His Heart's Desire (20 page)

He chuckled and the sound danced across her senses. She loved the timbre of his voice and was constantly amazed at how he could fire her desire with a simple word.

“Patience, darlin’. I’ll have you purring in a moment, but I want to enjoy how pretty you are here.” He nuzzled her before he gently blew on her swollen and achy flesh. “Now, y
ou need to stand still.”

His command ratcheted her desire a little higher. Braden gently pushed through the dark curls that covered her mound, before he parted her labia. With a devilish gleam in his eye, he slowly ran his tongue along her flesh, stopping at her aching clit. He circled the hard little nub before he dragged his pliant tongue across it, and just when she thought her eyes would roll back into her head and her legs would finally fail her, he sucked the little b
undle of nerves into his mouth.

Cat didn’t expect the orgasm to crash over her so swiftly and without mercy. Spasms washed over her and she called out, clutching Braden’s head to her, grin
ding herself against his mouth.

With a final swipe of his tongue, Braden stood and lifted her against the shower wall. Cupping her backside, he brought her
down on his rock hard erection.

The sensation of his cock buried deep inside her made her womb spasm with fresh arousal. Wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, she took possession of his mouth. The kiss was raw and carnal. She tasted herself, a sweet yet salty tang upon her tongue. Braden placed his hands on the tiled surface on either side of her head and began to thrust inside her. With each thrust he circled his hips, rubbing against her clit. She tottered on the edge of release.

Braden looked into her eyes. “I love you.” He punctuated each word with a thrust of his cock. The combined sensation of him inside her, the look in his eyes and his words, sent her over the edge.

He took her mouth and kissed her senseless, never stopping his thrusts. She tightened her legs around him and ground down. It wasn’t long before he hardened and lengthened inside her, seconds before he followed her over the edge into sensual oblivion.

After the storm passed, Cat disengaged herself from his body, sliding down the slick surface of his chest. She bent and placed a kiss over his heart. “I love you so much.”

They stood with arms wrapped around each other under the gentle spray of the shower. Without a word they cleaned up
and stepped out of the cubicle.

Braden took special care in helping her dry and she did the same, taking time to place a kiss here and there. Once they were dry and dressed, Braden led her out to the balcony and pulled her down onto his lap.

“I don’t want you to think I don’t want you to come with me. I do.”

How did he read her mind with such ease? “I’ll come with you, if you’d like.”

“I ken that you will. But this is something that I must do alone. I must come to terms with this new life.”

“Do you realize that when you’re upset or stressed, your Scottish brogue is more pronounced?” It was a stupid thing to say and she wasn’t sure why she noticed it, but there you had it. Commenting on this was better than dealing with their current conversation.

What could she say to his decision? The answer was simple. There was nothing she could say or do.

Braden smiled at her. “No, I was not aware that I slipped back into my old speech patterns.”

Cat shook her head. “Never mind, it was stupid thing to say. I guess I’m trying to avoid what you’re saying.”

“You need to understand, lass. This world is much different from the one that I came from. I need to find my place; come to terms with what I can do. Sitting about waiting for you
. . . is no’ who I am. Can you understand this?”

“Yes.” She kissed him. “Maybe you could find a position teaching medieval history at Tulane.”

He smiled. “‘Tis something I ken a great deal.”

“It’s just something to think about.” She r
ested her head on his shoulder.

“I’ll come back to you, Catrìona. I’ve waited for centuries to have you back in my arms and nothing will keep me away from you longer than necessary.”

His words should have offered comfort but Cat had learned that promises made were not always so easily kept. The fact he wanted—no, needed—to leave, settled like a rock in her stomach. Why were happy endings so hard to find? Life was not a fairytale and she wasn’t Sleeping Beauty.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Braden stood on the balcony, overlooking the busy street. He stared unseeing at the people moving about, laughing and talking. Although he loved Catrìona with all his heart, he really did feel that going home to Scotland would be good for him. He would be far from Morgana, if in fact she was really able to sense where he was. Of course, if she could divine his geographical location, it would matter little. In the end he had to protect Catrìona. And hopefully he could return to this place, once he learned how to live in this time and once he was sure Morgana was no longer a threat. Then, and only then, could he and Catrìona be together.

Catrìona stepped out onto the balcony and put her arms around his waist, interrupting his thoughts. “I’ll be back in a few hours. Are you sure you don’t want to come with me? We can go out to eat afterward.”

“I think I’m going to go for a walk.”

“Okay.” She came around and faced him. “Love you, Braden.”

“I love you too,
mo chridh.” He kissed her lingeringly.

He watched her leave and remained on the balcony, blowing her a kiss when he saw her down below. Braden wanted to protect her, take care of her. He felt impotent in this time period. He should be providing for his lass; not the other way around. What could he do? There wasn’t a large call for Highland warriors now. Anger burned
inside him. How he hated this.

Turning, he went inside. Since Alec had managed to find a lass, he was seldom around. At first it had been was a blessing, but now he really missed his cousin. He needed to speak to A
lec, find out how he was doing.

Braden locked up and stepped out on the sidewalk, inhaling the warm air. He did enjoy this city; the throb of humanity, the tastes, and the sounds which he knew were unique to this pla
ce.

He walked several blocks and began to feel unsettled. Stopping, he looked around but didn’t see anything unusual outside the normal tourist behavior. Still, he kept one eye open. About two blocks from Alec’s new girlfriend’s place, he turned quickly and froze.

The blood drained from his head and adrenaline coursed through his veins, leaving him shaking. It couldn’t be. Morgana was not here in New Orleans? Fate could not be that cruel.

He remembered the Ouija board and the warning it had offered, along with the caution Constance had shared. The fact that they were actually in the same place at the same time was bad. Very
bad. Did she know he was here?

There was always the possibility that the woman wasn’t Morgana and his mind was creating the devil whe
re it didn’t exist.

Unwilling to take the chance of not knowing if it was her, Braden ran after the feminine figure, dodging tourist in tacky t-shirts and mardi gras beads. He watched as the person darted down an alleyway. He tried to follow but got caught behind a couple with a stroller. By the time he turned the corner, the alley was empty. He tried to shake off the unsettling feeling of doom, but couldn’t.

Braden looked around the alley one last time before returning to the busy street. The feeling of someone watching him didn’t dissipate. He made his way quickly to Meagan’s home. He had a sinking feeling that their past may have finally caught up with them. Literally.

*
* *

Morgana followed him to his cousin’s location. Alec Ross was well known for his sexual conquests. According to legend, the man flirted with anything in a skirt and always managed to make a woman—from greatest beauty to saddest hag—smile as if he owned the world. Clearly he’d taken this talent and applied it to the modern day woman. Lucky girl, whoever she was. Morgana would have liked to have been on the receiving end of such a flirtation, but that wasn’t to be. When Braden went, so would his cousin. Such a shame, since she really didn’t have anything against him and there wasn’t anything noted in the family annals. He would be a casualty of war. A very perso
nal war, but a war nonetheless.

Skulking about the townhouse, she managed to enter the private garden and listened at the window to the discussion taking place.

“Alec, ‘tis no’ the time to joke around. I saw Morgana in the Quarter today.”

“Man, you are like centuries out of touch. She’d dead, Braden. Long dead.”

Braden’s response was too muffled for Morgana to hear, but the tone said more than enough. He was fearful.

“Our fate is sealed, Alec, unless we leave now. Remember what I told you Constance had said?

“You’re going to run from a figment of your imagination? You must be jesting. And I’m not leaving Meagan. I love her, Braden. And I’m still questioning the credibility of a woman that purposely turns her hair purple and accosts people on the street to ramble about gloom and doom,” Alec said.

“Remember when I said there is always a catch when a druid priestess is involved?”

“Aye.”

“I sensed the power of this woman’s magic. She is kin to the original Morgana.”

“Shit.”

Morgana smiled at Alec’s comment. He summed up the situation perfectly. She’d experienced the bite of unrequited love herself several years ago. And recently she’d tried dating again, only to come up with the same dismal results. Her kin apparently were never going to be lucky at love. That explained why so many of them were without daddies in the picture. Even now the wound was barely healed. She hated the happy couples she saw wondering around the Quarter laughing and kissin
g, thinking life was wonderful.

In sane moments she realized that the happy couples wandering around weren’t at fault when it came to her own unhappiness. And maybe, just maybe, if she’d listened to her sister’s advice the hurt of the betrayal would have been a non-issue. Perhaps she could have found someone or something
that left her feeling complete.

But this was neither here nor there and her duty was clear. The task she readily assumed as her responsibility was to send Braden and his cousin back to where he came from, and let him live his life with the agony of the loss of his heart. She’d always wondered why her ancestress hadn’t allowed that to be his fate from the start. Perhaps the first Morgana had suffered an attack of conscience—but that
would never happen to her.

She decided now was the time, before he had a chance to hide as he planned. She’d practiced the curse and could say the Latin words forward and backward without messing up. Somehow she knew that her mental wellbeing was connected to erasing the fact that Laird Braden Ross still breathed. Morgana knew her latest break-up had been on the same day The Ross had been released from the other side. He was to blame and he had to pay. It was as simple as that. Creeping back the way she had come, Morgana went
to the front door and knocked.

*
* *

Cat finished her meeting with her latest client early and decided to stop by and see if Alec and Meagan wanted to come over for dinner. Since she and Braden had spoken about his returning to Scotland, she had realized that life did not always go according to plan. She had no idea if Alec would accompany Braden back to Scotland or not, but if that was the case she wanted to spend time with him before he left, too. Her heart ached at how Meagan would respond to Alec’s departure. Although it wasn’t supposed to be forever, things could change.

She reached Meagan’s house and knocked on the door, frowning when no one answered. Thinking it odd, since Braden had said they would be hanging out here for the day, she pulled out her cellphone to call. Before she could finish dialing the number, the door pulled opened slowly.

“Well, well. Look who finally decided to join the party.” A beautifully exotic woman stood in front of her. Cat had never seen this person before, but clearly this woman knew her. “Come in, Catrìona. We’ve been waiting for you.”

Ice replaced the blood in her veins. The mystery woman’s voice was absolutely emotionless and it chilled Cat to the core.

Cat stepped into her friend’s apartment and stopped short. Braden and Alec sat on the couch. Meagan was crushed to Alec’s side, tears slipping slowly down her face.

“What’s going on?” Cat asked as she closed the door behind her.

“
Mo chridh, you must leave this place right now,” Braden said. “Go. Don’t turn back.”

“Oh, come now, warrior. I think she has a right to be here, don’t you? A last farewell between friends and lovers.” The woman laughed. “This could be an a la Titanic moment, only minus the sinking ship and the iceberg. Same kind of feelings, though. All is lost, you know you’re going to die, how do you say goodbye? With meaning, of course. You don’t want anything to be trite.”

Panic like she’d never known before welled in Cat’s throat, acidic and sour, choking her. This couldn’t be happening. Not now.

“I see you’re finally grasping the seriousness of the situation.” The woman walked towards her with a strange sort of grace. “Let me introduce myself, I’m Morgana.” She smiled. “And you are Catrìona.”

Cat looked at Braden and her heart caught in her throat. She’d never seen him look so ferocious.

“Don’t be bashful, Catrìona. You’re amongst friends. Come, sit down.” Morgana grabbed her by the arm, dragged her over to the couch and shoved her at Braden.

“What’s going on?” Cat rubbed her forearm.

“Who wants to answer the princess’s question? Anyone?” Morgana laughed. “Oh, this is rich. Are the Highland warriors scared of a wee thing like the truth?”

Cat slammed herself tight against Braden. She didn’t like Morgana, nor was she crazy about the vibes coming from her. Morgana oozed black hatred more than anyone she had ever met. Cat wondered how much effort it took day in and day out to produce that sort of bile.

“Well, since it seems the two men aren’t going to answer you, and your friend is inconsolable and not in the correct frame of mind to give this tale any justice in the telling
. . .”

Braden stood and moved in front of Cat. “You wi
ll cease with these theatrics.”

He turned and faced Cat. “Morgana is related to the original woman who cursed Alec and me. And now, centuries later, this person thinks my punishment was not sufficient and plans on sending us back to where we came from.”

His words twined themselves around her heart and stomach. She wanted to be physically ill as she looked at Morgana. The woman was positively glowing with expectation.

“Does she have the power to do such a thing?” Cat asked Braden without taking her eyes off Morgana.

“Oh, don’t you worry about that, Catrìona. I have more power than you could imagine.” Morgana offered a chilling smile.

Cat swallowed hard before she licked her lower lip. Her mouth was as dry as cotton and the adrenaline crashed through her system like a tsunami. “Why? They aren’t hurting you. Why can’t you simply leave us alone?”

“The knowledge that they draw breath, smile, laugh, enjoy life, is enough for me.”

Cat stared at Braden and the calmness in his eyes reached to her. He always said he’d protect her, now more than ever she wished that were true. Wished he could insulate her from what was about to happen. This was something that couldn’t be fought with use of a sword or gun. They were dealing with an irrational hate and reaching out to Morgana’s common sense and compassion would be pointless.

“Say goodbye, Highlander.” Morgana looked at Alec. “And you too, handsome. Can’t do to one without doing to the other.”

Cat froze where she stood. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. She knew she and Braden had faced problems, but what couple didn’t? She had never imagined they wouldn’t be given the chance to make things right. She loved him an
d had waited for him for years.

Tears filled her eyes, leaving them burning and her vision blurred. “I’m not going to say goodbye to him because you’re not going to take him away from me. It’s not your right to do so. This was not your hurt.”

“Tsk, tsk.” Morgana shook her head. “You don’t seem to understand the situation. It is my right and best you keep your mouth shut before I fix it so your life is a miserable wasteland of heartbreak and despair.” She pointed to Braden. “Frankly, you could do better than this Neanderthal.”

Cat broke the stare she and Braden held and glanced at Meagan and Alec. They were ignoring the conversation totally, only having eyes for the other. She couldn’t hear the whispered words being spoken but knew without a doubt t
hey were saying their goodbyes.

“Well, clearly you’re not going to take advantage of my rather generous offer of a goodbye so I’m going to go ahead and take care of business. Tonight my favorite show is on the boob tube and I want to pick up dinner first.” Morgana spread her arms out wide and s
aid a few words in rapid Latin.

“Wait!” Braden moved over to Cat and wrapped his arms around her.

She inhaled deeply, trying to still the overwhelming need to scream.

“Look at me, Catrìona.” His voice was gruff and full of emotion. Cat met his gaze and her throat closed off. The tears welled in her eyes, making Braden a blurry form. “I don’t want to say goodbye to you. Not now.”

“Shh, my heart. We don’t have much time.”

Cat tried to say something but he silenced her with a kiss. The softest kiss she’d ever experienced. The touch was slow and sweet, and loving. Braden pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. His warm breath brushed against her warm skin. How could she feel heat when sh
e was encapsulated in ice?