“Oh, I plan to take him with me, have no doubt.”
Connall felt sand shifting under his feet. The thought of her leaving devastated him. “Pepper,” he whispered. “I should never have threatened to separate you from him. I can’t apologize enough. I was panicked and desperate, but it was an empty threat. You must know that. I would never do anything to hurt you.”
Pepper burst into tears and slid into his arms. “I know. I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s going on with me. I can’t calm down.”
He rubbed her back. “You’ve had a fright, love.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s more than that. I feel… I don’t know… angry. Like murderous. And sad, like desperately sad. And horny,” she added in a whisper. “Like, if we don’t find somewhere private soon, I will explode. Everything’s dialed to eleven.”
Instead of becoming excited, Connall found himself deeply concerned. “How about we call Fiona? She might have some insight.”
“But…” She slipped her hands under his shirt. “I need you.”
“Wait, baby.” He tried to ignore her touch as he dialed his sister. “Fi. Hey, do you have the book close?”
“Aye,” she said.
Connall described Pepper’s emotions in as much detail as he could remember, her hands distracting him to a painful level.
“It’s the burning,” Fiona said. “In order to form the fire, her body produces extra energy. Check her eyes.”
Connall bit his lip. Pepper was currently running her lips across his stomach. “Pepper.”
“What?” she mumbled as she slid her hands over his chest.
“Baby, look at me,” he directed.
She glanced up at him and he gasped. Her eyes burned red.
“They’re red,” he told his sister.
“Okay, she’s in full burning mode. Essentially, she produces the fire, and if it’s not a major blaze, her body has to expel the remaining energy. She needs to do something physical or she’ll stay that way for several hours.” Fiona chuckled. “Running’s good.”
Connall fought the urge to groan. “Okay, thanks, Fi. Gotta go.”
Pepper slipped her hands under the waistband of his jeans. He grasped her hands with a frustrated growl. “Wait, baby,” he whispered. “We can’t do this here.”
She whimpered, her face red and her eyes burning darker.
“Come with me,” he said, and guided her down the hall and outside.
He forced her to run up and down the steps and through the pillars for several minutes until he saw her face return to her normal hue. He paced her in an effort to keep her moving.
Pepper stopped between two of the pillars and took a deep breath. Her eyes were back to their beautiful blue, although she still appeared to be irritated. “That was not quite what I had in mind.”
Connall chuckled. “We didn’t have much of a choice, sweetheart. I couldn’t take you on the floor of the server room.”
“Wouldn’t is more accurate,” she retorted. She paced, shaking her hands out. “That was intense.”
“I picked up on that.” He continued to watch her pace. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I think so. I had no idea he’d go after Helen or her grandson.”
He took her hands and lifted them to his lips. “None of this is your fault, love.”
“Tavish is Cauld Ane, right?”
“Aye.”
“But Helen’s human. I would have never guessed they were related.”
Connall smiled. “Tavish is bound to their daughter.”
“Aren’t you worried about Dick and Helen working for us?”
“No. They know who we are. It’s a strange story, actually, because had we known Tavish had bound a human years ago, Kade wouldn’t have been so caught off-guard with everything that happened with Sam.”
“He didn’t think to tell Kade?”
Connall held his hand out. “Will you let me hold you now?”
She nodded and he pulled her close.
“Tavish and his family only recently moved to Inverness. He’d followed his mate, Beth, to France, but with the passing of his parents, he returned to take over his childhood home. He’s the only child. Beth’s parents, Dick and Helen, chose to follow them, rather than be separated from their grandchildren. I have only recently learned this story from Helen, and it’s only because we’ve grown close.”
“But surely Tavish could have said something to Kade.”
Connall shook his head. “Tavish would never address his king directly and would certainly never offer advice unless asked specifically.”
Pepper rolled her eyes. “Well, that’s just stupid.”
Connall chuckled. “Perhaps.”
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For blocking you.” She grimaced. “I really need to learn to trust you more.”
“Yes, you do.” He kissed her nose. “I’m sorry too. I would never ever take Jonesy away from you.”
She snorted. “I’d like to see you try. It would probably be your last attempt at anything.”
“Come on. I want to get you back to the flat so we can go home.”
“And Jet?”
“Jet’s going to hang out with Kinnon for a while. He needs to detox before I can deal with him.”
Pepper sighed. “How is it that I’m such a magnet for addicts?”
“Two people does not make you a magnet,” Connall said, and led her back into the museum.
Pepper was swept into Sam’s arms and hugged as though she were a lifeline. “Oh my word, honey, I was scared to death.”
“I know, Sam, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She smiled cupping Pepper’s face. “No more keeping things from me.”
“I can get behind that.”
“By the way, I suggested Cole and Dalton forget what they saw. They think you had a lighter,” Sam said.
“Thank you!”
“I’m going to take Pepper back to the flat,” Connall said. “We’ll meet you at your place for dinner. Six good?”
“Yes. Six is great,” Sam said. “We’ll take care of Dalton.”
Pepper’s hair started to return to normal as Connall ushered her out of the museum and into the waiting car, pulling her close as Alasdair drove them to their apartment.
TWO DAYS LATER, Pepper woke to the quiet snore of her husband. She tried to go back to sleep, but it didn’t matter what she did, she couldn’t get him to stop snoring. She rolled over and wrapped her arm around his waist, pulling his back to her front and kissing his shoulder. “Time to wake up.”
“What? Is it?” he grumbled. “It’s still dark outside. What time is it?”
She raised her head to look at the clock. “Four.”
“In the morning?” He turned to face her with a frown. “We don’t have to be up for hours.”
“Maybe, but you woke me and now I’m bored.”
He chuckled. “What am I supposed to do about that?”
“I have several ideas,” she said.
“I’m all ears.”
Connall’s mouth covered hers and she melted into him. He pushed her gently onto her back, dragging her panties down and throwing them aside, then climbing up her body, kissing as he went. He pushed her T-shirt off as he moved north. She arched as he drew a nipple into his mouth and slid a hand between her legs, thumbing her clit. “Connall,” she breathed out.
“Open, love.”
Pepper dropped her knees so he could have better access and he slid three fingers inside of her, gently biting down on her nipple. She mewed, her breath coming in pants as he sped up his hand between her legs. “Connall.”
His hand slipped out of her and she whimpered, but she needn’t have been concerned, because his mouth replaced his thumb and his fingers slid back inside of her. Pepper cried out as her orgasm hit and her knees closed against his head still between her legs.
“Oh, sorry.”
Connall chuckled, kissing her g
ently and pushing off the bed. He removed his clothes and even in her climax-induced haze, she was transfixed by his body. He was hard and his cock was just as impressive as his body. She licked her lips, suddenly wanting him in her mouth, so she sat up and scooted off the bed, kneeling in front of him.
Cradling his cock in her hand and kissing the tip, she took as much of him as she could in her mouth. God, he was big.
“Pepper,” he whispered.
She groaned and continued to suck as she pumped his shaft with one hand and cradled his balls with the other. She knew she was giving him what he needed when he fisted his hands into her hair and his hips began to move. She couldn’t stop a smile as he fucked her mouth, her a willing participant, holding on when he told her he was going to come. He warned her again, but she grabbed his ass and squeezed.
“Fuck!” he said with a groan as he came.
She waited until his cock stopped pulsing before giving one more suck and releasing him. Before she could relish in her newly found skill, she was lifted and dropped back on the bed; her knees bent and Connall was sliding into her slowly.
“Baby,” she whispered.
He kissed her and his tongue swept against hers as he surged into her.
She arched her hips, drawing him further in. “Yes,” she breathed out.
Guiding her hands above her head, Connall held them there with one hand, sliding his other to her breast. As he rolled her nipple between his fingers, he kissed her deeply, slamming into her over and over again.
Pepper cried out his name as she came, trying to drag her hands from their prison to touch him, but he held firm and didn’t release her until he came inside of her, eliciting yet another orgasm from her. Connall gathered her in his arms and held her for several minutes as they caught their breath.
Since Pepper’s ideas had led to no possible chance of either of them falling back to sleep, Connall suggested they leave their bed around five.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I thought we could go for an early morning ride. Catch the sunrise?”
“That sounds interesting.”
“I bet Jonesy’s dying to get out of his stall,” Connall said as he made his way to the bathroom.
Pepper sat up. “I get to ride Jonesy?”
“Only if you get your cute arse out of bed,” he called.
Pepper jumped from the mattress with lightning speed. “Where are my boots?” she asked.
Connall reentered the bedroom with a grin. “In the closet.”
“Which is?”
He pointed to the door on the far right of the bed. Pepper pulled it open. What met her eyes was something out of a movie. “Whose clothes are these?”
“Yours.”
She faced him. “Shut up. What?”
“Sam organized a little surprise for you. If there’s anything you don’t like, we’ll return it.” Connall grinned and led her farther into the closet. “You have three pairs of long boots here, along with two pairs of ankle boots. Here’s your riding gear.” He pushed open another door. “And in here are all my favorites.”
Pepper followed him inside and laughed. “I feel like I just walked into Victoria’s Secret.”
“I can’t wait to see you in everything… and am even more eager to see you out of everything.”
“I can’t wait to have some fun.” She looped her hands around his neck. “There better be a naughty nurse costume in there somewhere.”
Connall kissed her. “That was the first thing I personally purchased.”
“Well done.” She grinned and pushed him away. “But you need to stop distracting me.”
“Yes. Sorry. I’ll call Ahearn and have him saddle the horses.”
“Oh, don’t wake the poor man. I’m sure we can do that.”
“He’s typically awake by four, love. He’ll be happy to do it.”
Pepper smiled. “I’m going to be very spoiled by the time you’re finished with me, you realize that, right? You’ll create a monster you won’t be able to control.”
He laughed. “Oh, I’m counting on it.”
Pepper took a few minutes to sift through the new clothes. She found her old clothes, but sadly, those took up less than an eighth of the closet and looked highly out of place amongst the expensive fabrics so lovingly hung on the rods.
She found her favorite jodhpurs, worn yes, but perfectly acceptable for a morning ride. Her old beat-up boots had been cleaned to gleaming and it would appear, newly polished as well. They were sitting next to a brand-new pair made from the softest leather she’d ever felt. Deciding on her old standards, she forced them on and sighed with pleasure. There was nothing better than a well-worn pair of boots.
She found two vests similar to what Sam had worn the day they went riding together. She grabbed one and put it on and then left the wardrobe of fun and headed for the bathroom to braid her hair.
“Och, love, you’re adorable,” Connall said as he stepped up behind her and kissed the back of her neck.
She secured her braid and turned to face him. He wore soft jeans and a black, long-sleeved T-shirt. “Where are your boots?”
“In the mudroom.” He kissed her quickly. “Let’s eat and then we can head on over to the stables.”
“Lead the way.”
Pepper followed Connall downstairs and into the kitchen. Helen had been given a few weeks off to convalesce and her daughter had offered to fill in, however, not until the beginning of the following week, which meant Pepper could get acquainted with the kitchen.
“We could get someone from Kade’s staff to fill in, you know,” Connall said as Pepper went about making coffee.
“Totally not necessary,” she said. “I’m perfectly capable of cooking for us, and I think you should learn some basics as well.”
“I’m good, thank you.”
Pepper giggled. “You might be a prince—”
“Might be?”
“Well, you’re certainly the prince of my heart, but you need to slum it a bit.”
He leaned over the island. “Slum it? Really?”
“Yep. I’m going to teach you how to cook.”
Connall grinned. “I’m all for that, love… just not today. Let’s grab a pastry or something and chase the sunrise.”
She clapped her hands. “Okay. Let’s go.”
They found bagels in the pantry and cream cheese in the fridge—something Connall had obviously requested for her benefit—and headed out to the stables. The thermostat on the wall of the barn said eight degrees, but Pepper felt perfectly comfortable in her long-sleeved shirt and vest. Jonesy went a little crazy when she arrived, like a puppy happy to see his master, and Connall suggested they lunge him a bit to get him warmed up.
As Pepper worked her horse, Connall took a call and when he hung up, he joined her in the middle of the circle Jonesy was creating as he warmed up.
“Yer mum’s arrived and has been settled into the rehab center about ten minutes from here.”
Pepper smiled. “When can I see her?”
“Not for a couple of weeks. The doctors want to evaluate her, but don’t worry, Kade’s overseeing them.”
“Really?”
“Yes. He insisted.”
Pepper felt the prick of tears. “Thank you.”
“Hey, no crying, love. This is a good thing. Yer mum can join us for Christmas if she follows the rules. Maybe getting her out of her normal surroundings will give her the boost she needs.”
Pepper nodded. “These are tears of relief. I promise.”
“Good. Let’s go, hmm?”
“Yes.”
* * *
Two weeks later, after a surprisingly pleasant visit with her mother, Pepper left the rehab center with Connall. They were headed to the castle for a family weekend, and she was excited to see Sam first for a few hours of retail therapy. They hadn’t seen each other since Pepper and Connall had returned home.
Connall drove them to the beautiful downtown of In
verness, pulling up to one of the more popular shopping centers in the middle of town. He walked Pepper to where Sam and Kade stood outside one of the stores, Alasdair and two other equally large men not far away.
Pepper grinned and hugged Sam. “Hi.”
“Hi, yourself,” Sam said.
“Ready to spend some money?”
“I’m always ready to spend some money,” Sam retorted.
They said their good-byes to Kade and Connall and headed toward Marks and Spencer. When they were out of earshot, Pepper glanced at Sam. “Did you bring it?”
“I did,” Sam said. “Let’s go.”
Sam led Pepper to the restrooms inside the store. She handed Pepper the pregnancy test and Pepper slipped into a stall. “If you’d told me I’d be taking a pregnancy test in the middle of a public bathroom, I’d call you crazy,” Pepper said.
Sam giggled. “Just hurry. I want to know if I’m going to be an aunty.”
Pepper finished up and set the wand on a paper towel while she washed her hands.
Sam opened her purse, pulled out a Zip-loc bag, and handed it to her. “So you can save the test.”
“Good thinking. Thanks!” Pepper dropped the test into the bag and zipped it closed. “I can’t believe this is even a possibility. It feels too fast.”
“Does it? I think it’s par for the course with you two.”
Pepper grinned. “Maybe you’re right.”
Sam’s alarm went off on her phone. “Okay, what does it say?”
Pepper stared at the test. “Two lines.”
Sam let out a squeal of excitement and hugged her. “You’re going to be a mom!”
Pepper felt the tears slip down her cheeks. “This is surreal. But I know exactly what I want to do right now.”
“Okay. Lead the way, best friend.”
Are you okay, sweetheart?
I’m great, baby, but can you please stay out of my head for a while? I have a surprise.
As you wish.
Thanks, Wesley. Your Princess Buttercup appreciates it.
Pepper spent the rest of their time shopping in somewhat of a blissful haze. She couldn’t wait to get home and present her surprise to Connall, but she was also a little nervous about his reaction. They hadn’t revisited the conversation of where the children would sleep, and she hoped they would find their way onto the same page.
Bound by Fire (Cauld Ane Series Book 2) Page 27
