“Damn it! Why is everything so freaking complicated?”
She slammed her fist on the table, shoved the letter away, and watched it flutter to the floor. Stubborn Highlander. She didn't want him completely out of her life. She just wanted him to slow down a little. Her life was such a jumbled mess right now. She needed to get a few things ironed out before she walked into any more complications.
She’d always been attracted to him, and the way he’d taken care of her when she was hurt had touched her heart more than she was ready to admit. But he always acted as though she were such a helpless creature, and after what she’d been through the past couple of years, she’d be damned if she would ever be perceived as helpless by anyone ever again.
Pushing up from the table, she went back to the door to see if, by chance Emrys and Caelan had shown up. Her heart sank at the sight of her truck sitting all alone in the driveway. The windows in the apartment above the garage were still dark—empty like dead eyes, eyes bereft of hope.
She turned from the doorway and bent to pick up her boots. The faint crunch of tires on the graveled driveway caused her to catch her breath. “Thank goodness,” she whispered, pressing a hand to her heart. The faded blue truck with the rusted out paint job, the one owned by the two Scotsmen, was slowly pulling up the driveway and making its way to the parking spot beside the garage.
With a stumbling hop, she stuffed her feet back into her boots, then hurried out onto the porch without lacing them up. Hair falling down and hands stuffed in her pockets, she bounced in place as Caelan and Emrys emerged from their vehicle.
“Caelan!” she called out, holding her breath to see if he would look her way.
His bowed head immediately lifted. He looked at her and nodded politely before turning away. Emrys waved at her, then mumbled something to Caelan before patting Maizy on the head and heading toward the garage.
“Caelan, if you’re not too busy can we please talk?” She nervously chewed on her bottom lip, remembering how he had made that same request last night, not two feet from where she stood, and she’d told him to go away. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you last night. I found your note. And…and it’s not what I want.Can…can you please come over here so I don’t have to keep shouting across the yard?”
He stared at her, appeared to take in a deep breath, and slowly blew it out.
She held her breath, clenching her fists in her pockets, anxious to see what he would do.
After an entirely too long amount of time, he turned and ambled toward her as though still unsure if he should come over or not.
She fidgeted with the pockets on her coveralls, tugging at the unraveled edges. Her heart soared when he headed her way, but now what? What was she going to say when he got to her? How could she explain everything when she didn’t really understand it herself?
He finally reached the porch, stopped in front of the steps, and stood staring at the ground. His squared jaw flexed as though he were gritting his teeth.
“Caelan,” she whispered, while slipping closer to the edge of the porch. From where he stood, they were almost at eye level if the infuriating man would just look up at her. “Caelan?”
Ever so cautiously, he raised his tortured gaze and stared at her with such pain and pleading that she gasped. All time and space seemed to stand still. A brilliant violet light burst into existence and surrounded them in a shimmering, pulsating orb. The light whirled and strengthened, swelling and dancing like a heartbeat as it drew them closer together.
Rachel found herself uplifted and energized as the violet energy swirled around and through them until there was no distinguishing where one of them ended and the other began. The circle tightened, drawing them closer still.
She had to remind herself to breathe. Somehow, she understood everything about Caelan now. Her thoughts and his, her emotions and his, everything melded into one fiery,vibrating frequency that surged through her heart and soul, then traveled through him as well. She watched the violet stream pour from her chest to his, swirl and travel back as though sharing everything between them. Then, the energy faded away, disappearing like dawn’s delicate mist hit by the morning sun.
“I think I am in love with you,” she admitted softy. She reached for him and pulled him a step closer to brush her lips across his.
“What say ye, lass?” He grabbed both her hands and held her at bay, putting a bit of distance between them. Tipping his head to the side, he reminded her of Sam listening for Maizy barking in the woods.
She couldn’t be apart from him any longer. She leapt into his arms, wrapped her legs around his waist, and locked her arms around his neck. “I said I love you.”
With a rumbling groan, he tangled his fingers in her hair, tipped her back, and held her there while he stared down into her eyes. “My precious, lass. I had given up all hope of ever hearing ye say that.” He crushed her to him, backed her against the porch railing, and ravaged her mouth with his. His passion, fury, and fears poured into her, and she returned the same to him. This wasn’t just a kiss, it was their souls touching, reassuring each other that finally, things were as they were meant to be.
As she broke the bond, she whispered, “I thought you’d returned to Scotland. I thought you’d left me.”
His rumbling voice, deep, yet both soft and husky, rasped with raw emotions. “I could never leave without ye, my love. But I’ve done nothing but drive ye away every time I’ve tried to draw ye closer. I meant what I said about nearly giving up hope. Ye have no idea how badly I need ye. Ye are mine, Rachel. Made for me as I am made for ye.”
She pressed her forehead against his and whispered, “Why don’t we go inside because I need you too…badly.” She hugged him tighter and tucked her face into the warm crook where his neck met his shoulder. Her cheeks burned like fire from the sheer boldness of her behavior. She’d never begged a man to take her before, and, for a moment, she thought he hadn’t heard her. Then he scooped her up into his arms.
He strode up the steps, crossed the porch, then turned and bumped the door open with his back. Once inside, he kicked the door shut and turned to bolt the lock. “We shall not have any interruptions this evening,” he said in a tone that sent a delicious shiver through her.
“Don’t get my boots on the bed!” she squeaked as he strode down the hallway, then sidled them through the bedroom door.
An amused snort huffed from him as he sat in the oversized chair beside the bed and settled her in his lap. “Has anyone ever told ye that ye are a headstrong woman who gives entirely too many orders?” With one muscular arm hugging her close as if determined to never let her go, he slipped one of her boots off and tossed it to the floor.
“You have,” she answered. “Repeatedly. But this time, I have a good reason. My boots are nasty, and I don’t want to be rolling around in mill dust while we are…uhm…while we…” Her entire body flamed hotter as she struggled to finish that sentence.
“While we what?” He gave her a knowing grin while hugging her closer and slipping off the other boot.
