He took it and gestured to the bathing chambers. “Everything ye need is already there.”
She shook her head but climbed out of bed. He felt the familiar stir in his loins as she stood and stretched. Clad only in her panties and bra, she was breathtaking. Even with her hair matted and clinging to her face, she exuded a grace and femininity that too few women had. His erection was pushing at his trues and for a moment he thought about giving in to his passion and taking her right there. But she deserved far more than what he had to offer. Instead, he turned away from her and ran his hand through his hair.
He could hear her soft footsteps pad across the floor as she made her way to the bathing chambers. He heard the door shut and then the faucets as she began her morning ritual. Leaving her to it, he retired to the main room and pulled up the communication from Lee that had just arrived. His father was requesting a council meeting. Duncan sighed and set the communicator back on the table. He had to figure out what Caitriona was planning—and soon.
It was nearly an hour later when, lost in his own musings, he didn’t hear Caitriona enter the room. Her hair was still wet and she was wrapped only in his tartan.
“I didn’t know what to put on,” she said, a beautiful pink blush spreading across her cheeks. He swallowed hard. The effect she had on him was nearly unbearable and he had a good idea where this was going to end up if he didn’t get her back into bed. Alone. Besides, the drink he had given her included a sedative that would force her to rest for most of the day, something he knew she got very little of. She would be mad at him later, once she pieced it together, but he would deal with that when the time came.
“My family’s colors suit ye, lass.” He stood and escorted her to the bed chambers. “I can have some of yer clothes brought here,” he said, his eyes never leaving hers. Their green depths were like the deepest emerald lagoon. He wanted nothing more than to lose himself in her eyes, her body, her very soul.
With one hand keeping the tartan wrapped firmly around her body, the other hand stifled a yawn. He knew the drug was beginning to have the desired effect. He guided her back to the bed and eased her back against the pillows. He could see she was struggling to keep her eyes open.
“I’m so sleepy,” she apologized. “I don’t know what’s…” She paused and glared at him, stifling another yawn. “The drink. You drugged me.”
He pulled the covers around her and sat beside her. “Ye need to get some rest, lass.” He started to get up and leave but she wrapped her arm around the back of his neck and pulled him to her. It was all the encouragement he needed. His mouth found hers in a crushing kiss. She tasted like sweet mint and lavender and he greedily ran his tongue across the smoothness of her teeth, sucking lightly at her bottom lip until a soft moan escaped her mouth. Her hands pulled him more tightly to her and he deepened the kiss as the tartan drifted from her shoulders. After several seconds, he felt her relax in his arms and, breaking the kiss, he eased her back to the pillows once again. Damnu! he cursed. He wanted her badly.
She mewled, but her eyes were already closing.
“Sleep, Leannan. We can pick this up tomorrow.” He kissed her chastely on the cheek.
“Promise,” she murmured.
“Just try and stop me,” he said. Tucking the covers around her, he left his chambers knowing he faced a long, frustrating night alone.
Chapter Eight
Nicolas could barely contain his anger. Duncan’s interference with his duties to the Seer was maddening. It was, after all, Nicolas who had a better pulse on her emotional needs than anyone, including Duncan.
“Slow down, Nicolas,” Dani shouted as she struggled to match his long-legged stride. “You don’t actually need to see me back to my room. I do know the way,” she harrumphed as she all but ran to keep up with him.
Exhaling loudly, Nicolas focused his attention on the alluring woman next to him. She was breathtaking in an abandoned, wild way. Her long, chestnut hair fanned out behind her as she hurried to keep pace. Three flowers dressed the left side of her hair, where she had pinned back the chestnut locks that, like her spirit, refused to stay contained. He knew enough about Mexican tradition to know the subtle adornment reflected her single status. She pulled the lace shawl she wore tighter across her bare shoulders and the traditional huipil, a rectangular white blouse, that exposed her bronze shoulders and flawless skin. The blouse was adorned with tiny, embroidered flowers that matched the handwork of the white embroidered skirt that flowed behind her. A black, embroidered belt in the same style was cinched tight across her middle, accentuating her small waist. Flat slippers and beads of varying sizes and colors completed the ensemble.
“I can barely keep up with you as it is,” she admonished.
He exhaled again, the exaggerated breath an attempt to rein in his anger. Losing the battle, he bent and scooped her over his shoulder like he would an injured soldier. He didn’t have time to deal with her right now. He needed to see her safely to her rooms so he could find Duncan and confront him about his continued interference.
She squealed and beat against his back. “Put me down!” she exclaimed, but he only tightened his hold and quickened his pace. When she began squirming in earnest, he smacked her backside, grinning when she yelped from indignation.
“I will call for my guards if you don’t set me down at once.”
Nicolas stopped walking. He briefly considered her request, but not because he feared her guards. In truth, he enjoyed her fiery spirit and liked the way she felt in his arms, but his feelings for Dani were at odds with his emotional attachment to Caitriona. He set Dani on her feet and tried to distance himself from the feelings she evoked.
She smoothed her skirts, glaring at him as he tried to suppress the grin that threatened to overtake his face. “How dare you,” she hissed. Squaring her small shoulders, she turned and stomped off in the direction they had just come.
“Dani, wait,” he yelled after her.
She kept walking, her skirts trailing behind her, a shimmering outline against the dusk of late afternoon.
Nicolas sighed, torn between his duty to Caitriona and the growing desire he felt for this woman. Deciding his confrontation with Duncan could wait, he went after Dani, easily catching up to her long stride in a few seconds.
“Stop for just a minute,” he said, grabbing her arm and spinning her so she faced him. Her skin is flawless, he thought absently, and unconsciously his hand drifted to her cheek, the back of his knuckles grazing the corn-starch smoothness of her skin. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. Her dark lashes framed her face and a slight smile lit her face. His free hand cupped the back of her head and pulled her to him, his lips finding hers, tasting her sweet breath when her lips parted. He raked his tongue over her teeth and sucked gently on her lower lip. Feeling her relax against him, he took her face in his hands and deepened the kiss. He could feel his erection pushing against the fabric of his pants and wanted nothing more than to continue this sensual exploration somewhere more private.
She was the first to break the kiss, her hand touching her lips that were now flushed and bruised from his ardent kisses. “I… ” She paused as if searching for the right words. He placed his hand over her lips, effectively silencing her as he pulled her body tight against his. He knew she could feel the evidence of his attraction for her, but he didn’t care.
He ran his fingers through the chestnut locks, letting the strands slip through his fingers as his gaze raked her body. She started to say something again, but he silenced her with a kiss, his mouth parting her lips, his tongue capturing hers in a sultry game of tag.
“Desculpe,” a young man said as he cleared his throat. Nicolas immediately broke the contact with Danika, his hand instinctively reaching for the gun he kept at his side. “Lo siento, Senorita. Oí un ruido y pensé que podría estar en peligro.”
“Esta bien, Raul,” she replied, adjusting her bodice and smoothing her hair from her face. “Y English, por favor. “
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“Si, yes, of course,” he said, acknowledging Nicolas. “I am sorry, Señor. I heard some…noises and came to investigate,” he said, looking down at his feet, his face beginning to flush. “I did not mean to intrude. I only wanted to ensure the lady’s safety.”
“As you can see, she’s fine,” Nicolas hissed, irritated by the untimely interruption.
“Nicolas,” Dani admonished.
“See to it that she is escorted safely back to her rooms,” he growled at the young guard. Nodding his head to Dani, he caught her eyes and for a moment, considered dismissing the guard. But the guard’s untimely intrusion was a stark reminder that Nicolas had no business playing with Dani’s emotions. In truth, he wasn’t quite certain of his feelings for the woman, not when he was emotionally bound to Caitriona.
Turning, he strode back the way he had come, grateful for the approaching night shadows that would conceal his attraction and his heart.
Chapter Nine
Caitriona awoke to Duncan’s trail of soft kisses across her cheek. She turned, capturing his mouth, and deepened the kiss.
“Good morning, Leannan,” he said, his voice husky with desire.
“Mmm,” she replied, her voice low and full of unmet need. “What time is it, Duncan? It’s still dark.”
“Aye, ‘tis just before dawn, lass, but I couldna sleep.” She could hear the grin in his voice and a sleepy smile crept across her face.
He brushed the back of his hand across her cheek, trailing his thumb across her bottom lip. She captured his thumb, sucking lightly until his answering moan gave her the encouragement she was seeking.
Caitriona rolled to her side, pushing Duncan to his back as she did. She climbed seductively on top of him aware of the bulge in his pants that strained to be released. He groaned, caressing her face with both hands as his eyes found hers. His mouth captured hers, his tongue grazing her teeth and sucking gently on her tongue before releasing her.
Caitriona gave him a wicked look and shimmied down his body trailing soft kisses across his chest and abdomen. When her mouth reached the waistband of his pants, she ran her finger lightly under the soft material, delighting in the way his breath caught at the promise of something more. After she was sure he couldn’t take much more teasing, she undid the drawstring, pushing his pants down over his hips and freeing his arousal. She watched, mesmerized, as it sprang free from the confines of the garment, his erection already hardening and straining for release. She reached down and took his penis in her hand, making a circle with her finger around the shaft, a soft groan escaping his lips as her hand stroked the velvety softness.
She slid her hand up and down the length of him, sliding the skin over the shaft and head. Another groan, this one more carnal, urged her forward. She continued to stroke him, her eyes fixated on the wetness that began to glisten at the head of his shaft. His hand covered hers—taking a firmer grip—and urged her on. Caitriona locked green eyes with gray, and her heart and stomach jumped at what she saw: raw need. And only she could satiate that need. She did that to him and she was going to do even more. The thought filled her with a heady excitement that made her wet between her legs.
Duncan groaned as she replaced her hand with her mouth. He threw his head back, the Adam’s apple of his throat standing out against the taut muscles of his strong neck. Caitriona continued to take him greedily into her mouth, stroking him with her tongue and sucking delicately on the tip before taking the length of him back into her mouth. His legs grew taught with the tension it took to hold himself back. He sucked air in through his teeth, his breath hitching as Caitriona continued her unrelenting ministrations. His breath grew louder in her ears, his whole body rigid as he struggled to even swallow.
“Caitriona,” he groaned. There was a warning in his voice.
Caitriona didn't stop but continued her erotic pace. His hands fisted in her hair as she could feel his release begin. Her jaw was aching from the girth of him but still she continued, her hands and mouth working together in a choreography that left them both breathless.
Duncan arched his head and let out a deep groan, his erection exploding in her mouth. Caitriona swallowed greedily, savoring the taste of him as she continued to milk each drop from him. Gasping, he pulled out of her mouth, his eyes never leaving hers. Every line of his body was rigid and his eyes glinted with the light that made the very breath leave her body. He pulled her up so that she was locked in his arms. Kissing the top of her head, he spoke softly against her silken hair. “Mine.”
“For always,” she replied. She burrowed further into his arms as she savored the taste of him, the unmet need between her legs growing stronger. She ground her pelvis seductively against his leg, reminding him that he had unfinished business.
“Vixen,” he laughed as he rolled her onto her back.
She tugged her hair out from where it had become trapped and let it fall seductively across her shoulders and over her breasts.
“You are extraordinarily beautiful, Leannan,” Duncan whispered huskily. “Tao gael orgt,” he added, the Gaelic declaration of love a reminder of the words he’d spoken to her many months ago. He swept aside her hair and captured her nipple in his mouth, claiming it as thoroughly as if he were marking her as his.
She groaned and leaned into the sensations his mouth evoked, her mind turning over his latest declaration. “It doesn’t make sense for you to love me,” she said, her hands caressing the firmness of his muscles. “I’m nothing. I’m genetically inferior.” Even as she said it, she could hear his protests and knew they weren’t lies.
“Caitriona, you are everything to me.” He silenced any further remarks by capturing her mouth with his.
She gave into him then without hesitation, the longing and fierce desire building within her. She could feel his erection pressed up against her leg and knew the depths of his desire ran deep. She grinned wickedly in the dark. It was a most heady sensation, having power over the most powerful man.
He pushed her legs apart and brushed his fingers lightly over the outline of her thigh. She groaned as his fingers grazed the opening to her hidden desires. Planting light kisses across her cheek and forehead, his fingers continued their unrelenting quest as they sought her innermost desires.
Covering his hand with hers she encouraged him to explore her more intimately, pushing him deeper into her. She wanted to feel the length of him inside her. Grinning, his free hand reached for her, twining his fingers with hers, raising her hand above her head. “Stay,” he commanded. She knew where this was leading and she was only too happy to oblige. How he managed to do that to her, she didn’t know. But she didn’t want him to stop. Ever.
He captured her other hand and, planting soft kisses along her inner arm, placed it next to the other, which she obligingly hadn’t moved. Grasping one of her hardened peaks between his fingers, he expertly rolled the nipple until it elongated with desire. She moaned and undulated her hips inviting him to explore her more southern areas with the part of him that was hard and pulsing against her thigh.
“Dinna move,” he whispered, his breath teasing the soft hairs against her neck. She shivered with unsuppressed need. His hand continued its unrelenting assault, gently teasing her folds only to stretch and test the hidden recesses. Her moaning increased and she found it increasingly difficult to keep still. She wanted to grab the length of him and have him plunge deep inside her.
“Duncan,” she moaned. “Please.” Her tone begged him to take her.
“Minx,” he responded, but his eyes were husky with desire. Sliding his hand out of her, he brought his fingers to her mouth. She took each one in turn, the taste of her desire filling her with an excitement that she didn’t know she possessed. She seductively moved her hips again, beckoning him with the sultry reminder that she still had a need waiting to be fulfilled. He ignored her hips and instead, his mouth planted soft kisses along her nape and shoulder as she nipped gently at his fingers.
When she was almost at he
r breaking point, she shifted her weight, reminding him once again of her building need. He chuckled and flipped her on her stomach. Pinning her legs beneath him, he leaned in close to her ear. “I didna say ye could move, lass.” His voice was low and dangerous. She shivered at the expectation of what his words promised.
Grabbing her hips, he pulled her up on her knees so that her buttocks were exposed. She gasped as his hand gently massaged her pubic mound, his fingers teasing her folds. His other hand fondled first one breast and then the other. It was a delicious feeling, being so completely free to enjoy the erotic sensations only he seemed capable of delivering. She shivered, as much from anticipation as from the cold air that danced across her naked body.
Pausing from his ministrations, he placed both her arms above her head and pushed her hips toward the bed so that her knees were pulled to her chest in a yoga child’s pose position. “Let’s try this again,” he whispered against her ear. “Dinna move, lass.” This time, there was a definite warning in his voice.
She groaned but held perfectly still. She could feel him move behind her and she hitched her breath in anticipation. His hand was warm and caressing against her buttocks, which made the resounding crack that came seconds later a complete surprise. Yelping, she tried to pull away from him but he held her firmly in place. “That is for disobeyin’ me, lass.” His voice was low, controlled. His hand caressed the place where he’d just smacked her.
Caitriona couldn’t decide if the sting was more from embarrassment or pain. But then his hand was caressing her buttocks again, bringing her once again to a heightened sense of arousal. She groaned, giving into the sensations he aroused just as his hand connected with her ass again. The resounding crack caused her to arch her back as she tried once again to move away from him. She whimpered softly as his hand caressed the sweet spot between her legs, penetrating with first one finger and then another.
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