Page 33 of Desiring the Highland Laird (Highland Destiny #1)

A coldness settled over her as she stood there watching the firelight flicker over the hard chiseled features of his face.

If that were true, then her sisters—both Chloe and Brianna—would likely arrive in the past. She did not understand why she and her sisters had to travel back in time to help the MacLeod brothers.

Where were the Sinclairs of this time? Why were they unable to help?

It was a question she was burning to ask Moira.

She wished she had been with Callum when he saw her.

If her sisters came into the past, then what? How would she explain it all to them? Would they believe? Callum was a tough customer. It had taken a visit from the goddess herself to make him believe in the prophecy.

Chloe would adapt with ease after the initial shock wore off.

But Brianna? She wanted to laugh out loud to think of her beach bum sister in the rough and rugged Highlands.

She would dislike the weather. She would dislike not having the comfort of modern conveniences.

Most of all, she would dislike having to be with her and Chloe.

And then something else occurred to her. Bruce MacDonald had told her it had called to her. Was there some mystical silent echo the stone emitted to call them to their destiny?

“That’s why MacDonald came here, isn’t it? They think the stone is here.”

“Aye, they ken the stone is here, and they will be wanting it.”

Fear skipped through her, making her nerves jangle. “They’ll come for it again, won’t they?”

“Aye.” He gave her a pointed look. “I will protect ye with my life.”

Her knees nearly buckled. Roslyn had said Callum was fiercely loyal.

“Callum, I—”

“There is nothing left to say, lass,” he said, as though expecting her to object to the idea she needed protecting. “There is…one more thing Moira said.”

Her heart skipped. “What is that?”

He didn’t respond as he reached up. His hands smoothed over the sides of her face, cupping her chin, tipping it back as he took one more step toward her, closing the gap between them. Her heart pounded so hard, she thought it might beat right out of her chest.

“She said ye would do the same for me. Protect me.”

She blinked. She was unsure how she would be able to accomplish something like that. How would she protect a man like Callum? She was certainly no warrior goddess. She didn’t know how but she nodded.

“I will do what I need to do to protect you and the keystone.”

“Aye, lass, I dinnae doubt that.” A smile lifted the corner of his mouth.

Before she had a chance to respond, he kissed her.

She melted into him, allowing him to wrap her in his arms and push her back toward the bed.

The backs of her knees hit the mattress.

Oh, she understood where this was going and she wasn’t going to stop it.

She was going to allow herself to enjoy the moment and to fall into bed with the sexy Highlander.

She lifted her arms to wrap around him. As she did, the blanket fell from her shoulders.

She tugged him closer until their bodies meshed with nothing more than a breath of linen between them.

A moan escaped her throat as he continued to kiss her.

Then his lips moved from hers and made a trail down the side of her neck.

One hand tangled in the length of her hair, gently tugging her head back to give him more access.

She froze there, the sensation too much for her to handle.

“Callum?”

“Hmm?” His chest rumbled in a delicious vibration against her.

“I…” She didn’t know what she wanted to say and instead pressed her lips together.

Well, she did know but she was too shy and chicken to say it out loud. She was never the kind of girl to ask for what she wanted.

He pulled back, his gaze meeting hers. His blue gaze was so intense and so incredible that she never wanted to look away. She loved the depths of his eyes. She could fall into them as though they were the deep blue ocean.

“Do ye wish for me to stop?”

“No,” she said slowly.

“Something else, then?”

“You seem…different.”

He cupped her face in his hands. She relished the roughness of his palms. He pressed his forehead against hers.

“Mayhap I move too quickly, then,” he said.

“No!” she said on a breath. “No, you didn’t. I…I don’t know what my problem is.”

There was a long pause as he continued to hold her face. “I dinnae want to believe ye were who you said ye were. I dinnae want to believe anything my da said about destiny and prophecy was true. But the moment I picked ye up from the ground and held ye in my arms changed everything.”

A breath shuddered out of her. “The moment I landed here in the past changed everything for me, too.”

He pulled back, still cupping her face and looking deep into her eyes. “If ye were meant to be here as Moira said, then I dinnae think ye can return home, lass. But I can promise ye I will make sure ye are well cared for here. With me.”

Well, now. How could she possibly refuse that? She slid her hands up his chest, feeling the curves of the strong muscles there. She encircled his neck, pulling him closer to her. Her mouth was a breath away from his.

“I believe that,” she said on a whisper. Then she demanded something she had never demanded of any man. It was a risk, she knew, but she wanted to say it because she felt she had nothing left to lose. “Now, take me to bed, you handsome Scot.”

He grinned. “As my lady commands.”