feathering across his skin as he lowered his mouth to hers, unable to resist the lure of her strength and sweetness any longer.
At first she stood perfectly still, as if he had startled her, but she did not pull away. He shifted the angle of his head and kissed her again, lingering a little longer over her lush lips, letting himself get a little lost in the faint taste of honey and the scent of fresh mountain air and heather that surrounded him.
“You can lean on me,” he whispered against her mouth.
Tentatively she leaned into the kiss and he barely contained a groan at her acceptance. Her hands came to rest lightly on hischest, heat radiating from the contact. He slid his hands into her hair, pulling her a little closer still. She sighed against his lips, as she parted hers, accepting his deeper kiss. Desire punched into him, sending his body in directions he wasn’t prepared to follow. Not yet.
And yet he could not step away… not yet.
He let himself revel in the softness of her lips, the silkiness of her hair, the scent that reminded him of a Scottish forest, losing himself for long moments, forgetting everything but this moment, this woman, this kiss. And when the need to take the kiss further almost overwhelmed him, then he pulled himself back to his senses, gentling the kiss, nibbling at the corner of her mouth. Finally he forced himself to pull away, just far enough to break the kiss before he completely lost himself in her softness and the scent.
She opened her eyes and dropped her hands from his chest. Confusion had taken the place of the shimmer of tears. Confusion was better.
“Why did you do that?” she asked.
Without thinking about his answer he said, “Because I have wanted to since first I saw you.” He stroked her cheek again, unable to resist the soft, creamy feel of it and realized he’d spoken the truth. “Can I do it again?”
“Nay.” Her reply was quick and sure. “You should not have followed me up here.”
Disappointment caught him by surprise, quickly followed by a strange flash of pride in her and a certain amount of annoyance that she had not succumbed to his attentions as most lasses did. He stepped back far enough so that he could not feel the heat of her anymore and tried to remember why he had followed her here.
“Perhaps, but clearly something happened to you during the blessing, lass, and I cannot in good conscience let you be alone until I am sure you are recovered completely. Can you not tell me what disturbed you so?”
She didn’t meet his eyes. “I do not know what it was. It happened so fast, and then…” Her voice trailed off into nothingness.
“Then?” he asked.
She looked at him out of the side of her eyes. “Then it was gone, over, whatever. Perhaps I had something for the evening meal that was off? Maybe the honey cake wasn’t any good?” She shrugged but it felt contrived, as if she did it for his benefit.
“Perhaps.”
She smiled at him then and it was as if the sun broke through the night sky. “I do thank you for catching me, for letting me lean on you.” She looked down and he’d swear she was embarrassed.
He watched her take a deep breath as if she fortified herself from something. Him? Perhaps he had muddled her emotions more than she was letting on.
“You are most welcome, mistress, for both.” And the odd thing was that he really meant it. As he watched her go he realized that she had deflected every question he had asked. She was as adept as he was at avoiding saying what he did not want to say. He chuckled. Perhaps this mission wouldn’t be as easy as he’d thought, but it would certainly be interesting.
His thoughts turned back to that kiss and the way Rowan had softened under his lips, as his had softened against hers, and he realized that he would have to tread carefully with the lass lest she charm the truth out of him .
A S R OWAN MOVED through the following day her thoughts kept returning to those few moments over
At first she stood perfectly still, as if he had startled her, but she did not pull away. He shifted the angle of his head and kissed her again, lingering a little longer over her lush lips, letting himself get a little lost in the faint taste of honey and the scent of fresh mountain air and heather that surrounded him.
“You can lean on me,” he whispered against her mouth.
Tentatively she leaned into the kiss and he barely contained a groan at her acceptance. Her hands came to rest lightly on hischest, heat radiating from the contact. He slid his hands into her hair, pulling her a little closer still. She sighed against his lips, as she parted hers, accepting his deeper kiss. Desire punched into him, sending his body in directions he wasn’t prepared to follow. Not yet.
And yet he could not step away… not yet.
He let himself revel in the softness of her lips, the silkiness of her hair, the scent that reminded him of a Scottish forest, losing himself for long moments, forgetting everything but this moment, this woman, this kiss. And when the need to take the kiss further almost overwhelmed him, then he pulled himself back to his senses, gentling the kiss, nibbling at the corner of her mouth. Finally he forced himself to pull away, just far enough to break the kiss before he completely lost himself in her softness and the scent.
She opened her eyes and dropped her hands from his chest. Confusion had taken the place of the shimmer of tears. Confusion was better.
“Why did you do that?” she asked.
Without thinking about his answer he said, “Because I have wanted to since first I saw you.” He stroked her cheek again, unable to resist the soft, creamy feel of it and realized he’d spoken the truth. “Can I do it again?”
“Nay.” Her reply was quick and sure. “You should not have followed me up here.”
Disappointment caught him by surprise, quickly followed by a strange flash of pride in her and a certain amount of annoyance that she had not succumbed to his attentions as most lasses did. He stepped back far enough so that he could not feel the heat of her anymore and tried to remember why he had followed her here.
“Perhaps, but clearly something happened to you during the blessing, lass, and I cannot in good conscience let you be alone until I am sure you are recovered completely. Can you not tell me what disturbed you so?”
She didn’t meet his eyes. “I do not know what it was. It happened so fast, and then…” Her voice trailed off into nothingness.
“Then?” he asked.
She looked at him out of the side of her eyes. “Then it was gone, over, whatever. Perhaps I had something for the evening meal that was off? Maybe the honey cake wasn’t any good?” She shrugged but it felt contrived, as if she did it for his benefit.
“Perhaps.”
She smiled at him then and it was as if the sun broke through the night sky. “I do thank you for catching me, for letting me lean on you.” She looked down and he’d swear she was embarrassed.
He watched her take a deep breath as if she fortified herself from something. Him? Perhaps he had muddled her emotions more than she was letting on.
“You are most welcome, mistress, for both.” And the odd thing was that he really meant it. As he watched her go he realized that she had deflected every question he had asked. She was as adept as he was at avoiding saying what he did not want to say. He chuckled. Perhaps this mission wouldn’t be as easy as he’d thought, but it would certainly be interesting.
His thoughts turned back to that kiss and the way Rowan had softened under his lips, as his had softened against hers, and he realized that he would have to tread carefully with the lass lest she charm the truth out of him .
A S R OWAN MOVED through the following day her thoughts kept returning to those few moments over
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