Dual Release (21 page)

But she refused to let him. Jenny clasped on to his arm. Her sleepy-eyed request broke his heart. “Don’t go. Stay here with me.”

“Ye know that I cannot,” he replied sadly.

She lifted onto her knees facing him as he stood beside the bed. Her arms wrapped around his waist, she held him tightly to her. “Then kiss me like you’ll miss me.”

Dour plowed his hand into her hair, cupped the back of her head and planted a kiss neither of them would soon forget. Her arms locked around him. He knew he should separate, not take a chance she’d turn to stone with him should they be touching when the curse took him. He pulled from her lips mere seconds before the sun glistened through the curtains. It danced across his skin as he tried to pry her hands from him, panicking that she’d be cursed as well.

Fire brewed within his chest. His heart felt as if it were caught in a deadly grip. Pain ripped through him as he stumbled out of Jenny’s reach. He couldn’t breathe. Sweat rolled off him. Dour fell to his knees, clutching his chest and fighting for air. The second her arms were around him, he screamed and tried to push her away.

“No. No. Jenny. The curse.”

But she fought his efforts. Her words touched his ears and warmed his soul.

“It appears as if the curse is broken. Open your eyes, Dour. Look at me.” He did as she asked. The most wonderful sight sat on her knees before him.

Jenny naked in the morning light.

Cait woke the next morning, stretched and rolled over to stare at the empty spot in the bed beside her. She sighed disappointedly. Every time she fell asleep in Donnell’s arms, he made sure to slip out of bed before the curse took him. Neither of them knew if him touching her when it happened would cause her to turn to stone for the day as well. Donnell took every precaution to not test the theory.

In his words, it would torment his soul to know his touch brought her agony in the form of suffering the curse along with him.

Looking at him standing beside the bed hurt her heart. She got out of bed and stood naked in front of him. Gently she stroked his cheek, hoping he somehow knew she was there.

“Donnell, what are we going to do about this damn curse?” Shaking her head, she leaned against him, hugging him, desperately wanting to feel his arms wrapped around her.

On tiptoe, she kissed his lips, then halfheartedly walked to the bathroom to shower and dress. When she arrived at the door from the kitchen to the veranda, she froze. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. Dour stood in the sunlight, preparing a plate of food from the sideboard. When he turned to hand it to Jenny, he leaned and gave her a kiss. Cait stumbled through the screen door.

“How?” she gasped as she rushed toward them. She touched his arm and pleaded, “How did you do this? How did you break the curse?”

“Milady Cait, I know not the answer.” The smile washed from his face and his tone turned somber as his gaze lifted to the doorway. “I see ye but no Donnell. I thought surely since I be free he would be as well.”

“He’s still a gargoyle,” she snapped angrily. She spun and grabbed Jenny by both arms, causing her to drop the plate. It shattered, sending food all over the ground. “How did you free him? What do I have to do to save Donnell?”

Jenny’s eyes filled with tears as she replied, “I’m not sure. I have no clue how to set Dour free. It just happened.”

She tightened her grip on Jenny’s arms and shook her. “You’re lying. It’s not fair. Tell me what you did.”

Dour grabbed Cait, jerking her away from Jenny. “Ye are out of line, Cait. Ye need to calm yourself. Ye will not be hurting Jenny because of this. If ye need to hit someone then ye can hit me.”

The second he let go of her arms Cait slapped him with every ounce of anger she could muster. Tears flowed as she exited the gate and ran across the field. Frustration drove her up the high hill. She didn’t care how far she went or where this path led. She just wanted to be as far away from Jenny as possible right now.

When she couldn’t catch her breath, she sank to the ground, rolled onto her side and cried. Deep, soul-wrenching sobs poured freely from her. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t fair. Why Dour and not Donnell? And what made it worse, Jenny wouldn’t share the secret of freeing the man she loved.

She didn’t know how long she cried. But when the tears finally subsided, she knew she wasn’t alone. The sense someone watched her made her gut knot with fear. After last night’s adventure with Crosby, there was no telling who might be lingering near, waiting for their chance to attack a MacKinnon or anyone in their company, and she was out of firecrackers.

“Feel no fear in
mi
presence, Cait.”

A cool sensation floated down her arm. Cait turned her head to see Akira hovered near, stroking her hand along Cait’s skin. She smiled at Cait. As Cait moved into a seated position, Akira spoke.

“I come here often when I need to seek
mi
inner peace. He was
mi
rock, the foundation of
mi
strength.” Cait followed the spirit’s hand as it guided across the huge standing headstone. Though years weathered the marble, the names and dates were still legible.

Malcolm MacDonnell

1717-1768

Akira MacDonnell

1718-1788

Cait scrambled backward. “I meant no disrespect. I didn’t know this was your grave.” She looked around and realized in her state of distress she’d stumbled into the MacKinnon family graveyard.

“None taken,” Akira replied. She settled on the ground beside Cait. “Seems ye have had a bit of a rough start to your day.”

Cait shrugged. “You could say that.”

Those piercing green eyes of hers stared directly at Cait. “Jenny did not lie to ye. She truly does not understand as yet how she set Dour free.”

“But you do,” Cait asked. “Don’t you?”

“Aye,” Akira replied. “But if’n I share it with ye, it will not work. When the time be right, ye will set Donnell free. Search your heart. The answer ye seek lies within.”

Before she could ask anything else, Akira disappeared. “Grr,” Cait groaned in frustration as she fell back onto the grass, staring up at the sky. “Why can’t anybody just give a straight answer?”

She lay there thinking for several hours. Noon came and went and still she had no clear answer. The one thing she knew for sure was she needed to apologize to Jenny. It wasn’t Jenny’s fault she was too thickheaded to decipher the clues that had to be right in front of her face. But somehow Jenny succeeded. It was late afternoon by the time she found the courage to face her stupidity.

Her feet were heavy as lead as she took the slow walk back to the castle. She’d made a fool of herself and hurt her best friend in the process. In a few hours it would be dusk and Donnell would be awake to learn the truth of his twin’s release into freedom from the curse. How would he react when he discovered she failed where Jenny succeeded for Dour?

Cait shook her head. She refused to think on that at the moment. Rescuing her friendship with Jenny was her first concern. When she reached the castle, she entered quietly through the kitchen. Margaret informed her where Jenny could be found. The family had gathered in the great room to celebrate Dour’s release.

She stood in the doorway, silently watching the couples. None noticed her as she hovered, simply soaking in the view and putting two and two together. Ericka freed Gavin and now they were married and had a beautiful baby boy. Izzy freed Ian and it was obvious by the way they couldn’t keep their hands off each other how they felt. Caledonia and Struan were snuggled close and he kept whispering in her ear, which made her smile, lean back and kiss him. Lynn and Padon were the quieter of the couples but there was no missing the connection between them.

May and Jameson sat smiling and happily cuddling. Being newlyweds looked good on them. They’d vowed to find the last brother before taking a honeymoon. That was the only present they wanted, to complete the MacKinnon clan.

When her gaze landed on Jenny, she looked over to the doorway as if she knew Cait stood in the shadows. Dour had his arm around her and the look on his face told Cait all she needed to know. Jenny stood and walked over to Cait.

“I’m so sorry, Jenny,” Cait said, taking Jenny’s hands in hers. Staring into Jenny’s eyes she saw the truth and knew she was right in what she was now thinking. “Please forgive me.”

“There’s nothing to forgive,” Jenny said. “Come join us. We’re celebrating.”

“I can’t.” Cait shook her head. “There’s something I’ve got to do.”

Jenny pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear, “Follow your heart. The truth will set him free.”

Cait stepped from the hug and smiled. “I know.”

She turned on her heels and darted down the hall to the stairs. There was something she had to do and she wanted to make sure everything was perfect when she did it.

*

Dusk couldn’t come fast enough. She spent the hours making everything ready for his awakening. A table loaded with a variety of food was in the sitting room of their bedchamber. The wine he liked sat opened on the nightstand beside two waiting glasses. She sat on the bed’s edge, shower fresh and in a sheer, light-blue negligee that tied closed with a silk lace bow at her breasts. Foregoing the matching panties, she hoped he appreciated the easy access and peek-a-boo appeal of the lacy fringe of the negligee, which barely covered her bottom and pussy.

The second the sun disappeared, electrified static skittered across her skin. The floor vibrated and his statue cracked. He was coming free of his shell. Donnell shook the dust and pebbles from his hair and body. He looked gloriously sexy naked. His cock stood hard and straight out from a nest of red curls. Those brilliant green eyes of his darkened with lust the moment they focused on her.

Vulnerability slithered through her veins. What if she was wrong? Cait swallowed hard and steeled her resolve. She was going through with her plans and if it didn’t work… Cait ignored the sudden pain in her gut. She’d deal with the outcome no matter what happened.

Donnell closed the distance, placed his palms flat on the bed on either side of her, then gently kissed her. His warm breath caressed her lips as he spoke. “Ye are a vision of pure beauty to
mi
eyes.”

Her nipples hardened and it was all she could do not to pull him down on the bed and fuck him raw. But she had a plan and she desperately wanted to stick to it.
Woo the man
whispered through her head,
win his heart
. Her hand trembled as she placed it against the center of his chest and gave a playful push.

“You, my lover, need a bath.” She stood, causing him to step back just enough for her to gain her balance. Cait gathered his hand in hers and led him toward the connecting bathroom.

He frowned. “Me being a bit dirty never bothered ye before.”

She shot him a coy smile across her shoulder. “Tonight is different. I want to please you in every way I know how.”

Donnell grinned. “Ye have never failed to please me ever.” When he tried to tug her close, she resisted and swatted his arm for the effort.

“Behave,” she commanded.

“But I don’t want to,” he whined in a jesting manner. The distraught, boyish look upon his face made her insides melt but she forced herself to stay on course.

A dozen vanilla-scented candles lit the room. A prepared bath waited in the oversized tub. Steam rose from the water. At the tub’s side, she faced him and smiled. “Your bath awaits, milord.”

Cait guided him in as carefully as possible without getting wet in the process.

“Seems
mi
brèagha neamhnaid
has a bit of romance in mind,” Donnell stated, looking about the room as he settled in the tub. The passionate heat in his gaze nearly sizzled her soul to a crisp and made her wet, weakening her determination. “Will ye be joining me?” He held his hand to her.

She dug deep and forced her voice to work and her body to stay put. “No. I wish to please you. Now sit still and let me wash you.”

His pout made her giggle and was hard to resist but she somehow managed. Cait lifted the rag and gently caressed his shoulder, then traveled across his chest, squeezing the cloth, letting the water trickle down the center between his nipples. The pert round nubs beaded into hard points. It was obvious he liked being washed. Cait filled the cloth with lavender-scented soap and followed the same path, removing dirt and grime from his flesh.

Carefully she washed his face. With his eyes closed, he couldn’t see she was making sure she didn’t miss cleaning every freckle. She moved to his back, making him lean forward. The broad expanse of muscles stretched and flexed, making her smile. He was doing that deliberately to turn her on and she knew it. He twitched when she washed under his arms and the bottoms of his feet. She loved the fact he was ticklish.

Donnell was nothing more than an overgrown boy with a devilishly playful streak. But that was one of the features she loved about him. If she wasn’t careful, he’d probably pull her into the tub and ruin her plans. Cait took precautions not to let that happen. She kept his hands in sight as she continued to bathe him. She soaked his hair with several cups full of water until it was thoroughly wet. This was the task that took the longest. His hair was thick but she enjoyed washing it. Gently she massaged his scalp and he sank into a more relaxed position with his head resting in her hands. A soft moan escaped his lips and she couldn’t help but grin.

Once she was certain she’d removed every ounce of dirt and debris, she whispered in his ear, “Dunk under the water and rinse the soap from your hair, please.”

He slowly sank as she commanded. Suds floated in the water, haloing his head. Long strands of red hair tangled in her fingers as she helped remove the soap. The sight of his cock standing erect in the water dried her mouth. Damn, she hadn’t washed that yet.

She worked her fingers free of his hair and soaped the cloth as he surfaced. Before he had a chance to catch a full breath she was washing his cock and balls. Donnell gulped loudly and she laughed. She literally had him in the palm of her hand where she wanted him. He leaned back, lifting his hips, giving her better access to his shaft.