A Highlander's Obsession (Highlander's Beloved) (25 page)

There were many things about the man to love.

His long hair was soft beneath her fingertips when she ran her hand over his head. Brown eyes eased open and a slow smile spread. “Hey.” He pulled her further into the warmth of his arms and snuggled his face against her neck. “Sleep. Tired.” His muscles relaxed against her body and his breathing deepened.

She turned to reach for the alarm clock and squinted so she could read the numbers. It was 7:08. “Why are you in my bed?”

“To talk. I promised.” His words were thick with sleep. Smelling of the outdoors, pine, and male musk, he slipped into slumber again.

She jostled his muscled shoulder. “Why are you naked?”

He tugged once on her sleep shirt. “Why are ye dressed? Shhh. Snuggle with me.”

Her body slithered against his while her hands explored the hardened muscles of his shoulders and chest. He sighed deeply in response to her touch.

Oh, the man had lovely, curving pecs, sprinkled with dark hair. “You’re in my bed, naked, with a hard-on.”

He smiled against her neck. “Yeah, got a great Highland woodie.”

Men and their love affairs with their erections. A smile stretched her cheeks; she wouldn’t mind having an affair with it too. His snoring increased in volume, and she sighed in resignation. Really, could she take advantage of an exhausted man? No, not with Gram asleep on the other side of the sitting room.

She rolled over to get out of bed and shower. His hand snaked out and pulled her back to his chest. “Stay. Wrap yer sweet body around me.”

“But you’re naked.”

“Yeah.” He tugged on her sleep shirt. “Ye will be too.”

“Gram might walk in.”

“Door’s locked.” He rolled, tucking her under him. His hand inched up her stomach and the butterflies dipped and swirled in welcome.

“Do you have a condom?”

His hand stilled. “I was in bear form when I got here. Bears don’t carry condoms.”

“No condom, no sex.”

His dark gaze bore into hers for a moment before he rolled onto his back and slung his arm over his eyes. “Ye’re killing me here.”

“I don’t do unprotected sex.” She’d always insisted Alex wear a condom.

“I don’t either.” He hinged to a sitting position, rubbed the heels of his palms into his eyes, and yawned. “Man, I am so feckin’ tired.”

“What time did you get in?”

He glanced at the clock. “Nearly two hours ago.”

She was afraid to ask, but she had to know. “Duncan?”

“In jail. Or will be once Earnan finishes setting his broken legs and arms.”

“The veterinarian is taking care of him? Wait, is Duncan a shifter too?” Was everyone in this Scottish community two beings in one? She had so many questions.

He looked at her over his shoulder. “Aye. The majority of the people born into me clan are bear-shifters. Malcolm, who ye met, is not. There are others, who fer one reason or another, dinna have the gene mutations that allow the shifting.”

She processed that bit of information. “Duncan’s limbs were broken?” Who broke them? Bryce or Creighton? She didn’t want to know.

“He’s a wife-beater. He got what he bloody well deserved.” His jaw was rigid with tenacity. “In me clan, we honor our women. We don’t hurt them. How can I say I love me mum and then condone violence to members of the female sex by turning me head the other way?”

“Hey, you won’t get any argument out of me.”

He huffed an audible sigh. “There’s more. He’s been slaughtering sheep and ripping out their hearts.”

“What?” Her hand flew to her heart to ease the pain thinking of an animal’s death brought her. “Why?”

“Don’t know, but I mean to find out. Looks like some kind of sick, drug-induced ritual.” He yawned again.

“Look, why don’t you sleep. I’ll shower and go down to breakfast with Gram.”

He entwined his fingers with hers. “Our talk.”

“We’ll have our talk later. I’ve got a lot of questions and I want you alert enough to answer them properly.” She shifted to her knees, placed both hands on his shoulders, and pushed. “Now, lie back. Sleep.”

No sooner had his head settled into the pillow than his lips quirked into a smile. “I’ll need a kiss good night.” His eyebrows slanted upward. “Or maybe a massage to help me relax. Me
bear covered a lot of territory last night.”

“Oh, you are so asking for this, aren’t you?” She laughed and yanked the comforter back to focus on his naked body. Oh. My. God. As Gram was fond of saying, “All that meat and no potatoes.”

Golden flecks glowed in his dark eyes as her hands slowly rubbed the muscles of his legs. He twined his fingers and slipped them behind his head, his gaze intent on her. “I’m thinking it’s not fair I’m naked and ye are wearing a ton of clothes.”

“Then stop thinking.” She spread her hands over his muscular calves and yet the breadth of her fingers didn’t begin to span them. How much running had he done last night in bear form? Her fingers probed the muscles, kneading them. “Besides, a sleep shirt is not a ton.” She inclined her head and kissed both of his knees. “A kiss for each knee.”

“I’ve got two thighs too.” He pointed as if she had no clue what she was looking at—or was
trying
to look at—for his cock stood straight and tall like a proud, armed Marine.

Her gaze snapped back to his large thighs, where her fingertips stroked and pressed into muscles and tendons. She leaned to bestow a kiss on both legs. Creighton groaned and sucked air when she kissed an upward trail along his thighs and her hair brushed his erection and balls.

If she were more adventurous, more desirable as a woman, she’d unleash her inner vixen and show him a good time. She rebelled against the demeaning words Alex had stamped across her feminine psyche. He was no longer in her life. Who the hell cared what he’d so often said? Meanwhile, this very virile, handsome Scot had willingly come to her bed and was obviously very aroused by her. She smiled against his thigh. Time to forget about her ex-fiancé and get her vixen on. She wrapped her thumb and index finger around the base of his cock and very slowly licked her way to the top.

“Sweetheart. Me beloved. Me woman.” His tortured whispers filled the room and seeped into every nook and cranny of her heart, their sensual miasma encasing her in a world of need and desire. She took him in her mouth, her tongue licking a slow pirouette around its head.

Words of Gaelic tumbled swift and soft in a passionate chant meant for her ears alone. They spurred her on and sparked the flame of her own passions and actions.

She slowly took him in, and when the tip of him bumped the back of her throat, he grabbed a fistful of her hair. “Sweet Jesus.” He pulled her head back and rolled over, tucking her beneath him. His eyes were wild with need. “Do ye seek to torture me to death before we
marry?” His lips covered hers and took possession.

Masculine lips, tongue, and hands drove her to the brink of irresponsibility. For an instant, she calculated her fertile period but deemed it too close to risk an unwanted pregnancy. Besides, she would never have unprotected sex. Would she?

The doorknob jiggled. “Sweet pea, unlock the door so I can say good morning.”

Both Creighton and Paisley stilled. He turned his head, his lips against her ear. “Thank God she didn’t come a minute ago when yer sweet mouth was too full to talk.”

She slapped his shoulder. “You … you go on down to breakfast, Gram. I’ll be there as soon as I shower and dress.”

“Have you been exercising? You sound out of breath.”

Creighton buried his face in a pillow, his body shaking with laughter.

Gram knocked on the door. “Do you have a man in there with you?”

“No, Gram …”

He pushed himself off the pillow and sat, his large hands sweeping dark hair away from his face. “Aye, she bloody well does.”

Clapping sounded from the other side of the door followed by Gram’s bellowing “Born to be Wild.”

“Why did you tell her that?” Paisley rolled out of bed and stood with her hands on her hips. What would Gram think? Sure, she talked a good game, but how would she really feel about the two of them making love?

“I told her so she’d understand ye’ll be sleeping in my room from now on.”

“I will not!”

“Aye, lassie, ye will.”

She whirled toward the dresser behind her, opened a drawer and yanked out clean jeans and a navy turtleneck. “I am not sleeping in your room. Everyone will know.” She jerked open another drawer and grabbed a black bra and matching bikini briefs. “I refuse to be ordered about. That’s why I broke up with Alex. He was forever telling me what to do.” She turned around and yelped.

A giant bear stood directly behind her, its eyes glowing.

Creighton?

Aye
.

Her heart pounded so hard in her ears, she could barely compose a coherent sentence.
Are … are you going to hurt me?
She skirted around the dresser, her gaze flicking toward the locked door. She was trapped.

The gigantic beast shook its head and sat on its haunches. She jerked and winced when it slowly rested a paw on her shoulder.
Nay, bear or man, we would never hurt ye, no matter how mad we get. Canna ye understand? Yer ours. We adore ye
.

One swipe of his paw with those long claws and she would be marked forever.
You could kill me so easily
.

Ye have nothing to fear
.

You’re scaring me. Please shift back to a man
.

I will after ye get yer sweet ass back in that bed and snuggle with me so I can sleep
.

She drew her shoulders back. By golly, she’d had enough.
You can’t tell me what to do. I don’t care if you’re laird of your clan
. She extended her arms in a wide gesture.
And the big, bad bear, on top of it all. I’m not some brainless ninny who jumps when a man or a bear bellows
.

Calm down, lassie. Ye canna deny how we feel about each other. I’m going to me room to grab some clothes and condoms. I’m asking ye to be in yer bed waiting for me when I get back
.

What if someone sees you?

The bear lumbered for the door on its hind legs and turned the key.
I’ll simply erase their memory
. He dropped to all fours and padded into the sitting room.

Stop right there, you overgrown galoot!
Paisley barreled out of her bedroom before he reached the sitting room’s door to the hallway. Her eyes were narrowed and her fists clenched.

What was she upset about now?

I want you to shift and I want it done now. I’ve got some questions for you
.

You canna order me about, luv
. Time to lay down some rules. He was laird of his clan, after all, and alpha bear of his sleuth. Respect was his due.

She rammed her fists on her hips. “Oh, but you can order
me
around?” Paisley’s voice rose to an angry screech and the bear winced. “If there’s going to be a relationship between us, I won’t defer to you. Don’t expect me to kowtow.” Her chin jutted and her stormy-blue eyes flashed defiance.

Not used to dealing with an angry female, the bear half of his soul panicked.
Shift. You tame her
.

“You know, I couldn’t understand my memory loss of the hours following Angus’s funeral.” She paced the length of the sofa. “We’re not talking about a few minutes here. By my estimation, it’s, like, eighteen hours of my life. Poof! Gone. I’d never experienced a mental block before. I kept trying to recall tiny pieces. You know, snippets of conversations, or something I ate, or what someone wore. I couldn’t dredge up a thing.” Her hands rose in frustration and then dropped. “Nothing!

“Ever since, I’ve wondered if I’ve lost my damn mind. My parents told me on more than one occasion I had. They used to ask counselors and psychologists if my claiming to hear animals’ thoughts was a precursor to insanity.” She exhaled a harsh bark of laughter. “Parents are supposed to show pride in their child’s abilities, not shame.”

She ceased her pacing and glared at him. “Earlier, in the bedroom, you said you’d erase the memory of anyone who saw you in bear form.” Her jaw clenched. “Suddenly, the last piece of the puzzle slipped into place, and I knew.” She approached the bear and grabbed its ears. “That’s what you did to me, isn’t it? You messed with my mind. My parents rejected me because of my brain’s capabilities. Alex wanted to profit from it. And you? You want to pick and choose what it contains.” A sob escaped her tortured soul and almost laid waste to his machismo. She
turned her back to him and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Why aren’t I ever good enough the way I am?”

He reached out to touch her. He yearned to take her in his arms, to soothe her and convey through word and deed how special she was. She wasn’t different. Nay, she was exceptional, endearing, and precious. Protecting the woman he loved from pain was his job. Yet, in his desire to ease her mind, he’d inflicted an offense she might never be able to forgive.

She wiped tears from her cheeks as she glared over her shoulder at him. “Either you shift so we can talk human to human about this, or everything between us ends.”

It never ends between us. Never!
Creighton prepared to morph from animal to man, no matter the cost to him physically and mentally. He had to appease the hurting woman who was the sunshine of his soul. If he hadn’t been so tired, his bear couldn’t have exposed himself—and he never would have been so careless with his words. The dejection in her eyes and the misery in her voice tore him apart while glistening tears coursed down her cheeks.

He had to do something and do it quickly. Taking a deep breath, Creighton summoned transposing swirls of impenetrable nebulae so he could shift once more into human form. The change would deplete his residual energy levels and submerge him into a precariously weakened state. Yet what choice did he have? He couldn’t risk losing Paisley, and his heart couldn’t stand seeing her in this emotional agony.

The air in the sitting room crackled with mystical energy, a low buzzing intermingled with the popping of matter. Tingles pinpricked the surface of his body while internal tremors tore at him like scavengers ripping apart flesh. He shuddered as the change commenced. Triangular prisms of kaleidoscopic dust bisected and contorted. Bones shifted, muscles and tendons snapped and twisted. In his fatigued state, the process delivered shards of pain he rarely experienced when he shifted. He gasped as systems within his body began functioning as human life support. Sweat poured from his forehead and convulsions wracked his body. This was the most brutal shifting he’d ever experienced. His vision greyed and narrowed to a dimly lit tunnel, and he collapsed onto all fours.