deep
inside her drew a sigh from her lips.
He eased out of her and guided her feet to the ground. His
dark hair fell in front of his face as he smoothed her skirts back down her
legs and then tucked himself back into his breeches before securing them around
his waist.
From out of nowhere, an unwelcome thread of shame wormed its
way into her. She pushed away from the tree and turned her back on him as she
pretended to pat wrinkles out of her dress. How could she have let this happen
again? It was over between them. Just one night and they’d never see one
another again, right? That was how one-night stands were supposed to work. It
wasn’t as if she was in love with the guy.
But hadn’t he said it wouldn’t be their last time, even
though she was slated to be married that night? She shook her head, biting her
lower lip. Even if worse came to worst and she was saddled with a husband in a
few hours, it wouldn’t be right to continue seeing Rathe.
A moist warmth trickled down her inner thigh and she paused,
her eyes shifting back and forth until she realized what it was.
Shit.
“Here, lass.” Rathe handed her the basket she had been
carrying earlier. “Now, do I have to bind your hands together or will you come
peacefully with me?”
Torn from her thoughts, she grabbed the handle. “What?”
He stepped in front of her, tilting her chin up with one
finger. “If you leave the choice to me, I would bind you. I find the idea
rather appealing.”
Snapped back to attention, she caught the bad-boy smirk
plastered to his face. She parted her lips to speak but once again couldn’t
form a single word in retort.
He chuckled and rubbed his thumb over the spot where he had
bitten her. “Another time, perhaps,” he murmured. He pulled the collar of her
leine against her neck. “You may want to keep that hidden for a bit.” Then,
grabbing her hand, he led her back toward the road.
Her blood thudded in her temples as she struggled to keep up
Rathe’s quick pace. The full, moist heaviness between her thighs consumed
her—he hadn’t pulled out this time. Several times she tried to ask him about
it, but her brain refused to send the words to her mouth.
But then a break in the trees appeared up ahead. Several men
milled about, talking and laughing as their horses grazed along the side of the
road. She would soon lose her chance to ask Rathe unless she took advantage of
the opportunity now.
In panicked desperation, Leah dug her heels into the ground,
yanking him to a stop. He turned toward her, his eyebrows raised.
She glanced at him before casting her eyes to the ground and
moving closer to him. “You didn’t pull out this time.”
He paused before uttering his matter-of-fact reply. “You are
right. I did not.”
Without another word, Rathe set forward once again, dragging
her behind him, and they broke through the trees.
Chapter Seven
“You could have been killed.”
Leah pressed her lips together. She bristled at the
mormaer’s annoyed tone and crossed her arms as she peered out the window. Rathe
strode across the courtyard to speak to the group of men he’d brought with him
to find her earlier. As he spoke, they gave him their full and attention,
listening without interruption.
She had cringed when Rathe dragged her out of the forest and
in front of them, assuming they were well aware of what had just happened
between her and Rathe. But not one of the men threw her a critical look. Though
she still couldn’t understand most of what they were saying, they only spoke in
the most respectful tones to Rathe and were careful to avert their eyes from
her.
Rathe glanced up toward her, one corner of his mouth turning
up in acknowledgment as he continued speaking with his men. This time she
didn’t shrink back from the window but instead returned his smile with a small
one of her own.
“Leah.”
She turned just as Alpina approached her with a cup. “Here,
my dear, this will relax you.”
The scent of
inside her drew a sigh from her lips.
He eased out of her and guided her feet to the ground. His
dark hair fell in front of his face as he smoothed her skirts back down her
legs and then tucked himself back into his breeches before securing them around
his waist.
From out of nowhere, an unwelcome thread of shame wormed its
way into her. She pushed away from the tree and turned her back on him as she
pretended to pat wrinkles out of her dress. How could she have let this happen
again? It was over between them. Just one night and they’d never see one
another again, right? That was how one-night stands were supposed to work. It
wasn’t as if she was in love with the guy.
But hadn’t he said it wouldn’t be their last time, even
though she was slated to be married that night? She shook her head, biting her
lower lip. Even if worse came to worst and she was saddled with a husband in a
few hours, it wouldn’t be right to continue seeing Rathe.
A moist warmth trickled down her inner thigh and she paused,
her eyes shifting back and forth until she realized what it was.
Shit.
“Here, lass.” Rathe handed her the basket she had been
carrying earlier. “Now, do I have to bind your hands together or will you come
peacefully with me?”
Torn from her thoughts, she grabbed the handle. “What?”
He stepped in front of her, tilting her chin up with one
finger. “If you leave the choice to me, I would bind you. I find the idea
rather appealing.”
Snapped back to attention, she caught the bad-boy smirk
plastered to his face. She parted her lips to speak but once again couldn’t
form a single word in retort.
He chuckled and rubbed his thumb over the spot where he had
bitten her. “Another time, perhaps,” he murmured. He pulled the collar of her
leine against her neck. “You may want to keep that hidden for a bit.” Then,
grabbing her hand, he led her back toward the road.
Her blood thudded in her temples as she struggled to keep up
Rathe’s quick pace. The full, moist heaviness between her thighs consumed
her—he hadn’t pulled out this time. Several times she tried to ask him about
it, but her brain refused to send the words to her mouth.
But then a break in the trees appeared up ahead. Several men
milled about, talking and laughing as their horses grazed along the side of the
road. She would soon lose her chance to ask Rathe unless she took advantage of
the opportunity now.
In panicked desperation, Leah dug her heels into the ground,
yanking him to a stop. He turned toward her, his eyebrows raised.
She glanced at him before casting her eyes to the ground and
moving closer to him. “You didn’t pull out this time.”
He paused before uttering his matter-of-fact reply. “You are
right. I did not.”
Without another word, Rathe set forward once again, dragging
her behind him, and they broke through the trees.
Chapter Seven
“You could have been killed.”
Leah pressed her lips together. She bristled at the
mormaer’s annoyed tone and crossed her arms as she peered out the window. Rathe
strode across the courtyard to speak to the group of men he’d brought with him
to find her earlier. As he spoke, they gave him their full and attention,
listening without interruption.
She had cringed when Rathe dragged her out of the forest and
in front of them, assuming they were well aware of what had just happened
between her and Rathe. But not one of the men threw her a critical look. Though
she still couldn’t understand most of what they were saying, they only spoke in
the most respectful tones to Rathe and were careful to avert their eyes from
her.
Rathe glanced up toward her, one corner of his mouth turning
up in acknowledgment as he continued speaking with his men. This time she
didn’t shrink back from the window but instead returned his smile with a small
one of her own.
“Leah.”
She turned just as Alpina approached her with a cup. “Here,
my dear, this will relax you.”
The scent of
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