Midnight’s Lover
Page 29
Quinn set aside his net and walked to stand between Hayden and Camdyn. “What happened to her?”
Camdyn briefly closed his eyes and let out a breath. “She died. In my arms. We had years together. She aged while I stayed the same.”
“So she knew what you were?” Hayden asked.
“Aye. I showed her.”
Quinn shook his head. “How did you stay away from Deirdre and keep your female safe?”
“I got as far from Deirdre as I could. I was in the lowlands near the border with England,” Camdyn said, and tossed aside the net. He stood and looked out over the sea.
Hayden clamped him on the shoulder. “You loved her verra much.”
“Aye.”
Quinn crossed his arms over his chest and rocked back on his heels. “It doesna mean you canna love again.”
Camdyn looked at him. “If Marcail died, if you held her in your arms and watched the life drain from her, could you ever imagine loving again? I willna put myself through that kind of pain a second time.”
“But Isla’s magic prevents the Druids from aging,” Hayden quickly pointed out.
Camdyn released his god. Claws extended from his fingers and fangs filled his mouth. A glance down at his skin showed the same dark-brown color as the earth.
He didn’t say another word to his friends as he bounded up the cliff, until he landed in the snow. With memories of Allison churning inside him as well as thoughts of Saffron, Camdyn ran into the forest. He ran and ran and ran, never slowing, never looking back.
When he finally stopped, he put his hands on his knees and bent over, his head hanging. He had no idea how long he’d been gone, but he was miles from the castle.
Yet the run had felt good. It was just the thing to calm him.
Camdyn straightened and took off at a jog back to the castle. With his speed, it didn’t take him long to reach the outskirts of MacLeod land. He looked to the blue sky and saw the moon. It was too bad the moon wasn’t full that night, because he was anxious to end Deirdre.
Anxious and oh, so ready.
He slowed to a walk when he reached Isla’s shield hiding the castle. As soon as he walked through it, Saffron’s sweet, appealing magic slammed into him so hard Camdyn took a step back.
With a hand over his chest, he paused and let her magic surround him. Enfold him. Embrace him.
And how wonderful it felt. He hated that he yearned to feel her magic more and more each day. The more he felt it the more he wanted it. And the more he was becoming addicted to it.
A very dangerous thing, that.
It wasn’t just her magic he longed for. It was her touch, a look, a smile. Anything.
And the more he fought to stay away from her, the more he felt himself being pulled to her. As if Fate were tugging an invisible line between him and Saffron, putting them together.
He shook away such thoughts and continued on to the castle. It was a few hours before the sunset and supper. He wanted a shower and maybe some time playing the Wii Broc had.
When Camdyn entered the castle he stopped dead in his tracks as his gaze locked on Saffron. Her hair, which had been all one length and midway down her back had been cut to just below her shoulders. And wisps of hair now graced her forehead. Her nails had a pale pink color on them, but more than that, she was in clothes that made him all too aware of her curves.
Before, when she was borrowing clothes, everything had fit just a little too loose on her or hid her mesmerizing body. The dark blue jeans she had on fit her perfectly, accentuating her slim thighs and buttocks. But it was the dark purple shirt molded to her breasts and abdomen that made his cock instantly hard. The cream-colored cardigan she wore over the shirt only brought more attention to the shape of her breasts and her small waist.
Arran let out a low, soft whistle as he came to stand beside Camdyn. “Damn. I always thought Saffron was pretty, but whatever she did in London has made her stunning.”
Camdyn moved closer to Saffron while she spoke with Cara and Reaghan and showed them the other things she had bought. He didn’t care about her clothes; he just wanted to see all the changes she had done.
It was something besides her hair and the color on her fingernails. Camdyn looked at her from head to toe, and it wasn’t until his gaze moved back up her body that he realized what it was.
She had pink color on her eyelids and color on her cheeks. Even her eyelashes looked longer and thicker than before. And her lips! God help him, but the way her lips glistened made him want to taste her. A long, slow kiss or a hot, frenzied kiss. He didn’t care as long as he could feel her mouth beneath his.
Hayden and Quinn were suddenly on either side of him. Both men with their arms crossed over their chests, staring at Saffron.
“I like the bangs,” Quinn said.
“Hm. The make-up is subtle but nice,” Hayden added.
Camdyn could take no more. If he didn’t leave he was going to do something crazy. Like kiss Saffron.
And kissing was definitely something he couldn’t do with her.…
ST. MARTIN’S PAPERBACKS TITLES BY
DONNA GRANT
THE DARK SWORD SERIES
Dangerous Highlander
Forbidden Highlander
Wicked Highlander
Untamed Highlander
Shadow Highlander
Darkest Highlander
THE DARK WARRIOR SERIES
Midnight’s Master
Midnight’s Lover
Midnight’s Seduction
(coming in November)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bestselling, award-winning author DONNA GRANT has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. She’s the author of more than twenty-five novels spanning multiple genres of romance. Her latest series, Dark Warriors, is the new spin-off of her bestselling Dark Sword series featuring a thrilling combination of Druids, primeval gods, and immortal Highlanders where ancient magic meets the modern world. She lives with her husband, two kids, a dog, and four cats in Texas.
You can find Donna at www.DonnaGrant.com.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
MIDNIGHT’S LOVER
Copyright © 2012 by Donna Grant.
Excerpt from Midnight’s Seduction copyright © 2012 by Donna Grant.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
www.stmartins.com
eISBN: 9781466814868
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / July 2012
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.