First Thirst (Craving 1)

He stood and put his long fingers out for mine. I gave him my hand and stood with him as a world began to appear before my vision.

I realized my mouth was open, and sucked in my bottom lip. I was astounded as I stared into another world, one of lush vegetation and colorful birds.

In the distance, far away from the jungle before me, was a building…no, not a building, but a ruins of some sort.

Devin, however, was nowhere to be seen.

Finally, one word escaped me, “Whoa.”

It was at that point that I heard Devin’s voice and that of another’s—a female giggling and then calling out, “Devin…darling…?”

Devin came into view, but she ran ahead of him and gave us her back as she put her arms around his neck.

He removed her arms and said, “Loli…ye need to return to the village, now.”

I stood transfixed as I saw Devin MacLeod for the first time. Well, not for the first time, as I immediately recognized him from the portrait in the Great Hall.

Here, however, he stood, his broad chest bare except for the Celtic runes tattooed near his shoulders and over his massive biceps.

Holy frigging shit! Damn, but he was hot. He was handsome…ruggedly handsome, with twinkling blue eyes and a killer smile.

The girl he called Loli whined as he set her aside and complained, “I will go back if you come back with me.” She turned to stare in the direction he was looking and asked, “What do you see on the other side, Devin?”

Loli was lovely, with caramel silky skin, elf-like pointed ears, almond shaped dark eyes, and long black hair. She wore a white tank top much like mine, and cut off jean shorts that barely covered her very fine ass.

Devin took her shoulders. “Go back, Loli, ye don’t belong here, and yer father will be worried.”

“He never worries when I’m with you,” she said, and pouted. “Don’t you like me, Devin? Don’t you want to be with…?”

“Ye be a lovely lass, but nae, I cannae be with ye, child. Ye are far too young for the likes of me. Ye have yer whole life ahead of ye and it is Topser ye should be following about. He wants yer company.”

“I am not a child. Women my age already have children,” she said, and put her hands on her hips.

“Er…Devin!” Jeremy interrupted.

“A moment, Jeremy,” Devin said, not looking our way. “Off with ye, Loli. Go home now!”

She stomped her foot but did, in fact, turn and rush off.

I didn’t blame her for wanting a piece of the gorgeous hunk standing in front of us. Holy good gosh, he rocked my insides.

He wore cut-off jeans that nearly reached his knees, and some kind of sandals that looked handmade. That’s it. Nothing else, and he was a hunk of hot big male that caught my interest and made all my lady parts tingle.

“Well, then,” Jeremy broke the silence. “When you are ready for introductions of the viewing kind, Devin of MacLeod…meet Miss Bobbie Skye, who can now see as well as hear you.”

He eyed us and said, “Well, now, we are on even ground.” He waved a hand over himself. “I apologize for m’appearance, but I was helping Loli’s father and brothers with their barn and haven’t had a chance to go home to shower and change.”

A missy giggle escaped my lips and made me want to slap the side of my head. He made me feel like a school girl crushing. I felt a blush burn my cheeks. Damn, hot damn, but he looked like the best Tarzan I had ever seen, and the thought of being his Jane had me licking my lips.

Hey, but I know better than most that looks don’t mean squat.

Somehow I managed to squelch my way too much interest in his looks and say, “Hi, Devin.”

He smiled and said, “This must be quite startling for ye to take in all at once.”

“Well, after the demon I met this morning, not too startling,” I answered.

He marched up to the transparent wall between us and said, “Demon, lass? What are ye saying?”