by Donna Grant
“Aye, I would. Thank you.” He pulled out the chair and sank into it. “Do I frighten you?”
Marin gazed at the man before her. He wasn’t the typical twenty-first century man. While most had changed from their kilts they wore at the festival to jeans and a sweater, Elric still wore his kilt.
She licked her lips and tried to form a response to his question. “You do, and I’m not sure why. It’s not just because I’ve been hurt. I feel different when I’m around you.”
“Different how?”
“I can’t explain it.”
He smiled and leaned back in his chair. “Are you hungry?”
She was, but not for food. Marin nearly fell out of her chair at her thought. She looked away from Elric’s knowing green gaze to her hands. “Not really.”
“Good,” he said and suddenly rose. He took her hand and tugged her to her feet. “Come with me.”
“Where are we going this time?” she asked, a little frightened, yet thrilled. She had never been so impulsive or adventurous.
The enthusiasm waned as they left the small hotel. The chill of the day was gone, and in its place a damp, cold night had descended. Marin shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. She needed her jacket.
“Do you ride?”
She turned and looked at Elric. “Ride? Ride what?”
He chuckled and grabbed her hand again as he walked around the hotel. “Horses, Marin. Horses.”
“I’m from Texas, of course I ride horses.”
“Good,” was all he said as he continued.
They didn’t stop until they came to the barn at the back of the hotel. Elric released her hand long enough to open the stable door, then shut it after her. Marin inhaled the smell of horses and smiled. She had always loved horses.
She slowly followed Elric as he walked through the stables until he came to the back. There, a young man stood holding a horse. One horse. Did Elric expect her to ride alone? If he did, he was in for a rude awakening.
He patted the young man on the shoulder and took the reins from him, then turned to Marin. “Are you ready?”
“Who is going to ride?”
That sexy, secretive smile of Elric’s returned. “Why, both of us.”
Marin’s breath lodged in her throat. No one had ever done anything so romantic, so seductive, so…thoughtful for her. She took Elric’s hand and let him lift her onto the horse before he mounted behind her. His thick arms came around her and held the reins.
“Do you trust me?” he asked into her ear.
To her surprise she said, “Yes.”
With that, he nudged the horse and they cantered out of the stables into the cool night air. She let herself lean back against his wide chest as he maneuvered the horse. With every step of the horse, she became more and more aware of Elric and his body that surrounded hers. His long legs molded to her, easily guiding the horse.
Her bottom rubbed against his groin, and there was no mistaking the hard bulge that she felt. Just knowing he wanted her made her nipples harden and moisture gather between her legs. His warm breath fanned her neck and cheek as he wrapped an arm about her waist to hold her close. His arm, nestled just under her breasts, was nearly too much to bear.
She wanted him, wanted to feel his hands on her breasts. Her body was a mass of quivering nerves by the time he stopped the horse. For a long moment they sat in silence, and that’s when she finally noticed where they were – the ruins of the castle.
When Elric slid off the horse, Marin instantly missed his warmth. She hadn’t noticed the cold when his body surrounded hers, but now it was quickly seeping into her bones. He held out his arms, and she moved into them. Slowly, he slid her down his body, his eyes boring into hers. But she couldn’t look away. She was drowning in his green depths and the desire she saw there.
His fingers intertwined with hers as he quietly led her into the ruins. She hadn’t noticed the back part of the castle before, the part that hadn’t been torn down. It wasn’t until Elric led her to the stairs that she saw part of the castle could still be inhabitable.
A torch was mounted at the base of the stairs, and Elric grabbed it as they started up. Through the narrow climb, Marin couldn’t help but feel as if she were going back in time. The light from the torch cast shadows on the wall, but she wasn’t scared. She knew Elric would protect her. He was her warrior.
And when he stopped in front of a door and faced her, the torch held high to shed light, she knew what was inside.
“You know why I brought you here?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“If you want to leave, tell me now, and I’ll return you to the inn.”
She’d never been so sure of anything in her life. Elric, their meeting, her dining alone. It had all led to this, to him. But words would never be able to give him an explanation.
To answer him, she opened the door and stepped inside. Her heart skidded in her chest when she saw the multitude of candles and the pile of blankets on the floor. Her body quivered with a desire so deep and strong that she wondered if she would ever be the same after this night.
Chapter Five
Elric shut the door and put the torch in its holder by the door, then turned to face Marin. She looked like a goddess in the light of the many candles. She was magnificent with desire glazing her eyes.
He took a step toward her and wondered if he should tell her everything before he made love to her, or wait until after her body was sated with love. She answered his silent question when she held out her hands to him.
Making love to women had always been second nature to Elric, but this time…this time was different. Marin was different. She was his mate, and he wanted their first time to be something they always remembered and cherished.
When his hand took hers, he found his shook slightly. His blood pounded loudly in his ears, and his heart thumped wildly in his chest as his thickening cock begged for release. He gently pulled her to him until their bodies touched. His eyes moved across her lovely face and stopped at her mouth.
Her lips were parted and her chest rose and fell swiftly, as if she too anticipated what was between them. In the distance the soft sounds of a lute and violin filled the air.
Elric laced his fingers with hers and began to move with the music. His eyes never left her face, not even when she closed hers and swayed with him. Elric didn’t know how long they moved with the music as it wove its spell around them. All he knew was that he was alone with Marin, his mate, and he was going to claim her and her body as his.
Slowly, he ran his hands up her arms, over her shoulders to her slender neck. He cupped her face with his hands and gently traced her lips with his thumb. Her warm breath skidded over his skin, heating his already hot blood.
He wanted to strip off her clothes, lay her down on the blankets and plunge into her. His need for her had grown until it was drowning him. He lowered his head until his lips brushed hers. A smile pulled at his mouth when he heard her sharp intake of breath.
Her hands gently came to rest on his waist as she leaned into him. The feel of her full breasts pressed against his chest caused his balls to tighten with anticipation. Yet, somehow he held back.
He let his tongue trace where his thumbs had been before he gently nipped at the corners of her mouth.
“Elric…please,” Marin murmured.
He shifted his arms until one cradled her head and the other moved to her back as he pressed her tightly against him. Then, he took her in a kiss that held all his hopes, desires, and needs.
Her arms snaked around his back as her nails raked across him. A sigh escaped her as she leaned her head to the side and thrust her tongue against his. Elric broke the kiss and looked deep within her hazel eyes. He smoothed back tendrils of hair from her face and found that he wanted to tell her everything about the curse, his kingdom, and her role in it. It suddenly became very important to him that she know everything before he took her body, because once they were joined, there was no
turning back.
“Marin, I must tell you something,” he began, but she put her finger on his lips to stay him.
“Not now,” she said softly. “I don’t know if it’s this land, the history, you, or the magic of this night, but I don’t want to talk. I want to feel. Make me forget the outside world, Elric, even if it’s only for a few hours.”
Elric wasn’t about to deny her, not when he saw the look of need in her hazel eyes. He took her hand and led her to the pile of blankets he had readied for them. Once she sat, he kneeled in front of her and reached for a foot. He tried to tug off the shoe, but it wouldn’t budge. It wasn’t until she reached for a little contraption on the side of the boot and pulled it down that he was able to pull off the boot. He found the little contraption on the other shoe and pulled it down, hearing a soft zipping sound as he did.
Once both boots were off, he looked down to find her legs encased in wool stockings. He raised his brows at her. “The air doesna hold that great of a chill.”
“It does for me. I’m not used to his cold.”
He forgot about the wool stockings as he leaned forward for another kiss. Her lips were like nectar from the Fae. He couldn’t get enough of her sweet taste. Gently, he leaned into her until she lay back on the blankets, and though he wanted to cover her body with his, he didn’t. He supported himself with his arms, hovering just over her as he took her lips again and again.
He shifted to her side as he kissed along her neck and nipped at her ears. His hand reached to the buttons on her sweater. When he had them all opened, he lifted his head and gazed down at her body. A black and silver flimsy garment held her breasts. He found himself intrigued and traced the top of the lace.
A soft sigh passed through her lips. Elric glanced at her and smiled. “What is this?”
“A bra,” she said and licked her lips. “It helps to hold me.”
“Hmmm,” he murmured as he bent down and kissed the top of each breast. The bra was not only beautiful, but Elric found it quite…erotic. The women of his time wore nothing like it, and though he wanted to inspect it, he wanted to taste her breast more.
He pushed her shirt off her shoulders, then sat her up to pull it completely off. To his surprise, Marin reached around her back and unfastened the bra. His breath locked in his chest as the lace fell away. The light from the candles set a soft glow to her skin, and, as he watched, her nipples hardened before his eyes.
Yet, when he reached for her, she hurried to stand. He turned to see what she was about and found her reaching underneath her skirts. Curiosity held him still, and it wasn’t long before he saw her tug off her wool stockings. She gave him a shy smile. In return, he leaned back on his hands and let his eyes roam over her.
“Take the skirt off,” he said.
No woman had ever taken her clothes off for him, and he found he quite liked it. As Marin unfastened her skirt and let it drop to her feet, he dug his fingers into the blankets to keep him still.
More black and silver lace hid her sex from him, and just as with the bra, he found the hint of her woman’s hair barely visible through the lace almost more than he could bear.
He sat forward and grabbed her hand to tug her to him. Elric ran his hands over the lace and looked up at her. “Do you know what this does to me?”
She shook her head as she licked her lips. Her auburn curls danced around her face as she gazed down at him.
“The sight of this barely hiding your sex from me drives me wild. I want to lay you down and bury myself inside of you.”
“They’re panties,” she said, her voice shaky.
“They’re coming off.”
Elric caught the waist of her panties and pulled them over her hips and down her legs until she stepped out of them. And then she stood before him in all her glory. With her full breasts, trim waist, flared hips, and lean legs, Marin was perfect in his eyes.
“You’re magnificent,” he said as he tried to pull her down to him.
She shook her head and smiled as she squatted in front of him and began to tug off his boots. Elric watched as her hands gently pried off his boots, then reached for his tunic.
He unfastened the pin that held his tartan in place over his heart and set it aside. He sucked in a breath when her soft hands met his flesh as she pulled his shirt over his head. For a long moment, they simply stared at each other, then Elric rose to his feet.
With Marin kneeling in front of him, she unfastened his sporran and gently set it down. Her gaze moved briefly to him before she reached for his kilt. After a few moments, he realized she didn’t know what she was doing, and with just a flick of his wrist, the kilt dropped to the ground. He smiled as her eyes grew round.
“You really don’t wear anything under the kilt.”
“Nay,” he said and sat beside her. He lifted her chin until her eyes met his. “I want you, Marin. I willna lie about it, but I’ll give you one more chance to change your mind and leave.”
“I want to stay. I like how I feel when I’m with you.”
With her words, the dam broke on his control. He cupped the back of her head and pulled her against him for a fiery kiss that soon turned frantic with need. His cock begged for release, but he held tight his restraint and learned Marin’s body.
Her skin was soft as lamb’s wool and her body as responsive as only a mate’s could be.
Marin closed her eyes and gave up to the delicious feel of Elric’s hands and mouth on her body as she fell back and he moved over her. He knew just how to touch her and just where to touch her. It was as if he had delved into her deepest fantasies and given them all to her in one night.
She was adrift in a sea of lust so deep she might never find the shore. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to.
Her breasts grew heavy as his fingers grazed the undersides and his mouth kissed her neck. The heat of his body surrounded her and drove her wild for his touch. He teased, he kissed, and he licked her neck and all around her breasts. Everything but her nipples.
She was going crazy with need. Her hands ran over his thick shoulders and neck as his muscles moved beneath her hands. She arched her back as his finger came close to her nipple, and just as she thought he would finally give her some release, he moved away.
Marin bit her lip and sighed as his warm mouth kissed between the valley of her breasts. Finally, he cupped her breasts, sending tiny spasms of pleasure through her. And just when she thought she would die from need, he gently ran his fingers across her nipple.
A soft cry tore from her throat as desire shot through her. As if to torment her, he ran his finger all around her nipple, sometimes touching, sometimes not. He tormented first one breast, then the other, until her breasts were aching and full. Only then did he take a nipple in his mouth and suck.
The feel of his warm mouth on her nipple sent liquid heat through her. Her sex clenched with need, and she rubbed her hips against him, seeking the release she knew he could give.
But the torment to her breasts was far from over. He flicked his tongue over one nipple as his fingers squeezed and plucked at the other. Her fingers plunged into his thick, dark hair as her body melted against him.
When he sat up and trailed a hand over her breasts and down her stomach, Marin opened her eyes to watch him. The way he gazed at her body made her feel beautiful and loved, something she had never experienced before.
Marin didn’t know whether to be shocked or excited at the ease in which her body responded to Elric and how much she trusted him. When he parted her legs, she didn’t hesitate or refuse. She opened them, letting his gaze linger on her sex. The sight of his eyes feasting on her hungry sex made her blood heat with longing. She wanted to be everything Elric thought she was and more. And the one thing she feared above all was disappointing him.
She forgot all about her fears when his hands moved over her thighs. And just as he had with her breasts, he teased her again. His hands touched her thighs, her stomach and her hips, but never the place that so
ught him the most. Her hands clenched the blankets as she fought to keep her body still.
Her senses were in a riot. She could hear her blood pound in her veins, her breath leave her lungs and her heart beat wildly in her chest. She could feel the heat from Elric’s body, his hard muscles and his gentle caresses over her skin. She could still taste the seduction and need in Elric’s kiss.
So when his finger finally delved in her moist folds, she didn’t hold back her cry of pleasure. His finger moved over her tiny bud, bringing ripples of bliss shooting through her. And when he pushed a finger inside of her, Marin sighed.
He settled between her legs, his breath fanning her hot, moist center and driving her wild. Marin could feel the pleasure building with each stroke of his finger inside of her, bringing her higher and higher. And when his tongue touched her tiny bud, she shattered into a million pieces as her orgasm claimed her.
Before the last of the tremors left her body, Marin opened her eyes to see Elric rise over her, the blunt head of his thick arousal poised to enter her. She smiled and reached for him. He entered her in one fluid motion, burying himself to the hilt. She wrapped her legs around his waist and waited for him to reach his own climax.
But when he began to move within her, Marin felt herself building toward another orgasm. His thrusts went deeper, faster, and harder. She clung to him as her world began to spin out of control. Her body erupted in a tidal wave of intense pleasure.
Elric plunged deep inside of her before stiffening and crying out his pleasure.
Chapter Six
Marin’s eyes grew heavy as she lay on Elric’s chest, his arm idly caressing her back. She smiled at the exquisite lovemaking they had shared. It had been…soul-stirring, shattering whatever shell she’d put herself in after the disaster in Jamaica. She wasn’t naïve enough to think this happened every day. She knew first-hand how fortunate she was to have found Elric, but she also didn’t expect him to stay.
She had to return to the US in just a few days. But during that time, she was going to spend as much of it with him as he wanted. Just thinking of leaving Scotland and Elric seemed…wrong.
