“Will it be all right to travel? We have to go into the highlands this afternoon for a very important meeting.” Suz used her left arm to push herself into a sitting position. She didn’t tell the doctor they were meeting Mother Nature. Who knows what the doctor would think of her? She might end up in the hospital instead of going on their delivery trek.
“It should be a’right. Jes’ dunna lift anythin’ with that arm. Rest as much as ye can, and stay well hydrated.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
* * * *
An hour later they finished packing for their trek into the mountains to the Vernal Ball. “My carryall. The shawl. Where did it get to? Penn? Liam?”
The brothers looked at her, then at each other and began to chuckle. “It’s right here, luv.” Penn brought the carryall to her from where he’d dropped it just inside the door.
Suz opened the bag and sighed when she saw the soft tissue-paper wrapped package. Pulling it out, she looked it over. “Oh no!”
“What?”
“The paper has bloodstains on it.” She tore the paper away from the shawl. Had the blood stained the shawl as well? Had all her hard work been ruined?
Pulling the shawl from the remnants of the paper, she examined every inch of both sides before breathing again. No blood had reached the fabric. “Thank goodness.”
She checked the rest of the contents of her bag and the only other thing affected was an erotic romance she’d finished reading on the airplane. Tossing it into the fireplace, she watched it burn while she waited for the brothers.
“Ready, lass?” Liam joined her, wrapping an arm around her waist.
“I think so.”
“Scared?” Penn asked.
Suz paused to think. “Not exactly. I’m worried that Mother Nature won’t like my shawl though not as much as I was yesterday. I guess getting shot puts a lot of things into perspective. Right now I’m hungry and ready to get this meeting over with so that we can figure out how the three of us can get married and go home.”
The brothers grinned as they escorted her from their room. “Aye, luv, getting shot at does put a lot of things in perspective, doesn’t it?”
* * * *
That evening, Suz sat between Liam and Penn in the third row of a full room, not caring that she’d been shot less than twelve hours earlier. The layering of Ibuprofen and Tylenol left her body without pain and relaxed but mentally sharp. As the room filled, she looked around with interest at the various colors and designs of the tartans worn. Each plaid represented a different Highland clan. Kendrick sat on the board with six other older men, all wearing a different and distinctive tartan.
Tonight the clans gathered so that inter-clan difficulties and differences could be worked out. Tomorrow the clans would make the trek to Spring Castle and spend the next night dancing and enjoying each other’s company at the Vernal Ball.
As soon as the room settled down, Suz stood. This was the perfect place to answer Mary Fraser’s challenge. When everyone was settled and the room quieted, Suz took a deep breath. “I’d like to address the Council, please.”
Penn took her hand and tried to pull her back down, but she ignored him. The white-haired chieftain in the center of the council of seven at the front of the room looked over his wire-rimmed glasses at her. “And jes’ who are ye?”
“My name is Suz Bowen Black. I am the Dream Weaver. I took my great-grandmother’s place at the loom in December.”
The crowd erupted in murmurs bodies as the crowd shifted to see her. It was the first time she’d tried using her title and was surprised to see that she wasn’t immediately told to sit down because she wasn’t a McNeal or a Fraser or a Stewart.
“And what business do ye have with the Council?” the chieftain sitting next to Kendrick asked.
“I’ve been challenged by Mary Fraser and would like to settle that challenge here and now.” She focused on the Council and not the murmuring that was rippling through the room.
“And what has this woman challenged ye fer?” the oldest chieftain asked.
“The hand of Penn McKenzie.”
The chieftains conferred for a moment before Kendrick looked over the crowd. “Mary Fraser, come forward.”
The woman stood. She’d been seated on the other side of the room several rows back from where Suz and her men sat. When Kendrick nodded to her, Suz pulled two plastic bags from her carryall.
When she stepped past Liam, he ran his hand down her arm and squeezed her hand. “Are ye sure about this, lass?”
Suz nodded before walking to the front of the room.
When she reached the open space between the seated crowd and the council, she performed an inelegant curtsey. Turning to face the crowd, her gaze went to Penn and Liam. They looked concerned and not at all pleased with her. Probably because she didn’t tell them of her plan.
Once the two women stood between the crowd and the counsel, Kendrick stood. “There is no law regarding challenges between women. Therefore as the chieftain most closely aligned with the Dream Weaver, we have taken her into the McKenzie clan. Since Mary Fraser made the challenge, the Dream Weaver will choose how the challenge is to be met.”
Suz waited until the murmuring died away. Then she turned to face the crowd. “I have chosen a test of skill. The challenge is to needle weave or knit a baby hat. These bags contain everything needed to knit two baby hats including a written pattern, so we’ll be knitting the same thing. This pattern shouldn’t take more than two hours for even a beginner to finish, so by the end of the evening, the challenge should be finished.”
Turning to face the other woman, Suz held out one of the bags. Mary looked at the bag like she was afraid it would turn into a snake if she accepted it.
“Mary? What say ye? Will ye face this test of skill or do ye wish to withdraw yer challenge?” The chieftain wearing the same color plaid as the scarf she wore asked.
Mary’s eyes grew wide. She looked at her clan chief, then at Penn, then back at the blue bag Suz offered. Her eyes grew wide. Blood drained from her cheeks, leaving her pale and ill appearing. Her hands fisted as she looked at Suz again.
“Mary?”
Taking a step back, Mary shook her head. “If this is the only test she can come up with, I’ll withdraw the challenge. I expected something better out of her.” She muttered as she turned and walked out a side door.
Murmuring and occasional snickers rippled through the crowd but quickly died when Kendrick stood. “Dream Weaver, the challenge has been withdrawn. Penn McKenzie is yer’s if ye still want him.”
Suz curtseyed again, still a little awkward due to having her right arm wrapped tight to her body. “Thank you for your help. Now I have another problem I’m hoping the Council can advise me about.”
“And what would that, be lassie?” the eldest chieftain asked.
“As the Dream Weaver, I need a McKenzie man by my side in order to claim the magic of the Dream Weaver’s loom. When I was six years old, I claimed a matched pair of McKenzies, and they agreed to marry me when we all grew up. In December it took all three of us to claim the magic. I want to marry them both. I need you to help me find a way to do that because I’d like to be married before we go back to the States.”
The room went silent. The Council stared at her like she was speaking Greek.
“Lassie, are ye sure? Tis not normal ta be wife to two men.” The oldest chieftain spoke after looking at the other six.
“I’m sure. I love them both. They love me. I want to marry them both.”
“And where are these men?” The old man looked out over the crowd.
Suz didn’t have to turn around to know that her men stood up. A few minutes later she felt them move up to stand on either side of her.
“And what say ye? Do ye wish ta marry the Dream Weaver?”
“Aye, sir,” the twins answered together, their voices strong.
The Council conferred again before they sat back, and the old man looked at them. “We
’ll have to discuss this later. Ye’ll have our answer before the ball.”
“Thank you. Thank you all.” Suz curtseyed again then turned and returned to her seat.
As soon as they were settled in their seats, Penn leaned down and whispered in her ear, “We’ll be punishin’ ye later fer not discussin’ all this with us earlier.”
Suz turned and put her mouth to his ear. “Bring it on, sexy,” she said before taking his earlobe between her lips and tugging on it.
He growled softly when she released him. She grinned when she glanced down and saw a bulge grow under the front of his kilt.
With her business taken care of, Suz opened one of bags she’d taken to the front of the room. Pulling out the knitting needle and yarn, she began to cast on stitches. Once she had the correct number on the needle, she shifted her sling around so she could move her right arm enough to knit. It didn’t bother her shoulder to knit, and it would keep her from getting fidgety while important clan business was carried out.
As the meeting went on and on, pain and exhaustion began to intrude. Putting her knitting away, Suz leaned against Penn, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
Chapter 10
“Wake up, darlin’,” a dark voice commanded in a gentle tone. “We want ta play before yer duties take ye away from us fer the day.”
It wasn’t the voice as much as the hot, wet tongue drawing circles on her left breast that pulled Suz from sleep. A similar sensation traveled over the skin of her inner thigh, first right, then left. It drew a line from her knee almost to the juncture where her leg joined her body. Almost before she was awake, she was horny. Her cunt dampened and prepared itself for the sexy play her men wanted.
With a noisy sigh she tried to stretch, but found she couldn’t move. Her right arm was bound across her body just under her breasts. Her left arm was stretched over her head. A twist of her wrist confirmed that one of the silk scarves the twins had packed in her suitcase held her secure.
When she tried to shift her legs away from the hot, tickling tongue, she found that they were also bound with silk. Her hips had been lifted up onto pillows of some sort. Her cunt and puckered back hole were on full display to the man between her legs.
Opening her eyes, she saw only swirling reds and purples. They’d blindfolded her with her favorite scarf.
When she made a sound in protest, the lips from her breast lifted. “Good morning, luv.”
Penn. This had to be his idea. He was the leader, the more dominant of the two.
The mouth lifted from her upper thigh and a moment later she felt heat radiating down, though he didn’t touch her. “Good morning, lass. Did you sleep well?”
Liam, the caregiver. He was nearly as dominant as his brother, but also more concerned with her comfort.
“How? Where? What happened?”
“Ye fell asleep during the meetin’ of the clans last night. We brought ye back ta our cabin and undressed ye. Then I secured yer arm across ye pretty chest so ye wouldn’t pull yer stitches in yer sleep. Do ye need anythin’ fer pain?” She heard Liam’s grin as he filled in the blanks for her.
“Begin?”
“Aye, luv. We’re gonna luv our wife-ta-be verra well this mornin’. Afterwards, we’ll have breakfast and then walk up ta Spring Castle and deliver yer beautiful shawl. Then we’ll come back and, if the Council doesna have an answer fer us, we’ll take a nap. Or something.” Penn outlined the morning’s schedule of events in a rough, growly voice before licking his rough tongue over her nipple.
“Oh, okay,” was all she could think to say.
“First, though, take these.”
A pair of pills was held to her lips. She opened and allowed Liam to place them on her tongue. He then lifted her head and offered her a bottle of water. She drank deeply, washing the pills down and easing a thirst she hadn’t realized she felt. When she finished, both brothers pulled away, and she heard them moving around the room.
“Now we want ye ta jes’ lie there and let us do all the work.”
She wasn’t sure who spoke but didn’t care when warm hands began to massage their way her legs.
“That’s right, Suz, just relax and let us take care of ye.”
In minutes they’d worked their way to her upper thighs where they stopped just an inch from her weeping slit. Pulling on her restraints, Suz tried to shift so they would touch her. But the hands disappeared.
A moment later a hot mouth closed over her left breast, taking as much in as it could. After sucking hard enough to leave a mark, the mouth closed around just the areola. Her nipple was hard and sticking out like a pencil eraser.
When his tongue flicked back and forth over the tip, she moaned and smiled. That little, teasing touch sent electric shots of lust straight to her cunt which clenched and made her crave something to fill its emptiness.
Before she could fully form the thoughts, much less speak the words, a single thick finger parted her lips and pushed deep, filling the void. How did they do that? How did they know what she needed when she barely knew herself?
“So wet. So hot.” The voice came from between her legs right before a hot, wet tongue licked up from entrance to clit.
Suz moaned and shifted, wanting more. Needing more. Only minutes into their play and she was already so close to coming she could taste it. “Please,” she begged.
“What, angel?” The question came from her breast.
“I need…oh God, I need…” She couldn’t finish the statement. She wasn’t sure what she needed and didn’t know what to ask for.
“What do ye need? Ye hafta tell us. We dunna wanta not give ye exactly what ye need.” Those words came from between her legs before the tongue took another swipe between her nether lips. Then he slowly pulled the finger out then replaced it with two.
That fuller feeling pushed her closer to her peak, but his in-and-out movement was so slow she couldn’t find completion.
“More. I need more.” She panted, fisting both hands and rolling her head back and forth on the bed. “Please!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, a hand slid under the fabric securing her arm and pinched her neglected right nipple. At the same time, the mouth on her left breast began to nibble on the nipple. The twin pleasure-pains sent sharp arrows to her cunt. The fingers began to piston in and out, faster and faster, twisting in her at the same time lips closed around her clit, nibbling in the most pleasurable fashion imaginable.
“We’ll find a way to marry ye, one way or another,” the mouth on her breast promised.
At that moment, Suz didn’t care. Marriage didn’t matter. She was not going to give up her playful, loving McKenzie men no matter how many women challenged her. They belonged to her. To her and Sarah’s loom.
With that revelation, a nervous knot Suz hadn’t even realized she carried untied itself. Sure it would be nice to be married, but she didn’t need a piece of paper to say that they were a family. All she needed were her McKenzie men.
At that thought, her orgasm rolled over her like an avalanche. She cried out as every muscle in her body contracted, every synapse fired in harmony. As her men continued ministering to her, the orgasm rose and fell, finally leaving her feeling boneless yet energized.
She was the Dream Weaver and these were her men, her loves, and her family.
When she finally came back to knowing what was going on around her, her bindings had been released, and the men were laying on either side of her, cuddling her, stroking her, and loving her. Opening her eyes, she found even the blindfold had been taken away.
Looking from one beautiful face to the other, she smiled, knowing she probably looked like a drunken crazy person. “Good morning, my men.”
“Good morning,” they responded as one before leaning in and each kissing a cheek.
Pulling back, Penn looked at Liam. “So how do we keep her bandage dry in the shower?”
Suz frowned at them. “Don’t you want…”
“Nay, lass. We’re fine
. We jes’ wanted ta make sure ye woke up in a good mood. We want ye nice and relaxed for yer day.”
Suz smiled. “You did a good job. I’m so relaxed I don’t think I can sit up.”
“Good.” Penn brushed a kiss over her hair.
“In answer to yer question, we can’t. After her shower I’ll redo the bandage,” Liam said, “But one of us will have ta shower with her. I’ll do it.”
“No, I’ll do it.”
The brothers’ heated discussion of who would join Suz in her shower led to a wrestling match of naked brothers which nearly destroyed the room. Liam won after grabbing his brother’s balls and squeezing. It wasn’t a sexual move, but one meant to end the fight expediently. Suz giggled when Penn capitulated with a string of inventive cursing she’d never heard before.
Chapter 11
Just before noon, Suz left the village of clan cabins behind and headed up the hill on the packed dirt road toward Spring Castle. The tissue paper wrapped shawl for Mother Nature was tucked into her sling.
She ignored the people lining the road. She ignored the slight pain in her shoulder that was slowly receding after another pain pill just before she’d left the cabin. She even ignored the two large men who walked beside her. They would walk with her as far as the first gate of the castle where they would wait until she’d made her delivery and returned. Then they would escort her back down the hill.
She was too busy saying prayers. She prayed that she wouldn’t mess up, throw up, or piss the silk panties she wore under her favorite ankle-length skirt. She also prayed that Mother Nature liked her gift and deigned to wear it to the ball that evening. She also prayed that someone around her would figure out a way that she could marry both her McKenzie men before they left for Scotland in three days.
Long before she finished, she arrived at the entrance to the castle. The gate stood open as if they were expecting her. Stopping several yards away, she turned to her escorts.
Marrying Their Dream Weaver Page 6