Worlds of Obsession (Celtic Otherworlds) (24 page)

             
“They opened a locked door.”  He glanced over at her.  “You know all those standing stones, all over the UK and some parts of Europe too?”  She nodded.  “Well, they used to mark the location of portals, doors between here and the Otherworld.  But when the human population grew and eventually it got out what they were used for, they had to be sealed off.  Now we only use the doorways hidden under the water, but the real purpose of the standing stones is still knocking around in human legends.  Once in a while someone manages to get one open, and then they
really
don’t like the results.  Shouldn’t be messing with shit they know nothing about.”  Bastien pressed the pedal farther to the floor, and the sleek sports car took every curve of the road like a dream, although Liv must have looked like she was holding on for dear life.  He grinned at her, and she knew, even with the sunglasses covering them, that his smiles for her were genuine.

“Don’t worry, b
aby, I’m a really good driver.  I just want to get this over with quickly.  I have plans for us.”

             
They went flying around another curve and suddenly the car left the road, careening across a field as Liv let out a little scream and then laughed as the car bounced over the grass and heather.  “I’ll bet your mechanic just loves you.”  Before Bastien could answer, two more cars had followed them into the field, and in front of them was a small henge.  Near it were about a dozen people, all dressed in white ceremonial robes, and in various stages of screaming, crying, calling for help, or just staring numbly at the standing stones.  The car skidded to a stop, and Bastien shoved his door open.  “Stay here, Liv.  I’ll be right back.”

             
She didn’t, of course.  She got out of the car and followed him towards the group of hysterical would-be Druids.  Erath got out the second car, and there was another guy in a slick looking Audi that she didn’t recognize.  Bastien went right to work trying to find someone who could still speak coherently.  “What happened here?  Can you tell me what happened?  Hey Erath, you got their cell phones?”

             
“Yeah, I’m on it.”

             
“He disappeared!” one of the white robed women was shrieking.  “We were all standing in a circle and then Michael just got sucked away and he’s gone!”

             
Erath was working hard to hide an amused smile, but took the woman by the arm in an effort to calm her.  “It’s okay, we’ll get him back.  Is Michael the only one missing?”  She nodded, and he raised one finger to Bastien, who rolled his eyes and headed for the stones.  Liv watched in awe as he seemed to step right through an invisible door.  The air shimmered around him, rippling like the surface of a lake, and then it was like he was never there.  A minute later, he was back again, this time carrying a white robed man over his shoulder, much to the relief of everyone. 

It took a few more minutes to wipe everyone’s minds of what had happened, which had to be done, even though it meant there would be no lesson learned.  No doubt they’d be dragging Michael out of a portal again someday
soon. 

             
Bastien headed back to his car, noting that Liv had not stayed put as he told her.  He wasn’t surprised.  She wasn’t afraid of much, certainly not a bunch of morons in ridiculous looking Druid costumes.  And real Druids, by the way, had
never
worn white robes.

Chapter 24

             
Now they were standing at the edge of a small loch, with the dark, murky water lapping gently onto the rocky shore.  Liv could smell the mud and the fishy scent of waterweed, and she looked up at Bastien uncertainly.  “I don’t know if I can do this.”

             
He smiled down at her and took her hand in his.  “You can.  I’ll hold onto you this time, but you’ll get the hang of it right away, I promise.”

             
“Okay…”  Before she could say anything else, Bastien had grabbed her up in his arms and waded a few feet into the water, and she tried to scream as they were suddenly falling, dropping down like a stone beneath the surface, as if there were a big, mawing hole in the bottom of the loch.  An instant later, Bastien was wading towards the shore of an entirely different loch, with Liv still in his arms.  As soon as they reached the shore, he set her down and tipped her face up to his. 

             
“Are you okay?”

             
“Yeah… that could… that could take some getting used to.”

             
Bastien smiled at her.  So brave.  So strong.  His stomach was filling with butterflies, because he was about to bring Liv to his home, and the significance of that was not lost on him.  No woman had ever been there, except his mother a few times, but she generally stayed away unless it was his birthday or something and she felt obligated to visit.  Mom pretty much had her hands full 24/7 keeping his temperamental father in line. 

But if
Bastien had had a female of his own, this is where he would have brought her.  He would have proudly showed her the home he’d made for them, a place to share their lives together, and if they were so lucky, to start a new family.  Bastien had built his place more than three hundred years ago, hopeful that someday he
would
be so lucky.  He had even included a nursery just off the master bedroom, just in case.  He had been so excited to bring Karis here… but he’d never had the chance.  The home had stood nearly empty for so long, because he couldn’t bear to live there for any length of time.  It was a constant reminder of his broken heart and broken dreams, and he never would have imagined he would one day be bringing a female here.  But bringing Liv to his house felt… right.

             
Liv was looking around, taking everything in, from the rolling hills to the azure sky and the sparkling water of the loch they had just left.  “It looks… just like Scotland.”

             
“Yeah, it does.  That’s why I chose this realm to live in.  It’s really beautiful.  Peaceful.  Well, most of the time, when my brothers aren’t here.”  They started walking along a narrow dirt path, with low-growing heather crowding along either side.

             
“What are the other realms like?  How many are there?”

             
“It’s hard to say how many there are exactly.  Some kind of… overlap.  Others are so small no one really counts them.  There are hundreds, at least, although only a few are considered politically important.  And they’re all different.  Some you wouldn’t ever want to set foot in, trust me, either because they’re just plain deadly, or they’re guarded by a race of sword wielding lunatics who try to chop your head off the moment you arrive.  No questions asked.”

             
“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”

             
He gave a little laugh.  “Yeah, actually I am.”

When they came up over a little rise, a building stood before them, down in a small sheltered vale, standing against a backdrop of mountains and hills as far as the eye could see.  It was a large, three story stone manor, elegant and stately, with stone steps and a white balustrade sweeping down the front where there was a small courtyard trimmed with neat hedges and topiaries.  It had to be the most beautiful scene she’d ever witnessed.  “Is this your house?”

“It is.”  Liv didn’t miss the pride in his voice, or the importance of him bringing her here.  This meant something to him, she could tell.  Yes, he had completely freaked out on her, but somehow she knew that bringing her here was his way of telling her he wanted another chance to make things right.  She had the feeling he didn’t bring just anyone to this place, because it was sacred to him in some way. It was his home.  His sanctuary. She smiled at him, a little shyly.  “Can we go inside?”

Bastien smiled back and reached for
Liv’s hand.  The jolt of awareness that tore up his arm at the feel of her skin on his was welcome this time, and he savored it as he led her up the steps to the entrance.  When he stepped into the door behind her, the place actually felt like a home for the first time.  The empty coldness was gone, and now the entire room they stood in seemed filled to the brim with Liv’s warmth and sweet scent.  Bastien went to the fireplace and struck a match to light the fire he had laid there earlier.  It caught quickly and in a matter of moments there was a roaring blaze.  He stood and went back to Liv, taking her hand and leading her to sit by the dancing flames.  “I have food in the kitchen… I’ll go get it.”

“No, wait!  Wait, come and sit with me first.”  No way was
she going to be able to eat when all she could think about was Bastien, naked and pressed up against her,
in
her…  He seemed to recognize the desire in her eyes, because his own gaze darkened and moved slowly over her body.  His nostrils flared as he took in her scent.

“Okay.”  He lowered himself down onto the blanket beside her, and almost immediately their bodies swayed closer, each to the other. 
Liv leaned close to brush her lips gently over his.  His eyes closed and his lips parted on a shuddering breath, and something within her shattered at that simple truth: she had that power over him.  Whether he liked it or not, his body was hers, and she knew it.  When she was done with him, he would know it too.  She wanted to put a claim on him, this creature from another world, a world that she had never known she was a part of before he showed her.  She couldn’t stand the thought of any other woman touching him, kissing him, ever again.  From now on, she wanted it to be her or no one at all.  A fierce feeling of possession rose up in her chest, foreign and familiar all at the same time. 
He’s mine… I have to show him that he’s mine…

Her throat still tight with overwhelming emotion,
Liv reached for him, falling into his arms and straddling his legs as she held onto his face and sucked his full bottom lip in between her teeth, then released it, only to kiss him long and hard, until he moaned helplessly and pressed his body closer.  Breaking contact for a moment, Liv reached for the hem of his shirt, sweeping it up over the lean, hard muscles of his chest and tossing it aside.  Her palms landed on his warm, smooth skin, and pure male power bunched and rippled beneath her fingertips as she ran her hands over him.  He threw his head back in ecstasy at her caress.

“Yes
Liv… touch me.  My entire body
craves
your touch.”

Liv
could only guess how good it must feel, to be stroked like this after so very long with no touch at all, and she reveled in giving him what he needed.  Running her hands down the rock hard muscles of his arms, she leaned close to kiss and lick first one nipple then the other.  He hissed in pleasure and his hips came off the floor, raising her up with them as she continued to kiss and lick her way down his chest.  When his hands came up to grip her breasts, she pushed him gently back, forcing him to catch himself on his elbows, and placing him exactly where she wanted him.  For a moment he tried to reach for her again, but when her hands went for the button of his fly, he stilled, watching her with rapt attention, his chest rising and falling in a frantic rhythm. 

Holding his
fiercely dark gaze, she carefully pulled down the zipper, smiling when she saw he wore nothing beneath his jeans.  She drew her fingers gently over his ridged length, and his whole body convulsed in pleasure.  Hooking her thumbs under the hem, she tugged the jeans over his hips, drew them down his long legs, and tossed them on top of his shirt. She let her eyes roam over the perfect, masculine contours of his body.  He was built like a god, and he looked like some wild creature that she had just barely tamed, just enough that she could touch him, but she still didn’t know what he might do.  He was fierce and wild and his dark hair hung in disarray around his shoulders, the almost-black color matching the light dusting of hair on his broad, muscular chest.  His eyes sparked with barely restrained desire, telling her that even though he could overpower her in a heartbeat, he was letting her have her way… for now.

She smiled wickedl
y, wondering where this new dominant side was coming from.  One of the changes that the letter mentioned, perhaps?  She had to admit, it was nice.  She’d never felt so bold before, or so comfortable in her own skin.  She reached down and took his hard length in her hand squeezing lightly while her thumb stroked the base of his cock.

“Fuck….” He mumbled, his head falling back in ecstasy. 

He suddenly reached for her again.  “Liv… I need you… I have to have you
right now
…”

“No.”  She said simply, and watched as confusion and disbelief filled his eyes, closely followed by the realization that the agony he was in wasn’
t going to be immediately relieved.  Oh yes, the power could go to her head, her small and weak body (well, relatively speaking) could control this big, immensely strong male like no one else could. 

And he can control you too
…  Yes, she had no doubt he could, but right now it was her turn.

Still straddling his legs,
Liv leaned in to kiss his mouth again, then his cheek, his ear, that sensitive spot under his jaw, and all the while her hands circled on his chest, over his thighs, closer and closer but never quite touching where he needed it most.  His arms were shaking now with what must amount to an iron restraint, fists clenched and knuckles white, and his breathing was becoming more and more ragged.  Any other man would have broken by now, but not Bastien.  He was soaking it all in, holding onto his control so that he could feel the pleasure of every single touch…

She drew her lips away from his neck and
slid back, looking down at his cock, swollen and pulsing and weeping from the head in anticipation of what was to come.  She looked back up to his eyes, holding them with her own as she scooted back and lowered her mouth, watching as his teeth clenched so tightly she could see the individual muscles of his jaw.  A sheen of sweat had broken out on his brow.  She licked the very tip of his cock, and a deep groan slipped from his throat.  She drew the smooth head into her mouth, swirling her tongue and sucking gently, drawing a ragged cry from him as his body began to tremble.  She felt the very moment that his restraint broke, and only the sudden bunching of his muscles warned her before he had flipped her onto her back and tugged her denim shorts and lace panties down her legs and off.  His powerful body moved over her much smaller one, and in the next moment, he was pushing himself into her core on a moan of both ecstasy and relief. 

“You play with fire” he ground out between frantic thrusts of his hips.  “You make me lose all control…
ah
fuck
… feels so good…”

Liv’s legs rose to wrap around him, trying desperately to control the assault on her senses.  The sensations swirling through her were so raw, so intense, that she thought she just might break out into
tears.  She was being claimed, taken, and she knew that more than just her body would belong to Bastien after this night.  He was going to take her heart, too.  That was what she was feeling… her body, her life, becoming his.  For a moment she thought to fight it, but she knew she couldn’t.  There was already something between them that defied explanation, and so she let go.

He must have felt the moment that she surrendered to him, because he gave a triumphant roar and redoubled his efforts, surging into her harder and faster, until she thought she just might be ripped in two by the incredible size and strength of him.  But her body was already on fire
, her muscles clenching tighter and tighter, her mind floating in a place where there was no conscious thought, only overwhelming sensation.  And Bastien was there with her… she could sense him there, not just in the merciless pounding of his body into hers, but in a much deeper place.  He was there, and for a fleeting second she understood something that she couldn’t put a name to… just before she fell over the edge, her body wracked with such pleasure that she lost her breath.

She was just coming down, her muscles still rippling with echoes of pleasure, when he stopped moving and looked down at her face.  His eyes were dark and hooded, his lips parted and his breathing ragged.  Very slowly, he shook his head, as if in wonderment
, and Liv noticed that his whole body shook and trembled.  He must be so close…  Then as she watched, his hips thrust forward, his cock reaching all the way to her womb.  His eyes squeezed shut and his head fell back on a pained groan, and she felt the power of his release deep inside her body as all of the breath left his.

When it was over, he gathered her up beneath him, raining kisses on her, then he lay down on his side with Liv wrapped tightly in his arms.