Free Highland Fires by Donna Grant Page B

She cried out and rotated her hips against his swollen
rod. He moaned and brought his mouth to a hard nipple. He ran his
tongue over her nipple and swirled it around his mouth until she
writhed with need.
    Only then did he allow her to sit up and
take him slowly into her. Her hot, wet sheath nearly made him loose
his seed right then. He closed his eyes and reveled in the feel of
her tightness surrounding him. When she began to rock back and
forth, he gripped her hips and felt his climax coming faster than
he wanted.
    He opened his eyes to tell her to stop and
found himself staring into mystic blue eyes.
     
    Lugus stood by the ship and watched the sun
break the horizon. He let out a pent up breath and inhaled the sea
air. Except it wasn’t salt he smelled, but the distinctive
fragrance of innocence, sexuality, and magic.
    Ahryn.
    He could feel her approach and wondered how
she had slept. After another dream where Moira once again turned
into Ahryn, he hadn’t been able to sleep again. He was tired and in
the worst of moods. Ever since he had left the inn he had
experienced an urgency to board the ship and leave as soon as
possible.
    “Good morn,” Ahryn said as she stopped beside
him.
    He glanced at her and noticed the dark
circles under her eyes. Instead of commenting, he glanced at the
gown and her clean hair plaited away from her face with many tiny
braids that met in one thick braid down her back.
    “Good morn. The color suits you,” he said and
turned back to the sea. He saw her turn to him out of the corner of
his eye.
    “Thank you. Is everything set?”
    “Just about,” he said as he spotted the
captain.
    She began to fidget beside him until he could
ignore it no longer. “What is the matter?”
    “Don’t you feel it?” she asked under her
breath.
    He looked around.
“What?” 
 “I don’t
know. There’s an urgency in the air I cannot explain.”
    He nodded and looked at her. “That I have
felt.”
    “Is it Marcus?” Her wide blue eyes searched
his.
    Lugus shrugged. “I don’t know. Once we board
the ship, the captain will show you to a chamber. Stay there. Don’t
venture on deck until I come to get you.”
    “Where will you be?”
    “Around,” he said as he put his hand on her
back and guided her toward the dock as he saw the captain wave to
him.
    “How long will it take us to reach the
gateway?”
    “About three days until we reach Skye, but
I’m not sure how long it will take to reach the gateway,” he
answered as he glanced over his shoulder. He could have sworn
someone was watching him, and even though he searched, the
sensation did not go away.
    He turned back around to find Ahryn facing
him. “Someone is out there,” she said.
    “Aye. Now follow the captain. Quickly,” he
said when she didn’t move. He watched as the captain led her away
before he turned back to the village.
    People milled about, but no one looked
suspicious. Until he saw a man with long black hair disappear
behind a building. It could be nothing, but it could be everything,
especially since the sensation of being watched no longer affected
him.
    “Ready?” the captain asked as he joined
him.
    Lugus sighed and handed him his sword.
“Ready.”
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    Lugus’ arms burned as he pulled the rigging
tight. The wind had given them speed but changed often. He had been
at the sails since the ship had left the dock, and he could well
imagine Ahryn getting antsy in the cabin.
    He jumped down and ducked below deck to find
her cabin. He barely tapped his fingers on the door before she
jerked it open.
    “Where have you...,” she began then stopped
as she looked him over. “What have you been doing?”
    “Helping the captain.”
    Her blue eyes narrowed. “Doesn’t he have crew
for that?”
    “Aye.”
    She sighed and leaned against the door. “So
why are you helping him?”
    Lugus knew he had to tell her. “It was part
of the package.”
    “For our passage?”
    He nodded once. “You can come on deck