to the middle of the pallet, setting the wine bottle on the floor beside the furs.

  Abby stepped forward, taking his left hand in both of hers. She pressed her lips tenderly to the silver ring on his third finger, and then brought his hand down to her breast.

  “Touch me, Ian. I’ve been waiting for it all day.”

  A jolt went through him at her words. He opened his fingers, caressing her breast through the fabric of her gown, smiling as she sucked in a breath. His other hand came up to join in for a moment, and then he pulled her back into his arms.

  His hands roamed over her back, absently combing through the silken mass of her hair as his mouth plundered hers. Without taking his lips from hers, he unlaced the back of her dress. He stepped back, tugging the top of the dress so that it slid down her shoulders, baring her golden breasts to his hungry gaze. He raised his eyes to her face as he reverently traced his fingertips around her sensitive flesh. Her eyes were smoky with desire, and he felt her heart pounding against his hand.

  Abby delved her fingers into his hair as she pulled his head down to her breasts. He bent her backwards over his arm, her head falling back to give him better access as he worshiped her with his lips and tongue.

  Though Ian was content to continue what he was doing for quite some time, Abby began to get impatient. She pulled his head up with a gentle tug on his hair and suckled his lower lip.

  His body throbbed madly; his brain became foggy with desire. Her hands left his hair to undo the ties at the neck of his shirt. She undid the brooch holding his plaid across his chest and pushed the wool aside, stepping back so she could drag his shirt up and over his head. He raised his arms to help her, gasping as her mouth took his again.

  Her lips left his to trail down his throat. She smiled seductively at him, running her fingertips over his sculpted chest and down his taut belly, her touch feather-light. His whole body trembled as she traced her fingertips over his heated skin.

  He didn’t want things to be over before they started, so he moved in close to kiss her mouth again, taking her hands in his and dragging them away from his belly button. As his lips feasted upon hers, he ran his hands up her slender arms to push down the sleeves of her dress. He took her left hand and pulled off the sleeve. He kissed her fingertips, the palm of her hand, and the delicate skin on the inside of her wrist. He then did the same with her right hand.

  She was bare to the waist and he knelt before her, kissing her belly. His tongue dipped into her belly button, and then he blew gently on the moistened flesh, grinning devilishly up at her when she shivered. He eased the dress down over her gently flared hips to pool at her feet. She braced her hands on his shoulders as she stepped out of it.

  Ian sat back on his heels and gazed up at his love. Her body was bathed in golden candlelight. Her long hair had fallen forward, the tawny locks creating a veil about her that shifted slightly with every breath she took, alternately hiding and revealing the flesh beneath.

  “God, you’re beautiful!”

  He reached up to caress her breasts once more before trailing his fingertips lightly down her sides and around to her back. He smoothed his hands over the curve of her buttocks, pulling her closer to touch her intimately with his tongue. Her hands cradled his head as he pleasured her with his mouth, loving the little sounds she made.

  It wasn’t long before Abby fell limply against him, her body quivering all over. Still on his knees before her, he pressed his lips to her belly, his arms wrapped around her waist to steady her. Once she was able to stand on her own, Ian rose to his feet, reaching for his belt.

  Abby brushed his hands away and took over, carefully setting aside the belt with its attached sporran and sheathed dirk. His plaid slipped to the floor as her hands caressed his heated flesh. She walked around him, her fingers trailing over his hips, buttocks, and thighs, leaving his skin sizzling in the wake of her touch. She brushed aside his hair to place a kiss at the center of his back before returning to stand in front of him.

  She kissed him hungrily as her hands roamed over his chest and down his belly. Her mouth followed her hands, and she pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses down the length of his body. Her hand closed over him and she dropped to her knees before him. He throbbed painfully as she stroked him while trailing her tongue around his belly button and down. He dragged in a shuddering breath when her mouth found him, his fingers tangling in her hair. Her lips nibbled delicately at him; her tongue languidly stroked his pulsing flesh. His vision began to blur, his head falling back as the pressure began to build inside him.

  Not yet. Not without her. He found the strength to gently push her away, dropping to his knees and laying her down on the furs. He pressed his mouth to hers, catching her hiss of pleasure as his fingers dipped into her, moving slowly at first and then with increasing urgency.

  When she cried out and pulsed around him, he withdrew his hand. He laid back, pulled Abby over him and joined their bodies in a swift motion. They moved together, his hands stroking her breasts and hips as she braced herself against him. Her head fell back, the long ends of her hair trailing over his legs, the feather-light sensation inflaming him.

  She leaned forward, her stormy eyes meeting his, her pupils dilated with passion. Her hair fell forward in a silken curtain around them. He knew he was nearing the end, and he reached up one hand, running it between her breasts and down her belly to where their bodies were joined. Her breath quickened as he touched her, their bodies moving faster and faster until the world exploded around them.

  Abby lay draped atop him, her head resting in the hollow of his chest. He summoned enough strength to wrap his arms around her. She raised her head slightly so she could look him in the eye.

  “I love you.”

  “Tha gaol agam ort-fhèin. Abby, when we get back home, I want us to have another wedding, so that our families and friends can be there. Is that all right with you?” He grinned at her. “Do you mind marrying me again?”

  Abby laid her hand along the side of his face. Her smile was full of such love and joy that he thought he might weep from happiness.

  “Aye, my love. I will marry you when we get home, and every year after that if you wish it.”

  She kissed him tenderly on the lips and then started to move off of him, but he tightened his arms around her. He pulled the plaid over their cooling bodies as they lay quietly together, drifting on a cloud of contentment.


  ****

  Abby rested languorously in Ian’s strong arms, her body lying atop his as his fingers idly played with her hair. She raised her head, resting her chin on her hands so she could look at him. His hair tumbled in midnight waves around his head, several strands falling over his powerful shoulders. His eyes were closed, those sooty lashes resting against his cheeks. His face was relaxed, a small smile curving his lips.

  She couldn’t take her eyes off that mouth. She could have stayed in the same position for hours, content just to look at him. Ian’s heartbeat quickened, and she felt his body stir against her. She glanced up to see those green eyes smoldering as he watched her watching him. She felt a liquid warmth rush through her body under the intensity of that stare.

  Without a word, he rolled her beneath him, claiming her with his mouth and body. As his lips and tongue plundered hers, he began moving within her. She brought her legs up around his lean hips as their bodies moved rhythmically against each other.

  Ian’s mouth left hers to trail heated kisses down her throat, tasting her pulse as it throbbed against his lips. He raised her arms up over her head, holding both her wrists in one of his big hands. Abby’s body hummed as Ian’s free hand trailed down the length of her arm. She gasped as he caressed the side of her breast and then cupped her, his fingers tracing her sensitive tip. His hand left her breast and continued down to splay over her belly.

  “Oh God!” she cried as he touched her where they were joined, his callused thumb rubbing over her in agonizingly slow circles. She longed to touch him as well, but it was intoxicatingly arousing to have her hands imprisoned by him as he pleasured her. His lips returned to hers as the pressure began to well up inside her.

  As their bodies quickened against each other, he let go of her hands, cupping her face and gazing directly into her eyes. She clutched his hips, holding him to her as their bodies crested together.

  Ian was barely able to move his weight off Abby before his still-quivering limbs gave out on him. He rolled to his side, hooking her leg over his hip and holding her to him as their bodies cooled.

  When Abby could speak again, she raised her head from where it was pressed against his damp shoulder. “Oh. My. God.”

  Ian chuckled, a satisfied smile on his face. “Aye, well, that’s what you get for staring at me like that. And there’ll be more where that came from.” He paused and looked down. “But maybe not for a wee while.”

  Abby snickered, twisting her body so she could reach for the wine bottle, which had miraculously survived being so close to their makeshift bed. She struggled for a moment with the stopper until Ian took the bottle from her and used his teeth to yank it out.

  He blew the stopper out of his mouth and grinned at her. “When you’re thirsty, you don’t bother with niceties.” He handed the bottle to her. “Ladies first.”

  She raised it in a toast. “Here’s to my hero Ian James Mackenzie, who traveled across time to rescue me, risking life and limb to see me safely into his arms. And what fine strong arms they are. Cheers.” She took a swig from the bottle and handed it back to him.

  “And here’s to my bonny lass Abigail Rose Fraser Sanders Mackenzie, who stole my heart and brought it across time, leaving me empty and incomplete until I found her once more. I will follow you anywhere, Abby. Slàinte mhath.”

  He folded her in his arms and held her close against his chest. She lay quietly, content to feel the gentle beat of his heart against her cheek. She played with a lock of his wavy hair, idly twisting the strands between her fingers. Suddenly she giggled.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “After our baths and before the wedding, Alannah and I went for a walk by the stream to gather flowers. We heard splashing, and followed the sound.”

  “And what did you find, lass?”

  “A man, bathing in the stream.”

  “And was the man handsome?”

  “Nay.” Abby tried to keep a straight face.

  “He wasn’t?” Ian looked crestfallen, and Abby gave in.

  “He was more than handsome. He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Alannah thought so too.” Abby giggled again at the flush that crept up Ian’s cheeks.

  “Um, just how much of this man did the two of you see?”

  She was tempted to say that they’d seen everything, but he truly did look mortified. “Fear not, my love. The water preserved your modesty. Barely.”

  He snorted. “Well, if you knew how damn frigid that water was, you would have known that there wouldn’t have been much to see anyway. So you hid in the trees and shamelessly admired my body, then?”

  “Aye, I did.”

  “Oh? And which parts of me did you admire the most?” He batted his eyelashes flirtatiously.

  “Hmm.” Abby pretended to think for a moment. She sat up and leaned over him. “I liked this part,” she murmured, running her tongue along his lower lip, smiling when he sucked in a breath. “And this part,” she said, pressing a kiss in the middle of his chest. “And this part.” She trailed her fingertips down his belly, grinning as the muscles contracted. She scooted down. “And I really loved the way the water lapped around this part.” She ran her hands over his hipbones before pressing a kiss to each one, squealing as he grabbed her and rolled her beneath him once more.

  Some time later, after their breathing slowed and Ian pulled her close against his side, Abby peered sleepily at him. “I think I’ll have to spy on you more often.”

  Ian burst into startled laughter. “I love you, Abby.” She was silent, and he gently brushed her hair out of her face to see that she was asleep. He carefully extricated himself from her to set the wine bottle on the table and blow out the candles. He crawled back under the plaid and wrapped her in his arms once more.

  “Oidhche mhath, Abby. Good night.” He kissed her forehead as she murmured a sleepy, incoherent response and snuggled against him. He drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face.

  Chapter 30

  Ian stirred, reveling in the delicious weight of Abby’s body as she lay partially atop him. He wasn’t sure what had awakened him, but when he cautiously cracked his eyes open, he saw that it was still dark in the room. He carefully maneuvered out from under her and padded over to the door. He peered outside, and saw that the midnight-blue sky was growing lighter with impending dawn. Something tugged at his consciousness; an image of a sun-kissed field of heather.

  He lit a candle and returned to kneel beside Abby, leaning over to kiss her lips. It didn’t take long for her to respond to the sweet pressure of his mouth against hers.

  Abby opened her eyes sleepily and smiled to see Ian’s face hovering over hers. “Hi,” she murmured.

  “Madainn mhath, mo cridhe.” She reached up to pull him down to her. He grinned. “Wait a minute, lass. Do you want to go for a ride?” As the words left his mouth, he realized what he’d said. “I didn’t mean it that way!” he exclaimed as she giggled. “I meant a ride on a horse.”

  “Isn’t it still dark outside?”

  “It’s almost dawn. Come on, it’ll be worth it.”

  He tugged his shirt over his head and went through the process of putting on his plaid: pleating it quickly, belting it, and securing the ends across his chest. Abby pulled on the blue dress and turned her back so he could do up the laces. He pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck, and she leaned back against him.

  “Are you sure you want to leave here right now?” Her voice was low and throaty, and he almost changed his mind about going anywhere.

  “Aye.” He blew out the candle and led her out the door and over to the barn. They hadn’t bothered with shoes, and ran quickly over the pebbled ground. Jack had been dozing in his stall, but when he sensed his master’s approach, he eagerly came forward, shoving his nose into Ian’s chest and whickering a greeting.

  Ian gave Jack an affectionate scratch behind the ears and quickly bridled and saddled him. He lifted Abby onto the saddle and swung up behind her. He pulled her back
against him and guided Jack out of the barn. The sky was a lighter blue now, turning pink in the east.

  They cantered through the village, silent and peaceful at that early hour. Once out of the village, Ian let Jack have his head. The horse tossed his head, happy to stretch his legs as they galloped north along the loch. The sky was a light blue-gray with shades of pink and lavender when they reached the top of a rise and Ian brought Jack to a stop. He dropped lightly to the heather-covered ground and reached up for her.

  She kept her eyes fixed on Ian’s as he lifted her from the horse. He slowly slid her down the front of his body before setting her on her feet, reveling in the sweet agony of his body’s reaction to her.

  Jack snorted and moved off to graze, unnoticed by the lovers staring intently at each other.

  His hands left her hips to trail slowly up her sides and around her back as he lowered his head to kiss her tenderly. His lips nibbled unhurriedly at hers as her hands crept up his back under the heavy mass of his hair. He took his time, intending to draw out his seduction of her. She pressed closer to him, wanting more.

  Suddenly, he became impatient with himself. He hauled her up against him, pressing their lower bodies together. His tongue delved into her mouth, where it was welcomed by her own. With every touch of her tongue to his, his body throbbed against her.

  He stepped back, breathing heavily. He stared down into her face, trying to get himself under control. Her smoky blue eyes were glazed with desire, and her lips were swollen from his kisses.

  Her eyes closed as Ian traced his fingers across her eyelids, along her nose, over her cheekbones and down her jaw. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a light to the east, and he turned her in his arms in time to see the sun breach the horizon, a fiery pink ball surrounded by a halo of purple and orange and magenta.

  Abby leaned back into his embrace as they took in the spectacular scenery around them. To the east, the ascending sun cast a golden hue over the heather-covered hills and green forests. To the west the midnight-blue expanse of Loch Ness slowly brightened as the sunlight touched it. Beneath their feet was a carpet of purple heather.