by Jennae Vale
Tina looked down at her feet. Donal was fascinated with her clothes. Her trewes were tight and showed off every curve. He hadn’t been able to fully appreciate her figure while she was at Breaghacraig. He wondered how the men of this time every got anything done.
Angus joined them and seeing the look on Donal’s face, laughed. “Ye’ll get used to it.”
How could Angus say that? Donal hoped he’d never get used to it. He, too, was now wearing modern clothing thanks to Angus who’d outfitted him with what he called jeans, a t-shirt, and hiking boots.
“Do ye like the new Donal?” Angus asked.
“I do, but I did like the kilt,” Tina answered.
“Dinnae fear, we’ve sent it out to be cleaned and it’ll be back in no time.”
“Maggie and Dylan are going to go to the shops today. They’ll pick up some new clothes for Elena.”
Donal had never seen such kindness. The Mackenzies were kind people, but Edna and Angus surpassed even them.
“Off with ye then,” Edna said, pointing down the street.
Donal looked at the hand drawn map. It was much like the ones he’d seen at Breaghacraig. Tina’s eyes were on her phone.
“I guess we’re supposed to compare notes,” Tina said, glancing up at him.
They began walking away from The Thistle and Hive towards the outskirts of town. Instead of following the path they’d taken when they arrived, they went further down the road until they reached a spot where they both felt they should head onto a narrow path surrounded by trees and shrubs. All morning long they worked together, stopping occasionally to double check the two maps they were using. Surprisingly they were both very accurate. They’d taken every turn exactly where the maps said they should and now found themselves in an open field.
“We’re almost there,” Tina said, showing Donal her phone.
He looked at his map. “I believe yer right.”
They crossed the field until they came to a small one room cabin nestled beside a small rill and surrounded by trees and bushes that looked as though they’d always been there, framing the cabin as they might if it were in a painting.
Donal set the basket down and looked at the cabin. “It seems there’s a note on the door.”
Tina removed the paper and read it. “We’re to stay here tonight, if we wish.” She opened the door, entering the cabin with Donal right behind her. “It’s so romantic,” she said.
The small room was festooned with garlands of flowers and candles set atop the mantle of the hearth. The windows wore gauzy white curtains and the old wood floors were covered with beautiful rugs that added an extra layer of warmth to the place. Set back against the wall was a bed covered with layers of beautiful quilts and pillows.
Donal couldn’t believe his eyes. In all his years of wooing women, he’d never been anywhere quite so perfect. This would be exactly what he’d want for Tina. A place so worthy of the woman he wished to be his, now and forever. A place where he hoped to change her mind about him. He silently thanked Edna. She had handed him a gift he’d never be able to repay her for. He had no idea why she’d chosen him for her matchmaking mischief, but he was grateful.
“We don’t have to stay if you don’t want to,” she said, sounding unsure of herself to his ears.
“I do wish to stay. More than anything.”
“Really?”
“Tina, my feelings for ye havenae changed, even though I fear yers have.”
“I think the reason Edna sent us here was so that we could figure it all out.” She glanced around the room and then turned to him. “Let’s go sit out by the water. It’s so pretty out there. We should take advantage of it before it gets dark.”
Donal picked up the basket he’d left by the door and brought it with them. There was a plaid tucked inside, which he laid out for them to sit on. The sound of the water flowing across the rocks and downstream was soothing to them both. Tina leaned back on her arms and raised her face to the sky. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She was so beautiful to him and he wanted her to know that. He hoped by the time they left here she would.
Searching the contents of the basket, he found bottles of wine, bread, cheese and fruit along with some other things. All-in-all there was enough food there to last them until the morning. He thought it might be nice to catch a fish for their meal, but first he wanted to enjoy the peaceful sounds of the water, the birds and the soft breeze rustling through the trees.
“This is so nice,” Tina said, laying on her back and gazing up at the sky. “I think this might be the first time I’ve done this since I was a little girl. I remember examining the clouds with Elle. We’d take turns pointing out what we thought we were seeing. Like that,” she pointed to a large fluffy white cloud, “it looks like an angel. Do you see it?”
He squinted his eyes, following the path of her finger and was surprised that he did see it. “Aye. There ’tis.” Donal removed the heavy hiking boots Angus had given him and stretched out on his side, propped on his elbow. He was enjoying this time alone with Tina. Since he’d first met her, his life had been a whirlwind. They’d had very little time to themselves. Understandably, Elena needed them and so that had been his main priority. Even when she’d kissed him by the well, they’d been surrounded by the people of Breaghacraig going about their business. Thinking about that kiss wasn’t in his best interest at this point, so he did his best to put it out of his head. He needed to use his words if he was going to woo her.
“Tell me about yer life here in this time,” Donal said. “I know nothing of it.”
“You know Elle is my sister,” she said.
“I do and I know Hamish is with her, but I want to know about ye.”
“There’s not much to tell. I live in California with my mother and father. We’ve got a ranch with cows, horses and other animals. I’ve got two brothers. One of them is married and has two kids. I’m Elle’s tour manager when they’re on the road, but they’ll be home now for a while so I guess I’m going to have to find something else to do.”
He wrinkled his brow, “What is a tour manager?” he asked, wondering why she now must find something else to do.
“It’s kind of complicated. You probably wouldn’t understand.”
“Try. I’m nae stupid.”
“I didn’t mean that. It’s just that there’s nothing like it in your time.”
“I want to know.”
“Alright. Well, I book all the venues for the band, and the hotels. I make plane reservations. I make sure the tour bus is equipped with everything they need. Essentially, I make sure that all they have to do is get up on stage and entertain the crowds that come to see them.”
“It sounds like a verra important job.”
“I guess it is. So going on tour with them seemed like a good idea, but it wasn’t something I ever thought about doing. I’m kind of a homebody. I never like to be too far from my family.”
“And yet here ye are.”
“I know. Totally out of character for me.” She turned her head to look at him. She seemed to be examining every inch of his face, before she looked up at the sky once again. “All I ever really wanted was to live a quiet life in my home town, near my family. I wanted a husband and children and to be able to do all the things that I love.”
“Tell me about them,” he said, enjoying the sound of her voice and the fact that she was confiding in him for the first time.
“It’s kind of boring, really,” she said, raising her hands up in front of her face and examining her fingers.
“I’m nae bored, lass. Tell me.”
“I like to cook, although the only time that happens is when my mother isn’t around. I’d probably be better at it if I got more practice. I like to make things and I’ve always dreamed of having my own little shop. That’s what I really want to do. And that’s all there is to tell,” she finished.
“There’s more to ye than that, lass,” he said.
“Not really. I’m a p
retty simple person. I don’t have any great dreams to speak of. I’ve been pretty happy with my life, except for my love life.”
“Love life. Ye mean ye havenae had a man in yer life”?
“Right. I’ve been burned more than a few times and so now I guess I’m extra cautious.”
Some of the words she used made no sense to him. “Did these men actually burn ye? Do ye have scars?”
She laughed. “No. No. When I say burned, I mean they weren’t very nice to me.”
He understood what she meant. She’d been hurt by men in the past and he guessed that he wasn’t much better. “I’m sorry to hear it. Ye deserve to be loved and treasured.”
“What about you? Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Most people think I’m only out to have fun. They dinnae believe me to be serious or responsible, as I’m sure ye learned from yer time at Breaghacraig.”
“I did hear that a few times,” she confirmed.
“Ye see, I’m from a family of nine children. I fell square in the middle. Ma and Da worked hard to feed us. They had little time to spend caring for us and so we had to rely on each other. I spent much time on my own, never having to answer to anyone. I found my share of mischief and I found that I liked it. As I got older, that mischief became focused on the lassies. They thought me handsome and I had a way of convincing them to do things they might not otherwise do. I never thought of the consequences of my actions, but I should have.”
“How did you end up at Breaghacraig?” she asked.
“My family drifted apart after our mother and father died. I was grown and ready to strike out on my own when they passed. I don’t know where my siblings went or where they are now, I’ve never heard from a one. I rode into Breaghacraig one day thinking I was pretty important. They invited me to take part in their morning practice. I thought I was much better with a sword than I truly was and I found out the truth of it that day when I ended up on my arse more times than I could count. I guess they felt sorry for me, because they asked me to stay on with them. They taught me to be a warrior and they accepted me into the clan. They replaced my family and now I find I have the beginnings of a family of me own.”
“Elena,” Tina said.
“My wee daughter. I never knew it was possible to love someone as much as I love her and so quickly.” It had truly taken him by surprise. “Now that I know that kind of love, I want more of it. I want to share it with someone.” His eyes met hers. He hoped they told Tina that it was she he wanted to share it with.
She looked away from him towards the flowing stream. He hoped he hadn’t said too much. This was all new to him and he wasn’t sure how to proceed. One thing he was sure of was that he could only do so much. It was going to be up to her to decide whether or not she wanted to be his woman and whether she wanted him to be her man. There was a tiny flicker of hope in his heart. He was hoping that by the end of this day it would become a blazing fire.
Chapter 15
“Have ye nae fished before?” Donal asked as he plodded into the stream up to his knees.
“Not like this,” she answered. Tina wasn’t sure exactly how he intended to catch a fish, but one thing she was sure of was that she’d enjoy watching him try.
He stood with his legs set far apart and his hands perched just above the water. His patience was amazing as he stood completely still and waited. He explained that he planned to catch a fish as it swam through his legs.
This was better than anything else she could be doing right now. Donal was so focused on the water that he was unaware of anything else. Especially the fact that she was watching him so closely. Several minutes passed with no success, but he still didn’t move. Tina decided she really didn’t care if they had fish for dinner and so she rolled up the legs of her pants and silently crept into the water. When she was close enough, she used both hands to splash water at Donal. Much to her surprise, he must have known what she was up to because he lunged for her, grabbing her around the waist. Her feet went out from beneath her and they both tumbled into the water.
Tina shrieked, “It’s freezing!”
Donal picked her up, carried her out of the water and lay her on the plaid, he propped himself up over her. “Ye are a wee devil,” he chuckled.
“I didn’t want to share you with the fish,” she explained, “and I wasn’t sure how much longer you were willing to stand there.”
“Ah, so ye wished to have me attention.” He used the edge of the plaid to wipe away a rivulet of water that was trailing from her hair to her face.
Out of breath and incredibly turned on by this man, Tina nodded her head. “I did.” She held her breath as his finger traced her lips. She closed her eyes as her lips parted, begging for his kiss.
“Do ye wish me to kiss ye?” His seductive growl was almost her undoing.
“Yes,” was her breathless answer.
She waited, eyes closed, to feel his lips on hers, but instead he asked, “How much do ye wish it?” He’d lowered his head so that he whispered into her ear.
“Please, just kiss me,” she insisted.
Donal’s deep chuckle reverberated through her as his lips met hers, his tongue found an opening and plundered her mouth. Their tongues continued to tangle as Donal moved closer, helped by Tina pulling him down on top of her. She lifted her hips as one leg wrapped around his back.
The fact that they were both soaking wet from their romp in the stream didn’t make any difference to her. She snaked a hand under his t-shirt and relished the feel of taut muscle beneath her fingers. She began to undo the button on his jeans, feeling the hardness of him ready to burst forth. She wanted him and she didn’t care about anything else. She’d made her decision and now she wanted to seal their union here on the banks of this stream.
Rain began to plop on the ground around them. Tina wasn’t surprised that they hadn’t noticed the dark clouds rolling in. Why would they? They’d both been completely engrossed in the pleasure of this moment.
“We should get inside,” Donal said as he grabbed the plaid and basket.
They hurried inside just as a loud clap of thunder reverberated overhead followed by a bolt of lightning that lit the dark sky.
Tina was shivering partly from the chill of the rain on her skin and partly from the sensual thoughts running through her head.
Donal got a fire started in the hearth before turning back to Tina. “You’re chilled,” he said, pulling her into his arms and rubbing her back, which sent waves of heat through her entire body. She melted into him. He seemed to notice because his hands stopped rubbing and simply held her close, his chin resting on her head. Tina could hear his ragged breathing matching her own. They stood perfectly still, each afraid to move, afraid to break the spell that had been woven by the sudden rainstorm.
“Donal.” Tina’s soft voice implored him to look at her.
He moved ever so slightly back, still holding onto her. He tipped his head, his eyes searching hers. He slowly dipped his head so that his lips were near hers, not touching her, but asking her if she wanted more. No words were spoken. This silent question passed between them and when Tina closed her eyes and nodded, Donal’s lips tenderly kissed hers. One soft kiss, followed by another, followed by another. Tina responded, still shivering, but this time the rain had nothing to do with it. It was pure adrenaline running through her veins causing her to quiver at his touch.
Donal tried to speak, but Tina put a finger to his lips. She didn’t need to hear his promises. She knew him for who he truly was. He was so much more than she had ever imagined. He didn’t need to tell her he cared. There was no need for apologies or for him to speak to her of love. He had said those words, she just had to believe it. She knew her own heart and despite all the time she’d spent trying to distance herself from him, she found she had fallen in love with him. For the first time in her life, Tina was ready to let this moment be all that mattered. There was no thinking of tomorrow, there was only right now, here in thi
s little cabin during a thunderstorm that she would remember forever.
Tina moved away from Donal and began to remove her wet clothes. He didn’t venture from the spot where she’d left him. Instead, his eyes followed her every move and when she stood there completely naked, he was in front of her in one long stride, gathering her into his arms and kissing her again. This time with more passion and purpose. His hands caressed her back, sliding down each side of her spine to her buttocks. Their calloused roughness on her skin gave her goosebumps.
“You’re so soft.” His voice was a rough whisper in her ear, just before he nibbled her earlobe and then kissed her neck. His kisses alone were better than any sex she’d ever had.
Tina gave in to them, relaxing her body and letting him hold her up with strong, sinewy arms. Small satisfied mewls escaped her throat inspiring him to continue down her chest to her breasts, where he stopped and lavished them with attention. She ached for his touch, her skin burning with desire.
“Come,” he said, taking her hand and drawing her close to the hearth. “I wish to see ye.”
The light from the flames cast a golden glow upon them as Donal removed his own clothes.
Wanting to slow things down and enjoy every moment to the fullest, Tina reached into the basket for a bottle of wine and a glass. She poured some for the both of them.
“There’s just the one glass,” she said as she held it out for him to take.
“Aye, and there’s just one bed.” He lifted her into his arms and placed her in the center of it. He took the glass from her then put it to her lips. She took a sip and as he pulled the glass away, some ran down her chin and onto her chest. His tongue followed the trail of the wine and continued on a path further and further down until he came to the vee between her thighs. She quivered as he thoroughly explored her body with both his hands and his mouth.
Her hands tingled as she caught the strands of his hair between her fingers and then let them slip through. She was surprised by the silky, softness of it. He glanced up at her as her tongue darted out to moisten her lips and in an instant his mouth was on hers, strong hands holding her head motionless. Firm lips played across hers, leaving her breathless, but she was elated to drown in his kiss. Pushing her hair out of the way, his lips found the sensitive spot on her neck and she shivered, encouraging him to search for more of those tender places where a mere touch led to involuntary moans of pleasure.
