it was embarrassing to have to tefl him the cause of Rosa Montaiies' jealousy. But the look on Miguel's face was enough to tell her that he wasn't going to let her off, and she sighed resignedly. 'It really wasn't—I mean there was really no need for her to make so much fuss about it. You remember the day Abuelo's car broke down and you made all those calls for me?' He nodded, and she flicked the tip of her tongue
swiftly across her lips. 'Well, it was afterwards—she saw you kiss me.'
'Oh, I see.' He sounded so unconcerned that for a moment Kirstie stared at him; as if it had been of so Httle importance that he had almost forgotten about it, and her senses rebelled at the very idea.
'Oh, I realise it wasn't anything important to you,' she declared, 'but Seiiora Montaiies took rather a different view! I must admit I can see her point to some extent when she has such a—a personal interest, but considering it was none of my doing I don't see why I should be the one who has to bear the brunt of her temper!'
Miguel was eyeing her narrowly and his fingers gripped her arms more tightly, so that she shrugged protest-ingly. 'A personal interest?'
He asked the question quietly, but the softness of his voice was in direct contrast to every other aspect of him, and because his mood was affecting her, she was drawn deeper and deeper into indiscretion. 'Of course I've heard that she considers you her own private property, and if Luis hadn't told me, I'd have had proof enough just now!'
'Her behaviour was proof of nothing except a woman's disHke of a younger and prettier woman,' Miguel argued harshly. 'And Luis should have better things to do with his time than discuss me—or anybody else in the family—with you!'
'The hired help!' Kirstie observed bitterly, and was appalled to realise how much it hurt to hear him speak as he did. 'At least you see eye to eye with her about that!'
Anxious to escape, she reached bHndly for the mare's rein, but before she could unwind it from the branch, Miguel's hand closed around her wrist and she was swung round to face him again. 'The hired help,' he agreed in a flat, harsh voice, 'if that's how you want to think of yourself, but don't attribute the idea to me! You're always so determined to put yourself in
the part of the downtrodden innocent, aren't you, Kirstie?' His eyes ghttered darkly at her and she was shivering; affected by the proximity of him and by the emotion charged atmosphere between them. The hired help!' he mocked, and she shook her head protest-ingly.
*It—it's how you see me—you and Senora Montanes,' she insisted huskily.
She was pulled firmly against him suddenly and gasped aloud at the unexpectedness of it. His arms had the unyielding hardness of steel, and there was no defence against the mouth that forced back her head with the fierceness of its pressure on her lips. She made only a small murmur of sound, but the heat of his body burned her like fire, and the stark, overt virility of him was an assault that made her own more vulnerable softness flinch in the first few seconds, before it inevitably yielded as he bound her still closer.
He had kissed her before on a couple of occasions, but nothing had prepared her for anything as fierce and breathtaking as this. Her strength seemed to have drained away and left her too weak to stand alone, and the violent beat of her pulse made sane reasoning impossible. It was like being submerged in a sea of flame and unable to draw breath, and she clung to him helplessly.
He released her mouth only very slowly, lingering on her parted lips while her breath fluttered unevenly, and only slowly did she return to reality. As she tried to clear her head, two big hands clasped her face between their palms and heavy-lidded eyes watched her mouth with a burning intensity for a moment before he spoke.
*Why do I always allow you to get under my skin?' Miguel whispered, and she vaguely noticed an unsteadiness in his voice, a huskiness
swiftly across her lips. 'Well, it was afterwards—she saw you kiss me.'
'Oh, I see.' He sounded so unconcerned that for a moment Kirstie stared at him; as if it had been of so Httle importance that he had almost forgotten about it, and her senses rebelled at the very idea.
'Oh, I realise it wasn't anything important to you,' she declared, 'but Seiiora Montaiies took rather a different view! I must admit I can see her point to some extent when she has such a—a personal interest, but considering it was none of my doing I don't see why I should be the one who has to bear the brunt of her temper!'
Miguel was eyeing her narrowly and his fingers gripped her arms more tightly, so that she shrugged protest-ingly. 'A personal interest?'
He asked the question quietly, but the softness of his voice was in direct contrast to every other aspect of him, and because his mood was affecting her, she was drawn deeper and deeper into indiscretion. 'Of course I've heard that she considers you her own private property, and if Luis hadn't told me, I'd have had proof enough just now!'
'Her behaviour was proof of nothing except a woman's disHke of a younger and prettier woman,' Miguel argued harshly. 'And Luis should have better things to do with his time than discuss me—or anybody else in the family—with you!'
'The hired help!' Kirstie observed bitterly, and was appalled to realise how much it hurt to hear him speak as he did. 'At least you see eye to eye with her about that!'
Anxious to escape, she reached bHndly for the mare's rein, but before she could unwind it from the branch, Miguel's hand closed around her wrist and she was swung round to face him again. 'The hired help,' he agreed in a flat, harsh voice, 'if that's how you want to think of yourself, but don't attribute the idea to me! You're always so determined to put yourself in
the part of the downtrodden innocent, aren't you, Kirstie?' His eyes ghttered darkly at her and she was shivering; affected by the proximity of him and by the emotion charged atmosphere between them. The hired help!' he mocked, and she shook her head protest-ingly.
*It—it's how you see me—you and Senora Montanes,' she insisted huskily.
She was pulled firmly against him suddenly and gasped aloud at the unexpectedness of it. His arms had the unyielding hardness of steel, and there was no defence against the mouth that forced back her head with the fierceness of its pressure on her lips. She made only a small murmur of sound, but the heat of his body burned her like fire, and the stark, overt virility of him was an assault that made her own more vulnerable softness flinch in the first few seconds, before it inevitably yielded as he bound her still closer.
He had kissed her before on a couple of occasions, but nothing had prepared her for anything as fierce and breathtaking as this. Her strength seemed to have drained away and left her too weak to stand alone, and the violent beat of her pulse made sane reasoning impossible. It was like being submerged in a sea of flame and unable to draw breath, and she clung to him helplessly.
He released her mouth only very slowly, lingering on her parted lips while her breath fluttered unevenly, and only slowly did she return to reality. As she tried to clear her head, two big hands clasped her face between their palms and heavy-lidded eyes watched her mouth with a burning intensity for a moment before he spoke.
*Why do I always allow you to get under my skin?' Miguel whispered, and she vaguely noticed an unsteadiness in his voice, a huskiness
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