Time and Space (4 page)

Cadence laced their fingers together and looked up at him expectantly.

Donnall tugged her a bit closer, the wind stirring up her hair. She smelled like lilac and something else unique to only her. “We dance the Irish jig around the fairy ring until we’re back where we started.”

“And then we kiss?”

Donnall’s cock twitched. Being this close to Cadence was a bad idea. The only dance that interested him now was one that was old as time and ended with Cadence screaming his name. He cleared his throat and started the steps. He was impressed when Cadence needed no instruction to follow along. As they moved around the circle, his heart hammered against his ribcage. “I should not be surprised an Irish lass, no matter when she was born, knows the steps to the jig.”

“I used to dance like this with my father when I was a girl.”

“You still are a girl.” Donnall winked and pulled Cadence to a stop when they reached the start line.

Cadence laughed but sobered quickly when Donnall pulled her into his arms.

“It is time to see if we are fated to be.” He shouldn’t be out here like this, alone and unchaperoned. At the very least he should have asked Carter’s permission to court his sister, but no one had seen hide nor hair of him all day. “Come closer,” Donnall whispered, cupping Cadence’s face in his left hand. She was such a tiny thing, standing over a foot shorter than his 6’2” frame, with the top of her head coming up to his chest.

With shaking hands, Cadence took half a step forward and slipped her hands over his hips.

“Do not be frightened, little mouse.” Donnall brushed his lips against hers. One small taste was all he intended to take. Her full lips caught and held his while her fingers trailed up over his lower back. One taste wasn’t enough. He needed more. He growled low in his throat and pulled her flush against his chest.

Cadence moaned and gripped Donnall tighter.

When he kissed her a second and then a third time, Cadence was kissing him back with enthusiasm which wasn’t totally unexpected. What did surprise him was the way she kissed as if she’d had practice.  A lot of practice. He pushed that thought aside. Nothing mattered more than the lass in his arms kissing him as if she had a dawn appointment with the hangman.

“Donnall,” Cadence whispered, pushing her hands against his broad chest. She had only meant to let him kiss her quick to satisfy the terms of the “legend,” but Donnall’s kiss had turned too hot too fast. Her body tingled with aftershocks of his kiss. Much more of this and she’d be inviting him back to her room in the castle. It wasn’t like her to think about sleeping with a man on the day they met. Liam had been her first lover and they’d been together for a year before he’d finally convinced her they were in it for the long haul.

“Yes, my beauty?” Donnall grinned against her lips before kissing her again.

One thing was for certain, Donnall didn’t kiss like Liam. He was strong and sure of himself, holding her as if he owned her and knowing exactly how much pressure to apply, while compared to Donnall, Liam kissed like a wet fish, sloppy and limp. As much as she wanted to kiss her impossible barbarian until the sun chased the moon from the sky and the fairies sought their beds, she knew they needed to stop. “I think we satisfied the legend.”

Donnall laughed. “Lass, we did that five kisses ago.” He waggled his eyebrows and reached for her again, hauling her up against his chest.

“Well, we don’t want to make the fairies jealous.” She stepped out of his arms and moved quickly toward the castle.

“You cannot run from fate or the fairies, little mouse.”

Oh yes she could. Problem was she didn’t want to.

Cadence was startled awake by an earthquake. Her bed shook and bounced and giggled. Did earthquakes giggle?

“Wake up! Wake up, sleepyhead,” a tiny voice sing-songed.

Cadence smiled in the low light of the room. She had a feeling she knew who was singing and about to bounce her out of bed and onto the floor. “Is that a fairy waking me up?”

“No, silly. It’s time to rise. The bread will not bake itself.”

“I didn’t know fairies bake bread,” Cadence giggled along with her tiny alarm clock. The bouncing stopped and a small body landed on top of her with a thump.

“Daddy said you’re my Auntie.”

“If I’m your Auntie that must mean you’re my Jilly!” She wrapped her arms around the small girl and rocked her back and forth.

“I am your Jilly.” She giggled and peppered Cadence’s face with kisses.

“Okay honey, Auntie Cadence is awake. You can stop bouncing around,” Carter said from just outside the door to Cadence’s room.

“Well, it’s nice to see you’re out of bed.” Cadence snorted.

“Only because Fionn needed his sleep.”

“Eww. Is my nephew with you?”

“He sure is. Get dressed and we’ll walk you down to the kitchens. Come on, honey. Let’s give your Aunt some privacy.”

“Ooookay,” Jilly whined dramatically and flounced out of the room.

Ten minutes later, after she gave herself a quick wash with ice cold water from the basin in her room, Cadence was introduced to her infant nephew. “Hello, little man,” she cooed to the sleeping baby. “Carter, he’s perfect.”

“For now. He’s going to need to eat soon and when he starts wailing, he’ll wake the entire castle.”

“It’s a shame there’s no formula and bottles so you and Fionn can take turns feeding him.” She brushed a finger down the baby’s cheek. His skin was warm and soft.

“It’s a small price to pay for getting to marry the man of my dreams.” Carter’s smile stretched from ear to ear.

“Marry?” This was 1433 not 2015. Although the people of Moone seemed not to mind that Carter and Fionn were a couple, she couldn’t help wonder how they would react when they started throwing the “M” word around.

Carter blushed. “Fionn asked me to handfast with him.”

“Congratulations!” Handfasting was rooted in Celtic tradition and before the same-sex marriage laws in the United States started to change, was a popular way for gay and lesbian couples to commit themselves to each other.

Cardinn stirred in Cadence’s arms, his tiny face scrunching up before he started to cry.

“He looks just like Fionn when he frowns,” Carter laughed. “Do you know how to get to the kitchens? I need to get him to his wet nurse.”

“I can show her, Daddy.” Jilly jumped up and down eager to help.

“Do you want to learn to bake bread with me?”

Jilly nodded her head, sending her mop of curls flying all over.

“Bye, little love. Be good for your Daddies.” Cadence pressed a kiss to Cardinn’s angry face and handed him back to Carter.

“You’re a lady, why do you want to bake bread?” Jilly linked her hands with Cadence.

“The castle is a great big family and everyone has to do their part to contribute.”

“Ah, there you are,” Aggie greeted brightly when Cadence walked into the kitchens with Jilly.”And you brought my little lass.”

“Aggie!” Jilly ran and hugged the older woman before running back to Cadence. “Aggie taked care of me before Fionn asked if he could be my Da.”

“You’re so lucky to have all these people who love you so much, honey. Are you ready to get to work?”

Jilly nodded and ran to pull her apron off its peg.

“I think there’s something wrong with Donnall,” Mallory whined.

They’d been making dough for about half an hour. Jilly was a quick study and Cadence found it was easy to get into the familiar rhythm of bread making. Cadence was showing Jilly how to knead the dough when the younger woman’s comment caught her attention.

“What do you mean? That boy’s righter than rain,” Aggie grinned.

“He wouldn’t invite me back to his room last night. He said he wasn’t in the mood. I think he’s ill.”

Cadence snorted and quickly coughed to hide her bark of laughter. Donnall was, in her mother’s words, like a randy stallion, always ready for a ride.

“Are you ill too, just like Donnall?” Jilly asked, an adorable dusting of flour on her pert nose.

“Why would I be sick like Donnall?” Was she being busted by a tiny Sherlock Holmes?

“He taked you for a walk to see the fairies, remember? Maybe you catched a chill together?”

Cadence felt her face start to flame. Her skin was so hot she’d swear she could bake the bread just by standing near it. Thankfully, depending on your point of view, Cadence was saved when the man in question strode into the kitchen.

“Good morning lasses.”

“Donnall!” Jilly screeched, scrambling off her stool. “Are you ill?”

“Of course not. Never been ill a day in my life,” he beamed and dropped Cadence a sexy wink.

“Good, cause Mallory though you were sick. I want a hug.” Jilly ran to the warrior and threw herself into his outstretched arms.

“Hello, my pretty.” He swung her into his arms and peppered her flour-spotted face with kisses. “Are you baking the bread or rolling around in the flour?”

“Auntie Cadence teached me how to kneel the dough,” Jilly said proudly.

“Did she now? I’m thinking she does her best work on her knees,” Mallory snipped.

Cadence shot Mallory a warning look. It didn’t matter what Donnall’s obviously scorned lover thought of her, but she wasn’t going to speak like that in front of Jilly.

“I’ve come for you, my beauty.” Donnall’s smile was almost as devastating in the early morning light as it had been under the moonlight.

“Used to be he
came
for me…” Mallory muttered loud enough for everyone to hear her.

Cadence heard the women titter from behind her. “What do you need?”

“Fionn wants you to attend the Council of War.”

“That’s a laugh! Why would our lord want a
woman
to attend a council meeting?”

“Maybe because my talents extend beyond the kitchen?” Cadence dropped the stunned Mallory a wink before walking over to kiss Jilly. “I’ll see you at dinner, honey.”

“I love you, Auntie Cadence,” the little girl whispered.

“I love you too. Have lots of fun playing with your friends, okay?”

“You have lots of fun playing with your friends too.” Donnall set the giggling girl down and she ran out of the kitchens.

“Only her type of playing takes place on her back,” Mallory quipped.

“Actually, I prefer to ride my stallion to the finish line.” Cadence set her apron on the counter and walked out with Donnall.

“Do I even want to know what that was all about?” He had a feeling Mallory would be out for blood after his refusal to take her to his bed last night. He would never admit it to anyone, but after he got one taste of Cadence, he couldn’t stand the thought of touching another woman. He had a feeling last night would be the first of many he’d spend alone.

“Your
lover
was telling the other girls she thought you were sick because you wouldn’t have sex with her last night. Then Jilly piped in that she saw you take me to see the fairies. Then, putting two and two together, Mallory reasoned I was the cause of her having to sleep alone.”

Donnall’s mouth gaped open and closed a few times before Cadence reached up and shut his mouth for him. 

“What? Surprised I figured out you two were lovers? Or more surprised I said it out loud?”

“You know and say far more than a young woman of breeding should.” He didn’t want to bring it up, but his little mouse was acting more like a ferocious wolf.

Cadence stopped short. “I hate to break it to you, but women of my time are more liberal about sex.”

“Is that why you kiss like a ha’penny harlot?” He knew it was a mistake the minute the words flew off his careless tongue.

“You have the nerve to call me a harlot when I was in love with the only man I had ever kissed before last night. Yet you’re the one taking random women to your bed.”

“Who I take to my bed is none of your business.” His tone was defensive. He had never before been questioned about his bedmates and he wasn’t about to start answering to Cadence, even if she was the only woman he wanted to warm his bed at the moment.

“Just as who I take to my bed is none of yours.” Cadence fisted her hands on her hips and glared at him.

An icy fist wrapped around Donnall’s heart. Knowing the next words out of his mouth were either going to make things much worse or would start the healing process, he took a deep breath and decided the best course of action was to keep his mouth closed.

“The problem with living in the past is the double standard, you irritating barbarian. You’re free to fuck whoever you want and that makes you a stud, but I’m a whore simply because I’ve kissed another man.”

He couldn’t help wondering if all Cadence had done was
simply
kiss another man. His jaw aching from grinding his teeth together, he raised an eyebrow at the fiery lass. Her hands were bunched into fists and green fire lit her eyes. All he wanted to do was throw her over his shoulder and prove to her what a barbarian he could be, but he wouldn’t. More than anything else, he was a gentleman. “The problem with the future is that it seems
ladies
are raised with no manners,” Donnall gritted out between his painfully clenched teeth.

Cadence huffed out an annoyed breath and started on down the corridor without him.

“Where are you going? Fionn wants to see us in the council chamber.”

“He didn’t say I had to go with you.” She turned and started off again.

“But you don’t know where you’re going.”

“No problem, I’ll just kiss a random warrior and ask him to show me the way.”

“Like hell you will.” Donnall’s gut churned with anger and something uglier. He was never before a jealous man, but this lass was pushing him past his limits.  He strode to catch up with her. Between his longer legs and she being hampered by walking in a woolen gown he was soon half a step ahead of her. No other man was going to touch his little mouse, not if he had anything to say about it.