As soon as their lips touched, it was as if that bubble was back, separating them from the rest of the world. And even after Ewan lifted his head and smiled at her, she was not aware of anything but him. They could have been back on that blanket in the middle of nowhere for all she cared.
“Done with business?” he asked as he brushed his beard-covered cheek against hers.
“Yes,” she said breathlessly.
“And what’s next on their agenda?”
“Seven thirty for breakfast and eight thirty on the bus,” she said, leaning closer as his beard and mustache and lips set her senses aflame, ending with him suckling on her earlobe.
“Hmmm, that might be enough time,” he said.
“Oh? Time for what?”
“Time ta wear me cock out and put a smile on yer face,” he said in the blunt Scot’s fashion that seemed so attractive to Paisley.
“Sounds like a plan,” she said, though she really was more tired than she had thought she would be.
She always was after spending time in large groups of people. It was as if by smiling and being sociable with others drained the energy from her. Some friends she had could exhaust her in an hour without any help. She usually put it down to too much stress, but she was beginning to wonder.
“Aye, and if the Fates are happy, maybe ye’ll give up on this notion of leavin’ me behind ta go on this tour and jes’ come home with me,” he said as he climbed from his tall chair.
Paisley did not answer as she followed the kilt-wearing man out of the bar and back to her room. She was giving serious thought to doing just that, except by leaving at this point she would lose all the money she had spent on the tour. And having scrimped and saved for the last five years to pay for it, she refused to give it up now.
* * * *
Ewan was surprised, but thankful, they had the elevator to themselves. It gave him a moment to assess her true state of being as Fergus had taught him to do. As soon as the door slid close on the moving box, he pulled Paisley into his arms.
As expected, not only did she not fight him embrace, she silently welcomed it, allowing him to take her weight. As Fergus said, she was physically exhausted. And emotionally drained. The last thing she needed was to be on a bus with a bunch of strangers who would just drain her further.
“Tired, lass?” he asked softly as the elevator slowed and stopped at her floor.
“Mmmm, I don’t understand why, but yes. I should have lots of energy as its only midafternoon back home,” she said as she led the way out of the elevator.
Once in the hallway, Ewan wrapped his arm around her and was only mildly surprised when her arms went around his waist. At her door, she handed over her key without a word. She walked in, dropped her purse on the dresser, and barely made it to one of the chairs by the window before she collapsed.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. All of a sudden I’m completely exhausted,” she said, ending the statement with a long yawn.
Ewan wanted to explain, but knew that was not his job. He had been sent to bring Paisley back to Fergus. The old healer would be able to explain everything.
“Bed for ye, ta sleep in me arms,” he said as he pulled the bedcovers back and arranged the pillows before turning on a light by the bed and pulling the curtains closed.
“But what about wearing me out?”
“I’ll wear ye out in the morn. Fer now, ye need rest and cuddling.”
“Mmmm,” she said softly as she helped him strip away the rest of her clothes before starting on his. “Just remember I need to be downstairs at seven thirty.”
“Dunna worry, lass. I’ll remember.”
He would remember, but allowing her to climb on the bus he was not so sure about.
Chapter 5
Two mornings later, Paisley woke to another beautiful day. The skies out the Inverness hotel window were deep blue, and the gentle breeze blowing in the window was cool but not too cold. Just a soft Scottish morning. Too bad Ewan was not here to share it with. But that next morning, after another round of the most amazing sex she had ever survived, she had defiantly queued up with the others to climb on the bus. He had looked sad but had kissed her and walked back into the hotel.
That evening he had not been in the lobby when they returned, nor the bar, or the restaurant. When she asked at the reception desk, she found the MacGregors had checked out of the hotel.
So her dream man who had made such beautiful love to her had been just that, a fantasy. Instead of dwelling on her bruised heart, for she had fallen hard and fast for the big auburn-haired man, she focused on the tour, the people around her, and the story that was beginning to form in the misty recesses of her creative mind.
Rolling over, she looked at her watch. She had two hours to pack up, dress, and get breakfast before the tour bus left. If she hurried, she could even spend a few minutes in the garden writing her thoughts on Scotland, the tour, and the new story before she became overwhelmed with more sights, impressions, and information.
Quickly dressing and packing, she carried her suitcase downstairs and left it at the reception desk while she went to breakfast. She ate quickly, finishing before most of the others in the tour group had arrived. Then, taking a cup of tea and her notebook, she headed to the garden. It was a bit cool to be outside without her jacket, but Paisley endured for it was too pretty to go back for her jacket.
She found a bench and just sat. She listened to the birds chirp as they flew about all willy-nilly around the area, enjoying the beautiful morning as well. Taking deep breaths, she consciously relaxed her shoulders then her arms, then the rest of her body, willing the stress that was building in her away. She pictured it moving down her body, through her legs, and out her feet into the grass and dirt below. And once again the technique helped, leaving her feeling mellow and relaxed in a way that felt unfamiliar as she usually was too stressed about too many things.
She would have been happy to sit all day among the greenery and quiet broken only by the birds and the river, but a check of her watch said it was time to gear up. The tour would be leaving soon, and though Ewan was consuming more and more space in her thoughts, she could not miss the bus. After all, she did not know how to get in touch with him, did not know where he lived, or how she would get there even if she wanted.
“Ye know, ye could skip today’s bit of touring and stay here, with me. Then ye could come home with me.” Ewan’s deep voice invaded her thoughts, making her wonder for a second about her sanity.
Turning her head, she found him standing just outside the door she had come through that led to the library and bar. She pulled in a long, slow breath as she fought to keep from smiling, or throwing herself at him, though it was very, very tempting.
When she did not respond, he continued. “I could show ye things that tour guide’s never seen, much less thought of sharing.”
The devilishly sexy smile on his face and the bright twinkle in his eye intrigued her but were also a warning that if she agreed to his proposition, she would probably not be seeing much more of the area than his hotel room.
Ignoring him, she repacked her oversized purse then brushed past him and entered the hotel.
“Come on, lass. Aren’t ye gonna speak with me? How can ye be so cold when ’tis plain as me beard that we’re meant ta be together. Even Aunt Fergus said so, and she’s ne’er wrong.”
Paisley rolled her lips over her teeth to keep from grinning at the little-boy pouty tone the man’s voice had taken on as she kept walking. He followed two steps behind as she headed down the hall to the lobby where the rest of the tour members were beginning to gather in preparation for departure.
When she tried to retrieve her suitcase from the desk clerk, he pushed her hand away from the handle and picked it up himself.
Taking a breath, she looked up at him, trying not to be swayed by his masculinely beautiful face or the reddish-brown hair and green, green eyes that twinkled, making her clit throb in response. “Please
give me back my suitcase. I have to join the others. I’ve spent too much money on this trip to throw it all away for a few days of fun and games with you.”
His eyes grew dark and serious, though he did not return her bag. “Lass, ye ken we’re meant to be together fer now and fer always. Though yer fightin’ the knowledge, I ken yer dreamin’ of me jes’ as I’ve been dreamin’ of ye. The Fates have brought us together. Why are ye fightin’?”
Paisley swallowed hard but could not reply. Yes, she was still having dreams, still talking to Ewan in those dreams. Though she was soooooooo tempted to say screw the tour and follow him wherever he wanted to take her, her financial sense refused to let her libido win the debate.
Ewan stepped closer and leaned down until his lips were close enough to her ear that no one else would overhear their conversation. “I’m still lovin’ the one where we’re havin’ a picnic out in the field and the only thing yer wearin’ is a smile and a bit of me plaid. Though the one where we’re cuddling in me bed at the keep also ranks right up there toward the top as well.”
Paisley’s cheeks began to burn and she shifted her weight as she remembered those dreams in vivid, full Technicolor detail. Her eyes grew wide when a large, warm hand slid around her back, curling around her waist. He easily held her prisoner, pulling her even closer. “So what do ye say, lass. Won’t ye come away with me so’s we can start makin’ those dreams come true as well as many, many more?”
Taking a deep breath, she held it for a dozen long seconds before releasing it in a rush. “I’m sorry. I can’t. I only have a few more days before I have to return home, and I really need this tour to see as much of Scotland as I can while I’m here.”
“Och, lass, I dunna ken who yer’ fightin’ harder, me or yerself. I thought leavin’ ye alone these past days would help ta change yer mind, but yer as stubborn as Ol’ Caro’s mule. All right then. Go on yer tour, and see the country ye’ll be comin’ ta love as hard as any born and bred Scot. But ken this, I’ll be with ye at evera stop until ye admit we’re bound by more than just dreams and hot, hot sex. I’ll be right there with ye until ye realize our souls are tied together in a way that can ne’er be undone.”
Paisley’s eyes grew impossibly wider. “You wouldn’t dare,” she whispered as a group of her fellow female tour mates with their white name badges walked by, looking at her and the kilted Scotsman before giggling and whispering amongst themselves.
Paisley stepped away, forcing him to relinquish his hold around her waist. “I don’t understand. How can you expect me to throw everything I’ve worked so hard for away and go off with you for a few days of hot sex?”
Before Ewan could answer, a voice broke in. “Paisley, come on, the bus is about to leave,” one of the other women she had talked to last night, Terry she thought it was, called from the lobby door.
Paisley nodded and turned back. “I’m sorry. It’s been…”
“Bloody wonderful,” he cut her off before grabbing her and pulling her into his arms. His lips were warm and brutal as he kissed her long, hard, and deep.
Paisley melted at his touch and gave herself over to the kiss, until someone tapped her on the shoulder and said in her distinctive tone, “Excuse me, Paisley, but it’s time we’re off.”
Ewan broke the kiss and looked over her shoulder at the intruder. “Och wheesht, woman, canna ye see we’re busy here?”
“Ye may be busy, but I’ve got thirty-nine people waiting none too patiently on that bus out there for this lady to join us so we can get on our way.” The guide gave as good as she got.
Embarrassed to her toenails, Paisley backed up, forcing Ewan to release her. “Good-bye,” she said before turning and race-walking to the bus, dragging her bag behind her.
She kept her head down and could not look into her fellow travelers’ eyes as she moved to the two empty seats she assumed were hers. Being late at least she did not have to figure out the rotation to her new seat. She settled in, ignoring the good-natured teasing the others threw at her.
As the bus pulled out, she looked across the parking lot just in time to see Ewan speak to Collin before they both climbed into a battered SUV. Then the bus turned and they were out of sight.
All morning as they rode mile upon mile through the Highlands, thoughts of Ewan kept creeping in even though she was trying very hard to concentrate on what the guide was telling them about Rob Roy, the Highlands, William Wallace, Bonnie Prince Charlie, and Mary, Queen of Scots.
When they finally stopped for the night twelve hours later, Paisley was hungry and so tired all she wanted to do was eat and go to bed for as much sleep as she could get before morning.
She had barely gotten her shoes kicked off and flopped on the bed when there was a knock at the door. Was it him? The porter delivering her suitcase? Or one of her new friends wanting her to hit the bar with them?
She moaned softly as her sore body protested the move to stand up. Once on her feet, she stumbled to the door.
Opening it, she found her suitcase at her feet, and Ewan leaning against the far wall. When he saw her, he straightened. He swore softly, the smile sliding off his face to be replaced by a frown of concern.
“Damn, lass, what did they do ta ye today?” Picking up her suitcase, he moved toward her, forcing her to back up or be run over.
Paisley was too tired to argue, so she retreated to the single desk chair on the far side of the room. “Why are you here, Ewan?” she asked, hearing the beginnings of a Scottish brogue to her words.
Instead of answering, he looked around the room. “It’s not big but there’s a bed and a bath, so’s I guess that’s a’right.”
“You are not staying here tonight,” Paisley said, breaking off when a yawn came out of nowhere to gobsmack her.
“Of course I am because I refuse to share a bed with Collin and there doesna seem ta be any other rooms ta let for the night in this place.”
“So go home,” Paisley suggested as she lifted her feet and rested them on the edge of the bed with a sigh.
“If I do that, ye’ll be dead afore the tour ends. And we both ken we’re supposed ta be together.”
“Maybe so, maybe not. But what does any of that have to do with the price of beans in China?” Paisley’s retort lost steam as a whining entered her tone.
“Because I’m the one who can help ye protect yerself from being so drained at the end of the day ye can barely stand. I can help ye learn how ta ground yerself so ye dunna feel near comatose at the end of the day. I’m the one that can save yer life,” he said as he slowly crossed the small space available in the room to sit on the bed beside her feet. “And I can keep this from happenin’ again tomorrow.”
Paisley was so tired she could not form the thoughts, much less the sentences needed to argue with the man who seemed to have an answer for everything. “Whatever,” she muttered. Getting out of the chair, she crawled onto the bed, curled up on top of the covers, and was asleep even as her stomach rumbled with hunger.
* * * *
“Whatever indeed,” he said.
Moving into the bathroom, he opened his sporran and pulled out his cell phone. One quick phone call and they would be off to start their lives together. He only hoped his lovely Paisley would accept the reality of her new life once she met Fergus and began her learning.
When a soft knock came at the door a few minutes later, he immediately opened it. Taking the blanket from Collin, he handed over Paisley’s bags. Then, with Collin holding the door open, Ewan wrapped the slumbering woman in the plaid blanket and lifted her into his arms.
Paisley slept so deeply she did not wake as he carried her from the room and down the fire stairs to the parking lot behind the hotel. Thankfully, they did not meet anyone along the way, either from her tour group or a member of the hotel staff.
“The gods are with us,” Collin said as he drove while Ewan sat in the backseat, cuddling the still-sleeping Paisley.
“Maybe, but mind yer drivin’ and dunna g
ive the police leave ta stop us fer any reason,” Ewan said.
“Of course not, cousin.”
Ewan did not relax until they had left the town behind and headed southwest from Inverness. Only then did he look at the slumbering woman in his arms. “Oh, sweet Paisley. I’ll be takin’ such care of ye that ye’ll agree ta stay forever once ye get o’er yer initial mad.”
“Ye hope,” Collin said, his tone clearly disbelieving.
‘Wheesht, cousin. Ye need ta attend to yer drivin’ and not be such a cheeky sod. She will recognize I did what was best fer her and fer the clan.”
Chapter 6
Paisley woke up and looked around, but did not recognize the room. It was not the white-on-white, too-small-to-have-a-big-idea room she had been assigned in Inverness, that was for certain.
It took another moment and a deep breath to come to the realization she was naked and there was a naked, fully aroused male pressed tight to her backside.
Looking around as best she could without moving and alerting whoever was in bed with her that she was awake, she took in lumpy stone walls painted a soft dove gray. Or was that the natural color of the stone? Tilting her head back, she saw a curtains hanging behind the bed that seemed to cover the entire wall.
Further investigation revealed a soft, lavender light streaming through a door on the wall in front of her down past her feet somewhere. There was a good space between the edge of the bed and the wall with a table or nightstand of some sort by the head of the bed.
Shifting just a bit, she held her breath when a thickly masculine arm around her middle and another which lay wrapped under her neck and up across the front of her shoulders tightened, keeping her in place.
She would not have minded the secure protective hold, except for two factors. First, she had to pee, and second, she was not sure of the identity of the person holding her like a small child would a much-loved teddy bear. What surprised her most was that she felt less physically drained and better rested than she had in longer than she could remember.
Kiltnapped [Kilt, Kilty, Kilted 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 4