Tall, Dark and Wolfish (32 page)

ta ye." She glanced toward Wil . "Or someone ye care about. Ye ken?"

"I wouldna laugh at her, Lord Benjamin. She has power like ye've never seen," Sorcha said as she walked by a plant in the front yard. She touched it and

it immediately flowered. She plucked it, smiled softly, and held it out to Ben, who just shook his head. Would he ever grow used to women with powers?

"You do not have to worry about Elspeth. I would protect her with my life."

"But who wil protect her from ye?" a voice cal ed from the other side of the carriage. Then Caitrin stepped into view.

She took Elspeth's hands in her own and squeezed so hard that Elspeth winced.

Ben moved toward the two young witches, but Wil 's hand suddenly hit the center of his chest, stal ing him. "Let them work this out," he said quietly. "I'd

rather not see an example of their powers firsthand."

Ben just grumbled to himself as he finished helping his coachman load the bags onto the carriage.

"I canna see yer future, El, " Caitrin admitted.

Good. That suited Ben just fine. He liked having some surprises in life.

Caitrin continued quietly. "I think it's because ye're already separatin' yerself from us, with yer mind."

"But never with my heart," Elspeth said vehemently before she dropped Caitrin's hands. "I wil see ye al very soon." Then she addressed each sister in

her coven separately before stepping inside the coach.

It wasn't until he closed the door and pul ed her into his lap that she final y broke. She turned to his shoulder and sobbed. When her tears subsided, he

passed her his handkerchief and stroked her hair. It nearly broke his heart to see her so upset.

"We can stay here if you'd rather," he offered. Though in the back of his mind, he real y liked the idea of having her to himself for a bit.

"No. I need ta find my father." She sniffed loudly. "I need ta understand why he left my mother." She sniffed again. "And me." Then she tucked herself into

him again.

"We'l get the answers you seek. I'm sure of it." But he truly wasn't. And he was fearful that she wouldn't like the answers they
did
find.

"Where is yer brother?" she asked.

"He's riding alongside until we reach the first coaching inn. I wanted to be alone with you. I feel like we haven't had any time together."

"My coven," she started.

But he cut her off by tipping her chin up and kissing her softly. "They're not with us now. It's just you and me."

"Tel me why ye came lookin' for my mother, Ben," she said as she slid from his lap into the seat beside him. He instantly felt the loss.

He scrubbed a hand over his face and thought. Then he let out a sigh. "You know why. Because I was broken."

"Ye're no' broken," she said as she reached up to brush the hair from his forehead.

"I've lost a part of myself, El ie. And I'd hoped your mother could help me find that part."

"I can help ye, Ben. I ken that I wil be able ta do it."

"If you can't, I'l be al right without it. I have you."

"Ben Westfield! Doona ever say that! I couldna take the place of yer wolf. Nor would I try." She batted at his hands as he tried to pul her near.

Maybe a kiss would take her mind off his problems.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Ye wil na take my attention from this topic. No matter how sweet yer kisses."

He smiled. "You think my kisses are sweet?"

"Ye ken I do," she giggled as his questing fingers traced the line of her bodice. "Stop that."

"I can be even sweeter," he teased.

"Ben, yer brother is outside the carriage, and he has the same hearin' ye do!" she reminded him.

He pul ed her atop him, despite her halfhearted protests. "I can be quiet," he whispered as he tugged her dress off her shoulder. Her breast popped

free, and he immediately took her nipple in his mouth. Her head fel back. He loved how responsive she was. "Can you?" he asked, catching her gaze

with his.

Elspeth seriously doubted she could be quiet, not as quiet as she needed to be. If Wil 's hearing was anything like Ben's, he'd hear every gasp and sigh.

She drew her bottom lip between her teeth to keep from crying out as he uncovered her other breast and pressed them together so that al he had to do

was turn his head back and forth, giving more and more pleasure with each turn of his head.

"Quiet, now," he laughed when she couldn't contain her gasp as his fingers slipped beneath her skirts and tiptoed up her leg to touch her heat.

"Ye beast," she whispered.

"Not so much anymore," he said, a sad look crossing his face.

"Aye, ye are," she affirmed as she let him move her to the seat beside him. He threw her skirts up to kiss her inner thigh and then pul ed her drawers off

and bent to kiss her center.

"You bring it out in me." He opened her with his fingertips and licked slowly across her center. She squirmed, hoping he would touch the place she

needed most. Then he did. She couldn't contain her groan as her hands moved into his hair.

"Shhhh," he said, his breath blowing softly against her tender flesh. He pressed a finger to her lips to silence her. She drew it into her mouth and sucked,

then nipped the pad of his finger. He groaned that time.

"Shhhh," she said with a light laugh.

"Witch," he remarked as he went back beneath her skirts.

"Aye, and ye're my beast." She threw her head back as he licked her to new heights, then he final y pushed her over. But he caught her when she fel .

Before she'd even come back down, he picked her up and opened her legs to straddle his lap. Then he lowered her slowly onto him.

She took him careful y, her gaze never leaving his as she settled around him. He gently helped her rise and fal , riding him until her body fluttered, and

then he joined her in pleasure.

"We were no' very quiet," she whispered as she lay against his chest, her breasts bare and her skirts around her waist. It felt perfectly decadent to be so

free and open with him.

"Yes, I know. My brother wil be ready to do bodily harm to me by the time we get to the coaching inn."

"Why?" She didn't understand.

"'Cause I plan to take you again. At least once more. And I plan to make lots of noise," he laughed.

Thirty-nine

The coach final y stopped, and Ben stepped from its confines, eager to stretch his legs a bit. Again, he thought to himself how coaches weren't made for

men his size. He stepped out and asked the coachman, "Where is his lordship?" as he looked around for Wil .

"He went ahead as soon as we left Edinburgh, my lord."

"Do you know where he was going?"

"Permission to speak frankly, my lord?"

"Of course," Ben said, waving his hand impatiently as he glanced at Elspeth to be sure she wasn't listening.

"He said he was going to find a whore." The man shrugged and smiled. "Not sure what put him in such a hurry."

As though Wil needed an excuse.

Ben offered his arm to Elspeth and escorted her through the inn yard. "Where is yer brother?"

He shook his head. "I have no idea, apparently he rode on ahead."

Elspeth breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank heavens. I was so sure he would have heard us. I doona think I could ever look at him again."

"El ie," he laughed. "You are my wife. I'm certain he has some idea of what happens between us." He pul ed open the door to the taproom and directed

her over the threshold.

As soon as Ben's eyes adjusted to the darkened room, he noticed his brother, relaxed and clearly sated, enjoying a pint in the far corner. With a rakish

grin, Wil lifted his mug in a mock toast.

"Found him," Ben muttered, though he wasn't sure if he was happy about that or not.

"Ah, Benjamin," Wil cal ed. "I've already acquired rooms for us. The beds are rather comfortable."

After more than a fortnight of travel, Elspeth had decided that even though her brother-in-law was an unrepentant rogue, she liked him quite a bit. Wil iam

had a charming personality, though he seemed to irritate Ben to no end.

He knew about her healing powers, but not why Ben had sought her out. As London came into view, she stared across the coach at Lord Wil iam. Once

they arrived in Town, she was sure she wouldn't see much of him. She had been wondering something about him ever since they met.

As Ben was sleeping, she knew this was her last chance to find out. "Wil ," she began quietly, "doona ye tire of yer debauched life?"

He winked at her. "My life is wonderful as it is."

"But Ben says there's a girl, a neighbor, who owns yer heart."

Wil took a deep breath, his eyebrows knitting together. "Ben says more than he should."

"Who is she? And if ye care for her, why do ye…?" She waved her hand to encompass his entire person. After al , the man hadn't spent one night alone

since their journey began. It had taken only one day for her to be glad he wasn't stil in Scotland near Sorcha.

"Things with Miss Hawthorne wil never come to fruition, no matter how badly I may want otherwise." His gaze flashed to Ben, she assumed to make

certain his brother was truly asleep. "Since that's the case, there's no reason I should stop living my life, Elspeth."

"Why do ye say things wil na come ta fruition?" He seemed so sad about the situation.

Wil shrugged. "You haven't met her. Once she's made up her mind about something, there's no changing it. Prisca is the most stubborn woman I know."

She reached across the coach and squeezed his hand. "I am sorry."

"It wasn't meant to be." He pul ed back the curtain and stared out at the ever-approaching skyline and let out a world-weary sigh. "So what is the plan,

Elspeth? How do you and Ben plan to discover your father's identity?"

She leaned against her husband's shoulder. With him she always felt so safe. "Ben says we'l go see Major Forster, that there are records in yer Society

that can be of help."

"It's a start. If you don't end up with your desired results, we'l think of something else."

We.
How nice to be part of a family. Her coven sisters were one thing, but now that she was part of the Westfield family, she realized how much she'd

been missing. "Thanks." Then she cleared her throat. "Yer mother… Ben seems ta think she'l like me, but I'm a bit nervous."

Wil dragged his eyes from the window and smiled at her. "Ben's right. She wil love you, but if I were you, I'd wait to inundate yourself with the Westfields.

Mother wil demand your time. Simon's wife is a bit of a mother hen, though I must admit I don't know her wel . Find your father, then step into our fray."

"He's right, love," Ben mumbled from beside her, stretching his arms above his head and groaning as he woke from his nap. "Steer a clear path away

from the Westfield women, or they'l drag you down like a hare caught in a trap."

She punched his shoulder. "I thought ye were asleep."

"I was for a bit," he said, then shot an uncomfortable glance toward Wil . "I only heard you when you began to talk about Mother."

"That's because you're a mama's boy," Wil said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"There's nothing wrong with a grown man loving his mother, is there, dear?" he asked playful y as he dropped one arm behind Elspeth. "You should try it

sometime, Wil ."

"Aye, I heard it said once that you can learn a lot from a man by the way he treats his mother. If he treats her like a prized possession, he's capable of

lovin' with al his heart," Elspeth said, watching Ben's face as she said the last. He turned from her with an uncomfortable look on his face, as though he

was suddenly ready to change the subject.

"You two know how to turn a man's stomach, don't you," Wil broke in. "Al this talk of love. It's al fluff and nonsense."

"Ye ken that's no' true," Elspeth scolded as the coach came to a stop.

"Ah, home at last," Ben sighed. He opened the door and stepped out of the coach. And out of her conversation about love.