Tempted by Virginia Henley Page A

from Zara. Tonight he could not spend his fury on the Gypsy; he was saving it, holding it in check for a deadlier enemy. He promised himself, however, that at its appointed time the smolderingemotions each provoked in the other would burst into violence and probably climax in death.
    Ram took a firmer hold upon Ruffian’s bridle as he felt the stallion respond to the string of mares. The two men disengaged their eyes, and Ram passed through the camp to Zara’s painted wagon. He fastened Ruffian securely where the animal could graze upon the clover-rich grass and climbed the three steps that took him up inside the caravan.
    Most of the room was taken up by her bed, and as Ram’s eyes adjusted to the darkened interior, he saw that already Zara lay back upon the covers.
    “Light the lanterns for me,” she begged, her ragged voice revealing her need to see the magnificent male torso the dimness hid.
    The red glass chimney of the lantern illuminated the caravan with an erotic glow, and Zara’s eyes dilated with pleasure as the light played across the planes of the strong face, wide shoulders, and bared thighs of her unequaled lover. Her nimble fingers tore off her top to display her small, round breasts, as hard and deliciously tempting as apples from the tree in the Garden of Eden.
    She spread her knees wide apart, then her quick brown fingers went to the hem of her scarlet skirt and she inched it slowly up her bare legs until she was naked to the waist. The corners of her mouth went up with delight when she saw Ram’s erection lift the folds of the dark Douglas tartan. She quickly lifted off her skirt over her head and caught her breath in wonder as he slowly removed his plaid.
    She worshipped him with her eyes, knowing that when he joined his body with hers, she would be filled with his strength, his power, his force. Damn him, he seemed in no hurry in spite of the evidence of his readiness for her. He stood still, looking down at her, making no move whatsoever to join her on the bed or reach for her.
    She gazed up at him almost mesmerized. The sheerbrawn of his thews and sinewed muscles caused a painful ache from the pit of her belly all the way down between her legs. Her need for him built inside her until it erupted into her throat and she wanted to scream. She came up onto her knees and crawled to him as he towered there at the foot of the bed. Her eyes became fixed upon his male center with its thick, rigid shaft and proud vermilion head. The tip of her tongue circled her red mouth, and she moved close enough for him to feel her warm breath as she blew upon him lightly to tease, to tempt, to lure, to stimulate the virile, lusty border lord to expend his brute force upon her. Her lips opened to take him.
    When she was only a fraction of an inch away, she asked, “Is this what you want from me, my lord?”
    “No,” he said, lifting her to stand before him on the bed.
    She threaded her fingers through the crisp dark pelt of his chest and clung to him seductively. He peeled her body from his and held her off momentarily; then very deliberately he reached down to unfasten the golden circle from her mons. She moaned as his hands came into contact with her sensitive female cleft, and the backs of his fingers brushed her tiny curls aside to unhook the golden wire that pierced her female flesh.
    He fastened it into her ear and lifted her so that she could clasp her legs about his waist. The tip of his tongue traced the outline of her lips, and she closed her eyes as she felt his intimate gesture arouse her further. The head of his shaft brushed her bare buttocks rhythmically as his massive ribcage moved her up and down with every breath he took.
    His fingers stroked her breasts, encircling over and over the hardening nipples until they stood at attention, making her ache above as she did below. Then his hard mouth finally took hers, and she opened her lips eagerly, needing the thrust of his tongue inside her as much as she