Laird of the Game (5 page)

Alex walked to the door. “The alternative is tha’ I leave the game with her because I willna let her walk away from me.” He saw the look of horror on their faces. “Ye can forfeit the game or join us for supper.”

“Weel then, supper sounds lovely,” Daniel said.

His shocked brothers nodded in agreement.

Chapter Five

Melissa walked into the bathroom and found that it was nothing more than an old-fashioned water closet complete with a wooden-handled, handcrafted chain to run water through the system. How could they survive without a proper bath and a candle for light? The modern day facilities she had come to depend on didn’t exist yet, and she suddenly felt overwhelmed.

She wandered around the room, unsure what to do next. Her sisters would help her if she could contact them, but how? There were no telephones or a radio in the house. At the moment, she missed her family and the comfort of her own apartment.

She fought back a tear when she thought about her sisters. Amber and Sarah would be frantic when she turned up missing and Melissa could just imagine the anguish they would go through while searching for her. They would not give up, no matter how many mountains they had to search. And yet, Melissa also felt drawn to this warrior in ways she had never experienced before now. Did she have to make a choice in either living in the future without him or hurting her sisters to stay in the past? Could she stay in the past even if she wanted to?

She considered Alexander’s actions and then had to admit that what annoyed her most was that he was accurate. He had unleashed her passions and then laughed at her innocence. With so much to think about, she was getting a headache and decided it wasn’t an answer she could find without a witch doctor or a magician. Perhaps it was all a dream and she would wake up and find that she had never left her hotel room?

She was fatigued and happy to have a little time to herself to regain control of her turbulent emotions. It was his room. She could tell by the scent. It filled her head and started an ache deep inside her belly. It wasn’t possible to desire him so completely, her mind reasoned.

She took off the wet dress and hung it over the back of a chair to dry. Her shoes were dropped in the middle of the floor. She crawled in under the covers, moved into the center of his bed, put her head down on the pillow, and fell asleep instantly.

***

He stood there, watching her sleep for a few moments before he had to wake her for supper. Alex had bathed and changed and then realized she could sleep through an entire army battling inside that room, she slept so soundly. She looked feminine in his warrior world and luscious beyond belief.

The house staff brought in an antique copper tub and filled it with steaming water. The home made soap was scented with rose petals and a bath sheet was laid out for her use, and then the staff left with instructions to prepare the cottage for their arrival later that day.

He took a deep breath. “Trust me, darling,” he said softly. Alex sat down on the edge of the bed and gently nudged her arm. “Wake up, Sweetheart.”

Her eyes bounced open, and she rolled out of bed, stood, and stretched.

The sight of her standing there in a very short, clinging slip was a distraction that made him swallow hard and force his line of sight to her face. He wanted all of her, not just her body, but at the moment, his body was already fervently responding to hers. For the first time in his life, Alex wanted to matter beyond immediate physical pleasure to someone.

“Alexander!” Melissa had heard him call her sweetheart, and it shocked her right out of bed. “That door was locked.”

He held up a key. “It’s my room.”

“I knew it was your room.  You said…”

“How did ye know it was my room?” He was intensely curious. Their casual conversation would probably have gone on for hours while he admired the sight of her curvaceous body in an opaque slip. She was confused and adorable with a hurricane of curls falling soft on her bare shoulders. It was a delight to watch her struggle with consciousness.

She waved her hand in front of her. “The entire room has your scent. You are avoiding the question.”

“What was the question?” He enjoyed the feminine sound of her voice. Her slip was skintight, and he got the most perfect view of her body when she stepped over by the window and sunlight highlighted her curves.

She ran a hand over the rage of curls that fell over her face. “I can’t remember. I’m a little groggy, and it must have been a question in my dream.”

“Ye have an hour tae wake and get ready for supper. I will be back tae take ye downstairs.”

Alex walked out of the room and shut the door. He stood there for a few moments and then heard the scream. He was certain she had just figured out that he wasn’t a nightmare.

He strolled down the stairs. Iain ran toward him.

“What the hell was that?” Iain stopped next to Alex.

Alex casually kept on walking.

Iain let out a long breath. “
Och
, with a scream like that, she can scare the hell ou’ of the Prince. It’s a good thing she’s on our side.”

Melissa spent the hour bathing, and cursing without a blow-dryer for her hair or a mirror larger than her compact to put on makeup. She waited for Alexander to return, but it was his younger brother who knocked on the door.

“My brother asked me tae bring ye downstairs.” He looked instantly flustered at finding the English words.

Alex looked relaxed leaning up against the white marble fireplace. She walked over to stand next to him and waited for him to finish his discussion.

The room was elegant, and she couldn’t help but notice the painted tiles of sailing ships. There were several comfortable sofas and chairs, and large bay windows let in plenty of light. The oak floors gleamed next to oriental rugs of deep blues and greens.

Melissa wanted him to kiss her again and had come to that realization an hour ago. Until she figured out how to go home, she’d better start acting like an Angel, even if it killed her.

What’s wrong with me?

She felt terrible for yelling at him the way she did and very embarrassed at her behavior. How often do you get a chance to meet a beautiful Celtic God who could kiss like a dream?

Melissa had only one choice for her wardrobe for the evening and wore the outfit she had packed in her bag for the supper she was going to attend with the tour.

“The warriors have already been told you are a jealous maniac who won’t allow anyone to talk to her.” Daniel shrugged off Alexander’s glare. It was the best scenario they could find to keep the lads from approaching her. “She’s going to need time period, appropriate clothing, he commented in Gaelic.

Alexander nodded. “See that it’s done quickly.” His brothers had already noticed her attire was a short black mini-skirt that draped low on her hips and pleated to sway provocatively when she walked. The swell inside the black lace top was the object of all of their attention.

Evan walked into the room and his gaze focused on her. “Wha’ do ye think ye’re doin’, lass?” Evan spoke in Gaelic. “If ye’re going tae romp aroun’ in those under things, we’ll have a fight tae the death if the warriors lay eyes on ye!”

Alex yelled at his brother and then continued talking as if nothing had happened.

Evan swallowed an entire mug of ale without taking a breath and belched.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw Gideon flip Evan over the back of a chair for his poor manners while they had a guest in the house.

Melissa held on to Alex with a steel grip on his arm. One of his brothers looked very upset, and she wanted to run and hide. The man was obviously distraught.

When she arrived, Alex could barely breathe, let alone think about what Daniel was telling him. He possessively draped his arm around her slim waist, pulling her up close to him.

With every breath he took, he was reminded of white flowers. He inhaled several slow, deep breaths to regain control of his desire for the lovely lass, and the provocative scent of her was imprinted on his memory.

Alex was delighted to touch her again. She was so soft against his calloused hand. “You were saying,” he repeated for Daniel and couldn’t help but overhear the “bloody hell!” that came out of William’s mouth when he walked into the room.

Melissa peeked out from behind Alexander’s back to see another brother sailing over the back of the couch. She tugged on his shirtsleeve, anxious about the number of bodies being tossed about, but he just patted her hand, as if this type of event happened every day in their lives.

Two younger brothers rushed the older one and tried to take him down but were tossed off like flies. Melissa gaped, wide-eyed as they tried to regroup and take him down by the knees, but the older brother sent them tumbling across the floor.

Alex sighed and frowned at Gideon, who was having a little fun with the boys.

He gave up any pretense of being able to hold an intelligent conversation. The warm blush on Melissa’s lovely bare belly was a severe distraction. The lace top was skin-tight, and there was absolutely nothing left to doubt, she had a beautiful body.

Melissa clasped her hands lightly together in front of her. They all looked at her legs, as if she had a blazing neon sign on her knees that said ‘take me’ on one, and ‘please’ on the other. She was suddenly very aware they were all staring at her and inched closer to Alexander.

He finally acknowledged her presence. “Good evening, Melissa.”

“Good evening, Alexander. You didn’t mention if supper was black tie or white slip.”

“Do we get tae choose?” Iain asked anxiously.

Gideon gave him a hard shove with a warning to watch his manners.

The room had become amazingly warm, Melissa thought. Alex had placed his hand on her hip. She couldn’t think the caress was so intimate, and yet so casual everyone else in the room wouldn’t notice. The affect it was having on her was enough to make her knees buckle. She thought she must have hit her head this morning when she fainted. It was the only logical explanation to her bizarre reaction to him.

Daniel excused himself and had to walk away before he broke out laughing. The tension between Alex and Melissa could crackle glass. Alex appeared to touch her with a casual indifference, and yet, was seducing her right in front of all of them.

She felt the impact of his touch, he knew by the pink flush on her cheeks.

William had walked into the room and stood as if he were made of stone, glaring at Alex.

Alex pulled her closer. “You look beautiful,” he whispered against her ear and applied pressure to her hip. “And verra sexy,” he added with a low, soft growl.

She was delighted he thought so. She fluttered her eyelashes at him and asked. “What does one wear while dining with Celtic Gods?”

“Hopefully, nothing,” Iain suggested.

‘I think she just abou’ managed tha’,” Evan said. Gideon knocked him off the back of the couch with a flick of his muscular arm.

Melissa cleared her throat and tried a different approach. “How about giving me an introduction to these fine gentlemen?”

Alex slipped his arm around her waist so her back was to him. She was firmly anchored against him. The heat of his body made her tremble slightly. He bent down and spoke softly in her ear. “Don’t say I didn’t warn ye, lass. They can be a wee bit forward at times, especially when they meet a beautiful wumman.”

His compliment, spoken softly against her ear brought out a hot flush of excitement on her cheeks.

“Daniel,” Alex called, and his brother returned. “They do know some English,” he said and shrugged. “Ye can help us learn a lot more since ye speak with such a funny English accent.”

Melissa was about to tell him her accent was from America when a handsome young man stood in front of her, picked up her hand, and kissed her fingertips.