“Dani?” Maddoc said her name softly, and she opened her eyes with a lazy blink. “Wrap your arms around me.”
“Why? Where are we going?” Sill reclined against him, Dani moved her head, and Gavin could feel her hot breath against the skin of his neck. “Don’t stop, please.”
“To get more comfortable.” Gavin calmed the vibrations he’d been building inside of her and helped her sit up straighter. Maddoc scooped her up and carried her over to the chaise.
Gavin had never appreciated the odd shaped piece of furniture until now. As Maddoc sat down with Dani in his lap, her legs shifting on the overstuffed cushion, Gavin slipped the stretchy pants from her legs. She looked like a goddess reclined back against his brother as she watched him from under heavily lidded eyes.
Maddoc tilted her back in his arms, pressing kisses against her shoulders as Gavin ran his hands up her legs. “You are so beautiful, Dannika.”
“Yes, she is.” Gavin lifted one leg and pressed a kiss against the delicate skin of her ankle. The view of the luscious, creamy skin of her inner leg stretched down to the sensible white cotton panties she was wearing. He was also getting a full impact of the wonderful scent of her arousal. As much as he wanted to rip the offensive garment from her body, it was the only thing that would remind him to keep his pants on. When he and Maddoc claimed her body, it would be forever. There was no doubt about that in either of their heads, but they didn’t want her to feel rushed or have second thoughts.
Keeping that in mind, he shifted slightly and pressed a kiss against the ball of her foot before licking the delicate arch of her foot. She jumped and giggled as she tried to pull her foot from his grip. The sound was like light and happiness twinkling around his head.
“Why is it when Maddoc touched your feet you moaned but I’m making you giggle?”
He nipped at the tip of her big toe and she laughed again. “Because, Maddoc was using a hard, even pressure, not a light tantalizing one like you are.”
“Tantalizing? I like that word. It’s much better than teasing, which is what I was going for. I wonder what other parts of your body I can tantalize.” Gavin stroked his hand down the inside of her leg, stopping a few inches away from her core before returning.
“That’s teasing.” She moaned and leaned back against Maddoc, who pressed kisses against her temple.
Gavin wouldn’t have minded if his brother had joined in. He knew that Maddoc was letting him play with Dani, but at the same time this was getting her used to both their presence.
“What do you say, Maddoc? Should I tease or tantalize?”
“I say tease.” Maddoc caught Dani’s hands, lifted them around his neck, and held them there. “She’s so passionate when she screams. I want to see her face this time.”
Dani gasped, her eyes flying open at Maddoc’s comment, and Gavin wanted to smack his brother for distracting her like that. Although the blush that washed over her face was beautiful. Her eyes sparkled and her cheeks were flush. The color crept from her cheeks to her chest, and he would swear her nipples were a darker rose now.
“Wherever was your face that would have prevented you from watching her as she orgasmed?”
Maddoc held Dani’s hands at the back of his neck as she obviously tried to pull them away to cover her face. The blush on her cheeks darkened as she squeezed her eyes closed.
Gavin slid his hands up both her legs this time. Stopping at the back of her knees, he straddled the end of the lounge and then draped her legs over his thighs. This allowed him full access to her body, and he couldn’t wait to see what his brother had told him about.
“Don’t be embarrassed, Dani. Watching you come over my fingers is something I can’t wait to see.”
“Why just your fingers?”
Gavin’s cock gave a hard kick against his zipper as he tried to remember the answer to that question himself. He couldn’t think of anything better then stripping her panties off and then pressing his aching cock into her tight body.
“Because, you’re not ready?” That sounded completely lame even to him.
“Oh, you are completely incorrect with that assumption.” She rocked her hips and hooked her legs over his thighs, tightening her grip as she attempted to pull him closer to her.
The blatant sensual movement was almost Gavin’s undoing. He glanced up at Maddoc, and for a moment there, they were both in total agreement. A deep cleansing breath helped to clear the raging lust ruling Gavin’s thought process. “Soon, very soon, but we want you to completely understand what you are getting involved in.”
“I don’t care.”
And that was exactly why he couldn’t allow himself to claim her, any more than Maddoc could last night. Her natural energy resonated with his soul, a perfect match for him and his brother. When they claimed her, it would be forever. That wouldn’t stop him from giving her as much pleasure as possible.
“We want to know everything about you, Dannika.” Maddoc spoke against her hair as he, too, caressed her body.
They worked in tandem, manipulating the energy that vibrated in the air around them, creating quivers of need that ran along her skin. She moved like an exotic dancer between them, dancing to the music they created in her body. Gavin had never seen anything so seductive and beautiful in his life. Running his hands a hair’s width from her skin, he traced the wonderful curve of her thighs, up to the apex of her legs. The honey her body created had soaked her panties. He pressed his knuckle against the wet fabric, rubbing lightly along the seam of her pussy, stopping at the small pulse point that hummed with anticipation. He didn’t trust himself to tear the fabric from her body without throwing out any and all plans and claiming her right here and now.
Tamping down his own ramped arousal, he concentrated on her body and worked on building her arousal. Her soft cries fed his ego as he and Maddoc caressed her, never entering her body physically, but that didn’t stop him from pushing a mass of energy against her, letting it flow into her.
Dani squirmed and quivered in their arms, until her body arched and she stiffened. The orgasm caught him off guard, and he was almost knocked back by the explosive energy surging from her body into his. Pleasure like he’d never felt before filled him, making his cock ache, and he had to press painfully hard against himself to stop from coming in his pants like a teenager watching a porno.
For countless minutes, there was no sound except for the three of them trying to catch their breath. Gavin’s cock felt like an iron rod in his pants, and his balls ached with the denial.
“Okay, you two need to show me what you need to show me so we can do this for real. As much as I have thoroughly enjoyed the orgasms, I feel like you are both being cheated here.” Dani lay back against Maddoc’s chest like a goddess waiting to be served, and he was more than happy to play supplicant to her.
“There is nothing more incredible than the passion you show, and the natural energy you give off almost had me making a mess of my jeans.” Gavin caught her hands when she lowered them from Maddoc’s neck and pulled her up so her face was level with his.
“I was told once that it’s dangerous for a man not to come when he needs to.”
No doubt some idiot trying to get into her pants. Even more reason for us to take our time. “That’s bullshit. It’s not the best feeling, but there is something to be said for anticipation. Believe me, when I press my cock into you, I already know it will be the most astounding moment of my life.”
Gavin pressed his lips against hers before she could comment again. He licked her lower lip, and she opened for him. A shiver of magic shimmered along his consciousness when his tongue caressed hers. He could have kissed her for hours like this—lazy, soft enjoyment of each other. He stopped the kiss and then leaned her back into his brother’s arms. Maddoc didn’t waste any time claiming her kiss, as well. Gavin didn’t feel anything but joy seeing his woman and his brother together. He’d known all his life this is how it was meant to be. At the moment, he was more in
awe that it was finally happening after all this time.
When Dani and Maddoc parted, he patted her lightly on the leg. “Let’s get you fed. You’re going to need your energy.”
“Then you’ll show me everything I need to see?”
“Yes.” Both he and Maddoc answered in unison.
* * * *
Dani looked around the large room. She was surprised that the house had a basement considering all the issues that New Orleans had with flooding. It was almost the width of the house and about half the length. “How can you have a lower level here and not compromise the integrity of the foundation?”
“Bywater managed to avoid much of the flooding that hit during Katrina. That might have something to do with how we protected these houses. It’s not simply the brick foundation that is keeping this house up. Maddoc and I literally built this room with our bare hands, blessing and infusing every brick and ounce of mortar with protective magic. We wanted to make certain our history was preserved,” Gavin answered as he led her down the stairs.
The ceiling was low. While she didn’t have a problem standing, both the guys had to dip their heads slightly. All around her were chests and shelves filled with knickknacks and more books. These ones looked much older than the ones upstairs. There was a distinct smell of incense in the air, making her nose tickle. It wasn’t offensive, but she wasn’t sure she liked it.
Gavin led her to a large table in the middle of the room and then stepped back to make room for Maddoc.
“That’s our main focus. We’re the family keepers. It’s our duty to keep all the information and spells that our family uses safe.” Maddoc lifted a large chest and placed it on the table in front of Dani. “These are some of our oldest written prophecies. There’s one about you in there.”
“Really?” Dani touched the metal box, which felt unusually warm against her hand. She’d expected the metal box to reflect the cool air of the room. “What does it say about me?” “That depends on you.” The box opened silently under Gavin’s hand. “More times than not, prophecies often don’t make sense until after the events unfold. I’ve always thought of them as a way to confirm suspicions rather than a warning of the future.”
Dani looked into the box. A number of tubes lay on their side, stacked up inside. “May I?”
“Of course,” Maddoc answered. “I’d be curious to see which one you draw out.”
“What do you mean?”
“Often the tube chosen isn’t the one you expect.” Gavin shrugged. “It’s a kind of magic.”
Dani hesitated, stopping before she reached into the metal box. “Are you certain it’s safe?”
“I swear it on my life.” Gavin moved some books and made a space next to her.
“We’ll never allow anything to hurt you, Dannika.” Maddoc moved in behind her, pulling her back against his body. She took a deep breath and felt the calmness that always followed their touch seep into her soul. “Try not to overthink it. One of them will feel right to you, and that’s the one I want you to pull out.”
She reached into the box and ran her fingers over the tubes. I don’t know if I really belong here. I’m not certain that magic even exists. The containers felt smooth under her fingers, as if they were made from a very thick paper or perhaps a thin wood. She touched one and felt it vibrate under her fingers, a sharp contrast to the rest of them. The vibration danced up her fingers and up the outside of her arm. Her pussy clenched in response, as if the vibration had been meant for her arousal alone.
“Unhook the top and slide the scroll into your hand. You can unroll it here, and we’ll see what you’ve found.”
She found a small silver clasp on the side. A flick of her nail unhinged it and the top popped open. Where she’d expected the parchment to be brittle with age, it slid into her hand looking brand new. It felt strong in her fingers as she unrolled it, revealing an old star chart. Out of habit, her eyes immediately scanned for Orion, finding him in the middle of the chart.
“Rigel, Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Alnilam.” She slid her fingers along the page, pausing at each star that outlined Orion as she said their names. “Alnitak, Mintaka, Saiph, Hatsya, Tabit.”
Maddox must have remembered the words that she’d been muttering last night. “So that’s what that means. I wondered.”
Dani pulled her hand away from where her fingers touched the small points that indicated star positions. “If these are as old as you say, shouldn’t I be wearing white gloves or something when I touch them?”
“It’s a kind of magic,” Maddoc whispered against her hair as he looked over her shoulder. She was intently aware of the heat of his chest against her back, and the way his hip teasingly brushed against hers. She shifted her weight and brushed her ass against the front of his pants. Almost immediately, she felt his hand at her hip, anchoring her in place. “Behave, Dannika.” He punctuated his comment with a roll of his hips against her ass. The heavy ridge of his cock already strained the fabric.
Dani had no idea why she responded to the brothers like she did. Her previous experience with men was limited to a single person but had always involved multiple questions like, Are you sure? Is this okay? The confidence that Maddoc and Gavin radiated drew her like the magnetic pull of a star system. Her body still hummed with banked arousal, like burning embers the morning after a large fire.
“Our mum drew this.”—Gavin pointed at the small symbols in the corners of the page—“the night she went into labour with us.”
“You mean the day you were born?”
“No, we took our time, something she likes to voice whenever she’s upset at us.”
“Mum used to say that we were meant to be warriors and that our future wife would be drawn to us because she would need us to fight where she couldn’t.”
Dani’s mouth dried up as Gavin spoke, and she deliberately did not look up at him. Instead she traced the stars that outlined the constellation she’d all but worshipped all her life. How many times did I wish for Orion to step down from the skies to me? Teenage fantasies suddenly had her head filling with questions. If magic was real, then the night they’d convinced Lisette not to wear her gris-gris had put her in danger? Oh, god, I helped to kill one of my best friends.
“Dani, are you okay?” Gavin’s large hand covered hers, his thumb stroking over her knuckles. “You just lost all the color in your face. Does this mean anything to you?”
“No.” Dani whispered the lie, her thoughts whirring around her head. There was so much to figure out. The lines between reality and fantasy in her mind had blurred, and she wasn’t sure she could handle these new thoughts.
* * * *
Maddoc pulled a chair over and placed it right behind her legs. “Sit down, Dannika.” She dropped into the seat without looking, and he claimed that small yet definite sign of trust. Gavin glanced up at him, and he gave his brother a small shrug. He had no idea why she would react so strongly to a star chart.
She’d lied to Gavin when he asked her if the chart meant anything to her. The false answer vibrated in the air around them, but he didn’t push her too hard. There were things that sometimes took a while for the mind to believe. Twenty-four hours ago, that small lie would have infuriated him and fueled him believe that Dannika was here to deceive them. She was no witch out to destroy their family, and it was high time he admitted his own responsibility in his past.
Carrying around all that anger for the majority of the past century had been a thinly veiled attempt to ignore his stupidity. It was easier to blame Morgana for the many deaths in their clan, but he’d been the one thinking with his prick, showering the witch with everything she demanded regardless of the price his people and his soul had to pay Instead of standing up and accepting their part in it all, he’d convinced his brother to leave their home and strike out in the New World.
“Dannika, have you ever been to Scotland? Did you know that the stars are so clear and bright on a cloudless night that you can read by their light?”
“That sounds beautiful. Studying the stars through a telescope is wonderful, but it’s mostly math. I can’t remember the last time I looked up in the sky with my own eyes.”
Gavin rounded the table and squatted next to her chair, on the opposite side of Maddoc. “We’re going to take you there.” Gavin looked over at Maddoc, and he nodded his agreement. It was time to accept the past for what it was and stop hiding from the home he loved so much. Dannika’s trust in them was a new and fragile thing. He’d protect her until that faith and trust in them both grew strong enough to bind them.
“I’ll show you all the places that Maddoc lead that got us into trouble.”
“I somehow find that difficult to believe, Gavin. I might not have had any siblings, but my friends did and not one of them has ever stated that they were always the followers into mischief.
“But, I was.” Gavin slapped his hand over his heart as if her comment wounded him. “Maddoc was always the bad one.”
“A length of Campbell tartan, a bottle of mead, and Colleen McDonald,” Maddoc stated as he straightened. They were the details of a potential tryst Gavin had convinced him to join in on when they were hardly old enough to know what to do with a naked woman. That prank had almost landed him and his brother with their heads in a noose and their balls tied to running horses.
“No media evidence. It didn’t happen.” Gavin grinned as he lifted Dannika’s hand to his mouth. “Merely a footnote in a feud that had nothing to do with us…directly.”
“You started a feud?”
“Not intentionally…”
“That’s not a denial, Gavin.”
“Perhaps wearing another clan’s tartan while seducing the Laird’s niece wasn’t the best choice,”
“In Gavin’s defense, we had no idea that the Cambells and McDonalds were on the verge of war.”
Dannika looked up at Maddoc, and he searched her face for the truth. He hoped that she wouldn’t judge them too harshly for their mistakes. She’d said a couple times that she didn’t understand subtle facial expressions, but that didn’t prevent her from being an open book. She might be uncertain of the events unfolding around her, but there was hope and the soft burgeoning blossom of true love in her gaze, a gift so pure it struck a resounding cord in Maddoc’s own heart.
Magical Redemption Page 9
