found The Age of Chivalry in her hands, its heavy, gold-leafed pages opening as if by magic to a color plate depicting a crusading knight from the thirteenth century.
He knelt on one knee, his hands raised in silent supplication. Crosses adorned his flowing surcoat and a wicked-looking sword hung from a belt slung low around his hips.
She stared at the crusader, her heart thumping. Her mouth went dry. The queerest tingles started racing up and down her spine. Not because of the beauty of the oh-so-romantic knight, his chivalry and valor caught forever in the pages of a book.
O-o-oh, no. That wasn't it at all.
Nor was it the sudden cold breeze blowing past her cheek. A chill wind that swirled round her, raising gooseflesh and letting her know something was in the library with her.
No, someone .
And she knew exactly who.
Her breathing stopped, the very world seeming to hold its breath.
It was useless denying it.
She spun around. "You!" she cried, the high-pitched voice impossibly hers.
He smiled. "Oh, aye, that is who I am."
Mara swallowed, not about to argue with a nutcase. The book fell from her fingers. She hardly noticed, just stared at him, wondering how such a strapping man could move so silently.
And possess such grace and yet thrum with so much incredible masculinity. Sheesh, every tall, broad-shouldered inch of him took her breath, and his slow, lazy smile sent a dangerous excitement coursing through her.
She frowned, narrowed her eyes at him. "How did you get in here?"
"Many are the ways," he said, the smile tilting. He stepped closer, his sea green eyes filling with silky menace. "Lady, you would be astounded by the wealth of my… abilities ."
Mara clamped her lips and said nothing.
He laughed and whistled the tune to "Highland Laddie."
"You!" Her eyes flew wide. "You were the piper!"
He placed his hands on his hips, looking pleased with himself. "Did I not say my talents would astound you?"
She backed up, bumped into the wall of books. "Some might say I am more astounded by your audacity."
"Ahhh, but your wit pleases me, Mara," he said, smiling at her in a way that banished the cold. "Or rather, it would did you not carry such a blighted name."
The cold returned. "Men are searching for you." Mara stood as tall as she could, took care to pull in her stomach. "Even now, as we speak."
"And do you think they'll be finding me? Or will you be calling out for them?" He leaned close, brushed a velvety-smooth kiss across her lips. "Somehow, I dinna think you will be," he murmured against her ear.
Mara went still.
Of course she wouldn't be crying out. She couldn't speak at all.
He towered over her, his eyes darkening as he reached to touch her cheek. Watching her, he slid his fingers along her jaw, down the side of her neck. The intimacy of his caress undid her, made her heart beat wildly and her nipples tighten. Any moment, her knees were going to buckle.
She knew it, could feel it coming.
Her total capitulation.
And there didn't seem to be a thing she could do about it.
She swallowed. "Who are you?"
But he'd stepped back, his dark gaze no longer on her but on the fallen book at their feet. Somehow, it had landed still opened to the beautiful crusading knight. Her Highlander was staring at the page, a ghost of a smile playing across his lips.
"I have told you who I am, but you did not believe me," he said then, a harsh note in his voice. Sure enough, when he looked back at her, the smile was gone. "So I have come to give you a chance to redeem yourself. My honor demands it."
Mara blinked, the sensual spell he'd been weaving round her instantly broken. "Just what is that supposed to mean?" she demanded, jamming her hands on her hips. "Why am I supposed to redeem myself? You're the rude one, not me. And you're trespassing, too. I could have you arrested."
Unfazed, he bent to pick up the book, closing it with care. "Lady, were I not so wroth with you, you would amuse me," he said, arrogance
He knelt on one knee, his hands raised in silent supplication. Crosses adorned his flowing surcoat and a wicked-looking sword hung from a belt slung low around his hips.
She stared at the crusader, her heart thumping. Her mouth went dry. The queerest tingles started racing up and down her spine. Not because of the beauty of the oh-so-romantic knight, his chivalry and valor caught forever in the pages of a book.
O-o-oh, no. That wasn't it at all.
Nor was it the sudden cold breeze blowing past her cheek. A chill wind that swirled round her, raising gooseflesh and letting her know something was in the library with her.
No, someone .
And she knew exactly who.
Her breathing stopped, the very world seeming to hold its breath.
It was useless denying it.
She spun around. "You!" she cried, the high-pitched voice impossibly hers.
He smiled. "Oh, aye, that is who I am."
Mara swallowed, not about to argue with a nutcase. The book fell from her fingers. She hardly noticed, just stared at him, wondering how such a strapping man could move so silently.
And possess such grace and yet thrum with so much incredible masculinity. Sheesh, every tall, broad-shouldered inch of him took her breath, and his slow, lazy smile sent a dangerous excitement coursing through her.
She frowned, narrowed her eyes at him. "How did you get in here?"
"Many are the ways," he said, the smile tilting. He stepped closer, his sea green eyes filling with silky menace. "Lady, you would be astounded by the wealth of my… abilities ."
Mara clamped her lips and said nothing.
He laughed and whistled the tune to "Highland Laddie."
"You!" Her eyes flew wide. "You were the piper!"
He placed his hands on his hips, looking pleased with himself. "Did I not say my talents would astound you?"
She backed up, bumped into the wall of books. "Some might say I am more astounded by your audacity."
"Ahhh, but your wit pleases me, Mara," he said, smiling at her in a way that banished the cold. "Or rather, it would did you not carry such a blighted name."
The cold returned. "Men are searching for you." Mara stood as tall as she could, took care to pull in her stomach. "Even now, as we speak."
"And do you think they'll be finding me? Or will you be calling out for them?" He leaned close, brushed a velvety-smooth kiss across her lips. "Somehow, I dinna think you will be," he murmured against her ear.
Mara went still.
Of course she wouldn't be crying out. She couldn't speak at all.
He towered over her, his eyes darkening as he reached to touch her cheek. Watching her, he slid his fingers along her jaw, down the side of her neck. The intimacy of his caress undid her, made her heart beat wildly and her nipples tighten. Any moment, her knees were going to buckle.
She knew it, could feel it coming.
Her total capitulation.
And there didn't seem to be a thing she could do about it.
She swallowed. "Who are you?"
But he'd stepped back, his dark gaze no longer on her but on the fallen book at their feet. Somehow, it had landed still opened to the beautiful crusading knight. Her Highlander was staring at the page, a ghost of a smile playing across his lips.
"I have told you who I am, but you did not believe me," he said then, a harsh note in his voice. Sure enough, when he looked back at her, the smile was gone. "So I have come to give you a chance to redeem yourself. My honor demands it."
Mara blinked, the sensual spell he'd been weaving round her instantly broken. "Just what is that supposed to mean?" she demanded, jamming her hands on her hips. "Why am I supposed to redeem myself? You're the rude one, not me. And you're trespassing, too. I could have you arrested."
Unfazed, he bent to pick up the book, closing it with care. "Lady, were I not so wroth with you, you would amuse me," he said, arrogance
Similar Books
