tidal wave of desire that carried her to dizzying heights exposed the raging core of passion within herself that not even she had known existed.
Her arms slipped beneath his jacket, circling the sinewy waist, the thin material of his white shirt like a second skin. The caress of his hands began an intimate exploration, too, that left her weak from the completeness of her response. She whimpered softly in protest when she felt the beginning withdrawal of his lips and clung to him more tightly.
"Damn," Jed muttered softly in self-reproach, and she understood the reason. She had not wanted to feel this way about him either.
As he cupped her face in his hands and held her away, her lashes fluttered open to reveal luminous green eyes that were frightened by the depth of her desire for him and at the same time asking him to make the possession complete. Gold fires blazed in his eyes as he read the message in hers.
"Liza—" She hated the calm control that had entered his voice.
"Please," she closed her eyes again, melting against him and nuzzling her cheek against the palm of his hand as a cat would prod the hand that had stopped stroking it, "I don't want to talk."
He allowed her to cuddle into his chest, his hands unconsciously caressing her shoulders and back. She had always guessed at the extent of his worldly expertise.
"A few minutes ago, you called me contemptible and disgusting." His low voice taunted her with its cynical amusement. "Am I supposed to feel honored now that you want me to make love to you?"
There was a stifled gasp of pain. "Please!" An agonizing bubble in her throat choked off the rest of her protest.
"Please what?" His mouth moved along her temples. "Please understand? Please forget all the insults? Please make love to me? What?" Jed prodded unmercifully.
"Don't be cruel," Elizabeth murmured, a shame creeping in to steal her pleasure.
"I'm sorry, I feel cruel tonight," he said harshly. "I can't help it."
His hands dug into her arms and pushed her away. It wasn't a genuine rejection because she knew he wanted her. She was not an inexperienced girl. She was a woman and she knew when she had aroused a man's desires. Still it hurt.
A tear quivered on the edge of her lash. Jed touched it, his forefinger catching it as it fell. Pride kept her gaze fixed on his impenetrable features, an aching need still pulsing through her body.
"I'm sorry, Liza," he said again in a gentler yet just as firm tone. "There really is such a thing as the right place and the right time. I thought I'd stopped wanting you, but I haven't."
"Then why—" she started to ask huskily, but his finger touched her lips to silence them.
"Then why don't I take you?" He smiled wryly and sighed. As crimson heat colored her cheeks, he folded her gently into his arms. There was too much restraint in his embrace for her to draw any comfort or warmth. His voice vibrated with charged emotion near her ear. "Because overriding my desire is a bitter violence," he stated grimly.
"I don't understand." Elizabeth had buried her face against his neck, now she raised it to gaze at him, bewilderedly.
"I know you don't." The heady smile he bestowed on her didn't change the ruthless glint in his eyes. "Maybe some day—" Jed hesitated. She felt him withdrawing from her, emotionally as well as physically, detaching himself from her arms with an impatient firmness. "Good night, Elizabeth."
Turning, he walked down the hall, not looking back once, not even when he walked through the door of his own room and closed it behind him. Empty and cold, Elizabeth stood where he had left her, wanting to follow him and frightened by the vague warning he had given her. Finally she went back to her own room and crawled into bed, her ears straining for some sound from his, but the walls of the old house were too thick.
She hadn't been certain what his attitude would be the following morning. He was such an enigma to her that she hadn't been able to guess-whether he
Her arms slipped beneath his jacket, circling the sinewy waist, the thin material of his white shirt like a second skin. The caress of his hands began an intimate exploration, too, that left her weak from the completeness of her response. She whimpered softly in protest when she felt the beginning withdrawal of his lips and clung to him more tightly.
"Damn," Jed muttered softly in self-reproach, and she understood the reason. She had not wanted to feel this way about him either.
As he cupped her face in his hands and held her away, her lashes fluttered open to reveal luminous green eyes that were frightened by the depth of her desire for him and at the same time asking him to make the possession complete. Gold fires blazed in his eyes as he read the message in hers.
"Liza—" She hated the calm control that had entered his voice.
"Please," she closed her eyes again, melting against him and nuzzling her cheek against the palm of his hand as a cat would prod the hand that had stopped stroking it, "I don't want to talk."
He allowed her to cuddle into his chest, his hands unconsciously caressing her shoulders and back. She had always guessed at the extent of his worldly expertise.
"A few minutes ago, you called me contemptible and disgusting." His low voice taunted her with its cynical amusement. "Am I supposed to feel honored now that you want me to make love to you?"
There was a stifled gasp of pain. "Please!" An agonizing bubble in her throat choked off the rest of her protest.
"Please what?" His mouth moved along her temples. "Please understand? Please forget all the insults? Please make love to me? What?" Jed prodded unmercifully.
"Don't be cruel," Elizabeth murmured, a shame creeping in to steal her pleasure.
"I'm sorry, I feel cruel tonight," he said harshly. "I can't help it."
His hands dug into her arms and pushed her away. It wasn't a genuine rejection because she knew he wanted her. She was not an inexperienced girl. She was a woman and she knew when she had aroused a man's desires. Still it hurt.
A tear quivered on the edge of her lash. Jed touched it, his forefinger catching it as it fell. Pride kept her gaze fixed on his impenetrable features, an aching need still pulsing through her body.
"I'm sorry, Liza," he said again in a gentler yet just as firm tone. "There really is such a thing as the right place and the right time. I thought I'd stopped wanting you, but I haven't."
"Then why—" she started to ask huskily, but his finger touched her lips to silence them.
"Then why don't I take you?" He smiled wryly and sighed. As crimson heat colored her cheeks, he folded her gently into his arms. There was too much restraint in his embrace for her to draw any comfort or warmth. His voice vibrated with charged emotion near her ear. "Because overriding my desire is a bitter violence," he stated grimly.
"I don't understand." Elizabeth had buried her face against his neck, now she raised it to gaze at him, bewilderedly.
"I know you don't." The heady smile he bestowed on her didn't change the ruthless glint in his eyes. "Maybe some day—" Jed hesitated. She felt him withdrawing from her, emotionally as well as physically, detaching himself from her arms with an impatient firmness. "Good night, Elizabeth."
Turning, he walked down the hall, not looking back once, not even when he walked through the door of his own room and closed it behind him. Empty and cold, Elizabeth stood where he had left her, wanting to follow him and frightened by the vague warning he had given her. Finally she went back to her own room and crawled into bed, her ears straining for some sound from his, but the walls of the old house were too thick.
She hadn't been certain what his attitude would be the following morning. He was such an enigma to her that she hadn't been able to guess-whether he
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