Dare, Lydia - Tall, Dark and Wolfish

"Jealous, are they?" She giggled.

"I don't think 'jealous' is the appropriate word. 'Flummoxed' is more like it."

"They dinna ken about yer feminine side?" she joked.

He growled in her ear and tugged her closer "I don't have a feminine side."

She inhaled deeply. "Ye do now."

He chuckled and swatted her behind as she moved away from him.

"Do ye want ta eat, or do ye want the surprise I have for ye?"

"You have a surprise for me?" His gaze shot toward her as he shrugged out of his jacket. "What kind of surprise?"

"Actually, the surprise isna from me. It's from Sorcha, ta be truthful." His shoulders fell dramatically. "Oh, stop," she scolded him, reaching to take his arm. She tugged it briefly. "C'mon."

"The surprise is in the bedroom?" he asked as he raised one eyebrow. "If not for the witch involved, I might be excited."

"That witch did somethin' very nice for ye, so ye'd better be thankin' her in the mornin'."

"I can hardly wait," he said with a pout, dragging his feet as he walked toward her, all the enthusiasm gone from his step.

She opened the bedroom door and stepped back, unable to hide her grin as his eyes grew wide with shock. "Where did that come from?" he gasped as he took in the sight of the beautiful new bed.

"Do ye listen to a thing I say, Ben?" she asked, her hands lifting to rest on her hips. "I told ye, Sorcha made it."

"I thought the little witch could only manipulate the plants," he murmured as he walked near the bed and ran his hand lovingly across the willow branches. They'd been bent and manipulated to make a beautiful heart-shaped headboard.

"She does. How else could she get the willow limbs ta behave this way?" Truly, it looked as though she'd told the willow where to put the branches and how to bend them for the proper effect. "Sit," she encouraged him.

He sat down gingerly on the edge of the mattress.

"It's made of stronger stuff than that, Ben," she said. Elspeth sat down beside him and bounced up and down. "And it's as long as ye are tall."

"I don't know what to say," he mumbled. "It's a wonderful gift. I didn't think any of the witches liked me enough to make anything for me."

She still wasn't sure of it. "They'll come ta love ye with time." Maybe.

"I'll thank her as soon as I see her." His eyes traveled lazily down her body.

"Oh, no," she said, scooting across the bed to get away from him. "I've meat pies and blueberry cobbler waitin'."

Nearly effortlessly, he hooked her around the waist and had her beneath him within seconds. "You're going to turn me into a blueberry."

"I'm tryin' ta turn ye inta a wolf. No' a blueberry," she giggled as he nuzzled her neck, the stubble on his cheeks abrading her skin. She sniffled loudly. "Ye do smell a bit like a flower."

He rested his forehead against hers in a pose of submission. But then he chuckled. "I'll take another bath in flower essence as long as it means I get to pull you in with me."

"Ye're incorrigible."

"Hmm," he agreed, lightly kissing her lips. "One of my better qualities."

"Ben, dinner's gettin' cold."

After devouring his meat pie, Ben looked at the blueberry cobbler in front of him. Even as tired of blueberries as he was, it smelled wonderful.

Across the table, Elspeth kept her eyes on him, making certain he ate every berry on his plate. She was more vigilant than his old governess, a whole lot prettier, too. "I promise to eat every bite, Ellie." He brought a forkful to his mouth.

She momentarily glanced down at her plate. "Where did ye go with Alec MacQuarrie this afternoon?"

"I might have a surprise of my own," he said, before shoveling in more cobbler.

Her green eyes widened. "A surprise?"

One he would be happy to give her when the time was right. The thoughtful gift from Sorcha went a long way toward a peace offering. Now he was even more convinced that he'd done the right thing when he'd bought the large plot of land outside of town earlier in the day. "But I'm not ready to tell you about it yet."

He still had a few things to work out. Still, it seemed almost preordained when he and Alec

happened

upon architect John Burton on Queen Street later that afternoon. If he didn't know better, he would think his old friend had somehow set up the chance encounter. The meeting turned into lunch, which turned into Mr. Burton promising Ben a set of designs for a large Gothic Revival mansion in the Scottish baronial style. That is,

if

Ben decided to build.

He could almost envision Elspeth in their new home now, standing on a veranda and looking up at the moon. They would be happy there for at least half the year.

"Well, in that case, once ye finish dinner, I'll need ta get ye in bed—"

"I'm done," he said, pushing away from the table.

He'd never tire of her innocent blushes. "

Havers

, Ben! I have an ointment I need ta apply ta ye."

He made no attempt to hide his lascivious grin. "An ointment, you say?"

She nodded.

"And you're going to apply it to my skin?"

Elspeth picked up the dishes from the dinner table and started toward the kitchen. "It's made of aloe and ginger and geranium—"

"More flowers?" he asked with a frown.

She dropped the dishes by the stove and turned to face him. "I canna help it that the healin' properties I need are found in flowers, Ben. The aloe plant is ruled by the moon, and its healin' uses are well known. The ginger is ta increase energy. Also ruled by the moon, the geranium will increase yer confidence."

"My confidence?"

She stepped toward him. "Ye

are

a Lycan, Ben. That hasna changed. Ye need ta believe in yerself, in yer ability ta transform. The willow in the bed should help with that as well. Willow contains the strongest natural properties for shape-shifting."

So Sorcha's gift hadn't really been to help him get a better night's sleep. No matter, he'd still make the best use out of the bed. "So this ointment," he began, tracing her lip with a finger. "Will you apply it for me? Or will you leave me to my own devices?"

Elspeth kissed his finger and wrapped her arms around his middle. "It would be best if ye had a healer rub it inta yer skin."

"What luck," he replied with a wink. "I happen to know a healer."

"Do ye, indeed?" she giggled.

"Hmm. The prettiest girl in all of Scotland." He scooped her up in his arms and started for their new willow bed.

"Ben!" She swatted at his chest. "The ointment."

"We'll get to it later," he growled.

Thirty-three

Arm in arm with Sorcha, Elspeth walked through the Ferguson orangery. The wonderful scents of tropical plants and flowering bushes were delightful. "So do ye think the bed worked?" Sorcha asked.

Elspeth had to look away, knowing her blush would give her away. "Aye, the bed worked just fine." It had worked even better than she'd planned, in fact. With all the extra space, Ben had done things to her that she'd never imagined were possible.

Sorcha stopped in front of a bush and lovingly ran her fingers over a bud. Instantly it doubled in size then opened to reveal a breathtaking white orchid.

"Will ye stop tryin' ta show off?" Rhiannon said from behind them.

Elspeth couldn't help but laugh as Sorcha puffed herself up. "What are ye doin' here already?"

Rhiannon shrugged. "Cait said this was when we were ta meet."

They were meeting? Elspeth hadn't gotten a summons. "Do ye ken why?" she wondered aloud. Caitrin had been fairly surly when they'd lunched the day before, and she had no desire to hear another long list of complaints about her husband.

"She's been so irritable lately, I dinna ask."