CursedLaird (20 page)

A wild scream echoed. Loud grunts and groans and the sound
of fists to flesh echoed in the air. Glass scattered as one of the men’s head
hit the rear van door window. She flinched yet still managed to keep Jang in
her peripheral vision. The action-packed scene between her men and Jang’s made
her heart pump faster. Abel took a roundhouse kick to his midriff and went
flying backward against the wall. Percy had blood dripping from his lip, but it
didn’t seem to faze him.

A movement near the door caught her eye. The two men Kip
hired were sneaking out, escaping the chaos. Caledonia snorted. If Kip could
reach the door, he’d run too. She had no doubt of that, but he was trapped
between the corner, the pile of junk and the battle
royale
that took
place.

Abel rebounded and took down his man. Was that a smile on
his face? Oh lord, he was smiling. Her head shook. He really did need to get
laid if a fight brought him happiness. Percy clocked his guy with a solid right
hook and the man finally sank to his knees, eyes rolled back and he was out.

Struan. Where was Struan? Caledonia panicked. She’d taken
her eyes off him for a second and now he… A body slid over the hood of the van
and landed near Kip in the corner. Kip squealed and inched away from the
unconscious man. Struan rounded the front of the van, picked up his sword where
he must have dropped it and walked toward her. The fight was over.

She heard the scrape of metal and spun to see Mi Tu Jang
flick the pole into the air with his foot and catch it in his hand. An
unreadable haunted gaze filled his eyes. He spun the long metal pole in his
hand like a master dojo instructor. When he moved, his steps were precise, as
were his actions. The hired muscle had nothing on this man. It became obvious
to her, every article she’d ever read and rumor she’d ever heard about him held
an ominous truth.

Within a matter of seconds, his lightning-fast skill swiped
the feet from under both Abel and Percy. Claymore in hand, Struan measured his
opponent. She sensed more than saw Poppa move to assist. She couldn’t let him
or anyone else for that matter get hurt. This ended now. The men had their
fighting fun, now it was time for a woman to step in and handle the matter.

Staying out of Jang’s line of sight, she grabbed a folded
chair from the pile of discarded junk. In a move that would’ve made the finest
of television wrestlers proud, she pounded him in the back of the head with
every ounce of strength she could muster. He spun to face her. Caledonia clutched
the chair, readying for another swing. Mi Tu Jang took one step then fell
face-first to the floor. Her jaw dropped. She’d knocked him out.

“That’s my girl,” Fin cooed as he walked over and took the
dented chair from her. “You okay?”

Caledonia simply nodded, still not believing she’d hit
someone hard enough to knock them out. Yet, the proof lay at her feet,
breathing but not moving. Warm hands clasped her elbow and she forced her eyes
to lift. Struan’s eyes were lit with humor. Did he find what she did funny?
Thinking back, it really was sort of comical the way she’d brought down a
renowned criminal. Struan’s smile touched her heart and her lips twitched into
a thin smile. He was safe. She threw herself into his welcoming arms. The
gentle stroke of his hand down her back eased her shock.

“Ye did a fine job, lassie,” he whispered, pressing his lips
to the top of her head in a light kiss. “Ye sure ye are all right?”

“Aye,” she said, pushing back and tilting her head to see
his face. “We just need to get out of here.” She shot a questioning gaze across
her shoulder to the others. “Anyone still game to help me get Struan home
tonight?”

“Aye,” the O’Reillys stated in unison.

“I think that’d be nice, dear.” Aileen’s voice turned their
attention to the open doorway. She stood holding a wrapped bunch of flowers in
her hand. “We should leave right now. As I purchased these, the florist heard
the commotion over here and dialed the authorities.”

Kip tried to make a break for the door, but Struan halted
his progress. Arm held straight, claymore pointed at his throat, Struan
challenged Kip. “Ye nay be going anywhere, Kip. Ye must pay for all the wrong
ye have done to Caledonia. Fight mi like a man.”

Kip fainted. Percy, Abel and Poppa looked at Struan’s
surprised face and shrugged. Without a word, each of them stepped over him and
headed for the door. Caledonia squeezed Struan’s hand. She stood on tiptoes and
kissed his cheek.

“That meant more to me than you know. Thank you. We’ve got
to go now. Hurry. I’ll explain everything in the van.”

He didn’t question her, simply followed as she and the
others darted out the gate and across to the shopping center’s parking lot. No
one hesitated. Abel and the Kavanaghs walked quickly to their car in as casual
a manner as possible so as not to bring suspicion, got in and drove away. Percy
slid into the driver’s seat of the van. Since there was only room for one
passenger up front, Caledonia chose to sit in the rear of the van with Struan.
They jumped in through the side door of the blue panel van, slammed it shut
then she pounded on the wall behind Percy’s head as a signal they were in.

Sirens cut the air and her chest tightened. Would Kip try to
have her arrested? The van rolled backward as Percy maneuvered from the parking
space. Through the rear door windows, Caledonia saw flashing lights. She
scooted on her knees closer to get a better look. Two police cars rolled into
the fenced lot and came to a stop behind the vehicles outside Kip’s open door.
The lights in both parking lots lit the action for all to see. A crowd grew.

Percy drove across the shopping center parking lot to the
farthest exit away from the storage facility. The farther they got, the less
she saw but she knew she’d seen enough.

Too bad for Kip. She snorted, letting a smile curl her lips.
This time he lost.

Chapter Eleven

Caledonia turned and met pure surprise mixed with fear.
Struan squatted in the front corner. Both hands were palms flat against the
inside walls of the van, doing his best to steady himself. What was wrong with
him? Then it struck her, for a moment she’d forgotten his situation.

“What form o’ witchery is this? We ride in the b-belly o’ a
beast,” Struan sputtered as his gaze darted from side to side as if searching
for the closest escape route.

She crawled over to Struan and sat back on her heels.
Gathering his face in her hands, she made him look at her.

“It’s okay, Struan. You’re riding in the back of the van we
told you about. This is how we’ll get you home. It runs with a motor. It’s like
a horse-drawn carriage without the horse.”

Stretching, she placed a gentle kiss upon his lips. “I
promise, nothing will happen to you.”

One hand at a time dropped from the walls and he wrapped his
arms around her waist, tugging her close. She felt his distress ease as he kissed
her forehead, her cheeks then lowered to her lips. Gently he massaged her back.
Fingers trailed upward at a slow, sensual pace, kneading every muscle until he
cupped the back of her neck with one hand while the other fisted her braid.

“Caledonia, seems ye have saved mi again.”

Though he knew not how he had awakened in Edinburgh, he knew
where he was now. In the arms of the woman whose image kept him sane while
imprisoned. His memory did not do her beauty justice. Each intake of air filled
his senses with her scent, a faint hint of roses. Caledonia soothed the growing
despair of all that confused him in this new world.

Desire warmed his soul and guided his kiss into a passionate
war of tongues. Neither relinquished power to the other, which made him smile
inwardly. She gave in her kiss as well as took what she wanted. Her hunger for
him could not be mistaken and he didn’t intend to let her down.

No, his
fiadh-chat
deserved everything he had to
offer in the ways of pleasuring a woman. Struan stroked her hair. The braid
teased his palm with its thickness until he reached the end and worked the band
off that held it. He hugged her tight, kissing her, while both hands untangled
her braid. Umm, how he liked the sensation of her silky strands as he ran his fingers
through its length. Never had a woman’s hair fascinated him like Caledonia’s.
He broke from their kiss as he lifted her hair to his nose and inhaled. Roses
and a subtle hint of honey—light, airy and fresh.

Struan couldn’t get enough. He gathered her hair in both
hands and drew it across her shoulders to frame her face. With it still gently
wrapped within his fingers, he cupped her face and smiled. Though very little
light entered the van, there was enough for him to see her and she him.
Tenderly, he traced her lower lip with his thumb while holding her gaze.

“No words match your beauty, mi
fiadh-chat
.” Desire
controlled his tongue, making him sound low and husky. Her lips parted slightly
as if she readied to speak but he stilled her voice with a finger to her lips.
Gliding his finger from her lips to her chin, he guided her face at an angle,
which better suited his mission.

Please Caledonia.

The list of questions he accumulated during his entombment
could wait. For now, he had a woman in need of pleasure and that came first. He
lowered to her neck and nibbled ever so lightly. The hissed intake of air
through her lips let him know she liked it so he continued.

Gentle nips to her flesh along her neck to her collarbone
garnered him the perfect reaction. A low moan rose from deep in her throat.
When she reached for his kilt, Struan caught her by the wrists and stopped her
advance.

“Nay, mi
fiadh-chat
.” He kissed her palms then met
her lust-filled gaze. “For now, your pleasure is mi pleasure. I want ye to keep
your hands here.” He guided her arms to her sides. “And not move them. Can ye
comply with mi wishes or do I need to tie them?”

A visible shiver hinted she liked the idea and a bolt of
pure need shot straight to his balls. Yet indecision skittered through her
eyes. He cupped her chin and waited patiently for her response. Seconds ticked
until a simple nod gave him permission to proceed. At last a sexually
adventurous woman. He sighed happily.

Struan lifted the hair from her ear and leaned in close,
placing his lips near its sensitive flesh. Intentionally, he released a long
breath of warm air and enjoyed the subtle mewing sound she made. A great sexual
adventure was all about the tease, the foreplay. He traced her lobe without
actually touching the tip of his tongue to its rim. Her eyes closed and she
leaned into him.

A quick nip to her lobe produced a sultry gasp, letting him
know she liked the game he played. Her body reacted well. Light-as-a-feather
strokes of his palm from her neck to the curve of her breasts had her nipples
standing at full attention and he hadn’t even touched either of them. Struan’s
mouth watered to suckle the tender mounds but she wasn’t quite ready. Not yet.

“Caledonia,” he whispered, letting the heat of his breath
warm her exposed ear. His hand captured her breast and held it gently as his
thumb circled the nipple. Even through her clothes, he felt it harden. “I want
to see the beauty o’ your breasts, to taste them, until I’ve had mi fill.”

When she lifted her shirt to her head, he stopped her.
Caledonia’s arms were wrapped within the shirt. Her head was covered as she
halted mid-removal.

“Let me help you,” he stated. His voice deepened.
Caledonia’s breasts perched in a lacy garment he couldn’t resist. He eased the
shirt off then helped guide her into a more relaxed position, elbows bent,
hands behind her head. “I like the way this position lifts your breasts, making
them sit perfectly as if waiting for mi. Please don’t move and let mi do the
touching.”

He massaged each breast through the lacy garment. Gently at
first, then he increased the pressure until she moaned. Good, she liked it
harder. Struan tugged the lace down under her breasts. The sight of her
breasts, nipples pointed, surrounded by the feminine lace made his cock twitch.
She was his to take. Struan closed his eyes and refrained from rushing to seek
his own pleasure. When he’d calmed his need he continued.

Struan sucked one nipple in deep while kneading the other
breast, alternating between soft and hard pressure. Her breathing increased and
she wiggled slightly as if trying to close the gap between them. He smiled
around her nipple then flicked it with his tongue right before he grasped it
with his teeth and tugged, gently. Caledonia gasped and shivered in ecstasy,
fueling him onward. He moved to the other breast and quickly nipped the tender
bud, blew on it then tugged it deep into his mouth.

“Yes,” she moaned in a guttural tone, letting him know she
enjoyed the roughness. Needing more, he ordered her to lie back and she complied.
He flipped off her shoes and socks. Remembering her earlier actions, he
unbuttoned her trews, pulled the metal contraption down with a zip and helped
her out of the manly garment along with another lacy item, which covered her
treasure. He lifted it to his nose and noted it was damp with her delicious
essence.

Hard and hungry for her, he dug deep for the strength not to
sheathe his cock into her heat. Not yet, he whispered mentally.
Please
Caledonia then receive your own release along with her second or third.
He
smiled. When she attempted to reach for him, he commanded she stop and hold
still. This time the pleasure was all about her needs, not his. It surprised
him that she listened.

Struan spread her legs with gentle strokes of his hands up
and down the insides of her calves, knees and thighs. Each time he came close
to touching her shaven mound, she bucked and sighed. He lowered to lie between
her legs and gathered her buttocks in his hands. The perfect banquet sat opened
for him to feast. At this he would not fail.