Highlander's Touch (23 page)

“I’ll help you. But for now, just rest. When you’re settled, you and I will start working on coaxing your memories out. I want to know everything about you.” She paused chewing on her lips and search Shona’s face. “This must be so terrifying for you. I remember being so scared. But Ewan is a good man, and he’s smitten with you. He’ll protect you. Logan and I will protect you. I am glad to have someone like myself here. I…” Emma reached out, tears glistening her eyes, and grabbed onto Shona’s wet hand. “You’ll get through this. I promise.”

Shona held her breath and sank under the water. Everything would be all right? How? It seemed like it had all just gotten infinitely more complex.

Amnesia she could handle. Traveling back in time? Now that was just
too
incredible. She was more likely to believe in witchcraft.

And yet, it appeared to be the answer to so many of her questions.

CLOSE to dawn the following morning, Ewan finally trudged up the stairs to his chamber. Knowing that Emma had seen to Shona’s care had helped him to continue his duties for his laird calmly. The Mistress of Gealach, and his dear friend, would have taken excellent care of the woman he intended to marry.

Physically and mentally exhausted, all he wanted to do was climb into his bed and sleep for days.

Opening the door to his chamber, he was struck by the sight of Shona sound asleep in his bed. ’Twas a vision he planned to live with forever and it brought a smile to his face. He’d promised to sleep with the horses, but there was only an hour at most until dawn. Slipping beside her for that short a time would be all right.

Careful not to wake her, he quietly closed the door, stripped out of his clothes and climbed into bed. She made a soft murmuring noise. Ewan couldn’t help himself. He reached for her, sighing with contentment when she cuddled close to him without waking.

The lass trusted him, and that only seemed to make his chest swell with happiness.

“I love ye,” he whispered, even though he knew she wouldn’t hear him in her sleep. “I love ye so damn much.”

THERE were about three minutes before she was fully awake that Shona felt she was in a glorious, heavenly cocoon of safety and love.

And then everything came tunneling back to her. Her conversation with Emma. The newest visions. The realization that she had another life somewhere five hundred years, more or less, in the future. The fact that she didn’t really belong here, and if the cosmic phenomenon that brought her here decided she had to go home, there was nothing she could do about it.

Ewan lay behind her, his arm draped over her waist, and legs entwined with hers. He breathed softly in her ear, asleep to the world and to her increasing panic.

Her lower lip took a beating from her teeth as she contemplated slipping quietly from the room to return to the place in the forest where Rory had found her. The only problem was, she had no idea how to return to her time—and she was fairly certain she didn’t want to be there.

The previous night, Emma had told her that in the beginning she’d tried to get back to her own era several times and it never worked. What she’d realized in the end was that she belonged here in the 1500’s with her husband, Logan.

Shona also felt a strong pull to this place. She’d adapted very easily with Rory’s help, and she wanted to stay, wanted to be with Ewan. But if he was not as committed as she hoped… Could she stay? Would it be worth it? An even more pressing question was, would Fate allow her to stay?

Was the year 1543 her destiny? Was Ewan?

“Morning, love,” he said against her ear, his voice filled with sleep.

She’d not remembered him coming to bed, but it felt so right in his arms, she didn’t want him to leave.

“Good morning.”

“What are ye thinking about? Your thoughts are bouncing so hard off your head they are vibrating the walls,” he teased.

Shona let out a nervous laugh.

“I was just thinking about ye.” She kept the Scottish accent she’d gotten used to using, though she feared when she was around Emma, she might slip into
her
same speech patterns.

Ewan cuddled closer, his arousal, hard and thick pressing against her buttocks. He was
nude.
Gloriously, hotly naked. Shona closed her eyes, allowed herself a moment to enjoy the feel of his strong body. Even now, despite what she knew, her body came alive, craving every part of him.

“What about me?” His voice had lost its sleepy fog and was replaced by a seductive tone.

Shona shivered. “A lady never divulges her secrets,” she said.

Ewan chuckled and bit her earlobe sending a thrill of excitement to rush through her veins. Her nipples puckered and between her thighs grew damp and tingly. One word, one touch, and she would strip out of her nightdress and let him do whatever he wanted to her.

“What if I give ye no choice?” he asked.

Curiosity piqued, she raised a brow and smiled. “How would ye do that?”

“Ah, lassie, I have my ways.” He tilted his hips forward, pressing his cock harder against her buttocks, and Shona found her mouth watering, skin covered in goose flesh.

Whatever he had in mind, her body was more than ready to accept. Was her mind? Her heart?

That was harder to tell. For certain, every fiber of her being wanted her to give in. Nevertheless, she struggled with what was right and what was a mistake.

Then he slid his tongue over the shell of her ear and whispered, “I want to feel ye writhe beneath me. I want to make ye tremble and hear ye moan. I want to know
all
of your secrets.”

Unbidden, a soft whimper left her. Zounds, but the man was already tearing down all of her defenses.  Mayhap this one time she could just let herself go? Allow herself to enjoy the moment with this man. That was what she wanted deep down inside anyway, wasn’t it?

Aye. She wanted it so acutely, it took her breath away.

“Ewan…”

“Aye, love, dinna deny me. Please, I could nay…” He trailed off, and the depth of emotion that filled his voice when he asked her—nearly begged he—to make love to him, was enough to break down the last of the protective wall she’d tried to build up around her heart.

Where Ewan was concerned, there was no wall. There was nothing she wanted to keep from him and nothing she didn’t want to share with him. Unknowingly, he’d become her present and her future.

The past no longer mattered. All that did was that the two of them had this moment, these precious breaths where their heartbeats connected as one and time didn’t exist.

Shona rolled over, draping her leg over his thigh and sliding a palm over his corded arm until she reached his cheek.

“I could never deny ye.”

Ewan gazed into her eyes and pressed his nose to hers. “If ye did, it would be paramount to torture.”

“For us both.”

She angled her head enough that she could brush her lips over his, sighing against his mouth.

Every time they kissed it was a delicious escape. Swoon-worthy.

Could her former self say the same? Not a single memory came to her of another man kissing her the way Ewan did.

Wrapping one hand around his back and laying the flat of her opposite palm on his chest, she felt his heartbeat against her fingertips as he kissed her. His tongue slid slowly, tantalizingly over hers.

Intoxicating.

That was what he was to her—a potent aphrodisiac that she couldn’t get away from even if she tried. She was thoroughly addicted to Ewan Fraser.

Her heart beat faster, pulse pounding so hard behind her ribs she swore he could hear it. She trembled with the heady craving she’d come to know since first laying eyes on him. Every part of her yearned, strained for him.

“Touch me,” she said, believing if he didn’t do so soon, she’d perish of unfulfilled anticipation.

“Where?” His palm stroked down her back and over her hip to grasp her buttock.

Her breath hitched. “Everywhere.”

“Does that mean ye’ll stay?” Ewan pulled back from her lips, his blue eyes exploring hers. “I could not bear to live without ye.”

“Aye, I’ll stay.” She gripped onto him tighter, fearing the swell in her chest, the lump in her throat, as strong emotion took hold. “I dinna want to live without ye, either. But…” Could she tell him the truth about her past? What if she told him and he left her? Thrust her aside? Accused her being the witch he’d denied she was from the beginning?

“I love ye, lass. I love ye so much it hurts inside and I can think of nothing else. I want ye to be my wife.”

Shona’s whole world flipped upside down in those simple few words he uttered. Her mouth fell open, eyes widened and filled with tears. He loved her? He wanted her to be his wife?

No one had ever felt that way about her. Said those things to her.
Wanted
her. She was fairly certain of it. These emotions swirling inside her were wholly new and wonderful. She would have remembered feeling them before.

Her own need warred with her conscience. And need won out.

She could explain to him later about her time origin. Emma and Logan could help her, but for now she needed to be with him. Needed to make
another
confession.

“I love ye, too, Ewan. I—” She choked on a sob and pressed her lips tightly and briefly to his. “No one has ever made me feel the way ye do. Aye, a thousand times, aye, I will be your wife.”

A huge infectious smile split his face, and Shona smiled widely in return.

“We’ll be married today.”

“Is that possible?”

“If we want it. And ye do, right?”

“Aye,
mo chridhe,
” she said, using his term of endearment. “I do.”

Ewan started to move away from her. “I must go make preparations. I must tell Logan.”

Shona pulled him back down to her. “Not so fast, warrior. There is something I need first.”

His eyes lidded heavily as he raked them over her body, watching her nipples harden on sight. “Och, aye, seems I forgot I have a challenge to complete.”

“A challenge?” she giggled.

Ewan grabbed her arms, pinning them over her head. His thighs straddled her own, restraining her.

“Seems a young lassie challenged me to uncover all of her secrets.” He dipped low, his teeth grazing over one puckered nipple, eliciting a sharp gasp from her. “What treasure exists here?”

His warm breath seeped through the linen nightdress, the wetness of his mouth on the fabric chilling her and heating her blood all at once. When he moved to her other nipple she arched her back and tried to wriggle free from his grip so she could grab hold and touch him, stroke him.

“
Tsk tsk
, fair lassie. Dinna make me shred this gown and tie ye up.”

A shiver skated over her body. Aye, she wanted that very much, but the wounds at her wrist from the Butcher had not quite healed. But maybe, that was what she needed to help wipe away that memory? Needed to replace that heinous event with one filled with safety and love.

“I want ye to,” she said, determined.