Chapter Twelve
Mhàiri was about to ask Callum to stop for the second time when suddenly there was a grunt and Callum was no longer there.
He had been kissing her and using his tongue to open her mouth.
Mhàiri, however, had wanted the kiss to end.
She had put her hands to his chest and mumbled his name, followed by a “Please don’t.
” She had not thought Callum had heard or understood because instead of breaking away, he was pulling her closer.
Unexpectedly free, Mhàiri stumbled back, her eyes darting around to see where Callum had gone. A groan coming from the ground caught her attention, and she realized that it had come from Callum.
“She told you to stop.”
Mhàiri’s breath hitched in her throat at the deadly tone in Conan’s voice. She knew then that Conan must have followed her and, seeing her struggle, punched Callum so hard in the jaw that the man had fallen.
Callum was very good looking, but he was also large and muscular, more so than even Conan.
The man was unused to finding himself on the floor and was not taking the idea that he had been pummeled without warning very well.
He was furious. His eyes flashed, and Mhàiri could see Callum cock his fists even though he was still on the ground. When he got up, he was going to attack.
Conan knew it too. “Move, Mhàiri,” he ordered and got ready.
Mhàiri instinctively did what she was told, but said, “Conan, don’t.”
He did not look at her. “You said to stop, and Callum is going to learn to do so when a woman says no, especially if that woman is you.”
“You insult her and then have the audacity to think you can teach me on how to treat a woman?” Callum taunted back, now on his feet.
“If anyone has ever deserved to be taught a lesson about sensitivity to a woman’s feelings, it is you.
You’ve had this coming for a long time, Conan.
I’m just delighted to be the one to give it to you. ”
To Mhàiri’s horror, the fight started. Callum was wider and stronger, but Conan was slightly taller and had speed and accuracy. Each blow seemed to land, and both men were ignoring her cries to stop.
Then she saw Seamus leap into the middle, forcing the two men to take a step back or gain a third man in the mix. Thankfully, they did not seem inclined to hit Seamus.
While landing several hits seemed to have calmed Callum’s furor, it had done nothing to lessen Conan’s. Fury still rolled off him in waves, but instead of restarting the fight, Conan pivoted, gave Mhàiri a long, hard stare filled with betrayal and anguish, and then exited the tower.
Callum wiped the blood off his chin and then said, “This ended a little differently than I had planned, àluinn, but thank you for the kiss. I enjoyed it and will remember it with much pleasure.” Then he, too, was gone.
Mhàiri felt Maegan’s arms go around her frozen frame as she hugged her close. “I’m so, so sorry. That wasn’t supposed to happen. If Seamus and I had known . . . oh, I’m so sorry, Mhàiri.”
Mhàiri stood there being held by Maegan for several minutes in silence as she slowly processed all that had happened and all that had been said. It was almost too much.
She loved Conan.
Conan had been jealous.
Conan had witnessed her kiss another man and had been enraged.
Any feelings he might have had for her had just been consumed in a flame of his fury.
And somehow Maegan and Seamus were implying they had orchestrated all the events to bring about this result.
“What do you mean, you are sorry, that you never meant for this to happen?” Mhàiri asked in a stilted voice.
Maegan pulled back and tried to explain about Brenna and Bonny. “But there can be no doubt. Conan loves you. He does. He would not have reacted that way if he did not.”
“Whatever feelings he has for me, they are gone or they will be. I know him. He lost control, and he will make sure that never happens again.”
Maegan shook her head. “No, he loves you. He wants you.”
Mhàiri looked at her friend then, her voice cold and penetrating. “It does not matter. We have no future. Now more than ever.”
Maegan’s hand flew to her mouth.
Seamus, seeing Maegan begin to tremble because of the pain she thought she had caused Mhàiri, pulled her back against his chest for support.
Then, to Mhàiri, he said, “Maegan’s right.
I wasn’t sure until tonight, but I am now.
You love Conan, and there can be no doubt that he loves you.
He may not want to admit it. He has his whole life planned and never once considered including anyone in those dreams, especially not a wife.
But if you love him, find a way to make it work.
Find a way to be together and create new dreams that you can share.
Find a way or you will both be miserable always knowing that you had met the one you were supposed to be with, but never had the courage to compromise to include them in your life.
Because you will compromise eventually. We all do in some ways.
I just don’t want you to look back with regret. ”
Mhàiri told herself to breathe. She could feel her heart beating rapidly and did not know whether it was from anger or hope.
Slowly, she looked at Seamus and then Maegan.
“You may be right, but you were wrong to have interfered. Conan and I were in a good place before tonight. Spring is months away, and we had time. We may have figured it out on our own. Right now, things are not better, but far worse. Next time, meddle in your own love affairs and stay out of mine.”
* * *
Maegan watched as Mhàiri disappeared up the stairwell. Her heart was breaking for what had happened. She had known Conan might get upset, but not to that extent. He had looked as if he wanted to kill Callum, and Callum’s instincts had recognized that and had responded in kind.
“Seamus, what have we done?”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s done, and now it is up to Mhàiri.”
Maegan spun around in his arms. “Why Mhàiri? Why not Conan?”
“Because he can’t. He has so many walls around his heart, he is unable to see the truth for himself. Hopefully, Mhàiri saw the truth tonight and will try to find a way to make it work. I know I saw it.”
Maegan looked up. “What do you mean?”
Seamus bent his head and took her mouth, answering her question in the way he had dreamed of for months. He kissed her long and hot, hoping to reach the very depths of her soul.
As soon as their lips made contact, the connection between them ran straight through their bodies. Every nerve was awakened by low, inviting passion that took Maegan’s breath away.
Seamus felt her shiver in his arms, but she did not pull away. Encouraged, he brushed his mouth persuasively across hers. Maegan was as sweet as honey. Slowly, he swept his tongue along the crest of her lips. He almost groaned aloud when she opened her mouth for his entrance.
Maegan could feel the urgency in Seamus, the tension in the arms, the rigidity of his shoulders, back, and neck beneath her hands.
The power of his mouth on hers ran through her frame to her very fingertips.
Unconsciously, she pressed herself against him and followed her instincts to slide her tongue into his mouth.
Her fingers mimicked the movement in his hair.
When Maegan leaned into him and kissed him back with growing eagerness, a dam of need broke in Seamus. The kiss quickly changed from a gentle caress to one of wild passion. Soon, their tongues were mating again and again. He was almost mindless with wanting more.
Maegan’s heart pounded and her legs trembled.
Her stomach was in knots. When Seamus deepened the kiss, the heat of it melted away the last rational thought she had.
The feel of his tongue invading her mouth, touching every corner, tasting her, overwhelmed her completely.
It felt so incredibly right. Like it was a missing piece in her life that she had been denying for way too long.
All she could do was cling to him helplessly, letting the sensations take over her mind and soul.
Seamus had meant only to give Maegan a gentle kiss, but what they were sharing was so much more. It was the most incredible kiss he had ever experienced, and he would not have stopped if she had not started trembling.
When he released her, Maegan stood dumbfounded, staring at him with misty eyes filled with passion, and her lips, red and swollen, beckoned him to taste her again. Somehow, he resisted.
“Just like Mhàiri and Conan, you have this set idea for your future, but is it going to make you happy? Or is it time to change those plans and make room for someone who would love you as deeply as any other man ever did or could.”
He kissed her forehead, brushing his lips softly against her skin before placing one last soft, tender kiss on her lips. “I love you, Maegan. You’ve known that, and I’ve given you time. Now, you need to decide whether that means anything to you.”
Seamus left, his heart pounding. He knew that Mhàiri and Conan were both confused and hurting, but if he had to do tonight all over again, he would not change a thing.
* * *
Mhàiri stood looking down at the revelry taking place in the courtyard.
It would go on for several more hours. Last night, she had been among them.
Tonight, the last thing she felt like doing was dancing and making merry.
She did not want to be with people, forced to talk and make conversation, but neither did she want to be alone.
She felt like a rudderless ship, moving about with no direction or purpose.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. Mhàiri sighed.
She knew Maegan’s heart and that her friend had never intended for tonight to go the way it had, but that did not mean she was ready to talk to her just yet.
The knock persisted, and Mhàiri turned from the window to go answer the door, assure Maegan she would be fine, and return to her silent examination of her heart.