by Willa Blair
“Come on in, Darach. Abby’s still in her room, but the preacher and Conner are here.”
“Thanks, Arianna. I appreciate ye taking care of making sure all is safe.”
“Hey, it’s my job, besides, I like Abby. For a mortal she’s pretty cool.”
“Aye, she is.” Darach followed Arianna to the dining room that now resembled a fairyland of lights. Abby had done wonders in the short time she’d had to get ready. Everything shone with the ambiance of romance. He actually liked it.
He nodded to Conner who stood out of the way, before taking his place next to the minister. As he greeted the clergyman and gave his thanks for doing the ceremony on such short notice, the clock chimed six times. Sean moved to stand next to Darach.
Darach’s heart picked up a bit of speed. The moment was at hand. Soon Abby would be his in the truest sense of the word.
A slight sound at the threshold caused Darach to turn his head. His breath caught and held before he remembered to breathe. Arianna walked into the room first and when Abby followed, he lost his breath again and still again when she smiled. Never in his two lifetimes had he beheld such a beautiful sight as his bride-to-be. He took her hand in his and tucked it gently against his body. Darach knew he would never forget this moment—not even if he lived another millennium.
Michael looked through his porthole to Earth. The view of Abby’s house cleared and he found the couple. Good, he wasn’t too late. A bulletin had arrived about one of his immortals stationed in an earthquake-ravaged area, and he’d had to handle that first. As he watched, Darach took Abby’s hand in his…
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Abby welcomed the warm touch of Darach’s hand. She was more than a bit nervous, but oh-so-happy.
“Now repeat after me…” Darach turned to Sean who handed him the rings. Darach had told her he’d taken care of the rings, so she hadn’t even seen the circlet that would bind their love for an eternity.
His large hand held her finger gently as he slid the band on her hand. “With this ring, I thee wed…” Darach’s fingers still covered the ring blocking her view, but her glance at his face as he repeated the vow to love, honor, cherish, until death do us part, almost brought her to her knees. As it were when it was her turn to place the ring on his finger, she had to blink several times before she could see to slide it in place.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
The moment the preacher finished the ceremony, Darach caught her to him in a grip that would have been bruising if he hadn’t gentled his touch. Abby looked up into his face and for a moment she saw his eyes go silver before his lips locked on hers.
The tantalizing taste of Darach assaulted her senses. More so because he now belonged to her. She would fight to stay with him and to save him if the need ever arose.
After much throat clearing, he raised his head, leaving her feeling bereft. He took her hand and raised both of theirs together. It was then she finally saw the ring he’d chosen.
“My grandmere’s ring!” Abby’s exclamation brought his attention back to her from the back clapping from Sean and Arianna’s congratulations.
“Abby, what be ye talking about?” His puzzlement seemed sincere. Could he actually not know the ring had belonged to her grandmere? She turned his hand over and gasped out loud.
“Darach, I don’t know how you did it, but these are my grandparents’ rings. The ones my grandmere pawned years ago.
Darach couldn’t have been more surprised than if the Loch Ness monster had materialized right in the dining room.
“Be ye sure? I bought these at a shop right here in NOLA.”
Abby looked a bit uncertain, but then she tugged the ring off his finger and looked on the inside. “Oh Lord, it is his. See the inscription?”
Darach looked at the tiny etching inside the circle Ian, I will love you forever. Love, Mimi.
“What does yours say, Abby?”
She pulled her ring off and then looked at it before handing the small circle to Darach. “To my Mimi. Love always, Ian.”
“How did you find them?” Abby pushed his ring back on and took hers back.
“I dinnae ken. I was shopping for rings and found a small shop I have never seen before.” Darach retrieved the ring boxes Sean had placed on the table prior to Abby’s appearance.
“See here’s the name of the…” His words trailed off. The logo inside the box was no longer there. Instead the words Michael/Archangel to God stared him in the face.
Before he could say anything else, the preacher announced he had to leave. An early dinner his wife had planned. Abby walked him to the door but returned quickly.
“Okay, did you find the name of the shop? I’d love to thank them, even if they don’t know what they did.”
“Trust me, the person who finalized this deal knows exactly what he was doing.”
“Darach?” Instead of answering he handed her the box. Abby’s laughter pealed forth and filled the room with its musical sound.
“I want to thank him. Darach, hand me your phone, please.”
“I didnae bring it. I mean, ’tis at home in meother pants.”
Abby’s eyes were shadowed for a moment, and then she shrugged. “Oh well, I guess I can thank him tomorrow.”
The evening wore on, the cake was cut, the champagne poured, and Abby was wishing they could leave. She’d packed just a small overnight bag to take to Darach’s.
“Are you ready, me love?”
Ready to step into the arms of her new husband? To make love with him, and to give herself to him forever? Yes, she was ready.
“Yes, I just need to get my bag.” Abby made a move to leave.
“Don’t bother, I have it right here, Abby.” Arianna’s grin preceded the hug the immortal gave her. “God’s blessings on your marriage.
Sean was next to step forward. “May you always be as happy as you are at this moment.” He clapped Darach on the back and amidst a mock growl from her husband, kissed Abby on the cheek.
Conner bade his good wishes also and then stepped back. Abby clutched the small bag Arianna handed her, and then Darach grabbed her. A moment later she stood inside his home. Wait…it was now her home also.
Darach took her bag and then stood looking down at her. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear he looked a tad nervous.
“I could show ye around if ye like.”
“I’d love that.” Abby glanced around the large room they stood in. It looked different; there was actually furniture in the room. As she followed Darach to each of the lower rooms and then upstairs, she realized he’d furnished the entire house.
It all looked great, but when he stopped in front of two double doors, she knew it was his room without being told. Darach opened the door and gave a bit of a flourish with his hand. Abby stepped into the room and just stared at the bed.
The bedposts stretched almost six feet in the air before they connected making a perfect rectangle. She applauded the decision not to add bed curtains. They would have ruined the majestic view of the almost floor-to-ceiling windows. The moon shone into the vista and Abby felt as if she could reach out and touch each strand of silver.
One wall held a dresser, and a small table displayed a lamp. A rug graced the granite floors, it’s price tag barely tucked under the edge. The walls were a deep purple and screamed royalty. Yes, this was a room for a laird of old.
“If you dinnae like it, ye can change anything you want.”
“I love it, Darach. It’s beautiful.”
His sigh as he looked down at her brushed her cheek.
“Well then that be good. Would ye like to see the bathroom?” Darach looked almost excited.
“Uh, yes, that might be a good idea.” She smiled back at him.
He strode across the floor and then pulled open an oversized single door. She followed him and then gasped out loud. “Oh my! This has to be one of the most fabulous rooms I’ve ever seen.”
/> A shower nestled against one marble wall, its length stretching almost to the center bay window. In front of the window sat a sunken tub with candles on the uplifted edges. Empty of water, it looked at least three feet deep. You could almost float on your back in the thing. An open cabinet filled with fluffy towels of all sizes and washcloths stood near another door.
“What’s in there?”
Darach’s face turned just a bit red. “’Tis where ye take care of personal business.”
“Oh, okay, I think I get the picture.” She patted him on the arm. “And it’s okay to say toilet around me.”
“It dinnae sound very nice.” His voice was gruff. Abby wanted to kiss him. Who would have thunk a man his age would still be a bit archaic when it came to bodily functions.
“I love you, Darach.”
The gruffness in his voice stayed but his frown disappeared as he leaned over, caught her under the arms, and lifted her to his height. “I love ye too, Abby.”
The kiss he gave her fairly scorched her lips, but then he pulled back and put her back on the floor.
“I will go and check the safety guards if ye want to take a bath or something.”
Before she could tell him to come back, he was gone. Oh well, maybe he was a bit shy. Lord knew she was a bit nervous about what was to come. Not even the most explicit dream could rival the real thing. Abby opened her overnight bag and pulled out her gown, toiletries, and hairbrush. No time like the present to try and make herself seductive.
****
Darach wanted to rip his tongue out. After a millennium of immortality he would have thought he’d be a bit more at ease. Instead he babbled about the bathroom and then left his bride just standing there.
The truth was now that the moment was upon them, he was a bit fearful that he might not be able to hold back his lust. Abby was a virgin; he needed to go slow with her. And there was the undisputable fact it’d been decades since he’d made love to a woman. He just hoped he hadn’t forgotten how.
He checked the guards and glanced at the clock. How long would Abby need to bathe? He didn’t want to disturb her privacy, yet the thought of her in his home, in his bath, caused a spear of lust to fill his shaft.
God’s teeth, he couldn’t wait any longer. Darach ran up the stairs and down the hallway to the master bedroom. The door was partially open, allowing a crescent of light to shine through. He’d left it open all the way. Was she out of the bath? Feeling like a green, untried lad, Darach pushed the door forward.
Abby stood at the dresser, her back to him as she brushed out her hair. The moonlight highlighted her silhouette and outlined every lush curve of her body under the ice-blue material. Darach’s shaft grew harder, his jewels tighter, as he took several breaths, and then moved forward.
He slid both arms around her silk-clad body and took the brush from her hand. Abby’s eyes opened and she caught his gaze in the mirror.
“Your beauty takes me breath away.”
Darach molded her body back against his. His hands teased the straps down her shoulders until the material caught on her breasts. The thrust of her now aroused nipples inflamed his blood. He wanted her so badly his teeth ached.
“Abby, I dinnae think I can wait any longer, but if ye need more time…”
Abby turned in his embrace. “And I don’t want you to, husband,” she teased back.
As she looked up at him, his pupils turned to silver discs. He lifted her in his arms, and the hardness she felt before now pressed against the vee of her thighs. Abby’s center grew wet with her desire for this man who’d changed her life in one moment of time.
He strode to the bed, pulled the coverlet back, and then placed her gently on the mattress. He nudged her legs apart and stood between them. Darach’s hands smoothed over her gown, circling over her hips, over her mound, and then back to her breasts. Finally when she thought she couldn’t stand it any longer, his hands sought and found her aching nipples. Even through the material the caress of his fingers made her want to claw her way out of her gown.
Darach’s touch as he tweaked the hard crests sent a wave of desire straight to her female center. When his hands left her she wanted to weep with frustration, but then he tugged her gown down to her waist and his mouth renewed the torture.
Abby’s upper body left the mattress when his mouth closed around one nipple and his hand grasped her other breast. His teeth grazed her swollen peak, and then his tongue soothed the ache before making her ache even more as he swirled and laved the tip. He changed sides and her desire grew. His hands touched her hips and she tensed with anticipation. Cool air bathed her lower body as he slowly pulled her gown down and then off her unresisting flesh.
Darach stopped his sensual administration and she wanted to pull his head back to her breast.
“I dinnae think in all me years of living I have ever beheld such beauty. Ye spellbound me.”
“Then it’s only right, for I fell under your spell the first night we met.”
“Abby…” Words failed Darach as he realized how fickle fate could be and how he could have missed meeting Abby or…his heart almost stuttered to a stop, failed to stop the demon from killing her.
So horrified at what could have happened he pulled away.
“Darach, whatever you’re thinking, stop.”
The stern look and frown marring her beauty gave him pause.
“You be right, me love.” He slid back over her succulent curves and leaned forward to tease her lips. The press of her desire-ripened breasts against his chest stirred his blood once again. Abby’s arms slid around to his back and she pulled him closer.
He deepened their kiss and then released her lips.
This time he moved completely off the bed.
“Darach, where are you going?”
Instead of speaking, he pulled the shirt loose from his pants and stripped it off. Abby’s eyes went wide. Darach unbuttoned his leather pants, unzipped them, and pushed the material down his legs before stepping out and kicking them to the side. Abby’s mouth flew open.
Darach dressed always took her breath away, but it was nothing compared to the immortal in the flesh. The dream had only touched on the possibility of what he looked like. His chest was wider, and a small spattering of ebony curls narrowed down to his belly button and beyond.
It was the beyond that caused her mouth to fly open. His arousal stood tall and angled toward his lower belly. The sac below hung heavy and full. Lord, the man was built like a god from mythology, his bronze skin an enticing contrast to the cream-colored sheets as he lowered himself to the bed.
“I be not going anywhere, wife. I plan to make love to ye until the dawn wakes the sleeping sun. After that until the moon rises to bathe a tired Earth.”
His tone as well as his words pulled Abby further into the spell of his desire. She reached up, grasped his shoulders, and pulled him down.
“Promises, promises. Now prove it my, immortal Highlander.”
****
Angus wanted to rip the heart out of the demon that brought him the message. He didn’t often allow one of his underlings access to his home, but he’d said it was urgent and about Abigail Dupree.
“Get out!” The demon ran from Angus’s sight leaving him alone to engage his rage. Darach had married the woman. Even as he stalked the length of his chamber, he knew it was too late. Abby would lose her innocence to his cousin. Once again Darach had beaten him to the prize. But Angus would be the victor in the end.
Michael strolled up the steps of his mansion. The evening had been a testimony of what God’s love could do. Darach and Abby were married and for a few days they would enjoy the peace they deserved. He just wished he could make the looming tragedy go away, but he couldn’t. He’d already interfered to the point of having his boss tell him to step back or he would be barred from anything to do with Darach and Abby. Now, he would have to wait and see how fate dealt with the newlyweds.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
; Darach planned to prove to Abby he was a man of his word. He nudged her legs apart again and rested the weight of his arousal against the soft flesh of her womanhood. Her eyes were wider now than when he’d stripped off his clothes.
His hands found her breasts and palmed them as he leaned forward and left a trail of kisses from her lips, down the side of her neck, and ending at the delicate shadow of her collarbone.
Abby’s whimpers fed his ego and his lust as he licked and suckled her nipples. Her body squirmed beneath his, bringing her beckoning opening closer. His shaft stretched even more with the blood pulsating beneath its surface. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out before taking her, but he wanted Abby to be ready for his loving.
Darach placed his hand against the heat of her feminine core. Desire coated his fingers, and he slid one slowly inside her wet channel. Abby bucked against the mattress.
“Darach…please…”
“Nay, this time will be for real, I want ye ready to accept me.”
“I am, believe me, I am.”
His laughter came out harsh. She had no idea what she was doing to him, but soon he would show her.
He slid two more fingers deep inside her warmth, searched, and found the spot he sought. As he manipulated her trembling flesh, Abby stiffened and then let out a keening cry. Her release drenched his hand in hot liquid desire. He continued to caress her as he bent again to taste her breasts.
Abby’s movements finally stilled and Darach guided his aching erection to the haven it craved. Slowly, one excruciating inch at a time, he pushed forward. The barrier guarding her treasure stopped him from going further.
“Abby, me heart, this will hurt ye just a bit.”
Her breasts rose and fell with her rapid breaths. Her eyes glowed with her climax, and her face was flushed with fulfilled desire. If he could capture Abby in this pose then he would treasure the portrait for all time.
“It will hurt me more if you don’t take me. I’ve waited a lifetime for you, and I don’t want to wait any longer.”
He dropped a quick kiss on her trembling lips and then with a quick thrust he breached her virginity. Darach forced himself to hold still until Abby was able to accommodate his length.
