Highlander's Rebellious Love (25 page)

Of course, it did not stop him from wanting to wake her, most lovingly, but he fought the urge. He would not disturb her; she needed rest.

A scent of roses drifted off her silky hair to tickle his nose and tempt him. He told himself it would be far wiser to leave her in the bed alone, but he could not bring himself to move away from her. He loved being wrapped around her. He had had many women, but never had he felt the immense need to keep one close and never let her go.

He was so comfortable and content that he never realized that his eyes were growing heavy and his body relaxed. In minutes, he joined his wife in a sound sleep.

~~~

A delicious scent had Patience sniffing the air and her stomach rumbling. She opened her eyes to find herself wrapped in her husband’s arms. She smiled, content and ready to make love again. She was about to wake him when she decided that this was the perfect opportunity to explore. She would get to know his body as he had gotten to know hers, though she was sure it would take much more exploring for both of them to learn all they could about each other. At least, she hoped it would.

With a faintly devilish smile, she set to work and what delightful work it was. Her hand roamed over his chest ever so lightly and though his muscles were hard, his skin was smooth and so terribly tempting to touch. Eager to touch that part of him that some women had warned her would bring more distress than pleasure, her hand dipped down further, her fingers running gently through the thatch of hair that nestled his manhood that was just beginning to rouse.

Her hand took hold of him, curious to know how it felt... silky smooth. And as she repeatedly ran her hand over it, squeezing it now and again, it began to grow. Thinking back on how much pleasure she had gotten when he had tasted her, she thought to do the same for him. Though, she had to admit that she was deriving pleasure from just the thought of it. How much pleasure would it bring her when she was actually engaged in it?

It did not take long for her to discover how much she liked it and she soon lost herself in the enjoyable task.

Hunter did not want to wake from the dream, but his own moans roused him and it took a moment for him to realize he was not dreaming. When he finally was able to think somewhat clearly, he glanced down, his eyes turning wide. “Patience?”

She lifted her head and slipped her mouth off him, to his chagrin, and grinned. “I am busy.” She returned to her task with a determination that soon had him groaning and coming harder than he thought possible.

It took him a moment to gather his wits about him so that he could return the pleasure, but she was up and climbing off him and out of bed before he could stop her.

“I am starving and that meat smells as if it is done.” She reached out with a thick stick to disengage the spit.

Hunter, still recovering from his explosive climax, turned his head to enjoy the view of her naked backside. He smiled, thinking what a lucky man he was to have such a beautiful wife and one that was not timid about exploring intimacy.

“Damn it,” Patience yelped, dropping the stick in her hand.

Hunter was out of bed and at her side in an instant. “What is wrong?”

“A spark from the fire got me.” She held up the back of her hand, showing him the blistery spot.

He grabbed a bucket by the door and stepped outside to fill it, then returned and gently immersed her hand in the cool water.

She chuckled. “You do recall that you are naked?”

“The perfect way to confront the rain,” he said with a playful wink. “Now sit while I see to getting our meal.”

She pulled her hand out of the bucket and he grabbed her wrist. “Keep your hand in the water.”

“I want to get my shirt first.”

He circled her one breast with his finger before giving the hard nipple a squeeze. “I prefer you naked.”

“I am chilled.”

“I could keep you warm.”

She looked past him at the meat on the spit. “After we eat, you can warm me as much as you please.”

He frowned, though with a laugh said, “You prefer food over me making love to you.”

She nibbled at her lower lip for a moment, then said, “Aye, at the present moment I do.”

He pressed his hand to his chest and staggered back as if struck. “You wound me, wife.”

She grinned. “But not fatally.”

He walked to the bed and retrieved her shirt, returning with it to slip over her head and gently guide her arm through the sleeves. Then he gave her a quick kiss. “It was, however, a near fatal climax I lovingly endured.” He placed her hand back in the bucket of water.

Her grin grew. “You enjoyed it.”

“Immensely, but what of you? Did you enjoy it?”

“I loved the taste of you and look forward to feasting on you often.”

Hunter groaned. “Damn it, Patience, you will grow me hard again.”

“Good, then you will be ready to satisfy this wet ache between my legs after we eat.”

His fist came down on the table. “If you continue to talk wickedly to me, you will be eating later rather than sooner.”

Patience clamped her lips tight, though only for a moment. “I like being wicked with you.”

Passion sparked Hunter’s blue eyes and he placed his hands flat on the table, then leaned close to Patience’s face. “You have yet to taste wickedness, though you have my word that you will and soon.”

She was glad he turned away from her to see to the meat so that he did not see how his remark made her whole body quiver with anticipation. She decided it would be wise to temper her remarks concerning intimacy, at least until they had eaten.

They were soon enjoying the tasty meat done to perfection.

“I have been thinking,” Patience said.

His brow knitted and his look was one of caution.

Patience shook her head. “I do not only think of—” She shook her head again, knowing it was futile to deny that since being intimate with him she thought of little else. So, she continued proving to herself that she could think of something else, while refusing to admit that the thought of making love with him again intruded on her every thought. “The Dark Dragon did not fear entering the woods.”

“I doubt the Dark Dragon fears anything.”

“Everyone fears something, whether they will admit it or not. And then there was Elspet’s warning in my head, ‘
he comes
’ as if she spoke of someone she knew. Do you think it is possible that Elspet knew the Dark Dragon?”

“She never mentioned him, though anything is possible.”

“He walked with knowledge of the land and the shadows themselves seemed to embrace him. I would say he is no foreigner to this place, which would mean he spent a good amount of time here to know it so well.”

“I imagine he knows a good portion of Scotland well with all the fighting he has done for the King.”

“I suppose, but if Elspet was truly a witch perhaps she—”

Hunter shook his hand at her. “You cannot possibly be suggesting that she taught him magic and that is why his ghost warriors are so skilled?”

Her eyes turned wide with excitement. “See you have thought it yourself.”

“I have not,” he insisted. “The thought is ridiculous. Elspet was no witch. She was a learned woman like your sister Emma. And because she was wiser than most, she was claimed a witch.”

“Then where did the ghost warriors get their skills?”

“That is a question many would love to know, though seeing them myself I would tend to believe that it is speed and precision that set them apart from other warriors. With their faces painted white and their infamous reputation, they instill fear on first sight and fear alone can immobilize. They are nothing more than highly skilled warriors.”

“Who possess a touch of magic, and do not scoff at me,” she warned as his brow arched. “We both know the old myths and the magic within them. So, do not easily dismiss the possibility.”

“I do not dismiss it. Many believe in magic, I simply do not and that is due to Elspet. She taught me to keep my eyes open and my ears attuned to all around me, and that I would learn the truth of things. And she was right.”

“And you never saw her perform any magic the whole time you knew her?”

“Every day.”

Her eyes turned wide.

“Every day she would smile and speak kindly, whether to animals or people and such unfettered kindness is true magic.”

He spoke with such reverence of the woman that it touched her heart. “Elspet sounded like a remarkable woman.”

“She was, and if she had given the Dark Dragon the gift of her friendship, then you can be sure that there is some goodness in the man.”

“I truly hope that is so.”

It was some time later that Patience went outside to see to her nightly need. Hunter had objected to her going alone and a brief debate had ensued. She had assured him that she would remain close to the cottage, since the woods were foreign to her and with it being dark she could easily get lost. Besides, she took her sword with her.

Wearing only her shirt and boots, and with sword in hand, she left the cottage. She intended to be quick about it, since she was eager to go to bed with her husband, though not to sleep.

Night had fallen hours ago, making the dense woods more difficult to navigate. But she kept the cottage in sight and found a quick spot to see to her needs. She was done in no time and when she turned to return to the cottage she halted and stared at the trees that lined the side of the cottage. There were several white carvings in all of them and she stepped closer to take a look.

They symbols seemed familiar, but where had she seen them? She ran her fingers over the straight and angled lines carved smoothly into the bark and highlighted in white and the more she did, the more her mind worked to recall where she had seen them.

She shook her head and walked around the tree, making her way back to the cottage. She halted again a few feet from the door and swerved around, her wide eyes settling on the trees.

She remembered where she had seen them. They were similar to the symbols that had been on the Dark Dragon’s helmet.

Chapter Twenty-three

Patience hurried into the cottage, grabbed Hunter’s hand, and hurried him outside and over to the trees. “What are these?”

Hunter stood naked, staring at the carvings as his mind drifted back to the day he had first seen them and asked Elspet the same thing. And he said what she had told him. “They keep evil at bay.”

“Similar symbols were on the Dark Dragon’s helmet. Where do they come from and if the symbols can be used to fight evil, then there must be symbols that can be used to engage evil’s help.”

“You are talking magic again.”

“What else am I to believe?”

“That the Dark Dragon is a man of great skills, one of those skills, putting the fear of the devil into his opponents.”

“A fear that is all too real for all too many and for good reason.”

Hunter started them back to the cottage, his hand strong in hers. “Granted, but it has nothing to do with magic or Elspet. If the Dark Dragon practices the dark arts, then he learned them elsewhere, not here.”

Once inside, Patience walked away from him to place her sword against the wall with her other weapons. She turned to her husband. “What if those symbols that ward off people from this place were not meant for Elspet? What if evil came here and Elspet knew it and that was why she carved the protective symbols in the trees and perhaps she herself hung those charms in the trees to protect herself?”

“What is truly troubling you?” he asked, approaching her slowly.

Patience sighed and stepped toward him, relieved when his arm went around her waist and she eagerly rested against him. “The more I learn about the Dark Dragon the more he seems a myth to me rather than a man. And so I find myself looking for a way to make sense of him.”

“Or is it that you fear you will not find a way to defeat him and thus fail your sister?”

Her eyes glistened with tears that she refused to allow to fall. “I cannot leave her with such a monster.”

“You sound as if you are ready to give your life for her.”

“If I must; I will without hesitation.”

He took hold of her chin. “Hear me well,
mo chridhe
, I will not allow that, but even more so, Heather would never forgive you. Do not be discouraged. We will find a way to best the dragon.” He kissed her lightly as if sealing a pact.

She should be annoyed that he dared to dictate to her, but instead his caring remark had touched her heart as did the fact that though he did not know her sister, he understood how she would feel. He also reaffirmed as he had done many times that he would stand beside her in her efforts to rescue her sister.

“You are a good husband,” she said, laying a tender hand on his cheek.

“Then you do not regret marrying me?”

“No, you have proven to be more of an asset, rather than the hindrance I had expected,” she said with a soft chuckle as her hand fell away from his face.

He kissed her quick. “And you have proven to be—the woman who has stolen my heart.”

Her heart quickened at his words.

“I have a question for you, wife,” he whispered. “You remarked that everyone, men and women, fear something. What is it that you fear?”

She touched her lips faintly to his, then whispered, “You not making love to me tonight.”

“Then you truly have nothing to fear.” He hastily slipped her out of her shirt, then scooped her up and carried her to the bed.

He intended to take his time, but Patience, as usual, did not live up to her name.

He barely stroked her and teased her hard nipples, when she pushed him off her onto his back and climbed on top of him.

“I cannot wait,” she said and let out a gratifying yelp when she impaled herself on him. “That feels so good.” She began to move. “And that feels even better.”

Her actions, the passion in her eyes and in her every movement pushed him to the edge of climax. He feared he would lose control at any moment and that he could not do.

She bounced up and down on him with the abandonment of a child just discovering the thrill of a new game. And when she grabbed his hand and plastered it against her breast, he thought for sure that was the end.