His Heart's Desire (18 page)

Braden groaned as she stroked him and he thrust his hips forward, aching and needing more contact. Their mouths fused together again as hands fumbled to remove the last lacy barriers between them.

Soon Cat was partially naked on his lap and Braden ran his hands down her soft stomach and into the thatch of damp curls that protected her aching center. Cat’s hands were equally busy, stroking and squeezing his erection and scrotum as she rocked against his magical fingers. As if by mutual agreement, she rose and impaled herself on his penis. Both groaned when she slowly sank down to the hilt.

Braden cherished the warm tight fit of her honeyed passage as it held him in its velvet grip. He kissed her with long, deep kisses, urging her hips up and down on his aching flesh. Still it wasn’t enough. He couldn’t seem to get deep enough to satisfy the aching pain in his groin and, without withdrawing from her, he stood and then gently placed her down on the swing
.

Braden felt Catrìona wrap her legs around his waist and was instantly allowed deeper access. With long deep strokes, he filled her totally. She met him stroke for stroke and together they found the tempo th
at bound their bodies together.

Braden felt his impending orgasm but didn’t want to come without her. “Come for me, baby,” he whispered as he slowly ground his groin into her. He palmed her buttocks and held her there, impaled on him, not allowing her any movement as he ground himself against her clit
.

It was too much, and Cat felt herself shatter into a thousand pieces just as Braden stiffened and groaned with his release.

Cat rested her forehead against Braden’s as she tried to catch her breath. The swing still swayed gently back and forth. The emotional storm had passed and for the first time since their lips touched, Cat allowed herself to face what they’d just done.

For the first time in her life she had been swept away with passion and made love outside where anyone could have happened upon them
.

The forbidden and sensual thing she’d just done should have left her blushing and ashamed. Instead, she felt empowered. She was filled with an amazing sense of peace as her breathing and h
eartbeat slowed back to normal.

“That was the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced.” Braden kissed her jawline before moving to her ear. He paid a little bit of attention to her sensitive lobe.

“Hmm.” She was too relaxed to say anything more. Cool air danced up her exposed legs; her satin and lace costume doing little to chase away the chill. However heat radiated from where her body connected to Braden’s.

The reality that she’d used sex as a way to avoid the real issues between them was not lost on her. She was just as guilty as Braden. Cat had never considered herself a coward, but apparently she was.

“We should return to the party before we’re missed, Braden.”

Braden shifted then stood and lifted her up into his arms, before gently setting her on the ground. Cat tried to straighten her costume when she noticed the strange fog that was drifting along the ground. The eerie mist covered the crushed shell path and she caught herself glancing uneasily behind her. A full moon—the second that month—chose that moment to shine through the clouds, illuminating the garden
with its ghostly light.

“Lass, is everything all right?” Braden pulled her close. “I know we still have a lot to work through, but don’t let that get in the way of what we just shared.”

“Huh?” Cat gave him her attention. “No, it’s not that. Don’t you feel like there’s something creepy out here?”

“What is creepy?”

“Strange, eerie, or unnatural.” Cat shivered.

“Nae, lass. Let’s get you back inside. There is a chill in the air and I don’t want you to fall ill.”

Without argument they made their way back to the plantation house. What she saw next was the very last thing she wanted to deal with right then. Suddenly, the unsettling feelings of moments earlier seemed amplified. Something wicked was afoot.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Braden and Cat entered the ballroom to find many of the partygoers had already left for the evening. Stephen and his girlfriend, Grace, Meagan and Alec and Remy and his latest fling named Tiffany, were all that remained.

“Oh, look, Braden and Cat have returned. Come on, Stephen, pull it out,” Grace said with a smile.

“Okay, okay. Come on, everyone, let’s go to the study. We’ll be more comfortable there.” Stephen led the way.

“What’s going on, lass?” Braden whispered as they followed the others.

Cat nibbled on her lower lip. “I’m not sure. I have a feeling they are going to pull out the old Ouija board.”

“What is that?” Alec asked as he leaned over.

“It’s a board that allows you to communicate with the other side,” Meagan said.

Normally Cat didn’t have any qualms about doing this. It was something they’d done for years. She and her friends had queried the board, seeking the names of their future husbands and posing questions like whether they’d be rich or poor. But tonight she didn’t embrace the idea. The fog had crept up from the river to the house, adding to her uneasiness. “It’s kind of a tradition.”

The group entered the study and Stephen presented the old board with a flourish. “It’s the same one we used as kids.” Like that was su
pposed to bring comfort?

Cat shivered, feeling the damp coldness of the night invading her bones, yet only an hour earlier the even
ing had been warm and peaceful.

After the board was placed on the low coffee table, everyone sat close enough to be able to have a good line of sight.

“Okay, who’s going to speak to the other side?” Stephen asked with a singsong voice.

“I think me, Alec, Braden and Cat should go first,” Meagan said as she made room for everyone.

Cat resisted the urge to kick her friend. This was so not a good idea and she didn’t want anything marring the evening. Her experiences in the past few weeks regarding the supernatural had left her with a healthy respect for things she didn’t totally understand. Still she found herself resting her fingers on the planchette along with Meagan and the two men. Peer pressure in her thirties. Ridiculous.

“Hello, Ouija board, is there a spirit here who would like to talk to us?”

The planchette moved toward the word yes.

“What the hell?” Alec pulled back and looked at Meagan. “What magic is this you wield?”

Stephen and Remy laughed. “Haven’t you ever used one of these before? Don’t they have them in Ireland?”

“We’re from Scotland and I’m not familiar with this game.” Alec frowned. “Speaking with spirits should never be used as a form of entertainment.”

“Put your fingers back on the planchette, Alec. It will be okay.” Meagan kissed him on the cheek. “I promise.”

Cat could see the reluctance in both Braden’s and Alec’s eyes. She knew her gaze mirrored the same uncertainty. Yet, like a
lemming she followed the pack.

Once everyone was ready, Meagan asked, “
Spirit, do you have a message?”

The planchette moved back to the word yes.

“What is your message?”

Slowly two words were spelled out. M-O-R-G-A-N-A “Morgana. Who’s that?” Meagan looked around the table. “Does anyone know that name?”

“Aye,” Braden ground out.

Cat watched as both men exchanged a strange look. Was she missing something?

“Wait, the spirit is not done talking.” Stephen pointed to the board.

The second word was spelled out. K-N-O-W-S.

“I wonder what she knows,” Remy said.

D-A-N-G-E-R was the last word spelled out before Cat stood. “You know we’ve got to go. I’m tired and I have to get up early in the morning.”

Alec and Braden were both pale in the dim light of the study. And Cat had an overwhelming sense that they were being watched. “Are you all ready to go?

“Yeah.” Meagan stood. “I have to open the shop tomorrow.”

They said their goodbyes. What had started out as a fun evening now left a pall over the three of them. Cat prayed nothing would come of this foolishness.

*
* *

Braden was sure ice water had replaced the blood in his veins. A brief look over his shoulder proved that Alec was experiencing the same thing, judging from the look of horror in his e
yes.

“Okay, what’s going on?” Meagan asked once they pulled away from the plantation. “Why did you all freak? And, while I’m demanding answers, who the hell is Morgana and where did you guys come from?”

Cat glanced at Braden but he was looking at Alec, who was staring at Meagan. Cat pulled the SUV over and killed the engine. “The guys are from Scotland, Meagan.”

Meagan snorted. “And?”

“Go on, tell her, Alec,” Braden said.

Silence stretched for a heartbeat. Cat knew the story her friend was about to hear would be more than a little hard for her to swallow.

“There’s not much to tell, lass. Braden and I were cursed to live a loveless existence back in the year of Our Lord 1295. Braden made the mistake of asking a woman that was in love with him to help him bring home another. Anyhow, the only way this curse can be broken is by his soul mate. That person is Catrìona and she was the person that saved us from our misty realm. She traveled to Scotland, botched the release ceremony and brought us here to this time. Morgana is the evil bitch that cursed us. I think that covers all your questions.”

Braden smacked a hand to his forehead. “For the love of
. . . nice lead-in, you git.”

“Hey, she asked questions and I answered them.”

“You could have done it a little more gently. Think of the lass’s sensibilities.”

“Ha, that’s rich coming from someone who always growls when things don’t go his way.”

“Oh my God! Will the two of you shut up?” Cat slammed her hands down on the steering wheel. She turned and faced her friend. “Are you okay?”

Meagan stared hard, first at Braden, and then Alec. “Um
. . . yeah. I think so.” She faced Cat. “Is what he said true?”

Cat blew out a breath. “Yes. That was rather a condensed version, but he hit the high points.” She looked at Alec. “And he could have been a bit g
entler in the way he told you.”

Alec pulled Meagan against him. “I’m sorry, baby. I just wanted it out there so if you were going to walk away from me it would be sooner rather than later.”

“You’re an idiot.” Meagan smacked his head.

“Aye, that I am.” Alec kissed Meagan and Cat faced forward to give them a little privacy.

“Is there a woman waiting for you from whenever you came from?” Meagan said.

Alec’s next words melted Cat’s heart.

“No, baby. I’ve waited eight hundred years to find and love you. Only you.”

There was no more conversation from the back seat and Cat wanted to drop them off before things got hot and heavy and they steamed up her windows.

She started the Jeep and pulled back out onto the road. Braden held her right hand in a firm grip.

“Do you believe what that board said?” he asked in a whisper.

Did she? After all, she had pulled a Highland warrior through time, believed in the power of voodoo, and a God. So why not accept that Morgana was not happy and knew that Braden was free? “As strange as this seems, yes, I do believe that someone was warning us that something is afoot.”

“Afoot?” Meagan laughed. “You’re talking like you’re in a bad B medieval movie.”

“Clench it, Meags, kiss your boyfriend.” Cat turned her attention back to Braden. “As I was saying, I wouldn’t discount what happened tonight, but I won’t lose sleep either.” Great, now she was lying to herself.

“So you are not worried?” Braden said.

“Should I be?”

“No.” He brought their clasped hands to his mouth. “I’ll always keep you safe.”

“You really need to quit saying that.” Cat was frustrated and it bothered her to hear that Braden was still hung up on the macho, I-need-to-protect-you crap.

“I’m a man. I protect what’s mine.” His words were as abrasive as sandpaper against silk.

“I’m not yours to protect, big guy. I’m capable of doing that myself. Least we all forget, I was doing that just fine thank you very much before you and your cousin arrived.”

“That’s not what I meant, lass.”

“What he means is that he screwed the pooch the last time and he won’t make that same mistake twice,” Alec piped up from the backseat.

“Butt out, cousin, and kiss your woman. I don’t need you to speak for me, I can do that myself,” Braden all but snarled.

“Yeah, you do. You’re making a muck of things and cruising right into a doozy of an argument. You should have watched Dr. Phil with me the other day. And you call me ham-handed?”

“Do they always argue like this?” Meagan asked.

“Yes,” Cat sighed.

“No,” the men shouted at the same time.

“My bad.” Meagan held up her hands. “I’ll just sit here and be quiet.”

“They argue like small boys at times. It’s rather annoying. Especially when I’m upset.” Cat shot Braden what she hoped was a dark look.

This seemed to quell any further discourse and the trip back to New Orleans was made in total silence.

*
* *

Morgana sat in her apartment off Bourbon Street and seethed. Earlier in the evening, she’d tried scrying, but did not get the answers she sought i
n regards to Laird Braden Ross.

She was almost positive she had seen Laird Ross earlier, but how could her relative who was committed to making him pay for eternity have made such a stupid mistake? Allowing him to have a chance to walk in the sun again? It made no sense.

Her blood boiled thinking he had found his heart’s desire when just two weeks earlier she’d had her heart broken by a slick jerk. She was not interested in seeing anyone happy and certainly not someone like The Ross. Ah, poor Braden Ross, maybe the original Morgana had the right of it. Allowing the ass to experience the touch and compassion of love only to have it taken from him when he least expected it.

Morgana sat back and paged through her family’s old book of spells. She wanted to ascertain the exact loophole that had allowed Ross his freedom. When she found the spell she’d been looking for, she cautiously read and reread the Latin words. She found the exact phrase that had given the black heart a second chance. Whether by accident or design, it mattered not. The modern day Morgana, as she liked to think of herself, would not be so soft in the heart. This time when she sent him away, it would be to a hell that would make his previous existence seem like Shangri-La. His parole, as it
were, was about to be revoked.

She closed the heavy tome and watched the black candle’s flame flicker and dance. She had a great deal to do and all the time in the world to do it; after all, he didn’t know she was alive or how much danger she represented to his peace. She laughed. “In this case, ignorance really is bliss, isn’t it, Laird Braden Ross?” Morgan leaned over and blew out the candle allowing darkness to envelop the room.

* * *

Braden watched as Catrìona unlocked the back door. He could tell she was tired by the way she held herself. Despite her claims of not being worried, she was and that in turn upset him.

They hadn’t shared two words since dropping Alec and Meagan off and this was not how he had imagined the evening ending.

Dropping her keys on the stand by the door, she kicked off the sexy shoes she’d
worn and went upstairs.

Braden followed on her heels, not sure what he’d said wrong. He was also angry that, once again, the difference between women from his time clashed violently with the standards held by women of the twenty-first century. He’d be damned if he'd apologize because he loved her and wanted to keep her safe. On top of that, he had to process what Constance had shared with him earlier in the afternoon.

Her words had been chilling and brought to the forefront all of the things he was incapable of fighting. He was a warrior and his weapons had always been his steel and his sharp mind. Magic and curses were beyond what he knew how to fight. They were words made powerful by those that spoke them. Catrìona had no idea how powerful Morgana was and how much pain and despair she could wield.

“Thank you for taking me t
o meet your friends, Catrìona.”

She walked to the French door while tugging on the ribbon that held her c
orset closed. “You’re welcome.”

“Do you need help with that?”

“No. I’m going to take a bath and relax.” She made her way to her dresser and pulled out her nightclothes.

“Cat—”

“Braden. I love you, but I can’t help but feel as if you’re not being honest with me. I admit, the words from the Ouija board spooked me. But what scares me more is your smothering need to protect me. Have you ever considered that if you shared exactly what the danger is, that maybe, just maybe, my poor female brain could comprehend the seriousness of the situation and react accordingly? I’m not feeble.”