“I know.” Christina reached out her hand and placed it on Kathryn’s shoulder.
“You understand how things are here. You know they all honor and respect you.” She shook her head. “How can they? They don’t even know me.” Marc knows you, a little voice in the back of her head spoke up. She shook her head again. “I want to see Tienan and Logan.”
“Of course.” The other woman looked worried but she said nothing more as she led Kathryn out of the room and down the hall.
Kathryn could feel the weight of the journal in her pocket and hoped she’d find some answers there. Regardless, the tapestry would be back tomorrow night and she, Tienan and Logan would leave. She ignored the pang in her chest at the thought of leaving Marc behind. Maybe he could come with them. The tapestry had allowed him to travel through time and space once before. Why not again? It was something to think about.
Kathryn tucked all such thoughts away as she followed Christina into Tienan’s room. Logan was sprawled in a chair, his long legs stretched forward, his hands clasped on his flat stomach. Tienan was lounging on the bed, looking remarkably fit for a man who’d had surgery the day before. You’d never know there was anything wrong with him except for the heavy bandage wrapped around his shoulder. Genetics and his strong will made all the difference in his fast recovery time. Both men jumped to their feet when she entered.
“Are you all right?” Logan wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly.
“I’m fine.” She buried her face against his chest, seeking his familiar scent. When she pulled away, she offered him a smile. “You?”
“Good.” He glanced over at Tienan, who was waiting impatiently. “We passed an uneventful night and have bathed and eaten. Christina made sure we had everything we needed.” He offered a smile to the other woman who stood quietly watching them.
It was then she noticed that they were both dressed in the same garb as Marc—
leather pants and vests, although neither of them wore armbands. They also wore their own boots.
Tienan’s patience was obviously at an end as he dragged her into his arms. She felt his lips against the top of her head. “Thank you,” he whispered. She knew he was thanking her for operating on him last night.
“I see you are all up and ready.” Marc’s tone was hard and cold, his words clipped.
Kathryn jerked away from Tienan’s embrace, feeling as if she’d been caught doing something wrong. Which was ridiculous. Tienan and Logan were her friends. Marc was… Well, she wasn’t quite sure what he was. Her lover for sure but any more than that was impossible.
He strode forward, looking impossibly large and handsome. His long brown hair was tied back at his nape, making his rough-hewn features appear even more severe.
But his golden-brown eyes were warm. No, they were hot as he reached her. His hand snaked around her waist, tugging her from Tienan’s embrace and pulling her against his chest.
She knew she should object to such high-handed actions but she couldn’t get a word past her lips. Before she could even think of what to say, his head swooped down and he captured her mouth with his.
Heat flooded through her as her body remembered last night. She felt the crotch of her panties getting damp and her breasts swelled. She didn’t have to look down to know that her nipples were hard and pressing against the soft cotton tunic she wore.
His tongue leisurely claimed hers, twining around it. She moaned slightly, going up on her toes so their bodies were positioned better. His hand slid downward, cupping her ass and pulling her closer. She could feel the hardness of his erection against her mound and tilted her hips inward. The motion rubbed her nipples against his chest, making them ache.
“Ahem.” The heavy male voice was tinged with amusement.
Kathryn pulled away, gasping for breath, suddenly aware of the silence around her.
Ohmigod, what had she done? And in front of Christina, not to mention Tienan and Logan, no less.
She closed her eyes and sought control. Her hormones were raging totally unrestrained, demanding she find the nearest bed and drag Marc there with her. Heck, they didn’t need a bed. They hadn’t managed to use one last night and he’d given her three orgasms. And those kinds of thoughts weren’t helping her calm down one bit.
Marc slid his hand up her spine, bringing it to rest against the back of her neck. “I trust you slept well.”
Oh, there was a wealth of innuendo in his words. She could almost see the testosterone filling the room as he laid claim to her. Why didn’t he just scream, I fucked her last night. The effect was the same. Kathryn pulled back her foot and kicked him in the shin.
He grunted but didn’t even move. Totally pissed off, she drew back her foot again.
Before she could kick him, an arm wrapped around her from behind and she was lifted off her feet. Without thinking, she kicked backward, striking Logan in the shin. He had the audacity to laugh at her.
“Put. Me. Down.” She said each word slowly. She was beginning to wish she’d never left her room this morning. Maybe she’d go back there and stay until the tapestry came for her.
Logan dropped a kiss on her cheek as he lowered her to her feet. “There’s no need to be upset, Kathryn,” he whispered in her ear. “You’re a beautiful woman. If I’d had you to myself last night, I would have done the same thing that Marc did. I would have claimed you.”
Heat rushed through her and not all of it was from embarrassment. She could feel Logan’s erection pressing against her back. This was simply too much for her to take in at once. Men had never been interested in her and suddenly she was a femme fatale wanted by two men. She glanced at Tienan and there was no mistaking the heat in his eyes. Okay, make that three.
She rubbed her stomach, which was begging to ache. Maybe she shouldn’t have had that cider. Too acidic for her sensitive tummy. If Christina was to be believed, there was a large group of men waiting downstairs as well. It was just too much for her to take in.
“Your stomach is paining again.” It was almost an accusation.
She glared at Tienan. “Given the events of this morning, is there any wonder?”
“What is wrong with her stomach? Are you ill?” Marc’s arm came around her and his palm settled gently over her tummy.
“It’s nothing,” she began only to be interrupted by Logan.
“We think it’s the start of an ulcer.”
Christina stepped forward. “There’s some goat’s milk in the kitchen and I’m sure that Mara will have some kind of tea that might help.” Logan sent her a grateful smile.
“That’s all well and good,” she began, feeling the anxiety rising within her once again. “But what about all the men downstairs who want to claim me.”
“Over my dead body,” three male voices spoke in tandem.
Chapter Eight
Marc kept his eye on Kathryn as he led her down the winding staircase to the great hall below, closely followed by Tienan and Logan. Christina had gone on ahead, giving Kathryn time to compose herself.
He felt anger at himself that he hadn’t known about her illness. He should have known. Hadn’t he thought she was too thin, like someone who has been sick? Christina had taken him aside and told him exactly what an ulcer was and that the cause was usually stress. He realized then that he had no idea exactly what kind of life she’d come from. What little he’d seen hadn’t been good.
He’d staked his claim in front of the other men as soon as he’d walked into the room. Mostly because a bolt of white-hot jealousy had hit him when he’d seen her in another man’s arms. These men had a history with her that he did not, a connection that was obvious to anyone who watched them together.