Forbidden Highlander ds-2

by Donna Grant

  The kiss went on forever as heat built in her body and her heart pounded in her chest. Fallon moved an arm to her lower back where he pressed her against him, his arousal pushing into her stomach and making it difficult for her to continue standing. She wound her arms around his neck, loving the feel of his back muscles moving beneath her hands.

  His potency stunned her, his tenderness surprised her. She had felt desire for Fallon the first time she had seen him, but now, with every touch and kiss, she was falling farther and farther under the spell of passion he wove around her.

  Her mind shouted warning bells, but her body was too far gone. There was no way she could walk away from him now. She was stronger than she had been the first time, and she would make sure no one took advantage of her again. Even if that man could weave such a spell of pleasure around her as Fallon did.

  “My God, Larena,” he murmured between kisses.

  She couldn’t agree more, but now was not the time for talking. Now was the time for touching and feeling, of loving.

  His hands were everywhere, caressing every part of her body, and still it wasn’t enough. She trembled when his hands parted her robe and skimmed over her breasts to her waist. His mouth slanted over hers again, their tongues mating in a frenzy of undeniable lust. She lost all sense of time and place. All that mattered was Fallon and what he was doing to her body.

  She gasped at the contact of his skin on hers. She hadn’t realized he had removed her robe. Yet, she sighed at the feel of his heated body against hers. He was so hard, so hot! Her nipples pebbled at the contact of his chest against her breasts.

  Heat flooded her and pooled between her legs, making her ache and throb. She wanted to touch Fallon as he touched her, but every time she tried, he stopped her.

  “Not this time,” Fallon said before he kissed her again.

  Larena gave up. For now. She was determined to have Fallon again that night, so she would have a chance to know his body. For now, it was enough that he wanted her.

  A laugh escaped her when he tossed her back onto the bed and quickly crawled over her. She gazed into his turbulent green eyes. She saw desire as well as worry in his beautiful depths.

  “I should have known I couldn’t ignore the hunger you brought out in me,” he said.

  Larena reached up and touched his face. “You take my breath away,” she confessed. She knew better than to tell a man such things, but it was out of her mouth before she could stop it. She knew it was the truth and it terrified her, but there was something about Fallon that tugged at her soul.

  He bent and placed kisses down her neck and across her chest then to the valley between her breasts. His big, muscular body settled between her thighs, his arousal bumping against her aching sex.

  She trembled with the need to have him inside her. It had been decades since she had last lain with a man. That one time had been a mistake, one that had cost her dearly. She had guarded herself since then. But somehow, that wasn’t possible with Fallon.

  His large, callused hand cupped a breast as he ran his thumb over her nipple. She moaned and arched her back, wanting more, needing more. The pleasure that simple action brought her was unbelievable.

  Her breasts swelled and her nipples hardened with the pleasure that pooled within her. While he rolled one hard nub between his fingers, he covered the other with his mouth and sucked.

  Larena cried out and buried her hands in his hair. Desire and pleasure swirled around her, making her forget to breathe as she thought only of the man in her arms.

  Passion thrummed within her, making her ache and tremble. Fallon’s mouth and tongue drove her wild as he alternated between sucking and licking one nipple while his fingers pinched and rolled the other.

  The torture was exquisite, the pleasure endless. Larena moaned when he pulled her nipple deep into his mouth and suckled. The drag from his lips brought a flood of desire. She was close to peaking just from him touching her breasts. It seemed impossible, but the more Fallon touched her, the more she gave her body to him.

  She ground her hips against him, seeking some relief from the maddening desire that pumped faster and wound tighter inside her. He shifted to the side and moved his hand from her breast down her body to the curls that hid her sex.

  Larena moaned as his fingers parted her. He leisurely skimmed his deft fingers over her sensitive, throbbing folds. Each touch of his fingers only heightened her awareness of him and increased the ache within her. Then, finally, he pushed a finger inside her and delved into her heat.

  Her fingers clutched the blankets as she moaned and begged for more. She should be mortified at herself, but with Fallon touching her, nothing else mattered.

  In and out his skillful fingers moved within her, bringing her closer and closer to her orgasm. When he skimmed his fingers over her clitoris, she screamed his name, her body jerking with the pleasure.

  When he pushed his fingers back inside her, there were two this time. He pumped into her slowly then faster and faster until she trembled with the need for her release.

  “Saints help me,” Fallon said with a groan. “It’s been too long, Larena. I cannot wait.”

  She didn’t want to wait. Not another moment. “Then don’t.”

  He moved over her and guided the head of his cock against her slick folds. She cried out when the tip of him rubbed against the most sensitive part of her, sending waves of need rolling through her.

  And then he pushed inside her.

  Larena gripped his back as he filled her, stretched her. She brought her legs up to his waist and he went deeper, seating himself completely.

  For a moment they both lay still, their harsh breaths filling the room. Fallon looked down at her and one corner of his mouth lifted in a smile.

  “I’ve missed this,” he said.

  Larena shifted her hips and grinned when Fallon hissed in a breath. “Don’t stop. Please. Not now.”

  “Never,” he vowed.

  He pulled out of her only to thrust hard and deep. Larena moaned and gave herself up to the delicious sensations racking her body. She wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her ankles together. He whispered her name as his hips began to pump faster.

  Larena couldn’t believe the feel of Fallon inside her. It was beautiful and felt so good that she never wanted it to end. The climax came quickly, blinding her in its intensity as it consumed her. Larena succumbed to her body’s need, a need that had long been denied. As she came down from her peak, she opened her eyes to find Fallon staring at her.

  “My God,” he whispered.

  With her body still convulsing from such a powerful orgasm, she raised her hips to meet his. Fallon threw back his head as he plunged inside her, his body tense and shaking. Larena held him as he climaxed. When the last of his tremors left him, he lay atop her.

  Larena wrapped her arms around him, stroking him, caressing him. She could feel him still deep inside her. She wished they could stay as they were forever, but it was a fanciful dream.

  Eventually, he pulled out of her and rolled to his side. Larena was loath to break contact with him, so she faced him. Their gazes clashed and held. His hand came up and he ran the back of his knuckles along her cheek.

  “Why?” he asked.

  How could she explain it? “You said you felt the lust. I knew from the first moment I saw you that you were special.”

  “Special?” He frowned. “Nay.”

  “Aye,” she said, and smoothed her fingers over his brow to remove the frown. “I know I shouldn’t have come to your chamber, but what I have to say has to be done in private.”

  He took her hand in his. “Tell me.”

  Now that she had his attention, she was scared. How would he react? Would he welcome her? Would he believe her? Would he scorn her?

  She didn’t think she could take his disdain.

  “Larena,” he urged gently. “Tell me.”

  She rolled to her back and looked at the deep burgundy of the bed hangings abo
ve her. “It’s difficult to know where to begin.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. Why not start at the beginning?”

  The beginning. It was so long ago, with memories she would rather forget. But Fallon was right. She needed to start at the creation of it all.

  “My clan, the Monroes, aren’t the largest clan, but they are powerful. We can trace our roots back to the time of the Celts, and even then our clan was strong. We’ve endured.”

  Larena couldn’t contain the anxiety within her and rose from the bed to walk to the window. This was the difficult part, and she needed some space from him to be able to get it all out.

  “I know what you are, Fallon, what’s inside you. My family had passed down stories from generation to generation about the ancient Celts and the Romans. Stories that spoke of why Rome left our shores.”

  She paused and waited to see if Fallon would say anything. Only silence greeted her. She continued to gaze out the window at the trees swaying in the wind.

  “Added to those stories were new ones. Ones about the MacLeods and an evil Druid named Deirdre.”

  She heard the bed squeak and knew he had sat up. “The laird, my uncle, knew our time was running out. Soon Deirdre would find her way to our clan and take the strongest male to turn him into her Warrior.”

  “God’s blood,” Fallon murmured behind her.

  “We had an advantage though.” Larena made herself face him. “We had a Druid in our clan. She and her family had watched over us, keeping the stories alive. She knew the spell to unbind the god.”

  Fallon’s brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed.

  “The family gathered in the great hall. My uncle and his son Naill, who everyone thought was going to be the future Warrior, stood in the middle of the hall. The Druid Robena began the spell. Only it wasn’t Naill whom the god chose.”

  “Who?” Fallon asked.

  She swallowed her dread. “I was next to my father when the pain started. I tried to hold back my cries, but soon it became too much. I fell to my knees, my skin on fire, my bones breaking. I must have blacked out, because when I came to, Robena stood over me with a smile on her wrinkled face.

  “My father helped me stand as Robena announced the god had chosen. It was me, not Naill. My uncle and cousin were so furious they banished me from the clan. With time only for a hug from my father, Robena and I fled to the forest.”

  Fallon stared at her in shock. “The god chose you?”

  “It’s a goddess actually.”

  She had expected many things, but not stunned disbelief. He wouldn’t believe her until she showed him. “My goddess is Lelomai, the goddess of defense.”

  She held out her arms and let herself transform. First her claws, long and sharp, next her fangs, and then, her body. She stood before Fallon, hoping, praying, he would be the salvation she sought.

  Chapter Seven

  Fallon could only stare awestruck at Larena. He’d never seen anything so beautiful before in his life. She was a stunning woman, but when she transformed she was … breathtaking.

  He rose and walked toward her. She glowed with all the colors of the rainbow, muted though they were. He touched a lock of her hair, amazed to find the iridescent color was also there. Of all the Warriors he had seen, none had had hair that changed color.

  His gaze took in her shapely form that glimmered, sparkled. He lifted her hand in his and looked at her long claws of the same color as her skin. They were narrower than his, but just as deadly. A glance at her parted lips showed him her fangs.

  She was definitely a Warrior. A female Warrior. Who would have guessed one existed?

  “You’re beautiful,” he murmured.

  Her troubled iridescent gaze met his as she removed her hand from his. “I’m the only female Warrior that I know of, Fallon. Deirdre knows nothing of me. Yet. But it is only a matter of time.”

  He understood then why she had sought him out. “You want my protection.”

  “I do.”

  How could he possibly turn his back on her? He was here to help his brothers, but finding Larena would also help their cause in fighting Deirdre. Another Warrior only improved their odds. “You have it. How long have you been a Warrior?”

  “A hundred years.”

  She’d been alone for so long. He ached for her. “And why did you come to the king’s castle?”

  “Malcolm agreed to help me try to uncover anything we could regarding Deirdre.”

  “Where have you been before this?”

  She shrugged and looked away. “Though I was banished from my clan, I stayed near because of my father. It was in the forest that Robena helped to train me with the things I would need to know to be a Warrior.”

  “Why come to Edinburgh now?”

  Her gaze met his and he saw defiance and determination in the depths. “It is my duty to stay out of Deirdre’s grasp. I was learning nothing of Deirdre or other Warriors in the forest.”

  “Maybe, but you were hidden.”

  “Not exactly. I’ve been battling wyrran since my goddess was unleashed. Since most Warriors are loners and hidden, I figured I would have a good chance learning how far Deirdre’s reach had gotten while in the king’s castle.”

  “You think Deirdre has control of the king?”

  “Nay,” she said with a shake of her head. “At least not yet. But it was while I’ve been here that I discovered the MacLeods had been found.”

  “And why you sought me out,” he finished.

  “I may have been alone, but I can defend myself.”

  He glanced at her claws and smiled. “I imagine you can.”

  “Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I cannot take care of myself. I’ve killed a man before. I gave him my body because I was naïve and believed he cared for me. He betrayed me and murdered my father.”

  “By all that’s holy,” Fallon murmured, unable to believe someone would do such a thing.

  “I was so angry. Once the fury took hold, I wasn’t myself. The next thing I knew, I was looking down at his dead body.”

  Fallon nodded. “You were betrayed, Larena, by someone you trusted. Your goddess defended herself, and in the process killed the man. Don’t let your father’s murderer and your betrayer haunt you anymore.”

  She gave him a shy smile in answer. The more he learned of Larena, the more he was impressed by her bravery and courage. “What other powers do you have?”

  Right before his eyes she disappeared. Fallon turned one way and then the other. “Larena? Where did you go?”

  “I’m standing in the same place,” she said.

  He heard her voice, but he couldn’t see her. The power she held was vast and could greatly aid in their coming battle. “Amazing.”

  She materialized before him and her goddess faded away, leaving the beauty that he had lain with just moments ago. “As I said, I can protect myself, and I can help you.”

  “I would have taken you back to the castle anyway. You are a female Warrior, Larena. Deirdre would stop at nothing to have you.”

  “I’ve been careful, but I fear she will find me soon.”

  “Then we’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”

  He saw the relief in her eyes and gathered her in his arms. For the first time in a very long time he felt needed, as if he could make a difference. He wouldn’t make the same mistakes he’d made with his brothers. He would protect Larena — with his life if necessary. He might have disappointed his brothers all these centuries, but he would not fail Larena.

  “Thank you,” she said, her voice trembling.

  “You’re not alone any longer, Larena. You have me. Once we get to my castle, you’ll meet my brothers and the other Warriors and Druids who are there. You will be protected.”

  She nodded. “I thought you would be repulsed.”

  “Repulsed?” He pulled her out of his arms and tilted her face up to his, the urge to kiss her strong. “You didn’t get to choose the goddess. The goddess chose you. You be
ar the same trials that the rest of us do, regardless of whether you are a man or a woman.”

  There was something in her eyes. She had more to tell him, a secret she didn’t think she could trust him enough with. He understood that. He wouldn’t trust him either, but he would earn her confidence. It wouldn’t make up for all the wrongs he had done his brothers, but it would help. He would be the man his father had wanted him to be.

  “Does Malcolm know?” he asked.

  “Aye. He knows everything. I tried to keep it from him, and I fear now that Deirdre will learn he has helped me.”

  Fallon inwardly cursed. “Malcolm has put himself in a dangerous position. Deirdre will go after him if she learns of him.”

  “I know,” Larena said. “I’ve used the same argument before, but Malcolm said he wanted to make up for what our family did to me. He’s next in line to be laird, and I don’t want anything to happen to him. He shouldn’t even be here with me.”

  “Then he needs to return to your clan. Immediately.”

  She nodded. “I agree. Once I assure him you’ll protect me, I’ll send him home.”

  Fallon had an uneasy feeling. How had Larena stayed hidden from Deirdre all this time? “The wyrran?”

  “I killed it,” she admitted. “I waited until it left the great hall.”

  “Did anyone see you kill it?”

  “Nay. I then took the body into the woods. Malcolm is there burning it now.”

  He ran a hand down his face. “And you came back to the castle the same way you left?”

  “Aye. Unseen.”

  It was a large castle, full of nosy people. Could they have been lucky enough for Larena to have escaped detection? “I wonder if the wyrran was here for me or you.”

  “I think you,” she said. “After all, Deirdre doesn’t know about me. I’ve been here for over a year, Fallon, and not once has a wyrran appeared in the castle. Not until you came.”

  “Good. I also think we should leave first thing tomorrow.”

  “All right,” she said, and walked to the bed. She sank down on it, unmindful of her nakedness and the effect she had on him. “I’ll tell Malcolm as soon as I see him.”