Stone of Destiny Read online

  Gavin spent the mealtime gazing at Abbie whenever she wasn’t looking his way. He was drawn to her, but she needed to be on her way. He didn’t believe she'd traveled through time; most likely she’d made up the tale in order to remain here under his care. Maybe she was alone in the world. It would explain her wanton manner of dress and perhaps her story showed a desire to leave that kind of lifestyle behind.

  “Would you like a tour of the grounds, lass?” Gavin thought she might be ready to tell him the truth now that she’d rested and been fed.

  “I would enjoy that, thank you.”

  They walked into the kitchen garden where Abbie drew in an appreciative breath of the different herbs growing there. Her mother used to grow her own herbs, too and the smells brought back fond memories.

  “You seem lost in thought.”

  “I was just thinking of my mother’s own herb garden.”

  “Where is your mother now?”

  “My parents died about six years ago.”

  Six years…she couldn’t have survived that long on her own. Maybe Abbie had run away from someone who mistreated her, a cruel husband perhaps.

  “My own mother died when I was a bairn. Katherine looked after my father and me, as he didna remarry.”

  “Is your father still living?” She heard the pain in his voice. Family meant everything to this man.

  “Nae, he died ten years ago, when I was fifteen.”

  “You became Laird at fifteen? That’s a heavy responsibility for a boy.”

  Gavin shrugged. “I wasna too much of a boy by that age, lass.” He smiled at her and she felt breathless watching him.

  Gavin slowly gathered her in his arms and tenderly kissed her. He told himself that Abbie was in need of comfort; she seemed distressed. The kiss deepened as her body melted against his and made contact along the length of him.

  His hands traveled down her back, landing on Abbie’s behind and firmly drawing her hips up against him. She placed her hands on Gavin’s chest and pushed, trying to back away before it was too late, but he held her even closer.

  “Stop it. I don’t even know you.” Abbie needed to stop herself, before she stripped her clothes off right here. Gavin made her feel out of control.

  Gavin looked puzzled. “You wish to know me first? I understand that you have been supporting yourself, lass. You dinna need to worry about coin, if that’s what’s bothering you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Her words were carefully spaced out and the dangerous glint in her eye should have been a warning to him, but Gavin didn’t take heed.

  “Your manner of dress when you first arrived proclaimed your profession for all to see.”

  The hellcat raised her knee, making a solid connection with his groin and stalked back into the kitchen, leaving Gavin in pain and wondering what he’d said wrong to her. Abbie’s reactions were most puzzling, but he was intrigued by her. She wasn’t like any other woman he knew.

  He caught up with her just as she entered her room.

  “If I have offended you, please forgive me. Perhaps you would explain why you tried to unman me?” And where you learned such a trick as that?

  Abbie was still in a rage. Her eyes narrowed as she stood her ground.

  “You accused me of being a prostitute! My clothes are perfectly decent where I come from.”

  “Then I apologize.” He spread his hands out in supplication. He had no wish to fight with this beautiful woman. “I made an assumption when you said you’d been on your own for so many years. You were about fourteen when you were orphaned? How have you been surviving?”

  Abbie slowed down long enough to see the situation from his point of view. Even though he’d guessed her age wrong, the outcome would still be the same. In this time period, women didn’t take care of themselves.

  “I was nineteen…I’m twenty-five now.”

  Understanding dawned on his face.

  “Then you are widowed.” She only looked twenty.

  It was a statement, not a question, and Abbie shook her head in disgust. She wasn’t getting through to this behemoth.

  “I take care of myself…no husband.”

  The lass was clearly deceiving him, although she certainly seemed sincere. He let it go. The truth would come out in time.

  “Are you going to tell me now how you brought me to this century and the way to get back to mine?”

  She was back to that tale again.

  “Abbie, I didna bring you here. Why do you persist in this story of traveling back in time?”

  “Why don’t you believe me? What reason would I have to lie to you about it?” If he didn’t bring her here then how did it happen? And more importantly, how was she to return to her own time?

  “I can think of many reasons, lass.” Gavin smiled in such an erotic fashion that Abbie was instantly aroused.

  “Perchance you wished to claim protection from the Laird of this castle; mayhap you desired to share the Laird’s bed…” He didn’t get the chance to continue.

  “You pig-headed son of a bitch, I wouldn’t sleep with you if you were the last man on earth.”

  Abbie picked up a vase from the table and threw it at his head, narrowly missing. She started out the door but Gavin stopped her by blocking it with his body.

  “Where are you going?”

  The infuriating man was grinning at her. Abbie tried to shove him aside but he picked her up and crushed her against his body as he carried her over to the bed and flung her down, spreading himself on top of her for the second time today.

  “Get off of me!”

  “Not until you give me your word that you will behave, lass. I dinna wish to see any harm come to you.”

  Her body was soft and warm, drawing forth his desire for her. Trapping her hands above her head so she couldn’t hit him, he kissed her throat and was rewarded with a soft moan.

  “I will behave. Now will you get off of me?” Abbie needed to capitulate now, before all reason fled. Gavin was a draught of slow poison and she was afraid that it was already too late to save her.

  Reluctantly, Gavin stood up. His need for the lass went beyond mere sexual pleasure. Was the reason because she fought him? No woman had done that before, and not just because he was Laird. Gavin had fine-tuned the art of pleasuring a woman. His sexual prowess was well known and the lasses flung themselves at him.

  He should leave her alone for now and try to talk to her again later. Maybe she would be more willing to tell him the truth at that time. He walked over to the door.

  “I will see you at supper then.”

  Abbie stared out the window for a time, thinking. The castle stood on a hill, overlooking a vast lake. The view was stunning and she started to unwind. Gavin walked out into the yard just then and called to Thomas, his captain of the guard. They strode through the field, deep in conversation.

  I wonder if time is moving at the same pace for me in my own time, or if I would pop back in at the same moment I left, no matter how long I was here. Interesting question…if time isn’t moving then I could stay here awhile. Who am I trying to kid? She sighed and sat on the bed. Face it, Abbie, he fascinates you.

  Chapter Four

  Gavin strode into the practice yard, its barren dirt laid smooth by generations of warriors perfecting their fighting skills. He signaled his captain of the guard to join him.

  “Thomas, I need you to put a discreet guard on Abbie. She is allowed all access to the grounds, but you will prevent her from leaving them.”

  Thomas grinned at Gavin, on easy terms with his Laird and good friend. “Did you finally run into a lass who’s trying to escape from you?”

  Gavin slapped him on the shoulder in easy camaraderie. “You could put it that way.”

  To tell the truth, he didn’t know why he was preventing her from leaving - his life would be much simpler if she did. He glanced up at the windows and found her watching him. She picked a good time, he thought grinning. Pulling his shir
t off over his head with one hand, he now wore only a kilt slung across his hips. Thomas did the same as they began their daily practice with the claymores.

  Abbie stood mesmerized, watching Gavin’s muscular body move with an otherworldly grace as he swung the heavy sword, besting his captain time and time again. Soon, more of the guard surrounded him as he fought a circular pattern within their midst, the late afternoon sun bathing his body with molten gold. When at last he called an end to practice, she saw that he didn’t look the least bit tired. That man had an abundance of stamina; it most likely carried over into everything he did.

  Enough daydreaming. How was she going to convince him that she came from another time? Maybe her education would set her apart from the women of this period? It was worth a try anyway.

  The evening meal passed quietly, everyone bent to the task of eating their soup and bread without the camaraderie displayed at the noon meal. Abbie wondered if her presence muted their usual conversation. She glanced over at Katherine who gave her a gentle smile, calming her nerves somewhat.

  After supper, Gavin excused himself and disappeared from the hall so Abbie decided to do a bit of exploring on her own. She wandered through the rooms until she came to the study, finding him sitting at a desk with a ledger open in front of him.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going over the accounts.” His gaze locked with hers as she came around the desk to glance at the pages.

  “Don’t let me interrupt you,” she said as he laid down his quill.

  Abbie continued to stand behind him as he tried to focus on his task, but gave up after visions of kissing her replaced the column of numbers before him. She was a powerful distraction.

  “I’ll leave you to your work.” She moved to the doorway and smiled back at him. “By the way, you added the last column wrong,” and she walked out, disappearing into the hallway.

  Gavin checked his figures again. She was right. He went looking for Abbie, finding her in the library glancing at the books on the shelves.

  “Don’t you have any books written in English?”

  “Aye, there may be one or two around. You know your letters and numbers?” Gavin moved closer to her, wondering again who she might really be.

  “Yes. Do you believe me now, that I’m from the future?”

  “Nae, it only shows that your parents thought fit to educate you. As Laird, I require the villagers to educate their children, including the lasses. It is only proper.”

  He had moved against her body by this time, the invitation explicit in his stance. Abbie sought to deny him but found her voice stolen away as she glanced into his eyes. They burned with an inner light and his lips caressed her heart with a smile. Gavin held her face in his hands and kissed her with a passion that started a moist heat building between her thighs. He trailed one hand down to lightly caress her breast before sliding inside her shift and rolling her nipple against his fingers.

  Abbie was going to stop him…any minute now. She felt her body becoming pliable to his will, as if she’d relinquished all functional control. Voices could be heard coming down the hallway, heading in this direction. Gavin backed up marginally, giving her just enough space to drop down out of his embrace. She slipped out the door for the dubious safety of her room, already aware that she couldn’t run far enough to escape her own traitorous responses to him.

  Gavin watched her go with a grin. He could feel Abbie’s desire as a vibration in the air, not to mention the heat of her body when she pressed against him. He had a few days before things needed to be settled. Besides, the chase was a novelty for him.

  ***

  Someone had laid a fire and started it during supper. The heat felt pleasant on Abbie’s skin as she changed out of her gown. Clad only in a thin nightgown that Katherine had supplied, she wrapped a quilt around her shoulders and sat in the chair opposite the fire.

  Providing evidence of being educated hadn’t changed Gavin’s mind at all about her origins. Trying to talk to him about her predicament was becoming increasingly difficult, since he was apparently adept at bringing a sensual side of her to the forefront – a part of her that had never really been explored before.

  She realized she had an even bigger problem, if she was going to be totally honest with herself. There really wasn’t a whole lot about her life in the future to be excited about getting back to. She had no family, no friends to speak of that would miss her. Her major would lock her into a stress-filled career, while her current employment sucked.

  But did she fit in any better here? Was it even something she should be thinking about? There was no one here to talk to about it either, since nobody believed her story. Maybe Katherine would listen. It was worth a try.

  Abbie shook her head, trying to clear it. What magic had stolen over her? She didn't belong here, no matter how tempting the thought might be.

  Getting up out of the chair and slumping down on the bed, she felt the tears starting to surface. Her mind was too muddled by the events of the day to think about it anymore. What she needed was a good night's sleep. Crawling under the comforter, she dozed off almost immediately.

  Chapter Five

  When Abbie entered the hall for breakfast the next morning, there was a whirlwind of activity going on around her. Katherine bade her good morning and motioned her over to sit. Gavin was nowhere in sight.

  “What’s going on?”

  “They’re only setting up the hall for disputes. Ye’ll have time to eat, dinna worry. Most of it willna make much sense to ye though, not having the Gaelic.” Katherine passed a plate of food over to Abbie while keeping up a lively chatter.

  “Why do most of the people in this household also speak English?”

  “The old Laird insisted that his own household be properly educated, a tradition his son follows. He even went so far as to foster Gavin with relatives in France for a time.”

  Katherine spoke with a smile when she mentioned Gavin. It was obvious to Abbie that she was quite fond of him.

  A glint passed through Katherine’s eye as she looked at the dress that Abbie had put on this morning. It was a simple cut and lovely, but more of an everyday type of dress.

  “After ye eat, let’s get something suitable for ye to wear to hall.”

  The ‘suitable’ dress turned out to be a gorgeous emerald green gown. She felt a bit like Cinderella. Everyone turned to look as Abbie walked into the large area alongside Katherine, including Gavin. He stared for a moment before slowly crossing the room and raised her hand to his lips.

  “You are truly the most beautiful lass to grace my hall,” he murmured, before abruptly straightening and adjusting his sporran.

  Gavin was breathtaking no matter what he wore, but in full dress regalia he was magnificent. As he crossed back over to his earlier spot, Katherine laughed softly. Following her gaze, Abbie saw several girls walking in with their fathers, each group trying to lock eyes with the Laird and be noticed.

  “Draws them like bees, he does. Of course, who wouldna want to be married to the Laird?”

  Abbie looked at her, wondering why Katherine made the statement and found clear eyes gazing back at her.

  “It’s a lonely life, not knowing if yer wanted as a man or just for yer position.”

  Abbie thought about her words as the proceedings started. Although she didn’t understand the language, many things became clear to her. Gavin wasn’t arrogant, as she’d assumed. Rather, his position required him to be larger than life; he was both protector and judge for these people who were bound to him. She watched him hand out his judgments in the disputes. His word was law here.

  Just as his skills with the sword weren’t for show, they were necessary for defense in this time and place. The men of her time held no comparison to Gavin - they wouldn’t fit in here at all. Would she be able to though? It was a question that Abbie urgently needed an answer to because she didn’t want to go back.

  A beautiful brunette walked over to where
they sat, her eyes glittering strangely as she looked at Abbie.

  “Are you enjoying your stay here?”

  Abbie had no idea how to answer that, so politely smiled at the woman and remained silent. Katherine watched the sultry female with an odd look on her face. The woman laughed and walked away.

  “Who was that?” Abbie asked.

  “I dinna know. I’ve never laid eyes on her in the village before.” Katherine hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “More important, how did she know to address ye in English, instead of Gaelic?”

  Gavin saw the Fae approach Abbie. He’d never thought to see her again. Why did she speak to Abbie? Fortunately, hall was almost over. Gavin intended to get some answers.

  ***

  All during dinner Gavin watched her, his lips curving into a smile each time Abbie looked his way – which was often. Her stomach had butterflies from all of the thinking she’d been doing and she couldn’t eat. Getting to know this man better was the first thing on her list; the second would be to quit running away from him.

  “Will you walk with me?” Gavin pulled out her chair and extended his arm to her.

  They strolled through the grounds, enjoying the mid-summer sunshine as they rounded the castle, heading towards the back of it. The last of the villagers could be seen making their way back down the road.

  Gavin gently eased Abbie up against the stone wall, kissing her deeply as he did so. He spread kisses down her throat and across the exposed top of her breasts, leaving Abbie burning with desire. Lifting her up and melding his body into hers, she felt a delicious friction as he rubbed his erection into the vee between her legs.

  “You have too many clothes on, Abbie.”

  His seductive whisper was breaking down the last of her defenses.

  “Are you wet for me, lass? Do you need to feel me inside of you, stroking back and forth until you scream with pleasure?”