The Warlord Forever (8 page)

He kissed her until she was delirious from the pleasure; his firm, moist lips sliding over hers, his tongue darting into her mouth. His hand slid under her gown, moving up her thigh until he brushed his fingers over the delicate flesh between her legs, then delved inside.

Kenna tried to stifle her cry of delight as his fingers moved in and out of her, pushing deeper. His touch was forceful, yet tender, and her body responded, blooming with heat and want.
With need
. He kept the steady rhythm of his fingers, and pleasure radiated outward, flooding her entire body.

She let her eyes fall closed, and gasped in surprise when she felt his mouth on her, his tongue circling her clit as his fingers moved, the beautiful pleasure overwhelming her. Never had she experienced a man like this.

She reached down and took his head in her hands, arching her body into him to receive more of the pleasure he was giving her. He groaned as he pressed his mouth to her, taking her harder, his touch sending shocks of pleasure rippling through her. The passion continued to rise, like the hottest fire, about to reach its divine peak, until her phone rang.

What the hell?

She held her eyes closed, ignoring the sound, but the rings were impatient. She felt strangely compelled to answer.

What time was it?

She sat up, trying to squirm away from Ian, and he looked at her, shocked, confused. “What is it, lass?”

“I have to answer that.”

His look darkened, showing his displeasure. “I’m beginning to think these cell phones are no’ a convenience at all.”

“Don’t go anywhere,” she told him. “Let me answer this, and then we can do some more of what you were doing to me.”
Like a whole lot more.
She could stay in bed with Ian for weeks the way he touched her.

That made him smile. “I may have to start all over.”

“I don’t mind.” Kenna reached for her cell phone on the nightstand.
Unknown number.
She didn’t normally answer those, but it was after eleven. It could be important. “Hello?”

“Is this MacKenna Douglas?”

She didn’t recognize the indistinct male voice. Unsure of how to answer, she asked, “Who is this?”

“Connor Flemming,” he said. “I was in Scotland with your uncle.”

Her heart thundered in her chest and she struggled to sit up further on the bed. Ian tried to keep her under him, but she pushed him away. The one man who might have information about what had happened to her uncle was calling her. She thought he’d disappeared. “Mr. Flemming, I thought you took another expedition to South America.”

“I could not leave in good conscience without telling you what I know,” he said, “about what happened to your uncle.”

She knew it!
Something had gone wrong in Scotland, and her uncle was dead because of it. “What happened?”

Ian watched her, a puzzled look on his face. “What’s wrong?” He seemed to sense her excitement.

“What do you know about my uncle’s death?” she demanded.

“We can’t talk about it over the phone.” Connor Flemming sounded panicked. “Can you meet me in an hour?”

“Where?”

“The subway at Union Station.” There was noise in the background as he paused. “I’ll find you.”

The call ended.

Kenna couldn’t believe this was happening.

What was she walking into?

“That was Connor Flemming,” she said absently. “He wants to meet me in an hour. He knows something about what happened to my uncle.”

Ian narrowed his eyes, his face even more stern looking than before. “This is too dangerous,” he growled. “You can’t go.”

Anger flushed her cheeks. He had no right to order her around. Nothing would keep her from finding the truth. Especially
him
. She didn’t care how good he kissed.

“I’m going.” She scrambled off the bed and pulled a pair of jeans and a sweater from her dresser drawers.

“I’m going with you.” Ian rose up from the bed.

Kenna smiled, but kept her back facing him, not wanting to let him see how much his gallantry pleased her.

The last thing she wanted was to go downtown on the subway, alone, to meet a total stranger. A man who very well may have killed her uncle. And wanted to kill her, too.

****

“Are you certain this is where he said to be?” Ian scanned the crowded platform where they had exited the subway train over an hour ago.

There was no sign of Connor Flemming. Not that he knew what to look for. He’d never laid eyes on the man.

Bollocks!

Ian needed to find out if he knew what happened between David Wilkes and Duncan Douglas. If he had witnessed the scene, he could be in grave danger. David would want him dead.

“He said Union Station,” Kenna replied. “Do you think we should go outside and look for him? Maybe he’s waiting on the surface.”

“It couldna hurt.” Ian headed for the stairs leading up to the street above them.

Kenna followed.

They waited several more minutes, but no one approached them, and no one called Kenna’s cell phone with a change of plan or location.

Had this all been a trick?

Or had someone gotten to Connor Flemming before he could get to them?

“I doona think he’s coming.” Ian watched the crowd. No one appeared to be watching them or trying to make eye contact.

“Neither do I.” Kenna strained to look at all the people moving around them. “I hope nothing happened.”

“Do you wish to wait a while longer?” He knew the man wasn’t coming, but Kenna might need more time to realize that.

She checked her watch. “The last train home leaves in half an hour. We’ll stay until then.”

Half an hour later and they were back on the train, headed to the Santa Monica station.

“Perhaps he’ll call you again.” Ian tried to ease her disappointment.

“I really wanted to speak with him,” she said. “He disappeared so suddenly after my uncle’s death, and I always wondered why, when David wouldn’t leave us alone for a second.”

“What do you know of your uncle’s death?” He desperately wanted to tell her the truth, but if his suspicions were correct, it would put her in harm’s way. She’d only be safe when David was out of the picture.

“His body washed ashore the morning after he discovered your tomb.” She looked up at him, sadness lingering in her green eyes. “Some say it was an accident, others a curse.”

“What do you believe?” He could tell she didn’t believe either of the scenarios she’d just stated.

“It would be an understatement to say I think foul play was involved. I just don’t know why, and I don’t have any proof.”

“You were hoping to get answers from Connor Flemming.”

She nodded, staring out the window ahead of her. “You read my uncle’s journal. The only thing he knew was where to find your tomb, and how to open it. He hoped the rest would be revealed when he released you.”

“I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing.” He was relieved Duncan Douglas hadn’t had time to write what he’d learned of the immortal potion in his journal. And he had a feeling Connor Flemming wouldn’t be heard from again. The only living person who knew the truth, aside from him, was David Wilkes.

And his time was running out.

“You were awake in your tomb the whole time they were there, weren’t you?” She cast him a calculating glance.

Ian couldn’t lie to her.

But he had to.

The truth could kill her.

“No’ exactly,” he said, knowing where she was headed with her line of questioning.

“You told me you heard everything that happened in my house. Did you hear everything that happened in the cave where they found you?”

Yes.

“I’d been so stunned at first, I dinna realize there were people around.”

“What do you remember hearing?” She continued her interrogation.

She probably wouldn’t stop until she had some satisfying bit of knowledge.
Like the truth
.

“I know the men were arguing. They couldn’t agree on what to do with my tomb. Open it and then bring it out, or bring it out to open it.”

All three men had their own agendas. David wanted to open it on live television. Duncan wanted to study it further before revealing it. Connor, not being impressed, had wanted to go on to his next find.

“In the end, your uncle won out and decided to wait and study it further. He spent the night inspecting the interior of my cave and taking notes in his journal. The next day, it was only David’s voice I recognized. I drifted off, until I heard you.” He cupped her face in his hand.

How he wanted to get her back in bed, strip away all her clothes, and taste her sweet nectar. To slide between her legs and take her until she cried out with ecstasy. His shaft grew hard.

“How convenient for David that Connor left and my uncle died,” she commented. “He must have planned on having the media involved from the moment you were shipped out. I don’t think he expected Evan and I to challenge him.”

“Why did you?”

Why did she care anything about him?

“My uncle spent most of his life trying to find your tomb. I couldn’t give it over to David without knowing more.” Her gaze locked with his. “I wanted to know what he was so obsessed with.”

She’d found out. And she didn’t want it. “You must be the only person in existence who isna interested in immortality.”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t interested,” she pointed out. “I just think it would be a long, lonely life.”

The train halted and the doors hissed open to allow passengers to come and go.

It had been a long and lonely life for Ian. Was there hope of having a future with Kenna?

One filled with laughter and joy.

With love.

Did he dare to reach for the one thing he wanted?

****

“Don’t let this upset you.” Ian walked with Kenna to her bedroom and opened the door.

“I can’t help but think something awful happened to Connor Flemming.”

Why would he call her, wanting to meet, and then not show up? It didn’t make sense.

“We canna do anything about it tonight.” He glanced into her room, at her bed, then back to her, his bright green eyes swirling with lust.

Please let him kiss me.

Kenna tilted her head back, wondering if she should part her lips and close her eyes to give the warlord a clue. But the man already knew what she wanted—what he wanted—and brought his mouth down over hers, kissing her with raw hunger and desire.

She dug her fingers into his shoulders as he opened his mouth over hers. His tongue darted in and out, exploring her mouth, licking at her lips. Kenna moaned and twirled her tongue with his. He tasted of spice and man, and kissed like the fearsome warlord he was.

Without breaking their kiss, he swept her into his arms and carried her over to the bed. He set her on the edge and tugged at the buttons on his shirt, finally ripping some of the last ones open so he could tear it off and fling it to the floor. He closed her bedroom door and came back to kneel in front of her.

She watched him remove her shoes and pull down her jeans as if she were in a daze. Her whole body bloomed with heat as he knelt between her legs and lifted her sweater over her head. Her every nerve ending tingled when his hands slid under the straps of her bra and dragged them down her shoulders.

He leaned close to her and kissed her neck. His hot mouth on her skin shocked her, sent pleasure rushing through her, made her ache for even more of him. Rising up, he pushed her back on the bed, covering her with his strong, warm body as he removed her bra. He cupped her breasts in his big hands, gently kneading them, as his mouth moved from her neck to take one of her nipples between his lips.

Kenna moaned as he suckled her. She placed her hands on the back of his head and held him to her, arching into him as the pleasure of his touch licked through her veins. He groaned with satisfaction and moved to her other nipple, sucking and flicking it with his tongue. His touch was skilled, gentle, and it set her afire. Why had she ever stopped this man before?

****

Ian kissed his way down her stomach, inhaling the sweet scent of her skin, tasting it on his tongue. He moved lower down her body, and as much as he liked the look of the silky undergarment covering her most intimate flesh, he wanted to put his mouth there next.

He stripped Kenna bare and rocked back on his heels to look at her. All that pale flesh revealed, her lips swollen from his kisses, her body flushed with heat and desire, her long hair spread out on the bed.

His cock ached painfully, needing to find its release inside this beautiful woman. He would have her begging for him before he finally took her. He needed her surrender, for her to know who was pleasuring her and want him never to stop.

He brushed his fingers over her sex, smoothing the pad of his thumb around her swollen bud. Her hips bucked and she gave a small cry. Wanting more of that wonderful response, he lapped at her with his tongue, running it through her soft folds and thrusting it into her.

“
Oh, yes, Ian
.” Her hips rocked against him.

He tongued her faster, making her wet for him, then slowly suckled her clit, taking it between his teeth and flicking it with his tongue.

“Ian!” She screamed, her hips bucking wildly.

He had to hold her in place with his hands while he brought her pleasure higher and higher, had her crying out and writhing in his hands.

“Do I pleasure you, lass?” He rumbled against her aroused flesh.

“Oh, yes!
Yes...”
Her body arched into him.

“Do you want me?” He slid his finger into her slick, wet heat, working her up, then a second finger, spreading her further.

“Yes, Ian,” she moaned. “I want you.”

His cock swelled as he moved his fingers in and out of her, ready to burst. He needed to be inside her. To shaft himself deep and ride her hard and long.

He got free of his trousers and lowered his body over her, guiding his cock to her wet folds as he mounted her, shoving up into her.

****

Unimaginable pleasure tore through her as he filled her with his entire length, thick and hard. Kenna wrapped her legs around his waist as he thrust into her, grinding his hips against her in a steady rhythm, groaning low in his throat as he stroked her, taking her deep.