“You have to be the most hard-headed man I have ever met in my life.”
He didn’t bother turning. Time to let the lass stew in her own juices.
“Get your ass over here so I can kiss you and we can get home to some dry clothes.”
He turned, folded his hands at his waist, and waited. Lore, he loved the look of her when she was angry.He knew better than to say the words aloud. Or at least not say them until after the proper kiss.
With an irritated sound akin to a growl, she stomped down the driveway, yanked his clasped hands apart, and planted them firmly on her hips. Shoving him back against the gate, she locked her hands around his neck, hooked her boots in the bars on either side of him, and climbed higher until she straddled his waist. Tilting his head back, she covered his mouth with hers and proceeded to set his soul on fire.
Son of a bitch.He clutched her harder against him, melting into her heat as he knotted his fingers in her wet hair and lost himself in the taste of her. She opened his mouth wider, forcing her tongue deep, claiming him with an angry growl. Her thighs tightened around him. Her nails dug into his shoulders. This was no ordinary kiss. Damned if the woman was not staking her ownership of his soul.
She lifted her head, her heart hammering against him. Digging her fingers into his short hair, she yanked his head back even farther. Breathing hard, her eyes partially closed, she brushed her mouth across his one last time then caught his earlobe between her teeth and gently suckled it. After a cock-hardening swipe of her tongue along his throat, she brought her mouth back to his ear and blew hot against his flesh with a scorching whisper, “Now get in the damn car.”
CHAPTER13
Ronan prayed the stairs went on forever. Mairi’s mouthwatering arse swayed just a few inches in front of his face as she walked up the staircase in front of him. He reached down and tugged the crotch of his jeans. By the fires of hell, the tight cut of the trews of this time was about to slice his bollocks in two. He slid his hand down the front of his pants and shifted his hardened cock to one side. Eliza MacTavish had not been wrong about the beastly bit of metal called azipper. The greater his cock grew, the more the wicked metal teeth gnawed at his length.
Mairi paused at the third landing of the staircase and pointed at a short blue door to the left. “That closet is filled with the extra clothes I was telling you about. I’m not sure what’s in there but it’s a good-size space.” She caught the corner of her lip between her teeth as she worried a look up and down the length of him. “I guess I could put your things in the dryer while you’re in the shower. At least that way, you’ll have something to wear in case Eliza doesn’t have anymore clothes that will fit you.”
He had no idea what a dryer was and at this particular moment in time, nor did he really care. The heightened color of Mairi’s cheeks paired with the quiver in her voice told him everything he needed to know. The woman was as physically aware of him as he was of her thanks to her fiery kiss. “I feel sure whatever ye do will be fine, lass.” And it would be—as long as she did it with him. He flinched as the metal zipper grated against his flesh even harder.
Her glance wandered downward and her cheeks flamed even brighter. She turned aside and fumbled with the latch to the door on the right. Hurrying through it, she motioned at the space. “I can’t believe Eliza locked you out of her floor. She must beentertainingthis afternoon.” Mairi urged him forward with a nervous smile. “Welcome to my floor. I have the refurbed bathroom with the sweetest shower. Lilia’s room has a tub, but I don’t think you’d fit in it.” She wet her lips as her gaze kept flitting to the ever-increasing bulge below his belt.
Ronan smiled and shifted to a wider stance.Aye.Let the lass see what he ached to share with her. He slowly tilted his hips forward just enough to flare her cheeks to an even lovelier shade of red.
She cleared her throat and hurried across the room. “Through that door is sort of my hobby room. If you’d like something to drink to warm you up before your shower, there’s a bar in there. I always keep plenty of bottled water, but I think there might be a bottle of port too.” She grabbed an oversized pillow from the padded bench at the foot of the bed, dropped it on the floor, and eased the sleeping puppy down onto the cushion. As she straightened, she pointed toward the opposite side of the room. “The bathroom is through that door. If you’ll toss your clothes out here before you step into the shower, I’ll run back down and put them in the dryer.” The poor lass was talking so fast she nearly gasped for breath.
He took great comfort in her nervousness. Apparently, she never brought men up to her rooms. Very good, indeed. He headed through the open door to what she had said was her hobby room. A bit of port would help a great deal with what he had in mind. As soon as he stepped through the doorway, he halted.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, sounding strained and small.
He turned and faced her. She had gone quite pale. He gently cupped her chin and lifted her downcast gaze to his. “Mairi? What ails ye?”
She jerked away and pushed around him, hurrying to the center of the room with her hands fisted. With a nervous shrug, she motioned toward the countless sculptures all around the room. “These are my dragons. I know they may seem a bit strange and all . . .” She jutted her chin upward and squared her shoulders. “But in a sense, these dragons are kind of like my family.”
Sight for the unseen.A chill raced across him as he slowly turned and took in the intricate detailing of the many wood carvings and clay sculptures of dragons in various positions, shapes, and sizes. So, this was what the old witch meant. Not the talent for prophecy or second sight but the gift of seeing hidden beauty within an object and then releasing it to the world.
Ronan moved to the largest sculpted dragon of them all. Perched on a pedestal with leathery wings outstretched was an exact replica of Graham in his dragon form. Lips curled back, fangs revealed; the great dragon’s graceful neck arched above its scaly chest while it reared back, ready to unleash a volley of flames. He traced his fingertips down the detailed ridges running the length of the beast’s back and extending to the tip of the long, curved tail. “Why would anyone ever do anything less than admire this beauty from yer hands?”
She eased forward, a glint of excitement flashing in her eyes. “Do you really like them? You’re not just saying that?”
He stepped around the grand beast, taking it in from every angle. Mairi had perfectly captured the vision of Graham in the middle of one of his rants. For the first time in a long time, the suffocating weight on Ronan’s shoulders lightened just a bit. Mairi would not be frightened of his friend and mentor. Without even realizing it, she had already seen him.
Facing her, he took both her hands in his and slowly rotated them until her palms faced up. “Ye are a gifted woman, Mairi Sinclair. These hands . . . yer hands . . . are but another grand layer to an already amazing woman.”
“Thank you so much.” Her voice echoed with relief. Beaming with pride and joy, she smiled up at him. “That’s very kind of you to say.”
“I am not being kind.” He gently pulled her to him and enfolded her in his arms. “I speak the truth,” he whispered, then sought out her mouth and tightened his embrace. Forget the port. All he needed was her.
Aching need pounded through him as her soft curves melted against the hardened length of him. He slid his hands down her back, cupped her arse in both hands, and pulled her harder against him.Now,his cock roared, straining rock hard toward her promising warmth. There would be no interruptions this time. He would see to that.
“I need ye,” he said, his voice ragged and coarse, but he nay cared. He had searched centuries for this woman. By all the saint’s bones, he had to have her under him.
She framed his face with her soft hands while pressing tighter against him. “We could kill two birds with one stone. Eliza just had the shower renovated. There’s definitely room for two.”
He didn’t know what a shower was, nor did he really care. But if she was willing to share herself, he would follow wherever she led. “Lead me, woman. Show me this shower of which ye speak.”
She took him by the hand and led him to the doorway at the far end of the suite. With a teasing glance back at him, she slowly pushed open the door. “If I’m in the shower with you, your clothes won’t get put in the dryer.”
