Guardian Angel (27 page)

She had to laugh when Michael walked in with Angus, an unfamiliar cape draped over the animal’s back, declaring him a service dog.  “Just in case the Health Department shows up,” he told her with a wink.

It took a while before she spotted Aidan.  His expression was curiously neutral as she made her way to him.  Rebecca held her breath, though her head was held high.

“Went and got yourself married then, have you?” he asked.

She nodded, unable to completely stem the moisture from pooling in her eyes as she came to stop a few inches from him.  It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.  She was barely aware of the silence that had fallen around them.

“Are you angry with me?”

Aidan’s brown eyes softened as he reached out and pulled her to him.  “How could I ever be angry with anything that makes you glow like that, Becca?” he asked.  “It’s all I ever wanted for you, you know.  To be happy.”

She wrapped her arms around him, trying to convey years and years of things unspoken in that single embrace.  “I know, Aidan.”

“And Kane, he’ll take good care of you.”  Aidan looked over her head at Kane when he said this.  Kane inclined his head slightly in silent acknowledgement.

“I know.”

“But I still want my chance to walk you down the aisle.  You’re not going to deny me that, are you?”

“No,” she whispered tearfully, squeezing him closer.  “No.”

––––––––

T
he next few weeks passed in a blur.  Kane renewed the lease on the little Victorian for another three months and moved in with Rebecca and Angus until the “official” church wedding, but they escaped to the mountains on the weekends, away from all of the hustle and bustle of planning a wedding.  Even a simple wedding, they found, required a lot of planning, and the respite of Kane’s cabin became a greatly coveted reward for making it through each week.

There, it was only the two of them – and Angus, though it took only one weekend of Angus’ lonely stares for them to revisit the SPCA and find him a suitable mate.  Rebecca had adjusted somewhat to his family – now hers as well.  She could spend time with them without feeling uncomfortable, as long as Kane was nearby.  They, in turn, seemed to have accepted her quiet presence, and had come to realize that she was not, in fact, antisocial but simply quiet and content to listen, joining in occasionally.  But it was their time alone where they were happiest.

* * *

K
ane had suspected it was coming, but he was still somewhat surprised by the fact they actually believed they could pull it off.  As the oldest, the biggest, and arguably, the most skilled, he probably should have known it was a challenge they would not be able to resist.

The night before the wedding, it had become tradition for the Callaghan brothers to “kidnap” the groom while the bride was sequestered elsewhere.  No doubt it had probably developed from the age-old superstition that the groom was not supposed to see the bride prior to the wedding on the big day.  In a family of seven boys, it had been modified somewhat.  It ensured that the groom remained “true” his final night.  Though the fidelity of the groom was never really in question – once a Callaghan man found his soul mate there would never be another – the forced abstinence did serve as a guarantee that the bride-to-be would be assured an enthusiastic performance after the ceremony. 

But the primary reason?  They could not help trying to out-do each other.

As their family had grown, so had the tradition, now involving the women as well as the men.  And while Kane knew of the tradition, Rebecca did not.

The evening started out normally enough.  A rehearsal at the church for the wedding party, followed by the traditional rehearsal dinner at the Celtic Goddess.

Kane stayed close to Rebecca that night, on high alert.  He hadn’t missed the occasional furtive glances or the hushed whispers throughout the evening.  He thwarted each and every attempt to separate him from his bride, knowing that if he did not, one or both of them would be ambushed.

Rebecca sensed that something was going on, but Kane was so confident in his abilities that he refused to worry her.  While his family had come to regard the tradition as great fun, Kane feared that it might make Rebecca anxious.

“Everyone seems to be acting a bit strangely tonight,” she confided in a whisper.  Of course his perceptive bride had picked up on it.  The atmosphere did hold an undercurrent of something exciting.  Eyes glittered a little brighter, smiles came a little easier.  Still, he wasn’t worried.

Kane pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly.  “Better?” he asked.

“Infinitely,” she answered dreamily.  Kane smiled.  He loved that he could do this to her.

“Dance with me.”  Kane growled at the request as Rebecca turned and saw Kieran’s hand extended toward her and a mischievous grin on his face.

“Fuck off,” Kane said, giving him a look that could have stripped paint from the walls as he pulled Rebecca tighter against him.

“Kane!”  Rebecca chastised as the breath was squeezed from her lungs, but Kieran only laughed.  “Easy there, big brother.”

Ian appeared as well.  “Ah, come on, Kane.  You can’t keep her to yourself all night.”

“The hell I can’t.  Go dance with your own wife.” 

“Kane, it’s okay,” Rebecca started to say, but Kane raised his arm, lifting her several inches off the ground as he turned.  Suddenly he found himself facing Jake and Michael.  Son of a bitch.  They were going for an all-out open attack.  Kane was almost disappointed; he had been expecting something much more devious and intricate.

“It’s tradition, bro,” Jake said devilishly.  “You wouldn’t want to break tradition now, would you?”

Kane released a stream of oaths that had Rebecca turning crimson.  “Kane, maybe you should...

“Yes, Kane, you really should,” laughed Sean, suddenly appearing behind him.

Rebecca was pulled from his arms by Shane and handed off about the same time a black hood was yanked over Kane’s head and bindings were pulled around him.  Kane fought valiantly, but even he was no match for his six brothers, especially when they had planned and synchronized their attack so perfectly.  Several of them would be nursing injuries to be sure, but none of them seemed to mind.  In fact, it seemed only to heighten their resolve and enjoyment.

* * *

“I
t’s alright,” Taryn said, aiding Nicki as they attempted to pull a nearly hysterical Rebecca away from the fray.  “It’s tradition.”

“It’s insane!” Rebecca cried.

“That it is,” agreed Maggie, laughing.  “But boys will be boys.  Come, have a drink with us and we’ll fill you in.”

Rebecca looked at her as if she was crazy, too, then extended that look to Taryn, Nicki, and Lexi as well, forming a protective circle around her.  The sounds of a great struggle continued only a few feet away as the “boys” attempted to wrestle Kane to the ground.  The snap of handcuffs and the feel of cold steel around her wrists only reinforced that thought.

“Awesome,” breathed Taryn, staring at the shiny cuffs with undisguised envy.  “You carry those with you all the time?”

“Yep,” Nicki said with more than a little pride.  “Although I’ve never used them on anyone besides Sean.”

The women broke into gales of laughter, and even Rebecca had to smile a little.

“Come on, girlfriend,” Lexi said.  “Or should I say,
sister
.  Tonight you will be inducted into our super-secret society.  Let us further enlighten you on the bunch of crazies you’ve married into.”

Several margaritas later, Nicki finally released the cuffs.  Kane had been dragged off quite some time ago, kicking and fighting all the way, even as he was trussed and carted away.  He struggled so much, in fact, that he managed to break free once, hitting the hardwood floors with a resounding thud.  None of his brothers seemed all that sorry about it, though.

“So let me get this straight,” Rebecca said, the warmth of the alcohol flowing through her veins, but it was the warmth of the women around her that she felt most keenly.  For perhaps the first time in her life, Rebecca didn’t feel like an outsider.  These women were treating her as if she belonged, and the strangest thing was, she felt like she did, too.  “They’ve taken Kane back to the Pub, where he will remain under guard until the wedding tomorrow?”

“Yep,” Maggie said, nodding vigorously.  “Except he thinks it’s his job to try and escape and find his way to you.”

“And that it’s our job to keep you hidden,” Lexi giggled.

“Except that we don’t exactly play that way,” Taryn chimed in.

“You don’t?” Rebecca asked.  The tingle of excitement, the hint of naughtiness in their eyes and knowing smiles was infectious.

“No.  What actually happens is, the groom gets manacled to the bed so it’s impossible for him to escape.  And our job is to sneak you in so you can have your wicked way with him.”

Rebecca’s eyes got as big as saucers.  “Really?”

“Absolutely.  This, sister, is our gift to you.  A night of total dominance over your alpha male.”

“And Kane knows none of this?”

“Nope.  Only the ones already married know what’s coming, but they won’t say anything.”

“We have Taryn to thank for starting this great tradition,” Lexi said, raising her glass in toast.  “She was the first to discover the secret dumbwaiter, sneaking in to her alpha to piss off his brothers.”

Taryn checked her watch.  “Almost time to get ready.  Nicki, did you bring the gear?”

“Gear?  What gear?” Rebecca asked with a nervous giggle.

“Oh, nothing too much.  Some leather, some chains...”

“Whips, lube, ...”

Rebecca paled, even as Lexi shoved a book in her hand.  “Here, read this.  It’s got some great ideas.”  Rebecca looked at the book, turning it over.  “Salienne Dulcette?”  Amazingly, the gorgeous man on the cover looked very much like one of the Callaghan men.

“She’s a goddess, and for tonight, this is your bible.”

“Read it, love it, live it,” nodded Maggie with reverence.

B
y the second page, Rebecca was hooked.  She found she couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, refusing to put the book down even as the others dressed her.  Maybe that was one of the reasons she was so shocked when she finally got a good look at herself right before they left.

“Oh, my.”  She blushed to the roots of her hair at the sexy negligee and matching sheer covering.  “Do you think he’ll like it?” 

“Trust me, sweetie, he will love it.  Submissive, yet sexy.  Gets ‘em every time.”

“Especially the night before the wedding, when they’re all tense and anxious...”

“Amen to that, sister,” said Nicki fervently.  “The night before my wedding had to be one of the best fu-”

“I think she gets it,” Maggie laughed.

“Not yet,” Lexi winked.  “But with our help, she will.”

“Okay, take off the coat and get in,” Taryn instructed.  They’d snuck Rebecca in the private back entrance to the Pub, prowling quietly to the hidden dumbwaiter in the far reaches of the ancient kitchen.

“Are you sure about this?” Rebecca said, biting her lip.

“Oh hell yes.”

With a wink, Jake wished her luck and began to tug on the rope.  Rebecca pulled her knees in tighter, closed her eyes, and prayed for courage.

When the movement stopped, Rebecca took one last deep breath and slid the panel open.

Kane’s struggles ceased at the whisper of sound.  Rebecca’s eyes grew huge at the sight of her husband secured to the bed by his hands and feet.  He’d been stripped down to nothing, with naught but a light cotton sheet covering him.

“Oh, my,” she said, surprised at the sultry sound of her own voice as an unexpected heat rushed through her body.  She’d never seen Kane like this before; he’d always been the dominant one – so strong, so capable, so commanding.  But now...

His eyes gleamed in the dim light at the sight of her.  The rest of his body grew perfectly still, with one exception.  There was no way to conceal his reaction upon seeing her in the sheer, exotic nightie.  It was a good one.

“Release me,” he hissed, his muscles bulging in protest.

“Ssshhhh,” she said, putting her fingers to her lips and giving him a devilish smile.  “If you make any noise, they’ll find me and make me go away.”  Any lingering doubts she had vanished in that instant as the true potential of the night hit her.  This, she decided then and there, would be fun.

She didn’t go to him at first.  Instead, she removed the two dozen or so scented candles from her little black bag and proceeded to place and light them until the entire room was bathed in a soft glow.  His eyes never left her.

Next, she went back to her bag and removed a bottle of warming massage lotion.  The strain on the restraints was audible as Kane tried to reach for her.

“Oh my,” she said again, her eyes focusing on the very definite tent in the sheet.  “What’s got you so worked up?”

There was no mistaking the growl that rumbled from deep within his chest, nor the voracious look in his eyes.  Rebecca carefully pulled back the sheet, making sure that it caressed his engorged shaft in the process.  Kane jerked against his restraints, but his brothers had done an exceptional job in securing him.  After several moments, Rebecca felt safe approaching him.

She began with his chest, drizzling a little of the oil upon it and using slow strokes to distribute it evenly, feeling it warm beneath her hands.  Her heart beat furiously in her chest; she felt lightheaded with power.  She avoided his eyes and the unspoken commands that she knew would still bring her to her knees if she would allow it.

Rebecca took her time, kissing, massaging, tasting every inch of him.  From his chest she moved to his shoulders, straddling herself just above him.  Enough that he could feel her heat, that he could scent and sense the wetness coating her inner thighs, that he could just barely skim tender flesh if he thrust himself upward in a desperate arch.

From his shoulders she moved to his arms, stretched and secured above his head.  She whimpered at the flexing steel beneath her fingers, tempting his mouth with her barely covered breasts, but forced herself to continue.