Night Games (18 page)

Absently, Brian reached out and massaged the back of her neck, felt her muscles relax, and felt
rather than heard her sigh of enjoyment.

“That feels great.” She dropped her head to give him more access.

No kidding. Even after tonight's events, his body was still focused on its own priorities. Neither ancient spirits, nor lethal accidents, nor contractual obligations could stay his sexual interest from its appointed target. He sighed a resigned sigh. It was going to be a long few weeks. “We all need to get some sleep. I'll walk you back to your wagon.”

Ally nodded. “Ready for bed, Katy?”

Katy took a last long look at the keep. “Can't help thinking there's a secret here. I love solving mysteries, but I don't think I'll go poking around at night by myself.”

Brain thought of the ancient tragedy played out in the great hall tonight.
More of a secret than you know, Katy.
He walked back to the wagon in silence and watched the women climb inside. Then he headed back to his shelter with the Old One at his heels.

“Look, Boss, I don't think all this togetherness is good for anyone. I appreciate that you want to protect your investment, and I'm really grateful for your warning about that falling stone, but I can take care of myself.” He stepped into his shelter. The Old One settled down by the entrance. She obviously didn't believe him. His thoughts drifted to Ally. The smooth slide of her hair through his fingers, the warmth of her body pressed to his. He recalled the anticipation of his
erection hard between her thighs. He took a deep breath. Maybe the Boss wasn't keeping danger out, but keeping her prize player in.

Ally opened her eyes to a bright clear morning. She pushed aside the hot-water bottle she'd tucked in beside her last night for warmth. She also pushed aside her thoughts of how much better a hot-blooded man beside her would be. Glancing out the wagon window, she dispelled the shadows from the night before. When the sun shone on Ireland, no sky could be bluer, no grass could be greener. She couldn't wait to get outside to smell the fresh air.

A banging on the wagon door interrupted her communion with nature. Katy paused in her morning ritual of making a bowl of instant oatmeal to open the door. Cap stepped in. He held a covered paper plate.

Ally climbed from the bed to see what he'd brought. She wasn't worried that she hadn't dressed yet. She didn't think he'd be driven to lust by her tangled hair and flannel jammies with the feet in them.

Cap glanced around. “This is really unusual. Very colorful.” He bent closer to study a painting. “Very explicit.”

Katy lifted the foil covering the plate. “Now this was really nice of you, Cap. Haven't had any hot cinnamon rolls in a while. Look what Cap brought us, Ally.”

Hot cinnamon rolls.
Every bit of misplaced lust
she felt for Brian riveted its attention on the rolls. If she couldn't have a hot man, hot rolls would do for the moment.

Taking a roll, she bit into it and almost groaned with pleasure. Definitely orgasmic. “These are wonderful. Where'd you get the recipe?”

Only then did she glance into his eyes. Their eager glitter woke her sleep-fogged brain. The last bit of roll slid down her throat with a loud gulp. She glared at him. “You didn't.”

He nodded happily. “My sainted mother's Unleashed Passion cinnamon rolls. Page sixteen.”

Katy licked her fingers. “Strange name for cinnamon rolls, but these are a lot tastier than my oatmeal. You'll have to give me that recipe.” She headed for the door. “I'll get the horse some grain and water. Then I'm going to visit Jupe and Nebula. Bet they have some great stories about those sex games.”

Ally hardly noticed when Katy left. She narrowed her gaze on Cap. “There'd better not be any eye-of-newt stuff in these.”

Cap frowned. “What's a newt?” His expression turned calculating. “Never mind. So, do you feel any different?”

“No. And I don't intend to feel any different. Give it up, Cap.” She almost pushed him out the door.

Alone at last, she closed her eyes and looked within herself. Nope. She felt like her ordinary before-coffee sluggish self.

Ally cleaned up at the small sink, did the minimal-makeup thing so she wouldn't scare all the fairies out of Ireland, then brushed her hair. She could have done a lot better job in the bathroom Brian had built, but she only used it when she had to. It still felt too . . . white for her.

Changing into her jeans and a sweatshirt, she poured herself a cup of coffee and went outside.

Ally stood beside the wagon, savoring the hot coffee and crisp sea air. She gave Katy a hard time about the castle, but there was something magical about this place.

She glanced toward the cliff and realized that the “something magical” was standing several yards from the edge staring out at the sea. His jeans showcased his long muscular legs and tight buns, and he had his hands jammed into the pockets of a short windbreaker. His long hair blew away from his shoulders. She wanted to bury her fingers in that hair and . . .

Hmm. Okay, so what she wanted was a normal, healthy female response. Nothing special about what she wanted to do. And it certainly had nothing to do with Cap's cinnamon rolls. But she should really check her response out to make sure it wasn't even the tiniest bit abnormal. No way did she want Cap to be able to claim her response was induced by his love potion.

Feeling supremely self-righteous, she strode over to join Brian. Glancing over the cliff edge, she felt the cinnamon roll churning in her stomach. “That's a long way down.”

He turned to smile at her, and Ally drew a deep breath at the power of that smile. Its wicked slant spanned centuries, suggested dark secrets in hot places that needed no words, made her want to trace its shape, taste its sweetness, then wipe it from his face and replace his grin with serious desire.

Nope, Cap's cinnamon roll wasn't affecting her at all.

Brian turned toward the castle. “It doesn't look so threatening in the bright light of day.”

You look threatening in any light.
He was a threat to her promise to herself. The one that said she'd never again be the one to do things for a man. She wanted to do any number of things for Brian Byrne.

A threat to her newfound strength and selfdiscipline. She'd sworn the only contact she'd have with men would be on a need-to-have basis. She'd enjoy a physical relationship, but she wouldn't care about any man's life, his past, his future. Oh, she wanted the physical with Brian, but she also wanted, no
needed,
to crawl inside his heart, his head, and learn everything there was to know about him. There, she'd admitted it.

You're a failure, Ally O'Neill.
The first man who'd strode into her life since her divorce had made her forget all the vows wrenched from her heart during the endless tear-filled nights after Dave left her.

“Looks like Cap's new car is here.” Brian nodded toward the road. “Let's take a look.” His expression
turned thoughtful. “I'd like to know what his first one looked like and if the sheep story is true.”

Something about Brian's suspicions troubled Ally. “You can't think Cap would really try to hurt us. The bottom line is that you play a team sport. We're talking entertainment here, not mob hits.”

His expression told her he wasn't quite sure what “mob hits” meant, but he got the general idea. “The game is everything to Cap. He might not show it, but he never got over how the Old One managed to lure me away from the Titans. And he never forgave me for taking her offer.”

His suspicion was an uncomfortable facet of Brian's personality. “You really don't trust anyone, do you?”

He shrugged. “I trust myself. And I trust my instincts. That's all I had to trust until I was sixteen. And I survived.” He started walking toward where the car was parked. “I guess I don't really think Cap is behind what's happened, but I never close the door on possibilities.”

Possibilities.
The word conjured other things for Ally that had nothing to do with Capricorn Wilson. “We need to talk about the book today. I can't keep putting it off.”

Brian nodded but didn't answer as they reached the car. Jupe, Nebula, Katy, and the Old One had gathered to listen to Cap. Ally only halflistened to what he was saying. She was busy trying to figure out how she could get some
uninterrupted time with Brian to discuss the book.

“Thanks for bringing the car out so early, Mr. Doyle.” Cap was all jovial goodwill as he turned to his audience. “I'll have to drive Doyle back to town. I wouldn't mind if someone wanted to go with me. We could stay a few hours and do some shopping.” Cap's pointed glance at Ally said he was doing his best to make sure she had some time alone with Brian so the effects of his gypsy potion could play out.

Doyle smiled at everyone. “I'll be wishing ye a fine day then.” He climbed into the rental car, slammed the door, rolled up all the windows, then cast Nebula a fearful glance.

Ally watched the by-play. Jupe glanced at the Old One, then nodded. “Guess I'll tag along.”

She knew the Old One would stay here to make sure no contract breaching took place.

Katy nodded eagerly. “Sign me up. Shopping's the second best thing in the world.” She frowned. “I used to know what the first thing was, but it's been so many years since Padraic passed on that I can't remember.”

Great. More souvenirs. After the terrible and very real haunting of last night, Katy's plastic shamrocks and leprechauns seemed an insult to the memory of Ireland. But then, Katy didn't know about last night.

Ally glanced at Nebula. Even at this early hour, she looked focused, a woman warrior planning the day's battles.

“I will stay here. I must commune with my inner self.”

Ally figured that Nebula didn't think there was anyone else worth communing with.

“Afterward, I will look at this ruin so I may tell everyone I saw something meaningful in this time.” She frowned. “Although I cannot see what interest a poorly built structure holds. I would have built it to last longer than a few puny centuries.”

Nebula had a certain fondness for the word “puny.”

She pinned Brian with her gaze. “Then I will work with you for several hours so that you may maintain your thrust power and lower-body strength.”

Katy couldn't let that go. “My Padraic could've used some of that thrust power. Didn't know there was anything you could do about it. I'd like to see how you get some of that. Maybe I could assist a nice granddaddy who'd like to be hot, but he's not.” She glanced at Ally and thought better of what she'd said. “Guess Brian wouldn't want anyone standing around and staring, so I'll go shopping.” Her expression turned thoughtful. “Problem is, I'm still young and hot to trot inside. But all the men I know are old farts inside and out. It's tough on someone who still has womanly needs.”

Ally's inner self was aging rapidly. And she'd never admit it out loud, but she'd like to see Brian's workout, too. “You'll probably enjoy the
shopping more.” Ha! “Besides, watching something like that would destroy the mystery of the sensual experience.”

Everyone stared at her like she'd gone crazy. They were right. That line sounded like something straight out of her Perfect Wife books.

Brian smiled. “No one will ever accuse Nebula of fostering sensual experiences, but it sounds intriguing to me.”

Ally cast Brian a grateful glance.
Thank you for saving me from foot-in-mouth disease.

Nebula looked unconcerned. “Sex is an enjoyable bodily reaction, nothing more.”

Katy grinned. “What a woman.”

Nebula looked offended. “I am more than a woman. I have told you this before.”

“Sorry. I forgot.” Katy climbed into Cap's car.

“Let's get this show on the road.”

Cap and Jupe climbed in after her.

Ally watched silently as the car bumped down the rocky path onto the paved road. Nebula had clarified something for her. Ally would die before she'd write a book where sex became a diverting but meaningless act. She had felt like squirming with distaste at Nebula's words. Which reminded her . . . the book.

Nebula and the Old One wandered away as Ally turned to Brian. “I need to get some solid ideas for this book.”

He nodded. “Let's go into the wagon.”

They climbed into the wagon, and Ally watched as Brian shut the door and locked it. He
quickly pulled the scarlet-sin velvet curtains across both windows.

“That should keep out any unwanted visitors.” He sat on the bed and patted the space beside him. “This is more comfortable than the bench seat.”

Something about the closed-in feel of the wagon made Ally edgy. “Nebula could just rip the door off its hinges, you know.”

Brian nodded. “She won't, though, because she works for the Boss, and the Boss is a little more circumspect.” He smiled, remembering the Boss's last two confrontations with Cap. “Most of the time, anyway.”

Ally retrieved a pad of paper and a pen, then sat down beside him. She raked her fingers through her hair. “Where do we start?”

He thought about that. Brian had always been a realist. He wouldn't pretend to have expertise that wasn't his. “Your book will have to deal with foreplay. I don't do foreplay.” He smiled and suspected his hunger showed through. “But I can fantasize with the best of them.”

Ally glanced down and fiddled with her pen. “I wrote a book,
The Perfect Wife in Bed
, while I was still married to Dave. It was pretty tame and dealt with sex in the context of a loving relationship. The relationship was the main focus.” She looked up. “This book has to be different. I want the emphasis to be on the sensual enjoyment, the complete pleasure sex can bring. But I can't divorce it completely from what I am. On some
level I have to care about the imagined man in my book.”