Silent Vows (12 page)

She felt his presence hiding in the shadows, she saw the stranger looking at a brick he held in his hand. Waiting and wanting to hurt them.

The chain that latched the back door slid open.

Myra knew Todd was walking into a trap. Rushing to the back door, she screamed. “Stop!”

Todd turned, and pulled her down when she reached him. “I told you to stay.”

“Shhh...”

Another crash outside had him covering her body with his. Myra closed her eyes and concentrated, opening her mind to the intruder outside.

Her breath came out in a rush, as if she had held it for hours. “He’s gone.”

“What?”

“Thank God.” She rested her forehead on his arm and caught her breath.

Everything outside grew quiet. “How do you know he’s gone? Don’t tell me you can read minds?”

“I can see intent, feel emotions. He wanted to 98

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harm you. Oh, God.” The warm adrenalin rush now spent left a chill in its place. “He was in my mind,”

she declared, trembling. “I feel violated and dirty.”

“Do you think he’s like you? A Druid?”

“I don’t know. He held power. He watched us, Todd.” She searched his eyes making sure he heard her. “He wanted us to stop.”

Todd’s jaw clenched as he stood and pulled out of her arms. “I’m going to take a look, just to make sure he’s left.”

Trying her best to ward off the chill, Myra wrapped her arms around her body and waited for Todd to return.

“He’s gone, tripped over the trash barrels on the side yard, but other than that I didn’t see a thing.”

Todd pulled her off the floor and walked her to the couch. She watched as he went around locking doors and shutting curtains. Once he returned, she curled up into his lap and did her best to calm down, all the while trying to figure out who would be watching them and why.

“You’re cold.” He rubbed his hands over her arms. “How about a fire?” He pulled away and smiled at her.

“What?”

“You can light it faster then I can,” he said.

Surprised he was suggesting she use her gift, she asked, “Are you sure?”

The slight twitch in the corner of his eye was the only clue that he was a little nervous. She opened her hand to the hearth and watched as the flames leapt from the embers.

To Todd’s credit, he didn’t even flinch. “Is there any way you can teach me that trick?”

She smiled and rested in his arms. Perhaps there was hope for him. Maybe he’d learn to accept who and what she was. “Sorry. It’s in the blood I’m afraid.”

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“Too bad. That could come in handy.”

“It does.”

His hand stroked her hair, calming her down.

“Who do you think was out there?” he asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Could someone have followed you from the past?”

“I don’t think it’s possible, but I don’t know for sure. All I do know is he felt evil and wanted us to stop.”

“Then that wipes out a voyeur.”

“What is that?”

“Someone who wants to watch lovers…” He stopped from finishing his sentence.

“Grainna would want us to stop. But it was a man out there. Of that I’m certain.

“Maybe he works with this woman. Or does her bidding.”

“I hadn’t thought of that.” Myra knew Grainna had men serving her every need when she lived in this time.

“Last night you mentioned a curse,” Todd said.

“Aye, a curse that bound her powers and left her in an old body for decades.” Myra repeated the curse aloud for Todd’s benefit. “A virgin’s blood of Druid descent, only of age to give consent. Virgin blood will set you free, this is your curse from us to thee.” She shifted, moved closer. “The Ancients sent her to this time knowing few virgins existed. Let alone Druid virgins.”

“But you’re a Druid virgin. Her ticket to power.”

“’Tis why I was sent away when she went back to my time.”

Todd shook his head. “Sending you years into the future seems like a lot of trouble to go through, for something so easily fixed.”

“What do you mean?”

He stroked her arm. “You’re a very beautiful 100

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woman, Myra. I’m sure the men in your time would be lined up to rid you of your virginity.”

Heat filled her cheeks. She lowered her head.

“Maybe for a woman in this century. In mine, ‘tis expected I go to my marriage bed a virgin.”

“Your virginity isn’t worth your life. If this woman is as evil as you say, then she will stop at nothing to get what she wants. The criminal mind hasn’t changed over the centuries, even if the thoughts about sex have.”

Was that all it was? Just sex? Did the feelings and desires he pulled out of her mean nothing more than a physical act?

Her head started to ache. It was so simple an hour before, in his arms. Wanting desperately for him to make love to her. Wanting him to love her.

And to what end? She would be leaving him eventually, and although she was prepared to lose her innocence, she desperately wanted it to be more than a physical release.

“I am constantly at a loss as to what I should do.” He smoothed her hair back, pushing her head onto his shoulder. “It’s painfully obvious to me what you should do, but since I’m the only man in the room, I’m biased.” His chest rumbled with a little laugh.

“Being with you, having sex...would take away the threat.” She cleared her throat, uncomfortable,

“’Tis an option.” But was she willing to exercise it?

“I would happily oblige, but I don’t want you regretting it in the morning. Because I wouldn’t.”

“You confuse me,” she confessed.

“I can beat that. You scare the hell out of me.”

His blatant honesty made her laugh. “How?”

“Oh, come on. One wrong move from me and wham, ball of fire.”

She leaned back, playfully swatting at his arm.

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“It’s a good thing my family is not here.”

“I can only imagine.”

“Nay, I don’t think you can. There was a boy once, when I was all of fourteen. He was much older than I.”

“How much older?” His face grew serious.

“Well at fourteen, he was practically a man at sixteen. He had already started his training with my father and brothers, so he could be knighted and ride in battle when he came of age. Anyway, Daniel took a liking to me, but because of who I was, he kept his distance.”

“What do you mean, who you were? Did he know you were a Druid?” Todd played with her hair.

“No. No one knows that. I mean because I was Lady Myra MacCoinnich. His family wasn’t from a great home or land, and his pursuit of me wouldn’t have been accepted.”

“So what happened?”

“One day, on his return from exercising his horse, he found me in the stables. I was tending one of our pregnant mares and waiting for him in all honesty. I had never been kissed and knew he wanted to do so. We talked for a short time then finally he kissed me.”

“And?”

“Nothing really. I worked it up in my mind to be something bigger than it was. There was no spark. I thought maybe we needed to do it again, that I had done something wrong, so I kissed him back.”

“Was there a spark the second time?”

“Not from me. He, on the other hand, must have felt something, for he didn’t hear my father when he walked around the corner and found us.”

“Poor Daniel.” Todd faked a sympathetic pout.

“Poor Daniel? Poor me! My father shot lightning out of the sky, nearly catching the stables on fire. He was so angry.” She shook her head, remembering. “It 102

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rained for a solid week.”

“Your father can control the weather?”

“Aye. His storms are magnificent,” she told him with pride. “’Tis his greatest gift.”

Clearly alarmed, Todd said, “I guess you’re right about your family not being here. I wouldn’t want to feel lightning at my feet.”

“My father would do more than that at this point.”

“More than killing me with lightning?”

“Killing is instant. Laird Ian would demand you marry me.”

His hand stilled in her hair, his body stiffened.

“Relax, Sir Blakely. My father has no way of coming here.” She giggled.

“I’m not a knight.”

“That is where you are wrong. You may not have those titles in this time. But your actions are those of a knight. You’ve dedicated your life to righting people’s wrongs. You uphold the laws of your land.

Your chivalry would not go unnoticed in my time.”

“Now you’re making me blush.”

“Make fun if you must. My father would reward you greatly if given the chance.”

“Is that your way of asking me to come home to meet the parents?” It was easy to tease when the act was impossible to do.

“Would you?”

“Ha. And risk being shot by lightning? You’re asking a lot from a mere mortal.”

She realized then she asked too much. There was no way of knowing if he was able to travel through time. Only Druids were entrusted with the stones. Myra wasn’t willing to risk his life to find out.

Firelight played off the walls, casting shadows over them both. Myra fell asleep next to him, and he 103

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didn’t want to move. He watched the rhythmic movement of her chest and felt the small puff of air from her heart shaped, pink lips when she exhaled.

He’d never watched a woman sleep before. Never wanted to.

When the last flame melted into the glow of the ashes, both of them slept, content in the other’s arms.

By its own bidding, her mind slipped into his.

She was completely unaware that their dreams mixed. There she saw herself as he did. She stood in front of him in a gown of sheer silver, nearly transparent, and revealing of all her curves.

Her hair flowed free of any binding, and settled at her waist. She sensed his longing to touch it. To touch her.

He undressed her with his mind, caressed every curve. Her body arched in her sleep, her lips parted and gasped when his hands possessed her in his dream.

Todd didn’t know what woke him, but when his eyes opened his body was fully aroused. Myra’s hands clenched at his chest. Her lips parted and she murmured his name. “Please, Todd.”

Unable to resist, he lowered his lips to hers, kissed her, half awake, half asleep. He told himself he would take only a taste, to wake her up and put her to bed, but her absolute surrender rendered him powerless to pull away. Like a man unable to quench his thirst, he returned for more. Needed more.

He moved his lips to the long column of her neck. Her timid hands ran through his hair. She captured his eyes, staring boldly through him before she forced his lips back to hers. He quivered. She was completely awake and kissing him back. Taking as much as she gave.

For a while, he simply kissed her, their tongues 104

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dueling. For a woman whose experience with men could be measured on one finger, Myra learned fast.

Little mewling sounds from her throat encouraged bolder moves from him.

Her nimble fingers clasped onto his shirt and tugged it away from his skin. Todd sat back and met her passion-filled stare.

“Can I?” she whispered, her lip caught between her teeth while she waited his answer.

With a nod, Todd watched Myra remove his shirt from his shoulders, and rake her fingers over his chest in exploration. Ripples of pleasure shot to the pit of his stomach with an ache more powerful than any drug.

She brushed a tender kiss to his chest, then glanced up for approval. Todd swept her hair behind her back and slid his hands over her breasts. Myra pushed into his palm, and her head leaned back with a groan.

He inched her shirt over her head, exposing creamy white breasts and erect nipples. Bending his mouth to hers, he knew he was lost, drowning and almost past the point of no return. “Tell me to stop and I will. But do it soon if you have to.”

He played with her nipple and watched it respond.

She didn’t answer with words. Instead, she ran her hands over his body and rested on his groin.

Bold move for a virgin, he thought. There she stopped and measured his length, tightly bound in the pants he wore. Lightly stroking him over the clothing was like taunting a wild animal through a cage. He groaned.

He had his answer, but he’d be damned if he would take her on his couch. He stood, lifted her, and carried her into his room.

Gently he eased her back onto his mattress, and watched the emotions pass over her beautiful face.

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Todd stretched out alongside her, gathered her into his arms, and pressed his lips to hers again.

He slowed their pace, savored and enjoyed each touch, each caress, wanting it all to last. But she was so responsive to every touch it damn near unmanned him. Myra arched toward him. His hands stroked down her back and lower, pressing her hips to his.

His erection, bound in the clothes he wore, sat snug between her legs. She moaned with the contact and Todd smiled under her lips while they kissed.

She was a moaner, and unlike any woman he had ever been with before. Her body hummed with every caress, every noise they made. His lips found and tantalized her breast. “Yes,” she said.

When her hands found him again, he stilled, bit back a groan.

“Should I stop?” she asked, completely unaware of her affect on him.

“God, no.” He drew in a quick breath, caught her lip in his teeth. “Don’t ever stop.”

She laughed at his words and worked at the button of his pants.

Myra’s movements were anything but virginally shy, and his body hurt under all his clothing. He shook off the rest of his clothes, and helped her with hers.

The darkness hid her blush, but Todd felt the heat in her cheeks when he cradled her face in his hands. He stretched out beside her. His erection pressed to her thigh and even that had him catching his breath. He was her first. The simple act of making love never held such power. He knew his time in her life may very well save it, but that wasn’t what brought them to this point. No, this was something they both wanted. Never once did he feel she wanted him only to rid herself of the threat from Grainna. Myra was too pure for that.