It was so peaceful here. So soothing. She smiled down at her relaxed reflection dancing across the quickly receding level in the cup. Eliza had known full well how much good this trip to the past would do her. Smart woman, that Eliza.
“I see ye found yer coffee.”
Graham’s deep seductive voice triggered a delicious shiver. She turned, her mouth, as well as several other parts of her, watering hot and ready at the sight of him, bare-chested and tempting, wearing nothing but his boots and a low-slung plaid.
“I did find my coffee, thank you.” She took another long sip, her gaze locked with his. “It’soneof my favorite ways to start the day.” She shimmied the blanket loose and allowed it to fall into a pile at her feet. No sense in letting such a promising opportunity slip away. Still sipping her coffee, she sauntered toward him. “But there is another way that’s even finer than bacon and biscuits.”
Graham’s widening smile lit up his face like the sun breaking over the horizon. “A finer way indeed. That’s for sure and for certain.” He tossed aside his plaid, leaving no doubt that he would choose morning sex over food any day.
“Yo to the camp!”
“Shit!” Lilia whirled around, scooped up the blanket, and yanked it back around her body. Coffee spilled. Orgasm-over-easy shot to hell. Today was not starting out so great after all.
Angus tromped into the clearing, holding up a pair of limp rabbits by the ears. A proud grin split his grubby face as he waved the dead animals first at Graham, then at Lilia. “I’ve got us a fine breakfast fit for a chieftain!”
“Damn ye, man!” Graham retrieved his plaid and jerked it around his waist.
Angus’s proud expression melted into a confused scowl. “Ye fancy rabbits for breakfast. Always have.” He held up the game and gave them a closer look. “And they’re fine fat ones. They’ve fed well this season.”
Lilia suppressed a gag. She didn’t know whether to cry over the murder of the poor creatures or just knock the hell out of Angus. She stomped over, snatched up her backpack, then leveled a stern look at Graham. “Take him for a walk. I’m getting dressed and then we need to refill all our water and get some extra to carry back to where we arrived. The higher ground will be easier for me to maintain a good visual on the moon for the jump back tonight.”
Angus held out the rabbits to her. “What about these? Ye are not going to fix them for us?”
She took in a deep breath and slowly blew it out, reasoning that it wasn’t Angus’s fault. It was the way of this time.She turned to Graham, his smug grin and knowing demeanor irritating her off even more. He knew she was about to explode and was waiting for the show. “Take him for a walk,” she said through gritted teeth.
“But these are fine rabbits.” Angus took a step closer. “Fresh as can—”
“Angus—I would advise you to go for a walk.” She wrapped the handle of her backpack around her right hand, readying it to use as a weapon.
Graham finally stepped forward, grabbing Angus by the shoulder and steering him back toward the trees. “Ye best do as she says, man. I would hate to see good meat go to waste.”
“Go to waste?”
“Aye.” Graham glanced back at Lilia with a sly wink. “My dear wife is about to shove those rabbits up yer arse.”
He already knew her well.Lilia loosened her hold on the backpack as the men disappeared into the trees. Time to get dressed and pack up the camp. They wouldn’t jump back to the future until tonight but with Angus returned, there would be no more privacy.
She hurried into her clothes. How long would it take them to do whatever they needed to do to those poor rabbits before cooking them? Snugging the band tighter around the compactly rolled sleeping bag, she shuddered. The men could eat the rabbits. She’d be happy with more coffee and a protein bar.
Coffee. Definitely more coffee. She retrieved her cup and squatted beside the dying fire. At least there were enough coals to ensure the coffee was still hot. She lifted the pot and started to pour but a heart-stopping surge of hatred and even darker emotions slammed into her senses, knocking the cup and coffeepot out of her hands.
She scrambled backward on all fours, struggling to get to her feet. They were back. So many. So much hate.She had to get to Graham and Angus. Had to warn them.
An enraged roar and an explosive stream of Gaelic cursing shattered the stillness of the quiet glade. Branches snapped and hard thuds shook through the underbrush and saplings just past the large boulder to her right.
Greed. Excitement. Revenge. Hatred.The scourge of toxic emotions vibrated through the clearing even louder than the growled-out words or the sounds of bodies crashing through the timbers.
She dropped to a defensive crouch behind the boulder, then eased up and carefully peeped over the stone’s edge. How many and where were they?
“I’ll be a killing ye, I will!” Angus shot out of a cluster of saplings, his body airborne, arms and legs pumping. A man twice his size landed on top of him, knocking Angus from side to side with bone-cracking jabs of his meaty fists.
Lilia’s heart went out to poor Angus. She was no match for that wooly bastard.She might be grand champion of the Highland war games but without real weapons, she was about as lethal as a kitten.
She took off across the clearing in a crouching run away from the fight. Got to hide. Got to plan. Got to figure out something. She tried not to think about what the men might be doing to Graham. Got to stay calm.
A thick tangle of ivy vines trailing down from the sagging branches of a dying tree caught her eye.Perfect.She worked her way into the small, sheltered space created by the veil of green and hunkered down, holding her breath, and forcing herself to maintain control. She had to hide until she found out what was going on.
“Where the hell is yer witch? We’ll beat ye both bloody and make ye beg fer death if ye dinna tell us.”
