Gift of the Realm

by Mackenzie Crowne

  Pleasure.

  Hers. His. Theirs. Arms clasping, hands exploring.

  Dream.

  Awareness exploded in her brain and she forced herself to pull away from him to take a step back into the ring.

  Her hands reached for his as his arms dropped from around her.

  “Colin.” His name was a plea on her lips, and she wasn’t sure which she wanted more at the moment—that he follow her into the ring, or that he act on the desperate need shining in his eyes, and continue what she had started.

  To her delight, he did both, taking the step necessary to bring her into his arms once more, holding her captive to the plundering of his voracious mouth.

  Like a thirst quenched at long last, the moment his lips closed over hers, a deluge of joy and passion swamped her, saturating membranes of her being she’d never realized had been parched. The blood in her veins coursed with a fresh fluidity, gushing through arteries to bring awakening life to her very DNA.

  “Embrace the blood of the realm, daughter of daughter. Let it lead your heart. For if two from the two join together at last, destiny shall be found, and misguided bonds will be broken.”

  The unfamiliar, feminine command echoed through her pleasure-drenched mind, pulling at her, and she stiffened. Colin’s mouth left hers, and she stared up into his darkened eyes. It took only a moment for realization to replace passion, and a moment later, fury lashed at her from the laser-blue depths. She swayed and nearly stumbled, left bereft and suddenly cold, when he thrust her from his arms and spun on his heel to stalk from the ring.

  She turned back around, but the ring was once again silent and empty.

  Chapter Eleven

  Keely struggled to keep her feet as Donovan squeezed by her, bursting through the open door, and raced down the path toward the Land Rover bumping down the lane. She let the screen door slap closed behind her, waiting for Colin to bring the big vehicle to a stop. Anticipation warred with trepidation in her belly.

  She wasn’t looking forward to explaining her actions in last night’s dream, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t thrilled with the results. Always before, she had moved through the dreams as a wary, if fascinated, captive. But last night, as if they’d been planted in her head like a hypnotic suggestion, Kathleen’s words had come to her as she’d stood at the edge of the ring with Colin. To her amazement, when she’d put the suggestion to the test, she’d found she was able to affect the dream to her own desire. That had never happened before, and the potential ramifications of her discovery were almost as staggering as her reaction to his kiss within the ring.

  She couldn’t think about that kiss right now, not with Colin climbing from the Land Rover and moving toward her like a powerful animal stalking prey. He’d obviously come straight from his business in Galway. The dark suit fit his tall frame to perfection. It crossed her mind it was no wonder he was successful in business. A man who projected that kind of confidence would be sure to intimidate the males he dealt with, and as for the women? Well, what woman wouldn’t be swayed by a man who managed to look so sexy, compelling, and dangerous, all while wearing such a conservative suit?

  His steady gaze moved over her like caressing fingers, skimming the shorts and tank top she wore, and had her thinking she should have changed into something a little more conservative herself—like a suit of armor. His expression was neutral, but his eyes appeared heated with either passion or anger when they rose to meet her gaze. She wasn’t sure which.

  If it was anger...

  She assured herself he couldn’t know what she’d done. He may know of the dreams now, but that wasn’t the same as experiencing them. It wasn’t as if he had an actual memory of her tricking him into the ring against his wishes last night, or of how angry he’d become when he’d realized she’d managed it. He simply knew she would have dreamed in the two nights he’d been away, and now he expected her to fill him in on the details.

  Still, she couldn’t help taking a startled step back when he stalked the last few feet to where she stood. Her hand reached out in subconscious defense.

  “I have so much to tell you,” she began.

  “Aye. That you do.” His voice was a guttural growl, his brogue more pronounced than usual. Strong fingers folded around hers, and he pulled at her hand, tugging her up against him. His mouth came down on hers with a hunger that was as thrilling as it was disconcerting. “After,” he murmured against her lips.

  The world spun suddenly as his arm tightened about her waist and her feet left the ground. Held tight against him, she felt him reach out to open the door, and then they were inside the house, moving through the hallway toward the staircase. She heard the screen door clatter shut behind them, and Donovan’s nails clicking against the aged wood as he scrambled to follow.

  “Wait,” she implored, only to have her words swallowed by the return of his mouth on hers. As with every other time their lips had touched, she promptly forgot what she had been planning to say. Still primed from last night’s dream, her body heated and dampened in greedy anticipation.

  Apparently later babe was now. And didn’t that work for her!

  She clung to him, arms clutching at his shoulders, while her legs wrapped around his waist. Against her breasts, the erratic thumping of his heart was exhilarating. He took the stairs, never releasing her lips, or her body. The crash of her bedroom door being kicked shut had her pulling back to stare into his eyes so close to hers. The look in them sent her already pounding heart into overdrive.

  He said nothing, glancing around to get his bearings, then headed for the bed. The faded quilt was cool against her bare shoulders and legs as he lowered her to the mattress, following until his big body covered hers. A muscled thigh thrust between her legs, spreading them, and a wide palm found her breast.

  The contact had fire licking at her very core, and she arched into his touch. His mouth found hers once more in a kiss so scorching she wondered absently why the curtains on the nearby window didn’t spontaneously combust.

  Locked outside the room, Donovan expressed his displeasure with a round of excited barking. Her eyes drifted open when Colin paused, lifting his head to stare down at her.

  “Quiet, Donovan,” he commanded softly without looking away. To her surprise, the barking ceased on a whine. “If this isn’t something you’re wanting, darlin’,” he said, his voice a low rumble, “tell me now. Because in another ten seconds, it’ll be too late.”

  She blinked up at him. Excitement made it difficult to speak, but she managed to breathe, “Ten seconds? You’re really going to make me wait that long?”

  A dimple scored his cheek at his quick grin. She reached up, tangled her fingers in his hair, and pulled his mouth back to hers. She had no idea what had set him off, and didn’t care. She’d had just enough self-control to hold him off the other night, but she knew then it was only a matter of time until her willpower caved. Last night, if he’d been with her in reality instead of just in her mind, she could guarantee the evening would have ended quite differently. Denying what he made her feel was no longer an option.

  And wow, what he was making her feel!

  His mouth went on a sensual journey. His teeth scoring the sensitive tendon beneath her ear. Fingers of excitement raced over her, making her arch her head back to give him better access. Until now, she didn’t know her neck was an erogenous zone.

  He wasn’t silent, murmuring Irish interspersed with English words of encouragement as she writhed under his talented hands and mouth.

  “So delicate,” he purred, brushing his lips over her collarbone.

  The strap of both her tank top and bra slid over her shoulder, guided by his hand smoothing over the skin of her arm. The slide continued until he’d bared one breast to his gaze. His nimble fingers released the front clasp of her bra with a flick, and breath caught in her throat when he cupped her bared skin.

  She looked down at his hand on her body, mesmerized by the contrast of his tanned fingers against h
er pale flesh. “And so lush.”

  His laugh sounded pleased when her nipple tightened beneath his gaze, a gaze dark with desire as he glanced up at her. “Ah, darlin’ none of that,” he crooned, and she knew he’d noted her blush. “This,” he said, brushing his lips over her puckered flesh, “is lovely. A tender bud demanding to be worshiped in the way it deserves.”

  A throaty moan escaped her throat as he sucked her nipple into his mouth. Arrows of pleasure shot through her body, hitting their mark with deadly accuracy, leaving her quivering in places she never even knew she had. Without her notice, he cleverly relieved her of her shirt and bra, and when he moved to her other breast, giving it the adoration he’d said it deserved, she wallowed in pure, heavenly sensation.

  The need to touch him, to taste him as he tasted her, was overwhelming. She grappled with the knot of his tie, tugging until it loosened, and dragged it over his head. He must have sensed her urgency for he shrugged his way out of his suit jacket. His fingers tangled with hers where they worked the tiny buttons of his dress shirt. Finally, she pushed the material up and over his shoulders, and reveled in the feel of muscled flesh.

  He pulled away from her to slip the buttons on both cuffs, and finish the job, flinging his shirt and the jacket he’d worn aside. Then he took her hand, pressing it against his naked chest and said, “Touch me, darlin’. Anywhere you want. Everywhere you want.”

  She took him at his word. Her eyes followed as her hands learned his body. Lean muscle plated a wide chest. His shoulders were broader than she’d expected, his arms all sleek muscles and roped veins. Springy, black hair dipped in a thinning line, dividing washboard abs to disappear behind the waistband of his slacks. The tight skin around his navel jumped when her fingers followed the trail to pause at his belt buckle. She glanced up to meet his smile.

  “Anywhere, darlin’” he repeated. “Everywhere.”

  The belt came open with a click, and then she attacked the button and zipper. She ordered herself to breathe as she pushed the material over his hips. He lifted them to aid her, and in no time, his slacks joined the other discarded pieces of clothing littering the floor around the bed. She reached for the waistband of his boxers, but he stilled her hand.

  “These first,” he said. He didn’t ask permission. He flicked open the button on her shorts and peeled them away with her panties.

  And then she lay before him, completely naked. The moment stretched out as he leaned over her, his heated gaze brushing her from feet to face.

  Now that he was no longer touching her, creeping doubt threatened and she fought the urge to cover strategic spots until he spoke.

  “A Rún,” he said on a quiet purr. “Tá tú go h-álainn.”

  “Um,” she cleared her throat. “That sounds pretty, but what does it mean?”

  He smiled. “You, my dear, are beautiful. You take my breath away.”

  Happiness made her weak. She wanted to be as beautiful to him as he was to her.

  “Oh,” she said. “Well then. If we’re handing out compliments, you’re not so bad yourself.”

  “Not so bad, am I?” he said with an amused leer.

  She’d imagined this moment many times, but not once in all her fantasies had she wanted to laugh. She did now. “Exactly,” she said fighting a grin. “Now, if you don’t mind.” She waggled a finger at his boxers. “I can’t make a final judgment until I’ve seen the entire package.”

  He didn’t fight it. His grin went wide. “Ah, so you’re wanting to see my package, are you? You had only to say so.”

  She cursed her pale skin, certain her blush stood out like a bad rash.

  He threw back his head on a bark of laughter, and dropping a kiss on her nose, jackknifed to his back to shove off his shorts. When he rolled back to his side, facing her, she forgot all about the blush. She pushed herself up on an elbow for a better view.

  Pure male perfection met her gaze. Taut, tanned skin molded over a supremely masculine frame. Her gaze flicked to his to find him watching her. He’d given her permission to touch him wherever, however she wished. It was an opportunity she didn’t intend to waste. She smiled and let her gaze slide down his body. Feminine curiosity had her zeroing in on the one place he was most different.

  There was no hesitation in her touch when she reached out a hand to run her fingertips over his impressive erection. The textures delighted her, smooth heat here, silken-covered steel there. Her hand dropped to cup the hair-roughened globes and his erect flesh danced at the caress.

  “Have you made your decision yet, darlin’?” The low timber of his voice had her gaze flying back to his. “Because much more of that, and you’ll be having to wait a bit more than ten seconds while I recover.”

  She laughed, enjoying the rush of feminine power. “I don’t know,” she teased, drawing out the words. “There is a lot of you to consider. I wouldn’t want to rush judgment.”

  Silent laughter made his eyes dance, even as they narrowed. He took control of the situation, and she was happy to let him, considering the results. She was under him in a heartbeat.

  “You can take your time considering later, A Rún.” He cupped her face in his hands, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. His brogue was a soft croon. “But for now, take me inside your body, Keely. Join me in the pleasure waiting to be had.”

  She could do nothing but nod, and he rolled from her, reaching over the edge of the bed to pull a foil packet from the pocket of his slacks. He ripped it open, and she closed her hand over his.

  “Do you mind if I do that?” she asked, grasping the opportunity to touch him again and watch the pleasure of it darken his eyes.

  His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed and handed her the packet. Without a word, he watched as she rolled the condom over him. His eyes were the color of a storming sea when she met his gaze once more. Gone was the teasing smile. In its place was a look of male purpose that thrilled her to her toes.

  He mounted her, his muscled thighs spreading her legs wide in preparation for his entry. A swift thrust of his hips had him quickly buried inside her to the hilt.

  And her world tilted on its axis.

  The sudden rush of panic had nothing to do with the mild pop she’d felt deep within her. No, with her eyes squeezed shut, she staggered under the overwhelming sense of transformation. Her mind struggled with the realization that for her at least, this was no longer just a simple sex act.

  This...this was something so much more complicated and perilous. She should have been more prepared. As if loving him weren’t enough, she knew with innate understanding, that she had just become one with Colin Quinn—body, mind, and soul.

  Of all the stupid... What the hell was she going to do now?

  Caught up in her moment of epiphany, she was slow to notice he’d stilled above her. When she did, she had to bite back a groan. Unsure of what she would see, she squinted through nearly closed lashes.

  Disbelief filled his eyes.

  She figured that was better than horror, and hoped her smile was less sickly than it felt.

  “Um,” she began, not sure what to say.

  “Virgin?” he interrupted, his voice strained.

  She nearly melted with relief. So, that was it. He wasn’t upset over the life-altering shift that had just dealt her a lethal blow, probably because he hadn’t experienced the phenomenon. It was his unexpected discovery of her hymen, or she supposed, his obliteration of it, that had him looking like he’d just been clobbered over the head with a mallet.

  She did her best to hide her dismay—not for the loss of her virginity. She couldn’t care less about the loss of that useless membrane. It wasn’t as if she’d held on to it out of some lofty sense of morality or anything. There simply hadn’t been anyone she’d cared enough to lose it over—not with Colin filling her heart and mind since before she’d been mature enough to do so. But she could see from his reaction her sudden loss bothered him.

  “Is that a problem?” she ask
ed.

  “Not a problem, exactly,” he offered. His brows puckered as though he was reconsidering the statement, then he shook his head. “You might have mentioned it, is all.”

  “Well. It’s a moot point now,” she pointed out, thinking that applied to more than her recent virginal state. Whatever else she’d lost today, at least for now, she’d been given his body and she planned to enjoy it while she could. “Since it’s obvious I’ve never done this before, I don’t mind telling you, I’m really curious about that pleasure you said awaited.”

  He was silent for a moment, his indecision obvious. To give him a little incentive, she shifted her hips upward.

  The reminder of their intimate position cleared the remaining hesitation from his expression.

  “I won’t hurt you, again,” he promised.

  “I know,” she said, knowing he would eventually. And then all thought of future pain scattered when he began to move.

  To her surprise and pleasure, there was no part of either of them uninvolved in their lovemaking. His darkly crooned sex words, whispered in her ear, seduced them both. Her cool fingers reached and stroked as his hot mouth tasted. His wide hands explored and fondled while her curved hips danced to the tune he called from her. Her slim legs enfolded his waist and his strong body plunged into hers in a frenzied race.

  She hadn’t realized, had never really understood, how the flawless perfection of the human body was designed to be more than an organic vessel for the soul. Joined with Colin, her body took her to places bursting with color and light—to unspeakable ecstasy—to limitless, eternal places full of possibility and promises—to places she knew she could never visit on her own. And when the world exploded around them, they flew beyond the bounds of the flesh together.

  Chapter Twelve

  Her breathing had not yet returned to normal when he groaned, “The bed’s a bit small.”

  She snickered, unable to argue his point. His large frame took up most of the mattress. If it weren’t for the muscled arm bracing her to him, she’d tumble off the side, and it wasn’t necessary she open her eyes to know his large feet dangled several inches over the edge.