A Merry Medieval Christmas: Historical Romance Holiday Collection

by Laurel O'Donnell

  "Where is Ian?" Faolan caught up with her and took the basket. "I must speak to him."

  "In the village, either in a wench's bed or seeking a wife is my guess."

  "Oh." He didn't say anything else until they reached the front door. He opened the door for her and she brushed past him not able to ignore the heat of his body.

  She took the basket and looked at him. "Once the evening meal is over, we can adjourn to the great room. I am sure Ian will appear any moment. For now I must bathe and change."

  Catriona escaped before he could say anything, her emotions in turmoil. The sooner she released him from his oath, the faster she could move on and either find a husband or convince Ian to allow her to live in the village.

  Once in her chambers, she hurried through bathing and donned a clean frock. Letting out a slow exhale, she prepared to face Faolan again. It couldn't be put off. Once Ian's heavy footsteps passed by, she knew it was time for the meal.

  She stood at her window and smiled at thinking of her handsome brother. If anyone deserved to be happy and start a family it was Ian. That he refused to do so until he saw her with a husband was annoying. He'd promised their mother to care for her until she married and he refused to not keep his word.

  It was a delicious stew with root vegetables and seasoned meat chunks. The four of them slathered the hot crusty bread with butter and ate their fill. Ian and Faolan spoke the entire time of the best way to farm the land surrounding their home. Ian had decided to grow crops of potatoes using a watering system he'd designed. When Bessie poured honey mead at the end of the meal, Catriona was thankful for it. She drank the first serving and poured herself a second.

  "Is something amiss?" Ian's concerned expression made her want to slide under the table because Faolan followed suit. Both males studied her and she rolled her eyes.

  "Aye of course there is. Don't you both think it strange that I am to marry a total stranger? The both of you act as if yer already family."

  Ian and Faolan exchanged looks, but it was her brother who spoke. "It's the way of the world now Catriona. Our country is not so large that people cannot travel across it. Faolan's home is only about two weeks travel. Am I not right?" He looked to Faolan who nodded.

  "Aye about that. It could be quicker if on horseback." His eyes were warm when meeting hers. "Are ye already dreading moving away?"

  Men were so dense Catriona thought, looking to the ceiling and then back to Faolan. "Tis not what I speak of. You came to town and agreed to marry me. Now I must release you of your oath. I will not marry you Faolan Mackinnon."

  "What is the matter with you?" Ian slammed his hand on the table. "You cannot throw a man's word at him like that."

  "I understand," Faolan said, his amber eyes darkening. "If the lass does not wish to marry me, then we must find a way out of the betrothal without sending tongues wagging and making her look a fool."

  "Me a fool?" Catriona rolled her eyes. "If anything, the villagers will wonder why you didn't flee as soon as you could."

  "I am not leaving."

  Catriona coughed and spit out mead. "Why not?"

  "Catriona!" Ian face turned a curious shade of red. "Enough!"

  Faolan looked from one sibling to the other and waited. Her brother leaned at the waist and placed both hands on the table. "You are a foolhardy lass who speaks without thinking. If it were not for finding Faolan to be a man of honor I would throttle you for the spectacle you made of us at the tavern." He looked to Faolan. "I certainly understand why you would not fight breaking the betrothal. But I ask that you spend a few days here with Catriona. That you get to know each other and once the week is up and you still wish to depart, then I will accept your decision to take your leave."

  Faolan looked to Catriona, her stomach clenched at the warmth in his gaze. He nodded and she let out a breath. "I will stand by my word. The only thing I must admit to you is that I did not come searching for a wife. You know what brought me here."

  "Aye I remember. If you find the well and wish upon it, then fate will decide." Ian stalked from the room leaving Catriona alone with the man she was supposed to marry, the man who'd come across Scotland to make a wish upon the magic well for another woman. Perhaps she'd help him find it and the he'd leave. The sooner Faolan Mackinnon went away, the faster she could get on with the business of forgetting he ever existed.

  "I know where the well is."

  Faolan's eyes rounded. "Truly?"

  "Aye. I will take you to it."

  "On the morn?" He asked as his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

  "Nay. Two days hence. I promised Osla to care for her bairns while she goes to visit her mother in the morn." Catriona had done no such thing, but in truth she wasn't sure where the well was. She'd wandered without destination on the day she'd seen it.

  "Would you like to stroll outside?" Faolan's surprising suggestion followed by the extension of his hand made her wonder what the man planned.

  Catriona nodded and allowed him to lead to the door.

  It was a beautiful night, the full moon allowed them to see clearly. The night air was becoming cooler and Faolan worried if he didn't find the well soon, he'd be unable to return to Skye. It would soon be too cold, snow would fall making travel home almost impossible. He hoped to convince Catriona to go to the well sooner. Perhaps she could convince her cousin that she needed to be elsewhere.

  "I believe this winter will be quite frigid. There is a certain wetness in the air," she spoke matter of fact looking up at the dark sky. "Do you think you will be able to get home?"

  "I hope so. Although I am not sure how long it will take to find the well." The lass was beautiful under the moon's light. Her pale skin a contrast to the red tresses made an alluring sight and he could scarcely look away. "What do you plan to do to pass the hours once the snow covers the ground?"

  She frowned and shook her head. "There is much to keep me and Ian busy every winter. We chop wood, ensure the goats, cows and horses are warm. I help Bessie with kitchen duties and of course there is always the spinning of yarn and such. Tis not very different than any other season truth be told."

  He listened thinking of his life back in Skye. Although the days were frigid, he too had plenty of duties helping the rest of the guard care for the livestock and their mounts. They kept guard through the nights, warming by large fires. He didn't look forward to that. No matter how thick his tartan or furs, the cold air always managed to seep through to the bone. "I too keep busy with my duties as well. I serve as guardsman for the laird. My father."

  Her eyes scanned his face and he couldn't help but look to her lips. A more enticing picture he could not remember at the moment. "You are not first born?"

  "Nay, I am the second son. I only have a right to a very small portion of what my father owns. He is generous and has promised me some land where I can build a home, once I marry."

  Her face fell or at least he imagined it so and at once he wanted to do something, anything to make her smile. He took her chin with the crook of his finger and lifted her face to him. "Would you live in Skye with me fair Catriona?"

  The questioning gaze she gave him made him feel foolish. In one instance he asked her to take him to a well so he could wish for another woman and in the next he asked her to go with him. If anyone was confused he wasn't sure who was more, Catriona or his foolish heart.

  Her lips curved up at the corners and he was lost in her. "Dearest betrothed of mine, I would follow you anywhere and sleep upon rock if you so decreed for I am your meek and humble woman," she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

  The enticement was too strong to resist. Faolan laughed and when she followed suit, he became enthralled by how endearing the spirited lass was. He covered her mouth with his, wrapped his arms around her body and brought her close. Her fingers curled around the fabric of his tunic and she fell against him in surrender.

  The kiss became all-consuming, the night sounds like a serenade surrounding them, the night
air a cool caress and the light of the moon fell upon them like a warm cape.

  Faolan would have rather died in that moment than to ever let her go and Catriona seemed to sense it because she clutched him harder, her fingers digging into his back as she parted her lips giving his tongue passage to partake more. It was beyond compare. There was nothing that ever felt so wonderful.

  Suddenly he remembered the quest, the reason he was there at all. Moira.

  Faolan lifted and peered down at Catriona whose eyes remained closed. Her lips were swollen from his kisses; a more precious sight he'd never known. His chest clenched and unable to pull away, instead he brought her once again against him and held her tight.

  Emotions battled within and Faolan knew in that instant that he needed to find the well soon, because otherwise, he would very easily fall at the feet of the siren he held.

  Chapter Five

  "We should take a walk." Catriona came up to stand beside Faolan the next morning.

  It was hard to keep from not growling and throwing a rock at Faolan's head. After the wonderful night before when they'd kissed under the moonlight, the headstrong man insisted on finding the well the next morning. She narrowed her eyes at him. "When I found it, I was on foot."

  He studied her for a moment seeming to sense her anger by the guarded expression when he met her gaze. "Aye very well. If you are sure."

  What she was sure about was that it would be hard to keep from shoving him into the well once they found it. The picture made her giggle and he gave her a curious look. "You are an intriguing lass Catriona Grant."

  "Hmm," she replied noncommittally and spun on her heel making haste toward the edge of the forest. He quickly caught up with her. Catriona decided to ignore him. Once he found the well and made his blasted wish, she'd go home, have a good cry and then return to the normalcy of the day to day of her life.

  "Catriona?" Faolan said looking at her. "Are you going to make a wish as well?"

  "Nay I will not," she snapped. "I don't believe the well has any powers."

  He took her arm and turned her to face him. "Did you not make a wish when you came upon it before?"

  Her chest heaved when her heart rate picked up. It was hard to be dishonest to a man who took all her thoughts while she’d tried to sleep the night before. She'd dreamed of him, of making love and joining with him in many ways. So much so that just the thought of it made her cheeks heat. "I did not, I told you I don't believe in its’ magic."

  "I don't believe you, perhaps you feel it didn't come true because it didn't happen right away," he said, seeming puzzled. "How long has it been? What did you wish exactly?"

  "A fortnight at least since I saw it." She reluctantly told him that she had wished for true love by Hogmanay, the winter holiday, just a few weeks away.

  He nodded. "Not too much longer is it? The festivals will begin in a few weeks."

  Not that she needed reminding and preferring not to continue the conversation of a love that would not be for her. Catriona decided to allow her irrational side free reign, "Before you leave and while we are alone, I ask one thing of you."

  With a frown he finally nodded. "Of course. What would you ask?"

  "That you make love to me today. A farewell gift, you could say." Although her stomach clenched at the probable refusal, she forced an even expression, her gaze locked with his in challenge.

  Faolan's amber eyes darkened to almost the brown of tree trunks, they made a trail from her own to her throat and then her breasts. His chest expanded and lowered, his nostrils flared. When his lips parted, she could not keep from interrupting.

  "Of course you will say nay, so allow me to tell you I spoke in jest."

  He took her arm and brought her close, the action so quick she lost her balance and fell against him. When she looked up to him, a rebuke on her lips, he covered her mouth with his.

  The kiss again became all-consuming, she clung to his shoulders, not wanting it to ever stop. His mouth moved over hers in such a way it sent rivulets of desire down her body, seeping deep to her core; its heat like a fire in winter. The cold of the season failed to exist, as did the surroundings when he yanked his tartan off and laid it on the ground. She accepted his proffered hands to help her lay upon it.

  He covered her body with his, the weight strangely alluring. There was little doubt how much the man desired her. His breathing became ragged and when their sexes met, his was thick and hard.

  It was not her first time with a man, she'd shared her body only once before in a tumble with a young boy when only ten and six. It had been interesting and quite fun, but this could not be described with either word. This was different; heat battled with a primal passion like she never knew existed.

  "Are you sure?" His guttural words broke the spell for a moment.

  She opened her eyes and peered into his darkened ones. "Very much so." Catriona raked her fingers through his hair and pulled him down for a deep kiss, giving it all she could.

  His hands ran up her legs and under her skirts, pulling the material up to her waist. When his fingers slid between her legs, Catriona could not stop the moan. "Oh."

  Once again he took her mouth, all the while his fingers stroking her sex until she bucked her hips in an attempt to find a rhythm to bring her to the elusive crest.

  Her eyelids fluttered and her mouth fell open when her body fell apart. Catriona lost control and cried out as he continued to move his hand through her folds until she could not bare it any longer and for the first time in her life, she let go of any control and fell from heights into a foggy abyss.

  While she was floating, Faolan pushed into her body slowly, his hard shaft filling her to overfilling. She grabbed at his bottom while at the same time lifting her hips. "Yes."

  He didn't need any additional urging and began to move, driving into her slow and steady, with maddening control.

  Catriona wished to climb again, fall into the wonderful blissful state while at the same time, she wished the moment never to end. The connection between their bodies amazed her. Never had she thought so much passion could be had.

  His mouth once again found hers and she parted her lips, allowing his tongue access. He took her completely, leaving no part of her untouched. His hand in her bodice, his fingers caressed her hardened nipples.

  His mouth moved to her throat, his teeth nipping at the sensitive skin as he picked up the pace, his hips thrusting faster now. "Find your release with me Catriona." He whispered huskily into her ear as his hands moved to cup her bottom and lift her up. He charged forward, seeming to lose control, his large body tense as he continued thrusting into her, without any rhythm now.

  Her control snapped and she thrashed, lost in the heat that traveled up her body. She dug her fingernails into his shoulders, her legs straightening as her crest came upon her. Just as she lost control crying out his name, he also growled, his large body convulsing in release.

  Catriona wasn't sure why, but it seemed to become too quiet. The forest was eerily silent. Before she could mention it to Faolan, he took her mouth and all she could think of was he.

  With the tartan wrapped around them, they remained on the ground, his arms around her as he kissed her face and neck, mumbling words of caring, an effort to reassure her she'd not made a mistake by lying with him. Although she would treasure the moment and how careful he was with her, any moment now they'd find the well and he would be wishing for a future with another woman.

  At considering the truth of the moment, that she'd freely given herself to a man who pined for someone else, Catriona took a shaky breath. Instead of treasuring the memory, it would be accompanied with hurt. Of course she could not place blame on his shoulder, he'd asked her if she was sure. Therefore she would be mature about it. Help him find the blasted well and do her best to keep this moment as a beautiful memory.

  "I can promise you, I will not forget you soon Wolf of Skye." Catriona pushed away and forced a smile. "We should get up. I'm sure the bitte
r wind is biting at your bare arse."

  "Nor will I forget you Catriona Grant." Faolan's grin made her heart melt. "Aye, it's probably blue."

  They walked in circles the area now becoming familiar and once again Catriona let out a huff. "I swear it was right here." She pointed to a small clearing in the forest that looked to have been inhabited by deer or other wild animals as the grass was flattened. "I am sure."

  Faolan studied her and scratched his head. "Bessie said it moves and never appears in the same place. Could be she is right."

  The wind was frigid and it blew over her and Catriona shivered. Faolan was instantly next to her and pulled her close against his warm body. "We should return to your home. I can come back here on horseback and look about the area better." His words sliced into her and she swallowed, then unable to speak Catriona nodded.

  His quest was not changed. Faolan would leave soon and she'd remain behind to marry a villager whom she'd never feel so much for. This man was so different, his very presence put her restless soul at peace. But it wasn't to be, she had to let him go.

  Of that Catriona was sure.

  Chapter Six

  Faolan dismounted in the general vicinity of where Catriona had brought him the morning before. He walked in a circle and crouched down. In between the grasses he spotted a single large white stone that was out of place. There were no others like it in the area and it was the same type of stone he'd seen in his dream of the well.

  It had felt wrong to make a wish or continue to search for the well with Catriona beside him. Especially after she'd given herself to him. And how she'd done so with abandon, her wondrous body fulfilling every fantasy a man could have and more. Although he'd made love to others before her, this to include his beloved Moira, Faolan had to be honest and acknowledge that he had never felt the same as with Catriona.