Highland Shift (Highland Destiny: 1) (32 page)

They briefly braved the flybridge where Faolan could drive the boat from the top deck should the weather ever get warm enough. When they returned to the main deck their cheeks were flushed from the wind, and Elena’s unbound hair was wild.

At first, Elena asked endless questions. Where was this? How did that work? What was that? By the time they got to
the top, she’d gotten increasingly pensive. When the tour was finished, Faolan looked at her, his unease at her quietness apparent on his face.

“Tis a part of my wedding gift to you.
What’s wrong, love? Is it not to your liking?”

She could hardly speak. “Faolan, I married you today, and I don’t know a thing about you.”

He went very still, his eyes guarded, and hardly breathing, he asked, “Do you regret becoming my wife?” It came out in a choked whisper.

She realized he’d misunderstood. She placed
her hands on either side of his face and looked deep in his eyes, Elena said, “I love you, Faolan. I have no regrets about marrying you. I never want to be separated from you. Don’t ever doubt my love.” She spoke the words firmly, sending light along with them, so he would hear and see the depth of her feelings.

“Then what is it, love? What troubles you?”

Elena knew her insecurities were part of the baggage she brought. She struggled to put her feelings into words.
How could a man like Faolan love me?
Surely, there were other women he had loved in all his lifetimes. Had he loved one more than me?

Elena glanced away, but she was still holding his face, and her thoughts were visible to him. Placing his hands on top of hers, he moved them to cover his heart, as he had done when he’d pledged his love.

“Och, lass, there is much we doona’ know about each other, but know this. I was not an innocent when I met you. I am naught but a man and aye, I experienced sexual intimacy with women before you. You knew that.” He looked at Elena until she finally nodded in agreement. “Elena, I told you this before, but I see you were not yet ready to believe it. Listen to me with your power. Feel what I am telling you, take it from my heart to yours.” He put more pressure on their hands, where they covered his heart.

“I have never loved a woman before you, and for as long as we live, I will never love another. When I learn the ways of
Druidry, I will find a way to bind us together for all eternity. What is mine is yours. You are my life.”

They kissed long and tenderly, and promised each other a night of loving. For now, they needed to get underway.

Faolan taught Elena how to untie the boat and throw the ropes back on to the deck before climbing back aboard. He promised that this boat, with all of its power, was perfectly capable of waiting for her to walk back across the little gangplank, and jumping was not necessary. Once back onboard, all she had to do was pull a lever, the gangplank retracted, and they were unfettered by land. Elena was terrified of leaving the solid ground behind but tried not to show it.

****

Elena. She was his light and his life. She thought he didna know how afraid she was on the boat. She, who was fearless when fighting street punks, invading Worthington’s head, and loving a wolf. She who faced death head on and won. She was afraid of being on the water. It made him love her all the more.

When Elena joined Faolan on the captain’s bench, she gripped the arm of the seat so tightly that her knuckles were white. It was positively endearing. He wrapped an arm around her and spoke through each of his actions, letting her become familiar with the operation of the boat. For the next hour, they cruised slowly, within easy sight of the
coastline, while he pointed out the little villages that lined the Sound of Mull. Although there weren’t many, he was able to tell her stories of the boat and of the land, and that distracted her sufficiently so he could see her visibly begin to relax.

He had told Elena the truth. In all the years he had been living, he had never loved a woman before. This was as new to him as it was to her, not the sex, but the loving. He had taken a lover occasionally when the isolation of his lifestyle had been too much, but it had never eased the loneliness in his heart. Other than Red and Lilly, he had not even been able to have friends. How do you explain not aging, disappearing every full moon, and a tendency to growl?

His love for the sea had been a balm to his soul. No one was in danger while he waited out the effects of the full moon when on his boat. Red and Lilly had never loved the ocean as he had, but they would take two or three extended trips a year with him. He had found that people in marinas all over seemed to enjoy an easy camaraderie, becoming instant friends without long-term obligations. He could travel from port to port, making casual acquaintances, knowing there would always be someone to greet him, and share a draught.

The powerful engines were underused at this slow speed, but he had no desire to scare Elena. This slow, leisurely pace gave them time to talk. He told her a little of his love for the sea.

When they had put enough distance between themselves and Uban, Faolan felt it was safe to anchor. He found a small inlet that was out of direct sight of any villages, and he couldna detect any houses on the cliffs surrounding the cove. It was perfect for the night, absolutely calm and very private.

“Come, Elena, let’s explore.” Since they had already had fierce sex upon arrival, he thought they could wait a while before returning to the bedroom. He wanted to romance his bride tonight.

He pulled out a wine bucket and put the champagne on ice. Then he got out two Baccarat crystal rocks glasses and started to pour each of them a glass of single malt whisky. Smiling, she asked for a sparkling water instead.

Elena started opening each of the cabinets in the galley, looking in earnest. “What have you done, Faolan? Where did all this come from?”

He just smiled at her. “Help me with the table, lass, so I can show you all of it.”

Faolan handed her a linen tablecloth and napkins. He snuck up behind her as she bent over the table, and reached around her with a vase of roses that had been hidden in the refrigerator. Elena sucked in a shallow breath, and turned around. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, and full of love.

He placed the vase on the table behind her, took her face in his hands and kissed her gently. Just as she was ready to deepen the kiss, he backed away. He would not lose control early tonight. He had gifts and surprises planned for the entire evening. He had not had much time to plan, but it had been enough.

With a smile,
he returned to the kitchen, leaving her standing by the table with her mouth open. He removed tonight’s dinner from the refrigerator. It only needed to be heated.

“Elena, love, take a seat, start on your drink. I will be back in a few minutes.”

Faolan went below deck to shower and change for dinner. He laid a black sequined gown on the bed that he had ordered for her, along with shoes, and new lingerie, that reminded him of the night they had finally made love. He hid a small velvet box under the mattress, where he could reach it when he was ready. He put two more velvet boxes in his jacket pockets and prepared to treat his bride like a queen for the night.

****

Elena took up her drink of sparkling water, just in case she really was pregnant, and sat on one of the soft leather couches. She wondered what he was planning, for it was apparent he was up to something. As she sipped her drink, she curled her legs up, and looked around the room. It was decorated in a masculine manner, but it was not unpleasant.

The wood was teak, and there were lambskin rugs tossed around in various parts of the room. The couches were white leather and the tables were ebony. All of the accessories were black or white. It would be easy to add a few touches of color around the room. It was well lit with overhead lights, spot lighting, and lamps near the couches for reading.

She got up and played with the controls until the room was dimly lit. She walked over to examine the built-in entertainment center, under another flat screen television. She quickly gave up on the idea to play music; the system was too complicated for her to tackle tonight.

Before she sat back down, Faolan called from below deck, “Elena, come down here, love.”

Elena grinned. She suspected as much. He had gotten down into the bedroom and decided it was time to make love! She went quickly down the stairs, a smile on her face. When she saw Faolan, she lost her breath in a whoosh.

Six and a half feet of glorious man in an Armani tuxedo, white shirt, black bow tie. His hair was pulled back with a leather thong, face freshly shaved. His held his hand out to Elena, and she placed her hand in his. He pulled her close.

“I thought you might enjoy a real date tonight, my love. I hope you will forgive my presumptuousness, but I bought you a dress and laid it out on the bed. I will await you upstairs.”

Her jaw was having a dropping problem. Elena couldn’t decide which was more
surprising, that he bought her a dress or that he went upstairs while she was taking her clothes off.

They’d been up all night and all day, driving, packing, and loading. There was no way she was going to go back upstairs before she cleaned up. She hurried through a
shower, partially dried her hair with a blow dryer she’d found in the bathroom, and then pinned it into a simple twist on the back of her head. A quick swipe of mascara and lip gloss, and she was finished with the bathroom.

The bra and thong were made of the softest black silk. The dress was actually a gown and it was spectacular. Black and sequined, the bodice was a halter with a low-cut front, and the back was bare to the bottom of her spine. The skirt clung to her hips, before flaring out and sweeping the floor. Everything was a perfect fit. She dressed quickly, anxious to get back to Faolan.

At the top of the stairs, she saw Faolan before he knew she was there.
Or not.
With his wolf senses, he would know Elena was there, but he didn’t turn around. He was standing at the large glass doors at the rear of the lounge, looking out at the star-filled night. He had placed candles around the room, and dimmed the lights even more. Diana Krall was singing about flying to the moon and playing among the stars. Faolan looked as though he knew exactly what she meant.

Elena walked up behind him and slipped her arms around his waist. Pressing her face to his back, she inhaled the scent of him. It was the part of him she'd met first, and it still called to her soul. He placed his hands over hers and leaned back into her embrace.

“Look up, Elena. Look at the stars. You’ll never be seeing them brighter.”

Elena laughed. “From where I stand, the whole night is one broad expanse of your
back.”

They changed places, Elena leaning back against his chest, and he wrapped his
arms around her as they looked up to the stars together. He pointed out constellations and planets to the south, before turning them around to face the north. Elena gasped. The northern horizon was filled with colors. The Northern Lights.

They stood and watched for a long time. Somehow, while she was watching the sky, cradled in Faolan’s arms, some pieces of a puzzle were falling into place. When she had met Faolan, they had been on the move. Shortly after, she’d moved to the farm and was busy making it her home. She’d commented once regarding his home, but he had deflected the conversation, saying he would leave once she was out of danger.

With all the things that had happened over the last month, she’d not given much thought to his home, his life before her. She finally realized that although this was a new boat, purchased for the two of them, his life must have revolved around the sea. She told him what she was thinking. Taking her shoulders, he turned her around, his tawny eyes glowing in the candlelight.

“Aye, Elena, I lived much of the time on my boat. I hope someday you will come to love it as much as I do. I felt my other boat was too small for the two of us to spend a great deal of time on, so I purchased this one. I can get another if this is too small,” he added hastily.

She laughed at his offer. “I think I’ll get used to this one first, but there is so much to learn about you.”

“Aye, lass, and I will start telling you tonight, but first, let me look at you.” Then he stepped back.

His breath came fast as he started at the top, and scorched her with his eyes as they raked down her body. His gaze lingered on her breasts on the return trip. He brushed his fingertips down the exposed length of her neck to her cleavage, and back up again. He stepped back, shaking his head, his brows furrowed.

“What’s wrong, Faolan? I think the dress is beautiful. I can’t believe you would buy me something like this. Don’t you like it?”

Still shaking his head, he said, “’Tis not complete. The neckline is missing something.” Then he pulled a box out of his pocket and flipped it open with a flourish. There was a stunning emerald pendant in a platinum setting accented with diamonds. Her eyes flew to his, and she caught him watching her hungrily.

“Faolan, it’s spectacular. I don’t know what to say. The boat, the dress, the necklace.” Elena was sputtering. He placed a finger to her lips to silence her, and then followed with his lips, before turning her around again.

“Let me see it on you, lass.” He took the necklace and fastened it for her. It nestled between her breasts at the perfect height. “Christ, Elena. You are breathtaking! The color of the emerald made me think of your eyes, but where it settles on you makes me think of other things.”