left her breasts, and he swung off her body with lithe swiftness. His breath was coming in labored jerks as he stood up and walked to the fireplace to stand with his back to her, staring into the flames.
Sheena sat up slowly, her dazed eyes on Challon’s muscular shoulders, bent as if he were in pain. It had all happened so swiftly that she couldn’t comprehend what had transpired. Her hands went automatically to the buttons of her bodice, and he must have heard her move, for he whirled to face her.
He took one look at her bewildered face and the pained darkness in her eyes and swiftly crossed back to her and dropped down beside her once more. “Poor little dove,” he crooned tenderly, as his hand gently stroked her black curls. “It wasn’t very fair to you, was it? Well, take comfort that it was pure hell for me to stop. I’ve never wanted anyone in my life the way I wanted you just now. But it’s not enough, Sheena. We deserve more, and I’ll be damned if we don’t get it!”
“More?” she repeated dazedly. How could there possibly be more than the mind-jolting excitement that they had just experienced?
Challon nodded, his fingers absently threading through her curls. “More. You don’t love me yet, but you will very soon. I think you care more than you know right now.” He tilted her head back to kiss herwith lingering sweetness, and she instinctively melted against him. “After five years, I can wait a little longer for it to be totally perfect.” He drew a deep breath and put her firmly away from him. “Correction. I can wait, if I get the hell out of here.”
He stood up reluctantly, his gaze running lingeringly over her pink, swollen lips and tousled black curls before moving down to her unbuttoned bodice. His hand reached out compulsively to caress one pert breast beneath the crimson velvet, his golden eyes darkening to amber. Then giving a sigh that was more like a shudder, he moved away from her and walked slowly to the door.
He turned, his hand on the knob, and even in the dimness of the flickering firelight, she could see the twinkle in his golden eyes. “We only made it halfway to paradise tonight,” he said mockingly. “But be sure you keep that robe on hand, dove. I guarantee that we’ll get there the next time.”
Five
“You cheated!” Sheena accused, throwing her cards down in disgust. “I don’t know why I play with you, Rand Challon. I must be some sort of masochist to take the kind of beating you hand out and still come back for more.” She stood up and stretched lazily, like a small, sinuous cat. “Well, I won’t be so foolish again. No one can be as lucky as that.”
Rand leaned lazily back in his chair at the card table and began to gather the cards and stack them. His golden eyes were twinkling as he observed her stormy, indignant face and mutinous mouth. “I’m glad you finally realized that, dove,” he drawled. “Anyone else would have tumbled to that particular bit of knowledge a week ago. I was beginning to think you were a little thick. You were a lamb ready for the fleecing, and I’ve never been known to stay my hand when the stakes are that tempting.”
“You have the gall to admit it!” Sheena said, planting her hands on her hips and glaring at him fiercely. “Have you no ethics at all?”
“Not where you’re concerned,” Rand said blandly. “Now, come around here and pay up.”
“I most certainly will not,” she said haughtily. “All bets are off. You have your nerve even suggesting such a thing after confessing what a scoundrel you are.”
“Scoundrel?” Challon cocked his tawny head inquiringly. “Lord, what an old-fashioned word. But I like the way it rolls off your tongue in that funny little brogue.”
“Oh!” Sheena knotted her fists in frustration. “You’re completely impossible. You have absolutely no sense of shame. I refuse to even speak to you.” She whirled and marched across the room to the couch in front of the
Sheena sat up slowly, her dazed eyes on Challon’s muscular shoulders, bent as if he were in pain. It had all happened so swiftly that she couldn’t comprehend what had transpired. Her hands went automatically to the buttons of her bodice, and he must have heard her move, for he whirled to face her.
He took one look at her bewildered face and the pained darkness in her eyes and swiftly crossed back to her and dropped down beside her once more. “Poor little dove,” he crooned tenderly, as his hand gently stroked her black curls. “It wasn’t very fair to you, was it? Well, take comfort that it was pure hell for me to stop. I’ve never wanted anyone in my life the way I wanted you just now. But it’s not enough, Sheena. We deserve more, and I’ll be damned if we don’t get it!”
“More?” she repeated dazedly. How could there possibly be more than the mind-jolting excitement that they had just experienced?
Challon nodded, his fingers absently threading through her curls. “More. You don’t love me yet, but you will very soon. I think you care more than you know right now.” He tilted her head back to kiss herwith lingering sweetness, and she instinctively melted against him. “After five years, I can wait a little longer for it to be totally perfect.” He drew a deep breath and put her firmly away from him. “Correction. I can wait, if I get the hell out of here.”
He stood up reluctantly, his gaze running lingeringly over her pink, swollen lips and tousled black curls before moving down to her unbuttoned bodice. His hand reached out compulsively to caress one pert breast beneath the crimson velvet, his golden eyes darkening to amber. Then giving a sigh that was more like a shudder, he moved away from her and walked slowly to the door.
He turned, his hand on the knob, and even in the dimness of the flickering firelight, she could see the twinkle in his golden eyes. “We only made it halfway to paradise tonight,” he said mockingly. “But be sure you keep that robe on hand, dove. I guarantee that we’ll get there the next time.”
Five
“You cheated!” Sheena accused, throwing her cards down in disgust. “I don’t know why I play with you, Rand Challon. I must be some sort of masochist to take the kind of beating you hand out and still come back for more.” She stood up and stretched lazily, like a small, sinuous cat. “Well, I won’t be so foolish again. No one can be as lucky as that.”
Rand leaned lazily back in his chair at the card table and began to gather the cards and stack them. His golden eyes were twinkling as he observed her stormy, indignant face and mutinous mouth. “I’m glad you finally realized that, dove,” he drawled. “Anyone else would have tumbled to that particular bit of knowledge a week ago. I was beginning to think you were a little thick. You were a lamb ready for the fleecing, and I’ve never been known to stay my hand when the stakes are that tempting.”
“You have the gall to admit it!” Sheena said, planting her hands on her hips and glaring at him fiercely. “Have you no ethics at all?”
“Not where you’re concerned,” Rand said blandly. “Now, come around here and pay up.”
“I most certainly will not,” she said haughtily. “All bets are off. You have your nerve even suggesting such a thing after confessing what a scoundrel you are.”
“Scoundrel?” Challon cocked his tawny head inquiringly. “Lord, what an old-fashioned word. But I like the way it rolls off your tongue in that funny little brogue.”
“Oh!” Sheena knotted her fists in frustration. “You’re completely impossible. You have absolutely no sense of shame. I refuse to even speak to you.” She whirled and marched across the room to the couch in front of the
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