Chapter
3
Waking
up beside someone was something Scott hadn't
done in quite a while, yet when he woke up,
he felt the delicious warmth of a body
pressed to his. A well-muscled arm was draped
over his side, holding him in a tight
embrace. He laced his fingers through
Kieran's and brought their hands to his lips.
He kissed Kieran's knuckles softly and the
scent of the patchouli rose up from Kieran's
skin to wreak havoc on his senses. Scott
breathed in deeply and his chest tightened.
One night; he had spent only one night with
the Druid and he feared he was already
falling for the man. He started to slide out
of the bed, but the arm tightened around him,
refusing to let him go.
"I've
got to get up," Scott said with a laugh.
He looked at the clock on the bedside table.
"Besides, it's almost ten. I've slept
longer than I should have." He rolled
over to meet an entrancing, dark green gaze.
"I
don't normally sleep this late either, but I
haven't felt this comfortable with anyone
before."
Scott
brought his hand up and stroked the strong
line of Kieran's jaw. He wanted to memorize
every detail, every line, of Kieran's face.
When he had to go back to Oxford, his
memories would have to do. When his gaze
traveled back to Kieran's eyes, the intensity
of the Druid's gaze made him painfully aware
of what he had only feared before: he was
falling head over heels for Kieran Parker. He
started to pull away to get out of bed, but
Kieran slid his arm up and cupped his face.
Scott's breath left him altogether with the
soft kiss Kieran placed on his lips.
It
wasn't a heated kiss like the many they had
each taken and given last night. It was a
soft, sweet kiss that left Scott truly
breathless, in both body and spirit. It was a
kiss which held a promise--not of sex, but of
so much more. When the kiss ended, Scott met
Kieran's gaze again and realized he wasn't
falling for him. He had already landed.
Kieran simply gave him a cryptic smile and
Scott wondered if he felt the same.
"I
have to be back at the cabin in an
hour," Kieran said as he ran his
fingertips slowly down Scott's cheek.
"You
still want me to come with you?"
Kieran
nodded and smiled. It was difficult to render
him speechless, but Scott Tillman managed to
do it without even trying. From the first
moment he saw Scott pull up at the castle,
Kieran had been at a loss for words many
times. When Scott told him he was gay, Kieran
knew it was only a matter of time until his
heart was completely stolen. Now, as he
stroked Scott's face gently, he realized it
was already gone. Scott Tillman had Kieran's
heart wrapped around his finger.
"One
thing," Scott said, bringing Kieran's
attention back to their conversation.
"Would you be offended if I were to just
sit off to the side during the ritual?"
Kieran
laughed; he never really expected Scott would
want to join in with all of the festivities.
"No, that's quite all right. You're not
a Druid, so I can easily understand."
"Cool.
I've never actually been to any rituals, to
be honest. Anything I need to know ahead of
time?"
"No,
just enjoy yourself. I trust you to be
respectful." Kieran realized afterwards
that his voice had grown husky. He had not
intended on doing anything, but with Scott so
close to him that idea was quickly
dissipating. When he noticed a grin teasing
the corners of Scott's mouth, he couldn't
begin to hide the hard-on that sprang up out
of nowhere. "Turn over," he
whispered close to Scott's lips.
"I
thought you had to leave soon."
"I
do, but I'll be damned if I can pass this
up." Kieran slid his hand down and
squeezed Scott's newly-awakened cock to
emphasize his point. Scott groaned and pushed
his hips forward.
"Fuck
me," he whispered.
Kieran
rolled him over onto his back and then to his
other side. Scott reached over, grabbed a
small package off of the bedside table, and
handed it to him. Kieran tore it open and
unrolled the lubricated rubber onto his cock.
He lifted Scott's leg and started kissing his
neck. With a strong, steady push of his hips,
he buried his entire length deep inside
Scott's body.
"Oh,
God," Scott breathed, and Kieran
mirrored the sentiment with a groan. Despite
last night, Scott was still blessedly tight
around his shaft.
Kieran
slipped his other arm under Scott's head and
descended on his lips with a voraciousness
which left even him surprised. He felt Scott
shudder as he thrust in and out of him and
with a deep moan into his mouth, Scott's body
jerked as he coated the bed and his hand in
his come. Kieran sped up his thrusts until
his own body tightened and released in a
torrent. When he slowed down, he softened his
kiss. He pulled out of Scott and rolled onto
his back, pulling off the rubber. It was then
it really hit him and he pulled Scott up
against him. But did he dare say it? He
kissed Scott's head softly and marveled in
the delicacy of their heartbeats as they
settled into a single rhythm.
"If
I tell you something, please don't feel
offended," he whispered. Scott nodded,
but remained quiet. Kieran sighed and closed
his eyes as the words fought their way out.
"I'm afraid I might be falling for
you." When Scott didn't answer right
away, he thought he might have actually
scared the man into silence. Then Scott did
speak and his answer was the last thing
Kieran had expected to hear.
"Then
I guess it's okay to admit I share the
fear." He looked up at Kieran and
smiled. "I kind of had the feeling this
would never amount to simply a one-night
stand," Scott said. "And to be
honest, from the first time I saw your
picture on the Grove's website, I wanted you
more than I've ever wanted anyone. I don't
know what it is about you, Kieran, but
whatever it is, I'm thoroughly hooked."
Kieran
couldn't begin to hide the smile as it crept
across his lips.
"I
only came out here to investigate a
grave," Scott mused quietly.
"You're not a damn thing like any man
I've ever met. My sister would be
proud."
"Your
sister?" Kieran asked him, an eyebrow
lifting in confusion.
Scott
laughed. "Laurie has spent the past
several months trying to hook me up, but all
the men she's introduced me to have been
nothing short of horrible in every way
imaginable."
"And
me?" Kieran grinned again.
"You?
Kieran, you are truly unique. You're...you're
perfect for me, I think. Hell, if anything,
at least the sex is a hell of a lot better
than it ever had been with anyone else."
Without
warning, Kieran growled and rolled Scott over
and onto his back. He pressed Scott into the
mattress and descended on his mouth. When he
pulled away a few minutes later, Scott
glanced over at the clock again.
"Yeah,
yeah," Kieran said as he sat up,
releasing Scott. "Don't remind me of the
time." He watched as Scott smiled and
sat up. Scott’s chestnut hair was
completely disheveled as it fell halfway down
his back, but he was still utterly gorgeous.
Kieran leaned over and kissed his shoulder
softly before getting out of bed.
He had
to be back at the cabin relatively soon. The
others were waiting, but if he was late, Mike
could at least explain part of it. Until the
mess with Langley was cleared up, he had to
be careful who knew about him and Scott, as
tarnishing Scott's reputation was the last
thing either of them wanted to do. Kieran
slipped on his jeans and T-shirt before
sitting down to lace up his boots. He watched
Scott dress, marveling at how well built the
man was for a college professor. With every
movement, Scott's muscles rippled the
slightest bit, leaving Kieran's stomach in
damnable knots even though his libido was
quelled for the time being.
When
they both were dressed, he followed Scott out
of the hotel and down to the club. They
reached Kieran's car first and he leaned up
against the side. He wanted to pull Scott to
him, but he was leery about anyone seeing
them right now. He didn't trust Langley in
the least, and it was common knowledge around
Cardiff that the High Priest of Taliesin's
Grove was queer. He didn't want to express
anything other than professionalism towards
Scott, only to learn later that Langley was
broadcasting rumors around about the two of
them. Scott had been right the night before:
it was a conflict of interest for them to be
involved, at least for right now. So instead
of taking the archaeologist into his arms,
Kieran forced himself into a casual
handshake. Scott didn't seem overly thrilled
about it either.
"What
time do I need to be at your place?"
Scott asked him.
Kieran
thought about it for a moment. "Well,
I've got to get back there and start setting
things up. Mike knows what happened, but rest
assured he won't say a word. He'll explain it
to the others if I'm a little late, though.
We'll be setting things up well into this
afternoon. So, say, six? That cool?"
Scott
smiled, although what he really wanted was to
melt into Kieran's arms again. Instead, he
nodded. "Sure, that works. I'm going to
go explore the area a bit, maybe wander
around the outlying countryside around the
castle. Then I'll head back here and at least
let the dean know I'm here already. Hell, he
knows me. He's probably fuming right now
because I haven't called him to let him know
my room number."
He
hated leaving like this, but until this whole
mess was cleared up, they had to be careful.
He watched as Kieran got in his car, and when
Kieran closed the door, Scott took the chance
and gave him a quick kiss. He smiled and
stepped back as Kieran pulled away. He
watched until Kieran’s car disappeared
over the hill and then he walked to his own
car. He was hungry as hell and figured he
could grab something before heading out to
Langley's place. He wasn't ready to deal with
the man yet and he wasn't even expected until
Monday, but he did want a good look around
the grounds outside the walls at least.
He
wasn't going to make any guesses, to do so
was foolish from a scientific standpoint
until at least an initial search of the grave
could be done; but he did want to know if
perhaps there was any evidence of something
more within the area. To find a single grave
with nothing else around it was a bit odd,
especially if the grave had been dug out as
opposed to being a natural occurrence.
After
stopping for an early lunch, Scott headed out
of the city itself and into the countryside.
He kept the top panels off of the car, as the
weather was surprisingly calm and warm, with
only the slightest chill to the air. It was
the beginning of spring--well, at least it
was to him. The equinox had come and gone,
but May Day was always the start of spring in
his eyes. The trees were full of brilliant
green leaves, the land was dotted in a myriad
of bright colors from the flowers and other
plants, and the air was crisp but hardly
cold.
Scott
ate his lunch as he drove, not caring how
slow he was going when others periodically
passed him. He was in too much of a good mood
for anyone to sully his day. He thought back
to the night before and shivered as a tremor
ran through him. No matter how many times he
had come the night before, he wanted more. He
wanted to lose himself in Kieran's arms until
the world outside disappeared. As he turned
off the main road onto the narrow dirt road
which led to the castle grounds, Scott
finally admitted it to himself with a smile.
He was absolutely, head over heels, in love
with Kieran Parker.
Hardly
any towns were visible along the main road
between Cardiff and Langley's castle, and
only an occasional house could be seen. Upon
turning down the dirt road, even the sight of
houses tapered off. Not even Kieran's cabin
could be seen, as the dirt road which was his
driveway was nearly a mile long. As he drove
past the road, Scott wondered what Kieran was
doing. Though he specialized in Celtic
history, he knew only the basic facts when it
came to Druidry. As such, he had no idea what
all was needed to prepare for a ritual
nowadays. Another quarter mile down the road,
Scott spied a familiar ponytail of ebony
hair. Kieran and several others were clearing
away bracken to reveal a well-worn path
leading into the woods. Unable to resist,
Scott slowed down and pulled up alongside
them. Even with his hair in a ponytail and
his clothes covered in leaves and dirt,
Kieran still looked damn good.
"Need
any help?"
Kieran
turned around and smiled broadly at the man
in the car behind them. He brushed his hands
on his jeans and walked to the car. Without
so much as a glance to the others, he leaned
down and surprised Scott with a delicious,
tongue-filled kiss. When he stood back up,
Scott reached up and tucked an escaping bit
of hair behind Kieran's ear.
"Don't
worry," Kieran reassured him, noting the
somewhat paranoid look on Scott's face.
"Our secret's safe here. I trust these
people with my life. I thought you were going
to get some other stuff done."
"I
was, but when I saw you out here, I couldn't
resist the temptation to stop," Scott
said with a grin. "So, you need any
help?"
Kieran
shrugged and stepped back to give Scott room
to pull off the road. When Scott got out of
the car, Kieran pulled him into an embrace.
"Now
this is more like it," Kieran said.
Scott
nodded and slid his arms around Kieran's
neck. Kieran backed him up against the car
and kissed him like he had wanted to do
earlier.
"If
you're in the mood to get your hands dirty,
I'm not going to be the one to stop
you," he said when they came up for air.
"Good.
What do you need me to do?"
Kieran
took his hand and pulled him down into the
small ditch and up to the path. "First
of all, I want you to meet some people.
Scott, meet the man who will soon be
replacing me--Mike. And this is Nate, Rich,
Taylor, and Janice. Everyone, this is Dr.
Scott Tillman. He's here to check out the
grave, but as I said before, keep your mouths
shut about him for now." They all nodded
and Scott seemed visibly relieved. Kieran
turned back to the path and led him down to
where they had gotten to.
"We
haven't actually been back here for some
time," he said. "We usually reserve
this area for the holidays. Minor rituals and
such are done in the smaller part behind the
cabin."
"What
a minute," Scott said with a laugh.
"You're telling me you own all of
this?" He waved his hand around at the
forest surrounding them.
Kieran
nodded. "Every damn bit of it. Hell, I
would own..."
"Yes?"
Kieran
shook his head. "Nothing," he said.
He glanced over at Scott and smiled what he
hoped was a convincing smile. "Nothing;
lost my train of thought." He gestured
to the overgrown path before them. "Now,
all we need to do is clear the path. It's not
too bad, but it needs to be cleared before
tonight. I don't want anyone tripping over
loose branches when they come down
here."
"Gotcha."
Kieran
started picking up the loose branches and
threw them into the woods on either side of
the path while Scott worked along beside him.
The others stayed behind them, stringing up
battery-powered lanterns along the branches
of the trees lining the path on either side.
As they
neared the end, Scott glanced briefly at his
watch. They had been working for nearly five
hours, stopping to take breaks and sharing
bottles of water. When they broke into the
glade, Kieran smiled and sank down the trunk
of the nearest tree. He wiped his hand across
his brow and looked up at Scott.
"Thank
you for the help," he said. "In all
honesty, I don't think I could have ever done
it this fast without you."
Scott
sat down between his legs and leaned back up
against his chest. "No problem. I was
glad to help."
Kieran
circled Scott with his arms and kissed his
hair as Scott leaned back against his
shoulder. He smelled of pine, oak, and dirt;
and the combination of them with Scott's own
natural scent left Kieran wishing they were
alone. If they had been, he would've pressed
Scott back onto the ground and taken him
right there. As fate would have it, however,
the others arrived in the grove a few minutes
later.
"You
seem so at home here," Kieran said
quietly. "It's a wonder you're not a
Druid."
Scott
laughed and raised his arms to circle
Kieran's neck with them. "I honestly
don't know what I believe, to tell you the
truth. Like most others, I was born in a
Christian family."
"Where
are you originally from? You're not
Welsh."
"No,
not by a long shot. I was born in New York
City. I moved here when I started working on
my Masters at Oxford," Scott said as
they watched the others move around the
perimeter of the glade, stringing up more
lights.
"Ah,
American by birth," Kieran said.
"Do you miss the States?"
Scott
shook his head. "Not really. I'm quite
content where I am." He tightened his
grip around Kieran's neck.
"Kieran," he said quietly. Then he
stopped, as if he was unsure of what to say.
"Yes?"
Kieran asked him as he kissed his hair.
"On
the way over, I had time to think about
things."
"Oh?
Like what?"
"I'm
going to have to go back to Oxford, possibly
in a week, maybe longer."
"I
know," Kieran whispered.
Scott
turned around to kneel between Kieran's legs.
"When I leave, I won't be gone long.
I'll come back and find a place in
Cardiff." He reached up and caressed
Kieran's hair. "I don't think I could
live without you now."
"Is
this the part where I confess that I'm
hopelessly in love with you?" Kieran
asked him with a grin.
Scott
pulled his legs down and straddled him.
"Are you?" he asked.
Kieran
looked up at him and knew nothing needed to
be said. Scott smiled and kissed his lips
softly.
"Good,
because I wanted to tell you I've fallen in
love with you too," Scott said.
Kieran
smiled against his lips before their mouths
opened and their tongues met each other
fully. Scott moaned softly and Kieran gripped
his hips, pulling him down harder.
"Damn,"
Kieran said quietly when Scott pulled away.
"I wish we were alone right now."
"That
makes two of us."
Kieran
looked over Scott's shoulder as Mike came up
to them.
"Well,
looks like you've finally found someone who
doesn't mind your bullheadedness," Mike
said with a grin.
Kieran
glowered at him, but a smile touched his lips
and reflected in his eyes. "Yes,
well," he said with a shrug and a glance
to Scott, "guess even the hardheaded
need love." Scott smiled and kissed him
again before standing up. He held his hand
out and helped Kieran to his feet. "All
the lights up?" Mike nodded. "Good,
if I can con Scott into it, I'll hitch a ride
with him back to the cabin. You all going to
hike back?"
"Yeah,
Janice wanted to gather some leaves for her
altar at home."
"Okay,"
Kieran said with a nod. "We'll meet you
back at the cabin. I need a shower before I
do anything tonight. I love the forest more
than anything, but I'm not particularly fond
of feeling like one."
"We'll
meet you there," Mike said. Then he
looked from Kieran to Scott and grinned.
"I'll make sure no one uses the master
bathroom."
The two
of them watched him walk away and then Kieran
turned to Scott. "Well, what are the
chances of talking you into a ride?"
Scott
smiled and stepped up to him. "Pretty
damn good. One catch, though."
"What's
that?"
Scott
leaned closer and flicked his tongue over
Kieran's lips. "You share the
shower."
Kieran
closed what little distance there was between
them and pulled him into a kiss. When he
finally released Scott's mouth, he grinned.
"I
take that as a 'yes,'" Scott said.
