Chapter 23
Anna walked toward Tavis’s door and raised her hand to knock but stopped.
What are you doing? You can’t go to his room. Not after what happened at the bed-and-breakfast. You can give him Ian’s letter later. She returned to her door, stopped, chewed her lip for a moment, and then walked back. She was still waiting for the courage to knock when the door opened. Tavis had on the new boxer briefs she’d bought him. That sent a thrill up her spine—not just the sight of Tavis in his underwear, but the intimacy of Tavis wearing something she’d chosen for him.
But she didn’t want intimacy.
“Anna?”
“You open the door in your underwear? Geez.” What if she’d been another woman? Sorcha for instance.
He frowned. “I knew it was you. I heard you muttering.”
“I found something in Angus’s notebook. It was written by Ian.”
“Ian?” A pained look crossed his face. “Come in.”
She looked at his body. “You’re not dressed.”
“Sorry.” He left the door opened and grabbed a pair of jeans. Jeans she’d bought him. “I think I’m getting better at this,” he said, pulling them on. He grabbed a shirt—again, one she’d bought. She was definitely feeling bothered now. There was something so intimate about seeing a man she’d had sex with wearing clothes she’d bought him.
“Are you coming in?”
Even though he was dressed, she hesitated. It didn’t seem to matter what he did or didn’t wear, he affected her in the strangest way. But she didn’t want him to be alone when he read it. Or maybe he would rather be alone. “I thought you might want to read it in private.”
“I’d rather you were with me.”
Another thrill. Tavis Connor was derailing her plans. Maybe she needed to go back to ignoring him. She followed him inside. Tavis took the paper and sat on a small settee next to a lamp.
“It’s his hand, all right.” He smiled. “He was always jotting down notes.”
Anna sat beside him. “Like Angus. Did he look like you?”
“No. He was thinner, lighter haired. A bit of a mischief-maker.”
“He must have been a great warrior. And a great brother. It couldn’t have been easy doing what he did. I don’t think I could do it.”
“He didn’t want to. He begged me to find another way. At the time, I thought I was the one with the hard task. Now I think it was him. He was the one who had to tell our mother she’d lost two of her sons and her husband. He had to live with the worry of not knowing if Faelan and I would survive the time vaults—or even be found. He had to raise my son.” Tavis rubbed a hand over his chin. He looked different without his beard, even more handsome, though he needed to shave again. “I’m having trouble dealing with it. It doesn’t seem possible, even though I have Ian’s letter as proof.”
“Duncan is living proof. It isn’t Faelan he resembles so much. It’s you.” Anna put her hand over his. “I can’t imagine how it feels to lose a son you didn’t know. I wish I could help you.”
“You have.” Tavis touched her face. “More than you know.”
Too much intimacy. She needed to get back to safer ground. “Tell me about your son’s mother.”
He looked almost embarrassed. “She was kind. And persistent.”
“You said she loved you?”
“Aye, so she said. I tried to... avoid her, but it was difficult with her coming around all the time.”
“What happened? If you don’t mind telling me.”
“She cornered me one night, and I wasn’t thinking with my brain. We were careful though. I didn’t even...” He looked embarrassed.
Anna touched his arm. “I’m sorry you lost him, and her.”
“Thank you. Do you mind if I ask you a question?” Dark eyes studied her, making her stomach quiver.
“I won’t know until you ask.”
“Are you certain you didn’t love Angus?” he asked.
“Not like that. We were best friends.” At least on her part, and Angus hadn’t asked for anything more. She felt a pang of sadness. If he had, would it have been a different relationship?
“He must have been barmy, then.” His gaze moved over her face, and her pulse beat faster.
“But he loved me.”
“You mean he was in love with you?”
She nodded. “I didn’t know until just before he died. It was the last thing he said to me. I’ve never told anyone. I feel guilty about it. Guilty about not being here to help him. Guilty for not replacing my phone. Then I would have gotten his call. Guilty for not knowing how he felt. And a little angry at him for not telling me. We told each other everything.”
“Would it have made a difference if he had told you he loved you?”
“I don’t think so. In fact, it might have ruined what we had. And that would have been a shame. Angus was so important to me. He helped me through some hard times.”
“What kind of hard times?”
“Life at home was hard. What happened to my mother destroyed her, and it almost destroyed me. Angus saved me. He made me laugh, made me feel normal.”
“Faelan said you don’t want to marry or have a family. Is it because of your past?”
She shrugged. “I just want to be a warrior. That’s what I am. A warrior.”
“What’s wrong with being a warrior and having a family, too, when the time comes? You don’t have to be a warrior forever.”
She shifted, feeling overheated and uncomfortable.
“Don’t run away,” Tavis said.
“I’m not running.”
“Aye, you are.” He touched her face, fingers stroking lightly down her cheek, then moving to her lips. His eyes were dark, potent. “Can you feel it?”
“Feel what?” she asked, hoping he didn’t move his hand, wondering what he’d do if she kissed his fingertips.
“This... this feeling between us? It’s eating me alive. I can’t stop thinking about you. Is it just me?”
She shook her head, afraid to say the words. But she couldn’t stop herself from touching his face, feeling the stubble of his jaw. She put her hand behind his head and pulled his face to hers. “No, it’s not just you,” she said, and kissed him.
His arms went around her, and her hands dropped to his chest. Her palms tingled over his battle marks. She bunched her hands in his T-shirt to stop the sensation, then decided she liked it and reached underneath his shirt. Her mouth opened wider, and she felt the tip of his tongue. How could a man taste so good?
“I think I’m dying,” someone muttered. Tavis, she thought, but their mouths and breaths were so fused she wasn’t sure.
She was lying across his lap with her hand inside his shirt when the door opened.
Faelan stood in the doorway, his mouth open. His look of surprise changed into a grin as Tavis and Anna both jumped to their feet. “I’m sorry,” he said. “The door wasn’t locked.”
“You should have knocked,” Tavis said.
Faelan’s grin widened. “I thought you were expecting me.”
Tavis glowered at him. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m sorry, but the looks on your faces.” Faelan chuckled. “It reminded me of that time Ian and I caught you in the stables with Marna—damnation. I’m sorry, Anna.”
“Forget it,” Anna said, smoothing her shirt. “We were just... discussing something.”
“Aye.” Faelan grinned again. “That’s my favorite kind of discussion.”
“I’m going to knock that smile off your face if you don’t stop,” Tavis said.
“You’re right, Tavis. I offer my sincerest apologies to you both,” he said trying to hide his grin as he backed toward the door. “I’ll see you in the morning.” He started to close the door, then stuck his head back inside. “Carry on.”
Tavis started toward the door, but Anna caught his arm. “He’s just teasing.”
Tavis scowled. “Bloody rude bastard.”
“I think brothers are allowed to be rude. You’re lucky to have him here to tease you.”
He scratched his head. “You’re right.”
“It’s getting late,” Anna said, feeling awkward now that the moment had been interrupted. “I suppose I should be going.”
He glanced at the bed. “You don’t have to,” he said, his frustration so obvious, Anna wanted to smile.
“But I should.” She stood. “Good night, then.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw, and his gaze dropped to her lips. “Good night.”
As Anna closed the door she heard him mutter, “Bloody bastard.”
* * *
Tavis layin his bed staring at the ceiling. The cat had found its way back in and was curled on the bed near his feet listening to him complain. If Faelan hadn’t opened the door, Anna would probably be lying here instead of the cat. And they wouldn’t be sleeping. How was a man to find sleep knowing that? He tossed and accidentally kicked the cat, who gave him an annoyed look.
He was about to drift off when he heard a sound in the room. The cat’s head rose, and it stared at the wall. Tavis didn’t see anything, but he heard something. The cat hissed and jumped off the bed. Tavis grabbed his dagger and walked toward the wall. Something was moving behind it. This castle was like the one in Scotland. The secret passages likely opened the same. He felt for the familiar catch and pushed. The door slid open. He heard a squeal, and a blinding light struck him in the face. He caught a glimpse of red as he threw up his hand to shade his eyes.
“Tavis, thank God it’s you.”
“Matilda?” Tavis flipped the switch, and light flooded the room. Matilda climbed out of the doorway, hair bright as a beacon. “What are you doing in there?”
“Looking for the cat. I got lost. Is he with you?”
Tavis glanced at the bed. “I saw him earlier, but I think he’s gone now.”
Matilda clutched a bottle of water. There was something written on it. “I’ll tell him you’re looking for him if I see him,” Tavis said.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Just tell me, and I’ll come and get him. He’s avoiding me. I’m sorry about that little misunderstanding before, but could I use your door? I don’t want to get lost again. There are more secret passages in this place than a haunted house.”
“Sure.” He took her arm to escort her and saw Holy written on her water bottle in big black letters. He bit his cheek. “What’s that?” he asked, pointing to the bottle.
“It’s just plain water, but I figured it might trick them.”
“Them?” Tavis asked.
“Vampires.”
“You think they might get in here?”
“They did in Scotland,” she said. “You never know.”
“Then do you think it’s wise to go into the secret passages alone?”
Matilda shrugged. “Probably not, but I’m worried about the cat.”
Tavis smiled. “If I see the cat, I’ll let you know.” He looked for the cat after Matilda left, but it wasn’t there. He didn’t know if it had overheard and was hiding or had somehow escaped, but his brother was right. That wasn’t a normal cat.
* * *
Morning came too quickly.He’d slept fitfully, and his eyes felt like they’d been pasted shut. He quickly dressed and went to find Anna. She was all he could think about. This couldn’t be normal. It must be the time vault. Sorcha was just leaving the kitchen when he arrived. “Do you know where Anna is?” he asked.
“In the field watching Ronan. I’m headed there now.”
“Ronan? Why is she watching him?”
“He’s training Shay. So what’s with you and Anna?” Sorcha asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Come on. Don’t play dumb. It’s plain for anyone to see.”
“Like you and Duncan? Even a man fresh out of a time vault can feel the tension between you two.”
“You’re just like your brother.” She stalked off toward the field, leaving Tavis to walk alone.
A small crowd had gathered near a practice ring where Ronan and Shay were sword fighting. Tavis immediately spotted Anna. She was wearing dark trousers and a very tight shirt. Tight by nineteenth-century standards. Her hair hung down her back in a long braid. She turned as he approached, and her smile faded.
“Is that how they do things in this time?” he whispered. “Kiss a man at night and ignore him the next morning.”
“You make it sound like we’re dating.”
“I don’t really understand dating.”
“It’s what you’d call courting,” Bree said, coming up behind them.
“Where’d you come from?” he asked. He hadn’t even heard her approach.
“I’m practicing my warrior sneak,” she said. “It’s the only thing your pigheaded brother will let me do.”
“What’s wrong with Cody?” Tavis asked. He could see the warrior was angry even from here.
“He’s mad because Ronan’s training Shay.” Bree sighed. “I would be out there if your hardheaded brother would calm down.”
Pigheaded? Hardheaded? She knew him well. Faelan could outlast anyone in a battle of wills. “He is hardheaded.”
“Hardheaded? He could drive nails with his skull.”
“He tried that once, when we were kids.”
“You’re joking. He tried to drive a nail... oh my God.”
“That was in his earlier days, before he…”
“Before he took the weight of the world on his shoulders.”
“Aye.”
“You’re a good brother, Tavis. He told me how you would watch out for him because you thought he was too busy watching out for everyone else.”
“It’s what brothers do.”
Ronan and Shay replaced their swords with knives. Ronan moved around behind her and held her wrist. Cody looked like he wanted to behead someone.
“Good morning, everyone,” Nina said, as she as Matilda joined them.
“Has anyone seen the cat?” Matilda asked.
“You didn’t find him?” Tavis asked.
“No. I think he’s hiding.”
Nina looked frustrated. “Matilda, you can’t keep that cat in your room.”
“I take him out for walks.”
“You don’t walk a cat,” Nina said. “What’s wrong with Cody? He looks like he’s going to explode.”
“He does look hot and bothered,” Matilda said.
Ronan stepped up beside Shay and demonstrated the proper technique for throwing a knife. Shay grinned as he let the knife go. Before it hit the target, she had raced across the ring in a blur and caught it.
Tavis was shocked. “Shite. Is that what everyone told me about?”
“That’s it.” Bree smiled. “Cool, huh?”
“Handy trait to have. What does it feel like?”
“Amazing. I wish I was out there now.”
Faelan walked up behind them. “Anna, your new phone is here. Duncan said try not to let a demon eat this one. Tavis, we got your ID. You officially exist. There are papers inside that say you’re not one-hundred-seventy-seven years old.”
“I need papers?”
“We don’t want anyone thinking you’re a terrorist.”
“What’s a terrorist?”
“Obsessed bastards. Minions, probably. You wouldn’t believe the crap demons are up to now. Sorry about last night.” Faelan didn’t quite hide his grin.
“Don’t start this again.”
“I want to talk to you about something.” Faelan pulled Tavis aside, away from the others who were watching Ronan and Shay. “Have you noticed anything unusual about your feelings for Anna?”
“Like wanting to bed her every moment of the day?” Tavis glanced over to make sure she couldn’t hear. Not that she couldn’t see it in his face every time he got near her. “Like I can’t stop thinking about her?”
Faelan smiled. “Aye. Like that. I think she’s your mate.”
“That can’t be. I don’t want a mate.” And particularly not one as beautiful as Anna. It would mean nothing but heartache. Men would throw themselves at her feet, and sooner or later, she would accept one of them. Then why was he following her around like a besotted minion if he didn’t want her?
“You couldn’t choose better than Anna.”
“I know she’s beautiful.”
“I don’t mean her beauty. She has a good heart. She’s strong and loyal.” Faelan gave Tavis a knowing look. “Faithful.”
“Hmm.”
“You’ve got to get over this thing you have about beauty and demons.”
“Yeah, you didn’t almost bed one.”
“Anna’s no demon. You’re just making excuses because you’re scared.”
“I’m not scared.”
“You are. Most people are scared of ugly things. You’re scared of beauty. But enough with the lectures for now.” He patted Tavis on the shoulder and walked back to his wife. “What are you doing out here?”
“Watching Ronan train Shay and wishing you weren’t stubborn as a jackass.” Bree’s voice was filled with longing.
“You’re not training,” Faelan said. “I don’t care what Ronan says.”
“I don’t see why not. Do you think Anna’s going to stop being a warrior just because she’s pregnant?”