“Eliza is a woman.” Granny turned and settled beside Mairi against the wall. She jabbed a bent finger in the air as she spoke, punctuating each phrase with a flamboyant wave of her gnarled, blue-veined hand. “And Eliza is also a witch. Few males have been able to adapt to a new era for extended periods of time. It’s a rare man that can switch centuries permanently.”
Mairi massaged the gritty corners of her eyes. She was tired and hungry. What little sleep she’d gotten on the cold hard ground had done little to recharge her for the day ahead. Couldn’t they hash this out later?
Granny twisted the square of linen between her hands, frowning as she stared down at the bit of material. “I’m telling you the truth, Mairi. I’m not trying to manipulate your decision. If you choose to return to the future, you will travel there alone and leave a great deal of heartache in your wake. The future is not Ronan’s destiny.”
“Yeah. You said that. Twice now.” Mairi pushed away from the railing. “Look—I can’t do this right now.” A wave of nausea knocked her balance off kilter and sent her stumbling sideways.
Granny rushed forward, steadying Mairi as she helped her through the doors and over to a bench waiting in the entryway. “Sit here. I’ll have one of the lads fetch you some water and an oatcake. How long has it been since you’ve eaten?” Granny flicked her hand at a wide-eyed serving boy waiting just past the arch. He immediately bobbed his head and took off at a dead run.
Mairi pressed shaking fingers to her forehead, leaned forward, and closed her eyes. “Too long. I didn’t eat before the jump because I was too pissed off at Ronan.” Mairi sucked in deep breaths and put her head between her knees. She knew better than to go so long without food. She’d learned that lesson back in college. But food just never seemed that important. It was simply an annoying necessity that took entirely too much time.
Granny chuckled as she accepted a metal tankard from the lad and held it down in front of Mairi. “And why were you angry with Ronan? Judging from the look in the man’s eyes, he’s clearly smitten with you.”
Mairi sipped at the cool water, pleasantly surprised at the refreshing sweetness. She knew Scotland had the purest spring water in creation, but the water of the past tasted even better than that of the future. “Ronan wasn’t honest with me the first time we met.”
“You’re saying he lied to you?” Granny seemed surprised as she slowly lowered herself to the bench beside Mairi. “I find that…interesting.”
Mairi wrapped both hands around the cool metal cup and took another sip. “No. He didn’t really lie. It was more like he just didn’t tell me everything he knew. He led me to believe he was from the future instead of telling me straight off about the curse and the fact that it was the real reason he came from the past to get me.”
“I see.” Granny rubbed one hand across Mairi’s shoulders and urged her to take another drink. “Lie by omission. So that’s Ronan’s only sin against you?”
Mairi straightened, studying Granny closer. What was Granny getting at? A chilling shiver stole across her. The atmosphere of the entryway hall suddenly felt…off. “Yes. Lie by omission. But now he’s finally fessed up and everything’s all straight between us. No more secrets.” Mairi finished off the water, savoring the last of the cool sweetness. “Now all I have to do is heal his mother and his friend. The curse will be broken. All will be good between the Sinclairs and the Fates, and I will have fulfilled my destiny and be free to go on my merry way.” Perhaps she was being a bit overly flippant, but the present situation seemed a lot more palatable when listed in such simple terms.
Granny’s thin gray brows ratcheted up to her silver hairline. “Really? You’re certain of all this?”
“What are you getting at?” Mairi leaned back against the stuffed tapestry cushioning the detailed carvings along the back of the dark wooden bench. Whenever Granny said really that way, it usually meant she knew a hell of a lot more than she was letting on.
“Nothing.” Granny smoothed her hands along either side of her head then patted the heavy gray braid knotted into a neat bun at the nape of her neck. She rose from the bench and smiled down at Mairi. “After you’ve both eaten and had time to rest, we’ll send Ronan to fetch his mother and Graham and get on with the ceremony.”
“Fetch his mother and Graham?” Mairi steadied the empty pewter cup on the bench beside her. “And what ceremony? Is there some ritual or something I have to do to break the curse?” She didn’t like Granny’s tone and she liked the wicked glint in her eyes even less.
“You said you came here to heal Ronan’s mother and his friend and to break the curse.”
Mairi nodded. “And it’s my understanding from Ronan that both of them were staying here until he returned with me.”
“Oh no, gal.” Granny shook her head as she held out a hand to help Mairi up. “Graham was never able to leave Draegonmare, and his mother returned as soon as Ronan left. She didn’t feel at ease with Ronan not here.”
“Didn’t feel at ease?” Mairi waved Granny’s hand away as she stood. How the hell was she going to get back to the future in just a day or two if Ronan had to travel halfway across Scotland to gather up the necessary participants for this increasingly more complicated task?
Granny spared her an irritated look and motioned her around the corner through the arch into the great hall of the keep. Mairi paused just beyond the archway. Her jaw dropped at the vastness of the room.
A massive fireplace took up one entire stone wall. The dark gray slate of the hearth was so wide that logs in excess of four feet long could easily be fed to the flames. The floor of the hall was lighter gray slabs of stone covered with a thin layer of pale dried rushes. A raised dais at one end of the long room held a heavy table stained dark from years of use. The intricately carved spindles topping the chairs lined behind the table clearly denoted the spot as the chieftain’s place and the seats meant for his honored guests. A colorful tartan with an embroidered crest created a regal backdrop for the head table.
Mairi moved deeper into the room, noting the narrow trestle tables and benches running the length of the space. These seats were strategically placed along either side of the room so the chieftain could easily see all who sat before him.
Arched doorways interrupted the carefully aligned chiseled blocks fitted together to set the great meeting hall off from the other rooms of the keep. Mairi’s gaze traveled upward to the heavy beams stretching in neat rows across the vaulted ceiling. Stained black from years of smoky fires, the roughly squared poles resembled dark rib bones from some strange prehistoric beast.
“This place is impressive,” Mairi murmured as she slowly turned and took in the grandeur of the hall. She knew what Granny was doing. The sly old woman excelled at changing the subject when the conversation didn’t go her way.
“Now tell me again why Ronan’s mother left? Surely she knew I’d be here soon. And I thought she was sick. People don’t travel when they’re gravely ill.” What the hell was going on? Why was it so damn hard for people around here to tell the truth—the whole truth? Mairi clenched her teeth and did her level best to maintain control. She couldn’t let weariness and the strange sense of uneasiness that had plagued her since they arrived get the best of her. Battles with Granny demanded a clear head.
Granny slowly meandered deeper into the hall, her face drawn in a sad, thoughtful expression. “Yes. This place is wonderful. Isn’t it a shame it will be reduced to rubble in just a few centuries?”
Mairi’s spirits sank partly because Granny still evaded her question but mainly because Granny had triggered even more troubling memories. At one time, Mairi had avidly studied Scotland’s history. After all, not only had the Sinclairs originated in the Highlands of Scotland, her sisters and grandmother had traveled to Scotland’s past to live out their lives. But the vivid accounts of injustice and cruelty took to tormenting her dreams and shadowed her waking hours. The stories hit too close to home. The bloody history of Scotland’s sufferi
ng shook her to her very soul.
“I can’t think about that, Granny.” Mairi took in a deep breath, savoring the cozy warmth of the crackling fire and the mouthwatering aroma of roasting meat. “It’s our curse to know what’s going to happen and have our hands tied against changing it.”
“Well said.” Granny looped her arm through Mairi’s and led her to a bench angled in front of the fire. “Now. As to your question about why Ronan’s mother left even though she wasn’t well.”
Mairi braced herself. Granny was actually going to answer a direct question? She didn’t just do that. Suspicion heightened Mairi’s senses.
“This place is not safe, Mairi. There’s a darkness attempting to rise—an evil scratching at our door.”
Mairi shivered as she rose and moved closer to the fire. Granny could’ve gone all day without saying that. It only confirmed the strange uncomfortable eeriness she’d felt since arriving. “Eliza said as long as the curse is intact, the evil isn’t really trapped in hell. Is that true?”
Granny stared down at the floor, nodding so slightly that Mairi almost missed the subtle movement of the old woman’s head. “I’m afraid so—until the curse is broken, that evil could spring the hinges of hell at any moment.”
Chapter 19
Ronan eased into the room then closed the door softly behind him. The low burning fire hissing and sputtering in the hearth cast a warm inviting glow across the quiet sitting room. A single taper flickered among the crooked branches of an iron candle stand centered on a small round dining table placed in front of the hearth.
Moving silently across the wood floor, Ronan plucked a tankard from the assortment of food and drink filling the table. He unstoppered the bottle of wine with his teeth and filled the cup to the brim. Life was finally good. His woman slept in the next room and soon, verra soon, the damnable curse would be broken and he and Mairi could enjoy their life together.
Ronan pinched off a chunk of waxy cheese, popped it in his mouth, then washed it down with a healthy swig of wine. He frowned down at the nibbled crust of brown bread and bit of cheese left on a small saucer in front of one of the two chairs. He worried after his dear sweet love and the purple shadows of weariness ’neath her eyes.
She had already retired upstairs by the time he and Gray had finished their inspection of the stables. Granny had said not to worry. Mairi was known to stretch herself too thin. All she needed was a bit of food and a warm bed.
A warm bed. Their bed. Ronan set the mug back on the table as his gaze settled on the open door leading to the bedchamber. Not a sound came from the darkened room. Mairi had found her sleep quickly. The day had truly drained her of her strength.
If he had an ounce of honor in him, he’d leave her to her dreams. Ronan brushed his hands free of crumbs and slowly walked across the sitting room then came to a stop at the bedchamber door. Honor demanded he let her rest, let her recharge for the challenging days ahead.
Ronan drew in a deep breath. The faintest hint of soothing lavender tickled across his senses. He hardened immediately. ’Twas Mairi’s fragrance. Forevermore, whene’er he smelled that sweetness, his Mairi and the pleasure in her touch would come to mind. The beguiling scent had flavored his every gasping breath after he’d spilled his seed inside her. He’d hardened again while still buried in her wetness, nuzzling his face in her fragrant hair whilst resuming the ancient dance, slowly sliding in and out until she’d clutched at him and shuddered with another release.
Ronan shoved his plaid out of the way and fisted his aching cock in one hand. Leave off, he silently willed his stubborn member. Mairi was exhausted. She needed her rest. He had to be patient and leave her be. His cock throbbed, growing ever harder as Ronan pulled a slow, scrotum-tightening stroke. He suppressed a groan as another hint of lavender caressed him. Where was the harm in watching Mairi sleep while he satisfied himself? His beautiful lass could stay among her dreams while fueling his aching desire.
He stroked again, pulling so hard he rose to the balls of his feet. Lore a’mighty, what he wouldna give to bury himself in the hot sweetness waiting between Mairi’s legs.
“Come to bed and I’ll take care of that for you.” Mairi’s sleepy voice echoed through the darkness paired with the rustling of moving bedclothes.
Ronan yanked on his cock again. Lore a’mighty. Her invitation had nearly made him come. “Forgive me,” he groaned, still rooted to the spot beside the door. “I know ye need yer rest, but damn if the verra scent of ye doesna make me ache to be inside ye.”
A flint sounded, then a spark, followed by the warm glow of a single candle beside the bed. Mairi settled back into the layers of pillows piled against the headboard. The flickering candlelight turned her ivory skin golden. Completely nude, Mairi slowly spread her legs wide and trailed one hand down between them.
Partially sitting, with her legs bent and her heels buried in the mounds of the feathered bed, Mairi gyrated her hips as she dipped a single finger in and out of her glistening wetness. She cupped a breast with her other hand, twisting and turning the taut nipple between her fingers. She slid another finger inside herself, arching her back as she rocked against the plunging rhythm of her hand.
Ronan sucked in a sharp breath and stroked faster, staggering slightly to one side. God’s beard. If he didna sit, he’d surely fall flat on his arse when he came.
A breathless moan escaped Mairi. Head thrown back, spine arched, she shuddered as her fingers plunged ever faster in and out. She bucked and rolled from side to side, her hand feverishly working between her legs.
“I can take no more.” Ronan strode to the bed, rolled Mairi to her stomach then lifted her to her knees. “I must have ye and I must pound into ye now.”
“Do it,” Mairi gasped as she rocked back against him. “Take me now.” She moaned as she gathered the pillows up beneath her chest.
That was the only invitation he needed. Ronan grabbed hold of Mairi’s hips and buried his aching cock into her burning wetness. Excruciating pleasure shuddered through him as the deep hot well pulled him in and sucked him even deeper. On his knees, Ronan hammered into Mairi until the sound of their slapping flesh echoed through the room.
A roar escaped him and he jerked forward—scrotum pulsing and body pumping, he spilled himself into the clutching hot wetness. He straightened with the slamming orgasm, yanked Mairi back hard against him, and finished spilling into her. With a shuddering groan, he collapsed to the side, taking care to keep himself well buried in the pleasure of Mairi’s warm wet nest.
Mairi pulled his arms around her and nestled her bottom tighter against Ronan. “I hope I didn’t shock you,” she murmured as she cupped his hand around her breast.
“Ye nay shocked me, love,” Ronan panted. “And I canna wait to see what ye might do next.”
Mairi’s seductive giggle bubbled through the darkness. “Only time will tell,” she whispered as she wiggled deeper into his embrace.
Chapter 20
Mairi cinched the wide leather belt tight about her waist then smoothed her hands down the rough weave of the heavy wool of her kirtle. Thank goodness for the soft linen chemise against her skin. Wool made her itch. Mairi straightened the full, cream-colored sleeves of her tunic and wiggled her toes in the soft doeskin slippers.
“Ye brought nary a stitch o’ clothes wi’ ye?” Coira yanked on Mairi’s belt and adjusted the gathers falling down the back of her skirt.
“I didn’t think I was going to be here longer than a day or two.” Mairi sidestepped Coira’s fussing hands and plucked a still-steaming bannock from the cloth-covered basket on the table. She pulled away a chunk of the hot bread and popped it in her mouth. Chewy and crunchy at the same time. Sweet and kind of oatie. Mairi followed it with a sip of warm, honey-flavored tea. Now, this is my idea of a fine continental breakfast.
“Yer no’ stayin’?” Coira fixed Mairi with a look as though she’d just confessed to murdering the chieftain. “But yer kin are here. How could ye no’ wi
sh to be here with yer clan?”
“It’s complicated.” Mairi couldn’t really go into details about why she wished to return to the future. Not with Coira. One never knew when a seemingly innocent comment of a future event or convenience would chunk a rock into the ripples of time and accidently create a tidal wave—and the Sinclairs were already in enough hot water with the Fates for that very thing.
Mairi brushed her hands free of crumbs then patted the ridges of her intricately braided hair. Coira was a true artist with a comb. “Do you have any idea where Granny and my sisters are this morning?”
Coira bobbed her head as she flitted about the room, tending the fire and setting everything in order. “Aye, mistress. They bade me bring ye to the solar after ye dressed and had a bit to eat.” Coira hovered beside the table, frowning down at the basket still holding an untouched bannock. “Ye nay touched the clotted cream or the honey and ye have another wee bit a bread to eat.” She pointed to the chair beside the table. “Sit and eat. I’ll no’ have Cook tellin’ the mistress I let ye go without proper nourishment.”
“I don’t have time to sit and eat.” Mairi rested one hand atop the iron latch of the chamber door and urged Coira to follow with a flick of one hand. “Now come on—show me the way to the solar.”
Coira’s freckled face darkened with a stubborn scowl as she lifted her chin. “I’ll no’ be showin’ ye the way to the solar ’til ye eat.” Her dark skirts lightly bounced as the toe of her boot impatiently tapped against the stone flooring.
Mairi stomped over to the table, snatched up the remaining bannock, and shoved it into the side pocket sewn into the folds of her skirt. “I’ll take it with me. I’ve eaten one and I’ll eat this one later. Now, you can either show me to the solar or I’ll find it myself.” The last thing she needed was another bossy person in her life. Mairi returned to the door, yanked down the latch, and pulled it open. She turned back to the now red-cheeked Coira and asked, “Well? Are you coming with me or not?”
My Tempting Highlander (Highland Hearts #3) Page 18
