Free The Morrigan: Damaged Deities by Kennan Reid

up, stopping his work. “One thing before ye go, we have a visitor.”
    Finally!
    “Oh?” Kade feigned innocence.
    “She’s in the room next tae yours, so be sure ye don’t go stumbling in there by mistake.” 
    Kade made a face of fake surprise, implying she hadn’t already done just that.  And put the hand of an angel on him. 
    He grew hard again. 
    Down boy .
    “And she is?” Kade hovered by the door, crossing his arms over his chest. 
    “I’ll introduce ye in the morning, though I think I’ll just send her home now.”
    “Why is that?”
    “I don’t know how much good she’ll do.  Anyway, get some sleep. Lorna will be wantin’ tae air out yer room first thing tomorrow, now that yer back.”
    With a furrowed brow, Kade waited a moment longer but it was clear his brother had fully returned his attention to his work. 
    A nice greeting after five years away, but Kade expected nothing else from his cold-hearted brother.
     

C HAPTER N INE
    “Beware the toils of war…the mesh of the huge dragnet sweeping up the world.” Homer, The Iliad
     
     
    The thought to call Bev and tell her about her late night bedroom encounter had crossed Morrie’s mind while she dressed the next morning.  Her sister would have gotten a big kick out of Morrie being brutally reminded of the lusty creature she was and the awkward way in which it was done. 
    Bev would also have pointed out that the Highlands had always and would always bring that side out of Morrie. 
    But instead she was in a hurry to find the elder MacLeod, show him the horse, collect her money and get the hell out of Scotland. 
    There was no rain that morning, but still the ever-present fog persisted with a chill that seemed to cut through her clothes. 
    Instead of her normal flannel shirt, Morrie shrugged on a tight black turtleneck and pulled knee-high leather boots up over her jeans. 
    In all her eras, she would admit she preferred the fashion of the current one to the flowing skirts and binding corsets of days gone by. 
    Having completely put her encounter with Kade behind her—far behind her where she did not think about his naked body or the feel of his flesh every few minutes—Morrie entered the dining room to find both MacLeod brothers at breakfast. 
    Godsdamn it. 
    He was even more handsome in the daylight. 
    Though it was nothing compared to his naked glory, his clothes fit him like he was a model. 
    Dressed in a snug gray thermal that clung to his massive biceps and broad back, his chestnut hair had been mildly tamed to a messy style; the perfect bedhead.  Dark, thick lashes hooded his rich, chocolate eyes and in the morning light, Morrie noticed a hint of flush to his cheeks.  He didn’t look much older than Kamden, maybe three or four years but had fewer laugh lines about his eyes. 
    There was something darker about him than the younger brother, something rougher about his edges that made Morrie’s heart do a little stutter.  She always loved a tortured soul and if he was a bad boy, too, she was a goner.  She had a feeling she would be way gone.
    Morrie took a deep, steadying breath and entered the room.
    Kade looked up, his eyes lighting at the sight of her as he grinned and winked.  The younger MacLeod simply peered over his newspaper before folding it up. 
    Both stood as Morrie approached the table.  She noted Kade stood taller than his brother, which meant he towered over her.  Both seemed to fill the large dining room.
    “Good morning,” Kamden said to her. “Morrie Brandon, this is my brother, Kade MacLeod.”
    Morrie opened her mouth to say they’d already met, certain the older MacLeod had filled his brother in on all the raunchy details, but Kade didn’t let her, instead smiling and holding out his hand as he said, “Welcome, Morrie.  It’s a pleasure tae meet ye.”
    Unable to help her frown, Morrie shook his hand, letting him hold it a little longer than what was proper as she questioned him with her