Midnight's Seduction (8 page)

Could it have been the way she clung to him, her body thin and fragile as he held her? Could it have been the way she ducked her head against his shoulder to hide her tears? Could it have been the nights he had been compelled to pass by her chamber as she cried out from the nightmares?

Whatever it was, he was powerless to keep his distance.

He’d loved once before and had had his heart torn out. Camdyn never wanted to experience that kind of pain again. Ever.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Hayden said as he grinned at Camdyn. “Each Warrior is finding his mate. Do you fear you’ll be next?”

Camdyn looked up from the net as he went down on his haunches. “Nay,” he answered.

“Nay?” Quinn asked, his brows raised in question. “What makes you so sure? Love is no’ something you can run from, my friend.”

“Love is no’ for everyone. And I’ve already loved once.”

Hayden frowned, his smile gone. “I didna know.”

“It is in the past,” Camdyn said with a shrug. “Long ago.”

Quinn set aside his net and walked to stand between Hayden and Camdyn. “What happened to her?”

Camdyn briefly closed his eyes and let out a breath. “She died. In my arms. We had years together, but she aged while I stayed the same.”

“So she knew what you were?” Hayden asked.

“Aye. I showed her.”

Quinn shook his head. “How did you stay away from Deirdre and keep your female safe?”

“I got as far from Deirdre as I could. I was in the lowlands near the border with England,” Camdyn said and tossed aside the net. He stood and looked out over the sea.

Hayden clamped him on the shoulder. “You loved her verra much.”

“Aye.”

Quinn crossed his arms over his chest and rocked back on his heels. “It doesna mean you can no’ love again.”

Camdyn looked at him. “If Marcail died, if you held her in your arms and watched the life drain from her, could you ever imagine loving again? I willna put myself through that kind of pain a second time.”

“But Isla’s magic prevents the Druids from aging,” Hayden quickly pointed out.

Camdyn released his god. Claws extended from his fingers and fangs filled his mouth. A glance down at his skin showed the same dark brown color as the earth.

He didn’t say another word to his friends as he bounded up the cliff until he landed in the snow. With memories of Allison churning inside him as well as thoughts of Saffron, Camdyn ran into the forest. He ran and ran and ran, never slowing, never looking back.

When he finally stopped, he put his hands on his knees and bent over, his head hanging. He had no idea how long he’d been gone, but he was miles from the castle.

Yet, the run had felt good. It was just the thing to calm him.

Camdyn straightened and looked around. He gazed up at the imposing mountain and the vast land laid out before him. His mind was still in a riot with thoughts of Saffron, and he wasn’t yet ready to return.

Instead, he walked. He kept the road at a distance and followed the mountain up and over. And then the next and the next, and the next. Until he realized most of the day had passed.

While he’d been walking, he had kept his mind blank and that had given him a measure of peace. Yet when he saw where the sun was, his first thought was to return to the castle and see Saffron.

Camdyn wished he knew what it was about her that drew him. With a resigned sigh he began to jog back to the castle. With his speed, it didn’t take him long to reach the outskirts of MacLeod land. He looked to the sky and saw the moon visible in the blue sky. It was too bad the full moon wasn’t that night because he was anxious to put an end to Deirdre.

Anxious and oh, so ready.

He slowed to a walk when he reached Isla’s shield hiding the castle. As soon as he walked through it, Saffron’s sweet, appealing magic slammed into him so hard Camdyn took a step back.

With a hand over his chest, he paused and let her magic surround him. Enfold him. Embrace him.

Her magic gripped him through his skin to his soul.

And how wonderful it felt. He hated that he yearned to feel her magic more and more each day. The more he felt it the more he wanted it. And the more he was becoming addicted to it.

A very dangerous thing, that.

It wasn’t just her magic he longed for either. It was her touch, a look, a smile. Anything.

And the more he fought to stay away from her, the more he felt himself being drawn to her. As if Fate were tugging an invisible line between him and Saffron, pulling them together.

He shook away such thoughts and continued on to the castle. It was a few hours before sunset and supper. He wanted a shower and maybe some time playing the Wii with Broc.

When Camdyn entered the castle, his gaze instantly found Saffron. And he stopped dead in his tracks.

Her hair, which had been all one length and reached midway down her back, had been cut to just below her shoulders. And wisps of hair now graced her forehead. Her nails had a pale pink color on them, but more than that, she was in clothes that made him all too aware of her curves and the woman that wore them.

As if he needed reminding of the desire she caused.

Before, when she was borrowing clothes, everything fit just a little too loosely on her and hid her mesmerizing body. The dark blue jeans she had on fit her to perfection, accentuating her buttocks and long legs.

But it was the dark purple shirt molded to her breasts and abdomen that made his cock instantly, painfully hard. The cream-colored cardigan she wore over the shirt only brought more attention to the full shape of her breasts and her small waist.

Arran let out a low, soft whistle as he came to stand beside Camdyn. “Damn. I always thought Saffron was pretty, but whatever she did in London has made her stunning.”

Camdyn moved closer to Saffron while she spoke with Cara and Reaghan and showed them the other things she had bought. He didn’t care about her clothes, he just wanted to see all the changes she had had done.

It was something besides her hair and the color on her fingernails. Camdyn looked at her from head to toe, and it wasn’t until his gaze moved back up her body that he realized what it was.

She had pink color on her eyelids and color on her cheeks. Even her eyelashes looked longer and thicker than before. And her lips! God help him, but the way her lips glistened made him want to taste her. A long, slow kiss or a hot, frenzied kiss. He didn’t care as long as he could feel her mouth beneath his.

Hayden and Quinn were suddenly on either side of him. Both men had their arms crossed over their chests and were staring at Saffron.

“I like the bangs,” Quinn said.

“Hm. The makeup is subtle but nice,” Hayden added.

Camdyn could take no more. If he didn’t leave he was going to do something crazy. Like kiss Saffron.

And kissing was definitely something he couldn’t do with her.

He started for the stairs, but as he passed her, she looked up, their eyes clashing. The way her lips subtly turned up in a smile made his blood sing.

She turned toward him, their hands grazing as he passed. Camdyn clenched his jaw and took the stairs three at a time while every instinct, every fiber of his being, urged him to kiss her.

CHAPTER

EIGHT

Saffron nodded as she listened to whatever Cara was saying, but her words had faded away the moment she saw Camdyn enter the castle.

She had hastily looked away. Even now she pretended that she didn’t notice he was near. And watching her. She didn’t understand how her body and senses came alive anytime he was close. As if she were attuned to him on a level far deeper than normal people.

As much as she hated it, she found herself wondering what he thought of her new haircut and the makeup and clothes. He came from medieval times, even though that was difficult to remember sometimes. Their women hadn’t worn makeup or cut their hair.

Saffron drew in a deep breath and smiled when Cara stroked her hand over the coral-colored cashmere sweater Saffron had purchased.

“It’s stunning,” Cara murmured.

Saffron shifted her gaze to Lucan who stood behind and to the side of Cara. Then she mouthed, “Remember this.”

Lucan nodded, a slow smile spreading over his handsome face before he stepped near Cara and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her neck.

Saffron’s clothes were soon forgotten as Cara and Lucan walked away.

“They’ve always been like that,” Marcail said.

Larena rolled her eyes and laughed. “The same can be said for you and Quinn.”

“And you and Fallon,” Saffron replied.

The two women looked at her, and Saffron shrugged. “I might have been blind, but the deep love between all of you can be felt through other senses.”

Marcail laughed and began to gather up bags. “Come on. I’ll help you carry up all these bags.”

“Don’t forget yours,” Larena called.

Gwynn hurried and snatched up her own bags. “Or yours, Larena.”

As the others walked away, Saffron could hold back no longer and looked at Camdyn. His emotions were closed off from her, but how she longed to know if he approved or not. She hadn’t done any of it for him. Yet, it would be nice to know a man appreciated her efforts.

And then Camdyn was coming toward her after something both Hayden and Quinn had said to him. She turned toward him, and just when she thought he would stop, he continued on. But not before their hands touched.

It was the simplest of touches, innocent and accidental. But the contact left her light-headed and aching for … more.

Saffron gathered up her bags and walked up the stairs. She waited until she was in her room and everyone else had deposited her bags and left before she slumped against the door.

It had been exhausting going out, but it had felt magnificent. Her eyes hurt from everything, and her feet couldn’t wait to get out of the heels. She had bought entirely too much in the way of clothes and shoes. And jewelry and makeup. And even soap and shampoo.

But they were her things, things she chose for herself. It was silly to want such mundane items, but it was the first time she had felt like herself. Like the woman she’d been before Declan kidnapped her.

Saffron had thought that woman gone, but maybe, just maybe, she was still somewhere deep inside waiting to come out again.

She pushed off the door and began to pull things out of the numerous bags. It was the first time in a long time that she was glad she had the money her father left her. And it was a massive sum of several million dollars.

Money her mother desperately wanted.

Saffron refused to think about her mother as she sorted through the makeup she had bought. She was putting it away on the shelf in the bathroom when a knock sounded on her door.

“Come in,” she called.

The door creaked open as she put the last bit of makeup down. Saffron walked out of the bathroom to find Fallon standing in her doorway.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m not sure I told you, but I do appreciate you jumping me to London and Edinburgh.”

Fallon smiled and leaned against the door frame. “As Larena said, you needed it. I hope you doona think I’m trying to keep you here.”

“Not at all,” she said with a wave of her hand. “I know you worry about all the Druids. Right now isn’t a good time to be out and about with us getting ready to awaken Laria.”

“And what of Declan?”

She stiffened at the mention of the hated name. “I don’t fear him, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“It’s no’. It’s merely a question. He’s out there and a danger.”

“You don’t need to remind me of that. Until he’s dead, until I kill him myself, I’ll always be reminded of him.”

“You intend to kill him yourself?”

She smiled at hearing the surprise in his voice. “You don’t think I can?”

“I didna say that,” he replied, his hands held palm out in front of him. “We all saw what Declan did to Logan and Gwynn.”

“You mean his mercenaries. Where Deirdre had Warriors, Declan has resorted to mercenaries to carry out his unpleasant tasks. He wouldn’t want to get his perfectly manicured hands dirty with such menial jobs.”

“What did he do to you, Saffron?”

She turned away and pulled other items out of the bags to layout on her bed. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Marcail has the ability to take away your pain if you need her to.”

Saffron jerked her head around to pin Fallon with a glare. “I’ve carried this around with me for over three years, Fallon. I can handle it.”

His eyes lowered to the ground for a moment as he nodded. When he next met her gaze he said, “If you change your mind, just come to me.”

Saffron went back to pulling out her new items as the door clicked shut behind her.

*   *   *

All through Camdyn’s shower he could feel the turmoil in Saffron’s magic a level below him. It made it difficult for him to concentrate as her magic went from contentment to anger to regret to anxiety.

He turned off the water and began to towel himself dry. The shower with the nearly instant hot water was something he had come to love immediately in this new time.

The clothes had been a different story. Giving up his kilt was something he had done willingly to fit in with the new time and culture. But still, he missed seeing the bold red, black, and blue tartan of his clan.

It still felt odd to have something around his legs, but he was getting used to the different pants. He pulled on a pair of faded jeans and a tee.

He padded barefoot out of his chamber, only stopping when he reached the corridor. There was nothing he could do to help Saffron now. Going to her and asking her what was wrong would only let her know that he felt her magic differently.

Instead, he headed to Broc’s chamber for some more video games. Broc’s chamber, however, was on the same level as Saffron’s.

Camdyn walked down the stairs and took a right to Broc’s chamber instead of the left which would take him to Saffron’s. As he neared Broc’s room he passed Ian’s where Dani was trying to explain some game that was on the telly. Rugby or was it soccer? He couldn’t remember.

It wasn’t until he knocked on Broc’s door and there was no answer that Camdyn turned and stared down the long hallway toward Saffron’s chamber.