An empty bed.
“Whose room is this?”
“Ours.”
Haven wriggled from his grasp and bolted for the door. When he grabbed her around the waist and spun her toward the bed, she growled. Kirk’s deep laugh echoed through the room. The sweet sound of joy coming from her gruff giant mesmerized her, until her pain rose like bile. He’d lost two fiancées and probably saw Haven as an easy alternative.
“Kirk, you are too easy to read. Mackenzie has Fia, but good old Haven is right here. Wrong.” She dove around him, out of his reach, and headed for the window.
“I love ye.”
“What?” She swung around and resisted the urge to fall into his arms. “I must be dreaming.”
“Haven, I knew ye were the one the moment yer vision interrupted a battle to the death between me and The Mackenzie. From that life-changing moment, I dreamed of ye, burned for ye, and hardened at the thought of ye. Then a miracle occurred. I saw ye in the flesh and smelled yer fragrance; wildflowers and honey, sweeter than Balfour’s best brew. Amid swirling fog or a magical mist, I cared not except ye had returned.”
“My potions didn’t quite work until my third try. The real miracle occurred during the unwanted advances of a hooded man. He scared the life out of me.” She shivered, and wrapped her arms around herself.
“What hooded man?”
“Hell if I know. He was creepy, carried a cane, and threw me to the ground.”
“You escaped.”
“Yep. Been doing a lot of that, the last few days.” Haven chuckled, but the sound died on her lips when she focused on his shadowy face.
“I am sorry for yer troubles.”
“That’s okay. I’m stronger than I look. I managed to save Cameron, and that deer.”
“And a lucky man ‘twas I when ye flushed that stag. I recognized yer beauty from my dreams and my body went on full alert. Like now.” He loosened his weapon belt and his dirk fell to the floor with a thud.
“That, my dear Highlander, is lust.”
“I feel more than the need to get ye naked and under me.” He chuckled. “Hear me out. Ye bewitched me. I was spellbound when I met ye, but honor-bound by an oath, my pledge to marry the Lady Fia. Now I find I am fated to do yer bidding.
“Sorry, but I will not share a bed with you.”
“Please,” he pleaded, then padded across the small room. He glared at her, his face inches away.
She watched, frozen, as his shirt fluttered to the floor. Clad only in a final swath of plaid, he reached for her. Haven’s knees trembled like jelly, but his piercing gaze held her tight. Energy zapped from his fingertips and heated her blood as he stared at her face with a longing she couldn’t describe. Did he see it reflected in her face?
“Then again, who needs a bed?” she said, when she found her voice. Her body hummed with pleasure.
His chest heaved at her words, and his mouth gaped. Kirk’s body was suddenly too close. He ground his hips into hers while his arousal pressed against her sex. Sighing, Haven closed her eyes to the sensation, raised her hands to his chest, and purred.
Kirk leaned forward and kissed the sensitive skin just under her ear. He smelled scrumptious, a combination of spice and leather and man.
Haven moaned and kneaded the muscles of his upper arms. He backed her toward a small dressing cabinet. When her back thumped against its doors, the sturdy oak armoire creaked in protest.
She shoved him back several inches in order to read his face. Was this anger? Haven took a chance and trailed her trembling fingertips along his fading scar. When he tried to turn away, she cupped his chin. She gently forced him to meet her gaze.
“Look at me, Kirkwall Gunn, Chieftain of Clan Gunn. I am a stranger to you. I gathered common herbs, some ordinary minerals, made a potion, got caught in a powerful storm, and was transported here. I hadn’t planned to travel to the Highlands of Scotland, so I must return home. This cannot work. I have to go back.”
“My sister, Skye, says odd things such as ye. She claims to use witchery to make our fields to flower and our cows to fatten. She means no harm.”
“Neither do I, but I’m no witch.”
“Yer a healer.”
She pondered his words. “Yes, I take after the women in my family. Anyone can do what I do with the proper knowledge of herbs and botanicals.”
“Nay. ‘Tis a gift.” Kirk’s brows arched, and pain speared across his face. He drew back.
She immediately missed his body’s warmth and strength. “What’s wrong, Kirk?”
“I fear ye cast a spell on me. Did ye make me fall in love with ye?”
Haven smiled. The man asked the strangest questions at the most inopportune time. “No. I simply asked to find the man I am destined to love for eternity. I didn’t realize it would thrust me here. I swear I would never toy with another human being’s affections.”
Haven purred with pleasure when he pulled her close, again.
How can I give this up?
“I witnessed the good ye do. Ye mended Balfour’s burns and eased his pain. My scar fades. Reid’s shoulder heals. For these I thank ye.” He pressed feathery kisses on her hungry lips. Her sex throbbed with anticipation, yet he kept talking. His gratitude was impeding her need to taste him. Everywhere.
“Kirk. Listen to me. You don’t even know my name.” She raised her voice to get his attention while he nibbled her chin then her earlobe.
“If it pleases ye, share with me yer true name. With love bursting within my much-scarred heart, I do not care if ye be the devil incarnate.”
She inhaled a deep breath. Love? With a heart scarred like his handsome face? When she left for home, would he curse her memory? She clasped her hands on his cheeks and made sure his interest trained on her words and not her breasts. “I was born Haven MacKay.”
“I recall we defeated the MacKays in 1517 at the battle of Torran Dubh. The battle occurred over eighty years ago, and I do not believe either of us participated. I hold no long-term hatred of the Mackays. God’s teeth, woman.” He pushed away from her once more then ran fingers through his auburn hair before grabbing her in his embrace. “If I can forgive The Mackenzie over the death of my Cora, I can forgive most anything.”
“You don’t understand. I was born in the United States of America.”
Confusion furrowed his brow. “Ye be right. I do not understand.”
“I was born in the twenty-first century. I’m from the future. Four hundred years in the future.”
His hesitation plunged the room into silence. Time ticked by agonizingly slow. Coals in the brazier crackled, and the wind howled outside the window while Haven waited for her words to sink in.
Kirk raised his eyes, focused on her face, and stepped forward, again. He gathered her in his arms and kissed her.
Soundly.
Repeatedly.
He broke the connection and took a breath, while Haven grew dizzy with need. “Haven, I care not. If ye had fallen from the moon, I could not love ye more.”
“But, I have to go ho—” She never finished explaining, because his mouth fitted against hers, and she felt her soul fall beneath his spell.
CHAPTER 23
Her clothes fell to the floor as if by magic. A cool breeze tickled her back, and her breasts brushed against his curly chest hair. Kirk’s erection pulsed beneath his kilt.
When he pressed his groin closer, teasingly, she wondered why he still wore clothing. She slipped her hands up to circle his neck while she nuzzled his ear. Every ounce of her body felt alive with energy.
I shouldn’t give in to these urges.
Nerve endings sparked to life. Even as she planned her escape back to her own time, Haven’s body trembled from head to toe. Heat and desire pooled between her thighs.
Naked as the day she’d been born—four hundred years in the future—her love for this Highlander lightened her heart. Just as quick, her heart ached at the thought of leaving him behind.
In her
time he was already dead and buried. Everything would change if she left.
Their lovemaking, up until this point in time, consisted of kisses and gentle touches. She didn’t need to be a mind reader to know where this was headed. A fierce throbbing motivated her to continue. She needed him inside her and soon.
I want this.
If she could only find a way to stay in his life without sacrificing everything then maybe they’d have a chance at true happiness.
“You taste like apples,” she said without breaking contact.
“I discovered a basket filled with fruit when I confronted my betrothed. I mean, Lady Fia.”
“And you didn’t think to share?” Her stomach growled and she giggled. With eyes that had adjusted to the dark, she watched as he rifled through a pile of belongings as if to snatch one for her. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back into her embrace. “I’m kidding. I’d rather eat you.”
Focusing on her face, his eyes darkened then widened when he remembered a previous tasting. “Aye. I shall like to do the same to ye. The sweet fragrance of aroused female is intoxicating. God’s teeth, how I love ye.”
“How sweet. Poor Fia never got to know the man behind the scar as I have. If she had taken the time, she would have fallen in love with you and wouldn’t have given Mackenzie the time of day,” she whispered.
She pulled him back into her arms. His body vibrated and, when she nibbled his scar and gently kissed the fading wound, his eyes drifted closed. The muscles in his jaw slackened.
“Relax, Kirk. Let me love you in my own way. Please?”
“Whatever my lady commands,” he whispered. His meaty hand, circling her waist, was moist with perspiration. His skin felt hot where he slid his other hand down her back to cup her right buttock. One hard knee edged a path between her thighs, forcing them open. With one fluid motion, she flew upward with her back pressed tightly against the armoire.
“I love ye, Haven.” He growled the words, and she knew he held back the urge to plunge inside, hard and fast. She appreciated a chance to grow accustomed to his silken penetration as her body slid open to the intrusion. Kirk’s erection swelled and pulsed. She gasped. He felt thicker and longer in comparison to her ex-boyfriend. For a moment she worried Kirk would never fit.
A small giggle escaped, then she groaned from the pleasure that slid higher and higher with each push. When she suddenly cried out, he stifled a grunt and froze.
“Have I hurt ye, lass?” His body shuddered as if suddenly chilled, but she knew his restraint cost him plenty. Heat pulsed off him with each raspy breath.
“I’m fine. Keep going,” she pleaded, so close to bursting into flames like a spark from a lightning bolt on dry tinder. A million sensations flooded her body as every sense went on alert. The sweetness of a half-eaten apple swirled amongst the scrumptious smell of his sweat. When she leaned forward and licked his neck, the tang of salt and the heat that pulsed beneath his ear brought tears of joy to her eyes.
“How can someone simple and naïve like me bring such pleasure to a Highland warrior?” She opened her eyes to hear his answer, but focused on a surreal mist that slowly formed between his back and the wall beyond.
“No!”
“Have I caused ye pain? Ye admitted I am not the first, so I assumed—”
“I am fine, just surprised.” At his wide-eyed glare she smiled and added, “You’re a big man.”
He mirrored her smile and resumed his thrusts. After he found a pleasant rhythm, she flicked her attention back to the mist. Its slick surface continued to form and grow. Lights danced amid the cloud. She drifted away from the heated sensations building deep inside her.
She had never experienced an orgasm during intercourse, and she wanted to share the pleasure with Kirk, but this new phenomenon took precedence. Kirk couldn’t see the strange cloud. She could only stare at a mist that could be her portal home. If it was, she should push him away and leave.
She couldn’t escape from his embrace. Did she even want to? As she continued to stare, an image coalesced on the sinuous, fluid surface. A naked torso comprised of suntanned, rough-hewn muscles formed before her eyes. A perfect pair of male buttocks, circled by a pair of feminine legs, caught her attention.
“Oh my.” The naked buttocks belonged to Kirk. He strained and pounded into her and his actions were reflected in the mist. Her hands clasped his neck until she slid her fingers lower and clawed his back. Tiny rivulets of blood mingled with his perspiration. He groaned at the assault and arched his back. The reflection of their passion opened a floodgate of raw emotions that tore through her body like a shot of caffeine.
“Yes, Yes, I feel that. Keep it up. Please.”
Kirk proceeded to attend to her demands like a man possessed. His lips quieted her words and a wet tongue entered her mouth. Never had anyone kissed her so deeply or so romantically. He licked and sipped and took and took. His constant pounding shook her to her core and she gave with everything she had until the floodgate of sensation burst into an unbearable rush of pleasure.
She screamed.
Bright lights, sparkling in a blinding white aura, cocooned her in sweet agony. His thrusts slowed as he swallowed her cries and he pulled out before her last tremor.
“Why did you stop?”
“I stopped because ye found yer pleasure. I did not want to chance conceiving a bairn.” Red spots dotted his cheeks.
“You’re embarrassed to talk of this?”
“Aye. I could not accomplish such a feat—pulling out—in that position.”
He tumbled with her onto the bed, but she pushed him away and jumped to her feet beside the small bed. While he lay breathing heavily, she pulled him into a sitting position on the edge of the tiny feather bed. Haven tossed a pillow to the floor. She caught the question in his eyes.
Haven kneeled before him on the pillow and he swept her hair behind her shoulders.
“Ye are beautiful. Perfect. Mine,” he whispered.
A tingle laced down her spine to match the electricity still fizzling between her thighs as she circled her fingers around him and squeezed.
He groaned. She pumped. When her tongue flicked along the pulsing head of his erection, he nearly shot off the bed.
“Kirk, I told you. Women of my time like doing this. Enjoy the moment.”
A raspy cry escaped his lips when her mouth wrapped around his pulsating flesh. His cock, thick and long, pulsed and filled her mouth as much as he’d filled her body. Buoyed by the pleasure of her recent orgasm, she sucked, pulled, and tasted every inch while she fought tears.
The possibility of carrying this man’s child hit her like a brick. Yet, he had severed their bond so such an event would not occur. Did she want a baby? With him?
“How has a lady learned so much? When ye touched me, in my tent, I enjoyed what yer fingers and tongue did to me, but I never dreamed you would take me inside your mouth.” His groan followed a gasp of distress when she released him.
“I don’t recall you trying to fend me off.” Sliding her tongue lower, she suckled his ball sack until his hands grabbed her around the waist.
With a fierce look he threw her onto the bed and filled her with his rigid flesh. The sensation that followed sent her to the heavens until a piercing bright light made her cry out. When he suddenly stopped moving, Haven looked down.
“Forgive me, lass. I behave like a rutting bull and have hurt ye.”
“Don’t be silly. She drew in a couple of deep breaths, and gathered her wits. “I simply didn’t expect to reach another orgasm with such speed. Keep going.”
“Do ye insist?”
“Yes!”
Her plea did the trick. Her words fueled his lust and she melted beneath his weight. The pleasure of his hard, muscular flesh and raw power felt as intoxicating as Balfour’s ale.
Another moist tear threatened to fall at the mention of their slain friend. She had to leave them all, and soon, in order to save her sanity. But, she did not n
eed to return alone.
With her mind made up, she nudged him to his side. She rolled and he followed. Pulling her knees up, she straddled his hips and began to ride. With two meaty hands grasping her waist, their rhythm swept all thought aside. Pleasure bloomed between her legs and she sensed his tension growing.
His pace quickened, as did her enjoyment. A sudden deep plunge nudged her womb, and she came, even as his deep voice penetrated her pleasure-wracked brain.
“Haven. I. Must. Pull. Out!”
“Don’t stop, my love,” she cried.
“Aye!” Another two thrusts and Kirk’s roar shook the rafters.
Joy flooded her heart as his deep, final thrust sent his hot release to her womb. She mumbled a quick prayer for conception, then rolled off and lay beside him. She snuggled to his heaving chest and basked beneath his wide smile.
Since Kirk assured Haven that Cameron was well cared for, she let sleep drag her toward unconsciousness. Her last thought before succumbing to her weary body’s pleas was that her prayers might be answered and she’d arrive home with his child growing inside her belly.
Her Highlander’s child.
* * *
Haven woke hours later to a morning that arrived with little fanfare. She stretched, and a giggle bubbled up. Laughter lightened her heart. But, her path loomed crystal clear.
I must work on the potion and go home.
Her future depended on her actions. She had to return to her time, her friends and her job.
“Don’t I?” Wasn’t it just last night she told Kirk she loved him but couldn’t stay? His face had darkened and he’d rolled away. Shadows had clung to their nakedness and she felt chilled at his denied touch. She’d lain awake for hours.
In the light of day, and with no sign of Kirk, she dressed and made plans to search out Cameron. In a world that lacked doctors and hospitals, he could use her help. Since she was starving, Haven ate a light breakfast in the pub’s empty dining hall. She requested herbs and linen scraps from the innkeeper after inquiring about Cameron’s location. Certain herbs might aid in Cameron’s healing and others she would add to the small supply she had brought from the future.
Highland Games Through Time Page 26