by Ann Gimpel
“Not so fast.” Mauvreen closed on them. “First, you’ll come by my place, share a meal, and tell us everything.”
“Yes.” Mary Elma beamed at Lachlan. “I want to get to know my grandson-in-law before the two of your retire to a bedroom and don’t surface for a month.”
Maggie couldn’t stop grinning. “Guess we’d better do what they want. It’s the only way we’ll get out of here.” She tapped her grandmother’s arm. “The dragon’s coming, too.”
“Cozy.” Mauvreen tugged her top a little lower. Kheladin leered at her.
“What about us?” Ceridwen asked. Gwydion and Arawn rushed forward. “Aye,” Gwydion said. “We deserve to hear all the juicy details as much as the witches—particularly since ye’re still asking for our help.”
Lachlan blew out a breath. “How about this? We can gather for midsummer at the stones on the Isle of Skye. That shouldna be more than a few days hence. Kheladin and I will tell you what we know, and then we must strategize. Rhukon is still on the loose, powered by Celtic magic from the Morrigan. ’Twill take stealth and cunning to defeat them.”
Andraste clumped forward. “I still think ’twould be best to return Lachlan to the past, so he can kill Rhukon, and be done with it.”
“I doona think so.” Lachlan favored the goddess with a stern glance. “I dinna return only to have ye banish me. Besides, the most I could do is immobilize him—and for a short time at that. ’Twould be far better if ye found a spot to imprison him until the end of time.”
Smoke streamed from Kheladin’s mouth. “We are not leaving—unless and until we choose,” the dragon huffed.
Arawn laid hands on Andraste’s shoulders. “Consider this, sister. Such a strategy might have worked, had Lachlan not found his way back, but we canna ask him to return to the past again. Another problem is it appears Rhukon’s newfound strength extends into whatever time he inhabits.”
“I wasna planning on asking Lachlan to return,” Andraste snapped. “I am used to being obeyed—and without question, mind you.”
Other Celts jumped into the fray, each with a divergent opinion.
“Looks like a good opportunity to leave.” Mary Elma poked Maggie. “You know where Mauvreen’s is. We’ll meet you back there.” She and the other witches shimmered; power crackled and flared. In seconds they were gone.
Maggie laid a hand on Kheladin and held out the other to Lachlan who took it. “I’m not very good at this yet, but look into my mind and go where I lead.”
It was neither neat, nor elegant. Maggie tried three times before the Celts’ hall disappeared for good and the walls of Mauvreen’s home wavered about them. “Crap,” she muttered, looking at the witch’s front room. “Kheladin’s too big. I wasn’t thinking.”
“He’s within me for the moment,” Lachlan said. “Both of us guessed he’d never fit in a normal-sized room. We’ve much to tell you, but there will be time for everything now we’ve found each other again.”
She liked the sound of that—it made her heart feel all fluttery—and wrapped her arms around his neck. He closed his around her body, bent his head, and kissed her long and deep. Lost in the kiss, body alight with desire, Maggie started when someone poked her shoulder. Gran.
“Yes, dear. It’s me. Come into the parlor. Mauvreen’s putting out tea, supper, and an assortment of booze that would lay an army on its back.”
“Before we do that.” Lachlan dug into his sporran. “I brought something special back. ’Tis been in the Moncrieffe clan since Roman times, and it has always graced the hand of the laird’s beloved.” He fumbled with a soft, tanned hide and withdrew the biggest diamond Maggie had ever seen.
Her eyes widened; a hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God. It’s exquisite. You can’t mean to give that to me.”
“And why not?” Lachlan slipped it onto her ring finger. “Och, and ’tis a perfect fit.” He brushed his lips over hers in the tenderest of kisses and smiled at her.
“But, I couldn’t possibly—” she sputtered, heart so full the love spilled over, painting the room in a luminescent glow that shimmered through her tears.
“Of course you can,” Mary Elma said pointedly. “Come along now. We shall toast your nuptials.”
“Thank ye, kindly,” Lachlan exchanged a meaningful glance with Maggie, “but ’tis truly time for us to take our leave.” He patted his midsection. “I doona know when I’ve been quite so well-fed.”
“You never starve in a witch’s house.” Mauvreen’s dark eyes danced with glee. “It’s a long tradition that started when we lured Hansel and Gretel astray.”
Mary Elma rolled her eyes at Mauvreen, then turned to Lachlan and grinned. “I expect to see a lot of both of you. After all, Maggie needs training to control all that magic we stuffed into her.”
“How long are you staying?” Maggie asked.
Her grandmother shrugged. “A couple of weeks, maybe longer. I’d always meant to link up with the covens here in Scotland.”
“Excellent.” Lachlan beamed. “Then we shall be getting to know one another better. Wait, Kheladin wants—”
“Several things.” The dragon spoke through Lachlan, but it felt easier than it had with their earlier bonding. “First. Witches should come to the Isle of Skye for midsummer. ’Tis long past time for magic-wielders to begin working together. The Celts will be there. So will we.”
“That’s easily enough arranged.” Mary Elma picked up her cell phone and tapped through menus. “It’s only a few days away. What else?”
Steam boiled from Lachlan’s mouth. “Stop that,” he told the dragon.
“I will return to my cave and my hoard to bide a bit.”
Lachlan’s mouth dropped open. He’d just assumed the dragon would remain with him and Maggie. “Ye dinna say aught about this afore.”
“Nay.” Kheladin spoke through him again. “I wasna certain until just now. But ye and our mate deserve privacy, without me playing voyeur. I could use a spot of help clearing my cave. Rhukon made quite a mess of things.”
“I volunteer.” Mauvreen winked at him. “Two magics are always stronger together.”
“I thought ye’d never offer.”
Sensing Kheladin was done, Lachlan puzzled over how to finesse their separation into mage and dragon. “Is there a space large enough nearby where—?”
Mauvreen anticipated his question. “My yard is circled by strong wards. Come out front. No one will see the dragon. He and I can leave from there.” She got to her feet and headed for the door. Lachlan grabbed Maggie’s hand, and they followed Mauvreen down the hall and out the front door.
To say he was anxious to drag her off alone somewhere was an understatement. Maggie had been sitting side-by-side with him for the past two hours eating, drinking, and chatting. The heat of her, intermingled with her irresistible scent, had made him crazy with wanting her, yet he’d done his damnedest to be polite to her kinswoman and the other witch. They were all kin now, but beyond that, he liked Maggie’s grandmother and Mauvreen. Two no-nonsense crones, they’d helped demystify modern times as they asked questions and answered his.
Once in the yard, he breathed deep. At least the scent of Scotland hadn’t changed much. It had a metallic overlay, but the smells of green, growing things overshadowed it. He felt Kheladin flow out of him. The dragon took form a few feet away, copper scales glittering in the sun. Mauvreen hurried to him and ran her hands over his side. “You’re just the most beautiful thing,” she murmured. “I’ve always loved dragons.”
“And we’ve always thrived on humans who adore us. ’Tis a verra old tradition. Why, there used to be festivals devoted to just that purpose.” He lowered his voice conspiratorially. “’Tis why many dragons retreated to Fire Mountain. They dinna leave on account of Rhukon, but because their hearts were broken that no one loved them anymore.”
“I’m all for getting dragon-love back online. Sounds like a match made in Heaven.” Mauvreen laughed. “Send me an image of where we’re goi
ng. We’ll get that cave of yours set to rights in a jiffy. I’ll bet I can rustle up a few witches who’d love to get to know you.”
“Truly?” Kheladin’s eyes spun faster. The dragon’s obvious joy was contagious. Lachlan mind-linked with him and sent good wishes.
The air took on a luminescent quality. Lachlan felt the sting of a backlash when Mauvreen’s magic collided with Kheladin’s far more ancient skills. Who knows? Mayhap the two of them will learn something from one another.
“I’ll stay here,” Mary Elma said from the porch. “Run along now.”
Maggie tugged her hand from his, loped to her grandmother’s side, and hugged her. “Thanks, Gran. We’ll talk really soon. You’ll have to come to Inverness—”
“We’ll do it all, dear.” Mary Elma kissed her granddaughter’s forehead. “For now, I’m not your priority. Remember our little chat?”
Lachlan made a note to ask Maggie just what the ‘little chat’ had been about. He opened his arms. Maggie ran to him. “I’m ready.”
He held her tight against him and laid his cheek against her forehead. “I’ve been ready since I first laid eyes on you. Ye did a sloppy job getting us here. Let’s see if ye can do a wee bit better taking us home.”
“Here I thought you loved me for me womanly assets. My charms. Not my magic.”
“I love all of you, lass. But your kinswoman was right, ye do need practice, and here’s a golden opportunity.”
Maggie laughed up at him, dark blue eyes ablaze with joy. “Great! Now I’ve got two of you to lecture me. Alrighty. You asked for this. Here we go.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Maybe because she was an anxious as he for them to be alone, Maggie’s spell went off without a hitch. One moment they were in Mauvreen’s yard, and the next, the familiar walls of her flat outside Inverness rose around them.
“Much smoother, lass.”
“I was motivated.” She tugged at his plaid. “Let’s get you out of these clothes.”
“What? No undying words of love and devotion?”
“Later.” Now that the prospect of having him next to her skin-to-skin was a possibility, Maggie couldn’t wait. Her nipples pressed against her top, hard as agates. Her breasts felt heavy with need, and her clit throbbed mercilessly. She yanked again at his plaid. “How do you get this damned thing off?”
“All ye need do is lift it out of the way.” He captured one of her hands and slid it beneath his kilt, where it closed on warm, ridged flesh. Lachlan groaned and pressed himself into her hand. “’Twill be a small miracle if I doona spend afore we even divest you of your clothing.”
His cock twitched in her fingers. Lachlan bent toward her and slashed his mouth down on hers. His lips bruised hers with the intensity of their kiss. She opened her mouth and welcomed the thrust of his tongue. Her free arm closed around him. His scent, heady and exotic, rose around them. Like the heather on the moors, he smelled of the very heart of Scotland. The scent lured her, sucked her in, made her think of couples cavorting beneath a Beltane moon as they blessed the earth with the juices of their passion.
She wrapped a leg around one of his and pressed her overheated core against his thigh. He wasn’t the only one with a climax so close it threatened to overwhelm him. Legs tangled together, they toppled to the floor. From a great distance, she heard her phone, but she ignored it. Maggie let go of him long enough to push her pants out of the way. They snagged on her shoes, which was a problem. She had to free at least one leg.
“Lass, let me.” He slithered down her body, leaving a trail of kisses that seared her skin. When he snaked his tongue into her streaming pussy, she moaned and buried her hands in his hair. The shoe would have to wait. Maggie spread her legs as much as she could. He licked and sucked her clit. It didn’t take much before a climax roared out of her, shattering her with its intensity. He didn’t stop after she came, and she felt a second orgasm spool on the heels of the first.
“Hey!” She wriggled from beneath his talented tongue. “That was amazing, incredible, you could do that all day—”
“Aye, lass. Then why did ye move away?”
“You know why.” She rounded into a sit and unlaced a shoe. “Finally,” she murmured and slipped her pants leg out of the way. The other shoe was looser. She managed to toe it off. Lachlan gripped her top and pulled it over her head. He unclasped her bra and immediately lunged forward to capture a nipple in his mouth.
Longing turned her nerves into a bundle of untrammeled lust. She wrapped her arms around his head and rained kisses on it. “I want you inside me. We can catch up on all the other stuff later.”
He raised his head from her breasts. “How would ye like us to be?”
“Oh, me on top. Then you on top. Then you can take me from behind. And then—”
Lachlan laughed. The sound filled her with a joy so pure and sweet, she could hardly contain it. “Hold up, lassie. My brain’s a wee bit addled just now. I doona know if I can remember such a long list.” He grabbed a cushion from a chair, lay on the floor, and stuffed it beneath his head. Lachlan opened his arms wide. “I do recall the ye on top part.” He moved his kilt aside. She gazed at his cock, mesmerized. “Is something amiss?” Green eyes held a glint of humor. “I thought the moment ye laid eyes on me, ye’d not be able to restrain yourself.”
Maggie tried to talk, but her throat was thick with love and need. “You are so beautiful,” she finally managed. “The most stunning man, ever. I could get drunk staring at you.”
“We’re both drunk with love. ’Tis as it should be.” He settled his hands on her hips and helped her straddle him. When she sank onto his shaft, Maggie couldn’t believe the exquisite sensations. They started in her pussy and spread to every cell, every neuron. He showed her the motion he wanted and rocked against her, using small muscle movements to make his cock twitch inside her.
Her next climax rolled through her, catching her by surprise. One moment, she was close, the next she’d tumbled over the edge, pussy muscles milking him. He pulled her body down and angled his mouth to suckle her nipples. Between kisses, he murmured in Gaelic.
“Guess I’ll have to learn to speak it.”
“’Twould be an honor to teach you. Turn over, lass. Up on your knees.”
She rolled to hands and knees and waited. Lachlan knelt behind her, but he wasn’t entering her. “What?” She wiggled her butt. “Back inside. We’re not done.”
“I was admiring the view. Do ye know your cunnie looks like an exotic flower, all damp and glowing and framed by your blonde curls?”
Ever so slowly, he sank inside her. Maggie reveled in the sensation of him stretching her, filling her, touching places she was certain no other man had ever reached. He started with long, easy strokes, but after a few, his control fled. He gripped her hips and pounded into her. She met him with every stroke. Though she didn’t see how it was possible, another climax spooled in her belly.
Lachlan moved a hand between her legs and rubbed her clit. “Lass.” His voice was ragged with lust. “I canna wait much longer.”
“You don’t have to.” Trapped between his hand and his cock, she gave in to the heat swirling through her. His cock juddered hard, again and again. She came right along with him, shrieking her delight and hoping to hell none of her neighbors were home.
They collapsed in a sweaty heap on the carpeted floor of her living room. Once their panting subsided to almost-normal breathing, Lachlan made a rich, purring, satisfied-male sound. “Now that was worth waiting for.”
She wriggled out from under him and grinned. “That was just the beginning. We’re going to take a shower, and then I’m going to make you come with my mouth, and then maybe we’ll take a food break—”
Lachlan rolled to a sit and laughed. “Lassie. And are ye going to plan out all the moments of our lives?”
“Yes. That would be me. I plan almost everything. Gran used to complain about that. Said I lacked…spontaneity. Do you have a problem with that?�
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“Not so long as I get to alter the plans from time to time.” He leveled his green gaze at her. “What did your kinswoman mean about a ‘little chat’?”
Maggie felt heat rise from her chest to her face. He’s my lover, my husband, my friend. No secrets. “I asked her what to do to make sure we stayed in love.”
“And what did she say?”
“To put you first. She said a whole bunch of other things, too, but at the moment I’ll be damned if I can remember a one of them.”
He got to his feet and pulled her upright, clasping her close, so her body leaned against him. “So long as we love and cherish one another, we’ll be just fine.” Lachlan kissed her forehead. “I love you, lass. Ye’ve made me a verra happy man.”
Her heart swelled, spilled over, and broke open. “I love you, too. I’m so glad I ignored all the reasons I should have walked by you that first day we met.”
“Were there really that many?” He smoothed her hair back and gazed at her.
“Oh my, yes. There’s lots you don’t know about the twenty-first century. We’re a cautious lot.
“By the way, what’s the deal with Mauvreen and Kheladin? They can’t do anything, um, kinky can they?”
He grinned. “If by kinky, ye mean sexual, nay they canna couple. But Kheladin had things right when he spoke of humans revering dragons. Long ago, there used to be cults of dragon worshippers…”
The day edged into evening and then into night. Lachlan couldn’t remember ever being so happy. He and Maggie had made love, bathed, eaten, and made love some more. Hold onto the good times, an inner voice cautioned. There are battles to be fought afore I can truly relax.
She snuggled closer into his arms. They lay in her bed with the curtains pinned back so they could see the stars and the moon. “Remember what you said about seeing me in dreams?” she asked sleepily.
