by Pandora Pine
Rubbing a hand against his stomach, Carter yelled out, “How about a break?”
Fionn reined Brimstone in nearby and slid easily from his back. “You did very well this morning.”
“I wish my ass felt the same way, it’s killing me.” Carter grinned. “How do I get off?”
Swallowing the suggestive comment that first sprang to mind, Fionn cleared his throat. “Take your feet out of the stirrups and swing your right leg over the back of the horse. Then drop to the ground. I will be here to catch you if you need me.”
“I’m a grown man, I don’t need to be caught,” Carter mumbled, swinging his leg backward and following gravity toward the ground. His legs turned to rubber when his feet hit the dirt and if it wasn’t for Fionn standing there, he would’ve landed flat on his ass.
Fionn’s cock snapped to attention when he caught Carter’s descent from behind. His groin was nestled against Carter’s full ass. “What was that about not needing to be caught, princess?” he whispered against the nape of Carter’s neck.
Carter shivered in his arms. He was still trying to catch his balance and Fionn’s large, strong hands gripping his hips helped a bit. He pulled away and tried to turn around, but his feet tangled with each other sending him crashing against the solid wall of Fionn’s chest.
“Falling for me, Carter?” Fionn said, cupping Carter’s face in his hands. Fionn’s eyes were soft, a small smile playing on his lips.
Carter slipped his arms around Fionn’s waist and pulled their bodies flush against each other.
Fionn stroked his thumb across Carter’s full bottom lip, wanting badly to lean down and taste them for himself. If the foggy look in Carter’s eyes and his hard cock digging into his thigh were any indication, Carter wanted to taste him as well.
Shivering in the warm early afternoon sun, Carter licked out at his dry lips catching the tip of Fionn’s thumb with his tongue. Fionn looked like he was going to eat him alive and Carter was just on edge enough to let him. More than anything, he wanted to close the distance between them and kiss his dream lover until his lips went numb.
Fionn growled low in his throat and pulled Carter’s face forward to meet his lips.
Digging his fingers deeper into Fionn’s hips, he kissed him back tentatively, wanting Fionn to control the kiss. Just because he could spend hours kissing this impossible man, didn’t mean Fionn felt the same way. He was content to hold on and let Fionn decide what would happen.
Fionn’s lips were hot and full against his own. He moaned loudly when Fionn’s tongue lashed against the closed seam of his lips demanding entrance. Carter was eager to deepen the kiss. Opening his mouth, he was unprepared for Fionn’s quick invasion.
Fionn thrust his tongue inside Carter’s mouth to roughly mate with his own, his hands tightening on Carter’s stubble-roughened face.
Carter could feel Fionn’s erection digging into his stomach and held onto his hips tighter trying to resist the urge to show Fionn just how handy he was with a belt buckle. He felt like Fionn was devouring him whole and he was just along for the ride.
Catching Cerberus moving out of the corner of his eye, Fionn broke the kiss. He quickly pulled away to see to the skittish animal but really needed to put some distance between himself and Carter. Much more of that and they would both ended up naked with Carter riding him instead of his horse.
Carter watched Fionn move from Cerberus to Brimstone’s saddlebag. He grabbed a bundle and a horse blanket from within.
“Come and eat,” Fionn called after he spread the blanket on the ground. He was feeling on a more even keel now that he wasn’t kissing Carter’s incredibly soft lips off.
“What’s this?” Carter asked, sitting opposite from him on the blanket.
“Oat cakes and apples. Dig in.”
Carter grabbed an apple and took a bite. Some of the juice from the apple trickled down his chin.
Fionn licked hungrily across his lips, when Carter’s pink tongue darted out to lick the sweet juice from his lips. Fionn cleared his throat. “Why did your father not teach you to ride?” He figured it was a safe topic and would keep him from pouncing on Carter.
Smiling enigmatically, Carter answered his question with a question. “What kind of weapons did your people fight with before swords?”
If Fionn found it an odd answer to his question, his face did not show it. “We fought hand to hand or with rocks.”
Carter nodded. “So, a bow and arrow or a sword would be a more advanced weapon, right?”
Fionn nodded in agreement, eating half of an oatcake in one large bite.
“In the future we’ve made advances in transportation making up so we no longer need to rely on horses to get from one place to another.”
“Is there an animal better suited to transportation than a horse?”
Carter shook his head. “We travel in metal frames with wheels, powered by a machine.” Carter lay back on the blanket and stared up at the sky.
Fionn watched him and tried to imagine how such a fantastic thing was possible. Staring down at Carter he marveled over the way his foundling was adapting to life in the fifteenth century. He wondered if he would be able to fit in so easily in the twenty-first century.
19
Carter had barely been able to stay awake through dinner but, now that he was in bed, he couldn’t fall asleep. Muscles he wasn’t even aware he had were aching from his time spent in the saddle. He rolled over to lie on the pillow Fionn slept on the night before. It still smelled like him, leather, rosemary and a hint of something else that was uniquely Fionn.
“Damn it,” he muttered, throwing back the covers and getting out of bed. He paced to the fireplace, allowing the heat of the flames to sink into his skin before he lay down on the plush fur rug in front of the hearth and watched the flames dance, hoping their hypnotic movements would soothe him to sleep. It didn’t work.
He stood and strode to the closed door connecting his chamber to Fionn’s and raised his fist to knock. He stopped himself before he could rap on the wood. If Fionn wanted Carter to join him, he would’ve invited him. Worse, he had no trouble barging in last night. There was nothing to stop him from barging in now.
Maybe the steamy kiss they had shared in the meadow meant nothing to him. It had been the only thing Carter had been able to focus on, Fionn’s rough but gentle hands holding his face and the way his tongue sought to tame and dominate his own. It had been an uncomfortable ride back to Moone Castle with his cock half-hard and his already tender ass slapping against the saddle.
Carter backed away from Fionn’s door and climbed back into his large, lonely bed.
Fionn couldn’t sleep. As a warrior he was trained to fall asleep on demand. Any bit of rest he could get was vital during battle conditions. He never had trouble finding his sleep in the past.
He pillowed his arms behind his head and watched the flickering flames dance on the ceiling like Carter had done the night before. He refused to admit his princess in the room next-door was the reason sleep eluded him.
As hard as he fought against it, his mind kept flashing back to the kiss he and Carter shared earlier that afternoon. It was rare he ever kissed his lovers, more rare when he allowed them to kiss him back. He couldn’t explain why he needed to taste Carter more than he needed his next breath.
He sighed, throwing back the covers. He had told himself a hundred times since their kiss to stay away from Carter but he didn’t have the strength left to keep fighting against himself. He strode to the door and flung it wide, wincing when it bounced loudly against the wall.
“Trying to wake up the whole castle?” Carter smirked.
He bit back a smile seeing Carter lying on his pillow. “Shut up and shove over,” he said with more heat in his voice than he intended. He thought seeing Carter would make him feel less edgy, so why was he feeling more on edge than before?
Carter did as he asked and moved back to his own pillow, not bothering to hide his bright smile.
“Why are you grinning like a fool?” Fionn snarled his lip at his foundling to keep from smiling.
“No special reason,” Carter teased.
“Get over here.” Fionn hauled Carter across the bed to lie against his chest. He sighed and felt his taut body ease into a more relaxed state when Carter settled against him.
Carter rested his head against his grumpy warrior’s shoulder and curled his right leg up and over Fionn, wincing when the already tight muscles pulled.
“You are sore from our ride?” Fionn asked gently, his cock twitching against Carter’s leg when his mind conjured up a different ride entirely.
“A little,” he admitted shyly.
Fionn fairly roared and flipped Carter onto his back. “You will tell me where it hurts.” His mass of long hair fell forward curtaining his face.
Carter reached up and gathered Fionn’s hair in one hand. His golden strands felt like spun silk against his fingers. “I’m fine, nothing a good night’s sleep can’t fix.”
“Why did you not tell me you were in pain?” Concern he was unable to hold back flooded his blue eyes.
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
“It is my job to worry for you,” he said gently, bending low to brush their lips together.
Carter kissed him back eagerly, loving the rough slide of his beard against the side of his face. He used the mass of hair to hold Fionn where he wanted him. Pulling back from his kiss, he brushed his lips against his cheek and then against the lobe of his left ear before lightly biting it.
“Carter,” Fionn groaned when he licked up the shell of his ear.
“Missed you tonight, stubborn warrior. I couldn’t sleep without you.” Carter smiled before licking over Fionn’s full bottom lip.
“My apologies for not being here sooner, princess.” Fionn shivered at Carter’s bold display of affection.
He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he loved it when Fionn called him princess in his snarky tone. “I didn’t see you after our ride this afternoon. Where were you?” Carter spent the afternoon learning how to clean and inspect hooves with Davin, Moone’s stable master. He had missed not seeing Fionn around the stable, not that he would admit that either.
“Ah, trying to keep a record of my movements to report to your men?” Fionn asked quietly.
It always came back to Fionn thinking he was a spy. He was curious about Fionn’s day and mistrust was what he got in return. He shoved weakly, his sore arms barking in protest, against Fionn’s broad shoulders. Thankfully, he took the hint and rolled away from Carter who turned over to his right side, his back facing Fionn.
The last thing Carter wanted to do was move away from Fionn. He had spent the afternoon missing his warm smile and the feel of his hands against his face, but how much more questioning about being a spy was he going to have to put up with until Fionn started to trust him?
“I spent the afternoon on the training field working with my men,” he said softly. If not for intelligence purposes, why was Carter interested in how he spent his time?
“I worked with Davin. He taught me about the hoof care and I got to see him shoe a mare,” Carter returned, still facing away from Fionn.
“I know. I asked him to instruct you.” He wasn’t any good at this. More than anything, he wanted to ease up and trust Carter, but he was still having a hard time letting go of his mistrust.
Carter sighed heavily and rolled over to look at Fionn who wore a puzzled look. “I was asking about your day because it’s what friends do when they’ve been apart. I’m interested in what you do because I’m interested in your life.”
Fionn felt like a shite. No one had ever been close enough to him to ask about his day. He had Donnall, but his friend was with him all day and knew what he had done. This talking business was as foreign to Fionn as working in Moone’s kitchens. “Did you enjoy your time with Davin?” It was the only thing he could think to say. It must have been the right thing based on the huge smile on Carter’s face.
“He knows so much about horses. Once we were done shoeing Athena, what a great name by the way, we went to see the foaling barn. The tiny horses were so cute and curious about me,” Carter said on a yawn.
Fionn reached out and pulled Carter back into his arms. “I am glad you are well pleased with your duties in the stables.”
Carter cuddled closer to the warrior, before brushing a kiss against the skin at the opening to his nightshirt. “I want to learn how to fight so you’ll be proud of me,” he whispered before falling asleep.
Fionn was proud of his foundling. Problem was, he had no idea how to tell him.
20
Carter woke up cold and alone. There was no sign of Fionn when he opened his eyes. His pillow was cool to the touch. He must have been gone for some time. He sat up, wincing when his still sore muscles protested. He dressed as quickly as possible and ran to the stables.
“Ah, there ye be,” Davin said, “must be nice being the lord’s boy,” he sneered.
Carter was crushed. Why had Fionn let him sleep in instead of waking him up? “I’ll just get to work then,” he muttered and went off to see Brimstone.
The horse’s stall was immaculate. Brimstone was munching on fresh oats. It was obvious Fionn had seen to his warhorse’s needs. Disheartened by Davin’s comment, he grabbed a shovel and got to work in the next stall.
By the time all of the stalls were finished, he was ravenous, having skipped breakfast. Carter wandered to the kitchens for an apple and some oat cakes and couldn’t help but notice the way people were staring at him and whispering behind their hands. Did everyone think he was Fionn’s boy?
Once he had eaten, he made his way to the training yard. He could hear men cheering and the clanging of swords as he got closer. He found an open spot to watch the action and saw a bare-chested Fionn fighting against one of the younger soldiers.
The young man’s friends were shouting advice and cheering when he seemed to get the better of Fionn. Mad as he was at Fionn for letting him sleep in, he couldn’t help but stare at his finely honed body as he fought.
His long hair fell down his sweat -soaked back. His pants were perfectly molded to his ass as he moved and his muscles rippled with every thrust of his sword. He had a mark on his left deltoid that almost looked like a freckle in the shape of a crescent moon.
Fionn kicked out at the young man, sending him sprawling to the ground. “Can anyone tell me what Thomas did wrong here?”
“Moved his arse too slow,” one man yelled. The rest of the group broke into raucous laughter.
“Believe it or not, his arse did everything right.” Fionn turned to survey the rest of his men and spotted Carter sitting alone watching him. “Thomas did not anticipate my using a weapon other than my sword against him.” He looked back at the man lying prone at his feet. “Always be prepared for your enemy to think on his feet, as it will help keep you on your own. Dismissed.”
Carter watched as Fionn helped the young warrior back to his feet. He wrapped an arm around his shoulders and bent low to speak to him. Carter couldn’t help feel a flutter of jealousy watching the scene unfold. He was too far away to hear what Fionn was saying to the young man but he could see the look the soldier was giving Fionn was one of pure adoration. The chat ended with Fionn slapping the young man’s arse as he went on his way.
“What did you think of practice, princess?” Fionn called as he shrugged back into his olive green tunic.
Carter felt his blood start to boil in his veins. A flush was creeping up his neck. He came here to save Fionn’s life and all Fionn had done was accuse him of being untrustworthy and called him that ridiculous nickname.
He stood, both hands curling into fists as Fionn approached him. Fionn was smiling. How dare he smile when all he had done was make Carter’s life miserable from the moment they met? When Fionn was close enough, Carter swung on him, hitting him dead in the face and sending him to the ground.
Fionn reached up and wip
ed the back of his fist across his nose, grinning when his fingers came away bloodied. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” he smirked.
“Don’t you laugh at me. Don’t you fucking dare,” Carter shouted. “The whole damn castle’s been laughing at me all day because of you,” he thundered, his hands fisted on his hips.
His smile faded instantly. “Tell me what this is all about.”
“What this is about?” he shouted, incredulous Fionn could be this dense. “First you accuse me of spying on you. Then you let me sleep late,” Carter continued.
“You were tired and sore,” Fionn challenged back.
