Highlander's Seduction (The Matheson Brothers #3)

“Aye, in agreement, but I still intend to keep you on your toes. That too I give you my word on.”


“Somehow, I don’t doubt you will.” Breathing heavily, he stepped into the skiff, sat at the stern and with her cradled in his lap, eyed his brothers. “I’ll clearly need aid from you both over the coming years. Being mated to a time-walker will likely hold its thrills and spills.”

“Finlay and I will always be here for you.” Iain released the mooring rope. “It appears there’s no taming any of our women. We’re all in for a very exciting life.”

“A life I can’t wait to live.” Finlay raised the sail, a teasing grin on his face as he glanced at Cherub. “Dear sparkly sister, please rustle us up some wind. It’s time to go home.”

“Of course.” Grinning back at him, she flicked her fingers and sent a whoosh of wind slapping into the sail.

As they sped back across the loch, she snuggled deeper into Kirk’s embrace and nuzzled his neck. Aye, there was definitely no taming her, not when all she wished was to offer her people all her love and aid. Her mate now as well.

She smiled and kissed the man her soul rejoiced at being as one with. For him, her love and aid would always be endless, just as the streams of time she traveled were.



Later that evening after transporting herself and Kirk to the future and to a place she held dear to her heart, Cherub sighed with heartfelt relief as she walked into her chamber on the uppermost floor of her home overlooking Angel Bay. ’Twould be just the two of them here in her keep high on the cliffs until they needed to return once again to the past and to his brothers.

She worked the back stays of her gown loose then wriggled the cream silk down past her hips and to the floor. She folded her gown on top of the elegant royal-blue padded wingback chair she’d purchased in the nineteen-hundreds. This modest castle was filled with treasures she’d collected over the centuries, a home she would now gladly share with her mate. Aye, never again would she be alone.

“I wish I’d known this place was yours.” Kirk opened the stylishly stained glass doors leading onto her balcony and hooked them back to allow the fresh breeze in. In the doorway, he stood as he gazed out at the night sky. “I’ve scoured that bay below for you many a time. In fact on my very first visit here I met an old man walking along the beach who lived on this property. He assured me there were no women living within.”

“That will be Gerard, and he’s rather protective of me. He’s one of my great-great, well there are a fair number of ‘greats’ in there, nephew. He lives in the cottage beyond the gardens and oversees all. I also keep a minimum of staff on hand. Close kin, all of them, and as trustworthy as can be, two maids and a gardener included. They have rooms below on the first floor.”

“Then you’ll need to introduce them to me.”

“I shall, although no’ this eve. Tonight is our night and no others’.” Wind rustled the thick burgundy velvet drapes hanging either side of the door. She tied them back with the gold-tasseled ties and wandered onto the balcony. With her arms raised, the wind whispered across her skin and flapped her shift about her legs. As the air swirled, so too did it bring with it the promise of all the future held. Souls had been bound across time and her kin now awaited her aid in bringing them together.

“Can you sense anything?” Kirk brushed in behind her, the warmth of his chest against her back sublime. She leaned back against his heavenly hold.

“There are many now in need of my aid, both from yours and Murdock’s clan. Their mates reside in the past, their women awaiting them.” Far below, moonlight played over the white-capped waves of Loch Shin as they tumbled into shore, and high in the night sky, a myriad of stars twinkled within the heavenly blanket of midnight-blue. She turned in Kirk’s arms and wrapped her hands around his neck. “The ‘power of three’ will be needed both here in the future and of course in the past. I sense that, strongly, although ’tis hard to explain the how and why of it, just that it is what will be.”

“Iain and Isla, and Finlay and Arabel won’t have any issue with you taking us wherever we’re needed, from the past to the future, or anywhere in between. Our mission won’t be complete until all of our clansmen find their chosen ones. Do you have the names of those who are newly soul bound, who we’ll soon need to find and offer our aid to?”

“If I did, and if I told you, would you be able to keep their names to yourself?”

“Hardly. If I can help them track down their chosen ones all the quicker, then I will.”