“Katherine.” He gripped her and laid her down on the mattress beside him. “I took ye… really took ye. Hard. I thought… Och.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I was not gentle. I am so sorry.”
“Nay. It was perfect. I loved every second of it. It did sting at first, but mayhap it was best that it was over with quickly. I rather enjoyed the rest. Watching you move inside me was the most fantastic moment of my life!”
He chuckled at that. Aye, they would have a lively time in bed. She was just as eager as he was. “Still, I apologize for not believing ye.” He kissed the tip of her nose gently. “I will believe ye from now on about all things. Ye are my wife and I will respect ye always.”
She licked her lips nervously, wanting to say something, but clearly decided against it. He did not want her to hate him. The thought of it made his chest seize up painfully. “What can I do to make this right between us?”
“Let me help ye find the Treasure of Danu. Tell me all about it.”
Chapter Ten
Katherine lay in bed beside the most amazing man she had ever known, listening quietly as he told her everything about himself. How his mother sent him away as a young lad, and how he became knighted and fought beside Drake against the Armada. The man was truly so much like her, born to one country, yet raised in another. Yet, their loyalties were both to the Irish people and that made their bond only stronger. She wanted to help him in any way she could, to make up for the harm she had caused in the past and prove that she cared. It was about more than this treasure. It was about saving a people.
“Do ye know what is said to be in this treasure?” she asked.
“It started with only three items, said to have been crafted by the gods and sent over with the very first people to settle in Ireland, the Tuatha de Danann. They were a god-like race, made of the gods, keepers of the land until they were defeated and forced to live beneath the earth, now called the Otherworld. It is said the faeries are their descendants.”
“Oh! How fascinating!”
“Aye. It is. The items were a golden cauldron said to never run out of its contents. It could feed an entire group of people forever. Then there was the Sword of Light, said to glow when the enemy approached, alerting its rightful owner to danger. The third item is the spear of Lugh. It never missed its mark. Supposedly, when my ancestor hid it, he hid it somewhere special to the gods, though everything is special to the gods in Ireland and Scotland. So it was never found.”
“What if it was found and ye seek something that does not exist?” Katherine asked, then shuddered as he bent to kiss her lips softly, running his finger in circles around her nipple. It made her core tingle again, but this was the first time they had ever truly spoken of anything important and she wished to know all about him.
“I thought of that before, but I have been plagued with dreams of the treasure my entire life. I see the sword glowing in a cavern in my sleep. I feel my thoughts being pulled toward it. I feel it in my gut. It’s somewhere in a cave, awaiting the right person to find it… the person willing to use it as it was intended, to save Ireland.
She nodded and shivered, not just because his finger had moved lower and now ran up and down her flat belly, but because she felt his conviction. He was so passionate about this and, more than anything, she wanted to be a part of it with him.
“Any other items? What of the items of the people who hid it?” her eyes closed and her heart pounded. His touch was making her dizzy. She could not focus with his fingers running up and down her body, and when she felt his stiff rod poking the side of her thigh repeatedly, it drove her crazy. She still felt a bit woozy from all the mead and whiskey earlier, but lucid enough to understand everything they discussed and loose enough to respond to his every move.
“My family descended not only from the original god-like people of the land, but also from a faery known as Dana. It is said that when Dana left the Otherworld to live amongst the humans, she brought a red ruby brooch with her that was passed down through the generations to the eldest female descendant. At the time, the Sisters of Danu, my descendants, had it in their possession… according to legend. It is so ancient, it is impossible to know for certain,” he grumbled in frustration. “They had no written language. The entirety of Irish history was passed down orally through the generations. The only reason I believe the treasure exists untouched is due to my dreams. There may be a ruby tiara as well as some old coins. Ireland had no coins at that point, but my traveling ancestor who buried it was said to have found gold coins from another group of people.” He shrugged, and she knew he felt foolish telling her what sounded like nothing more than folklore to most people.
“I believe ye, Thomas.” Then she shifted her body toward his and faced him, both of them propped up on their sides using their elbows. Something he said caught her attention more than anything else. She had been to almost every cavern that could be reached within a day’s ride on a horse, sometimes traveling for hours, not worried about her father noticing she was gone. He was never home. Caves littered Ireland’s coasts, but some were inland as well. Could it be that Thomas’s ancestor buried the treasure inland, so it was not so accessible by water where a pirate would first search? It was in one of the inland caves that she had once found something of much value, something she had hidden beneath the floorboards of her bedchamber to keep safe. She had always thought her random finds were items dropped or left behind by Grace’s men, but part of her had always believed they were gifts from the fay below the earth who knew she would find a way to help the Irish with their offerings. It was childish, she knew, and had never told a soul.
“Thomas… once, about a year or so ago, I was wandering in a series of caves that are in Connaught, a long distance from the shore. They are high up in the hills, but they face the east, so they cannot be seen by anyone approaching from the shore to the west. It took me several hours by horse to reach them—”
“Katherine, ye should not be wandering around so. ’Tis most dangerous. Why would ye think to do that?” She wanted to balk at his scolding, but with his hand running up and down her hip, she decided not to ruin their delicate relationship with an argument.
“Same reason ye seek a treasure that has been buried for fifteen hundred years, Thomas. Because ye are pulled by it. I am pulled by adventure as well, but most importantly, these particular caves called to me. They are said to be a very important place to the ancient people. One of the High Kings of Ireland is said to have been born in these caves and even raised by wolves there. Also, they are known to be a place dedicated to the worship of the god Lugh… Is he not the god who made the staff ye speak of?”
Thomas sat up quickly, eyes wide as he gripped her shoulders and pushed her back onto the bed. “Aye. Ye know more of the Irish folklore than I do, lass, having grown up here. Tell me more.”
“Well,” she chewed her lip trying to recall all she knew of the god. “He was a warrior, king, and savior of the land, one of the original Tuatha de Danann that ye spoke of earlier. He wielded the spear ye say is part of the treasure. People of the land dedicate certain areas of worship to certain gods. This series of caves, for there are many all in a row, were once used to worship him. That, coupled with the idea that yer ancestor would likely seek out a place far from the coast, may be the place.”
Thomas nodded his head and grinned. “Aye, aye. In my dreams, I see many caves, atop a hill, all in a row. It is most bizarre.”
“That is them!” Katherine said. “Nobody coming from the shore would see it. Ye have to know where to look. There is one more thing, one more reason I truly feel in my heart that this is the place.”
“What?” Thomas asked, now nuzzling her neck with his beard and making her squeak at the ticklish sensation.
“When I was exploring the caves… I know, it was foolish. But I did, and when I did, I found something. I found a ruby brooch. It was set in gold with intricate Celtic patterns etched in it. It seemed to almost glow.”
“Did ye take it?” he asked, looking up at her with bewilderment.
“Aye… I kept it. I thought… Och ye will laugh at me if ye know what I thought.”
“Nay, I shall never laugh at ye, Kat. I am done undermining ye. Ye are brave, beautiful, brilliant. Tell me what ye thought.”
“I thought it was a gift from the fay. My truest heart’s desire is to help the people. Sometimes I find jewels, coins, and other objects… such as that book, in the places I search. ’Tis the reason I do it really. I have quite a treasure of my own. I have held on to it, waiting for the right person to share it with. I cannae very well walk up to a villager and hand him a ruby brooch. They need clothing, food, new homes… what would he do with such a bauble? It would likely have been stolen.”
“Ye are a clever lass with a special heart.” Thomas leaned in and kissed her with a wild passion that took her breath away, then he pulled away. “I believe ye, just as ye believe me. It is said the treasure is only revealed to one with the real intention of using it to help people. I think it was a fay, or mayhap Lugh himself, who showed it to ye, love. But only a descendant of Danu can truly find it, which is why—”
Katherine gasped and pulled Thomas closer. “I was always meant to find ye, Thomas.”
“Aye,” he whispered. “I believe that is the case. Lugh knew ye and I were… meant to be,” he cleared his throat nervously and looked away for a moment. “He showed ye that brooch, knowing we would meet and ye would be able to guide me…”
That realization, the fact that they were brought together by the old gods, that they both believed in the old gods, that they were meant to find this treasure together and help the people just as his ancestors had before, made gooseflesh prickle all over her body. She was part of something much larger than she could have ever imagined, and she would do it beside this amazing man.
“Katherine…” Thomas said lowly and stroked his finger down the center of her breasts, over her belly button, and in between the sensitive folds of her womanhood. She bucked her hips against his touch, fire flashing behind her eyes. How could his touch illicit such pleasure?
“Aye, Thomas?” she asked breathlessly.
“I am going to make love to ye again.” He turned onto his back, dragging her with him so she was straddling his thighs. His protruding manhood stood straight and proud, awaiting her heat.
Getting up on her knees, she grabbed him firmly and guided him slowly into her. “Aye,” she whispered, feeling him consume her once more. This time, she was in control and would find out what it felt like to make sweet, slow love to the man she tried so hard to hate, yet knew she loved desperately.
Sitting in the large bed, rays of morning sun pouring into the silent room, Thomas watched his wife sleep against his chest. Her blonde hair, like spun gold, spread across him and the red bolster in shimmering waves. She looked so peaceful and innocent, yet he knew a fire burned within her blood. Last night had been so completely unexpected, something he had meant to avoid altogether. But she was irresistible and her brazen behavior enthralled him to no end. It had been inevitable, he now realized. If he could be honest with himself, he would admit that stealing her away from her father had been the best thing he had ever done, even if it had been out of anger and spite. That one act of hatred had led him to a love unlike any other.
Their moments together, discussing their lives, had been an awakening. She had lived a life nothing short of lonely. No parents, no siblings, no companions. Only a few servants she trusted, yet none concerned with where she went or what she did with herself. No wonder she was so fiercely independent and refused to be managed. He realized last night that they had always been meant to come together, to be partners in life. Aye, she was mischievous and seemed to find trouble. The thought of her with the spyglass watching from afar as men and women fornicated made him want to chuckle, yet it also saddened him. She had been so curious about love and lovemaking, never having any guidance aside from pirates and one very graphic book. It was no way for a lady to learn. It had turned her into a feral animal in the bed and he could not complain, still, he valued the deeper connection they were creating and would continue to create. Aye, she was unique and all his.
Stroking her bare back, her breasts crushed against his side, he remembered the three times they made love the night before and smiled. The first had been a storm of emotions that had been brewing within, finally releasing in violent waves of ecstasy that left him a panting, quivering mess. The second, she had ridden him with ease, controlling her pace and taking from him what she wanted, never once showing any modesty or shyness as she hovered above him, shuddering her release repeatedly. Never had he known a woman so responsive. He thought they had spent their energy, but as she curled up beside him, her backside nuzzling into his groin, he found he had some unslaked lust for his wife after all, and reveled in the comfort of slipping inside her from behind, her pushing back into him as they panted quietly, moving as one in an intimate, slow show of love. They had fallen asleep in that position and he was almost certain that when he drifted to sleep, their bodies had still been connected.
“Wake up, love,” he whispered in her ear, kissing her head. “We need to be on our way.” With a groan and a stretch, she came awake, slowly opening her eyes and smiling up at him with a warmth that only a night of lovemaking could induce.
“My handsome husband,” she whispered. “Ye awoke me from the most wonderful dream.”
“If I was not in it, I do not want to hear of it,” he grumbled, running his hand down her side.
“Oh, ye were in it… in me.” She grinned wickedly and he had to tamp down the need to take her once more. They really did need to get a move on. His men would be readying the sails and awaiting their captain’s orders. If her father was truly harassing the seas, they may have a potential fight on their hands. As much as he wished to take the bastard down, could he kill his wife’s father in her presence? She may have detested her father’s actions, but he was all she ever had.
“Do not tempt me, wife. We have a full day ahead. I also dreamed, and I wish I could say it was of me… in ye. It was of the treasure again.”
Scrambling to a sitting position, she widened her eyes and gripped his arm. “Ye saw it, then? High in the caverns above the hill?”
He nodded. “Aye. ’Tis calling to me more fiercely than ever. And ’tis because of ye, Kat. I would never have known its location if not for my mischievous, trouble-causing wife,” he smirked.
“Ye are welcome then. I shall continue to cause ye trouble for the rest of yer life.” Her face fell and she blanched once she spoke the words. “I mean… as long as ye intend to keep me. I ken ye want to be rid of me.” She tried to keep her sadness hidden, but he could feel waves of despair radiating from her.
Swallowing hard, he looked at her with narrowed eyes and pulled her against him, making sure she understood the honesty in his words. “Now, ye listen to me, lass. I willnae give ye up. I meant what I said last night. Yer mine now.”
“Aye, ye said that in the heat of passion, but now, in the morning light, can ye truly mean it? I am yer enemy’s daughter. Ye hate me…”
“Ye are nothing like yer father. Ye are yer own person, Katherine Esmonde. And I… I dinnae hate ye.”
“Ye dinnae?”
“Och, Katherine, I cannae say exactly when, mayhap it was the first moment I saw ye creeping through the cavern all alone, when ye sneezed and gave yerself away. Mayhap it was the first time I touched ye… but I fell in love with ye, lass. Do ye hear me? I love ye. I will always love ye.”
“Oh, Thomas!” Lunging at him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled into him. “I love ye, too. But I do know when it happened. The moment my father dragged me away from ye on his horse and I turned to see yer boat exploding, and ye caught in the crossfire… my heart stopped beating. I thought I would never see ye again. I knew in that moment I loved ye. When ye showed up at my home and took me away, ye meant it as a punishment, I ken, b
ut ye saved me, Thomas.”
He tried to speak but she covered his mouth with her finger. “Listen to me. I always dreamt of a man who was wild like a pirate but honorable like a knight. A man who may take what does not belong to him, but gives it back to those in need… my very own Robin Hood. Ye are that man, Thomas Esmonde.”
He kissed her then, hard, breathing her in and memorizing the feel of her, the scent of her. Then, he let her go. “Let us get dressed, break our fast, and be off to the ship.”
“Aye,” she agreed, clearing her throat and stepping away to find her garments. Katherine deserved more in life than a hasty handfast, a wild night of lovemaking in a pirate stronghold, and no home besides the sea. He vowed, when all this was over, he would give her a proper marriage, a proper home, and a bed all their own. For now, he had naught to offer her but a borrowed ship and a dangerous journey. He cursed himself as he watched her slowly slip on her borrowed gown. He was not doing a good job caring for his wife.
But, he would change that. As much as he knew it would hurt her, he planned to go after her father, before he came after them. If Richard Bingham was hounding the seas, Thomas knew he was seeking out his daughter. He would die before he let that swine touch his wife ever again. One thing Thomas knew from years of battle was that he needed to cut down the enemy before the enemy cut him down first. Katherine would balk at the idea and try to talk him out of it, so he had decided to keep his plans to himself and pray she forgave him in the end. He also knew finding the treasure with Bingham on his heels was unwise. Better to eliminate him now.
Once she was ready, they walked downstairs to break their fast and Thomas smirked at the way her cheeks glowed and the slight limp in her walk. She was sore from their night, and that only made him want her more. Niall wished them luck and tried once more to convince Thomas to share Katherine, but the fire in his blazing green eyes only made the man chuckle and wink. He had enjoyed his stay at Castle Dheomhan and learning a bit more about his connection with the Scottish Brethren, but the lure of the sea called to him. He felt fire in his blood, the itch for a fight, the need for adventure.
Pirates of Britannia Box Set Page 58