I promise you love. Time will not take away that.’
Giles was beside himself. Guilt and regret and indecision flooded through the chambers of his heart, making it thump uncomfortably. He hadn’t wanted them to set out on this blasted rescue mission in the first place.
Okay, so they’d managed to get the girl out, wretched creature that she was, but at what cost? Dana was clearly stronger and more disturbed than they had anticipated. What they could do for her was anyone’s guess. Then there was the new lass, standing there looking shell shocked and lost. And Dawn, who’d arrived back pale and trembling, clearly having pushed herself beyond her limits.
But worst of all was Catriona. Her first day on the job, well not even on the job really, she hadn’t even signed a contract or anything yet; she was just doing them a favor. Anyway, her first mission and she’d been hurt. God, she was so little, much smaller than any of the other girls she’d come back with. The thought of her being hurt made him want to scream.
And what must she think? She already hated him, and now he’d let her get hurt. Still she didn’t seem to be looking at him in a hateful way, although there was still one of those annoying cheeky grins on her lips. Well a wobbly version of one anyway.
God, she looked beautiful … or ah terrible, he meant. Yes terrible. By the time they’d got Dana sedated and settled into the secure room they’d prepared for her, the gash on Catriona’s head had stopped bleeding, but blood was smeared across the side of her face and the area around the cut was swelling and turning purple. What should he do? Bloody hell, he’d been hovering and wringing his hands like a sodding useless wanker. Why couldn’t he get his bloody brain to work? Must be the guilt, yeah, probably the guilt.
“Um Rupert, do ya have an icepack maybe?” Her voice sounded a bit thready, but he could read a touch of exasperation woven through her raspy Scots accent, so he figured she wasn’t too badly off.
“Oh, um, yes off course. I’ll just, um, there’s one in the fridge in my suite, I’ll just go and get it.” Giles frowned, baffled by the effect she had over him.
“Actually, Rupes, I’m dead on my feet,” Cat declared, wavering a little where she stood. “Do you think you could whisk me away from this madness and find me a quiet spot to recover?”
“Of course! Oh my, how stupid of me. We could go to my rooms, they’re only across the courtyard. Um, maybe an icepack, a sit down and a nice cup of tea.” He didn’t wait for Catriona’s reply, instead placing his hand on her lower back and gently guiding her out through the door and across the cobblestones. As he slid the key into the lock and opened the door to his unit, her throaty laugh sent shivers down his spine.
“Well, really Rupert, if that’s the caliber of chat-up line you’ve been using, then it’s no wonder you’re still on your own. Still,” she mumbled, “it seems to have netted you a wee sprat anyway.”
Giles frowned again, unsure of quite what she meant by that last part, but justifiably insulted by her first comment. God, she really was infuriating at times. He had to bite his tongue and remind himself that she was injured, or he would have called her some rude name and scowled at her.
He led her to the sofa and made sure she was comfy before heading over to the mini fridge and pulling the icepack out of the icebox. He wrapped a cloth around it and took it over to her, then grabbed a warm face cloth, a tube of antiseptic cream and a small bandage from the bathroom.
“Right,” he said, after he’d finished cleaning her up, dressing her wound and pressing the cold compress to her head, “I’ll just go and pop the kettle on.”
“Boil away old man, but if it’s all the same to you I’d rather have a glass of Scotch. I’m sure you’ve got a fine drop stashed away here somewhere.” Giles was just about to give her the sharp edge of his tongue for calling him old when she added, “Oh, and a glass of water and a few Disprin too if you can rustle them up.”
Her eyes were closed and her head was lying against the back of the sofa, so Giles’ frosty glare was wasted on her and instead he stomped petulantly into the bathroom to find the painkillers, then back to the kitchenette to fetch a glass of water.
He plopped them down on the table next to her and hurried back to get the Scotch. Finally everything was laid out, a bottle of Laphroaig, a decanter of ice and two crystal tumblers sat before them. Giles had felt so annoyed that he’d plonked himself down on the couch right next to Catriona before he realized what he was doing, then felt too awkward to move elsewhere.
“How do you take it?” he muttered tersely.
“Straight’ll be fine, that’s too grand a Scotch ta ruin with water or ice,” Catriona said appreciatively.
“Are you quite sure you should even be drinking the stuff? What if you have a concussion? That’s a nasty bump you know.”
“I’m sure I’m fine, and I’m the doctor after all. Sure I’ve got a headache but I wasn’t knocked out and my memory of the whole drama is fine. But you can check my eyes for unequal pupil size if you’re really concerned.” Cat turned to face him, her knees brushing against his thighs.
Giles thought it would be churlish to refuse; he was concerned about her after all. He took a large gulp of his Scotch and set it down, before gently taking her chin in his hand, turning her head by small increments until her eyes caught the light and he could see them clearly. Catriona stared straight at him, her amber brown irises gleaming softly. They seemed to be saying something to him, telling him a story that he just couldn’t read.
Intrigued, captivated, he sat peering intently into the depths of her eyes, as his heart pounded in his chest. He realized he’d been dreaming of these eyes for years, the same that had first captured his so long ago. How had he never consciously been aware it?
“So, how are they?” she asked softly.
“Beautiful,” he whispered, stroking her chin. “Oh, I mean, beautifully equal.” He blushed and dropped his hand, but continued to look at her, even in his embarrassment, unable to drag his gaze away. “So, nicely equal and not too dilated. Although, ah, actually, um, they do seem to be a bit dilated,” he said, his quiet voice betraying his concern.
“Well,” Cat laid her hand along his cheek, “maybe, I have got concussion. But dilated pupils can also mean something else.” She paused waiting for his brain to catch up.
“Oh? Oh!” he said, the message finally getting through. “But …”
“No buts Rupert,” Cat said as she slid her hand to the back of his neck, “I’ve been waiting too many years to put this off any longer.”
She pulled him down towards her, and all hesitations laid aside, Giles moved willingly, eagerly into her arms.
Their lips touched and he heard a desperate, keening groan. Whether hers or his it mattered not, the mere sound igniting an explosion of passion in both of them. Giles crushed his lips against hers and dragged her against him. Too far, too far, each needed the touch of the other and he hauled her onto his lap, never breaking the deep, fiery kiss they were sharing. Sitting astride him, Cat ground her jean covered crotch against his erection.
Panting, she pulled back a fraction, throwing her head back and circling her hips more firmly. He groaned and pressed kisses along the length of her neck, all the time muttering passionate invocations.
“Oh God, Cat.” Her name tumbled from his lips like a prayer. “Baby, want you so bad,” he said between kisses, his voice filled with longing. A longing that sprang from the depths of his soul and swept away the tattered veils that had obscured the truth for so long. A flash, as of lightning, arced across his brain, laying bare the memories he’d buried deep inside. He gasped and clutched her to him. “So long, so long. How did I not know? Is it true, have I always wanted you this bad? How could I have lived like this, burning with need for you?”
Cat stilled and pulled his head up to look at her. “Aye, Rupert, all this time, twenty four years. We were meant for one another, we both knew it at a glance.”
“But you were only thirteen, I was twenty-six. It couldn’t be. All these years, I didn’t even remember how it felt when I first gazed into your eyes. How could I forget that?” His voice was broken, distraught.
“I guess because I was only thirteen, you locked the attraction away, ashamed of yourself. Most men would’ve simply waited till I’d grown up and then come back, but no, you dropped it down into a deep, dark hole, and went off with that bimbo. You broke my heart you ken?”
Giles shuddered and pulled her back into his arms as the memories came rushing back at him like a hail of bullets, obliterating the carefully constructed recollections he’d held for so long and releasing the emotions that had been kept in check. He shook his head in disbelief, before dropping a kiss on her head. “Bloody hell Cat. I only went after that bimbo to try and wipe away my need for you. Funny how I’d remembered the events of that wedding differently all these years. But hell, hardly surprising given what a bloody degenerate I was, falling for a child.”
“Hing aboot man. You were nae a degenerate; you didnae do a thing wrong, except for maybe falling for the right person at the wrong time. You didn’t act on those feelings. You didn’t act inappropriately. The only thing you did wrong was to not come after me when I grew up, but some people are verra slow learners I guess.”
“Well slow I may be, but I’ve learnt my lesson. Bloody hell, I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but Catriona McNair, I think I’m in love with you.”
Cat grinned, joy lighting up her face. She pressed a kiss against his lips and stroked his face. “We’ll that’s good then, cos I’m crazy mad in love with you, and have been for the last 24 years. So what are you gonna do about it then?”
“Well if you feel up to it, I think it’s well past time I showed you.” He swooped in, capturing Cat’s lips in his own and before long they were once again caught up in a burning, raging passion. Like teenagers they ground together, tearing at one another’s clothes desperate to feel the intensity of bare skin against bare skin.
Their shirts discarded, her bra hooked beneath her breasts, her nipples already hard and wet from his greedy mouth, Giles clutched the cheeks of her backside and rose to his feet. Carefully, mindful of his precious cargo, he navigated the furniture and abandoned items of clothing and footwear and strode towards his bedroom. He laid her back gently on the bed and swiftly divested her of her jeans and little black knickers, while she stripped off her bra.
The sight of her, lying there in all of her magnificence, took his breath away. She was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen in his life. He could spend hours looking into those gorgeous dark amber eyes, but neither his hormones nor hers would allow it. A fierce tidal wave of yearning welled up from the depths of his soul.
Quickly he shucked off his own jeans and boxers and crawled over her, then slowly, deliberately, eased himself down until their bodies were pressed together. His hard cock lay throbbing between them, her nipples bullet points against his chest as they kissed deeply, their tongues entwined in desire. No time for foreplay, no need, both of them only a hair trigger away from going over the edge.
Giles shifted his weight to his elbows and lifted his hips up and back until the head of his cock slid down and lodged itself in the wet heat of her opening. He froze, wholly intent upon her loving gaze, then slowly, purposefully, slid home. Home. Oh God, home. All these years of wandering the world, and finally, finally he was home.
Slowly, he started moving, thrusting into her depths. His eyes blurred and he kissed her again, the joy bringing with it tears and laughter. He shouted his love to her, roared his pleasure as she came beneath him, and finally spent his essence deep within her, where it had always belonged.
Rolling to the side he gathered her in his arms, their lips drawn together once more. She peered up at him, uncharacteristically somber and quiet for once. “Don’t ever let me go Rupert. I don’t think I could bear it if you let me go now.” Tears pooled in her eyes and overflowed.
His heart breaking for the pain he’d put her through, Giles swore, “I promise I’ll never, ever let you go. I want you in my life, in my bed, in my heart for always. In fact …”
Suddenly he leapt up and dashed over to his dresser where he rummaged through the top drawer. “Ah ha,” he cried, ran back towards the bed and dropped to his knees.
“Catriona, I love you more than words can say, but I owe you a few, so I’ll try my best. You have breezed back into my life, bringing sunshine into my world with your laughter and wit. You’ve made me see myself in a whole new light. This is the most outrageously spontaneous thing that stuffy staid old Rupert Giles has ever done, but I just can’t imagine my life without you in it.” He picked a small velvet box up from the floor where he’d put it and opened it. “Cat, will you marry me?”
“Oh bloody hell Rupert, it’s aboot time. Gràdh mo chridh, love of my heart, I’ve waited more than half my life for you. You were my first love; ye’ll be my only love. Aye, of course I’ll marry you. But yer aff yer heid if ye think I’ll wear another girl’s engagement ring.”
“What? For God’s sakes, speak English woman. No, this ring is no one else’s. Well, it must have been originally as its Edwardian, but I certainly didn’t purchase it with anyone else in mind. In fact, it’s probably been yours all along. I’ve had it for almost twenty years.”
“How did you come by it then?”
“Well, I was walking aimlessly around Mayfair one day. I’d just turned thirty, and all of my friends were pairing up and getting married off. Mac and Celeste had just had Rowan and I was pondering marriage and children when I came across this little antique jeweler's store, up a side alley, just off Piccadilly.
There in the window was this ring. It just called to me. I didn’t even have a girlfriend at the time, but I was dogged with a feeling of, I don’t know, maybe inevitability? That ring was mine to give one day, along with my heart.” He grinned sappily at her and she squeezed his hand.
“I was only a junior Watcher at this stage, and not on a very big salary. But I strode right in and put down a deposit. It took me a year to pay it off, but I never missed a payment. I remember the joy I felt the day I picked it up, the sense of anticipation.”
“So did you never offer it to anyone else then?”
“Never. I’ve never ever been engaged, although I’ve come close at times. Once, about six years ago, I came close enough to start looking at rings. But, I never even considered using this one. I think it’s been waiting patiently for you, gathering dust in my sock drawer while I carried on through life oblivious.”
“Well in that case, I’ll gladly accept your gorgeous ring.” Cat extended her left hand, fingers splayed so that Giles could slip the ring onto her ring finger. The fit looked perfect and sure enough, it slid smoothly into place.
“Ooh!” Giles said. A tingle of energy had leapt from the ring and passed through his fingers, washing over his body and leaving a warm glow in its place.
“Ooh indeed,” Cat responded, her dilated pupils and rapt expression telling a similar tale. “Well that was something now wasn’t it. Guess it’s what I get for promising myself to a sorcerer.” She peered curiously down at the ring, a large, multi-faceted oval amethyst, encircled by 22 brilliant cut diamonds, set into a band of antique 14 carat gold.
“Wow! It’s a bonnie ring Rupert. I’ll wear it with pride.”
Giles’ gaze was still glued to the ring. It fit Cat perfectly; the bohemian style; the shape and size of the stones; the dark violet shade of the amethyst echoing the streaks of color in her hair; and the deep sparkle of the diamonds reflecting her effervescent personality. It was as if it had been made for her, this mysterious, enchanted ring that had called out to him from a shop window two decades ago. A little research was in order he thought.
Elation, incredulity and exhaustion washed over him in waves. He crawled back into bed, kissing his happy fiancée fiercely, holding her lithe body against his. “You might think me crazy, but I’ve waited 24 years, I don’t want to wait a moment longer. If you want to back out, you’ve only got two weeks to do it. Tomorrow I’m heading into town to give notice at the Registrar’s office and apply for a special license.”
“You’ve gone loopy Rupert Giles. But I love you dearly so I’ll no complain. We can have the wedding here – venue, catering, your family and friends – they’re all on hand already. It won’t take much to organize a dress and round up my own kith and kin. Aye, I’ll accept your challenge Rupert, but lets make it a fortnight Saturday instead of Friday. An extra day won’t kill you.”
“So, the 16th August it is. Do you want to have attendants?” Giles asked her softly.
But there was no answer, a quiet little snuffle her only response. He pressed a gentle kiss against her head, whispering his love for her into the violet streaks. He closed his eyes and drifted off, more content than he’d ever been before.