He tugged off one of her boots and then the other.

“They brought my car back,” she said, trying to free herself, but he was all muscled arms and legs and body, claiming her as he pulled the covers over them. Yet she thought if he knew the importance of why she wanted to leave the bed and wanted him to go with her, he’d agree and help retrieve her car. Surely.

“Even your nose is cold, lass,” he said, kissing it.

So much for him being interested in the return of her car.

“Cearnach,” she said sharply, trying to get him to pay attention to her. “My rental car—”

“Will be there in the morning if you have come to tell me they delivered it and it is beyond our gate, which is closed for now. It won’t be opened without Ian’s approval, and he would not give it at this time of night…”

“Because he’s with his new mate, your cousin said.”

“Aye, true enough.”

“Well, since you’re second in charge…”

“When Ian is not on the premises or otherwise indisposed.”

“Then he’s otherwise indisposed…”

“If the matter is of the utmost importance.” He kissed her cheeks, his hands caressing her breasts, his thumbs stroking her nipples.

“It is.”

“Nay, it is not. The gate stays closed, except like last night when the pack was waiting for our return and the others who went searching for us. Keeping the gate closed now means security of the pack. The car can wait until morning. This can’t.” He pressed his heavy, hard erection against her thigh. “Lass,” Cearnach said, with such longing that she couldn’t have fought him to come with her outside even if she’d wanted to.

The men at the wall walk had been right. Once she woke Cearnach, he wasn’t about to let her leave his bed again that night. As much as she wanted her car back, and everything else her cousins had stolen, she wanted these stolen moments with Cearnach more. She also realized he was right about leaving the gate closed. She had been alone for so long, dealing with issues on her own, never with a pack to worry about or to be concerned about her. The notion was so alien that she couldn’t get used to it.

“You smell of the wind and fresh air, of the piney woods and the moisture from the thick mist.” He breathed in the scents that had collected in her hair like those of a wolf that had gathered interesting smells in her fur while exploring the woods, returned to the pack, and shared the scents with the rest of the members.

“You smell of sandalwood soap and sexy man,” she murmured against his mouth.

He took that as an open invitation to another mating.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” he asked, sliding his hands beneath her sweater, his hands hot against her cold breasts.

“I tried,” she said, leaning back against the bed and closing her eyes as she absorbed the feeling of his fingers splayed across her aching breasts.

“Not hard enough,” he said, pushing the sweater up until her breasts were exposed. “You’re ice cold. You shouldn’t have been running around outside without me.” He licked a nipple. “Certainly not without wearing a heavy coat when you’re not used to our weather.”

He leaned across her waist and licked her other nipple.

She smoothed his hair down, her eyes watching him, a small smile playing on her lips. “I love you.”

“I know you do,” he said.

He grinned and her smile broadened, right before she tried to push him aside. He didn’t budge. Instead, he clasped her wrists with one hand and held them above her head. Then with his mouth, he trailed kisses from her low-cut jeans to her throat and her mouth again.

“You think you’re one hot, bad wolf and in charge of me, don’t you?” she taunted.

“One hot, sexy Highland wolf armed and not wearing his kilt,” he said, tugging her jeans button open, then pulling the zipper down.

He smelled her scent: intrigued, excited, and sexually aroused.

“You’ll have to let go of me if you want me naked.”

“Nay, lass. I know what I’m doing.” He flipped her over and pinned her down with his body, his hands sliding underneath her, over her belly, up to her breasts until he had handfuls of the beautiful soft mounds. His body moved over hers, letting her feel his growing desire for her.

“Hmm,” she groaned, even though she didn’t want him to know how much he was turning her on.

He slid his hand down the front of her jeans, lower until he cupped her mound. He held her like that, as if he held her treasure in the palm of his hand, waiting for her reaction.

“Cearnach,” she pleaded.

He inserted his middle finger into her as deeply as he could.

“More,” she whispered.

He pulled off her sweater, then kissed her naked back. He pushed her hair aside and licked her neck.

She shivered, loving the sensation, and tried to turn over.

“Nay, lass. I’m in charge. The big, sexy Highland wolf, remember?”

“Bad wolf,” she said, and took a deep breath of his musky scent, validating his level of arousal.

He chuckled. Grabbing her waistband, he slid her jeans over her hips and buttocks, down her thighs and shins, until he could tug them off completely and toss them to the floor.

He pushed her legs apart, his arousal already painful with readiness. Kissing her shoulders and back and neck, he slipped his hands under her breasts and gave them another gentle squeeze.

“You shouldn’t have left the bed, lass,” he said again.

She murmured a gratifying sound, not agreeing with his words, but with what he was doing to her body. Her nipples were sexy peaks, and he could smell her arousal, wet and ready for his penetration.

He kissed each buttock as she barely breathed.

He was throbbing already with pent-up need. Kissing her ear, he stroked her clit and rubbed his body against her soft globes, making her moan. She smelled and tasted and felt and sounded delicious. His fingers slid into her creamy sex, then stroked her swollen nub. Opening for him, she spread her legs, knees drawing up so he had better access.

He groaned with the need to penetrate her, to release the burning craving to have her.

He entered her folds with his hot, rigid penis and pushed hard.

“Oh, yes,” she panted, as he pulled his hips back, then plunged into her even more deeply. She moved against him, encouraging him, driving him.

His hand slid back into the thick curls covering her sex, and he stroked her bud again. He could feel her fever pitch, the rising tide nearly swallowing her whole, and then the crash as she buried her mouth against the mattress and screamed his muffled name.

He stiffened, driving into her until he felt the release coming. He jerked with the sensation, felt the shudders of her climax squeezing his cock in a pleasurable, wet, hot way, and collapsed.

He wanted to stay like this, buried inside her, pinning her to the mattress, keeping her in his bed where she belonged, not running around the inner bailey seeking a way to get to her rental car.

Tomorrow would be soon enough to learn what they could about the car.

Chapter 24

The next morning, tangled together and half asleep, the bed curtains drawn around them and hiding them from the world, Elaine cuddled against Cearnach. He was the most consummate, tender lover she’d ever had, and she was thinking that she never wanted to let go of him when a knock sounded on the bedchamber door.

Cearnach growled at the interruption of their half sleepy bliss. Elaine stroked his arm with a soothing caress. He uttered a low, “Hmm,” that was part loving her touch, part rough with need.

Guthrie said beyond the door, “Cearnach, a word with you.” He sounded gruff and concerned.

Cearnach groaned, moving out from under Elaine as she stirred. She realized then that she had captured him again in the middle of the night, her leg resting over his, locking him in place. He was hers. She loved possessing him when he thought he possessed her.

Only this time they were completely naked.

She wasn’t awake enough to fully register the worry in Guthrie’s voice. Or maybe it was that Cearnach didn’t seem to think the world was coming to an end in the way he moved, stretching his sleeping muscles and giving her a view of a hot body that was muscled, toned, and with an erection that had her taking a second look. She was ready to pull him back into bed with her.

As if he knew just what she was thinking, Cearnach winked at her, then threw on a pair of boxers and went to the door and pulled it open.

“Aye, Guthrie? What’s so wrong that you couldn’t have waited until later this morning?” He sounded like a growly Highland bear.

“Oran said that Ian wished to let you know he is having the gate opened and wanted you to be there.”

The car! How could she have forgotten all about it? Cearnach did that to her. Just the way he had worked his magic on her, bringing her to a thousand pleasures with his touch half the night.

She quickly sat up, wanting to leave the bed, get dressed, and race down to the gate. But she had no clothes near enough to the bed that she could grab. Guthrie stood on the threshold of Cearnach’s room, though he couldn’t see her for the curtains drawn around her side of the bed.

“I’ll be down at once,” Cearnach said. He sounded like he was ready for battle.

“Me, too,” Elaine called out from the curtained bed. She wasn’t going to be left out of this. “Close the door so I can get dressed.”

“Ian doesn’t want any women in the inner bailey until we ensure it’s safe for everyone.” Guthrie sounded as tactful as a man could be who was giving her orders.

“I’m going,” she reiterated, not about to be stopped in her mission.

Cearnach cleared his throat and said to Guthrie, “We’ll be right down.”

If he thought to change her mind, Cearnach was welcome to attempt it, but she wasn’t buying it. She half expected Cearnach to close the door, ending the discussion with his brother. But he didn’t.

“Ian won’t like it,” Guthrie said to Cearnach.