“Someday soon we will visit my home,” he assured, “and ye will meet my kin.”
“I would verra much like that,” she said softly. “So ’tis a clan that practices the old ways?” He was pleased she seemed to believe him where most would not. “’Tis as Innis speculated then? You’re of druid blood?”
He supposed that was one way to look at it.
“In a way, aye…but more so.” Fraser shook his head. “In my case ’tis verra good intuition or foresight, I suppose.”
Her brows shot up. “It almost sounds like witchcraft.” She shrugged, not all that put off by it or perhaps not really believing it. Pirates especially were known for embellishing and telling a good tall tale. “Though ’twould come in handy through all this.”
“Aye,” he agreed. “If only I could pick and choose when it happened.” He shook his head. “But that is neither here nor there and not relevant to this…us.” He took her hand. “I would rather speak of the day we first met.”
“The day ye nearly died,” she murmured with a frown.
“Aye.” Again, he was careful with his words. “As ye gathered I had been battling and was nearly defeated. Where that was or who I fought no longer matters. What does matter is the lass I left behind…more so how I left her behind.”
Something indefinable flashed in her eyes as she whispered, “So there is another lass?”
“Not anymore,” he said softly, still recalling the day he rode away from her. “Her name was Kenna…Kenna MacLauchlin. And she has since died in battle.”
“I’m so sorry,” she began before her brows snapped together. “MacLauchlin, aye?”
“Aye, mayhap a distant relation,” he murmured. “But that isnae the point.” He glanced out the window again to make sure all was well before he continued. “The point is I let the love betwixt us slip away because I didnae recognize it for what it was. How powerful and important it had been.” He cupped her cheek. “’Tis the verra same thing I’ve seen in ye from nearly the moment our eyes met.” He shook his head. “And I willnae let it go this time. I willnae be so foolish.”
“Why does it almost sound like you’re apologizing to me?” she whispered. “In hopes that she hears it?”
Because in some ways it was very much that. Or so he had speculated from the moment he remembered his past. The moment he recalled Kenna and realized how eerily similar she was to Elspeth. And when one knew that love could, in fact, transcend time and even that reincarnation existed, one paid attention to such things.
“’Tis just that ye remind me of her is all,” he said softly. “Our clans were allied, so we grew up together. She had the same fierce free spirit and the same light in her eyes when she laughed. The same passion and love for her people and country.”
“She sounds admirable,” she murmured. “Someone I would have liked.”
“Aye.” His hand drifted to the side of her neck. “As she would have liked ye…verra much.”
“’Tis good to hear.” Her eyes held his. “And ’tis also good to know ye feel so strongly about me…” A knowing smile curled her lips. “Though I didnae doubt it.”
“Good,” he replied. “But it needed to be said regardless.”
Because he would not make the same mistake twice.
“Aye then.” She brushed her lips across his and whispered, “How long do we need to keep an eye on the sea, Cap’n?”
“Not that much longer,” he assured, just as eager. He gestured at the food. “Eat, lass.”
Though he would much prefer remaining by her side, he stood in front of the windows before she ended up on his desk again. Yet it seemed she would not let him get away that easy.
Food in hand, she joined him. “There is one thing I havenae figured out yet.”
He knew what she was going to say because the same thing had been weighing on his mind. “What if there isnae treasure?” He perked a brow at her. “What if ye have convinced my crew to fight for something that doesnae exist?”
“Aye.” She slanted a look at him. “I’ve heard it told that you’re verra clever. Have ye any grand ideas?”
“Not yet,” he replied. “Though I’ve given your parents and people coin when I can, I’ve only a small stash to get them out of there if need be.” He shook his head. “’Twill not be enough to satisfy three crews.” Yet he speculated. “But then ye never know what could turn up in André’s camp.”
“True.” She grinned, catching on. Not only would André have the bulk of his wealth there but who knew what else a defector of the French navy might be carrying.
“Where are the stones?” she murmured as she polished off her cheese.
He crouched, unlocked a secret compartment in his desk and handed them over.
“Ballocks.” Fists planted on her hips, she cocked her head and narrowed her eyes at the secret slot. “I snooped all around there!”
Of course, she had. What sort of pirate would she be otherwise?
“’Twould have done ye no good without a key,” he reminded.
She snorted and shot him an exasperated look. “Do ye think I dinnae know how to pick a lock by now?”
“I would hope.” He grinned and shrugged. “I guess your pirate cunning was lacking this time then.” He considered her. “Or mayhap ye didnae truly want to find them just yet.” He stepped closer. “Mayhap deep down ye wanted to keep me by your side till the end.”
“Mayhap,” she whispered as her promising eyes rose to his. “Till the end to be sure.”
It took all he had not to kiss her then. Not to make her his. But they still had things to discuss. Like the treasure. So he gestured at the stones. “If ye couldnae find the castle ruins before what makes ye think we will be able to now?”
“I dinnae know,” she murmured. “Hope I suppose. A clearer mind than what I suffered when I was there last. ’Twas not easy to see straight when I thought my daughter’s life at risk.” Her eyes went to the stones again. “And mayhap with these along things will be more obvious than they were before.”
“How so?”
“The rocks come from the remnants of MacLauchlin Castle.” She shrugged. “So mayhap something will stand out that didnae before. Mayhap the stones will match something in the landscape. Namely the castle itself.”
He sighed. “’Tis a lot to hope for.”
“Aye, but hope we must.” She looked at the sky. “We’ll need the clouds to clear as well. We’ll need help from the stars.”
“Ah, I often wondered if the marks on the stones didnae have to do with the constellations,” he remarked. “Though when I pieced them together, I couldnae seem to make sense of it.”
“’Tis not constellations we’re looking for but one star.” Elspeth laid the stones on his desk and began moving them around until they fit together well enough. She pointed at the circular mark at the top. “If we line these up with the brightest star in the northern sky when standing on the castle ruins, all the marks beneath it will point the way. They signify landmarks of some sort.”
“Landmarks.” Not reassuring. “That could be a wee bit tricky.”
“Aye.” Her worried eyes returned to his as she shared his concern. “Because now we have no choice but to hope they’re still there after a century.” She shook her head. “Otherwise, the treasure is lost to us forever.”
Chapter Fourteen
Elspeth could tell by the doubtful look in Fraser’s eyes that he wasn’t holding out much hope of finding the treasure. Not only was it likely the land had changed, but countless others had been there searching before them and never found it.
“It cannae hurt to look,” she said softly.
“Aye, lass,” he agreed, shifting closer as she fiddled with the stones. She had tried to ignore these things her whole life. The sadness that lay at the heart of them. The wayward path they had led her family down.
Yet here she was following that path regardless.
On a journey she never could have anticipated.
“So ye stand in a certain spot,” he murmured, trailing his fingers over hers. “Then ye find your treasure.”
She knew precisely what treasure he was talking about now and it had nothing to do with the stones. Her eyes drifted to him as the hard, well-defined muscles of his chest and abdomen peeked out from behind the blanket.
“I think mayhap I’d rather go searching for treasure sooner rather than later,” he murmured, his voice softer still as he brushed his fingers down her neck and over her collarbone.
“Are we not keeping watch for the enemy anymore?” she managed, her throat suddenly dry. Breathing became more difficult as he pulled her hand away from where she held her blanket together.
“I think it has been long enough,” he replied, his voice deepening with arousal. “And many eyes remain where they should.”
“But not yours,” she whispered as his fingers continued to wander. When they trailed between her breasts, she shivered with awareness. Gooseflesh raced along her torso and limbs as he lightly dusted the underside of one breast before fully removing her blanket.
“Nay, my eyes are right where they should be,” he murmured as he stepped behind her and began to gently kiss along her scars. He spent ample time there as though trying to take away pain that no longer existed. In fact, his touch was so tender and caring it brought tears to her eyes.
When he, at last, turned her back, his blanket was gone.
“Fraser…” was all she could manage, the word a hoarse whisper when he pulled her against him. She had never been so aroused. So aware of the feel of another’s flesh against hers. The marked difference between them.
His hard body against her softness.
His steely length pulsing and ready for her.
Ravenous, ready, she welcomed his kiss…his urgency.
When he hoisted her up, she wrapped her arms and legs around him, certain they would end up on his desk again. Instead, he kneaded her backside and continued kissing her as he walked her to the bed. Impassioned, never wanting to let go, she tangled her hands in his hair as he climbed onto the bed and rested her against the headboard.
Nailed to the wall, it was shaped like the curve of a ship and at the perfect height to support her. When his lips left hers and began trailing down her neck, she tightened her legs and groaned, sending a very clear message.
She wanted him now.
No more waiting.
When his eyes returned to hers, the predatory sensual heat gathered in their blue depths was unmistakable. He appreciated that she knew what she wanted and demanded that he give it to her now. She was no chaste, innocent girl but a woman eager to see what pleasures he could bring.
Would it be all that she had imagined? Would this driving ache that haunted her when she thought of him finally be assuaged? Could it possibly be? Or had she built him up in her mind to such a degree that he could not possibly satisfy the high bar she had set?
Almost as if he followed her thoughts, he offered a small, cocksure turn of his lips before he clasped her backside with one strong hand, the headboard with the other and thrust deep.
She didn’t just moan but cried out in shameless pleasure.
The sway of the ship didn’t throw him off balance at all as he thrust even deeper, daring her to embrace everything he offered. A slew of inescapable sensations. Wicked desire. Near painful passion.
Yet he controlled what he gave her.
What he allowed.
Desperate, she writhed against him, but he purposefully kept what she needed just out of reach as his eyes stayed with hers. Yet she saw the unfiltered truth. The burning need in his darkened gaze.
Holding back was no longer possible.
Teasing and drawing out the moment was no longer an option.
His tether on control had snapped.
Now a sensual storm of wicked pleasure built. A raging swell of yearning. A tsunami of frenzied lust they would gladly drown in if it meant finding what had long eluded them.
His brows lowered sharply in concentration as he increased his pace. She bit her lower lip, dug her nails into his sides and watched him from beneath heavy lids. His sweat slicked body. The mesmerizing flex of his muscles. Seeing him like this only added to everything she felt.
It intensified the friction and magnificent pressure building at her core.
Like him, she was desperate to dive off the tall peak they were climbing. Greedy to crest wherever they were going. Breathing heavily, her heart pounding in her throat, she met his thrusts, grunts, and groans.
They were animalistic, lost in instinct, gone in near violent ardor.
At some point, she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and dug her nails in deep. She held on for dear life, afraid to let go.
“Elspeth,” he moaned through clenched teeth.
It was that, the near worshiping, desperate way he said her name, that made her come undone. She dug her nails in deeper still, flung her head back, and released a roar to rival the thunder rumbling across the sky. Pressing deep, he growled, locked up then released a ragged groan of profound satisfaction.
What they just shared was undeniable.
Potent. Life changing.
Forever.
Hearts pounding, breath ragged, they stayed that way, languishing in residual pleasure. By the time he finally pulled her down to the bed, she could barely keep her eyes open. She was only vaguely aware of him tucking her against his side and covering her with a blanket.
“Sleep, lass,” he whispered before he kissed her temple. “And dream of treasure.”
“I dinnae need to dream,” she whispered as she dozed. “I’ve already found it.”
Though she had not meant to say it and tempt Fate, she couldn’t help it.
He meant that much.
While he had been vague about his kin, something about his explanation seemed all right…even plausible. She had known from the beginning he was different. Stronger. Healthier. Even nobler. So coming from a clan ripe with actual mysticism was not that far-fetched. Fraser being something more would not surprise her in the least.
But then he was already something more, wasn’t he?
He was the man she loved and intended to spend the rest of her life with.
When she awoke again, it was dark, and the seas had calmed considerably. Based on how Fraser stirred when she nuzzled closer, he had been sleeping lightly.
“’Twill all be over soon,” he whispered as he kissed the top of her head. “This will all be behind us.”
“Aye,” she whispered back, twirling the ring on her finger. “Then ’twill be time to look ahead.”
“Aye,” he murmured.
Eager to make herself clear, she straddled him, and whispered in his ear, “The answer to your question is aye…the answer has always been aye.”
She didn’t need to elaborate. He knew she just said yes to his proposal.
“’Tis bloody good to finally hear though,” he growled before he cupped her cheeks and pulled her lips to his.
This time when they made love, it was slow and passionate and lasted the remainder of the night. She lost count of how many times he brought her pleasure. How many times she found release.
Dawn was still a few hours off when they finally left the bed and began getting ready.
“I wish ye would reconsider coming,” he muttered as he wrapped his plaid. “Ye could just as easily stay on the ship until ’tis over.”
“I’ll do no such thing, and ye know better than to wish it,” she returned, holding up her wet trousers in dismay. “I’ll not miss seeing André and Estienne’s end.”
“Aye.” He sighed, not pressing the issue as he took her trousers and tossed them aside. “Ye cannae wear those.”
“Then what,” she began, trailing off when he handed her a pair of his breeches and a tunic. “Ye cannae be serious. These are far too large for me.”
“Nothing that cannae be adjusted,” he assured, urging her to put them on.
By the t
ime he was done dressing her, there was an amused curl to his lips. “Ye look rather becoming actually.”
“Becoming?” She eyed her outfit dubiously. “More like foolish I’d say.”
He had rolled up and tied off the bottom of the pant legs then cinched the material that could have spanned her waist twice with a bandana. His short sleeved tunic went to her elbows, and the front was tied into a knot. His mild amusement spread into a wide smile as he tucked her hair behind her ears and tied yet another bandana around her head.
“There,” he declared, nodding with approval. “Ye should be able to move around just fine in that.” His wide smile turned into a crooked grin. “A proper pirate lassie if ever I saw one.”
“Pirate lassie,” she mouthed and shook her head. The truth of it was the outfit did allow for good mobility. She eyed him as she strapped on her weapons. “Your scouts should be back by now, aye?”
“Aye,” he said. “And if things werenae as they should be there would have already been a knock at my door.”
She nodded, wondering what awaited them on shore. André had never allowed Estienne to bring her to this location once he actually settled here. In retrospect, it was wise of him. The less she knew, the better. Point in fact, the ambush she was part of now. Had she known the layout of his developing stronghold, it would have only aided them.
They were about to head up, but Fraser caught her before she got to the door and pulled her close. When he kissed her, it was passionately. All consuming. The sort of kiss that might just land them back in bed.
“Be careful, lass,” he murmured as he reluctantly pulled his lips away and brushed his finger along her cheek. “And fight well.”
She got the sense as his eyes lingered on hers that he wanted to say more but decided against it. Yet she knew what it was. She could see the love in his eyes. But like her, he knew better than to say it out loud right now. He knew better than to get emotional when they needed to be more focused than ever.
By the time they made it on deck, the ship had moved closer to shore, and the crew had begun making their way toward land.
The Seafaring Rogue Page 12
