the slut he'd known her to be. Oh, he could easily see how her predicament had come about—how her lover Roderick had been unable to resist her wiles. It struck him then that he assumed her Roderick was the babe's father. But what if he was not? Hadn't she offered herself to him just last eve, knowing she carried another man's child? Mayhap she had no idea who the father was! Indeed, she was a temptation few men could resist, he acknowledged silently. Even he himself was not immune to her beauty.
And that was the hell of it.
She refused to look at him the entire day, but Guy had no such qualms. Time and again he found his eyes drawn to her, as if he'd been caught in a web from which there was no escape. Slim and straight, she rode her mount as if she were a queen, her carriage proud and erect.
Guy despised himself for his weakness, but he had only to glance at her to visualize those eyes that flashed like emeralds in the sun, to remember the fascinating heat of that sweetly curved mouth trapped beneath his, the delectable roundness of her breast beneath his palm.
His mood grew ever more vile.
Twilight hovered on the horizon before he called a halt to the day's journey. They stopped on the outskirts of the forest. Nearby was a clear, babbling stream.
Kathryn heaved a silent prayer of thanks. If the earl had chosen to go any further, she didn't think she could stand it. She wasn't used to riding more than a few hours at most; her thighs and backside ached unbearably.
The earl was busy giving orders to his men. Kathryn reined Esmerelda to a stop and prepared to slide to the ground. One of the earl's soldiers appeared. Hands spanning her waist, he lifted her easily to the ground. Kathryn smiled her thanks— his hands displayed a tendency to linger. A single dark look from the earl and the knight hastily backed away.
Kathryn's muscles protested mightily at holding her weight after so many hours on horseback. But once on her feet she became aware of a rather urgent need.
Most of the earl's soldiers swarmed in the clearing beneath the trees. Kathryn started off in the opposite direction.
The earl's voice stopped her cold. "Hold!" he shouted. Four long strides brought him to her side. He grasped her arm. "What is this?" he demanded.
Of all the arrogance! Kathryn took a deep breath and struggled to control her rising temper. "I crave a moment alone." She couldn't look at him as she spoke. She could think of no way to convey her need to him.
His laughter grated. "What manner of fool do you take me for, mistress? A moment alone, so that you may flee?" He laughed again. "I think not!"
Kathryn twitched at her skirt. Vivid color stained her cheeks as she implored desperately, "For nature's call, milord."
"And I tell you again, lady, not alone."
His sharpness shattered her. He trampled on her dignity the way his soldiers trampled the fields. The knowledge that he would not allow her this privacy wounded her as nothing else had. At last she looked at him, dismayed and miserably embarrassed.
"I'll not flee, milord. This I swear."
His grip on her arm tightened. It was on the tip of his tongue to retort that, as Richard's niece, her vow meant nothing to him.
"Please," she whispered.
He saw her convulsive swallow. He saw the way her throat worked and swore violently to himself. Damn, but the wench knew exactly how to probe his every weakness. Yet he sensed the word cost her no small amount of pride.
"Begone, then," he said curtly. "But be quick about it," he warned. "And do not think to escape me—" A devilish smile dallied about his lips. "— lest you come upon some wild, ferocious beast with a fancy for your lovely flesh." He turned his back and retraced his steps toward his knights.
Kathryn picked up her skirts. Bah, she decided as she marched toward a clump of bushes, it was altogether likely the only beast in these woods was the Earl of Sedgewick!
She returned to the clearing several minutes later. A group of
And that was the hell of it.
She refused to look at him the entire day, but Guy had no such qualms. Time and again he found his eyes drawn to her, as if he'd been caught in a web from which there was no escape. Slim and straight, she rode her mount as if she were a queen, her carriage proud and erect.
Guy despised himself for his weakness, but he had only to glance at her to visualize those eyes that flashed like emeralds in the sun, to remember the fascinating heat of that sweetly curved mouth trapped beneath his, the delectable roundness of her breast beneath his palm.
His mood grew ever more vile.
Twilight hovered on the horizon before he called a halt to the day's journey. They stopped on the outskirts of the forest. Nearby was a clear, babbling stream.
Kathryn heaved a silent prayer of thanks. If the earl had chosen to go any further, she didn't think she could stand it. She wasn't used to riding more than a few hours at most; her thighs and backside ached unbearably.
The earl was busy giving orders to his men. Kathryn reined Esmerelda to a stop and prepared to slide to the ground. One of the earl's soldiers appeared. Hands spanning her waist, he lifted her easily to the ground. Kathryn smiled her thanks— his hands displayed a tendency to linger. A single dark look from the earl and the knight hastily backed away.
Kathryn's muscles protested mightily at holding her weight after so many hours on horseback. But once on her feet she became aware of a rather urgent need.
Most of the earl's soldiers swarmed in the clearing beneath the trees. Kathryn started off in the opposite direction.
The earl's voice stopped her cold. "Hold!" he shouted. Four long strides brought him to her side. He grasped her arm. "What is this?" he demanded.
Of all the arrogance! Kathryn took a deep breath and struggled to control her rising temper. "I crave a moment alone." She couldn't look at him as she spoke. She could think of no way to convey her need to him.
His laughter grated. "What manner of fool do you take me for, mistress? A moment alone, so that you may flee?" He laughed again. "I think not!"
Kathryn twitched at her skirt. Vivid color stained her cheeks as she implored desperately, "For nature's call, milord."
"And I tell you again, lady, not alone."
His sharpness shattered her. He trampled on her dignity the way his soldiers trampled the fields. The knowledge that he would not allow her this privacy wounded her as nothing else had. At last she looked at him, dismayed and miserably embarrassed.
"I'll not flee, milord. This I swear."
His grip on her arm tightened. It was on the tip of his tongue to retort that, as Richard's niece, her vow meant nothing to him.
"Please," she whispered.
He saw her convulsive swallow. He saw the way her throat worked and swore violently to himself. Damn, but the wench knew exactly how to probe his every weakness. Yet he sensed the word cost her no small amount of pride.
"Begone, then," he said curtly. "But be quick about it," he warned. "And do not think to escape me—" A devilish smile dallied about his lips. "— lest you come upon some wild, ferocious beast with a fancy for your lovely flesh." He turned his back and retraced his steps toward his knights.
Kathryn picked up her skirts. Bah, she decided as she marched toward a clump of bushes, it was altogether likely the only beast in these woods was the Earl of Sedgewick!
She returned to the clearing several minutes later. A group of
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