Celtic Peril (Celtic Storm Book 6)

by Ria Cantrell

  She babbled nervously, “I could nay stop thinking of that first kiss on Samhain. I could nay sleep because of it.”

  Tom smiled sweetly and said, “Oh, no?”

  “I’m a silly fool.”

  “No. I’m glad. I couldn’t either.”

  She looked up into his eyes and asked, “Really?”

  “Really. I know that is why I had to take the chance to come with Kiera. I knew I had to see you again.”

  Tom took her in his arms and he just held her. She pressed against him, resting her cheek on his chest. She could feel the soft thud of his heart beating and it made her realize how very real he was. It was not a dream this time, that was certain!

  His hands circled around her, just enjoying the feel of her; and the scent of her. She smelled of fresh linen and primroses. With a careful hand, Tom unwound the thick braid that hung over her shoulder. Her hair had been loose that first time he had seen her and he wanted to feel her thick auburn tresses fall heavily in his hands. When the plait was completely undone, Jenna gave her hair a little shake, sending the soft waves cascading down her back. That little motion was very hypnotic to Tom. It made him itch to touch her.

  Tom turned her from him and he carefully moved that lustrous hair from her back, grabbing a fistful of it and pulling it away from her neck. He leaned closer to her ear and he said, “I am really glad you came to find me.”

  She shivered at the feel of his breath against her ear and he gave her hair a gentle yank, firing the nerve endings in her scalp, but definitely not causing her pain. It actually was very sensuous and Jenna liked the way it was playful but powerful. His mouth touched the back of her neck tenderly at first and then he bit gently into the soft flesh between her shoulder and neck. Jenna felt her legs wobble beneath her and she was glad her long gown hid the shaking of her knees. Her hands reached out to steady herself by pressing her palms to the rough-hewn wood of the door. Tom gave a little chuckle. He liked that he was having an obvious effect on Jenna. He intended to pull out all stops in his seduction. Of course, if at any time she wished him to end it he would, even if it was the most difficult choice he had to make. He certainly did not want her to regret being with him. He leaned in and whispered, “I want to make love to you; you know that, don’t you?”

  “Aye, Tavish. T’is why I came.”

  Tom was charmed by her honesty. He liked women who knew what they wanted and he was happy Jenna knew that she wanted him.

  “Is it now? Well, then I shall have to grant your wish, my beauty.”

  “I have ne’er thought of myself as beautiful,” she murmured absently, nearly lost in the way Tavish touched and kissed her.

  “Haven’t you?”

  He felt her shake her head, while he still gripped a large hank of her hair. Giving it another tug to ignite her senses again, he said, “Well, I can promise you that you are. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes upon. And do not think I am just trying to flatter you to get you into my bed. I mean it.”

  Jenna had never wanted a man to control her, but something in the way he tugged her hair spoke of dominance and she suddenly felt excited by the prospect of it. It was not meant to repress her, but to unleash something inside of her that she had denied for most of her life. She wanted him to seduce her. She wanted him to control her; this time, at least. As he tugged on her hair again not to cause her pain but to make her feel sensations of pleasure, she heard him laugh softly. He was enjoying his little game. If she was honest with herself, she was thoroughly enjoying it, too.

  Kissing down her neck, running the tip of his tongue just under her earlobe, he whispered, “Do you believe me?”

  “Yes.”

  It was so simple an answer, but again, the honesty in it was so very refreshing. This girl did not know about playing mind games. That was awesome to realize. Tom had been with a few girls that enjoyed toying with him and he never found that sort of thing sexy. Jenna was so transparent and Tom believed he could get used to that.

  “You are beautiful, Jenna. So very beautiful.”

  With her shoulder exposed for his mouth to tease, he took time to kiss and softly bite that precious bit of flesh. He could sense that she was breathing a bit harder, although it was silently done.

  She’s not panting; at least not yet, he thought wickedly. All the while he worked the lacings down the back of her dress, until it was sufficiently loosened. When the cool air hit her heated flesh, she gasped and clutched at her falling gown. Tom released her hair and he turned her to face him. Innocence blushed in her face and Tom had no intention of freaking her out so he just kissed her while she clasped the fabric of her garment in tight fingers. Holding her by her shoulders, Tom worked his lips over hers, easily parting them with his tongue. “I will not do anything you don’t want me to do. That is my promise to you. Do you wish me to stop?”

  “No.”

  Well, that was definite! She did not want him to stop. She still was inexperienced and so of course she was more than a little tense about being with him, but for reasons she could not understand or explain, she trusted this man. That was something that could not be discounted. The other thing was that she also had never felt the merest inkling of attraction to a man like she felt for Tavish MacCollum. In fact, her desire for this man was so astounding that it sent all her senses reeling.

  “Good,” he murmured against her ear. “Because, I really don’t want to stop.”

  Almost, as her last ditch effort to slow things down, Jenna blurted out, “I dunna’ really know too much about love.”

  “I think you do, Jenna. You have been surrounded by it your entire life. Just look at the way your parents relate to one another. They are so in love that it is difficult to miss. I would suspect you have witnessed other members of your family loving someone deeply, haven’t you?”

  Jenna nodded. Her uncle Ruiri and Aunt Brielle were completely in love, even after being married nearly as long as her own parents. Tavish was right. They loved each other absolutely and fully. Even her grandfather and her step-grandmother Mara were perfectly matched. Her other uncles were devoted to their wives. Her Uncle Erik loved her Aunt Rhianna and they were never afraid to show their affection to one another, even publically. All of the people she knew were suited to love. Why had she feared it when it had always been all around her? Could she love Tavish? Did she already, as illogical as it seemed? Jenna knew the answer in her heart and it frightened her more than agreeing to come to Tavish’s rooms by her own choice; more than what was about to happen between them.

  Tom knew that she was conflicted with the emotions assailing her. He needed to reassure her that she wasn’t wrong in feeling the way she did. He kissed her lips softly and he said, “It’s not so scary to love someone, you know.”

  “It is when ye’ are nay sure how the other person feels.”

  “What if he feels the same way?”

  “How can he? He barely knows me.”

  “He knows enough. He knows you came to save him when he was in a dark place, when he was in dark thoughts, too. It was you, wasn’t it? It was always you.”

  “I think so, yes. It was me.”

  “I don’t know why it took me so long to realize it. But I understand it now. I remember, Jenna. I remember all the times you were there, in the far reaches of my mind where dreams live.”

  “So what are you saying, Tavish? That you love me, too?”

  “I do, Jenna Brandham. I do love you. God, how I did not want to admit that but now that I have, well….”

  “Why? Why were ye’ afraid to admit it?”

  A sense of sadness came over him and Tom said, “Well, for similar reasons that you were afraid. What if you did not love me back? And the biggest reason was because I don’t know how long I will be here, in your time. I think realizing I was falling in love with you and then having to leave you scared me silly.”

  She bowed her head and asked, “Will ye’ leave me, Tavish?”

  “I don’
t know, love. I don’t know how this will all reveal itself, but I do know that I have to try, right now; here with you. If you don’t want to go through with this because of it, I totally understand.”

  “I too need to try, right now, as ye’ have said.”

  “Then, all we need is this moment. We can worry about the other ones another time.”

  “Ye’ will need to make yer’ own choices, Tavish. I canna’ do that fer’ ye’. Ye’ will know when ye’ are supposed to know.”

  That sounded like an ominous warning, and Tom wasn’t sure he wanted to think about that right now. He had just admitted he loved this woman. Kissing her again, he asked, “Do you love me?”

  “Do ye’ nay know?”

  Tom’s eyes searched hers and he said, “I guess I still want to hear it from your lips.”

  “Would I nay be here, to give myself to ye’; body and soul to ye’, if I did nay love ye’?”

  “I think you would not but I still want to know that I haven’t made myself look foolish by bearing my heart to you.”

  With a soft touch against his face, Jenna said, “Ye’ have nay made yerself look foolish, my Tavish. I love ye’, aye. It has always been ye’. I, too, remember now.”

  To prove her words, she kissed him deeply and allowed her gown to slide from her shoulders. His gaze moved down to the fair flesh below her neck. Her complexion was light and he realized this girl was not one to sunbathe for long hours. While she had a sweet little sprinkling of light freckles over the bridge of her nose, the rest of her skin was flawless. He liked the rosy glow upon it from her blush that now covered her entire chest. Tom pushed the fabric of her gown further down her arms and her perfectly rounded breasts begged for his touch. Slipping one of his hands inside her loosened gown, he made contact and he felt her shudder as his palm warmed against one peaked nipple.

  He could feel her shaking and so he held her steady while he touched her. Damn, if he thought jeans got extra tight when he was excited, they had nothing on the leather trews, which now added to the rising pressure in his groin at the moment. He needed to take his time. He knew that. He would have to forego the discomfort for the moment because he couldn’t just drop his drawers. It would be something that could frighten an innocent girl.

  It was just that the way she moaned softly as his hand touched her, Tom nearly forgot he had to take it slowly. He bent his head and took that pearled nipple into his mouth and sucked softly on it. Jenna stifled the sound that wished to escape as she felt Tavish’s mouth upon her. When he had tasted his fill of the one, he gave the other the same attention. Jenna’s legs felt as if they had gone boneless and she sagged against him.

  Tom was strong and he supported her weight while he teased her breast with his lips and tongue. He tugged firmly on the remaining lacings and the gown puddled to the floor in a swish of fabric. Tom grabbed her up into his arms and carried her over to his bed. Now, he wanted to look at her and memorize every precious inch of her beautiful form. Despite Jenna’s innocence, she was not one to lay back and just let Tavish do all the work. She leaned up on one arm and she touched over his hip to gently stroke his backside. She was not experienced, that was true, but she was here and she wanted to touch Tavish and fire him as he was doing to her. She smiled playfully when he groaned and said, “Woman, do you know what your touch does to me?”

  She shrugged coyly. She didn’t really, but she had an idea. Desire pooled inside her like a hot fire in her belly. She was suddenly aware of her body’s response to Tavish’s kisses and caresses. She felt a strange damp heat between her thighs and a growing tension inside of her.

  Tom took her hand and gently placed it to the front of his too-tight trews. His cock strained within them, aching to be freed. Jenna’s eyes grew wide at the feel of the thick bulge beneath her palm.

  “That, Vixen, is what your touch has done to me.”

  Instead of being horrified, Tom was glad when Jenna’s hand snaked into the waist of the tight medieval pants and touched him. Her hand jerked back slightly, as if she had been burned but when Tom took it back, and said, “Please touch me”, she had to oblige. Tom’s head fell back and he sighed, “Oh, love. Yes. I’ve been wanting you to do that since I first kissed you.”

  Jenna loved the way Tom’s eyes betrayed his desire. His pupils had gone wider and she wondered if her own mirrored his. When her hand closed around him, she heard him moan and he said, “Wait…wait…wait. I need to do something for you, first.”

  He gently removed her hand and he laid her back on his bed. Her long fingers squeezing around his cock almost made him come and he needed to focus to pleasure her and prepare her. He traced his finger tauntingly around her navel. She wanted to seem like modesty was important at this moment, but suddenly, she could not move. It was as if Tavish’s touch had somehow mesmerized her. Her breathing became shallow and labored and she fought for control as he carefully opened her legs. Leaning back up on her arms so she could watch him, she said, “What are ye’ going to do?”

  With a wicked grin he said, “You’ll see; more importantly, you’ll feel.”

  And as his fingers stroked over her silken curls, now dampened with her own dew, Jenna cried out for the first time. Tom felt her tense and he soothed, “Ssh, it’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you. Relax your legs for me. I promise it will feel good.”

  She still watched him and she felt his fingers part her flesh both to discover her and to entice her. Any embarrassment was soon replaced with burgeoning desire and Jenna arched back as Tavish explored her. He sighed when he realized how wet she already was and as he watched her arching against his bed, her beautiful legs raised and parted, he almost could not contain himself. She was such a sensual beauty, able and receptive to his touch. As her head lolled back and she sank into his bedding, Tom slowly and deliberately eased his middle finger into her, the entire time, using his thumb to slowly circle her delicious little bud. He could feel her muscles clench in her abdomen and they rippled around his finger. She was making soft sexy sounds that she wasn’t even aware she was doing, but Tom found them to be sublime.

  With her eyes closed, Jenna felt the level of her desire rising and as Tavish’s fingers delved inside of her and circled her, she was sure she was supposed to die of mortification but oddly she felt no shame in it. She could only succumb to his exploration and she began to lose herself completely in the wonderful sensations he was bringing to her. She felt him kissing around her navel and then against the soft flesh of her inner thighs. When he nipped that sensitive area, Jenna cried out in surprise, but the movement of his finger in and out of her quieted her. And then he did something that she was sure would embarrass her for all eternity.

  With his finger still plunging into her, he pressed her legs wider apart and he pulled her closer to the edge of the bed. She opened her eyes for a minute and raised herself again on her elbows only to see him leaning in. She wanted to tell him to stop; that he should not do what he intended, but the words stuck in her throat. His mouth pressed against her like a lover’s kiss and she felt the tip of his cool tongue flick against her sensitive nub. Jenna thrashed to get away from the sudden onslaught, but Tom was not going to have it. He grabbed her hips and held them still and he lowered his head again.

  She tasted sweet; the wet musky nectar of her dripped onto his tongue. Her scent enveloped his senses and he wanted to be wrapped in it. And she moaned; low and long. Instead of thrashing to move away from him, Tom felt Jenna still at first and then he became aware of her undulating against him. With each slow pump of her hips, Tom’s tongue dipped deeper inside of her. The tightening in his loins was getting to be too much and so he moved away from her only to take his trews down. When he turned back to her, he saw that she watched him through partially closed eyes. It was so damned sexy, he practically came where he stood. She was a virgin. He knew that for certain just from having touched her and feeling how tight she was, but she was also a woman who liked sensuality. She wanted to explore h
im as much as he had wanted to familiarize himself with her body. Her legs were still parted and Tom loved looking at her like that; open and wet; ready to love him.

  He moved next to her and he pulled her into his arms. He was so hard, he thought he was going to explode, but he knew he still needed to go slowly. He hadn’t had a lot of experience with virgins but he knew it could be uncomfortable for her this first time. He kissed her and gently put two fingers inside of her. She held onto him and kissed him fiercely. It was like all her pent up passion was being released in a torrent and she never even flinched as his fingers skillfully stretched her. When he broke the kiss, he looked into her eyes. They were dark with desire and so he said, “I’m going to love you now. If it hurts, I will stop. It should only hurt at first, and then, I promise it won’t.”

  “Tavish, I dunna’ fear ye.”

  “I know. I can see it in your lovely eyes. I just wanted to prepare you.”

  Jenna looked at Tavish and tried to take the wonderful view of his body in. He was fit, with lovely muscles that rippled across his firm stomach when he moved. He was tan and when he had dropped his trews, she saw that his flesh was considerably paler below his hips. His shoulders were broad and his arms were strong. Perfect for holding her, she thought. She knew she should really look away, but she just could not. His sex pulsed thick and hard before him and Jenna wanted to touch it. As her hand slipped around him, she felt him tense. With innocent looking eyes, that bespoke of simmering desire, she asked, “Should I not touch ye’?”

  He laughed nervously and said, “No, you should. It’s just that, well, you have thoroughly enticed me. I want you so much right now, I’m afraid I will dishonor myself before I have had a chance to love you.”

  “Then love me now, Tavish MacCollum, for I wish ye’ no dishonor.”

  It was a plea that was like sweet music to his ears. He knelt between her legs and took them up to rest on his shoulders. That lifted her delicious bum off the bed and it was almost his undoing. As he eased himself into her, he felt her yield to his gentle invasion and without so much as a gasp of pain, he found himself deep inside of her. He watched her for signs of discomfort but he saw none. Instead her eyes looked at him under the fringe of her long lashes. He watched as the sweet pink of her tongue licked over her lips and her chest rose and fell in rapid breaths.