never have another chance.
Or a better man to show her.
“Ye may think this is what ye want,” Alex said, “but ye don’t really.”
“I do.” Her fingers still gripped the front of his shirt, and she wasn’t letting go.
“Perhaps ye do right at this moment, but ye would regret it later.” He sighed as he traced the side of her face with his finger. “I don’t want to be a regret.”
She shook her head vehemently from side to side. “I won’t regret it. I promise.”
Alex gave her a faint smile. “Then I will. Ye are precisely the sort of woman I avoid bedding.”
Her stomach clutched, and she turned her face to the side.
“What’s wrong with me?” she asked, her voice coming out high and thin.
“Ach, ’tis not that I don’t want to,” Alex said, grazing his knuckles against her cheek. “I’ve never wanted a woman this much.”
No doubt he was stretching the truth, but there was such longing in his voice that she did believe he wanted her.
“Then why not?” she asked.
“Ye would expect more of me than I am able to give,” he said in a soft voice. “Ye would want me to be there tomorrow and the next day—and a year from now. I can’t make a woman happy for that long.”
“You’re wrong about what I want,” she said. “I don’t want a husband—but I do want this.”
He made a low sound in the back of his throat that sent a thrill vibrating through her.
“I’m careful,” he said, “but there’s always a chance I could get ye with child.”
She had no idea what he meant by being “careful,” but she shook her head again. “I told ye that I’m barren.”
From the time Glynis started her fluxes, her stepmother had lectured her that it only took once for a lass to get pregnant. But even fertility charms had not worked for her. Glynis had lived with Magnus for three interminable months before she stabbed him and fled, and she had not conceived.
“You’re not the sort to have affairs,” Alex said.
“How can ye say I’m not the sort when I’m the one asking?”
“Because ye couldn’t take it as just a bit of fun,” he said, twisting a strand of her hair around his finger. “Ye don’t have a frivolous bone in your body, Glynis MacNeil."
“I won’t have this chance again,” she said. “I’m always watched over—I’m never free.”
Her family criticized her for being too serious-minded. Now that she’d decided to do something wholly irresponsible and wicked, she was determined to succeed. She was never one to do things by halves.
“I won’t wed again. Before I spend my life alone, I want to be with a man.” She sensed Alex was weakening and ran her hands up his chest. “I want to be with you.”
Lightning cracked and flashed through the gap in the hanging blanket. For an instant, its white light shone on Alex, making him look like the fairy king himself come to work his magic on her. Every young lass in the Western Isles was warned that the fairy king could not be resisted without a special protective charm.
If Glynis had such a charm, she would toss it away.
She let her gaze drop to Alex’s mouth and whispered, “Show me your magic.”
CHAPTER 14
A lex knew it was wrong, but it would take a saint to resist her.
And God knew, he was no saint.
Though he rarely paid for his sins, they would both pay a penance for this. No matter what Glynis said now, she would regret it. And even though he knew that, Alex was helpless against the pull of desire, both hers and his. He had wanted her from the moment he’d seen her collecting shells on the beach at Barra. All he could do was make sure he gave her enough pleasure that the sin might seem worth the cost to her.
But every plan, every thought, every bit of reason left him when his lips met hers. He sank into her, their tongues moving in a slow, passionate dance that left him wanting more. He kissed her eyebrows, her cheeks, beneath her delicate ears. Then he buried his face in her neck and
Or a better man to show her.
“Ye may think this is what ye want,” Alex said, “but ye don’t really.”
“I do.” Her fingers still gripped the front of his shirt, and she wasn’t letting go.
“Perhaps ye do right at this moment, but ye would regret it later.” He sighed as he traced the side of her face with his finger. “I don’t want to be a regret.”
She shook her head vehemently from side to side. “I won’t regret it. I promise.”
Alex gave her a faint smile. “Then I will. Ye are precisely the sort of woman I avoid bedding.”
Her stomach clutched, and she turned her face to the side.
“What’s wrong with me?” she asked, her voice coming out high and thin.
“Ach, ’tis not that I don’t want to,” Alex said, grazing his knuckles against her cheek. “I’ve never wanted a woman this much.”
No doubt he was stretching the truth, but there was such longing in his voice that she did believe he wanted her.
“Then why not?” she asked.
“Ye would expect more of me than I am able to give,” he said in a soft voice. “Ye would want me to be there tomorrow and the next day—and a year from now. I can’t make a woman happy for that long.”
“You’re wrong about what I want,” she said. “I don’t want a husband—but I do want this.”
He made a low sound in the back of his throat that sent a thrill vibrating through her.
“I’m careful,” he said, “but there’s always a chance I could get ye with child.”
She had no idea what he meant by being “careful,” but she shook her head again. “I told ye that I’m barren.”
From the time Glynis started her fluxes, her stepmother had lectured her that it only took once for a lass to get pregnant. But even fertility charms had not worked for her. Glynis had lived with Magnus for three interminable months before she stabbed him and fled, and she had not conceived.
“You’re not the sort to have affairs,” Alex said.
“How can ye say I’m not the sort when I’m the one asking?”
“Because ye couldn’t take it as just a bit of fun,” he said, twisting a strand of her hair around his finger. “Ye don’t have a frivolous bone in your body, Glynis MacNeil."
“I won’t have this chance again,” she said. “I’m always watched over—I’m never free.”
Her family criticized her for being too serious-minded. Now that she’d decided to do something wholly irresponsible and wicked, she was determined to succeed. She was never one to do things by halves.
“I won’t wed again. Before I spend my life alone, I want to be with a man.” She sensed Alex was weakening and ran her hands up his chest. “I want to be with you.”
Lightning cracked and flashed through the gap in the hanging blanket. For an instant, its white light shone on Alex, making him look like the fairy king himself come to work his magic on her. Every young lass in the Western Isles was warned that the fairy king could not be resisted without a special protective charm.
If Glynis had such a charm, she would toss it away.
She let her gaze drop to Alex’s mouth and whispered, “Show me your magic.”
CHAPTER 14
A lex knew it was wrong, but it would take a saint to resist her.
And God knew, he was no saint.
Though he rarely paid for his sins, they would both pay a penance for this. No matter what Glynis said now, she would regret it. And even though he knew that, Alex was helpless against the pull of desire, both hers and his. He had wanted her from the moment he’d seen her collecting shells on the beach at Barra. All he could do was make sure he gave her enough pleasure that the sin might seem worth the cost to her.
But every plan, every thought, every bit of reason left him when his lips met hers. He sank into her, their tongues moving in a slow, passionate dance that left him wanting more. He kissed her eyebrows, her cheeks, beneath her delicate ears. Then he buried his face in her neck and
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