Page 9 of Her Scot of Bygones
“That word has meaning to ye as well, does it not?” He searched my eyes, his brogue thickening with what almost seemed heightened emotion. “’Tis of importance?”
I tried to respond, but the words were lodged in my throat, yet traitorously, I nodded when something deep inside moved me of its own volition. As though it gave me no choice but to confirm that wordwasof importance, and I feared more by the moment, it had everything to do with him.
That my captor was also my childhood hero of bygones.
I pressed my lips together and prayed that wasn’t true because Lucas was the opposite of my childhood fairytale hero. He wasn’t dependable and steadfast, but unreliable and unpredictable. As for him being someone capable of reminding me that forgiveness felt better than bitterness and anger, and to let things go and leave them in the past, I couldn’t say. Nor could I say he was everything my father had not been because right now, he seemed a lot like him.
“I will take ye home and leave ye be,” he said so softly I barely caught it, surprising me with what he said next. “But ye will have to agree to the route back so I might prove ye wrong.”
“Prove me wrong?” I managed, my voice more breathy and hoarse than wobbly this time because of how he said that, and from the intense look of determination in his eyes.
“Aye.” His features tightened, and his gaze grew especially serious. “I can be dependable and steadfast if you but give me half a chance.”
I swallowed hard because his words implied he had caught my thoughts.
“Don’t do that.” Well aware dragons were capable of telepathy and reading thoughts, the closer they got to other dragons, I shook my head. “You have no right to be inside my head.”
I was surprised by the wounded look that flashed across his face. How the hurt showed in his eyes. “I’m sorry, lass, but there’s no helping it if ‘tis the will of our inner beasts and‘twasyour dragon who first spoke to mine.”
I frowned. “When?”
“When you telepathically told me you were a cook.”
I was about to deny that, yet as our eyes held, I realized I never said that out loud. “You must have done something to me.” I shook my head. “ Cast a spell on me or something.”
“Therewasa spell,” he conceded, shaking his head too. “Which makes it more telling that you were not only able to speak to me whilst cast under my spell but also able to break free from it. Considering your inner beast is so repressed, it would have been impossible had our dragons not taken to each other so swiftly.”
“Even so,” I replied, unsure what else to say other than to keep trying to warn him away. “I would rather you not do that.”
“I will try,” he vowed, clearly unsettled by my request. “As long as you agree to this route, so I might prove I can be trusted to protect you and your sisters.”
He didn’t give up, did he? “Which I would imagine you could do just as easily in the twenty-first century.”
Lucas replied, but I suddenly couldn’t hear him as the forest, awash in purple twilight, rose all around me, and Lucas, along with the torchlit tunnel, vanished. Trying not to panic, I turned slowly and took in my surroundings, but all I saw were trees,and only felt sadness like I had before, as if I’d lost something or someone.
“Where are you?” I called out, desperate to find whoever it was because I had forgotten them, and it anguished me. Butwhohad I forgotten? I couldn’t seem to remember, and I needed to. It was crucial.
So crucial, I bolted into the forest when I thought I caught a glimpse of something through the trees. Or at least I tried to before someone grabbed me around the waist, and the forest snapped away, only to be replaced once more with the tunnel. It took me several moments to realize I was back in the cave and Lucas had pulled me into his arms.
“Let me go,” I tried to say, but couldn’t seem to find the words as he gathered me close and held on tight as if afraid that if he let me go, I might vanish.
“Because ‘tis possible ye might.” His voice was rough with emotion, and his heart slammed in his chest. “I dinnae ken what that was.”
“What?” I managed, my voice nothing more than a strained whisper. Partly because of the strange feeling of being thrust from location to location like that, and partially because of how I felt being held against him. How overwhelmingly safe I felt wrapped up in his arms, while simultaneously vulnerable because of how strongly I responded to him.
I had been overly aware of him when he carried me before, but now? Now I wasn’t cast under his spell, yet my response was undeniably sensual from the ache between my thighs to the struggle to catch my breath. His uniquely masculine scent, like cedar, pine, and spices all rolled into one, made me dizzy with desire. And that terrified me for reasons I couldn’t quite explain, other than it was way too much and most certainly out of my control.
“Let me go,” I gasped, sounding panicked even to my own ears when I squirmed out of his grasp, relieved when he let me go.
“’Tis alright, lass,” he assured me, his brow knit with worry, and his eyes not just troubled but alarmed when he must have seen my fear. “I willnae hurt you. Ye’ve my word.” He retrieved the torch he’d been carrying from the ground and finally said what I needed to hear. “The last thing I meant to do was frighten you like this, so I will take you back to the twenty-first century straight away.”
Able to catch my breath, I managed a nod and joined him when we started down a different tunnel he assured me would lead us where we wanted to go.
At least he tried before the last thing either of us expected happened.
CHAPTER SIX
–Lucas–
