“I got you something,” he said finally.
“A present?” she asked softly.
“Sort of.”
“What is it?” she asked, trying to keep her voice casual.
Another chuff. “Close your eyes.”
“Kane –“
“Close your eyes.”
He spoke softly, as gently as a man like Kane could, but the command in his voice was unmistakable. And Rebecca had very little hope of being able to deny him. Not now. Not when she was barely hanging on by the last shred of her remaining dignity. Not when the warmth of his chest and the feel of his hands clung to her.
So she closed her eyes, just as he’d commanded. She felt him slipping away and fought the urge to spin around and grab onto him for all she was worth.
“Okay. You can open them now.”
His voice came from somewhere much lower than it had before. Rebecca opened her eyes and looked down to where Kane appeared before her on bended knee. He took one of her small hands in his big one, looking up at her with those clear blue eyes. Eyes that she once thought were cold, but now appeared to be simply fathoms deep. Her heart stuttered in her chest; she fought for breath. Surely he wasn’t going to –
“Rebecca Harrison, will you marry me?”
Her lips parted, the softest of whimpers escaped. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I am in love with you. Letting you walk away from me had to be the stupidest, most ill-conceived thing I’ve ever done. And between the two of us, I’ve done some pretty stupid, ill-conceived things.”
Her eyes filled with tears. Even now, with him kneeling before her, she was afraid to hope. If she had somehow misunderstood, it would devastate her beyond any hope of recovery. “You’re sure?”
“Sweetheart, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. Say yes.”
“Yes.” She said it quickly before he had a chance to change his mind. The tears spilled over her lashes. Kane slipped the ring on her finger and stood, drawing her to him. He kissed her then, a searing kiss that stole her breath away. It was everything she had dreamed of and so much more. His kiss, like the man himself, was potent, demanding, and wholly possessive. And addicting. She would deny him nothing if he would only promise to do it again.
After several moments, the sound of applause finally reached them. Kane ended the kiss, but kept her close. Rebecca kept her eyes closed for a few minutes more, afraid that if she opened them, Kane would be gone and she would have to admit this was all a dream.
When she did finally open them, it was very slowly. He was watching her, amusement and something else – something powerful and possessive – dancing in his beautiful eyes.
“Do that again,” she whispered.
“We have an audience,” he warned quietly.
“Who cares?”
Chapter Nineteen
He could kiss her forever, he decided as she straddled his lap, facing him, threading her fingers through his hair. For a man who had avoided personal contact as much as possible, he now found himself addicted to Rebecca’s touch. He needed it. Craved it.
After her acceptance of his proposal a week earlier, he’d whisked her up to his cabin, unwilling to share her any longer. Despite the fact that they had spent nearly every moment since in each other’s presence, he still couldn’t get enough.
“Make love to me, Kane.”
“No,” he whispered softly, letting his fingers trail over her skin. It was so soft beneath his rough hands, it never failed to amaze him. “I want to do this right. I want us to be married first.”
“But Kane,” she murmured against his neck, her body pressed close against his, “it will take months to plan a proper wedding.”
She accentuated her plea with hot, moist kisses. Her eagerness sent shivers up and down his spine; she was nearly impossible to resist. His cock pulsed against his jeans, reaching for her through their clothing. She would submit to him easily, do whatever he asked. But Rebecca was everything to him and he wanted to give her everything in return.
And he had very specific ideas on how to do it right.
Their wedding wouldn’t be garish, but it would involve a church and a priest, flowers and music and family. He would see her walking down the aisle in a flowing white gown. He would stand with his brothers by his side and swear his oaths to her before God and the rest of them. And then he would devote the rest of his life to making her happy.
“You have waited this long,” he teased lightly, though his voice was already husky with desire. The truth was, he had no idea how he was going to keep himself from possessing her; his need grew with every passing minute. For as innocent as she was, she sure as hell knew how to tempt a man.
“That is because I have never been faced with such temptation,” she countered, nipping at his ear and making him growl. “If you had been around, I doubt I would have made it far past puberty.”
“Jesus, woman, you are making this hard.”
She grinned, shifting her bottom provocatively on his lap. “I may be new to this sort of thing, but that is the general idea, isn’t it?”
He growled again, louder this time. His hands locked her hips in place. No matter how hard she tried, she could not move to apply her specific brand of exquisite torture. She laughed.
“Growl all you want,” she told him. “and get all dominant on me.” Her eyes sparkled as she licked a line across his jaw, feeling his entire body tense. “I love it, and I have to tell you - it just makes me want you all that much more.”
Another growl rumbled deep in his chest. He managed to mute it somewhat by taking total possession of her mouth. By the time he released her, they were both breathless.
She leaned her forehead against his. “I don’t want to wait, Kane. Can’t we just exchange vows quietly now,” she asked, panting softly, “and have the big family wedding later?”
Kane stilled. Could they? Why not? He kissed her soundly, leaving her quite breathless and unfocused for a few minutes as he praised her for being so clever.
“Sean,” he barked into his cell phone. “Got plans for this weekend? Good. Cancel them. Tell Nicki to pack an overnight bag and fuel up the plane. We’re going to Vegas.”
* * *
Of all the times she had been on a plane, this was the best by far. Admittedly, Rebecca did not count herself among the best of flyers. ‘Air’ time for her was synonymous with ‘sick’ time more often than not, and the smaller the plane, the bigger the problem. But she’d never experienced anything quite like this before. The small private number was surprisingly roomy and comfortable, and Sean was piloting it with exceptional skill. She’d been on jets that hadn’t been handled so smoothly, she told him honestly.
Kane was beside her the whole time, holding her hand. And Rebecca knew, with absolute certainty, that whenever Kane was with her everything would always be alright. If she started feeling queasy, or they hit a pocket of turbulence, all she had to do was look into his eyes and she forgot about everything else.
They were on their way to Las Vegas. To get married. Rebecca had to keep pinching the back of her hand to ensure that it wasn’t just some bizarre dream. At least until Kane started kissing her hand to take away the sting, then she found herself doing it just so he would kiss it some more. Eventually, though, he caught on, and his tender kisses became delicate swirls with his tongue, at which point she was forced to stop for the sake of her own sanity.
The whole thing was surreal; beyond exciting. The only negatives were that her brother was not with them and the fact that Angus had been left behind.
Though Aidan would probably be upset that she had eloped, he would understand. She just wished she’d had a chance to tell him in person; instead she’d been forced to leave him a voicemail because he was away on business. He would still walk her down the aisle and “officially” give her away at the church wedding in three months. She would remind him of that if he seemed overly bothered by the elopement.
Angus,
however, was a different story. The dog had placed his huge head between his paws and looked at her with such big, sad eyes when she sat on the floor and explained things to him (for she fully believed that Angus understood most, if not all, that she said to him) that she had almost reconsidered, electing to wait the three months rather than disappoint him. The poor guy had already been abandoned at least once; it nearly killed her to think that he might believe she had done that to him as well.
Maggie assured her that Angus would be just fine. He loved the farm and little Ryan, and Rebecca knew for a fact that Maggie slipped him goodies all the time. Plus there was George, Maggie’s aging Bassett. He and Angus had become fast friends. Maggie had even messaged Rebecca a picture of Angus curled by the fire with George and Ryan snuggled up against Angus’ side, each of them sleeping peacefully. The thoughtful gesture had gone a long way in alleviating some of the guilt she felt at leaving him behind.
Once they had landed, it didn’t take too long to find an appropriate chapel. The challenge was finding one with an actual, mainstream Christian minister; they skipped over those boasting claims such as ‘a reverend of the church of the divine cosmos’ and the like. Even more difficult was finding one that was not completely bedecked in neon. Not an easy thing to do in Vegas.
Finally they settled on a very plain, very simple little place only slightly off the beaten path (thanks to help from Ian back home; the man could locate anything anywhere). In less time than it took to rent a car, Rebecca officially became Mrs. Kane Callaghan. As a concession to the folks back home, Sean recorded the whole thing on his iPhone and broadcast it to the Pub, to the Celtic Goddess, and to Michael’s house so they could all be a part of it, too.
Nicki used some of her Vegas connections to book them a honeymoon suite at the Grand, then she and Sean left the newlyweds alone for a little bonus honeymoon of their own.
“Stop,” Kane commanded. “Don’t move.”
Rebecca had been about to follow the bellboy into the suite when Kane’s words rang in her head. She stilled immediately, feeling a little shiver of thrill at the authority in his voice. No one’s voice had ever had that kind of effect on her. Only his. Only her husband’s.
“Why not?” she asked daringly, deliberately holding one foot just above the threshold, knowing the small act of defiance would bring dancing silver flames to his blue eyes.
In one swift move he leaned over and swept her into his arms. “Because tradition says I must carry you over the threshold.”
She laughed, her hands winding over broad shoulders to wrap about his neck. “I thought that was only in a house.”
“It is wherever I intend to fulfill my marital obligations,” he rumbled huskily. “So it will include the threshold of every hotel room, house, apartment, cabin, and various public establishments we enter in the next fifty years or so.”
His words had her arching in his arms, her body already aching for him. The bellboy was just beginning his spiel when Kane seemed to realize he was still there.
“Get out,” he barked at the young man, slipping a hundred dollar bill into his palm. The bellboy had no further issues with making a quick exit, though whether it was the bark or the tip that did it was not clear.
Kane carried her to the large bed, setting her down gently. “Wait here,” he told her with a wicked gleam in his eye. “And don’t move.”
Rebecca reached for him, pouting at the sudden loss of contact, making him chuckle. The deep, male sound sent a rush of warmth forward from her center. And he hadn’t even touched her yet.
“Patience, sweetheart.” He began to walk away, and her eyes raked over him hungrily. Her husband was a fine man, indeed, and before the end of the night, she would finally know every inch of that hard, muscled body he guarded so selfishly.
He stopped suddenly and turned to find her ogling him. A slow, hungry smile spread over his face. “And don’t even think about taking off any of your clothes,” he instructed silkily. “Or I will spank you.”
A significant shiver went through her at his promise. Well, that didn’t sound so bad...
“And I will make you wait another day,” he added with a wicked gleam in his eye.
It was a bluff, surely, but Rebecca wasn’t willing to take the chance. She fell back on the bed in pure frustration. But she did not so much as remove the comb from her hair. She was so afraid he would make good on his threat, she even scrambled off the bed in desperation for the shoe that inadvertently dropped off when he had placed her there, just in case he thought she had disobeyed him.
When Kane emerged from the bathroom, he had removed his jacket, and loosened his tie as well as undid the first few buttons near the collar of his shirt. His gait was a prowl, his eyes nothing less than ravenous as he drank her in. Still fully clothed, she had poured a glass of champagne for each of them.
“How come you got to get started?” she pouted when he sat down on the bed next to her. She wasted no time in placing her lips upon the slight bit of skin he had uncovered, licking along his collarbone. The champagne was good, but her husband was delicious. Kane groaned in response.
“Because,” he said, his voice hoarse, “I want the pleasure of undressing you myself.”
One large hand rested upon her thigh. He let it trail downward slowly, as though memorizing the contours of her legs beneath the silky stockings; touching lightly behind her knee; caressing the curve of her calf; cuffing around her ankle before removing the small heels she wore. Then he repeated the process on the other side.
When both shoes were off, he pulled both feet into his lap and began to massage them with slow, deliberate movements.
She moaned, throwing back her head as the pressure within her built with every stroke, every knead, every caress. “Kane, as wonderful as that feels, do you think maybe we could come back to that later?”
He laughed. “Impatient, Mrs. Callaghan?”
She rolled her eyes and moaned in ecstasy at the sound of that, not to mention the incredible skill of those strong hands. “Yes....”
“You have waited this long. Indulge me in my fantasy for a bit longer, won’t you?”
She opened her eyes. “This is your fantasy? Massaging my feet?”
“No,” he smiled. “Making love to you is. Every part of you. Slowly. Thoroughly. Completely. So that you can think of nothing but me and what I am doing to you.”
Rebecca moaned. And whimpered. Maybe both. And for the first time, she wasn’t sure she was going to survive her wedding night.
“Ah, but you will,” he promised when she voiced her growing concerns. Her body was so hot she felt feverish; the need within her was growing steadily out of control. Already she was shaking in anticipation, and he had barely done more than remove her shoes and rub her feet.
“I’m not good at this, Kane,” she gasped as her desire continued to grow far past anything she’d ever experienced. “I can’t...”
“Yes, you can.” He reached up beneath her dress and began peeling away her stockings with excruciating slowness, the pads of his fingers wreaking havoc with her central nervous system. “And each time you think of our wedding night, the memories alone will make you come.” His words, filled with smug arrogance and the husky way he growled them, had her shaking with anticipation.
With the stockings gone, his hands left licking trails of fire on her flesh. They moved up and down, stroking her with the pads of his fingertips, the backs of his knuckles, the rough callouses of his palms.
* * *
“Kane, please,” she begged when he finally brought his hands up to start undoing the front buttons that ran the length of her dress.
“I love it when you say my name,” he crooned, releasing the first button – with his teeth. “Say it again. Every time you say my name, I will relieve you of another button.”
“Kane,” she moaned, arching her chest toward his mouth in an attempt to hurry him along. “Kane, Kane, Kane...”
“Ah, now that’s a penalty
,” he said, nuzzling her breast through her dress. “Time-out.” Instead of moving to the next button, he let his tongue glide along the skin he had already revealed.
“Kane!” she cried. “Please, take pity on me.”
“Pity? No,” he breathed, letting the hot, moist heat roll over her fevered flesh. “I have no pity for you, sweetheart. Infinite love, yes. Undying devotion, definitely. Unquenchable lust, absolutely. But pity? Never.”
Kane pulled on her legs with a sudden, unexpected tug, flattening her back against the bed. Then he was above her, straddling her legs to keep them in place as he continued the task of undoing the buttons. For the time being, he allowed her the use of her hands. They felt wonderful across his shoulders and biceps as she reached for him, eyes glazed with the same desire he felt coursing through his veins.
By the time he finished the last fastening, she was gasping for breath. He parted both sides of the dress and stared down at her. “So beautiful...” he murmured. The scars still filled him with rage and a thirst for vengeance, but now they did something else, too. They made him realize that everything she had gone through had prepared her for him by shaping her into who she was. Kane could never have been happy with an unmarred, fragile woman. To love him, a woman would have to be steel inside. She would have to know pain, and death, and loss. Because without those things, she would never be able to understand or love him.
“Enough,” he said, more to himself than to her. With two quick swipes he tore the dainty little panties and matching bra wrapping her lovely body, exposing her fully to his hungry gaze.
And then, a man possessed, his mouth was on her, devouring her. Kissing. Licking. Biting. Sucking. He tended to every scar, every reminder of the suffering she had endured, with reverence. He could not touch her enough, could not taste her enough. When he forced himself to pull away, he was breathing every bit as heavily as she was.
Guardian Angel: Callaghan Brothers, Book 5 Page 19
