Page 18 of Wild Scottish Gold (The Enchanted Highlands #7)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Kaia

I remembered why I didn’t do sand casting that often.

It was tedious work, and not all that exciting. A flask was basically a wooden box constructed of two parts, the cope and the drag, which were just fancy words for the top and the bottom. You packed special sand into one side of the flask and then pressed the shape you wanted into the sand. It kind of reminded me of making a sandcastle, albeit a metal-themed sandcastle. Essentially you pressed your pattern into packed sand, split it into two halves, and carved little tunnels for the molten iron to flow. Once the pattern is removed, you seal the mold back together and pour in the molten iron. Then, you basically wait for it to cool, and crack the flask open like a treasure chest to reveal the now solid triskele shape. After, the triskele would require some sanding and sealing with an oil or a patina, depending on what we went with.

The men had been great, happy to chip in with the project, and the warehouse had been busy with mindless chatter, some banter about an intramural sports team some of them played on, and rock music blaring in the background. But by the time the day drew to a close, and the men readied themselves to leave, we had most of the flasks packed and ready for pouring.

“I can see if they can help pour tomorrow, but I know there were a few more things some of the lads wanted to look over on the Kinross project,” Ian said, zipping up his coat as he made to leave.

“Nae bother, Ian. We’ll stay late and get it poured. That way they can cool through the night,” Thane said. He’d stripped to just a T-shirt that fit his body in ways that I most certainly should not be noticing.

“You’re certain?” Ian’s eyes darted to mine. “That’s a lot of work.”

“It’s not a problem. I don’t have any plans tonight.” I smiled at Ian. “But thanks for asking.”

“Aye, thanks, Ian. All good. See you tomorrow.” Thane bumped Ian’s shoulder with his fist and walked across the warehouse to take a slug from his water bottle. I turned away to avoid watching how his muscles rippled in his arms when he did so.

I needed a moment before we poured the metal. More than a moment, likely, since I still wasn’t sure what magick to do. I’d been playing with phrasing all day in my head, but I still wasn’t confident I could create my own spell. It was one thing to do that for a small pendant for Audrey. But this was a massive project, and I wanted to make sure my magick could cover the scale of it.

A flyer dropped on the table in front of me and I blinked at it.

“Pizza?” I said, picking it up and looking up at Thane.

“Pick your favorite. I’ll go pick it up.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do?—”

“Kaia. I’m starving. I’m sure you’re starving. Let me get some food.”

“Got it. Um, I’m easy. Pepperoni please.”

“Really? No olives, mushrooms? Nothing else?” Thane raised an eyebrow at me.

“Green pepper and caramelized onion if they have it,” I said with a small smile.

“That’s better. I’ll call it in. Need anything else while I’m out?”

The contents of a perfect protection spell? Instead, I just shook my head.

“Back in a bit.” With that, Thane left, and I blew out a long breath. His presence dominated a room, and I didn’t realize until he was gone that I’d been on edge all day working so closely with him.

Walking outside, I leaned against the front gate of Blackwood Forge. The building was situated outside town, in a slightly elevated position, and I could just see the loch spreading out behind the rooftops of Loren Brae. The sky lingered in a burnished yellow, soft but uncertain, like the world couldn’t decide if the day was over yet. I, too, felt vulnerable and uncertain as a soft knocking sound caught my attention.

Of course. Murdoch.

“Hey buddy, is that you?”

Aye, lass.

Murdoch flew from the trees and landed on the gate next to my head. Turning, I looked up at him, threading my fingers through the iron bars of the gate.

“Can you help me with this magick? I need a protection spell for hearthwards. And I’m nervous to do it in front of Thane. What if I screw something up?”

You won’t. He’s a conduit for you.

“Excuse me? A what?” I leaned back in surprise.

He’ll make your magick stronger. By being there, he amplifies it for you.

“A conduit doesn’t amplify,” I said, absentmindedly, chewing over what he said.

He’ll help. Murdoch made a sharp noise as though I’d annoyed him.

“Sorry, just thinking out loud. So my magick is better with him near? Why is that?”

Murdoch threw his head backward and chortled to the sky and I glared at him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Och, lass. You’re blind, aren’t ye?

“Ugh, forget it. I can’t think about that right now. Can you just help me before he comes back?”

Of course. It’s always my honor to help. Murdoch bowed his head.

I tilted my head, mirroring his movement. “And I’m lucky to have you, good sir.”

By iron’s strength and ember’s glow, no evil may come across this threshold.

“By iron’s strength and ember’s glow, no evil may come across this threshold.” I repeated the words and squinted up at the raven. “And anything to add to the metal?”

Are you using iron?

“Yes, that’s the plan.”

No, then. A triskele has its own protection properties. Iron does so as well. With the spell, you should do well enough.

“Great, thank you, Murdoch.” I repeated the words over and over to myself, making circles in the gravel parking lot, until Murdoch took flight.

He’s coming back.

“Thank you!” I waved to him and went inside, confident that I had the spell down. But just in case, I quickly copied the words into the notebook at my worktable, and then looked up when Thane walked in the building.

My heart sighed.

Was there anything sexier than a man bringing you food?

“It’s a nice enough night, want to sit out back?” Thane asked, gesturing to the back doors.

“Sure. Thanks for getting food.” My stomach grumbled at the sight of it.

“Nae bother, hen.” Thane followed me out into the night, and then to my surprise, flicked a switch that lit up two string lights with chunky bulbs that hung over the three picnic tables out back.

“Well, this is nice.” The string lights made the back patio much more charming. A light breeze shifted the branches of the trees along the property line, and the first few stars dotted the sky.

“I put the lights up for a wee party in the spring and they’ve just stayed. Sometimes I sit out here and work on projects at night after everyone’s gone home.”

“Do you like owning your own business?” I settled onto the chair and accepted a can of Irn Bru he passed to me.

“I do.” Thane flipped his pizza box open, and I mirrored his movements with my own, inhaling the spicy scent with pleasure. “At first I felt a bit like, I don’t know how to say it … I guess, unsure of myself? Like who am I to be running my own business?”

“I get that.” I stabbed a finger in the air and nodded. “You felt like an impostor.”

“Exactly. I remember how much I stuttered my way through my first pitch with a client.” Thane laughed, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “But I got on with it. Got a few clients. Could eventually hire a team. My reputation grew, as did my expertise, and it just kind of fell into place. Ian was a godsend, and that’s the truth of it. It’s been brilliant having him on board. He handles all the things that I find most annoying.”

“He’s great. Everyone loves him.”

“Including you?” Thane’s gaze sharpened and I took a bite of the pizza, a piece of gooey cheese trailing down my chin. I laughed as I wiped it off.

“As I said, he’s great.”

“But nothing more, right?”

“Thane.” I sighed. “What would be the point of hooking up with Ian? He’s still a co-worker. It would still be breaking the rules.”

“But he doesn’t own your lease. I do.”

“Same same.” I shrugged. “Plus, he’s not…” I caught myself before I finished that sentence, astounded at what I had been about to say. Instead, I shoved the pizza in my mouth, taking a far bigger bite than necessary.

“He’s not what?” Thane zeroed in on me and I pointed at my mouth, shaking my head. Before I had fully swallowed, I took another bite. Thane’s stare was unwavering. “I’ve got all night, Kaia. And eventually you’ll run out of pizza. He’s not what ?”

“Just forget it,” I mumbled, my cheeks heating.

“Kaia.” Thane’s tone was gruff, rasping against my skin. Finally, I met his eyes, and the emotions that stormed in their depths.

“You,” I whispered, caught.

Thane inhaled sharply through his nose, like a predator scenting his prey, and he dropped his pizza. My mouth rounded as he gripped the side of the picnic table with both hands and seemed to need time to steady himself. I waited, the night air charged around me, and my stomach dropped when Thane finally resumed eating.

“See any good movies lately?” Thane asked, changing the subject.

Sadness filled me. I’d done that. I’d pushed him away so much that he wouldn’t admit his feelings for me. Which is exactly what I’d wanted. Asked for. This was a man respecting the boundaries that I had set. So why did it leave me feeling so bereft? Longing filled me and I hated myself for wanting what I couldn’t have. Nobody liked a hypocrite.

Even me.

Which left me with a choice—did I remove the boundaries and give this a chance? Presuming that Thane even wanted to do so? Or did I just suck it up and learn to work around Thane even though we had undeniable chemistry?

“Not really. Haven’t had much time for movies,” I finally said. I looked past Thane to the warehouse behind him. I liked working here. I liked the men, I was slowly meeting their families, and I was beginning to become a part of the community of Loren Brae. After the Common Gin job, I might have enough money to rent a space of my own. Which would free me up to actually date Thane—if he still wanted me. But in the meantime, another woman could swoop in. And I wouldn’t be able to blame her.

I huffed out a small sigh and took another bite, chewing in silence as I worked through my thoughts.

The other big thing was that I just wasn’t sure I had what it took to make it on my own. Sure, my jewelry line had sustained me, barely, but sleeping on Stan’s couch was not exactly screaming what a success I’d been. However, my accommodation here was paid for. If I was mindful of my money, I might just be able to go out on my own as a metalsmith—for both of my passions—jewelry and home. The very thought sent butterflies through my stomach, and I chewed more forcefully. Was I even ready? Could I trust myself to run my own business? Thane had said it himself—it took time. Was I patient enough to build something from scratch again?

“You have the most expressive face,” Thane said, and I snapped back to reality, realizing he was sitting there, staring at me. “Honestly, I’m scared to ask what you’re thinking about. The swing of emotions is wild.”

“Best not to go there. Right, shall we get going?”

“If you tell me what had the angry look on your face.”

“Ugh, does it really matter, Thane? Can’t we just move on from this?”

“By this, do you mean us?” Thane’s voice held a note I couldn’t quite discern.

“No, just, this …” I waved a hand in a circular motion above the table. “This conversation.”

“We can. If I can understand why you looked so angry.” Thane stood and picked up his empty pizza box, waiting for me to speak. I was beginning to find his patience annoying.

“I’m just mad. Mad because I’ve boxed myself in. Mad at some future woman for dating you. Mad at not knowing how to get what I want.” I slapped a hand over my mouth and shook my head when Thane put the pizza box down and advanced on me.

“Kaia.” Thane caged me in with his arms on either side of me and I dropped my hand from my mouth. My breath came in short puffs as I craned my neck to look up at him. I could see the string lights reflected in his eyes.

“Um, yes?”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Heat flashed through my body at his words.

“Right.”

“I’m not going to date anyone else.”

“Uh-huh.” A corner of his mouth quirked up.

“I’m here. And I will be right here, darling.”

“Which is dumb. You shouldn’t wait around for someone who can’t make up their mind.”

“Why don’t you give us a chance then?”

“You know why.” I almost stomped my foot. “And you agreed. You had the same issue.”

“Maybe I don’t anymore.”

“Three days ago, you were begging me to leave town.”

“For your own safety.” Thane reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. I wanted to turn and press a kiss into his palm.

“What’s changed then?”

“I have to trust that you know what’s best for you. As much as it kills me not to be your protector at all times, I can’t. Not in this case. It’s not an easy pill to swallow, I’ll admit.”

I softened at his words. I’d seen him with Lauren and Audrey, hadn’t I? Of course he was protective by nature. I couldn’t blame him for being worried for my safety. Hell, I was worried for my safety too. The Kelpies were fiercely scary.

“So what are you saying?”

“I’m saying I want to give us a go. But you told me to back off and I’m going to respect that.”

I suddenly couldn’t quite remember the several good reasons I’d requested for him to back off, though I could swear that they’d just been circling in my brain. Instead I stared at him, lost, my brain quietly short-circuiting as my body screamed at me to let this man show me all the ways he knew how to heat a woman’s desire.

“You look like a deer in headlights,” Thane said, and eased backward. “There’s no pressure, Kaia. With any of this. Why don’t you take some time to think it through? In the meantime, we should probably get started on the molds.” God, his deep, rich voice was so utterly seductive.

“Molds,” I parroted, nodding, and Thane laughed.

“The molds? For Orla?”

“Uh, right, right.” I stepped away, needing the space. “Just let me get my spell.”

I was glad I’d written it down, as I could barely remember my own name after the conversation I’d just had with Thane.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to date anyone else. I’m here. And I will be right here, darling.”

His words. His promise to me. That delectable accent. Simply him.

“Do you need help with, um, your spell?” Thane followed me inside and walked over to the furnace to check the iron. He was using his medium-sized furnace, as we’d be able to melt all the iron needed in one go.

“No, I don’t think so. It’s just words and intention.” I shrugged, feeling awkward.

“No naked dancing under the moon or cutting my palm open to drain blood onto the iron?” Thane quipped and I grinned, despite my nervousness.

“As much as I’m sure you’d like the naked dancing, no, nothing like that. Just a simple protection spell.”

“Then we’re all sorted.” Thane nodded at the three rows of flasks, ready for pouring. It would be a two-person job, lifting the crucible and helping to steady the pour, and we’d need to reheat three times as iron cooled quickly.

“Do you want to grab the crucible or me?” Thane asked, and appreciation for him bloomed. He didn’t try to take over, he didn’t tell me what to do, and he trusted me to make the right decision. I thought about it as I tied my leather apron and pulled on my protective gloves. I was a bit unsteady, with my emotions roiling around inside me, and I knew it would be best if he poured, while I did my spell.

“You go ahead.”

“Works for me.” We both pulled our face shields on, and then we switched over to business mode.

“Ready?” Thane asked.

“Yup.”

“You just tell me when you need to do the spell.”

“Oh, right. Hmmm. I think I need to say it quickly with each one, so I’ll just say it as you pour. Does that work?”

“Fine by me, I’m focused.”

“Let’s go then.” Once more I repeated the spell in my mind, and then we were moving. Steadily, Thane pulled the crucible from the furnace, and I was ready with the shank, making sure it was steady when he placed the crucible inside it. Once in, Thane lifted the shank, with the crucible, which basically looked like a large ceramic bucket, at the end and we moved quickly to the castings. There was no time to be wasting. Tilting the crucible, Thane began the first pour, and I reached for that glow of power inside me.

It popped up immediately, far faster than I’d ever felt it before, and much like the molten iron now pouring into the flask, my magick flowed through me. Reaching out, I touched the tongs lightly to the crucible to make a connection.

“By iron’s strength and ember’s glow, no evil may come across this threshold.”

Thane sucked in a breath as light flashed around the flask, but there was no time to marvel at it. We were on to the next. In about six minutes or so, we’d finished the first round, and I stepped back as Thane returned the crucible to the furnace.

“I reckon two more batches and we’ll be done.” Molten iron typically became too thick to use around the ten-minute mark, and Thane was stopping it before that time to decrease the time needed to reheat the metal still in the crucible. We’d have around fifteen minutes or so of down time before we went again.

I pushed my face shield back, and Thane did the same.

“Pretty incredible, Kaia.” Thane gave me an admiring look.

“I’ve never seen the light before.” Sweat dripped down my brow and I rubbed it with the back of my leather glove. “But it felt right. This is good, what we’re doing here.”

“Together,” Thane said, his eyes on mine. And Murdoch’s words came back to me.

He’ll make your magick stronger. By being there, he amplifies it for you.

Did that mean I was meant to be with Thane?

It was warm in here, but honestly, I couldn’t determine if that was from the work, the magick, or the tension that stretched between us. A sheen of sweat glistened on his face, and a drop ran down his neck to beneath his shirt. I swallowed.

Thane smirked. “If you keep looking at me like that, we’ll never get this done.”

My insides went liquid, and I pressed my thighs together, aching for his touch. Turning away, I crossed the room to my station and took a long pull from my water bottle. I just needed a moment. Because all I could think about was Thane asking me to give us a chance.

He accepted my magick.

Somewhere along the way he’d absorbed the idea of it and no longer was pushing me to leave town. He’d respected my boundaries and was still respecting my boundaries. And as much as I wanted him to push, because it took the decision out of my hands, in reality I needed to be an adult and be honest about what I wanted.

Which was Thane.

In all his sweaty manliness.

Taking another gulp, I pulled my face shield down again, shuttering my eyes, as the timer went off and Thane readied the crucible again. We worked steadily, and seamlessly together, getting through the rest of the molds in record time. And when we were done, and Thane had shut the furnace down, he turned to me.

“Kaia.”

It could have been a question. It could have been a promise. But either way, I didn’t care. Pulling my gloves off, I slapped them on the table and walked over to him. Grabbing the straps of his leather apron, I pulled him to me, my kiss a demand to be met.

Thane didn’t hesitate.

In seconds he had me hoisted up around his waist and was moving. I tore my mouth away from his as cool night air hit my face, and he strode to the picnic table out back. Thane sank down on the bench, leaning back against the table, and shifted me so my knees straddled either side of him. The muscles in his shoulders bunched under my hands as I gripped him, and then we just stopped.

We stopped and held on.

Forehead to forehead.

Breath to breath.

I eased back enough to see his eyes, those stormy, gorgeous eyes of his, a shimmer of light reflecting there.

“Say it, Kaia.” Thane’s voice was a rasp, sending a shiver across my skin.

Where there had once been nerves, now all was quiet. The butterflies had left my stomach, and though my heart thundered in my chest, it wasn’t because of anxiety or indecision. It was because I was done fighting my need for this man. Not that I’d fought it all that much, if I was being honest with myself, but I could examine that thought at another time.

“I want to give this a chance.”

“ Us a chance,” Thane confirmed. He shifted, widening my thighs, and I gasped as I felt him hard against me.

“Yes, us.” His teeth scraped my lower lip as he leaned in for a soft bite.

“Hold that thought.” His thick arm corded around me as he leaned forward and looped the straps of his leather apron off, along with his shirt, and then to my surprise, lifted me easily to pull the apron out and toss it to the ground next to us. I marveled at the bunch and play of his muscles in his chest and reached for the necklace he wore with the chunky Celtic pendant. It had been one of the first things I’d noticed about him.

“Did you make this?” I asked, dropping it as he tugged the shirt over my head. Cool air hit my skin, and my nipples hardened when he took my bra off with one hand.

“It was one of my first pieces I made, just on my own, after I’d decided to give this business a go. It’s not great, but it’s mine.”

“It’s meaningful.” I gasped as he leaned forward and took a nipple into his mouth, and I arched against him, loving the feel of his hot mouth against my skin.

“I like working on my own,” Thane said, pulling his mouth away, leaving my breasts tingling and my body aching for more. He tapped a finger at my waist, and I realized he wanted me to get up so I could take my jeans off. I stood, as did he, and we both kicked off our clothes. It seemed we were always in a hurry to be with each other, and one of these days maybe we’d slow down and linger. When he dropped back down on the bench, he reached for me.

“Not yet,” I said, and dropped to my knees in the grass between his legs. Leaning forward, I gave him a long, languid stroke, before kissing the tip.

“Bloody hell, Kaia.” Thane’s fingers threaded my hair, not pulling, but keeping me there.

“Tell me how you like it.” I gave him a long lick as his hips bucked lightly.

“Whatever,” Thane said, his voice cracking. “Do what you like, darling. I trust you.”

I appreciated that, because I was determined to drive him crazy. Looking up, I held his eyes as I took him deep inside my mouth, gasping against the intrusion, and widening my throat to allow him to go deeper. Thane’s eyes bulged, and I began to suck, holding eye contact, as I used the pressure of my mouth to suction his hard cock. I loved the feeling of this, having control over his pleasure, and liquid heat built between my legs. Moaning against him, I sucked harder, increasing my rhythm, until he gripped my head.

“Stop,” Thane gasped, and I mewled in distress. I wanted the taste of him in my mouth. I wanted to know that I brought him as much pleasure as he did me.

I poked my lower lip out, and Thane hauled me up to straddle him again.

“Darling, don’t give me that look. I’ll do anything you want if you give me that look. But right now, I want us both to finish at the same time. And based on this”—Thane slipped a finger down my seam and found me wet and ready. Gently, he thumbed my clit and I rolled my hips against him, the shock of his touch sending waves of pleasure through me—“I’d say you want it too. Is that right, love, do you want this as badly as I do?”

“I do,” I gasped, rocking my hips into his hand, needing the release that he could give me.

“Mmm, that’s a good lass,” Thane said. Pulling his hand away, he gripped my hips and guided me until just the tip of him hit my entrance. Wrapping one hand around my neck, he brought my head down so he could taste my lips once more. “Tell me it’s just us, love. Tell me.”

“It’s just us,” I murmured against his mouth, rolling my hips and trying to take him deeper. Instead he brought his other hand down, his fingers digging into the soft flesh at my hips, and laughed against my mouth.

“Och, not yet, darling.” He teased me, holding me so his tip dipped in and out of me, driving me crazy. Tears sprung to my eyes as desire heightened, and still he didn’t let me down onto him. Instead, he increased his torture by leaning forward to suck my nipple, his teeth scraping the sensitive skin, his mouth hot and wet. I threw my head back, arching my breasts into his face, as he bounced me lightly in his lap, playing with the nerves that banded my tight entrance.

And just when I thought I was close, that I would come just from even the hint of him close to me, he reached up and pulled my mouth back to his. His tongue speared inside my mouth, then he slid deep inside of me, bottoming out, and I screamed into his mouth as my muscles clenched around him. Thane bucked upward, thrusting heavily into me as I broke apart around him, and he shouted as he came with me.

We stayed where we were, trying to catch our breath, the cool night air playing across our skin.

“Hell, Kaia, I wasn’t thinking,” Thane said, wrapping his arms around me, his voice rumbling into my neck. “Condom.”

“I’m protected.” I tried to catch my breath, but it felt like my heart was going to explode. My need for him was enormous, and it had been since the first day we’d met. I don’t even know why I’d been trying to convince myself otherwise. Some things were just too monumental to ignore.

When I went to move, he pulled me closer, his arms wrapping me tightly against his chest, and I angled my head to his.

“You’re beautiful,” Thane said, brushing a soft kiss over my lips. “Cosmically, terrifyingly beautiful. You’re magick and muscle and softness and attitude, and you’ve invaded my brain. You’re all I can think about. I dream about you at night, I wake in the morning with your name on my lips, and I make up excuses to come out into the shop to see you. Since the moment we met, there hasn’t been a day that I’ve stopped thinking about you, Kaia.”

“I’m the same,” I admitted. “I tried to push that handsome stranger in Edinburgh from my thoughts. But you’re just here.” I tapped a finger between my chest. “Since day one.”

It was scary and freeing to admit that all at the same time.

“It’s us, darling. It’s us, now.”