by Ria Cantrell
~~~~~
Jenna needed to get out of the room now. So it all boiled down to her being betrothed after all! She really had no allies left. Her actions had, no doubt, angered even her beloved father. She already knew her traitorous grandfather wanted her wed as he gave up her secrets the minute he saw Tavish MacCollum. Now, even this stranger, who looked uncannily like her, had her ‘betrothed’ in the eyes of the king. It was her own fault. She knew it. If she had stayed in house to meet the king herself, she would not be in the predicament now. Damn! Jenna just wanted to scream. Her bloody marital status seemed to be the main focus of everyone. Why couldn’t they all just leave her alone?
As for Tavish MacCollum, well, she was absolutely humiliated. Thanks to her grandfather’s big mouth, he thought she was smitten with him. Even if that was the case, grandda’ should nay have said anything!
As she paced inside the confines of her quarters with the eyes of that woman and Morag upon her, she felt as stifled as Tavish had when he was locked in the stores. She needed to get out of there and she needed to go immediately. She knew that she and Kiera could not appear in the same place together so she turned to face her twin from another time and she said, “Ye’ stay here. I am going downstairs.”
Kiera was minutely annoyed at the tone in the young woman’s voice but the slight tremor in the gruffly given command gave away Jenna’s feelings. The girl was upset, and Kiera could not blame her really. She understood how it felt to have your world come crashing down around you. She knew what it was like to have all your beliefs shaken to the core, so she did not react to Jenna’s outburst except to nod in agreement. Jenna grabbed her skirts in her hands and she barged out of the room in a huff. Kiera just glanced over at Morag and shrugged.
As Jenna took the stone steps nearly two at a time, she soon found herself making her way down into the main part of the keep. Just as she was about to get to the last step, her toe caught the hem of her skirts and she tumbled ungracefully down like a clumsy clod.
~~~~~
Tom was about to drown his sorrows in some ale when the object of his confusion came bounding down the steps. As she landed on the last step, she stumbled and Tom raced to catch her so she would not hurt herself. She landed heavily into his arms, nearly knocking the wind out of him, but he took a deep breath and he steadied himself from going down with her. He was grateful for his naturally muscular build as his strong arms closed around her. After the moment of surprise had passed, he gently set her down and he asked, “Are you alright?”
Blush flooded up her neck and she said, “Aye.”
Jenna felt the strength in the arms of the man she was just only moments ago trying to avoid. She gently pushed against his chest and she said, “Ye’ can unhand me, now.”
Tom looked into Jenna’s eyes, searching for something; but what that was, he did not know. “I only meant to keep you from falling, my lady.”
“Well, thank ye’. But I can assure ye’ I am quite alright.”
Tom dropped his arms and Jenna felt the sudden release, as she requested. It made her feel lost. Chiding herself she said gruffly, “I’m nay marryin’ ye’.”
Tom’s eyes opened widely in surprise and with a slow smile spreading on his lips he said, “I don’t believe I asked you to, did I?”
Jenna felt heat burn into her face as Tavish teased her. Feeling her in his arms made him forget his resolution and visions of home were momentarily lost. She was getting herself in a snit again and somehow, even though he knew he shouldn’t, Tom felt compelled to provoke her. He rather liked her feisty demeanor and without giving it too much thought, he pulled her back into his arms, molding his body to hers and he kissed her heartily. This time he was certain he wasn’t just dreaming. He expected her to break away and slap him silly, but he didn’t care. It would be worth a good face-slap just to kiss her.
As he waited for the inevitable and prepared himself to meet the wrong end of her hand, he was surprised to feel her actually give way to the kiss and as her lips parted, Tom took full advantage of that small little victory. He held her a little tighter and he could feel her pressing into him without any indication that she wished to pull away. Moving his hands to the side of her face, he held her gently and was about to kiss her again. She murmured, “Why did ye’ do that?”
With a smile and a roguish twinkle in his eyes, he said, “I dunna’ know, lassie, but I intend to do it again.”
He watched her eyes widen in astonished anticipation and he moved in, drawing her to kiss him again. Her lips were soft and when he felt her arms moving around his neck as she reached up to him, he deepened the kiss. He felt her tongue tentatively rise against his own and he sighed. She was wonderful to kiss, even more than he had imagined. Despite her coyness, she seemed to be losing her reluctance with each passing second. He delved a little deeper, perfectly mating his tongue to hers. If Tom didn’t know better, he almost thought her knees had buckled. He had kissed a lot of girls in his 25 years but none had ever responded like that. He was charmed. He supported her by hooking his arm around her slender waist until he felt her steady herself. When he broke the kiss, one hand gently brushed a wisp of hair that had escaped her thick braid and he tucked it behind her ear.
“There now, was that so terrible?”
Jenna looked into the handsome face of the man who had been in her dreams for as long as she could remember. She really should be scandalized by his actions, but strangely, she was not. Instead of answering him, she stood up on her toes and she kissed him of her own volition.
Well, well, well! What do we have here? Tom was delighted. It was one thing to have girls in the twenty-first century being forward, but girls in medieval times were taught very differently. They were demure and passive. Now, he understood Jenna’s plight all the more. She was not like the archetype of a medieval damsel. No, in fact, she was a woman who knew what she wanted and when she wanted it, she went for it. This was similar to the more “modern” women Tom had dated and encountered. Maybe that’s why they were clearly attracted to one another. She was not a shrinking violet and he was medieval, but raised in the twenty-first century, so he had the characteristics of both worlds, he supposed. He held her a little tighter and felt her kiss him with wild abandon. She was so beautiful and sensual and he more than wanted her, but he knew he should stop.
There was nothing good that could come from pursuing this woman. There was no future for either of them and even in his passion-drenched brain, Tom knew he could never hurt her. As he felt himself becoming increasingly aroused, Tom found it hard to step away. She tasted sweet and the feel of her in his arms was perfect, but he had to put an end to it. He wished he had the strength to do it. He felt her opening to him and his tongue darted between her lips only to be met by her own again. Jenna may have been innocent, but she was adept at kissing; either that or she was a very quick learner. Tom could not resist her; not now, not yet. He kissed her deeply and heard a soft little moan as she pressed fully against him. She wanted him, too. It was pretty clear. Breaking the kiss for a moment, Tom’s finger traced down her cheek. Her lovely eyes, which suddenly appeared more golden green with emerald flecks, searched his. He said, “You are so beautiful.”
For whatever reason, those words seemed to break the spell. She gasped and pulled herself out of his arms. The budding desire he had just seen in her gaze suddenly had turned molten and she said, “Do nay think to flatter me. I’m still nay going to marry ye’.”
If he wasn’t so aroused, Tom would have been more amused, but still he deserved it, he supposed. He should have stopped before it got out of hand. With a half-smile, he said, “I still haven’t asked you to.”
Jenna had been obsessing about kissing that mysterious stranger again for days. The feel of his lips on hers had been more wonderful than she had remembered or imagined, because she still was not certain the first time was real. What had just happened assured her it most definitely was real this time. If only the subject of her betrothal wa
s not on the table. That odd woman, Kiera, had said she had told the king that Jenna was betrothed to Tavish.
Yes, Jenna wanted to kiss him. Yes, she probably even wanted to bed him, which was something she had not even given much thought to being with anyone before. That realization should have terrified her. Strangely, it did not.
Her body had reacted to this man in ways she did not even understand. She was quite certain that if he had not been holding her, her trembling legs would not have kept her standing. She did not even want to think about the surprising sensations that coursed through parts of her that made her feel wanton and wild. One thing was certain, kissing and bedding were not wedding. Jenna was absolutely sure she did not want to wed anyone; even handsome strangers from far away times, whose kisses made her knees week.
She asked defensively, “Why did ye’ do that?”
“Do what?”
“Kiss me.”
“Why did you, my lady? I wasn’t the only one who was doing the kissing, you know?”
Tom knew he shouldn’t, but he liked teasing her. He liked seeing her blush. God, how he wanted to do things to her that would really make her blush. In his world, he would have called her “hot”. Despite wearing a long gown, it fit her perfectly and he could appreciate her curves in it. She certainly wasn’t dressed like a nun. She was not wraith-thin, either. He liked women who had a little meat on their bones. She was soft in all the right places; so deliciously soft. He could almost still feel her breasts pressing against his chest. His fingers ached to touch them. As his hands had drawn her to him, they rested on her lower back. It was all he could do to not let his fingers wander down over that yummy little tush of hers. Tom shook himself mentally and warned himself to stop thinking about it. Those tight trews that they wore in this time did nothing to hide his predicament.
Jenna stared at Tavish. She was finally scandalized. She had kissed him and there was no sense to deny it. Hell, she had even just admitted, albeit to herself, that she wanted to become his lover. What was wrong with her? Her father, not to mention her brother, grandfather and uncles would kill her if they knew what she had been thinking. If they knew what she had just willfully done, there would be hell to pay.
He’s grinning at ye’ because he knows what ye’ wanted. God’s teeth, I am no better than a harlot!
Tom watched as Jenna’s eyes widened in horror as his words seemed to strike a chord. She was about to take off running, so Tom grabbed her wrist and pinned her to the spot. “Don’t,” he said simply.
“But I….”
“You are a beautiful woman, Jenna. There is nothing to be ashamed of.”
Oh yes there is, Tavish MacCollum. If only ye’ knew what illicit thoughts I was entertaining.
“I need to tell you something. You may think I am a fool, but I want you to know it. One of the reasons I agreed to follow Kiera here to this time was because I thought if I had a chance to meet you, it would be worth the risk.”
“What are ye’ saying, Tavish? How did ye’ even know about me?”
“There’s a painting of you. It hangs in the great hall to this day. What I mean is in that distant time from now, and when I saw it, I was drawn into this crazy dream. In it, I kissed you, until a very large pissed off guy pulled us apart.”
“Pissed off?”
Tom laughed and translated, “It means angry. The guy was like a big beast and I thought he would rip me apart.”
Jenna actually giggled at the memory. “Uncle Ruiri….”
“What?”
“It was my Uncle Ruiri. And he did want to tear ye’ to pieces, I vow.”
“Wait, what are you saying? That it actually happened? That it wasn’t a dream?”
“So it seems,” Jenna said, suddenly smiling. It most certainly was nay a dream. I will never forget that kiss, Tavish. It has made me a wanton woman after all.
“But I had not come here yet.”
Jenna shrugged. “I know not how it all came to be, but trust me, Tavish. T’was nay a dream.”
Tom shook his head. This time-space continuum thing was really messing with his brain. Wait a minute, Jenna was smiling. She was actually smiling.
If Tom had thought her beautiful when she was angry, her smile would have been worth being ripped apart by that big brute Uncle Ruiri.
Jenna’s sour mood dissipated at the smile Tavish returned to her. He had straight, even white teeth and a small disarming dimple in his left cheek. God, he was handsome. His brown hair hung just above his broad shoulders and it was oddly shiny, like fine strands of brown silk. She would love to sift her fingers through it. His face was like one of those crafted by a sculptor, chiseled perfectly with a strong jaw and chin that was now peppered with several days’ growth of a beard and the indication of a mustache forming over perfect lips that were neither too full nor too thin. The rough stubble had rubbed against her chin and her face still tingled from the feel of it. It was quite delicious, actually.
He was tall and even though Jenna was used to big men in her family and clan, she felt dwarfed by his height, especially when he held her. Yet, somehow, it made her feel protected and it was a feeling she actually enjoyed. He wasn’t as bulky as the men of her clan, but she could feel the strength of his muscled arms and legs when he drew her in to kiss her. Jenna would be a liar if she were to say she had not enjoyed it. And those eyes, ach! Jenna found those grey eyes fringed with dark lashes that shimmered silver, almost to be pretty on the man. They were mesmerizing. He was nay pretty in a feminine sense. Nay, he had rugged handsome looks and Jenna had no doubt that many a lassie would find Tavish hard to resist.
So, this was what it was like to be a silly love-sick woman! Well, it was nay love, exactly, but still, Jenna had never thought to be in this predicament, to be sure. The thing was; he had not asked her to enter into marriage. Really, why would he? He knew nothing about her. Perhaps they could just be lovers. Yes, such a thing was sinful, but Jenna was determined to make her own destiny without the approval of some man controlling her every move. And, well, she liked the trembly feeling she got when this man kissed her.
Jenna was not naïve as to what happened in private between a man and a woman. She had watched animals rut. Jenna knew it was so with the human kind of animal, too. Not only that, once she had stumbled upon one of the serving maids in a dark alcove with her skirts tossed up while a clansman tupped her. The maid had squealed with delight and Jenna could not turn away, even though she knew she should have.
From that time, Jenna wondered what it would feel like and she was certain, it must have been wonderful even though it was wicked to think upon. It was then that Jenna decided she would never marry, but she would take a man of her choosing to her bed. She did not know if Tavish was that man, but she was certain that so far, she rather liked him; even if he did infuriate her. If any other man had ever tried what Tavish had willfully done not once but thrice, Jenna was certain he would have ended up with, at the very least, a bloody nose or a fat lip. With a winsome little grin Jenna thought, Nay, I’d ne’er wish to bloody Tavish’s nose or fatten his lip for they were too perfect to ruin.
Tom did not know what Jenna was thinking, for many things seemed to have registered in her eyes as she gazed up at him, with that pretty smile on her delicious lips. She was mulling something over, he was certain and he could only guess by the expression on her face what it was. She was a saucy little thing. He wondered if she was a virgin after all and that thought stabbed a place in his gut. It had never mattered before, but somehow the idea of someone else tasting this woman’s passion was not one that sat well with him. He really needed to get a hold of himself. So what if she was promiscuous. It wasn’t even like he was planning on sticking around a moment more than he had to, despite what Caleb had said. This was not what he was used to and the sooner he could get himself back to his normal life the better. He shut out the pain of that reality and hid it deep inside. It was of no matter.
She finally spoke; her words like
a honeyed challenge that Tom wasn’t sure he could avoid. “Well, since ye’ have now seen me and kissed me are ye’ glad ye’ have fallen through time?”
Tom could only answer honestly despite his confusing dilemma. “Yes. I think it would be fair to say it was well-worth the perilous fall, as you have said, into your world.”
She placed her hands on his chest and she tipped her head back to get a clearer look at him. Her eyes told the story. Sometimes he was oblivious to girls liking him, but he thought it was pretty safe to say that Jenna did. She more than liked him. She wanted him; Tom was quite certain about that.
As she gazed at him rather boldly, she said very truthfully. “I’m glad ye’ have fallen through time, Tavish MacCollum, even if I will nay ever marry ye’.”
She was challenging him again. He did not know why he answered her with a challenge of his own, because he had all but decided that he had to leave ASAP but he said, “Dunna’ be so sure, lassie.”
Her eyes widened both at his words and at the way he imitated her mode of speech. Instead of arguing with him, she flung herself against him and kissed him so hard, that it was his knees that seemed to buckle this time. Damn her! If she kept that up, he would really embarrass himself, but he could do nothing but kiss her back, at the moment. It was a torture he was rather enjoying.
During one extremely passionate kiss, Tom actually opened his eyes, sensing movement beyond them. He had practically forgotten they were in plain sight at the base of the stone steps leading up to the private apartments in the keep. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw de la Pole stomping through the open doors, peeling off his leather gloves and practically tossing them in his squire’s face. He was already berating the young man in just moments after his arrival.
Tom gently untangled Jenna’s arms from around his neck and he said, “Love, I need to see to something. I’m sorry. I promise we will talk about this later.”
