Highland Games

by Laura Hunsaker

  “So Piper, what brings a lovely American lass such as yourself to our humble Highland Games?”

  Her laugh was musical. “Oh, you know, I heard there would be men in kilts, how could I say no?”

  Was she a piper? This man had called her piper. Colm had to join this conversation before he lost his chance.

  “Here you are, Miss…”

  “Oh, thanks, and thanks for taking the picture. So what about you? Wanna take off your shirt so I can send pictures back home?”

  Colm blinked. She wanted him to take his leine off? He smiled a slow smile and reached behind his head to grip the soft material of his shirt.

  * * * *

  Piper could hardly breathe as this gorgeous god in a kilt pulled his shirt off revealing the most chiseled, sculpted abs she’d ever seen in real life. That devilishly sexy smile he wore made her want to drop her panties right there at his feet, an offering to the sex god he was. Oh please don’t let me drool was the only coherent thought she had as she lifted up the camera, her other shirtless men forgotten, and snapped several pictures of the sex god.

  “Who are you?” she breathed.

  “I am Malcolm MacRobert.” He’d picked his shirt up and was walking toward her. He was much taller than she was, which was, well, it was intimidating. All the tall guys she knew were more on the lanky side, but this man was built like a man who worked hard for a living. He kind of reminded her of a construction worker, or maybe a blacksmith of old, or. . . holy cow, with that sword he was sporting he could be a warrior.

  “Is, uh, is your sword real?”

  There was that slow and devilish smile again. “Aye, lass, it’s verra real.”

  “Wow! It’s so big, can I touch it?”

  He choked on a laugh. “Och, ye meant my claymore. Aye, lass here ye go.” He held it out to her one-handed, yet Piper had to grip it with both hands to prevent it from hitting the ground. His hands landed right on top of hers, though to help her keep it up.

  “You make it look so easy,” Piper grumbled as he slid one arm around her so that he caged her in, and had her hands trapped beneath his.

  “I train verra hard, lass.” God, that voice of his. He could read her the ingredients to a can of soup and she would be happy for life. Or she’d do something embarrassing like faint from the decadence of his deep, sexy voice. He was taking her through the motions of swinging the sword diagonally when one of the jerks from her tour noticed.

  “Hey, Piper! Is this guy bothering you? Dude, get your hands off the lady.”

  “Shut it, Doug,“ Piper growled at him.

  His laugh was nasty. “Piper, sweetie, I don’t think you understand. These guys are all here just to take advantage of sweet, naïve tourists, like you.”

  She narrowed her eyes on Doug. Did he want to add a little head pat with that condescending tone of his? “Seriously?” Piper pushed at Malcolm’s arms to step free, but he tightened his grip around her. Shooting him an irritated look, she broke free and stepped up to Doug, poking him in the chest. “Like you haven’t been chasing everything in a skirt since you got here?”

  Doug’s eyes shifted from Malcolm to Piper, as if he were shocked that she didn’t just meekly prance up to him and bat her lashes in feminine gratitude. But he did press her hand flat against his chest, and step right into Piper’s personal space.

  “Get out of the way Piper, this guy needs to be taught some manners.”

  “Like you’re going to teach anyone manners,” she snorted under her breath, pulling her hand free.

  “Aye, Piper, stay behind me, lass.”

  Oh, hell no! Sexy Guy was so not going to tell her what to do either.

  “You idiots can beat the crap out of each other for all I care. I’m not going to stay to watch.” Piper stomped off to the drink tent where the guys from earlier were hanging out.

  Giving them her most winsome smile, Piper greeted the group. “Hiya boys, can I buy you a round?”

  As the cheer went up for free beer, she purposely turned her back on Doug and Malcolm and pretended to ignore them.

  * * * *

  Colm was irritated that this young pup had caused him to lose Piper. And that she had gone to sit with the men drinking ale, and ogling her body in her tiny scraps of cloth. Once again, Colm wondered what kind of men allowed their women to dress like that. She wore naught but hose of some kind, or breeches, and a cropped shift that landed at her hips. The damned thing was sheer and he could see whatever the garment was that she wore beneath. Wanting nothing more than to get to Piper, Colm rounded on the man who dared challenge him.

  Baring his teeth, he snarled, “Well?”

  “Whoa dude. Chill. Just leave Piper alone and we’re cool.”

  This boy wanted him to leave Piper alone? He couldn’t even if he wanted to. Which, as it turned out, he didn’t. Colm wanted Piper back in his arms, he wanted her pressed up against him, he wanted her beneath him. Colm wanted.

  His eyes strayed to Piper, laughing at something one of the men had said to her. She was beautiful with her long blonde hair lifted in a slight breeze, her lips turned up in a smile. . . and that was when Doug hit him.

  “You have no honor!” Colm spat as he advanced on Doug.

  “Yo, Dougie! You need help with this guy?” Doug’s two friends joined in what was fast becoming a brawl, and Colm studied them from beneath his lashes. As the first one stepped up next to Doug, the second one lunged from the side. Colm ducked and grabbed him by the back of his neck. He threw him at the other friend and focused on Doug, who was backing up, his eyes darting for an escape. It took every ounce of control Colm had not to draw his sword and end it all right then. Instead, he threw a left hook, anticipating Doug seeing it, and jabbed him in the jaw with his right fist. It worked, as Doug was too busy avoiding the left, he missed the right until it made contact with his face. It took him to the ground, where Colm stood glaring down at him, making sure he was smart enough to stay down. He was shocked to feel Piper rush to his side. She was pressing ice to his eye, and both cooing over his injury and scolding him for getting hurt in the first place. Well, shite, if he’d known all he’d have to do was take a punch to have her fawning over him, he’d have done that sooner. Smiling to himself, he thought he’d never been happier to wear a bruised eye.

  * * * *

  Piper had seen Doug sucker-punch Malcolm and shrieked when his friends joined him. Then she realized she had completely underestimated her new Scottish friend. Even with an eye that was fast swelling and bruising, Malcolm was amazing. He was all lethal grace and deadly calm. He went straight for Doug, shoving his friends right out of his way. Watching Doug fall to the ground was surprisingly satisfying for Piper.

  She asked the bartender to make her an ice pack and jogged over to the fight. Malcolm stood, hands on his hips, daring Doug to make a move. Even Piper could see the fury that burned behind his previously warm brown eyes. Piper didn’t even greet him, just pressed the ice pack to his black eye, and thought how amazing it was that the shiner only made him look more rugged and dangerous. Wait, stop that train of thought right in its tracks. Piper needed another bad boy like she needed a hole in the head. Her last “bad boy” boyfriend had been more of what she’d call an asshole. Oh she’d come to her senses and broken up with him, but when he left, he’d taken everything out of her apartment, and holy crap, what kind of guy takes a chick’s makeup? That’s just being cruel. Starting over had been hard, but she’d had Katie to help her through everything. Katie was more than just her best friend; Katie was the sister she’d never had.

  Shaking herself back to the here and now, Piper tried to ignore the half-naked sex god part of him, and focus on his eye.

  “How does it feel?”

  Malcolm’s lips turned up slightly as he grumbled, “It hurts.”

  “Poor thing. I saw that jerk sucker-punch you.”

  “Aye. I think ‘tis swelling. You should kiss it.”

  The boyish grin he tossed at her had Pip
er bursting out laughing. “You are such a flirt! Fine, if it’ll make you feel better,” Piper leaned in and very gently brushed her lips across his eye. “There. All better?” Piper realized she was within kissing distance of his lips as well, yet couldn’t force herself to move away. Wow, she wanted to kiss this man, bad boy or not. The air felt heavy and hot between them, Malcolm’s breath brushed her lips as he spoke.

  “Aye, all better.” Then his lips pressed against hers, and the world tilted. Piper closed her eyes, and leaned closer. But she saw glimpses of Malcolm standing by a lake, Malcolm wielding a sword in a bloody battle, Malcolm laughing with his friends. She couldn’t open her eyes and she couldn’t stop seeing Malcolm. But she could feel his lips, oh could she feel his lips. Solid and warm, pressing hers open, his tongue slipping inside, tangling with hers. His arms slid around her waist, one creeping up to hold her head still while his tongue invaded the satin warmth of her mouth. The kiss was unlike any she’d had before. None of the guys she’d kissed had affected her like this, and for the life of her, Piper couldn’t recall any of their kisses. Only Malcolm existed, both against her body, and in her mind.

  * * * *

  In a dark cave, an old woman cackled and laughed until she had no breath. Bringing the two souls together was not selfless, not by any means. It was incidental. The MacRobert lad was correct in assuming that doing so suited her needs. Forcing the visions into the lassie’s mind was harder than it used to be, as she was growing weaker. This lassie would help restore her powers, and Grissall would live longer, aye, she would keep living long after all others passed into the next life. Grissall had long ago sold her soul for her powers, and she had no desire to die the true death. There would be no heaven or hell for one such as she.

  Chapter Three

  Piper was reluctant for the kiss to end, but from the images in her mind, she felt both freaked out and as if she knew Malcolm very well. In fact, she now knew he preferred to be called Colm instead of his full name. She knew his best friend was a man named Caelen, and yet with everything she now knew about him, she felt that there was one really large piece of himself that he’d kept hidden. Blinking her eyes a couple times, until he came back into focus, Piper looked up at him-she looked up at him. That was a first!

  “How did you do that?” My goodness, was that her breathy voice?

  “The kiss? Would you care for another demonstration?” Colm leaned down to steal another, but Piper placed her fingers over his lips before they touched hers.

  “No, the pictures, the visions. How did you do that?”

  “What visions?” Malcolm had gone from gentle to fierce in an instant. Instead of frightening her, Piper felt a little thrill of excitement run down her spine. She was an idiot to be attracted to him, instead of running for the hills. Yet, her instincts weren’t shouting to run, they were insisting she stay locked in his arms. Besides, she was really enjoying his fingers in her hair.

  “You know, the ones of you.”

  “You saw visions of me while we kissed?” Colm’s voice deepened, “Was I undressed?”

  “What? No, no, it wasn’t like that. It was really weird. And I’m officially freaked out. Not that I wasn’t before because, really that is strange, but now that I know that you didn’t like, I don’t know, do it, I’m totally freaking out and…”

  Colm kissed Piper to stop her babbling, but while this kiss was just as smoldering as the last one, there were no visions. None. Piper opened her eyes to look at him before once again losing herself in his kiss. Damn, the man could kiss, but she didn’t think what she’d seen had just been her overactive imagination. She wasn’t that creative. Once Colm pulled back, she lifted her lashes and just looked at him. She took in the high cheekbones, the slightly crooked nose, square chin, and the beautiful brown eyes. But she didn’t feel like she was seeing him for the first time, quite the opposite. Piper felt that she knew each of those features as well as her own. Whatever “visions” she’d gotten had been detailed, no doubt, but the fact remained, how on earth had she seen all those aspects of his life?

  “Did you see any visions of me then?”

  “Nope, isn’t that odd?”

  “Then I’ll just have to kiss you again.”

  Piper could feel his erection growing against her belly, and instead of fear that she was making out with a stranger at the Highland Games, she was gripping the back of his neck and pressing herself up against that erection, rubbing a bit, and moaning into his mouth. God she was such a slut. But at the moment, Piper found it really hard to care.

  It wasn’t until Colm broke free from the kiss that Piper came back to earth with a thud. Looking around the Games, Piper felt slightly embarrassed at the way she’d been kissing a total stranger in the middle of a public place. The only people watching her though, were Doug and his buddies. Piper tried to step back, but Colm held on tight, pressing his forehead against hers.

  “A moment, please, love.” He was breathing hard, great heaving breaths.

  It took Piper a minute to figure out why he wanted her to stay in front of him for a moment. Her eyes widened, and she had to bite her lip so she wouldn’t laugh.

  Eventually, Colm stepped back and smiled at Piper. “That was unexpected.”

  “Yeah, you can say that again.” Piper expelled a long breath and looked back at Colm, her worries forgotten, or ignored. “Want to grab a bite?”

  He looked confused for a second, but Colm tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, motioning for her to lead the way, so Piper walked towards the tent that smelled like BBQ and burgers. Hopefully it wouldn’t be anything gross like Haggis on a stick.

  “Piper, do you mind if we talk for a wee?”

  She looked up at him and he looked so serious. “Of course not. What’s up?”

  Colm looked skyward for a moment as if really looking for what was up, but he focused on Piper again and said, “I’ve got to tell you something that may worry you, but I need you to listen to me, to trust me, all right?”

  Piper nodded, wondering what he was going on about. But Colm continued, “I’m no’ like these men here.” Well, duh. Piper could see that. He may not have been the only man carrying a sword, but he was the only one who looked natural carrying one. He could be on a horse wielding that huge sword of his and leading men into battle. The rest of the men looked like re-enactors or guys dressed up for a Renaissance Faire like she’d been to back home. But not Colm. He looked real. Authentic. And so damn sexy. She sighed, not realizing it had been out loud until he raised his eyebrows at her. Busted.

  She gave him a sheepish grin and shrugged.

  Luckily, he didn’t press her. Instead he went on with his story about how he was different than other men.

  “I doona come from this time.” Colm paused, “I’m from several centuries before this time, actually. I need you to come back to my time with me."

  Piper was nodding along when his words hit her. “Huh?”

  “I’m from the year of our Lord seventeen hundred ninety-three, Piper. I’m no’ from here.”

  “Right, and I’m the Queen of England.”

  “I’m telling the truth to you, Piper. Trust me.”

  “Sorry buddy, but I’ve known you for like an hour, so that’s a big NO on the trust issue. But thanks anyway. Hey look, I see my friends, so I’m just gonna go, okay? Good luck with that whole time travel thing. Bye!”

  Piper turned to hurry away to anywhere with a crowd of people but Colm gripped her upper arm tightly and turned her back to him.

  “I’m no’ finished, Piper.”

  “Oh, you’re finished. I don’t need this right now, okay? So if you’ll just let go of my arm,” Piper tried prying his fingers off of her arm, but they wouldn’t budge.

  “Piper, I need you to come with me. Look into your heart. You said you saw visions of me? Trust those, if no’ my words. Trust yourself.”

  He looked so earnest, Piper actually wanted to believe him. At least until she remembered that he
was nuts. “Yeah, see, I have this personal rule about not trusting men who say they’re from another time, so you can see how you would fit right into that category. Again, thanks, but I’m going to have to pass.”

  Strong fingers gripped her chin, and turned her to face him. His lips hovered above hers, but instead of kissing her, Colm spoke. “I fear danger has found us, and I canna help you unless you let me. I need you, Piper. Doona go.”

  This time, when his lips pressed against hers, it was sweet, it was soft. His lips teased hers open and his tongue glided in and out of her mouth, dancing against hers. His mouth was sin incarnate. Even though she had wanted to slip away from him not moments ago, she found her tongue joining his in the dance. While their tongues made love, her thoughts left her completely. Piper could only feel, and what she felt was desire stronger than any she’d ever known.

  The desire flared through her and Piper felt that if she gave in to it, it would burn through her, leaving her incinerated. Her instincts of self-preservation kicked in and Piper tore herself from Colm with a small cry. Piper was scared so she did the only thing her mind could think of, she turned and ran.

  Colm wasn’t far behind her and even with Piper’s long legs, he caught her quickly. His strong hands turned her by the shoulders and hauled her up against his strong body.

  “If you run, I will find you. Do you understand me? You canna escape me. I will always come after you.”

  Piper, eyes wide and breathing hard, could barely gasp out, “But, why?”

  “I need you.” He said it so simply, yet it held a wealth of meaning. A meaning she did not understand.

  “For what? I don’t understand this.” Piper pounded on his chest for emphasis, then had to restrain herself from rubbing her hand. His pecs really were “rock-hard.” Oh Lord, she rolled her eyes at herself for even thinking such a stupid thought.

  Colm smiled, and loosened his hold on her shoulders. “I ken.” His fingers were rubbing her shoulders lightly as he stared into her eyes.