This Fierce Splendor

Rosa looked relieved. “That is good, I know the patron and the senora want you to be very happy here at Killara. They would not be pleased with me if you did not like my cooking.”

“I enjoyed my dinner last night very much indeed,” Elspeth said gently. “And I’m sure this soup will be equally good.”

Rosa smiled uncertainly again and moved toward the door. “Good night, Senorita MacGregor.”

“Good night.” Elspeth gazed at the panels of the door after it had closed behind Rosa. The servant was obviously completely devoted to Shamus and Malvina and terribly afraid of displeasing them. Were all the vaqueros and servants equally loyal to the Delaneys? It must be like belonging to a wild highland clan to live with that kind of power. It was no wonder Dominic acted as if he were a law unto himself.

Well, day after tomorrow she wouldn’t have to worry about any of the Delaneys. She briskly swung her legs to the floor and reached for the white napkin on the tray and spread it on her lap. She picked up the spoon and dipped it into the fragrant soup.

15

The stairs stretched mountain-high before him, and Dominic knew he was going to have a head as big as a chamber pot in the morning. He shouldn’t have had that last drink with Da. For that matter, he shouldn’t have had that first drink with Da. His father had kept the bourbon flowing as freely as his arguments as to why Dominic should remain at Killara. If he wasn’t drunk, he was damn close to it.

He reached the top of the steps and moved slowly down the corridor. His gaze went automatically to the door at the end of the hall. The door to Elspeth’s room.

She would be lying in that big soft bed, her fair hair wild silk on the white pillow. He had warned her to lock her door. Had she done it? He paused outside his own room, feeling the familiar swelling of his manhood as he thought of how she had looked this afternoon with her breasts bare, cheeks rose-pink, eyes limpid. No matter what she said, she had wanted him. Heaven save him from pure, virtuous women. They were all liars whose greatest delight was the torment of men like him. From now on he would stay with the kind of women he knew something about.

Hell, maybe it was a good thing Da had kept filling his glass throughout the evening. He might be able to sleep tonight. If he wanted to sleep. He took an impulsive half step toward Elspeth’s door. Why not? he thought recklessly. The bourbon was setting off tiny fires in his veins, and he needed a woman. He had warned her that she was not safe from him.

He came to a stop even as he reached for the knob of the door. He was a fool. Why was he hesitating? Tomorrow he would ride out and perhaps never see her again. Why not take what had been withheld so long? He stood there for a full moment, his muscles tense and his heart beginning to pound. His hand slowly fell away from the knob and he returned to his own door. Yes, there was no question about it. He was a fool.

He entered his room, not bothering to light the lamp on the table beside the door. He stripped off his shirt, poured water into the basin on the washstand, and splashed water on his face. The cold shock cleared his head a little but did nothing to alleviate the turmoil in his body. He reached out blindly for the towel on the rack beside the washstand.

A sight, soft and deep, floated from the bed across the room.

Dominic’s hand froze before he touched the towel. His hand moved smoothly, swiftly, to the gun at his hip, drawing it even as he dropped to the floor. His gaze searched the darkness.

The sigh came again and with it a soft murmur.

Dominic rose slowly to his knees. He knew that sound. He had heard Elspeth utter that half-audible moan many times when she had been dreaming. He felt as stunned as if the bullet he had expected had torn into him. My God, had he blundered into Elspeth’s room by mistake? No, he wasn’t that drunk. This was his room and the bed Elspeth was lying in was his own bed.

He slid the Colt back into its holster and rose to his feet. He made his way to the table, fumbled for matches, and lit the lamp. His hand was trembling as he picked up the lamp and crossed the room to stand beside the bed.

She was naked, lying on the coverlet, her hair an unbound glory of lustrous brown shot with gold. Her eyes were closed, her lashes arcing onto the softness of her cheeks. Her pink lips were crumpled and slightly parted.

He stood looking down at her, the muscles in his belly knotting and his manhood becoming rigid. The scent of mint and cloves radiated from her pale skin, shining in the lamplight as if burnished by a loving hand. His. She had come to him.

He set the lamp down on the bedside table, unfastened his gunbelt, and set it beside the lamp. The long wait was over. He began to strip quickly, never taking his gaze from the woman on the bed.

Heat surrounded her, invading her senses, piercing the heavy veil of sleep.

“Elspeth.” Dominic’s voice, rough velvet. “Open your eyes.”

Her lids were so heavy that it was a difficult command to obey. She wanted desperately to go back to sleep, but Dominic kept calling her as he had called her so many times before to free her from a prison of nightmares. She hadn’t realized she had been dreaming, but it must be so or Dominic wouldn’t be calling her. Her lids fluttered, then slowly opened.

He was so near, scarcely a breath away, looking down at her. His light eyes were hot and his lips were heavy with sensuality. He had looked like this once before, she remembered hazily, right before she had fallen down the slope. But that was a long time ago, a hundred nightmares ago, and she couldn’t quite recall…

“No, don’t shut your eyes again. Wake up, Elspeth.”

She hadn’t known her lids had closed, but she obediently opened them again to look into his face. How very unusual and shimmering were those gray-blue eyes gazing into her own. Dominic had such beautiful eyes. “I’m awake.”

“Good.” His voice was jerky. “Because I sure as hell can’t wait any longer. Come here.” His lips were on her breasts, this tongue flicking at the sensitive nipples. Flame shot through her and she cried out, arching up to him.

“And you can’t wait either, can you?” he muttered. “Crazy. I was crazy not to…” His hand moved down her stomach to nestle in the curls at the apex of her womanhood, tangling, pulling gently as he suckled at her nipple.

Her heart pounded painfully, she couldn’t breathe, her flesh was on fire. Hunger. She was experiencing insatiable hunger. She wanted more. Her hands went around his shoulders and slowly slid to his neck to curl in the thickness of the hair at its nape. “Dominic, I want… more,” she whispered.

He chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you more.” His fingers moved down, searching. “I’ll give you all you can take.” He found what he had been seeking and began massaging, stroking.

She convulsed, the muscles of her stomach clenching. Sleep vanished, the world vanished. All that remained was Dominic’s skillful fingers and that secret part of her slavishly responding to his bidding.

His gaze was narrowed on her face, hungrily catching every nuance of expression. “Hell, I’ll give you more than you can take. I want to make you want it so bad you’ll beg me for it.” His fingers began a circular movement.

She gasped and her teeth clenched. A pulse throbbed in her temple, another throbbed against his fingers. “Dominic!”

“I’ve wanted you too long,” he muttered as he moved over her. “I wanted time to touch you, play with you, dammit.” He parted her thighs, one finger running down the flowing heart of her. “Lovely. I knew you’d be this lovely.”

She should be fighting him, she thought vaguely. There was some reason why she should be fighting him.

Then his finger plunged deeply.

She cried out, arching helplessly up to him, her fingers tightening in his hair, and all thought of resistance left her.

“Tell me you want it.” His brilliant eyes blazed down at her. “Tell me you want