HauntedLaird (4 page)

Wrong move. His deep blue-green eyes seemed to darken with
concern as he spoke in the softest, richest of baritones with a thick, sensual
Scottish lilt. Lynn nearly melted into a puddle at his words. He called her wee
one. No one had ever called her little. Nope, she was far from petite and yet
this hulk of a man thought she was small. Heat grew in her stomach and moisture
pooled in her pelvis. Damn. He oozed sexual charm from every well-defined inch
of him.

Lynn struggled to clear her throat and find her voice, but
somehow managed to eke out a single word. “Answers?”

“Aye,” he said huskily as he inched closer to her face.
“There be many questions starting with how ye taste.”

His lips touched hers in a soft caress. This time when he
reached to cup her cheek, she didn’t withdraw. Instead she leaned into it,
living in the spontaneity of the moment. The tip of his tongue beckoned for
entrance to her mouth with the skill of a well-practiced lover. But a lover of
men, women or both? The idea fizzled the moment she parted her lips and
returned his kiss. It truly didn’t matter as her nipples hardened in response
and a coil of tension wound tight in her pussy.

Lynn couldn’t resist. Being this close to him, she knew
without a doubt he was the man from her dreams, the one who rescued her when
she fell. At least he had in the dream if not in reality. From the feel of his
heat surrounding her and the touch of his fingertips, she felt certain he had
somehow reached out to her in the night and kept her safe and warm as she slept
in the mouth of the cave. This she believed in her heart even if she didn’t
know how he did it.

For the first time in three years, she felt truly alive
inside. Her body reacted to his touch, his taste and the sensual manipulation
of his tongue with hers in a sultry dance that stimulated her senses. The man
knew how to ignite a fire in a woman with simply a kiss and she couldn’t help
but enjoy it.

So caught up in the moment, she relaxed her arms from their
shield positions and wrapped them around his waist, pulling him closer against
her. Just for a second, she wanted to enjoy the feel of him before she’d do the
sensible thing and end their kiss. Her nipples brushed his warm flesh, sending
chills skittering along her spine. His strong fingers played the muscles of her
back, trailing ever so softly downward until he grasped her bottom firmly in
both hands, causing her to sigh against his lips. She liked the way he massaged
her tush. The more he rolled her flesh in his hands, the wetter she became, and
he hadn’t even touched her pussy.

Something whispered she should stop, take a step back and regain
her composure. But she was too far gone, ruled by the raw, passionate urges
ripping through her core and driving her senses wild.

The rub of his cock against her abdomen had her intensifying
their kiss as she ran her hands up and down his back. Things were completely
out of her command as she relinquished full control to desire. Her hands had a
mind of their own, squeezing his tight ass. She couldn’t help but mimic the
rocking motion of his hips against hers. Breaking from their kiss for air, she
grappled for a moment of sanity. But he didn’t stop. He hoisted her against the
rock wall, positioned her legs around his waist and entered her in one deep
plunge.

For a second he halted, placing kisses to her brow while his
hands gently rubbed her thighs and bottom. Nuzzling her ear, he whispered, “Mi
wee one, ye have mi out o’ control with need. I could no stop. Are ye all right
or should we no continue?”

He cupped her face in one hand while the other cradled her
bottom as he held her pressed against the rock wall. The
I-want-to-fuck-you-but-I’ll-stop-if-you-want-me-to look in his eyes tore at her
heart. She’d never done anything like this before in her life. He filled her,
stretching her, making her feel whole again, and she wasn’t about to stop the
wonderful sensation, not now. She’d worry about the consequences later.

Lynn maneuvered one arm around his neck while the other
touched his cheek. She held his heated gaze and smiled. “Continue,” she said
then gathered his lips in a kiss she hoped relayed her needs and wants. She
moved her hips, encouraging him to pump that luscious cock in and out,
increasing the tension of her impending orgasm. It didn’t take much to convince
him she was okay and ready to fuck.

When she licked his nipple, the growl that emanated from his
throat tickled her to the center of her core. She had this gorgeous hunk on the
edge and it thrilled her to know she’d done that to him. Pumping faster and
faster in tune with him, Lynn’s insides tightened and her heart raced. At some
point, she realized he’d pulled her away from the rock wall and held her weight
fully in his arms while she rode him wildly. He held her as if she weighed
nothing and that turned her on even more. Her breasts bounced, rubbing his
chest. She held on to his shoulders, digging her nails into his skin, but he
didn’t even seem to take notice. Instead, he met her beat for beat, filling her
with his cock on every upward thrust until she finally came.

Lynn screamed in ecstasy as the orgasm roared from deep
within, sending moisture washing over his cock. But he wasn’t done. She gasped
for air as he drove into her several more times until his juices released,
combining with hers. The thrum of her inner muscles synced with the throb of
his cock and coaxed her into another, yet less-intense orgasm. Never had that
happened, ever. Lynn leaned into him, struggling to hang on, given the limp
nature of her legs and arms. If he set her down now, she’d probably crumble
into a pile on the ground.

As far as Lynn was concerned, it may have been hard and
fast, but it was mind-blowing to say the least. He held her until she urged her
legs to move and wiggled them free of his loose grip and slid them down from
his waist to stand. They trembled but she managed to make them work and kept
herself from falling. Her gaze lowered to the magnificent appendage that had
given her such a phenomenal experience. Then it hit her. She hadn’t even
introduced herself. She’d just gone with the flow of desire and ridden this
gorgeous hunk into sexual oblivion.

Oh lordy, what had she done? He’d just woken from an
extended nap locked in stone and she hadn’t even given him a chance to
recuperate. Did he even remember what had happened that caused him to be turned
to stone? Better yet, did he even know he’d been cursed into a stone statue for
centuries? Perhaps he thought he’d simply awoken from a deep sleep to find a
naked woman ready and willing for sex?

Damn, what had she done?

She’d acted like an out-of-control hormonal woman in the
throes of lust, that’s what she’d done. Lynn couldn’t meet his gaze, though she
felt his eyes on her. What was she going to say? Should she apologize for
acting on impulse? Heat simmered in her cheeks.

Guilt threatened to spoil the whole thing. Had she taken
advantage of Padon? After all, he wasn’t her husband, her boyfriend or
anything. He’d simply awakened from a curse with a hard-on. But didn’t the
average man wake with “morning wood” most of the time? Lord knows Eddie had on
many occasions. Eddie. Lynn’s heart sank. She’d just cheated on Eddie’s memory.

She tried desperately to trample the growing double-dose of
guilt by any means that came to mind. It wasn’t like her to jump the bones of a
stranger, but she did love the spontaneity of what had just happened. In
Eddie’s words,
sex should be all about the moment
.
Take it whenever
and wherever the mood strikes.
A smile tickled her lips at the memory but
was quickly doused. Spontaneity sex was meant to be with a spouse or loved one,
not a complete stranger. Her conscience tossed shards of guilt into her gut,
slicing her emotions into tiny shreds and sending them into a downward spiral.
No matter how she dissected it, she’d cheated on her husband’s cherished memory
and that was that.

She stared at Padon’s feet, unable to find the right words
to say to ease this awkwardness between them or help alleviate the sharp pain
within her chest. She’d betrayed her loving husband’s trust. When his fingers
attempted to lift her chin to look upon her face, she resisted until his words
graced her ears.

“Mi wee one, there be no shame in what we have done. Only
joy and mutual pleasure.” He crouched until he was looking up into her face.
The sincerity in his eyes melted her shame with his honest questions. “Did ye
no reach your pleasure? Shall we try again until ye do?” A spark of mischief
shone in his gaze and in the twist of his wicked grin, forcing her to smile in
return.

She’d reached her pleasure all right, twice. Lynn breathed
deep, shaking off the momentary doubts that she’d attacked him, but it did
nothing for the sinking feeling she’d somehow befouled her marriage vows. They
were adults and adults had sex. Guilt over Eddie threatened her happiness, but
looking at the sexual heat Padon’s gaze made her body react.

Rolling her eyes, she knew she was going straight to the
devil for the thoughts flicking through her brain. Lynn’s conscience battled
the renewed lust and required that she at least start a conversation with him
and help him adjust to his new world before ride two on the fuck-Padon-raw
train.
If
she let that happen again. At the moment, she wasn’t sure it
was a good idea that sex happened in the first place. She’d gotten caught up in
the moment, the sexual spontaneity. She tried desperately to convince herself
but wasn’t having much success.

Besides… She sighed as Jasper’s words resurfaced. Padon
wasn’t completely free. They needed to get him to Castle MacKinnon if they were
to accomplish that feat and if what Jasper told her about the anti-curse was
true, he’d return to stone at daybreak. That only gave them the night to
travel.

Lynn swallowed as she found her voice. She stood straight
and did her best not to show her nervousness or the guilt that had taken root.
“Padon, my name is Lynn Woodberry. I am from the state of Texas in America.”

His brows bunched then he glanced around before returning
his gaze to hers. “We are in Scotland, no?”

“Yes,” she answered then smiled. “I came to Scotland to
explore the rich spirit-filled culture of your people and the lands. I met a
man named Travis Shain, who told me a vivid tale of a ghost who lingered in a
cave within the Grampian Mountains. That’s how I met Jasper and he led me to
you.”

“Jasper.” The single word spoken from his lips seemed to
make him remember something important. Padon’s gaze widened as he looked across
the top of her head. The color drained from his face and Lynn knew before she
turned that Jasper hovered somewhere near behind her.

Padon instantly shielded her with his body as he faced the
ghostly apparition that once was his friend. His voice shook first with what
seemed to be disbelief then quickly switched to anger. “Ye be a ghost. How did
this happen? Tell mi and I shall seek vengeance against their soul.”

“’Tis a long tale,
m’caraid
.” His head shook sadly.
“The lady be cold. This be a conversation best told beside a fire for her
sake.”

With that said, he disappeared. Padon gasped as he jerked
backward from the sight, nearly stepping on her foot. Lynn suspected surprise,
not fear, caused this reaction. Surprise at how his world had changed and was
about to change even more.

Chapter Four

Wrapped in the deerskin blanket, Lynn sat beside the fire
Padon built in the main entrance of the cave. It surprised her when he came out
of one of the three rear tunnels with a large armload of wood. It seemed he and
Jasper had stored a good bit of timber for firewood in there. Most had rotted
over time but he managed to salvage enough to burn through the night if need
be. For the moment, rain no longer poured buckets of water mixed with wind, but
had slowed to a steady, windless downpour. Her clothes were neatly placed
across rocks near the fire to dry.

“Aye, Padon.” Jasper nodded, starting the conversation once
they’d settled around the fire. “I be a ghost. Many years have passed since ye
were cursed. The time is now ta set ye free.” Lynn heard the hitch in his voice
as if he struggled to keep his composure. This was most difficult for Jasper.

Padon stood and began to pace around the fire pit. His
massive hand shoved through his hair, tugging it from his face. Confusion
riddled his features. Knotting the towel tightly across her breasts and keeping
the deerskin blanket draped across her shoulders so together these items
covered all of her, Lynn closed the distance between them and took his hand.
Hers looked so tiny in his strong one and she sensed he could break every bone
if he decided to close his hand tight enough around hers.

Her insides quaked in his presence. His heat surrounded her
as she stepped forward until mere inches separated them. Stretching upward, she
brushed a determined strand of hair from his eyes and smiled.

“Padon.” Lynn paused. She liked his name and wished she knew
its meaning. “There is much you need to know. But most of all, you have to
understand the curse you suffered has lasted for over two hundred years. The
man that placed it is dead, but his descendant lives on, carrying a deadly hate
within his soul.”

“MacGillivray,” he spoke on a venom-filled whisper.

“Aye,” Jasper confirmed, which caused Padon’s gaze to lift
from hers and stare across her head at Jasper, who had moved to stand behind
Lynn. Padon stepped around Lynn to face Jasper.

He looked around before he spoke. “I was no here when
MacGillivray attacked. Ye brought mi ta the hunting cave.”

Jasper simply nodded. Padon’s brows pursed as he stared at
Jasper. “Ye did no cross over ta the Garden o’ Angels. Why? Why do ye still
linger?”

“I gave Akira mi oath o’ protection.” Jasper’s chin tilted
and his shoulders squared. Lynn noted he stood several inches shorter than
Padon and wasn’t as broad but he wasn’t a small man by any means. No, he held
his own in his time, she bet.

Padon circled Jasper then stood to face him again. “Ye swore
an oath o’ protection with mi
piuthar
. Ta protect her?”

“Ye king’s jester,” Jasper snapped. “Ye and I both know
Akira needed no protection. The oath was ta protect ye from the wrath o’
MacGillivray. He found out about the anti-curse and realized he made a fatal
mistake. If anyone spoke it, the MacKinnon
brathairs
would live at night
but no by day. It was a chance o’ revenge he could no take so he placed a
bounty on the statues. They were ta be destroyed so ye would never be freed.”

“And nay one soul spoke the words ta free mi until now.”
Padon’s tone sounded perplexed. “Why? Why not free mi and mi
brathairs
so we could seek vengeance on MacGillivray?”

Jasper floated around him, making Padon’s head turn to
follow his path. “Akira kept the anti-curse ta herself. She said it be only
half a life and no fair ta her
brathairs
. She gave each o’ ye ta
different trusted clans who swore an oath ta hide ye until thy path ta total
freedom could be found.”

“Freedom has been found?” Padon questioned.

“Aye.” Jasper nodded. “But we need ta get ye ta Castle
MacKinnon ta learn it.”

As if fate had another nasty card to play against them, the
storm took a turn for the worse. Lightning brightened the night sky. Thunder
roared like an outraged lion. Gale-force winds and driving rain switched into
high gear, making it too dangerous to travel, so it was decided to wait it out
even if it meant staying another day in the cave. Silence fell between them.
Lynn moved closer to the fire and snuggled deeper into the deerskin. Words
escaped her. She didn’t know what to do or say so she didn’t do anything but be
there for him if he chose to talk.

Padon absently poked at the flame-licked logs with a long
stick. His expression gave away nothing of his thoughts but Lynn figured the
story Jasper had shared with him had to weigh heavy upon him. When he wasn’t
squatted beside the fire, he paced like a caged animal. Lynn knew he had to be
trying to sort things out for himself. He’d fallen to a curse trying to save
his family only to wake in a cave centuries later. That had to be hard to
digest, so she understood the long period of silence. It had to be his way of
handling it. So she waited until he was ready to discuss it with someone. Then
she’d do her best to help.

She stood and gathered her clothes. They were finally dry.
Her boots were still a bit damp so she left them where they were beside the
heat. She walked into the back tunnel out of view. Light filtering from the
fire made it possible for her to see as she dressed. Coolness coated her flesh
and she knew Jasper hovered behind her. It didn’t matter that she stepped into
her panties and jeans in front of him. She knew he wasn’t looking at her and
his words confirmed it.

“Do ye think he will forgive mi?” Though his voice was
hardly above a whisper, she heard him easily.

“Forgive you for what? You did nothing wrong.” Lynn pulled
on her shirt over her bra then turned to face him. Sadness wafted from him and
unlike Padon’s, Jasper’s face hid nothing.

“I was not there ta save him.”

“Give him time to think things through. I doubt he harbors
any anger toward you.” Lynn did her best to console the deeply distraught
ghost.

“Time be something I no longer have.” His head hung low as
it shook.

“I don’t understand,” Lynn said. Confusion pursed her brow.
“You’re a spirit, you have nothing left but time.”

“Nay. Padon be free. Mi duty here be done. Angels call mi
home. Time draws near for mi ta join them in the garden.”

Jasper was leaving. Lynn opened her mouth to ask more
questions about the afterlife and how to make contact, but swallowed her
selfish thirst for knowledge. Now was not the time to ply Jasper for information
he had avoided giving earlier. He needed closure and she planned to make sure
he got it before he crossed over.

“Now I think I understand the part of your riddle about the
quiet son.” Lynn changed the subject, trying to uplift Jasper’s spirits. If he didn’t
have long to linger, she wanted to make his last hours here enjoyable and she
couldn’t do that without Padon’s participation.

Jasper snorted. “Aye. Padon never be one ta talk about his
troubles. He held them close ta the heart.”

“I can see that. But I think he’s had time enough to mull it
over. Let’s see if we can convince him to talk.” Lynn’s patience had worn thin.
Sitting around watching Padon and Jasper avoid each other hadn’t been fun. It
tore her up inside knowing what she did about Jasper’s feelings. She didn’t
wait for Jasper’s reply. It was lost in the air behind her. That Jasper didn’t
have much time meant Padon’s brooding session was over in her book.

His friend had sacrificed a lot and Padon owed him more than
he could ever repay. So she planned to make sure Jasper got his chance to speak
his heart before passing over into the Garden of Angels. Lord knew she carried
heaviness in her heart for Eddie. She understood how it drained the soul having
unspoken words gnawing at your every waking moment. Lynn paused, closed her
eyes for a second, shoving her own needs aside, and focused on Jasper. He
deserved more from Padon. Her resolve reset, she opened her eyes and forged
ahead.

Lynn returned to the main opening of the cave and found
Padon sitting near the entrance, staring into the night. The storm had surged
into a powerful hurricane-sized force, sending blinding rain, hail and a strong
wind whipping into the first few feet of the cave. The flames flickered and
hissed as raindrops and wind made contact. He turned his gaze to her, staring
at her across his shoulder. Lightning flashed, outlining him in a split-second
iridescent glow, making him look fierce and angry against the stormy
background.

Damn. He looked sexy. Raw emotion filled his gaze as he
turned to face her. She read anger mixed with confusion, which she wished she
could wash away like the rain did to everything outside. His rain-slicked skin
had her wanting to stand beside him, touching his flesh, gliding her hands over
every soaked inch. Hair hanging loose and wet blew around his face, making him
look wildly uncontrollable. His muscles glistened in the firelight. Lightning
bolts highlighting him added an edge of fierceness to his overall appearance.
If he’d had his sword in hand, he’d make an even more wicked-looking warrior.
Lynn’s nipples hardened and desire bloomed.

Lowering her eyes weakened her knees. Padon stood naked. It
was visibly apparent the cold rain did not affect his manhood. She swallowed,
grasping for the reins on her lust buggy. He wasn’t making this easy. Not with
a delicious hard-on pointed straight at her.

Think Jasper.

That helped a little. Keeping her thoughts on Jasper took a
slight nip in her hunger for Padon, but didn’t douse it completely.

Think Eddie.
Thinking of him helped cool her libido
even more as guilt churned back to the surface. Her chest tightened and she
swallowed against the rush of nerves building the dam in her throat. Eddie was
the love of her life. This trip was supposed to be the culmination of their
paranormal experiences.
Not
her sampling the fruits of the first ancient
Scotsman trapped by a supernatural curse that she happened to come across.

Looking at Padon, she doubted anything would ever succeed at
killing the exquisitely sexual thoughts he seemed to spur to life in her
imagination. When he stepped toward her, tension coiled in her pussy and her
breasts ached for his touch. The world around her seemed to disappear as he
became her solitary focus.

He moved with the grace and skill of a well-trained
predator. Water dripped from him, running down his wide chest, trickling along
his abdomen, causing her gaze to follow the sensual trail straight to his
glorious cock. Padon closed the distance between them, cupping her face in his
hands. He leaned forward, taking her lips with his into a soft, warm kiss. His
hands tangled in her curls. He kissed a path to her ear and whispered words
that melted her heart as he hugged her close to him.

Her will to remain immune to his touch faded. The stiffness
she forced to her stance relaxed as the warmth of his body radiated around her,
heating her flesh and igniting her needs.

“Mi wee one, I need ye ta show mi the way. I know not the
path o’ this world.” He leaned back, placing a small gap between them. Panic
and fear flickered in his gaze if only for a split second and it nearly floored
her to hear him say, “Fear lives within mi for the first time in mi life. I
know not what ta do.”

These were words she didn’t expect and it took her a few
moments to gather her thoughts. Lynn touched his cheek then brushed a dripping
strand of hair from his brow. Holding his timid gaze, she spoke from her heart.
“I will help you, Padon. There is nothing to fear. I will help you find your
way. Think of this as a new, exciting adventure and all will be right in your
world.”

He touched his brow to hers as he held her tight. “Thank ye,
mi wee one. Ye be the strength I needs ta flourish where I would flounder and
fail otherwise.”

“I doubt you would ever flounder or fail at anything you set
your mind to, Padon.”

Their lips found one another. Each drew strength and desire
through their touch. His cock rubbed against her abdomen, increasing the heat
already ignited within her. The kiss turned passionate and it was all she could
do to end it.

Think Jasper. Think Eddie.

The words whispered through her brain and forced her to pull
from the wonderful tastiness of his mouth. “Padon,” she said huskily against
his lips, “Jasper’s time is short. The angels call him home. There is much you
two need to discuss before he leaves.”

“Umm.” Padon sighed. “Ye be right, mi wee one. He be the
reason for much o’ the turmoil within mi.”

“I know.” Lynn smiled up at him. “Go to him. Talk. Listen.
Enjoy the last few hours he has to spend. Remember the good, not the bad.”

Padon released her and brushed a finger down her nose. “How
did ye get so smart?”

Lynn straightened her shoulders and grinned. “I’m a woman.
We’re born that way.”

His laughter rolled around the cave, causing her to laugh
along with him. With a well-placed kiss to her cheek, he turned, grabbed his
kilt and walked into the tunnel at the back of the cave. Lynn knew they needed
some time alone so she picked up the deerskin blanket and made her way to the
fire. Looking down, she shook her head at the damp state of her clothes and
wondered if she’d ever be dry again.

* * * * *

Right before the sun came up, Lynn followed the sound of
their voices and found them hanging out by the stream. She lingered on the
natural stairs and watched, feeling like an intruder, but couldn’t help
admiring the pair of friends. They were laughing and carrying on as if nothing
had ever separated them. She eavesdropped and heard a funny story shared
between them that had her covering her mouth, trying to stifle her laugh.

But she failed. Jasper called out to her. “Come join us,
lass. We are but reminiscing about ol’ times.”

Lynn moved to sit beside Jasper facing Padon. “I’m sorry. I
was curious as to how you two were doing.”