Clan Ross: His Heart's Desire Part 6

"Aye, I willna do anything to cause you to leave me. I won't lose you again. I plan on courting you as is proper."

"Courting me?" She felt like an idiot parroting back everything he said. But what else could she do? She could barely remember her name let alone the train of the conversation. All because he sat close to her and his scent intoxicated her. He could probably have her on her back or even against a wall with little effort. How pathetic was that?

"Aye, court you." Braden ran a gentle finger down her face. "Give you a chance to get to know me. And I you."

"I'd like that a lot."

Cat didn't know who moved first, but the next thing she knew Braden's firm lips were on her own. She couldn't believe how warm his mouth felt on her sensitive flesh. It seemed to brand her with its heat. The darkened intimacy, brought on by the setting of the sun, only added to the moment.

She looked up slowly and her heart lurched madly. His touch was so gentle, and he sat so close she could feel the heat from his body and smell the unique, spicy muskiness of him as he pressed her closer. His protective nature spoke to her. He gently wrapped one arm around her back and, with his other hand, gently ran his fingers over her supple lips and then around the curve of her jaw.

Braden whispered, "I want to keep on kissing you."

Cat noted the tenderness of his gaze and heard the husky desire in his voice. As he slowly lowered his head, she didn't turn away.

Braden raised both his hands to cup her face and then he threaded his fingers through her soft hair. Her hair seemed to have a life of its own; she felt it curl possessively around his hands as if to keep him exactly where he was. Finally Braden touched his lips to hers again. This kiss was b.u.t.terfly soft, and so gentle, almost more of a caress than a kiss. He s.h.i.+fted and took total possession of her mouth. His kiss, although still gentle, was more demanding.

Cat wrapped her arms around his neck and threaded her fingers through the long hair at the nape of his neck. Her lips parted, and Braden rewarded her by sweeping his tongue into her mouth. He tasted of deep desire, and it only made her hungry for more.

One of them groaned, and the kiss deepened. Tongues, teeth, and lips mated in a hungry embrace that seemed to give more than take. Cat felt his kiss melting all of her well placed protective walls. She was sure the only thing keeping her upright was Braden.

Tearing his mouth away from hers, he stared down at her without hiding his desire for her. Her lips were swollen and damp from his possession. He gently kissed her again. This time the kiss was slow and deep, and what they both needed. Cat felt the hard length of him pressed up against her and ached to feel all of him against her. This was so unexpected.

Finally they both pulled away and took deep breaths to calm themselves. They stared at each other. Neither hid the desire and attraction they both felt. Braden slowly ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her forehead then completely pulled away to put some much needed s.p.a.ce between them. Then he bent and took her mouth again. This time the kiss was soft. Oh, so soft. The caress went straight through her, leaving her feeling aching and melting all at once. When Braden gently ran his tongue against the seam of her mouth, she was helpless to stop herself from allowing him entrance.

It was a slow, deep, searching kiss. She gripped his broad shoulders in a pathetic attempt at keeping herself grounded. Never before had a kiss made her feel so light, weightless and hungry. The velvet rub of his tongue against her own had her clenching her thighs together as warmth spread across her stomach and an aching took place at her woman's center. Slowly he parried and thrust into her waiting mouth. She wanted to climb onto his lap, straddle him, and ride him to climax. Never before had she been so turned on by a kiss. He wasn't touching her anywhere except her face, and she was on fire.

"Mmm. You taste even better than I remember, la.s.s," Braden whispered against her cheek. He fanned the flames of her desire by placing open-mouthed kisses along her jawbone and down her neck.

"Braden," she moaned as he nipped at the sensitive flesh where neck met shoulder.

"Say my name again, la.s.s."

"Braden."

He growled and lifted her to straddle his lap. She wrapped her legs around his waist and ground against his erection. Even through two layers of denim, she couldn't ignore the impressive length. Braden took command of her mouth once again and this time the kiss was explosive. Tongues tangled as they each tried to find purchase in the maelstrom of feelings rus.h.i.+ng through them.

Braden whispered words she didn't understand against her skin. His words resonated along her nerve endings. It wasn't so much what he said, because she didn't understand Gaelic, but how he said it. She loved the sound of his voice; the velvet rich tones and cadence of his words combined into a potent aphrodisiac. She watched as he leaned forward, his hair drifting down to caress her face. He smelled of pine and sandalwood, a scent she would forever a.s.sociate with her Scottish knight.

She lost all sense of where they were. Kissing Braden was like being consumed by fire. He cupped the back of her head, changing the angle of their mouths, and deepened the embrace. It was all Catrona could do to hang on. This was so much better than the dreams she'd had. Now, he was here. Flesh and blood.

Sanity began to rear its head and she realized what she was doing. This was not taking it slow and easy. This was being just plain easy. With a huge effort she pulled back and looked into the handsome face of the man she'd been dreaming of for years. It seemed like a lifetime.

The heavy lidded gaze that met her own said so much. Pa.s.sion and confusion swirled in his expressive dark brown eyes. His breath danced across her lips and face in warm bursts. He was breathing just as hard as she was. It was as if they had run a race to a finish line they'd never crossed.

"I'm sorry, Braden. We have to stop."

He lifted her gently off his lap and placed her on the bed beside him. "Aye. I'm sorry I let things get out of hand." He stood and moved across the room while he ran his hand through his long dark hair. "I hope you can forgive me."

Forgive him? For what? Giving her the kiss of a lifetime? Not b.l.o.o.d.y likely, as the British liked to say. "There is nothing to forgive. It took both of us to lose control like that." She looked down at her feet and said softly, "I'm not sorry."

Braden turned to face her. He was so beautiful, and she wanted nothing more than to run across the room and throw herself into his arms. She already knew he'd catch her and keep her safe. What the h.e.l.l more did she really need? You could spend a lifetime trying to get to know someone and never manage to scratch the surface. Sometimes being responsible really sucked.

"Do you want to try and find Elspeth now? We can continue our conversation later, if you'd rather." Catrona stood and adjusted her hair in an attempt at normality. Her fingers shook as she ran them through her tangled curls.

"Aye. I think that would be best."

They stood in silence for a heartbeat before Catrona extended her hand to him. Her instincts told her all would be well and they needed to speak with the seemingly dotty old woman who'd helped her the day before. Answers were waiting for them both there.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

Braden watched the scenery pa.s.s in a blur. He caught his first sight of his keep as Catrona drove the little car up the winding road to his castle. Time had not taken too much of a toll on his keep, and he was proud that it was still standing after eight hundred years.

He tried to adjust himself in his jeans, but his erection refused to abate. It took a great deal of self-control not to demand Catrona pull over, so he could love her as he longed to. But he'd promised to take things slowly, and she deserved as much. It wouldn't do to rush headlong into anything at this point. He still wasn't sure if he was in this time period to stay with the woman he loved more than anything. Elspeth was a descendent of the powerful druids of his time. She'd have the answers he needed.

The magic of the glen strummed across his senses the moment they crossed the boundary of his lands. It was true; the place you call home always has a pull on you. His bonny Scotland was no different. He rolled down the window and stuck his head out, inhaling the air. Pine and ocean mingled into a distinct perfume he knew he'd never find anywhere else in the world.

"I hope this ride is not bothering you." Catrona kept her gaze on the winding dark ribbon she called pavement. The new surface meant a much smoother ride that he appreciated.

"Nae." He put his face to the window again and enjoyed the bracing cool wind as it whipped through his hair. Cars were a wonderful invention. "Do you think you could instruct me on how to tame this metal beast? I think it would be a prudent course to take since I need to ken how to get around in this new time."

"Sure, although I'm not so sure I should be the one to teach you how to drive on the left side of the road. In my country we drive on the other side. But I'm sure we can find you a credible instructor."

They drove a little bit more before Catrona said, "We're almost there. Do you want me to drop you off so you can have privacy, or do you want me to stay?"

"Stay of course, la.s.s. I have nothing to hide from you."

He shook his head. Catrona had such strange ideas. He'd been hanging around for centuries, watching as the world changed around him. La.s.ses had gone from being caregivers to being powerful in their own right. This large change in a woman's place interested him and he wondered, briefly, why she would be acting submissively where this was concerned. Was it because she didn't know her place in his life? This could very well be the reason. He'd address this issue later when they were alone and not pressed for time.

"I just didn't want to interfere in case there was some sort of ritual or something that had to be performed."

Braden chuckled. "You have quite an imagination."

"Well. I'm rather new at bringing dream men into reality. Truth is, I wasn't supposed to bring you here. I was supposed to be helping you to go to the next realm."

Braden was puzzled at this. Another place. There was nowhere else he wanted to be than with his Catrona. "I don't ken what you're saying, la.s.s."

"You were supposed to stop haunting me and go on to heaven."

Braden chuckled. "It doesnae work that way, sweet. I have unfinished business here in this realm."

"Oh? What kind of business? It's not as if there are clan wars to be fought any longer."

"True. But there is a vow I made that I must see to."

"A vow? What kind of vow?"

Braden didn't know how to answer the question. He had a feeling that although he knew Catrona on many levels, he wasn't terribly sure she'd appreciate his vow to see revenge against the family that killed her. No. That wouldn't go over well at all.

"A promise I made, and I plan to keep. No reason to worry about it."

Catrona gave him a quick glance before she returned her attention to the road.

"So. Is life on this side of the veil as you expected it to be?" "Aye. It's strange to be here, seeing and touching things I've only been able to look at. I confess to being rather intrigued by computers." Braden thought those were the most amazing inventions yet.

"How exactly did it work for you to see me?"

"The portrait was a portal. When your great, great, great-grandmother painted me, it allowed me a window into your world."

"Hmm." She nibbled on her lower lip. Braden wanted to lean over and nibble on the soft flesh himself.

His erection was swelling again within the confines of his denim jeans, and it was an altogether uncomfortable experience. He really wanted to be in the hotel room, with Catrona spread before him without a st.i.tch of clothing between them.

Braden wanted to take all the time in the world and learn the secrets of her feminine body. She looked the same, but there were subtle differences. He wanted so much to be with her, and yet he knew there were things that needed to be sorted out first. How long could he stay in this time period? Was he here to stay, or would fate yank him back to his shadowy world sitting between worlds neither living nor dead?

"So that you would pa.s.s into my world from a painting?" Catrona was giving him a questioning look.

"Aye. I would sort of move into your world. It's hard to explain."

"But my dreams. I've dreamt of you for years. Those weren't dreams, were they?"

"Some were your memories from your other life. The others were not dreams but rather a distorted reality."

Catrona didn't say anything else for the remainder of the drive, and Braden was glad for this. He didn't have any answers she'd be able to understand or even accept. h.e.l.l, even he had questions, and he'd been living with this cursed existence for eight hundred years. He had to give her credit though. She was handling the whole thing with him stepping out of her dreams and into her physical reality very well. He didn't want to do anything or say anything that would scare her.

Once they pulled into the car park of the castle, Braden was eager to walk the grounds of his home. Many changes had been wrought to what he once knew as his keep. Additions had been added to the original structure, but the weathered stone called a siren's song to him. He found it strange, yet wonderful, to finally be staring at his home. Without saying a word, he moved past the admissions booth and through the garden gate.

"Wait, Braden. We must pay before we enter," Catrona called out to him. He turned and saw her digging around in what she called a backpack to hand a person a wad of paper. He turned back to his home and waited for Catrona to catch up with him. He was not going to hand money over to enter his own home.

"So much has changed here and at the same time so much is the same." He looked down at Catrona. "Why did you give that man money? This is my keep."

"It is now a tourist attraction that is part of the National Trust, Braden. People now pay to visit this historic castle." She elegantly brushed a tendril of hair from her cheek.

"I dinnae understand what you're saying, la.s.s."

Catrona blew out a breath. "I'll have Elspeth explain it to you. Maybe your clan still holds some rights to the land."

Braden felt a frown cross his brow. "Aye, we still hold this land. 'Tis Ross land, and we would never cede our rights to anyone."

"Shh. Calm down, Braden. We'll get some answers, I promise."

Braden linked their hands together and lifted one to his mouth. He placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand, inhaling her sweet fragrance. "Thank you, my Catrona."

Walking up to the large oaken door, he ran his hand over the wood, touching it reverently. He pushed the heavy door open and they stepped inside. Sunbeams illuminated the great hall. Braden took a deep breath, noting the various scents that called back memories of another time- peat, heather and lavender in the rushes that used to cover the stone floor. These scents were mixed with leather, ale and the sweat of his clansmen. The fresh scents of pine and sea air were everywhere. The various notes of a piper danced on the air, and he relished the memories they brought to him. These were things he'd long ago forgotten or ignored.

Catrona stood beside him, silent but comforting at the same time. He wrapped his arm around her waist and walked further into the s.p.a.ce. "This was where my clan would gather for meals and conversation. There was always someone here in the great hall."

He strode with determination to the raised dais and up to the laird's chair. "This was my seat. I could see my entire clan from here. The wee ones were playing with the dogs among the rushes."

Catrona nodded her head. "I've had very vivid dreams of this room."

Braden looked down and was unable to keep himself from touching her. He brushed his finger down her petal soft cheek. "You were here upon occasion. When my duties would not allow me to visit you at your uncle's keep, I would send for you to stay here. There was always a proper chaperone, since I didn't want dishonor brought down on you."

They stood together in silence before Braden shook himself back to reality. "Take me to Elspeth."

"Braden Ross, 'tis you!"

Braden turned at the sound of his name and barely had time to brace himself before a grey-haired sprite launched herself at him.

"You're returned to us. Oh, the Trust will be so happy to hear you're here."

"The Trust?" Braden looked at Catrona. "What is this Trust?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't . . ."

"The castle and lands were held in trust by the government. We've been waiting for you to return from your travels in order for you to take over the running of the castle." Elspeth patted Braden on the chest.

She looked at Catrona. "And how was the first night with your laird and his friend? Did you get all your questions answered?"

"If anything, there are now more questions than answers. I thought I was releasing him to the fade, not bringing him and Alec to our time."

Elspeth had the good grace to blush. "'Tis not my fault you didn't light the candles in their proper order, la.s.s. Fate had a hand in this. And, make no mistake, your souls were meant to find each other now."

Cat smiled. "I could have sworn I did as you told me."

Elspeth laughed. "We all make mistakes, dearie. The point is things turned out as they should."

"Yes, you did. So are you saying all the wealth and lands of Clan Ross are Braden's?"

"Why, of course, dear. He's the Laird." Elspeth turned back to Braden. "Why don't we return to my cottage, and we'll have a cup of tea and a coze."

"We would like that a great deal."

Elspeth turned and linked arms with Catrona. "We'll get the confusion all cleared up so you can both get back to the business of living life together as you were born to do."

Braden liked the sound of that, and he followed the two women down to the thatched roof cottage at the end of his property. He remembered this place well and was glad to see the diminutive structure had weathered the winds and rain of time.

On more than one occasion he found himself staring at the rounded perfection of his Catrona's backside. Yes, he had to agree with Alec on the way women dressed today. All those lovely curves they had were now a visual feast for the eye. Catrona's, in particular, were delicious, and he couldn't wait to make her his.

They entered Elspeth's small abode and found seats around an equally dainty table. After the ritual of pouring the tea was complete, Elspeth took her seat and smiled at them both. "Oh, 'tis fine to see you both together again. After all these years."