Love in the Mist (MacKay's) Read online

  Love in the Mist

  A Novelette by S.R. Roddy

  Text Copyright 2012 S.R. Roddy

  All Rights Reserved

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Special Acknowledgements:

  I’d like to give a special thanks to my daughter Joelleen for all the hard work she put into making the covers for my books. I believe she has a creative talent that she should share with the rest of the world. I would also like to thank my husband for his formatting efforts and keen eye in spotting my font mistakes.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

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  Chapter 1

  He stood holding his two handed sword ready in his hand as he faced his opponent. His shoulder length, curly black hair was now pulled back with what looked like a leather strap… from this distance it was hard to tell all the details, but there was no way she was moving closer. Despite her every belief that this was a dream and no one could see her… everything seemed so real and she just didn’t want to chance it.

  She inhaled deeply letting her breathe escape in a loud whoosh of air… he was magnificent! Bared to the waist, his chest muscles glistened in the early morning sun. He had what reminded her of a lumberjack’s body broad shoulders, burly forearms, a chest and stomach you could bounce a nickel on. God was she drooling? His waist narrowed slightly into trim hips, which his kilt hung loosely on, held in place by a large leather belt. With every movement he made she couldn’t help the slight inhalation of breath… waiting to see if the kilt fell to the ground to expose the rest of his glorious body to her hungry eyes.

  His kilt was made of different shades of blue with a thin red stripe that she would recognize anywhere. It looked exactly like the arisaid, basically a female version of the plaid, but worn more like a cloak instead of a skirt, which belonged to her great grandmother. Yeah go figure the man wore a skirt, the women wore a cloak. Can you say ass backwards any one? The closest description she could give for the dominant colors on the tartan was a cobalt and midnight blue.

  He was a MacKay to his very bones and this place was some sort of ancient MacKay strong hold. It had started out as maybe one tower, but at some point a second matching tower was built. You could tell one was older because of the slightly faded look to the bricks. They both sat at the top of a hill overlooking the valley, a look out against any who might invade the area. At some point in history an ancestor had decided to unite the two towers by building what looked like a three story high walls, the only windows being on the third floor.

  History had been a hobby of hers for years. She knew during earlier times a royal decree was required to fortify any castle, manse, or stronghold. It had always been her opinion that the kings of the time just liked having that extra control over their subjects. A little greed probably played a part in it as well, because she was sure they managed to finagle money out of those who wished to have their people protected with walls. The court yard was surrounded by what looked to be a twenty foot high brick wall that had at least a ten feet wide wall walk for patrolling the walls. It boosted smaller towers in each of the four corners, which from her vantage point, looked to be the only access to the tops of those walls. These curtain walls were manned by the soldiers who lived in the barracks near its gate entrance.

  The outer courtyard, where the men were practicing their sword play and wrestling, was down the hill from the main structure and to the side of a thriving village. While exploring she had found several farms on the backside of the hill along with an orchard. All of this was surrounded by second defensive wall about ten feet high and five feet wide, but instead of using men to guard the wall they had dogs that roamed along its wall walk. The kennel and their trainers were housed in a small building near the large wooden gates. She had noticed that except for the dense forest that came close to the west wall the entire area was open for miles.

  She had been here many times over the last six months always watching and exploring, but keeping her distance from the people. Always staying within the confines of the mist shrouded land, never straying beyond its borders for fear of what might happen.

  Like she was now, hiding just beyond the wall up in a tree, she used the blanket of mist to hide herself from any who might see her and set up an alarm. Watching the man with his sun kissed skin as he battled his opponent in a mock battle. The sweat dripping down his chest and arms glistened in the early morning light. He was breath taking to watch. Each swing like a dance performed so often it had become second nature. His green eyes sparkled with pure pleasure. After over an hour of mock battling he was barely breathing heavy.

  Most of the men in the yard were all yummy to look at, but there was something special about this man. The bonnet he wore on his head at a jaunty angle with the clan badge proclaimed him chieftain, but it was more than that. He had his people’s respect that was for sure. Then there were the children and animals that followed him around at any given time. He was never cruel and always managed to find time to stop and talk to each person. Every afternoon he took the time to play with the children for an hour or so after the noon meal. Despite his groans of protest each time the children asked him to play, she could tell that he enjoyed it immensely.

  She even knew his name. The many girls from the village whispered it often enough as they watched from the shadows. Tavish… Tavish MacKay was the name she too whispered, but only in her dreams each night. She had been watching him for months and, as foolish as she knew it was, she had fallen in love with him.

  She could still remember vividly the first time she had seen him. He had been walking bold as you please through the mist shrouded forest with his sword slung across his back and his bonnet sitting at a jaunty angle, as usual, on his head. He had worn a braid at the side of his head, his black curls bouncing against his neck. She had been so enthralled by the picture he made it took several minutes to realize she was following him with more than her eyes. It wasn’t until they had come to a clearing that she became aware of what she had done, skulking in the shadows like some peeping tom.

  Before she could turn and go back the way she had come he had loosened the belt holding his kilt around his waist allowing it to drop to the ground. For precious moments she could only stand and stare at the heaping pile of wool on the ground not wanting to believe he had just underdressed himself in the forest. Half afraid to look up and take a glimpse of what had been hidden under the mass of wool. By the time her curiosity had won out over her sense of propriety and she dared to take a look at him she felt a small twinge of disappointment.

  She had waited too long, he was already waist deep in a small outcropping of the river his hair wet with droplets of water streaming down his back. As she watched, his sleek back muscles rippled with each movement he made. He had broad shoulders and burly arms made for wielding a sword. She had noticed his left upper arm was encircled by what looked like a tattoo, its intricate knots colored in blue ink. When he leaned over reaching into the waters depths, she managed a quick glimpse of a very firm butt a touch whiter than the rest of his body, before he righted himself once more. Slightly disappointed as she f
elt the first stirrings of wakefulness intrude on her dream world. Her last image of him before waking was of a startled look over his shoulder, like he had heard something, but the mist engulfed him completely before she could see more.

  She heard the women grumbling under their breaths causing her to look up once more. Tavish’s mock battle was over and he had obviously poured cold water over his sweaty body to cool off. The light from the sun reflected off each droplet as she followed its path down his luscious body. She had a very strong desire to brazenly walk up to him and explore along his torso with the tip of her tongue, licking along the same path as the droplets of water had taken.

  A flash of red caught her eye forcing her attention away from the man she longed for. Her blood began to boil as she watched the hated woman with raven locks dance up beside Tavish. Boldly running her hands up his bulging biceps, she moved in closer to his body.

  “How dare the whore touch him!” She swore under her breath… fighting for the control to not run over there and rip the woman’s hair out of her head until she was bald. Normally he skillfully avoided her advances, but today he seemed to be enjoying her caress… even encouraging it with his flirtatious smile.

  She couldn’t stop the tears that fell down her cheeks as she watched him take that … that woman by the hips and pull her closer to his body. As the world around her became blurry she could see him lean close and whisper something in her ear. Her smiling face and shrill laughter were the last things she noticed before the world around her went black. She woke to the sound of her annoying alarm clock… which weirdly sounded almost like that woman’s laughter.

  She knew it was stupid to feel hurt and betrayed by a dream man, but she couldn’t help it. It was her dream dammit… shouldn’t things go the way she wanted? Wiping the now drying tears from her face she sighed heavily. She needed a hot shower and some coffee. If her dream was any indication, she could count on this day being a very difficult one indeed.

  Chapter 2

  She was glorious to watch… her dark red ringlets falling across her sun kissed cheek as she danced playfully away from the children. The soft puff of breath she blew from her mouth when she was frustrated causing the strands to swing slightly in protest. “Mesmerizing…” he whispered to the wind.

  He hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off her since the first moment he had seen her walking through the woods months ago. Shrouded in the mist he had followed her to a clearing he had never seen before. Before his very eyes she had dropped the garment she was wrapped in and shed her breeches. Standing there half naked with a strip of cloth barely covering her very generous breasts and a pair of what looked to be a very tight pair of braies. From his vantage point in the woods he could glimpse the swell of her breasts as she bent over, also affording him a very generous view of her round delectable backside. He stood watching her for what seemed like hours as she performed some sort of dance. It looked to be a cross between some sort of pugilist techniques and kicking.

  Watching such a tiny woman bring her leg up high enough to kick him in the head was fascinating and oddly arousing. It brought to mind ways in which her limber body could come in handy while he made sweet love to her for hours. He was willing to admit, to himself at least, that hours might not be long enough to get his fill of this delectable woman.

  As he watched she laughingly flicked a girl on the forehead before taking off at a run. The older kids quickly gave chase laughing as they gently tackled her to the ground. He had noticed that about the people, including the children, around her. She was so much smaller than any of them with her lush hips and overflowing breasts, she managed to maintain a look of helplessness that was very misleading. They always seemed to make a special effort to be gentle with her especially when they rough housed. He knew though, she could handle their rougher behavior he believed they probably did as well, but they still remained steadfast in their protectiveness. Treating her like a tiny breakable glass doll.

  After weeks of watching her practice her weird dancing, ride a horse across the meadows, read to the smaller children after spending hours playing games with them, and spending time teaching the older children anything she knew that might interest them. He had listened to her soft voice and gentle laughter. Watched her cry with the others when they found an injured dog as she tried everything she could to keep him calm while the older kids cleaned his wounds.

  He leaned back now against a tree… relaxing… as she sang and danced with the children. She was almost always with the children a look of happy contentment gracing her beautiful face. Any man with eyes could tell she loved those children… just as he loved her.

  Yes, he knew how foolish it was. She was just a dream woman, a fantasy that he couldn’t resist. She had started out as an almost obsession, but now he came to watch her for the pure enjoyment of it. Even her name seemed to whisper to him… Natasha. Most of the people around her called her Tasha for short. The kids called her Aunt Tasha, even though he knew they weren’t related by blood, somehow they were her family. The love that shown in her eyes when she was with them told him that. What he wouldn’t give for her to look at him so, or to share children of their own. He loved children as much as she did, dreamt daily of a wife and children of his own to share his life with.

  The love he felt swell with each smile or sound of her laughter almost brought him to his knees. The worst part though was the constant ache. He wanted… no needed to touch and caress her. To kiss and tempt her with his lips, while he held her close in his embrace. He woke each morning with his loins on fire... and no way to put it out.

  He had foolishly thought he could put it out with Maude. What a disaster that morning had been. The shrill laughter she had let loose after he had made his flirtatious proposition in her ear had grated on his nerves. Then there were the red ringlets he had caught blowing in the wind out of the corner of his eye. For just a second he had sworn he saw his dream woman, his Tasha sitting in a tree watching him, but that was ridiculous…. impossible, but it had made him pause.

  Shaking his head at his fanciful imagination he had leaned over her trying to kiss her neck in the hopes it would help set the mood. Her body odor had been so appalling though, he had to back up a bit to take a breath. She had obviously not taken a bath in several weeks at least… maybe longer.

  The few times he had gotten close to Tasha the wind had brought the smell of summer peaches. He knew that smell well after spending several years at court with the pampered and spoiled. Fruits from overseas had been a luxury none could do without. He had considered over the years building a conservatory on the third floor, but had never gotten around to it. The idea had merit once more now that he found a deep desire to smell fresh peaches each day.

  Trying to shake Tasha from his mind he had taken a walk with Maude around the back of the stables. His plan was to lift her skirts quickly, satisfying his bodies needs while trying not to breathe to deeply. He would then leave her in some corner with a satisfied smile upon her lips.

  Unfortunately, the problem was his body wasn’t cooperating at all. While he pictured a tiny woman with curvaceous hips and a round ass he could grab onto that smelled of peaches, what he got was something quite different. She was tall and scrawny with stringy black hair, nice breasts, but no hips or ass to speak of. When he grabbed her waist his hands were able to span the full width of her, fingers meeting at the base of her backbone just above her none existent ass. He had never noticed the dirt smudges in the past or the oily residue in her hair, but while he was standing there it was all he could see.

  In desperation he had decided to try kissing her in the hopes that his body might become heated with arousal once more, but when he brushed his lips against hers they felt dried and rough, like kissing a dried up seed husk. When she opened her mouth giving him permission to slip his tongue inside he nearly gagged from the stench.

  He had ended up sending her away angry and sullen. She had not taken his rejection well and had managed to get her
revenge by spreading rumors that he was incapable of… performing. God he winced every time he thought of the whispered comments. His brothers along with his most trusted knights had even come to him concerned about the possibility of not having an heir. The whole thing had been humiliating. They shut up rather quickly after he explained what had really happened, leaving out of course the part about his dream woman. All of the men had laughingly agreed with him that her smell at times was enough to make even the stoutest man shrivel up.

  What he wouldn’t give to be able to touch his Tasha in the way he desired. It seemed they weren’t meant to interact at all. Any time he had gotten to close… when he thought for sure someone would see him… nothing had happened. To test his theory he had even stood in front of a random person and attempted to speak to them. It was like he wasn’t even there…. people looked through him and no one could hear him. He did notice one thing… animals could both see and hear him. He had a particularly uncomfortable altercation with one. Fortunately for him they didn’t seem to be able to touch him physically. After that he had stayed hidden once more... only coming close when his Tasha was alone.

  Looking up he noticed her standing alone, the kids must have left while he was musing over everything that had happened recently. He didn’t need to follow her… he knew where she would go. It was always the same place, a wooden stump deep in the woods that had been shaped into a chair. Whatever magic it was that allowed him to be here also gave him the power just to think in his mind of a place and he would instantly be brought there.

  As he waited for her to join him he sat on the fallen tree trunk that lay next to the stump. It was a routine she seemed to always stick to. At the end of her day she came here to seek peace. Each day she did something a little different at times she would just sit and read, others she would draw in a sketch book, or sometimes just writing down the day’s events, but always she would listen to soothing music.