by Donna Grant
It didn’t take long before he had to pull back, but this time he found it difficult not to bury himself inside her. His body cried out for release, just as hers did.
But he knew it would be even better when they finally did find that release. Together.
“I need you,” she said.
She had no idea just what she did to him. “And I need you.”
“Then take me,” she cried.
He smiled. “Not yet.”
He lowered his head between her thighs. While his tongue danced around her pearl he inserted a finger inside of her. Her hands gripped the sheets as she cried out.
“Dartayous,” she called.
He rose up and gazed down at her. Her flaxen hair was spread across the bed. Her full, plump breasts swayed each time she moved her hips, calling to him. He had to have her.
Now.
He lifted her up and sat her astride him. Slowly, he set her down atop his aching manhood. She threw back her head and cried out when he sheathed himself fully.
“I’m whole again,” she whispered.
He knew exactly how she felt. He began to move within her. She pushed him back until he was lying on the bed. His hands came up to rub her breasts while she moved over him.
She had control now and he liked it. With her on top it allowed her complete movement and she took advantage of it. Several times she brought him to the brink only to back off as he had done. But in the end it became too much for either of them.
He pulled her down on top of him and rolled over until she was lying beneath him. He plunged in her until he touched her womb.
“We are one,” he said.
“Aye,” she cried and clawed at his back. “Please, Dartayous. I need you.”
He barely heard her. His body had taken over and was thrusting faster and harder. Just as he was about to find his release he heard her scream and felt her clench around him.
With his head thrown back he found his own release buried deep inside her.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Moira snuggled against Dartayous, her ear resting over his heart. It had finally begun to slow, his breathing evening out.
“I thought I had lost you,” he said.
She knew he was referring to her death. “You did for awhile. I don’t know what happened.”
“Lugus saved you.”
She knew it cost him to tell her that. “How?”
“He gave his life essence to you.”
“I’m not surprised. He isn’t the monster everyone thought.”
“Not in the end, but he was in the beginning. Look what he did to you.”
“You’re referring to him taking over my mind.”
“So he did,” Dartayous murmured. “What happened?”
“He said your name. I recalled everything then.”
His hand began to lightly rub her back. She was just about asleep when he said, “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have helped you.”
“I had to make Lugus think he had complete control over me. He would have read your thoughts and found out everything.”
“Nay. Frang taught me long ago how to keep someone from my thoughts.”
“I didn’t know,” she said.
“Because we had no trust between us.”
She didn’t say otherwise because it was the truth. How could he ever trust her now after what she had done? She had put her own selfish desires over that of her world and the Fae’s.
It was unforgivable.
“Will there ever be trust between us?” he asked.
She didn’t want to answer him. She was afraid if she did he would leave and she would be alone. She’d come to this realm to escape everyone, yet she found she didn’t want to be alone now. She wanted Dartayous with her.
“Moira?” he prompted.
“I don’t know.”
He sighed and kissed her forehead. “Then there is hope.”
Dartayous knew that once again he had let the time slip past when he could have told her of his love. Surely there had to be some way to bring her back to the glen without declaring those three words.
He knew that if he said it aloud to her he would be well and truly lost. He would walk the earth alone between the times her mortal soul claimed a body and they found each other yet again.
It was too much to do. He’d rather love her from afar; to see her happily married
with a family. Not strapped to him, growing old while he never aged. It was beyond cruel.
* * * *
Moira woke to the delicious feel of Dartayous’ lips on the back of her neck. She
sighed and scooted close to him.
“Good morn,” he said and gently bit the lobe of her ear.
“Hmmm. Good morn. Did you sleep well?”
He nodded. “You?”
She looked over her shoulder at him. “Like a babe,” she lied. She had woken every couple of hours to make sure he was still with her. It had been while they made love that she realized it truly was Dartayous there with her.
“What shall we do today?”
“There isn’t anything to do,” she said with a laugh. “We are here all alone, and we can do anything we want.”
He turned her onto her back and kissed the tip of her nose. “Well then, I’ve several ideas.”
“And what are those?”
He pulled her into a sitting position. “Get yourself dressed and you’ll find out.”
After they had both dressed and packed some fruit, Moira followed him outside. The dew still clung to the tips of the grass and trees, but with the sun climbing in the sky it wouldn’t last long.
“Where are we going?” she asked as he led her farther away from the cottage.
“You’ll see.”
He didn’t stop until they came to the hill that overlooked the loch and the standing stones. It was a great view and with the forest behind them it was the perfect place to just sit and look at what God had created.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
She nodded and looked around. “I loved this spot the first time I saw it with you.”
“I knew when I saw it that I wanted to build a home here.”
“Here?” she asked.
“Well,” he said and turned toward her. “I plan to build my place on the Isle of Skye.”
“So you are leaving.” Gone was the laughter that had filled her at sharing this day with him.
“Aye. I came for you, to bring you back.”
“But I don’t want to go back,” she argued. “Stay here with me. ‘Tis paradise.”
“Nay, it isn’t.” He raked a hand through his shoulder length mane and sighed loudly. “Why don’t you want to return?”
“You know why,” she said quietly. “I betrayed everyone. Including you. I stood there while Lugus and MacNeil tortured you.”
“Because you had to.”
“You wouldn’t have,” she argued.
He walked to her and placed his hands on her arms. “You saved my life.”
“I’m happy here. Stay with me,” she begged. She would even get on her knees if he asked it. Anything just so he would stay.
“Enough of this talk,” he said and forced a smile. “Let’s enjoy the day.”
She followed him down the path of the hill toward the loch. When her eyes fell on the tall stones that led to the gateway to the land of the Fae she wondered if they would work again. On closer inspection she realized these stones didn’t have the writing that the others had.
“It isn’t the same is it?” Dartayous asked as he came to stand beside her.
She shook her head. “It looks the same, but in the end its not.”
“That’s how this world is. Do you really want to stay here?”
She thought about his words for a moment. “You said we wouldn’t speak any more of it.”
“My mistake,” he said and held out his hand. “Are you ready to have a day full of enjoyment?”
“Lead on.”
She pulled back when she saw him walking toward the loch. “What are you doing?”
“Going swimming.” He stopped and looked at her. “You aren’t still afraid of sea monsters are you? After all you have said several times that it’s just us here.”
She hated it when he was right. Not to mention she had seen Glenna and Conall swimming often. Even Fiona and Gregor swam together every chance they got.
“All right,” she said.
Dartayous gave her a wicked smile and began to strip off his clothes. “Surely you don’t plan to swim with your gown on?”
Before she could answer him he walked into the water until it was to his neck. She shed her own clothes and grabbed an apple before following him. He smiled at her as she walked toward him.
“Did you bring me something?” he asked and nodded toward the fruit.
She shook her head. “’Tis for me. If you want your own go and get it.”
She bit her lip to keep from laughing, but it didn’t help. Her laughter soon bubbled over. His astonished expression turned to one of annoyance at her laughter.
“Find something funny?” he asked as he walked toward her.
“Actually I do.”
She gasped as he dove under the water. She looked for him, waiting for him to spring up and try to grab the apple. But that wasn’t his plan.
Something touched her leg, but before she could let out a scream she was jerked under. Her fear of sea monsters didn’t even come to mind. She knew it was Dartayous playing with her. He yanked the apple from her hand and brought her to the surface.
She wiped the water and hair from her face. “That wasn’t fair.”
“Life isn’t fair,” he said and took a bit out of the apple.
His words brought a stab of pain, but she refused to allow him to see it. Those memories didn’t need to reach them here.
She reached for the apple but he raised it up out of her reach. “’Tis a very good apple,” he teased.
There was no way she was physically able to wrench the apple from him but there was another way to get it. She licked her lips and almost smiled when his eyes followed her tongue. Her hands came out of the water to lie on his chest.
She lifted one side of her mouth and moved closer to him. “Won’t you give me a bite?” she asked.
His answer was to hold it even higher, but she wasn’t deterred. Her hands drifted lower, into the water. Her fingers wrapped around his rod, and she was amazed to find him already hard.
He groaned and closed his eyes. “Moira,” he whispered.
She forgot all about the apple as her hands moved up and down his hard staff. Her eyes shut, closing out the rest of the world as she concentrated on him.
His moans only urged her on. When his hand came to rest on her hip to pull her towards him she didn’t stop him. The water only intensified the sensitivity of her skin. It was no wonder her sisters had found enjoyment with their husbands in the water.
She opened her eyes to find Dartayous held the apple to her lips. She bit into the apple, the juices running down the side of her mouth. He leaned forward and licked them from her face.
“Delicious,” he said.
The apple was forgotten as he put his hands on her hips and lifted her out of the water. He took a nipple in his mouth as the water ran down her to him. When he lowered her back into the water she wrapped her legs around his waist.
Her eyes widened when she felt his rod enter her. “Oh, my,” she said on a moan.
This was unlike anything she had ever experienced. She held onto to him with her arms around his neck as he moved within her.
The water intensified the longing on her sex as he moved against her. Her nipples were stimulated between Dartayous' chest and the water lapping at her hardened peaks.
As Dartayous plunged within her, he reached between their bodies until he reached her sex. With is thumb and forefinger he rubbed her pearl into a tight knot. The pleasure was so piercing she cried out.
She exploded as waves upon waves of bliss surrounded her. As the last tremors of her climax were leaving, she felt Dartayous stiffen and pump his see into her. She laid her head on his shoulder as he carried her out of the loch. He placed her on the grass and laid beside her.
She looked up at the clouds rolling leisurely across the blue sky. Her life was just as she wanted it. There were no worries here, and she had Dartayous. It was truly paradise.
“Hungry?” he asked as he leaned up and offered her another apple.
She laughed. “For you,” she answered before she bit into the fruit.
* * * *
Dartayous let the morning sun warm his skin from the cool waters of the loch. With Moira nestled against him he could lay right here for eternity.
His eyes flew open.
Rufina had warned him of this. This world was slowly taking over. He had to get himself and Moira out quickly before he no longer wanted to leave.
He had no idea how much time had passed in the glen from the time he had come here. It could be hours and it could have been years. It was time he talked to Moira, time he told her what he came to tell her. He’d wasted too much time.
“What’s wrong?” Moira asked as she sat up on her elbow and looked down at him.
Her flaxen hair tickled his chest. “Nothing,” he lied.
“Your body tensed. You cannot hide from me what is your body and eyes so eagerly show the world.”
He sat up and gazed at the blue waters of the loch. “When is the last time you used your power?”
“At the Samhain before Lugus took them.”
“Try to use them.” He turned his eyes to her to find her watching him intently, her Druid green eyes missing nothing.
She laughed and combed her fingers through her hair. “Why? They are gone.”
“And if they aren’t?”
“I don’t know why it matters, but if it will make you happy,” she said as she rose to her feet, “then I will try to use them.”
It was a sight to see Moira standing in the tall grass of the isle’s hill facing the loch, her body completely bare and her hair flying in the breeze.
He watched as she stretched her arms wide, her face toward the sun. She brought her arms over her head and the wind began to gust around them. Soon the wind grew so fierce he could barely keep his eyes open. He raised his arm to shield his eyes as he kept watch over her.
Then she dropped her arms and the wind died as swiftly as it had come. She whirled around toward him, her face pinched in anger.
“This means nothing,” she yelled.
He scrambled to his feet and hastily grabbed their clothing as he followed her as she nearly ran toward the cottage. When he reached the cottage he found her sitting in front of he hearth with a plaid wrapped around her.
“It means everything and you know it,” he said and shut the door behind him. “If you have control over the wind then your healing power is also there.”
She ignored him and poked at the fire, bringing the embers to life.
He slipped on his pants and boots then sat down next to her, his elbows on his knees. “Glenna and Fiona are waiting for you. After all these years your sisters are with you. You have your family now. Why would you want to throw that away?”
“Are you hard of hearing?” she asked not bothering to look at him. “I’ve given you my reasons.”
“They aren’t good enough.”
She rose from her chair and faced him. He leaned back, waiting for her next words. Except she didn’t say anything. She dropped the plaid and stood naked in front of him.
“Forget all this talk of returning,” she said and sat on his leg. “We don’t need to.”
He found it difficult to think with her hardened nipples no near his mouth, but he knew he had to. He put her from his lap and stood. Her eyes blazed with anger as she snatched up the plaid and wrapped around her.
“You have no idea what this world is doing to you, do you?” he asked.
“I�
�m happy here,” she snapped. “It has given me everything I want. Which is more than I can say for your world.”
“This world is eating away your soul. I can feel it gnawing at mine. If we don’t leave here soon we never will be able to.”
She laughed and reached for her gown. “I doubt that.”
“It’s what Rufina and Theron told me.”
She slipped the gown over her head and stared at him. “If you knew that, then why did you come?”
Now. Tell her now.
I love you.
That was simple. Yet, when he opened his mouth the words lodged painfully in his throat. It was the easiest thing to do, or should be. Just not for an immortal.
“Why?” she asked again and took a step to him.
He turned his head away and sighed. “You saved my life.” He turned his eyes back to her. “It was the least I could do.”
“Oh,” she said and lowered her eyes, but not before he saw the light go out of them.
He cursed himself ten kinds of fool for letting that opportunity pass. Who would have thought he was such a coward?
“Then you should return to the glen.”
Her words cut like a jagged dagger through his heart. “You want me to leave?”
“Nay, but neither can you stay. You said yourself you feel this world eating at your soul. There’s no need to save me. I don’t need saving.”
He tried another approach. “Don’t you wish to see the glen again? The nemeton? You would walk for hours beneath the ancient trees surrounding the glen.”
“I have trees here.”
“You said you liked to look down upon Glenna and Conall and see their happiness.”
“I have my memories.”
“What of Fiona and Gregor? Will you rely on your memories?”
She nodded and turned toward the fire.
“So you don’t care about seeing their children.”
She stilled but didn’t say anything.
Hope sprung in his gut. “What about the Druids. You cannot deny that it runs in your veins.”
“I can practice here.”
He was fast running out of ideas. Then, he remembered one important thing. “Jaime.”