by Tara Nina
His friend had sacrificed a lot and Padon owed him more than he could ever repay. So she planned to make sure Jasper got his chance to speak his heart before passing over into the Garden of Angels. Lord knew she carried heaviness in her heart for Eddie. She understood how it drained the soul having unspoken words gnawing at your every waking moment. Lynn paused, closed her eyes for a second, shoving her own needs aside, and focused on Jasper. He deserved more from Padon. Her resolve reset, she opened her eyes and forged ahead.
Lynn returned to the main opening of the cave and found Padon sitting near the entrance, staring into the night. The storm had surged into a powerful hurricane-sized force, sending blinding rain, hail and a strong wind whipping into the first few feet of the cave. The flames flickered and hissed as raindrops and wind made contact. He turned his gaze to her, staring at her across his shoulder. Lightning flashed, outlining him in a split-second iridescent glow, making him look fierce and angry against the stormy background.
Damn. He looked sexy. Raw emotion filled his gaze as he turned to face her. She read anger mixed with confusion, which she wished she could wash away like the rain did to everything outside. His rain-slicked skin had her wanting to stand beside him, touching his flesh, gliding her hands over every soaked inch. Hair hanging loose and wet blew around his face, making him look wildly uncontrollable. His muscles glistened in the firelight. Lightning bolts highlighting him added an edge of fierceness to his overall appearance. If he’d had his sword in hand, he’d make an even more wicked-looking warrior. Lynn’s nipples hardened and desire bloomed.
Lowering her eyes weakened her knees. Padon stood naked. It was visibly apparent the cold rain did not affect his manhood. She swallowed, grasping for the reins on her lust buggy. He wasn’t making this easy. Not with a delicious hard-on pointed straight at her.
Think Jasper.
That helped a little. Keeping her thoughts on Jasper took a slight nip in her hunger for Padon, but didn’t douse it completely.
Think Eddie. Thinking of him helped cool her libido even more as guilt churned back to the surface. Her chest tightened and she swallowed against the rush of nerves building the dam in her throat. Eddie was the love of her life. This trip was supposed to be the culmination of their paranormal experiences. Not her sampling the fruits of the first ancient Scotsman trapped by a supernatural curse that she happened to come across.
Looking at Padon, she doubted anything would ever succeed at killing the exquisitely sexual thoughts he seemed to spur to life in her imagination. When he stepped toward her, tension coiled in her pussy and her breasts ached for his touch. The world around her seemed to disappear as he became her solitary focus.
He moved with the grace and skill of a well-trained predator. Water dripped from him, running down his wide chest, trickling along his abdomen, causing her gaze to follow the sensual trail straight to his glorious cock. Padon closed the distance between them, cupping her face in his hands. He leaned forward, taking her lips with his into a soft, warm kiss. His hands tangled in her curls. He kissed a path to her ear and whispered words that melted her heart as he hugged her close to him.
Her will to remain immune to his touch faded. The stiffness she forced to her stance relaxed as the warmth of his body radiated around her, heating her flesh and igniting her needs.
“Mi wee one, I need ye ta show mi the way. I know not the path o’ this world.” He leaned back, placing a small gap between them. Panic and fear flickered in his gaze if only for a split second and it nearly floored her to hear him say, “Fear lives within mi for the first time in mi life. I know not what ta do.”
These were words she didn’t expect and it took her a few moments to gather her thoughts. Lynn touched his cheek then brushed a dripping strand of hair from his brow. Holding his timid gaze, she spoke from her heart. “I will help you, Padon. There is nothing to fear. I will help you find your way. Think of this as a new, exciting adventure and all will be right in your world.”
He touched his brow to hers as he held her tight. “Thank ye, mi wee one. Ye be the strength I needs ta flourish where I would flounder and fail otherwise.”
“I doubt you would ever flounder or fail at anything you set your mind to, Padon.”
Their lips found one another. Each drew strength and desire through their touch. His cock rubbed against her abdomen, increasing the heat already ignited within her. The kiss turned passionate and it was all she could do to end it.
Think Jasper. Think Eddie.
The words whispered through her brain and forced her to pull from the wonderful tastiness of his mouth. “Padon,” she said huskily against his lips, “Jasper’s time is short. The angels call him home. There is much you two need to discuss before he leaves.”
“Umm.” Padon sighed. “Ye be right, mi wee one. He be the reason for much o’ the turmoil within mi.”
“I know.” Lynn smiled up at him. “Go to him. Talk. Listen. Enjoy the last few hours he has to spend. Remember the good, not the bad.”
Padon released her and brushed a finger down her nose. “How did ye get so smart?”
Lynn straightened her shoulders and grinned. “I’m a woman. We’re born that way.”
His laughter rolled around the cave, causing her to laugh along with him. With a well-placed kiss to her cheek, he turned, grabbed his kilt and walked into the tunnel at the back of the cave. Lynn knew they needed some time alone so she picked up the deerskin blanket and made her way to the fire. Looking down, she shook her head at the damp state of her clothes and wondered if she’d ever be dry again.
* * * * *
Right before the sun came up, Lynn followed the sound of their voices and found them hanging out by the stream. She lingered on the natural stairs and watched, feeling like an intruder, but couldn’t help admiring the pair of friends. They were laughing and carrying on as if nothing had ever separated them. She eavesdropped and heard a funny story shared between them that had her covering her mouth, trying to stifle her laugh.
But she failed. Jasper called out to her. “Come join us, lass. We are but reminiscing about ol’ times.”
Lynn moved to sit beside Jasper facing Padon. “I’m sorry. I was curious as to how you two were doing.”
“We be fairing very well,” Jasper stated then smiled. His eyes shone brighter than ever and Lynn sensed his happiness, but couldn’t help but wonder if he’d spoken the truth of his heart. Jasper’s smile faded as he met her gaze and shook his head, giving her the answer. He hadn’t. How he knew her thoughts still amazed her but she ignored it and focused on the issue. He needed to state his case if he were to rest in peace. This she felt strongly about to the point she almost spoke, but the pleading distress in Jasper’s eyes kept her mouth shut.
So she changed the subject and looked at Padon. “It’s almost sunrise. The storm seems to be stopping so hopefully, tonight we can take you home.”
“’Twill take more than a night ta reach Castle MacKinnon,” he said, clearing the laughter from his throat. “Unless ye have fast horses waiting for us, it be a long trek by foot.”
Excitement bloomed in Lynn’s chest as she remembered the car she and Travis drove from Edinburgh and left at Fin’s grandfather’s farmhouse when they’d started this trip to meet Jasper. All they had to do was reach that car located about a mile from the base of the mountain and Padon stood a chance at getting home more quickly.
Thinking of Travis, she said a silent prayer for his safety and that the storm had caused Fin and his crew to flee the scene, especially since she’d escaped. With any luck, karma would bite them in the ass and get them back for what they’d done to her and Travis. Lynn tamped down the sudden need for vengeance and focused on the mission at hand. Once Padon was safe, then she’d pay a visit to the local authorities and tell them about the kidnapping, leaving out the tiny detail about why she was camping in the first place. They really didn’t need to know she was ghost hunting.
She gave Padon a lifted-eyebrow look as sh
e teased him. “I have something faster than a horse. But we still have to make it from here to a farmhouse on the other side of the mountain in a night.”
Her heart sank, knowing it had taken her and Travis a full day to reach the campsite where she’d been kidnapped. And it was at least another half a day’s trek up the mountain while tied to the litter. If her calculations were correct, there was no way they’d reach the car in the span of a night. But a thought sprang to life. Maybe it had taken that long because she and Travis were weighed down by the backpacks and her kidnappers were slowed because they carried her. Without the added weight, she and Padon should be able to travel faster. Before she could share this news, Padon stood.
A strange look crossed his face. He reached for his sword. Holding it in both hands, he grimaced and a pain-riddled roar escaped. An electric sizzle heated the air as Padon returned to stone.
Lynn’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened. Though she knew it was supposed to happen, she still couldn’t believe it had. Right before her eyes, the magic of the curse took away Padon’s freedom.
Chapter Five
Within hours of the storm’s passing, Travis was scouring the mountainside in search of Lynn. He and Fin had tracked Lynn’s path until the storm had become too fierce then took cover to wait it out. Everything they’d found pointed to the fact she had gone over the edge into the ravine, but it was unsafe to follow until the rain ended. As he descended, it didn’t look good for the lass. What was left of her trail showed she’d slid quite a ways. Travis couldn’t be sure if this was anywhere near where he had fallen months ago. Though the images sporadically shot through his head, they didn’t give any clues to the cave’s exact location. But he knew in his gut it had to be in this general vicinity.
He’d been the first to go over the side, following the brutal path of Lynn’s fall. He stood on a rock, giving him a chance to steady himself and survey the area for any evidence of her. Below him there were no further signs of her sliding all the way to the floor of the ravine. But the rain could have washed them away. From what he could decipher, she seemed to have simply vanished at this point. Looking up, he thought he saw something, but from this angle it was difficult to see.
Shielding his eyes from the rising sun, he spotted the ledge and telltale signs Lynn had ventured in that direction. He scaled up and over until he managed to reach the ledge with the rope and Fin’s help. Peering over the edge, he saw nothing. No Lynn and most of all no Jasper. But he knew he was in the right place.
Travis landed with a thud inside the cave. He couldn’t believe he actually stood here again. Untying the rope from around his waist, he tugged on it, sending a signal to Fin. He leaned, gripping the wall of the cave, and yelled, “I found the cave. Come on down.”
The rope disappeared. He knew it was a matter of time before Fin made his way down the mountainside. He stood quiet, listening, hoping to hear her voice. Dying embers from a fire simmered in a round stone pit. Someone had been here or was possibly still here. Hope sprang to life that his friend was alive. Slowly he moved deeper into the cave.
The pile of items Jasper had collected over the years sat to the left just as he remembered. Hanging on a root that stuck out of the cave’s wall was his leather flask. Travis lifted it, removed the cap and took a whiff. His nose crinkled at the memory of that dastardly drink that tainted his luck. He placed the cap back on and returned it to its proper place. When he turned, his foot tangled in a deerskin blanket and he tripped and fell into the pile with a loud crash.
So much for being quiet. He snorted as he untangled himself from the mess and stood. Fin landed with catlike precision on the ledge with a knife held tight in his hand. He shrugged as he met Travis’ curious gaze.
“I heard a noise and didn’t know what happened. You never know what you might run into in here.” Fin grinned as he tucked his knife into its sheath on his hip and untied the rope. But it was a good thing he still had a hand on it when Jasper suddenly flashed into the cave.
Thrown off balance, Fin nearly toppled backward over the ledge. Between his grip on the rope and Travis quickly running to his aide, he managed to regain his footing. Travis tugged him close and gave him a quick kiss to the tip of his nose. “Don’t scare me like that,” Travis stated as he let him go once he knew Fin was safe. “Bad enough you had me believing you’d gotten tangled up with that good-for-nothing pair.”
Fin’s wide-eyed gaze and sudden gaping jaw cut off his babbling, letting Travis know exactly where Jasper stood in the cave. He turned and came face-to-face with the being who’d haunted his dreams since that fateful first meeting when Jasper gave him the task of finding a woman who believed in the unbelievable and bringing her back here. That woman was Lynn. He’d never thought to question why Jasper needed a “true believer” as he had called it. Travis had simply followed orders out of fear. Not seeing Lynn, he began to wonder why the ghost needed a flesh-and-blood woman and what had he done with her if indeed she’d made it into this cave?
“Hello, Jasper,” Travis said in as even a tone as he could muster and hoped his fear didn’t show in his voice. He desperately needed to know if Lynn was safe. If not, he’d never forgive himself for bringing her into this without first questioning Jasper’s motives more thoroughly. As it was, she’d already been kidnapped and fallen into a ravine. She could even be lying at the bottom somewhere bleeding to death for all he knew. He needed to make this conversation with Jasper go smoothly and quickly, because if she wasn’t here he needed to hop over the ledge and continue the search.
“Travis,” Jasper replied with a nod in Fin’s direction. Suspicion filled his transparent features and his stance was one of caution. “Who have ye brought along with ye?”
Travis introduced Fin. “This is my best friend and partner in business and in life, Fin MacIntyre. We’re looking f—”
Before Travis could ask about Lynn, Fin cut him off. He stepped beside Travis, took a knee and bowed his head. “Aye, sire. I be eternally in awe o’ your service and pledge my allegiance to you.”
Dumbstruck, Travis leaned sideways, staring down at Fin as if he’d lost his mind. They’d been friends since they were young and lovers for years, but he knew nothing of this side of Fin. It took him by surprise to hear Fin pledging his allegiance to someone, especially a ghost. He didn’t tear his eyes away from Fin until Jasper spoke.
“MacIntyre.” He seemed to mull over the name for several long seconds. “Mi piuthar married a MacIntyre. Be ye o’ her descent?”
“Aye,” Fin answered without looking up.
“Stand, sir. We must speak.”
When Fin complied, Travis opened his mouth but couldn’t form any words. The sound of a woman clearing her throat had both him and Fin looking toward the rear of the cave. Jasper simply floated to a collection of several large rocks and took a seat. Relief washed over Travis as he ran to greet Lynn with Fin right beside him.
“Lynn, lass, you’re all right.” He tugged her into a bear hug then immediately started checking her for broken bones.
“Travis,” Lynn said with an embarrassed giggle as she wiggled out of his reach. “Really, I’m fine. Honest. I’d tell you if I thought anything was broken. I’m a bit bruised but not broken.” She flashed him a smile, holding her hands up as if to prove her point.
He stepped back, giving her some room, though he wasn’t completely convinced she wasn’t hurt. “That was a hell o’ a fall you took. You sure?”
Lynn nodded fervently. “Jasper took care of me.” It was then she caught sight of who was with Travis. “Fin? Travis, are you aware he was one of the kidnappers?”
“Aye, he knows,” Fin answered. “I told you it was not as it seemed. You just needed ta trust me.”
“Did you know this was going to happen ahead of time?” Lynn glared, bewildered, at Travis. If he knew and did nothing about it, she wouldn’t know whom to trust.
“Nay, I knew naught about it. I didn’t know he was involved until he and I faced o
ff in the woods when you escaped.” Travis absently brushed the bruise on his cheek.
Fin apologized profusely for hitting him. “You came at me like a wild man. I had ta get you ta calm down somehow so I could explain.”
“But why were you with those two in the first place?” Lynn questioned, shaking her head. “I don’t understand. Why did you help them?”
“I had ta. They were my assignment,” Fin replied but didn’t elaborate any further, leaving Lynn a bit perplexed. She noted the tender way Travis touched Fin’s shoulder and he in turn placed his hand on Travis’, giving him a look that spoke volumes about their connection. Neither had spoken of their relationship during the tours but she’d sensed a strong, loving bond between them. She cut a glance at Jasper. He watched them intently as if jealous of their outward affection for one another.
“What happened to you at the campsite?” Lynn questioned Travis. She had to know why he wasn’t there to help her fight off the intruders.
“I went ta refill the canteens and get water for the tea kettle for your morning tea.” Travis’ brow bunched and he gave Fin a playful glare as he continued. “Someone snuck up behind me and clocked me on the back o’ the head, knocking me out cold.”
“I had ta do it or those two would have beat the shite out o’ you.” Fin defended his actions.
“I could have taken them,” Travis protested boldly.
“And I would’ve had ta fight you ta keep my cover with them. I chose the lesser o’ two evils and tried ta protect that pretty face o’ yours,” Fin said, touching Travis’ cheek tenderly. “Unfortunately, you gave me no choice in the woods.”
Travis nuzzled Fin’s hand and kept up the playful pretense of anger, but Lynn read right through it. He wasn’t really angry, just teasing Fin. “You gave me a hell o’ a headache.”
