Morna’s Magic & Mistletoe

by Bethany Claire

  “Did ye…did ye hear me? Ye doona look as if ye heard a word I said. Will ye help me? Do ye mind if we stay here this evening and watch the babe for them?”

  Shaking himself from his thoughts, he smiled and bent to kiss her.

  “I heard every word. Of course, I’ll help you. I can’t think of anything else Emilia would want more this Christmas. Scoot over. I’ll get everything set while you go and tell them to pack a bag for the night.”

  Kenna stood without a word and all but skipped away from him in excitement.

  He called out to her just before she left the room.

  “And Kenna…don’t let Emilia turn this offer down. She will try to.”

  “Oh, doona ye worry about that, Malcolm. I always get my way. I doona know what ’tis exactly, but people have always had a difficult time telling me no.”

  He knew precisely what it was. The woman contained magic, surely, and he was entirely under her spell.

  Chapter 15

  While I hadn’t noticed the black dress until after I arrived in the twenty-first century—for I surely would’ve had Adelle remove it immediately if I had—I was grateful it was there as I readied myself for the evening while Malcolm worked at preparing dinner for the two of us in the kitchen.

  I felt naked in the dress with the bottom hem hitting just at my knees. I’d never worn anything that showed so much of my legs. And the cut at the top was even more scandalous. I was now showing even more than I’d revealed to Malcolm the day my blouse had burst open during my nap. Still, I thought I looked quite beautiful in the dress. I hoped Malcolm would think so, too.

  If I didn’t wake with the dewy skin Adelle was so sure I needed after wearing this tonight, there was nothing that would get Malcolm to sleep with me.

  Slipping on the pair of heels, which were another twenty-first century invention I could see no sense in, I reached for the lipstick I’d yet to wear and carefully applied it before heading downstairs.

  I spent the better part of two hours feeding, changing, and bouncing the child before he finally fell asleep. I very much hoped he would at least give us a handful of hours of alone time before he woke up in need of some attention.

  “Kenna…” Malcolm’s tone was nearly breathless. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

  I felt almost ill at how quickly my body warmed in response to his words. He looked rather handsome himself, though he wasn’t dressed up as I was.

  “That canna be true, but I’ll accept the compliment. Thank ye. What are ye making?”

  “Braised beef in a cherry sauce with crisped onions and asparagus. It’s the only dish I know how to make well.”

  “I’m sure ’twill be delicious.”

  I walked over to wrap my arms around him, but he quickly stepped out of my way.

  “It’s nearly ready. Let me step into the bathroom and change. You look so nice. I don’t want to look like a slob next to you.”

  I grabbed his hand and pulled him back toward me.

  “No, doona change. No one will see us. I only wore this for ye and I think ye look handsome dressed just as ye are.”

  His response was immediate. A low, guttural noise escaped from deep within his throat. Pulling me against him, he kissed me greedily, allowing his hands to roam my body in a way he never had before.

  I gasped and moaned in response, pressing one of my breasts into his palm as his hand slipped down my chest while his other hand roamed down to cup my bottom.

  “Mom?”

  Thinking that I’d just found the fault in him I’d been waiting for, I stilled and pulled away. I should’ve realized by the inflection in his tone, but it took me far too long to catch on.

  “Malcolm, while I am a mother, I am not yer mother and the thought of ye referring to me as ‘Mom’ makes my skin crawl all over. Perhaps we should cease this and just eat.”

  Malcolm’s expression looked horrified.

  “God, no, Kenna. I would sooner die than call you Mom. It’s my actual mother. She’s here.”

  An unsettling mixture of relief and embarrassment rushed over me as I turned to see an astonishingly beautiful elderly woman standing no more than ten steps from us. As I locked eyes with her, she lifted her hand and waved before giving me the biggest smile I’d ever seen in my life.

  Chapter 16

  “Excuse me. I believe I hear Robbie upstairs. I best go and check on him.”

  Malcolm waited until Kenna was out of view to address his mother. The moment he turned toward her, his mother pursed her lips guiltily.

  “I am so sorry, Malcolm. Kraig told me that you had a lady friend here tonight, but it truly never crossed my mind that she was anything more than a friend.”

  He’d known that Kenna was bound to meet his mother sometime during her stay in Edinburgh. He only wished his mother’s timing was better.

  “Why would you assume that?”

  She lifted her brows and looked up at him knowingly.

  “Well, it’s been a very long time, son. Forgive me if that isn’t where my mind went right away. I am sorry for intruding though. If there’s anything I can do to make it up to you, just say the word.”

  As if on cue, Robbie let out a bloodcurdling scream that reverberated down the stairway. He didn’t even have to ask the question before his mother stood and brushed off her lap.

  “Absolutely. It’s been months since Emilia has allowed me to take Robbie overnight. I believe she feels guilty asking me because she knows that I raised babies much later in life than most. As if that is her fault, of all things. I’ll go and take the child from Kenna now. Start cleaning the kitchen. It will increase your chances greatly. Nothing turns a woman on more than the sight of a man doing dishes.”

  Thankful that his mother’s shocking remarks had lost their effect on him ages ago, he did as instructed. He loved his mother, but he’d never been so ready for her to be out of his sight.

  *

  I’d rocked and bounced my fair share of babies, but never had I seen one so upset. Robbie screamed endlessly. With each new wail, I knew my hopes for what this night could be were now squandered.

  “There is nothing wrong with his lungs, is there?”

  I half-smiled, half-grimaced as Malcolm’s mother, Nel, stepped into the nursery and closed the door behind her.

  “Aye, I doona believe the wee lad is accustomed to being away from his mother.”

  “Oh no, not at all. It won’t last forever, of course. I think it’s something that most first-time mothers go through, but Emilia rarely wants to be separated from him for more than a few hours. The fact that she agreed to let you and Malcolm watch him overnight is proof of just how exhausted she must be.”

  “I’ve not heard her complain once since I’ve been here, but aye, I do believe fatigue was beginning to take its toll.”

  I stood from my seat and cradled the baby as I began to swing him side to side. Slowly, his wails began to subside.

  “How many grandchildren do you have?”

  I couldn’t help but smile when thinking about each and every one of them.

  “Five.”

  “And how many children do you have?”

  “Three.” The sharp, familiar pang that always coursed through me at the thought of Niall ran its way up and down my body. “But one of my sons passed away a few years ago.”

  Nel’s expression was immediately sympathetic. “I’m so sorry.”

  She glanced down in the way that people often did at hearing such news and shifted from foot to foot for a moment as she looked for a way to transition to a more pleasant conversation. Eventually, she spoke again.

  “I am sorry for interrupting your evening. To make up for the intrusion, I’ve decided to take Robbie with me back to my place across the street. I believe you two probably need some alone time.”

  The embarrassment I felt at knowing that Malcolm’s mother knew what we were up to caused me to immediately regret every instant I’d been so straightforward a
bout such matters with my own sons’ significant others. I was always so blunt with them—it couldn’t have been very comfortable for them to hear me speak of such things. I certainly wasn’t comfortable now.

  I fumbled over my words as I tried to respond to her.

  “Oh…um…that ’tisn’t necessary. Truly.”

  She reached forward and pulled Robbie from my arms, sending him into a fit of screams, once again.

  “I believe it is. Kenna, it was wonderful to meet you. I haven’t seen my son so happy in a very long time. Please don’t hurt him.”

  My heart squeezed familiarly in response to her plea. I knew precisely what it felt like to worry over the well being of a child’s heart.

  “I doona wish to hurt him.” I paused, unsure of why I felt compelled to explain anything to her. “But, we are from verra different worlds. I’m not sure there is anything either of us can do about that.”

  “There is always something to be done. You only have to decide whether or not you want to put forth the effort.”

  Turning before I could respond, she turned and fled the room, leaving me to think on all she’d said.

  I wanted to be with Malcolm this night—I wouldn’t deny myself that—but deep down I knew sleeping with him could only have two possible results. Tomorrow I would either wake happy and full of clarity, or I would wake utterly and completely miserable with confusion.

  Chapter 17

  I took my time before joining Malcolm downstairs. I needed a few moments to reset my mood—to open myself up to the possibility of intimacy once again. After taking a quick glance in the mirror, I nervously made my way to the staircase. Malcolm stood in the living room, in front of the fireplace as he stoked away at the logs he’d just added to the fire.

  “I wasn’t sure at first, but it turns out her surprise visit wasn’t such a terrible thing after all, was it.”

  He must’ve heard my footsteps for he didn’t turn and look at me as I approached. Hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around him from behind and pressed myself against him for warmth.

  He sighed, hung the fire poker back on its hook, and turned into me, winding his hands through my hair as he did so.

  “It must be near morning now. It felt as if she was here forever.”

  Laughing, I leaned back to bare my neck to him as he bent to kiss it.

  “I doona believe she even stayed an hour. We still have the whole night.”

  Malcolm ceased his soft touches up and down my neck as he pulled away and regarded me sternly.

  “Thank God for that. For, Kenna, I plan to spend the rest of the night exploring and tasting every last inch of you. That is…” He hesitated, and I didn’t miss how his lower lip trembled just slightly. “If you’ll allow me.”

  I wanted to be with him in every way that I possibly could.

  Smiling, I nodded and reached for the collar of his shirt.

  “I want ye to make love to me, Malcolm. Over and over again until I am too blissfully weary to do anything other than sleep.”

  In answer, he gently spun me away from him, and gently pulled down the zipper at the back of my dress. It hung loosely at my shoulders, and he moved his lips to my cheek kissing it softly before dragging his tongue down the arch of my neck. I shivered at the sensation as his hands slipped through the opening in the back of my dress, sliding against my bare skin.

  I gasped as his hands cupped my breasts. When he moved to gently tug at my nipple with his fingers, I moaned and leaned into him.

  He shifted and my dress began to slip. Instinctively, my arms jerked upward to prevent its fall.

  “Wait.”

  Malcolm stilled immediately, quickly withdrawing his hands before stepping away from me.

  “What is it? Do you want me to stop?”

  With arms crossed over my front to keep the dress up, I faced him.

  “No. The verra last thing I want ye to do is stop. ’Tis only that I’m frightened, Mac. I havena…’tis been a verra long time since anyone saw me naked.”

  Relief washed over Malcolm’s face as he smiled and stepped close to me, wrapping his arms around me in an embrace that helped to melt away my fears.

  “Come here, Kenna.”

  He turned and walked to the couch, leaving me to follow him as I continued to cling to the front of my dress.

  Once I was seated next to him, he placed his hands on the sides of my face and kissed me until I was warm and tingling all over. When he pulled away, his voice was strained with need. “I don’t think any man enjoys vulnerability, Kenna, but for you I will lay myself bare. I am frightened too. So frightened that if I weren’t pressing my legs into the ground right this second, I’m afraid my legs might tremble. It’s been a very long time for both of us. There is no need for us to rush tonight. I will take as much time as you wish me to.”

  Knowing that I wasn’t alone in my nerves was all I needed to hear. Rising, I allowed the dress to fall down to my waist as I crawled into his lap and began to kiss him.

  True to his word, and ever the gentleman, he did take his time, undressing himself before pulling the dress off me completely and laying me backwards on the makeshift bed. We explored and tasted one another slowly. When we finally did come together, it was all I could do to keep from weeping at the pleasure that rolled over and through me as we rocked together in unison.

  I’d heard whisperings of what lovemaking could be between a man and a woman—the feelings one could experience when two people came together as one.

  Until now, I’d never experienced it for myself.

  I would never, ever be the same.

  *

  Thoroughly sated, deliriously happy, and now rather hungry, Malcolm sat across from Kenna by the fire where they both sat draped in sheets as they munched on a bag of microwave popcorn and sipped on glasses of wine. While he didn’t believe that either of them had ever held much back from another, their shared intimacy had opened them both up in a way that had them sharing with each other like never before. He could scarcely believe his ears now.

  “You can’t be serious. Ever?”

  Kenna smiled, laughed, and popped a handful of kernels in her mouth. He loved that she didn’t wait to finish eating to answer him. She spoke as she munched, and it made him feel even closer to her.

  “Aye, I am verra serious. I always knew it was supposed to be possible, but my late husband was never overly concerned with how pleasurable the experience might be for me. Sex was for creating our children, little more.”

  Malcolm shook his head in disbelief. What sort of a fool could show her such little care?

  “The man sounds like a damned moron.”

  Kenna reached for a log behind her and tossed it into the fire as she laughed.

  “I’ll not speak ill of my sons’ father, but I willna disagree with ye, either. Do ye know, Malcolm, thinking on the young girl I’d once been, I believe I know the sort of man I would’ve chosen for myself had I been given the choice. I believe it would’ve been someone like ye—someone who knew how to show strength and gentleness in equal measure, someone who showed kindness in all things, and who knew how to laugh. Someone who made me feel wanted.”

  He was certain he’d never been given such a kind compliment. He hardly saw himself in such a good light.

  “I wish I had known you then, Kenna. Or, at the very least, I wish I’d met you ten years ago, when we were both far enough past the loss of our spouses to be open to new love. It would’ve given us so much more time than we can ever have now.”

  A sadness crossed Kenna’s face, and the melancholy feeling quickly spread through Malcolm, as well.

  “Kenna…” He paused, not wanting to ruin the evening but knowing they couldn’t avoid the conversation forever. “Did you mean what you told me before? Do you really intend for this to end when I drop you off at Morna and Jerry’s tomorrow?”

  She scooted near him and leaned into his chest.

  “I doona want it to be over, but I must see first.
There is someone I must speak to, to see what might be possible.”

  Who besides the two of them would need to have any say in how things progressed? Malcolm couldn’t imagine, but he knew better than to question her too much.

  “I want you to know, Kenna, I will want you for as long as you want me. Whatever happens from here on out is entirely up to you.”

  And he meant it. If she would have him, he was hers. He would do anything he needed to do to make it work.

  He only hoped she would give him the chance.

  Chapter 18

  The drive from Edinburgh to Morna and Jerry’s the next morning was an awkward one. We were both exhausted, and the great joy of the night before seemed to put a damper on our feelings of today. Neither of us knew for sure where our relationship would go from here and the uncertainty had us both out of sorts.

  I’d already decided that I wanted Malcolm in my life for much longer than the end of today, but until I spoke with Morna, I couldn’t know for sure if my hopes were foolish. How many families could Morna safely expose her magic to? Our relationship would put her most at risk. I would say nothing to Malcolm until I spoke to her.

  I rode for the first hour thinking about all of the possibilities–all of the ways Morna might respond to my request. Thankfully, Malcolm eventually spoke, breaking the silence and providing me with a distraction from my nervous thoughts.

  “Kenna, do you remember how when we got to Edinburgh, you mentioned that you could arrange a tour of McMillan Castle for Rosie and me?”

  I’d forgotten, but I’d most assuredly meant every word. Kamden and Harper would both be thrilled to show them around.

  “Aye, were ye thinking about taking Rosie there on yer way back? ’Tis out of the way, but ’tis worth the trip.”

  He smiled at me and reached over to squeeze my hand. The simple contact seemed to ease the tension inside the car—as if his touch broke through an invisible barrier between us.