Love Potions (4 page)

Erik grinned. His look said he didn’t believe her. “Sorry, love, but I already bought it. You’re too late.”

“Oh, I can’t afford a place like this.” The response was automatic. She shook her head. In her dreams, she could afford a place like this. Actually, growing up she’d often dreamed that this was her house.

She forced a calming breath. Knowing he was her new neighbor pretty much threw cold water on all her fantasies of him. The last thing she needed was to get involved with a rich, handsome Scotsman who lived in town. It wouldn’t take him long to hear all the rumors about her family’s past and get all freaked out. “Well, nice to see you again. Welcome to the neighborhood.”

“Actually, ya want to poke around a wee bit? I was going to walk the back gardens, see what I’ve gotten myself into.”

“No, thank you. I’ve seen the house before.” Lydia started to back away. “I own the place just down the hill and used to come up here as a child. I know every inch. Oh, which reminds me…”

She continued to back up as she pointed toward the mansion’s back yard. When he looked, she motioned frantically for Charlotte to run. Charlotte stubbornly shook her head and indicated that Lydia should go back up to the main house with Erik.

“…there’s a cellar window, three from the left on the back side that can be opened with a key hidden beneath the fifth stone out from the, ah,” she motioned at Charlotte again when he wasn’t looking, jerking her thumb down the hill, “second stone vase in the back. I don’t think many people know the key’s there, but it’s a secret entrance into the house. You might want to check on it so there are no surprises.”

Erik’s grin widened, watching her retreat through narrowed eyes. He didn’t look worried. “Ya know a lot about the house, then?”

“Yeah, I guess so. Kind of hard not to, living beneath it my whole life.”

“I’d consider it a favor if ya walked the property with me.” Erik made a motion toward Charlotte. “Your friend can join us if she likes.”

Charlotte popped out from behind the shrub. “No, thank you, but no. I’ve got to be going to work. My boss is a real tyrant.”

Lydia shot her friend a bemused glance. She was Charlotte’s boss. Seeing the mischievous look on her friend’s face, she mused that she might not be her boss for long. When this was over, Lydia just might just fire the meddlesome woman.

“But Lydia would love to show you around.” Charlotte appeared completely unconcerned by Lydia’s expression of warning. “She knows everything about this estate. Don’t you, Lyd? She even did a research paper about its history in high school. Got an A.”

Kill me now,
she thought.
This is going to be torture.

“Wonderful,” Erik exclaimed.

Lydia knew when she was beat. Charlotte pushed at her back. Erik’s almost wicked smile drew her from the front. Before she knew what had happened, she stood alone with him on the mansion’s front lawn.

“I don’t know exactly what I can tell you that you don’t already know about the place.” Lydia weakly motioned in the direction of the back garden. She took a step, pausing until he moved to follow her. It was nerve-racking being so close to him, and she was having a really hard time concentrating. “It’s been dormant my whole life. A few people have looked at it over the years, but there have been no takers.”

“Hum,” was all he said.

“Anyway, you might want to consider putting up a perimeter fence of some sort, not that we’ve had too many problems with the—what?” Lydia stopped. His grin had widened as if he laughed silently at her.

“The protection of the house is well in hand, lassie,” he assured her. “My brother, Euann will take care of it as soon as he arrives. He always does.”

“Oh,” Lydia nodded, slightly irritated. “I only meant that we’ve had some vandalism around here as of late. I’d hate to see inverted pentagrams and whatnot spray painted on your walls, or carved into the oak molding around the doors. Honestly, many of us are surprised this house was never hit, being as it’s so secluded and the sheriff hardly ever sends patrol cars up—well, unless I call and ask him to.”

“I’ll tell Euann to be on watch,” Erik assured her, “but ya need not concern yourself.”

What was the point of her showing him around if he wasn’t going to listen to her? They strolled down the wide cobblestone path leading from the house to the main gardens. Grass poked from between the stones. Overgrown shrubbery and tree limbs blocked part of the walkway, forcing them onto the grass at times.

“So, are you…?” she began, only to let her voice taper off. Were his intentions really any of her business?

“Am I what?” Erik reached for her, brushing a small bug off her shoulder. His hand paused briefly in mid-action, barely touching her as he whispered something. She leaned closer, but couldn’t understand what he said.

Tingling erupted on her shoulder, making a quick trip to her neck and chin. She dashed the back of her fingers over her jaw, trying to stop the mystical sensation with the firm press of reality. It didn’t work. The electricity of it grew, traveling like a static charge down her arm and across her chest. Her body jerked. To her horror, she realized that she
still
didn’t have a bra on. She’d been so frazzled earlier when Charlotte insisted they sneak up the hill to spy on Erik that she’d forgotten about it.

Lydia turned slightly under the pretense of glancing around so she could sneak a peek at her chest. It was as she feared. Her nipples poked against her shirt like two little traitors saluting the enemy. When she managed to finally look at his face, she admitted, “It’s really none of my business, but I was going to ask if you were opening a business here with your brother.”

“Why wouldn’t that be your business?” he inquired, unconcerned. “Ya own land on the hill as well and ya have a business too.”

“Ah, yeah, but…” Lydia quivered. The electricity had made its precarious way over her entire length.

“No. No business. This will be a family home.”

“Oh, so you and the wife?” Disappointment threatened to unfurl in her stomach.

His eyes narrowed at that. “No. No wife. Just cousins, brothers, uncles, a sister, father… We tend to stick together. Call it a cultural thing.”

“Oh.” Okay, why did that little piece of information make her want to shout for joy? So what if he was single? She wasn’t going to get involved with a neighbor. Besides, maybe he was just being nice. She didn’t even want to think of how hellish it would be if all the MacGregors made her feel like this one did, all hot and shaky. She’d have to move to the Arctic Circle before the month was out just to cool off.

“Sorry, I’m prying.” She forced her legs to move faster. The sooner they finished, the sooner she could run home and hide. “The house comes with about eighty acres, I believe.”

“I’m more curious about the neighbors,” he interrupted her. “One neighbor in particular.”

Why was he looking at her like that? All liquid hot and sexy, like he could already picture her naked? Or was that her imagination running wild? She couldn’t be sure.

The sparks of his initial touch intensified, seeming to jump off his flesh onto hers. These weren’t the euphuistic sparks of romance novels, but real, sure as fire, sparks of pure sexual energy that incinerated her skin and made her so wickedly inclined that she became certain her knees might buckle. It was as if she could already feel him pressed to her skin, his naked body hovering at the point of entrance. Moisture gathered between her thighs, eagerly urging her to welcome him.

They’d come to a shaded part of the gardens. The unkempt trees blocked the late afternoon sun, illuminating them with dancing spots of orange-cast light. Birds called from the distance, adding music to their seclusion.

“Perhaps ya know her,” Erik said softly, his tone so achingly seductive she couldn’t speak. She swallowed in apprehension. The smoldering expression in his eyes said he felt it to. His words dropped an octave, as he continued, “About your height.” Long fingers reached for her shoulder, touching her as before. Only this time, they stayed. “Very pretty.”

Lydia gasped, turning her head to watch his fingers, the flesh of them dark compared to her paler skin. Heat hummed where he pressed against her shirt. She tried to tell herself not to fall for the gorgeous foreign guy. He probably used the accent all the time to get sex. His finger moved the tiniest measure. All rational thoughts left her. She didn’t care that this was wrong, that this man was a stranger. She wanted him.

Obviously, after three years of being denied, her body was going to have its say. His fingers trailed along her neck, skimming across her rapid pulse to the bottom of the V in her shirt’s neckline. He reached her top button and she felt the material over her chest give as he unfastened it.

“Mm, aye,” he continued, “big, sexy eyes. Silky, dark hair.” Was he actually undressing her? Here? Now? Like this? “Incredible breasts that make my mouth water to suck on them. An ass so firm I’ve been thinking about sinking my teeth into a ripe cheek ever since first putting eyes on it.”

At that her rounded gaze darted up to meet his. Was he serious? No man had ever dared to talk to her like that. She would’ve screeched in feigned outrage at him if she had a voice. His fingers popped open another button as he leaned forward. Lydia stayed grounded to her spot. Her heart hammered against the walls of her chest, and she breathed so hard and choppy she was sure she’d pass out soon.

Just as his lips were about to close on hers, she whispered, “No.”

The protest came too late. His lips captured hers, sending a potent wave of unspeakable yearning from her mouth to her breasts, only to make its way down to her very core. He didn’t grab her, didn’t force her to stay against his kiss. He didn’t have to. Lydia couldn’t pull away. The wind seemed to pick up, whipping their hair around them.

This had to be a dream. Today had started so unmistakably normal. She was a good girl. She didn’t kiss strange men, didn’t let herself fall into an abyss of lust and confusion.

The devastating erotic feel of his closeness only made her all the hotter. She itched to be freed from her clothes. His firm mouth worked gently against hers, and when his warm, delicious tongue slipped past her lips, dancing and twirling in her mouth, she lost all willpower. He tasted good, like warm, sweet liquor.

Lydia gripped his shirt, feeling the hard, solid press of his muscles beneath. Damn, but he was in perfect shape! Moaning, she arched her chest, sucking his tongue like she suddenly wanted to suck the rest of him.

He was a drug, some potent, virile sexual drug that made her want to get on her knees and beg to give him pleasure. Lydia had never been particularly fond of giving oral pleasure, but suddenly it was like she craved it—as of her life depended on taking him between her lips.

He’d worked his fingers into her shirt and groaned as he found her naked breasts. The erect nipples were waiting for him, already puckered and sensitive. As if he knew their torment, he pinched them between his fingers, rolling the delicate buds before grasping the mounds in his strong, warm hands.

The power of him flooded her each time he touched her, driving her crazy with animalistic lust. Her hips jerked in response. She broke the kiss and aggressively pushed, forcing him against a tree trunk, hidden from the outside world by the branches.

Lydia had never been aggressive during sex—usually opting for a lights out, after dark kind of lovemaking. She gripped his waistband, pleased to feel the ready heat of his erection straining against the soft material. His hands roamed over her body as she worked his zipper. He ripped her shirt the rest of the way open. With a groan, he leaned over to take a mouthful of breast between his teeth. The way he devoured it, his low growl vibrating her flesh, was sinfully arousing. The dark silk of his long hair blew against her, just as much a caress as the rest of him.

She didn’t want him to stop, but she had to wiggle free to reach his shaft. Her hand slipped down over his pants, and she was surprised to discover the full girth against her hands. Jerking his pants down, Lydia tensed, her eyes widening in surprise. The bulge only seemed to grow bigger beneath the tight fit of his cotton boxers.

“Don’t stop, love,” he murmured.

Almost in a daze, she clawed at his chest, trying to work the shirt up so she could feel his skin, even as she fell to her knees. Erik tossed the shirt aside. Lydia kneeled before him, her fingers shaking as she went to pull the tight black cotton down. Even as she was apprehensive of his size, her mouth watered for it. This was a man who could conquer every inch of her and suddenly she wanted to be conquered.

What was going on in her head? Why did she suddenly want him to overpower her?

She pulled the material, revealing the thick, blunt tip of his arousal. Lydia lightly touched it, watching as he gasped and arched, his knees buckling slightly before he caught himself. When he looked at her, his eyes filled with a dark plea, she knew instinctively what he wanted. Her breath caught in the back of her throat. Lydia didn’t stop to think as she flicked her tongue to taste the warm, salty essence of him.

There was something potently erotic to the intimate smell. Her gaze raked over his gorgeous body, before she looked up into his eyes. His expression was strained, caught between pleasure and awe. Shaking with her desire, she pulled his arousal free.

Erik groaned, his beautiful body leaning back against the tree as he bent his knees to better position himself. His pants were caught around his ankles, trapping them together. Lydia licked her lips.

“
Mo chreach!
” The foreign words left him like a curse.

Lydia wanted more. Running her hands over his tight stomach, she grabbed his hips and pulled. She wanted this, and she was going to take it.

…

Erik groaned, his entire body trembling. When he’d cast a small spell to loosen her inhibitions, he’d not expected her to do this. The spell should have made her act naturally toward him so that they may talk without the awkward newness of having just met.

Though, who was he to stop her?