The Tempted by Donna Grant Page A

stallion his head. The horse immediately took off.  
    Stefan shared a look with Daman, and as one, they nudged their mounts forward. It wasn’t long before they caught up with Morcant. Ronan looked over his shoulder, a wide smile on his face. He spurred his mount faster. Morcant then leaned low over his stallion’s neck until he pulled up alongside Ronan.
    Stefan loosened the reins, and his horse closed the last bit of distance to come even with Ronan a moment before Daman rode up beside Morcant.
    A few moments later, Ronan tugged the reins, easing his stallion into a canter so they rode their horses four abreast. Being with his friends and riding along the craggy, windswept mountains were the only things that could make Stefan forget who he was.  
    His soul felt almost…free.  
    How he cherished his time with his friends. Without them…well, he didn’t want to go down that road. Not now. Not when he was in such a fine mood.
    The four rode from one glen to another until Ronan finally slowed his horse to a walk. They stopped atop the next hill and looked down at the circle of gypsy wagons hidden in the wooded vale below.
    Stefan focused his gaze on the circle of wagons and the gypsies walking around. There was a large fire in the middle of the camp, and as far as Stefan could tell, no one else was with the gypsies.
    “I’ve a bad feeling,” Daman said as he shifted uncomfortably atop his mount. “We shouldna be here.”
    Morcant’s horse flung up his head, and he brought his mount under control with soft words. “I’ve a need to sink my rod betwixt willing thighs. If you doona wish to partake, Daman, then doona, but you willna be stopping me.”
    “Nor me,” Ronan said.  
    Stefan was silent for several moments. Never before had he abandoned his friends, and he wasn’t about to start now. Unlike Morcant, who wanted to fuck every woman he came across, Stefan tended to only sate his body when he could no longer stand the need.
    He would go into the camp with the others, even if only to watch their backs. Stefan gave Ronan a nod of agreement.
    Ronan was the first to ride down the hill to the camp, and Morcant was right on his heels. Stefan nudged his horse into a gallop as a young beauty with long black hair came running out to greet Ronan in her brightly colored skirts. Ronan pulled his horse to a halt and jumped off with a smile as the woman launched herself into his arms. Ronan caught her and brought his lips down to hers.  
    Stefan pulled his horse to a halt beside Morcant’s, and a moment later, Daman rode up on Morcant’s other side. By the look of Daman’s tightly held lips, he wasn’t happy.
    Ronan and the woman spoke quietly before Ronan turned her toward them. “Ana, these are my friends, Daman, Morcant, and Stefan,” he said, pointing to each of them in turn.
    Her smile was wide as she held out her arm to the camp. “Welcome to our camp.”
    Morcant quickly dismounted and dropped the reins to allow his horse to graze freely. He then started to walk between two wagons towards the center of the camp before he hesitated.
    Stefan wasn’t going to sit atop his mount as he waited for Ronan and Morcant to sate themselves. He dismounted and patted his horse.
    “I’ll be back,” he mumbled and followed Morcant into the camp. He met Morcant’s gaze when Morcant glanced his way. It was Morcant’s pause that had Stefan looking back at Daman. Indecision warred on Daman’s face.
    Stefan didn’t move as he waited for Daman to make up his mind. Finally, Daman slid from his horse and gathered the reins of all four mounts to tether them together.
    “I’ll keep watch,” Daman said as he sat outside the camp near a tree.
    Ronan wrapped an arm around Ana and walked away calling, “Your loss.”
    Morcant gave a nod and continued on to a woman sitting on the steps to her wagon, her bright turquoise and yellow skirts dipping between her legs while she braided a leather halter for a horse.
    It was long