Rory hesitated, slowly closing the door behind him, not sure he could withstand the temptation of being alone with her. He had come to his chambers for a moment’s peace before he put his name to the agreement. Aileanna’s accusations against Moira had not helped matters, nor did her entreaty that he hold true to his promise. His head stil ached from Moira’s hysterics in his study, and her constant attentions in the hal . Aileanna turned toward him, her face flushed, hair in dis
array, and a look of panic in her bonny blue eyes. Wariness crept over him. He noted her hands behind her back and un
wil ingly his gaze went to the hidden chambers. A dul , knife-like pain twisted in his gut. The wooden panel had been tampered with, the seal at the top broken. Al evidence pointed to Aileanna, and anger raged within him.
Moira and Cyril had been right al along. Ruthlessly, he shoved aside a niggling of doubt. “What do you have behind yer back?” He kept al emotion from his voice.
“Nothing.” Her eyes searched his and her smile faltered. 180
“I didn’t mean to disturb you. I . . . I lost my ring.” She careful y showed him her right hand, leaving the left behind her back. “On the night you were wounded. I . . . I thought it might be here.”
“Show me both of yer hands, Aileanna.” He closed the distance between them in three long strides, but did not come close enough to touch her, afraid of what he’d do if he did.
“I—” She bowed her head and choked back a sob.
“Please believe me, it’s not what you think, Rory,” she pleaded, bringing her hand from behind her back to reveal the flag, clutched in her fist.
Her betrayal felt like a blow, fast and hard to his gut, and Rory sucked in a pained breath. “You wil give it to me now,”
he grated between clenched teeth, holding out his hand. With a look of anguish on her bonny face, she said, “I can’t. I’m sorry, but I can’t.” She held the flag tight to her chest, covering the silk with both of her hands.
“Never before have I hurt a woman, Aileanna, but if you doona’ give me the flag, I make no promises I won’t.”
Her eyes darted to the door and he grabbed her. His fin
gers bit into the delicate bones of her wrists. She cried out, and her knees buckled.
“Drop it,” he said harshly.
Her hands opened and the flag slipped to nestle in the deep val ey of her breasts. He jerked her hands behind her back and encircled her wrists with one hand while he retrieved the flag with the other.
“They chose you wel , mo chridhe,” he rasped against her ear, feeling the heat of her skin beneath the silk. His breathing grew ragged and his fingers lingered, stroking the tops of her ful and heaving breasts. “How far would you have gone, Aileanna?” He shoved his hand into the bodice of her gown and rol ed her nipple roughly be tween his thumb and finger.
LORD OF THE ISLES
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“Rory, no, it’s not what you think.” She gasped when he kneaded and squeezed her breast.
“Yer a spy. Doona’ try to deny it, and before this night is out you wil tel me al ,” he ground out. She leaned her head against his shoulder in an attempt to look back at him, her chest heaving. “Rory, you have to believe me, I’m not a spy. I can’t tel you anything.”
He dragged his hand from her breast. Letting go of her wrists, he threw her onto the bed. She fel face first, and the mattress bounced and squeaked from the force of her land
ing. He was on top of her before she could catch her breath. Flipping her onto her back, he straddled her, anchoring her arms over her head.
“Please, don’t do this. I know what it looks like, but it’s not . . . it’s not what you think.” She struggled, her hips arched beneath him, and despite his anger, his disgust with himself and with her, his cock hardened. With her hair spread across the dark brown coverlet, the rapid rise and fal of her voluptuous breasts, she was pure temptation.
“Aye, they knew what they were doin’ when they sent you, lass. They would ken I wouldna’ be able to resist you.”
He spat the words at her.
“Why won’t you listen to me? I’m not a spy. I know you’re angry, but please, just think. Why would I save you and your men’s lives, if I was?” A lone tear slid across her cheek and into her hair. He tried not to consider her words in the same way he tried to ignore his lingering doubts, to forget about her loy alty to those who were close to him, her fierce protective
ness. Like her actions at the loch, she had al but convinced him she cared for him as much as he cared for her, but now he knew she but played him for a fool.
“Then why, Aileanna, why did you steal the flag?”
“I wasn’t stealing it. I only wanted to—” She shook her head, eyes closed. “I can’t, Rory. I made a promise.”
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