Alanna (When Hearts Dare Series Book 2) (27 page)

Wolf thought memories of Alanna would fade with the time spent in the Highlands, but the peaceful ways at Dunmaglass only enhanced them. He imagined her everywhere, saw how easily she would fit in. The time he spent alone reminded him of life at the farm with Old Chinese. There, too, he’d lived with a vague emptiness when she was not present.

Despite spending hours in deep reflection with Mrs. Guthrie, he was no nearer to solving his mother’s murder, but he’d begun to adjust to the Highlands. His anger lessened as he became familiar with his surroundings, and with the fast-growing relationship with his grandfather, one that surprised him.

Although he wasn’t quite sure why, he’d begun to pop in and out of his grandfather’s room at odd hours. Even though the man was mute, Wolf spoke casually to him and swore his acerbic wit was appreciated. One day, he’d caught a genuine response in The MacGillivray’s eyes. That was when his visits increased.

In late afternoon, he stood at the threshold of his grandfather’s room and spied Edna Fraser, Aiden’s niece, asleep in the chair next to the bed. Damn it, she was neglecting her duties.

Wolf crept into the room, leaned over her, planted one hand on each of the chair’s armrests, and growled in her ear. “Do not
ever
let me catch you asleep when you’re watching over The Mor.”

She jerked awake with a jump and a squeal as if she’d seen the devil himself.

He stepped back.

Her eyes wide as saucers, she ran from the room without a backward glance.

Wolf took her chair and casually propped his feet on one corner of his grandfather’s bed. “That oughta hold the pip in check. She’s probably been driving you to Bedlam with her chatty flitting about, and you not able to tie her spry little butt down.”

When his grandfather’s shoulders shook, Wolf leaned over to check on him. By God, there was a grin hidden in the hollows of those cheeks! He slipped his hand over his grandfather’s and gave it a squeeze. “Guess you’d have done the same back when, huh?” A whisper of a squeeze was his grandfather’s response.

“Well, I’ll be damned. We can communicate. Wouldn’t you know it’d be over a woman?”

His grandfather squeezed again and his shoulders shook. Wolf sat back, pleased a relationship had developed, yet beset with an odd urge to weep those tears that never flowed. In moments, his grandfather slept again.

 

 

Sullen black clouds drifted over the rising moon when Wolf made his way back to Dunmaglass with a line of grouse hanging off the barrel of his rifle.

“Here ye be,” he teased Mrs. Guthrie, and plopped the birds onto the table in the kitchen.

“Ye have company,” she said in a dour burr and reached for his catch.

“And who might that be?”

She jerked her head toward the door leading down the hallway. “See fer yerself, but remove yer boots or clean the mud off them.”

Wolf raised a quizzical eyebrow and complied. He forced a fantasy thought of Alanna from his mind as he strode to the great room. He hesitated at the entrance when the low buzz of voices reached his ears. His pulse quickened.

First he spied Bear, the Great Pyrenees he’d given Alanna for Christmas. And then Old Chinese, sunk deep in the leather fireside chair. Wolf’s pulse ran rampant. The dog saw Wolf, and whined. At the old man’s silent nod, the beast jumped to its feet and galloped toward Wolf.

“You’ve grown.” Wolf ruffled Bear’s thick white coat and strode forward to where Old Chinese sat, sipping a glass of port. Aiden leaned against the mantel, a glass of whisky in hand. Wolf halted in front of Old Chinese and gave a bow of his head, student to master.

“You brought her?”

Old Chinese nodded.

Wolf poured himself a shot of whisky and made for the other chair. Changing his mind, he walked over to the fireside and stood opposite his cousin. He tried to appear his old aloof self, but impatience won out. “Ah, hell.” He tossed the whisky down his throat. “Anything you brought along or have to say that can’t wait ’til morning?”

Old Chinese shook his head.

“Where is she?”

“In yer room,” Aiden answered.

Wolf set the whisky glass on the mantel with a dull thud and raced up the stairs.

 

 

Wolf strode through the door. “What the devil are you doing here?”

At the sight of his clamped jaw, set face, and flicker of coldness, fear scattered through Alanna like grapeshot. But then he grasped her shoulders and something powerful passed between them. She caught his familiar, musky scent.

Hot need welled in her the moment he touched her. His mouth softened as he settled his lips, cool and moist, upon hers, muffling the whimper in her throat. His fingers brushed the cape from her shoulders as his arms crossed behind her back and pulled her to him.

Her fuller, hardened breasts strained against his chest. The tight, rounded mound which had once been a flat, muscled belly also betrayed her.

He stiffened.

Holding her in place so tightly she could barely breathe, he drew his head back and gazed into her eyes, his face unreadable.

Fear rocked her soul.

He squeezed his eyes shut. She fought a tide of raw emotion so overwhelming, she could only stand there while his fingers stole along her quaking form and splayed over her belly.

When the tension in his body slackened, her held breath left her lungs. His hand traveled slowly from the bump to a ripe breast. Panicked, she gulped in more air as his hand traveled back to the swelling below her waist.

When he pulled his head back, color flooded his face. A sapphire glow glimmered in the depths of his eyes. Gently, he wiped away a stray tear from her cheek.

“Shh, shh.” He kissed her wet lashes.

She gazed at him through an aqueous haze. “You don’t hate me?”

His lids lowered, cloaking the mysterious flame that fired his eyes. His nostrils flared as he lifted a loose tendril of her hair to his cheek before he bowed his head and set his mouth to the contour of her neck.

“Hate you?” Wolf swept her up and carried her to the bed. He lay down beside her and cradled her in his arms. A desperate emptiness and longing that had gathered force in her over the months coalesced with deep passion. He traced his fingertips past her shoulders, caught her hand in his, then glanced up with a slow, easy smile.

She took in the parting of his lips as if he struggled for air. He opened her palm and planted a warm kiss in its center, then touched the tip of his nose to hers with only a bare wisp of movement before he outlined her lips with small, tender kisses. “God knows how I missed you.”

“Oh, Wolf, I missed you so much I thought I . . .”

“Would perish?”

She laughed.

He smiled down at her. “You should try laughing more often. It becomes you.” He traced her jawline with his thumb and tilted her chin upward. His hungry mouth traced hers again, sent her universe whirling. She was drowning in him already, yet it couldn’t have been five minutes since he’d walked into the room.

He reached for the raven hair lying coiled, like the twist of a rope, at her nape and set it loose. He took his time draping her curls around her shoulders. “God, you’re beautiful.” His hand touched her breast, caressing her.

She gasped aloud as his splayed fingers came to rest across the hard curve of her belly.

“You are insanely inviting.” He planted arduous kisses about her face, her neck, the lobes of her ears until she whimpered and moved under him, trembling in ripe invitation. Her hand slid boldly below his waist, to the buttons of his trousers and to his rampant erection.

“Oh, Jesus, Alanna, don’t do that!” He wrenched her hand away and held her at bay.

“Why not?” Confusion drenched her like a cold rain.

“Because, I’m not in control of myself right now.” He rolled onto his back, shielded his eyes with his arm. “I didn’t expect your arrival. I’m not prepared.”

“Not pre . . . prepared?”

“I can’t keep my hands off you, and I can’t risk hurting you or the babe. Give me a minute to think.”

Alanna shot up on one elbow. “It’s perfectly all right. You won’t harm us.” She unbuttoned his shirt and kissed his chest. “I spoke with Celine. She told me it’s safe enough until the final month. She also said you were afraid—”

“Jeezus.” Wolf raised his head to stare down at her. “Is nothing sacred with you women? Do you discuss everything? I hope you didn’t tell her—”

“About your little harem girl?” She giggled, her hand tracing directly back to where he’d just thwarted her advances.

“Christ, that, too?”

“No, silly.” She began to unbutton his trousers.

Wolf chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. Grasping the round curve of her bottom, he pulled her tight, molding her to him. “Are you sure it’s safe?” He bit down on the soft lobe of her ear and dragged his teeth across it.

“Positive.” She tugged his shirttail free, unburdened him of the garment entirely, then plunged her hand boldly down the front of his trousers. “I’m of a mind to revisit all the marvelous places that give you pleasure.” She licked his belly and caressed his shaft until he groaned and helped her dispense with the rest of his clothing.

His intense gaze locked with hers as he cupped a swollen breast and teased it with his thumb in rhythmic movements until she trembled. With a slide of his hand, he began to undress her.

“Christ,” he mumbled as a tiny pearl button at the back of her dress broke loose and sprang across the bed. “One thing about women’s clothing, if you’ve a mind to do anything, it’ll be damn well changed in the time it takes to get things off.” Another button popped. “To hell with it.” He gave the gown a yank, buttons flying every which way. “I’ll buy you a new one.”

She squealed, bit into his shoulder, and held him tight as he pulled her garments off and threw them to the floor in a heap. She wrapped her legs around his hips. He pinned her back on the bed, his mouth finding hers in fiery possession. With a single thrust, he sheathed himself to the groin.

He stilled. “It’s been so long. Too long,” he rasped.

Her hips thrust upward in a silent message, begging for more of him. The world around her dimmed as he began a slow slide of his hips. She quivered. Her legs tightened and her heels dug into his backside, guiding him still deeper. She existed only at the point of his entry, aware only of his movements, the heat of her sheath tight around him. He was her universe now, a universe made of exquisite, exploding stars and a raw new world of hovering, electrified sensation.

 

 

Wolf’s dreams were sweet as he nestled Alanna against him. But then, somewhere deep in the night they ran rampant and horrid. His mother was dead now. The stranger in the mirror had finally succeeded, nightmare after nightmare, in strangling her. And now, in dim shadow, the stranger released his hands from around her neck and stepped from the bed. The man searched for him. Wolf’s heart thundered wildly in his chest as he awoke with a start, sweat soaking his brow.

He rolled onto his back and tossed the covers off with a groan.

“Wolf?” came a sleepy murmur.

“Shh, shh.” He pulled her close. “You’re weary from the trip. Sleep.” He slid his hand across her hard belly in a move to pull her closer.

He froze.

Stark memory hit him like a bullet slamming into his chest. “Goddamn it!” He shot out of bed.

“Wolf!” Alanna scrambled after him. “What is it?”

He flung the doors to the balcony wide and was outside by the time she managed to snatch her cape from the floor and wrap it around her. She flew to his side.

He stood stiff-armed against the railing in the chill wind and stared at the full moon.

Alanna’s heart hammered in her chest. Had he suffered another nightmare? Had he guessed the truth? Dear God, not before she could tell him.

“There was more than one murder that night, Alanna.”

“Another?” She shivered and pulled the cape tight around her shoulders. “You’re sure?” At the slow nod of his head in the moonlight, cotton plugged her throat. “And you’re just now remembering?” Blood pounded in her ears.

“When I . . . after the dream, I woke up and . . . needed you.”

A chill ran down her spine.

“When I slid my hand over your belly, it triggered the memory of that last night with my mother.” He turned to her, touched his hand to her waist. “Jeezus, Alanna, she was heavy with child.”

A moan escaped her throat as she pressed her cheek to his chest.

He slid his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close. “I remember now. She was hoping my father would be back by mid-February. In time for my sibling’s birth.”

Sheer panic coalesced with anguish and set Alanna’s teeth chattering.

“Let me take you back to bed, darlin’ . You’ll catch a chill.”