“I told Christian to make sure they left us alone.” Cathal sounded just as annoyed at the interruption. “He knows it’s important to prepare for taking our vows properly.”

  Tomas was impressed by how fast his mind comprehended what Cathal had just said. “You’re supposed to make love first?” This was a tradition of which he thoroughly approved.

  The floorboard creaked again, and then there was silence. Cathal focused for a moment, his eyes glazing over as he reached with his ability to ensure that they had privacy once more. “No.” He chuckled. “But I think it’s something worth introducing.” He brushed back Tomas’s hair from his forehead with one hand.

  “Hmm, so do I.” Tomas took one of Cathal’s fingers into his mouth and sucked on it. Cathal swallowed, his breath hitching. Tomas opened his arms. “Come here. You’re too far away.”

  It wasn’t only Tomas who was good at taking up these kinds of invitations. Cathal was in his arms in an instant, wrapping his legs around Tomas’s, their bodies already moving together, rubbing up against each other insistently. “I can feel you, love.” Cathal kissed Tomas’s chest, over his heart. “When we’re together like this, I lose track of where I end and you begin.”

  Tomas blinked rapidly, feeling his eyes prickle. “That’s a good thing, right?” he whispered. “I love you, Cat, so much.” He couldn’t get enough of being with Cathal like this. “I love you, but I wonder what you see in me.”

  “I see a man who loves me, who feels so deeply that it has taken a lot of courage to open himself up and risk being hurt because of it.” Cathal smiled. He placed one finger on Tomas’s lips to stop any interruptions. “I see a man who followed me into a strange, dangerous land without any thought of his own safety.” Cathal was silent for a moment. “Meeting Kathleen has made me realize just how much you left behind to do that. If you hadn’t returned, she would have never known what had happened to you.”

  “I know, and I didn’t want to do that to her.” Tomas stroked the band of Cathal’s ring. He’d never taken it off, in the same way that Tomas always wore the pendant Cathal had carved for him. “These vows are more than just words, love, they’re also the actions behind them. You risked such a lot for me too.” He shivered, thinking about Deryn’s plans for Cathal. The thought of Cathal with her like this… God, no.

  “Our future is together.” It was as though Cathal knew where Tomas’s thoughts had gone. Seeing Tomas’s expression, Cathal kissed him softly. “I can feel your emotions. It doesn’t take much to work out what you’re thinking about.”

  “Make love with me, Cat.” They’d say the words later that afternoon. Now was the time to show each other how they felt.

  Instead of answering with words, Cathal slid one hand between them, easing Tomas’s legs apart once more. It didn’t take long to prepare each other, Cathal’s eyes half closing, a whimper of pleasure escaping his lips when Tomas touched him. Like every other time they’d made love, theirs was a mutual desire, a slow building wave of physical and emotional want that drove both of them to the edge.

  Cathal pushed into Tomas slowly, savoring each moment. They threaded their left hands together, the other hand touching each other, caressing, exploring. Cathal’s breath hitched when Tomas cupped Cathal’s buttocks, pulling him in faster, deeper. “You’re beautiful, Cat,” he whispered, “and mine.”

  “Yours, my love, just as you are mine.” Cathal began to speed up his thrusts, each movement sending heat through Tomas, and an overwhelming desire for more.

  “Bloody hell.” Whatever else Tomas was going to say was lost when Cathal kissed him again, slow and deep, caressing Tomas’s tongue with his own.

  He was falling, losing any ability to think, his world shrinking to the man in his arms, in him, a part of him like no one else had ever been. Tomas took a deep breath and reached, meeting Cathal halfway, their emotions mixing, merging to become one.

  Heat was building. His body felt as though it was on fire. He broke the kiss, breathless, using his free hand to gently caress Cathal’s cheek. “I’m always yours, Cat. Whatever happens.”

  Love, desire, and happiness. Tomas wasn’t sure whether they were Cathal’s emotions or his own. He didn’t care.

  Cathal smiled. “My Tomas.” He kissed Tomas hard, their bodies arching up together as Cathal thrust one more time, shuddering as they both let go.

  “My….” Tomas cried out, clinging to Cathal, touching him everywhere he could reach as waves of pleasure went through him. He snaked his arm around his soon to be husband, holding him close. “My dragon,” he said softly. “My home.”

  “I never thought those words would sound so good,” Cathal murmured, nuzzling the side of Tomas’s neck and cuddling close. He nipped at Tomas’s ear, his voice husky. “I wish we could stay like this forever.”

  Tomas chuckled. “I think we were lucky getting this far without being interrupted.” As much as he shared Cathal’s sentiment, reality was rearing its head. He stretched, careful not to disturb Cathal too much. “Tonight, though, after we’ve exchanged our vows, I intend to hang a do not disturb sign on our door and ravish you until morning.”

  “I was thinking of taking it in turns.” Cathal traced one finger across Tomas’s nipple. “We should probably shower soon and get dressed.”

  “Keep doing that and neither of us will be going anywhere.” Tomas rolled them over so that he was top and kissed Cathal slow and leisurely. “Beautiful and sexy.” He licked down Cathal’s chest, skin firm under his tongue. “And mine.”

  “Oh yes. Very definitely yours.” Cathal shivered. His skin was flushed, a pale dusting of pink against a smattering of very fine, almost invisible blond hair. He rolled them again, caressing Tomas’s buttocks. “I daydream sometimes about us making love, but reality is so much better.”

  “Being with you….” Tomas leaned into Cathal’s touch. “It blows me away, Cat, not just physically, but emotionally too.”

  Cathal smiled, almost shyly. He kissed Tomas’s forehead. “I love you, Tomas Kemp.”

  “And I, you, Cathal Emerys.” Tomas never thought hearing his name spoken by someone else would feel so good. He sighed, glancing at the clock on his bedside table. “We can’t stay here forever, can we?” If they didn’t make an appearance soon, someone would come looking for them. He’d really prefer it wasn’t Christian or Donovan.

  “I’ll shower first.” Cathal reluctantly untangled himself from Tomas. “You look comfortable, and I won’t be long.”

  “Okay.” As much as Tomas was tempted to offer to save water, he knew that once Cathal was wet and slick with soap, neither of them would be out of the shower anytime soon. Cathal retrieved his boxers from the floor and pulled them on. Tomas rolled onto his side, enjoying the view. Damn it, as much as Cathal looked good in his clothes, he looked so much better without them.

  Cathal walked over to the bed and pulled the blankets back over Tomas, covering him to his waist. “Very sexy and beautiful.” He repeated Tomas’s earlier words and sentiment. “But very much mine, and not a view I’m willing to share.” He grinned and then slipped from the room.

  “Hmm.” Tomas closed his eyes, his imagination helpfully supplying the visuals to go with the running water that could be heard from the other side of the hallway.

  “Tomas?” Someone calling his name, together with a light tap on the bedroom door, roused him from his light doze. “Are you decent in there?”

  “Yeah.” Tomas pulled the blankets up around him more and glanced at the clock. It was only a few minutes since Cathal had gone to shower. It would be a few more before he returned, as he enjoyed the hot water, and to him even a quick shower meant that he would linger a while. “Come in, Kathleen.”

  The door opened cautiously, and his sister peered in, making sure that he was alone before entering. “I knew one of you was in the shower,” she explained, “but I wouldn’t have walked in on Cat like this.”

  Tomas rolled his eyes. “But because it’s me, it’s okay?” At least she’d had the decency to check first, unlike some people who would have just barged in.

  “Well, duh.” She grinned at him and sat down on the end of the bed. Two coat hangers were draped over her arm, but they were covered in tissue paper so that he couldn’t see what they were. “It’s not as though I haven’t seen it all before. I used to help Mum change you when you were a baby.” Although she kept her tone light and teasing, Tomas knew the memories of their parents were bittersweet. Kathleen had shared his loss, but being older, she remembered more of the details than he did.

  “I suppose I should be thankful that you knocked.”

  “Of course I did!” Kathleen didn’t seem impressed at the implication she might not. “This isn’t just your room, Tomas, it’s Cat’s too, and he strikes me as a little more old-fashioned in such things.” She glanced around the room, noting the clothes strewn in all directions. “So you guys just came up here to chat, hmm?”

  “Yes.” Tomas blushed. “No. Well, we did, but….”

  She laughed. “It’s okay, Tomas. I would have been more worried if you hadn’t, and there was no way I was going to just walk in on my brother and his boyfriend doing God knows what.” Her tone grew more serious. “He’s good for you, Tomas. You’ve come out of your shell so much since I saw you last. I was beginning to seriously worry about you.”

  “I was fine, Kathleen, honestly.” Tomas began to protest, but she shook her head.

  “Something was on your mind and distracting you big time. Why do you think I suggested this place? I had hoped getting away from everything might give you the chance to work through whatever it was.” She smiled softly. “It worked quite a bit better than I thought it would.”

  “I love him, Kathleen.” Tomas felt his expression soften along with his tone. With their connection still very open after having made love, he had a sense of Cathal, and of what he was feeling, if he focused really hard. “He… makes me feel complete, like everything makes sense with my life that didn’t before.”

  “I can see that in the way you look at him.” Kathleen nodded slowly. “He looks at you the same way.” She smoothed the end of the tissue paper before stilling her fingers again. “I wanted you both to know that I’m happy for you. I know I had my reservations with how quickly this has happened, but after meeting him and seeing you together and finding out what you’ve already been through together, I think you’re doing the right thing.” She stood and draped the hangers carefully over the chair.

  “You could tell him yourself. He’d like that.” Tomas sat up in the bed. He was quiet for a moment. “You’re okay, aren’t you? You and the baby?” Usually when Kathleen was serious like this, it was because she had bad news for him or was worried about something.

  “Of course I’m okay.” Kathleen walked back over to the bed, bending to kiss his forehead and then ruffling his hair in the way she always had since they were children. “I’m allowed to be serious occasionally without the world coming to an end, you know. It’s just a big thing, my baby brother getting married and settling down.” She chuckled. “Should I be on lookout for the four motorcyclists of the apocalypse?”

  Tomas snorted. “I’m not a baby anymore, big sister. I can look after myself now.” He bit his lip, regretting the words as soon as he’d spoken them. “It means a lot to me that you approve of this. You know that, right?” While he would have married Cathal anyway, it was better this way. Kathleen was a big part of his life, and while he hoped they’d always stay close, he knew that with the changes in both their lives, this was the point where things wouldn’t quite be the same again.

  “Yeah, I know that.” She nodded toward the tissue-wrapped hangers. “Heidi and I have been working on something together. It’s something of his world for you and Cat to wear today, if you want to. It must be difficult for him to be here without most of his family.”

  “You’re a part of my family now,” Cathal said softly. He was standing by the doorway, a towel wrapped firmly around his hips, a few drops of water still glistening on his shoulders. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just… I wanted to say thank you.”

  “Look after my brother, Cat.” Kathleen wiped at her eyes. “We’ll see you both downstairs in a bit, okay?” She bit her lip and walked briskly from the room, pausing at the doorway for a moment to give Cathal a very obvious look of approval.

  “I will, Kathleen. I promise. With my life.” Cathal watched her walk toward the stairs before closing the door and coming over to take a closer look at what she’d left behind

  “Hormones,” Tomas decided. He’d heard what they did to pregnant women.

  “You’re her brother, love. Of course she’s going to be emotional. If Irene was here she’d be the same.” Cathal gingerly ran his finger over the tissue. “Can I?”

  “Sure.” Tomas swung his legs over the bed and sauntered over to join him. He didn’t bother to dress. They were alone, and it wasn’t as though Cathal hadn’t seen it all before. Besides, he still needed to shower, and it seemed a waste of time to dress twice.

  “Oh.” Cathal stared at what the tissue paper had been hiding. There was a shirt for each of them, finely stitched in the style of his world. “Tomas, they’re perfect.”

  “I always liked you in that shirt.” Tomas bent slightly so that he could rest his head on Cathal’s shoulder and pulled him back into his arms. Kathleen and Heidi must have used the old shirt as a pattern. It was torn and dirty as a result of Cathal’s captivity and in no fit state to be worn again. “It’s her way of showing her approval, Cat, and welcoming you into our family.” Kathleen had always preferred action over words.

  “This is a joining of both our families, my love.” Cathal put the shirts down carefully and turned in Tomas’s arms, kissing him softly. “I thought you looked very good in the clothes you wore there.” He licked his lips and swallowed. “You’ll wear yours too?”

  Tomas looked up in surprise. “Of course, I will. It is of your world, love, and given in love in this one. It will be my honor to.”

  Chapter 20

  CATHAL’S breath hitched when Tomas turned to face him. The trousers he wore hugged him in all the right places, the top laces of his shirt undone to give a tantalizing glimpse of the skin that lay underneath. His gaze travelled down, taking in the long boots into which Tomas had tucked his trousers. They made his legs seem even longer, especially with the way the material clung to them.

  “Oh my….” His mind tried to supply the words to express how he felt, but failed. What came out instead was a low growl. God, he wanted to pin Tomas to the wall and kiss him senseless.

  “It looks okay, then?” Tomas licked his lips, nervous. “I wasn’t sure about the boots, but Will insisted and loaned me his.”

  “More than okay. You look amazing, my love.” Cathal let himself look Tomas up and down once more, then swallowed, knowing he needed to rein his desires in until later. “Everything I’ve ever dreamed of in a man, and more.”

  Tomas blushed bright red and ducked his head. “I wanted to look right for you.”

  “You are right for me. It doesn’t matter whether you’re dressed for this world or another, Tomas.” Cathal took a step closer, linking their hands together. “Although you could pass for a noble in mine dressed like this.” He leaned in, murmuring into Tomas’s ear. “Even if I’d have to make sure you were marked as mine first so it was very clear you were already taken.”

  “I am already taken.” The words came out in a low, almost dangerous, tone. “As are you.” His eyes glazed over in a memory, and he shivered. “Deryn said I suited….” His voice trailed off.

  “Deryn has always had a taste for the finer things in life.” Cathal bit his lip, not wanting the anger that welled up with the mention of her name. He nipped softly at the tip of Tomas’s ear, leaving a tiny, almost unnoticeable mark. “She cannot have you. You’re mine.” He flinched at how possessive that last word sounded.

  “This is our day, Cat.” Tomas squeezed Cathal’s hand. “I shouldn’t have mentioned her. The bitch can fry in hell as far as I’m concerned, and I live in hope she already has.”

  It appeared as though he wasn’t the only one feeling possessive today.

  “There is a lot of noise downstairs.” Cathal led them over to the window, noting there were substantially more vehicles parked in the yard than there had been earlier in the day.

  Tomas frowned. “I thought we made it clear that this was a private thing and we only needed a couple of witnesses.” His mouth narrowed, anger mixing with rising panic. “How do you feel about eloping?” he asked.

  “Your sister reminds me of mine. If Irene was here she would have put some kind of enchantment in place to ensure that didn’t happen.” As much as Cathal liked Kathleen, he had already decided he was thankful it was unlikely their two sisters would never meet.

  “Could she do that?”

  “She’s a mage, Tomas. She pulled you out of your rightful time and space to talk to you about your intentions toward me, and then sent us here. Of course she could.”

  “Bloody hell.” Tomas looked away from the window. “She didn’t ask me that, Cat. She warned me about what was going to happen.”

  There was still much Tomas did not know about the ways of their world, and of Cathal’s family. “She saw your reaction when you could not find me, and when she said she wanted me kept safe.” The description of what had passed between them was enough for Cathal to read between the lines. “That would have answered any concerns she had without either of you having to find the words.”

  Downstairs, the sound of a dog barking was quickly followed by a cat meowing. A few minutes later there was a scurry of paws sliding across the polished wooden floor of the hallway outside their room, followed by frantic scratching at their door. Cathal quickly went to open it. Merlin shot in as though the hounds of hell were after her, jumped onto the windowsill, and peered outside.