"How much did you hear?" she asked without turning around.
He should have known she would know he was there. It was the same for him. "You're turning down a position for this."
She turned around and studied him.
"I guess in a way I am."
He shook his head. "It's your future, Phoebe. You shouldn't throw it away."
The moment he said the words, he wanted to call them back. He didn’t want her to leave, ever. He knew it wasn’t fair, but he wanted her by his side. For the first time in over two hundred years, he wanted a woman to be his…forever.
"You heard about my husband?"
She had retreated behind a proper façade, and he didn't like it. He’d just realized that he loved the woman and she was pulling away from him. He knew it was out of embarrassment, but he was not going to stand for it.
"Yes."
Her shoulders slumped. "I kept it all out of the papers. With his connections to the royal family, there was always a reporter here or there trying to get a scoop."
"You knew your entire marriage?"
She shook her head. As if unable to stay still, she rose from her chair and went to the window to look out.
"I heard rumors, but I thought they were just that. Rumors. I didn't know until he was already sick. Then I was trapped."
"Trapped?"
“He was my husband, and he was given just months to live. While he might not have taken our vows seriously, I did. I could not leave him. I was tempted, especially when he realized I knew."
"Why was that?"
She sighed. It was one of the loneliest sounds he had ever heard.
"He was mad. At me, at the world, at fate." She turned to face Callum, the sadness easy to see in her eyes. Was she sad because she had lost a man to infidelity? Did she still love him? "He turned very bitter and took great pleasure in letting me know exactly why he cheated on me."
The bastard. It wasn't enough that he had cheated on a woman, but he’d spent the last few months of his life tearing her heart apart.
"It was partially my fault."
"What the bloody hell are you talking about? Why would you blame yourself?"
"I married him thinking I loved him. I was too young, too naive. But, once we married, I knew there was something missing. Love. We didn't love each other. I was infatuated for a while, but then I started to see him as he was. Petty, mean, and threatened."
"Threatened?"
"I came from a family of well-known scientists.”
“But you said he was related to the royal family.”
“While Simon was brilliant, his IQ was lower than mine. He felt inferior."
"Well he was."
She offered him a small smile. "True."
“Why did you stay?"
She shrugged. "I took vows. But my parents shamed me into it. I didn't have much of a backbone then. I did just about everything they wanted me to do. Years ago, that phone call you overheard would have convinced me to take the job. I would be packing right now."
"Your parents knew he had cheated on you but wanted you to stay there?"
She nodded. "Apparently everyone in my circle of acquaintances knew, but no one told me. And, my parents could not deal with the embarrassment of me leaving him to die on his own. So I did my duty. And I was thankful for it."
"Thankful?"
Her smile widened. "Listening to Simon bitch and moan for months on end convinced me that life was too short not to do what I wanted. By the time he died, I knew I wanted more out of life."
“Well, you got that and more with us.”
She chuckled. “That’s for sure. I guess I should get back to work.”
He knew she did have work to do. They were close to solving the curse, and any time off was just for sleeping…mainly. But, he kept seeing the way her head had bowed and her shoulders slumped when she’d been talking to her mother. He hated the sadness that still lingered in her eyes. A woman like Phoebe should only have happiness. Duty told him he should let her get back to her reading, but his soul only wanted to soothe her pain.
He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. She came willingly. All her soft curves pressed against his as he brushed his lips over her temple. She raised her head and looked up at him. He wanted nothing more than to banish the ghosts that haunted her eyes, to pretend that this once they were just a man and a woman.
“Let me love you.”
For a moment, she said nothing. Everything in his soul told him to just take her. The need to comfort her, to show her just how he felt about her, was eating at him. But in this moment, he knew she had to make the decision.
She smiled, her face lighting up with happiness. His heart squeezed at the sight of it. He knew without a doubt she had not had much happiness in her life, and the fact that he had given it to her meant more to him than anything in his life.
"Yes."
He groaned as he bent to give her a hungry kiss, trying his best to let her know the feelings he had locked up inside of himself for so long. He picked her up and carried her to the couch.
"Callum, the door."
It was then that he realized he had left the door open. He rushed over to close and lock it and went back to her. He couldn't bear being away from her touch for too long. But he wanted to go slow, wanted to be sure to savor the moment. He had been waiting for her for centuries. He hadn't known it, but he knew now she was the one to make him complete.
His hands were shaking when he undid her blouse. It was delicate fabric and the need to tear it from her body just about took over every good intention. He leaned down to take her mouth slowly, drawing out the pleasure of the hot, wet kiss.
She moaned against his tongue then sucked it gently. His cock jumped. Lord, the woman was still dressed and she was about to undo him with a sweet gesture.
He pulled back, knowing he was about to lose himself. He couldn't. It was too important that this woman, this wonderfully special woman, was everything that was good in his life. He tugged off her shirt then undid her bra. Kissing her skin, he savored the taste of her.
He pulled off her pantyhose and panties, leaving her bare. She lay on his couch, the weak winter sun coasting over her flesh, and he sat there staring at her. He couldn't help it. He had never in his life seen something so beautiful.
In the next instant, he kissed his way down her body to her sex. Without pausing, he spread her legs and took her. Tasting her always left him slightly heady. Sassy, sweet, and so totally made for him. Over and over he assaulted her, taking the tiny bundle of nerves between his teeth. She came apart, screaming his name as she shuddered through her release.
He had wanted to draw it out, but with the taste of her passion on his tongue, he couldn't wait. He stood and undid his pants. He pulled her up and then sat down, putting her on top of his lap. She rose to her knees then wrapped her hand around his cock. She gave it one hard tug, two...
"Phoebe, by all that is holy, take me in."
She offered him a smile and slowly sank onto his shaft. Her tight passage clung to him as she moved over him, slowly, measured. Soon, her movements increased. He leaned his head back and groaned. His orgasm was approaching, but it shimmered just out of his reach.
She bent her head and kissed him, her mouth devouring his.
"Callum, look at me."
She whispered the words against his mouth.
He did as ordered and found her watching him. Her hair had started to fall down. She gyrated her hips, and he groaned. Her inner muscles tightened on his cock.
"Come for me, Callum."
Hearing her husky voice, filled with love, he lost himself. He thrust up into her, and his orgasm took over. She followed along, her orgasm seemingly being spurred on by his.
Moments later, she collapsed on top of him with a sigh of contentment. This is what he wanted, for the rest of his life. The thought gave him pause. There was no living together for the rest of his life, but dammit, he wanted it with her. He want
ed to watch her grow old. And more than anything, that scared the hell out of him. He knew that one day she would die, and he would be left alone to mourn.
She raised her head and looked down at him. "Thank you."
"The feeling is mutual."
She shook her head, her expression very serious. "You make me feel sexy, lovable. I have never had that in my life."
He knew without a doubt now she was telling the truth. His throat closed up. No one in his life had said something so raw or so truthful to him before. He opened his mouth to tell her just how he felt, but there was pounding on the door.
"Callum, open up," Angus said from the other side of the door.
"Bugger off. I’m busy," he said. Phoebe giggled and snuggled closer.
There was a pause then a chuckle that he knew was Fletcher.
"I hate to interrupt, cuz, but we might have just found one of the stones, the diamond. And, it is right here in Edinburgh."
Chapter Thirteen
Phoebe tried to repair her hair as the cousins took their seats around the room. She would probably never quit blushing. Lord, she had never been so embarrassed in her life. It wouldn't have been so bad if Callum hadn't been strutting around and acting like he owned her. He stood behind her chair, his hand on the back of it, as if daring one of his cousins to say a word.
She cleared her throat. "You said you found something."
"Yes. We found the diamond. It was fairly easy to track, so I hope that all of them are like this. Of course, it only switched hands once from what I could find."
"You found actual records?" Callum asked.
Angus shrugged. "In a way. All I had to do was know that the McWaltons were in possession of the sword years ago."
“How did they gain possession over it?" she asked, feeling slightly sick. She had broken ties with McWalton, but it didn't mean that she didn't feel guilty. More than once, she had been on the verge of telling Callum when they had been interrupted, She knew it made her a coward, but there was a chance that he would never find out. She hoped.
Angus deferred to Callum. She turned to face him and felt that familiar yearning build within her. God, she was in deep, and it was starting to scare her. At some point, the truth had to come out.
"Our grandfather was killed shortly after he sent us away. Our clan fled to safety and the McWaltons took possession of our castle for a bit. By the time they left, there was nothing of worth left. They had to have stolen the sword. Everyone in the Highlands knew about it. When the Bruce leaves you something, it tends to garner attention."
She nodded. "How did you get it back?"
"Bought it. The McWaltons have had a run of bad luck for the last two centuries. They sold off a lot of their treasures. So, I tracked it down to an antiquity dealer in London. All the jewels were missing."
"You think they kept them?" she asked.
Fletcher chuckled, gaining her attention. She glanced at him.
"No. More than likely they had to sell off the jewels. As Callum said, they’ve not had a lot of financial success."
"But they have the diamond. Very confusing."
Fletcher shrugged. "It’s the one jewel I could not find anywhere, so I know they have it. On top of it, I know that it is being displayed at the castle tonight."
She shook her head. "Displayed? At the castle?"
"There's some kind of gala and this is the last night. It is one of the featured jewels on loan from the McWaltons as part of our Scottish Heritage. They’re raising money for a charity."
"So we can buy it?" she asked, hoping that it could be that easy.
"No. We have to get tickets and go. The tickets are what raises the money."
"From what you have told me of McWalton, he doesn't seem like the type to do this out of the goodness of his heart."
"They need the money," Logan said. "I heard they were looking to sell a few more tapestries to the highest bidder, but they’re trying to do it quietly. The bastard is always worried what people will think, so he wants to do it quietly. More than likely, he is trying to get some interest in the diamond so he can sell it for himself."
“You’re going to buy it from him?”
Angus shook his head. “That’ll be impossible. He will never sell to us. The McWaltons see it as their duty to keep us from solving the riddle of the curse.”
“So what is your plan?” she asked. The other four cousins said nothing, but the tension in the air rose. They looked at one another and then at Callum.
She turned to face him and knew before he opened his mouth what he was going to say. A sense of dread enveloped her.
“There is only one way to get it. We’re going to have to steal it, love.”
* * * *
“You cannot just steal the diamond. You could be arrested,” Phoebe said as Callum watched her pace around the office. His cousins had fled the scene under the guise of planning the heist, and now he had to deal with Phoebe.
“We have to, Phoebe. We don’t have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice.”
“In this, there isn’t.”
He knew what she was worried about, and he didn’t know how to make her feel better about it. It was a risky situation and her reputation could be ruined if they were discovered. He grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. She sighed and snuggled against him. She did it as if she had been doing it for years. It was so right, so natural. The action had his heart flipping over.
“I don’t think this is a very good plan.”
He stroked her arm. “It will work. Don’t worry. You have too much work to do.”
“What do you mean? I can’t help you steal the diamond. I would give you away.”
“You aren’t going to have to steal it, but you will be a diversion.”
She raised her head, smacking his chin.
“Sorry about that. And what do you mean I’m going to be a diversion?”
It was the one part of the plan he didn’t like. Angus hadn’t told him, but Callum knew it was his plan that Callum would attend the gala tonight. They had tickets of course, but he’d not planned on going. Now, though, he had to go. They had to have someone inside that could alert the others when McWalton left. If Callum showed up on his own, he would gain too much attention as he never attended things like this alone. Anice would gain too much attention herself, and they needed her handling the communications anyway.
“We have to go to the gala.”
Her face seemed to lose all color. “The gala?”
He frowned over her reaction. “We need to go, make an appearance. I need a date.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He rubbed her back, trying to ease her worry. “I think it is a wonderful idea.”
The moment he said it, he knew it to be true. While he didn’t want her within ten kilometers of that bastard McWalton, he wanted Phoebe by his side. He wanted all of Edinburgh to know that she was his.
“I’ve nothing to wear.”
“I’m sure Anice can offer you something.”
She snorted and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “I doubt your cousin and I are the same size.”
“I’ll send someone out for a dress. That’s not that important.”
“Says the man who probably has a closet full of tuxes.”
He shook his head. “But, I won’t be wearing a tux tonight, love.”
That gave her pause. “What will you be wearing?”
He smiled at her. “Most of us will be wearing our colors.”
The pulse in the side of her neck fluttered. “Colors? You’ll be wearing your kilt?”
He nodded. Her face was flushed with excitement, and it took all of his control not to take her again. She looked so adorable and so aroused it was hard to ignore, but they had other things they had to get done.
There was a knock at the door, and Anice opened it without waiting. Phoebe tried to pop up off his lap, but he held her still. She would just have to get used to
being with him this way, and so would his family.
“Come in, Anice,” he said with a touch of sarcasm.
“I thought I would help Phoebe get ready for tonight. I’m assuming you have nothing to wear?”
Phoebe shook her head, and when she moved off his lap this time, he let her go. “I only came with work things. Do you think we can get something in Edinburgh?”
“Possibly. We’ll figure something out.”
She started to follow his cousin out of the room, but he grabbed her hand to stop her. She turned and frowned at him.
“Don’t worry about tonight. It will all work out.”
Phoebe nodded, but he knew that she didn’t completely believe him. He kissed her quickly, and by the time he pulled away, she didn’t look so worried.
When he was alone, he started working out what he had to do that night. They had little time to achieve their goal. It was worrisome that they had no chance to prepare. Callum didn’t take for granted that the bastard was a liar and a cheat. He could definitely give them problems, so Callum didn’t underestimate him as an adversary.
He needed to talk to his cousins, but Callum wanted a moment to compose himself. Since he’d realized his true feelings for Phoebe, he hadn’t had a moment to think. Callum was accustomed to having a lot of time to contemplate, but since Phoebe had popped into their lives, he had been overwhelmed. He walked around the room and over to her desk. He noticed her notes, and he fingered her writing. Neat, as if she were worried she would be graded on her penmanship. He smiled.
Then he read the passage she had translated and felt something brush against his heart.
The McLennan will confront his enemy not only with his might, but he must trust in his heart over his mind or lose his other soul for eternity.
Before he could figure out just what that meant, his door opened again. This time Angus stepped inside, followed by Fletcher and Logan.
“We need to plan,” Angus said. “We only have a few hours, and it’s going to be a bloody mess if we aren’t careful.”
Callum nodded and closed Phoebe’s notebook, trying to forget the passage and the way it sent a cold child down to the soles of his feet.
Callum Page 17
