Worlds of Obsession (Celtic Otherworlds) (11 page)

Chapter 9

As soon as they left the pub, Bastien seemed to realize that he was still holding her hand and promptly dropped it as if it were a hot brick. They walked in silence back to his building, and this time he didn’t bother knocking her out, thankfully.  Even so, the tension between them felt thick and hot… almost like a living, breathing thing.  She had never felt anything like it before in her life, and she couldn’t seem to get enough of it.  It was like the tingly rush she had felt in high school every time she spotted her latest crush, only amplified a thousand times over.

When they got to the row house, t
hey went in the front door and directly up the stairs.  Bastien opened the door to one of several rooms lining the long hall.  His bedroom.  Her heart leapt in her chest… for a moment.

“
We’re leaving”, he said, walking right past her and opening the closet.  She watched as he pulled a duffle bag from a shelf and began stuffing clothes into it. 

             
We’re leaving
?  “Where are we going?”  Liv felt like a complete pushover for not even arguing, but she wasn’t ready to leave Bastien yet, either.  She felt drawn to him in ways that she couldn’t even understand, and despite the strange circumstances, she wanted to know more about him.  Just being near him made her feel more alive than she ever had before, and yeah, she was desperate to see what would happen next.  After all, it was
her
vacation, she really had nothing to lose, and for some reason that she couldn’t fathom, she trusted this guy not to hurt her.  Jess was going to be so proud of her.

             
“Somewhere safe.  Don’t worry about it”, he grumbled.

             
She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.  “Somewhere safe implies that at least one of us is in danger.  I think you need to tell me what’s really going on here.  Is this about what happened in the alley?  Because I swear I won’t say anything about what I saw… I know when to keep my mouth shut.  I didn’t even tell Jess and she’s my best friend.  And I didn’t tell her where you guys live, either.”

             
Bastien zipped the bag closed and looked at her uncertainly.  Something flickered across his eyes… anger…no… doubt?  “I’ll… try to explain things.  Later, okay?  Just please be patient for a little longer.”

             
She glanced at his bag as he tossed in a few shirts and another pair of jeans.  “How long are we going for?  Because I don’t have any of my things, not even a toothbrush.  Maybe we could stop at the hotel I’m staying at?”

             
“No.”  He grabbed her arm, steering her towards the door.  “I’ll get you everything you need when we get there.  Let’s go.”

             
Okay… everything she needed.  A game of ‘what-would-Jess-do’ began playing out in her head as she followed Bastien down the hall.  Oh yes, Jess would have his credit card and an internet connection in a heartbeat, and embark on the world’s biggest shopping spree.  Liv smiled as they went down two flights of stairs and into the large underground garage that held several expensive looking cars and a couple of motorcycles too. 
Damn
.  Maybe he could actually afford that shopping spree after all.  She knew about the Aston Martin, which was parked in one of the bays, but there were several other high-end cars.  Some so high-end that she didn’t even recognize the make, but of course that wasn’t saying much, since she had grown up strictly middle-class.  She’d had a Toyota in college, but got rid of it in favor of public transportation when she moved to the city. There were
no
parking spots in Boston.  These cars were all sleek and sporty and screamed money.  “Are all of these cars yours?” she asked.

             
He walked over to one of the bikes, a shiny black Harley, and began strapping his bag to the back.  Liv’s heart jumped at the mere
thought
of riding behind him, her breasts crushed against his back, his ass between her legs…

“
No.  The Beamer belongs to Jace.  Most of the rest are mine.  I have more at my other place.  It’s easier to get where we’re going on a bike, though.”

             
“Oh.”  She wanted to ask where his other place was, but she could save that for later, because right now she was too excited about the impending bike ride.  She had never realized how much freedom came with not having any family to speak of, and not having a job to get back to.  Right now, she could do just about anything she wanted, and the funny thing was, she wanted to ride on a motorcycle in Scotland behind one of the most gorgeous men she had ever laid eyes on.
Must be my lucky day
.  Of course being completely unaccountable also meant not many people would come looking for her if she was making a huge mistake… too late now anyway.

He swung his leg over the Harley and handed her a helmet, which she dutifully put on, buckling the chin strap and pulling it tight. 
She felt a little nervous about riding on a motorcycle.  She’d only ridden once before, and that was several years ago, with a boyfriend she’d been with for less than three weeks.  Funny, she could never seem to stay in a relationship for more than a few months before something went wrong.  And she usually had no clue what had happened to mess things up.  Jess told her it was just because the
right guy
hadn’t come along yet, but Liv had decided to give up on looking for a serious relationship, and just have fun.
Like now
.

Bastien
glanced at her and nodded to the seat behind him.  “Get on.  And hold on tight.”

Liv
climbed on behind him, scooting close and wrapping her arms tightly around him.  His body tensed when she did so, muscles flexing against her skin. God, he was all tightly leashed strength and power, and her hormones took a leap.  Even if she hadn’t had eyes in her head, her body sure recognized him as a candidate for great sex and perfect babies.  She almost sighed at the image of such a big strong man holding a perfect little baby. 
God, Liv, get yourself under control already!

He rev
ved the engine and then backed the bike out of the garage, turning neatly in the narrow driveway before pulling out into the street.  As they took off down the road, Liv held on even tighter, reveling in the feel of leather and man beneath her arms as his muscles bunched and shifted with his movements.  Her nerves flew away with the wind, and she happily pressed herself closer against Bastien’s back, exhilarated by the fast ride and the devastatingly sexy scent of the man she had her cheek pressed to. 

             
Less than a half-hour later they came to a river, but instead of crossing the bridge as she expected, Bastien suddenly left the road and maneuvered the bike until they were driving along the grassy shore, and Liv was forced to cling even more tightly to him as they bumped across the uneven terrain. 

And just when she thought that was strange enough, he
drove the bike directly into the water. 

Liv
managed not to scream, but she did squeeze her eyes closed for a moment. 
Why
was he riding across the river instead of taking the bridge?  The water must be really shallow, and maybe it was a short cut.  Or had the bridge been closed and she hadn’t noticed?  The noise of the engine prevented her from asking, but when Liv opened her eyes again, she was completely shocked to find that instead of crossing the river, Bastien had turned and they were driving
in
it, no,
on
it, the shore flying past at a crazy speed.  Looking down, the bike seemed to be skimming over the surface of the water, and she wondered if they would simply sink if he slowed down. 
Okay… this is crazy… this is absolutely friggin’ crazy!
  She held her breath, squeezed her eyes shut again, trying to keep from panicking.  But as the minutes passed and they kept going without even a hint of the bike beginning to sink, she began to calm down.  Now that she thought about it, this must be some sort of motorcycle-jet ski combo, kind of like an amphibious car.  She’d never heard of an amphibious motorcycle, but Bastien obviously had enough cash to own one.  Besides, she was a strong swimmer and they were within easy reach of the shore.  She relaxed against him again, and she felt a wave of something flow through him.  Probably relief that she was no longer clinging to him like a crazed monkey. 

The scenery all around them was breath-taking, and
Liv drank it all in.  Everything was lush and green, and hills rose up all around them to meet a clear blue sky.  They passed a farm where a man and a border collie were herding some sheep through a gate in a quintessential Scottish country scene.  She prepared to let go with one hand and wave as soon as he noticed them, smiling to herself at how shocked he would be to see a motorcycle driving along on the river, but he never looked up.  All right, now
that
was strange.  The engine was loud, and it was a damn motorcycle on a river.  Maybe he was deaf?  But before she could think about it too much, another wave of giddiness came over her. 
Oh my god, I’m riding a bike down a river with the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on… I couldn’t have dreamed this one up if I tried.
  And Liv had always prided herself on her vivid imagination. 

After a
while, the river became wider, and eventually the open sea appeared up ahead, a grey mist hanging low in the air and concealing much of its surface. 
Whoa, wait a minute… now we’re going out to sea?
  Liv had another moment of near panic, but as they drove into the mist, it parted just in front of them to reveal a large island perhaps a quarter of a mile away. 
It must be one of the islands off of the west coast. 
The mostly rocky shore was mostly lined with low cliffs, except for a single stretch of sand.  The cliffs gave way to softly rolling green hills, disappearing into the mist, and perched atop the highest point near the shore was a beautiful building, a small castle really, made entirely of stone.  It looked out over the sea like some sort of magical palace from a long-forgotten fairy-tale, full of mystery and charm.

             
They drove right up onto the beach and up a graveled ramp near an empty dock.  Next to the dock was a large boat house, which she barely had time to look at before they were driving into some sort of carriage house or maybe even an old stables, where Bastien parked the bike and cut the engine.  She tore off her helmet, and the look on her face must have been something between astonishment and glee.  “What the
hell
?”

             
He turned and smirked at her.  “Is that all you can say?  All in good time, baby.  Come on.”  He helped her off the bike and put her helmet on the seat.

             
Oh God, when he called her ‘baby’ with that accent, she absolutely melted.  Her legs were a bit wobbly from the ride, and the adrenaline that had come with it, but it was only a short distance to the house.  She looked up at the imposing stone structure, towering four magnificent stories above them.  Even the door was an ornately carved wooden monstrosity.  “Who lives here?  Wait, this isn’t your other house, is it?”

             
He smiled as if she’d said something funny.  And he almost never smiled.  “No.  My other home is in Southern France.  This one is… um… it’s kind of like a time-share.”

             
She frowned.  “I didn’t know you could get a place like
this
on a time share, but… okay.” 

When they reached the door, it was immediately opened by a well-dressed older man with grey hair and a straight, neatly trimmed mustache. 
Bastien put a hand on his shoulder.  “Conan, how have you been, my friend?”

“Good, good!  I’ve been expecting you, Sir.  I have two of the best rooms ready on the third floor.  Do you have luggage?”

“Only the bag on the back of my bike.”  His gaze dropped thoughtfully to Liv.  “The lady will need some new things.  Maybe you could help her with that later.”

“Right.  I’ll see to it right away, Sir
, as soon as you’re settled in.”

“I’ve told you Conan, call me Bastien.  I hate that ‘sir’ shit.  Makes me feel like an old man.”

“You are an old man”, Conan retorted, his eyes sparkling with obvious humor. 

Liv
held her breath, waiting to see if Bastien would get angry, but Bastien only grinned and slapped him on the shoulder. 

“And so are you, my friend.
  Though you’re right, I have a few years on you.”

“
More than just a few, I’d wager”, Conan added as he moved past them down the wide steps.

Liv
looked back and forth between the two men, confused.  Conan looked much older than Bastien… perhaps sixty-five to Bastien’s early thirties, tops.  But then maybe it was some sort of inside joke, since they obviously had some kind of history together.

As Conan headed for the carriage house to retrieve
the luggage, Bastien led Liv into the house, which was completely overwhelming in its opulence.  She swept her awe-struck gaze around a room filled with marble floors, exquisite furniture, and a domed, gilded ceiling no less, sporting a huge crystal chandelier.  Where the ceiling met the walls, all kinds of mythological creatures stood out in bold relief, along with symbols and lettering in a language she couldn’t understand.  Celtic, maybe?  The whole place had a peculiar feeling to it that she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but she knew it wasn’t something she had ever felt before.  There was something very strange and different about it, and she knew with a sudden certainty that this was no vacation time-share, and Bastien
, god, she didn’t even know his last name
,
did she?
He was no ordinary man.  Oh no, there was something more going on here, something she didn’t understand… yet.  Was he some kind of eccentric billionaire?  An exiled member of a royal family?  Her heart was pounding in her chest and her mind was still spinning from the crazy motorcycle ride over the water, but as she turned back to Bastien, she
had
to know.