It matched her own.
“One kiss?”
She jumped at his words, being so caught up in her own worries. Although the words were whispered, she felt as though he had shouted it loud enough for those in the castle to hear. She licked her dry lips. “What?”
Evan leaned forward, staring directly at her lips. “One kiss?”
Nay! her brain cried. But before she could think on the matter, her lips parted and she breathed out the word, “Aye.”
Slowly and gently, he cupped her face and lowered his mouth. She stared at his lips until she couldn’t see them anymore, then closed her eyes. And told herself she would not be affected by this kiss. She would not lose her head. She would not enjoy it, even. She would let him kiss her, and then she would sit back and return to the fascinating pastime of watching the rain fall.
Her heart sped up, and her breathing increased. Goodness, his lips were warm. Full and soft. She began to count to keep her mind focused, since her body was already humming. After she reached thirteen, she forgot what came next when he nudged her lips and swept into her mouth with his wicked tongue.
Someone moaned. It might have been her. She felt his smile against her mouth as he pulled her closer. Should she allow that? Their bodies met when he crushed her breasts against his hard chest.
Another moan, and another smile. Where was she in her counting? Oh yes. Thirteen. Or was it twenty-three?
“Relax, lass.” Evan pulled away from her mouth and began to kiss her cheeks, jawline, and the very soft and sensitive skin under her ear. Her hands moved up to grip his shoulders, and she was quite certain she was pulling him toward her. Since they were already plastered against each other, there was nowhere for him to go. Except inside her.
Oh, goodness! Where did that thought come from? Quickly. She must push that idea to the back of her mind. Along with the mattress on the floor and how warm she’d grown from that wee fire in the grate.
“Stop thinking. I can hear yer brain talking,” Evan mumbled against her lips.
Thinking? She still couldn’t remember what number she was at to keep her mind focused. It seemed her brain had walked off and returned to the castle, which was where she should be right now. Away from this man and his temptation and behind the securely locked door of her bedchamber. With, perhaps, a chair pushed in front of it. Dressed in several layers of clothing.
It amazed her with how loud the storm had seemed such a short time ago that now all she could hear was her heart thumping and the rapid breaths coming from both her and Evan.
“Ye need to remove yer coat, lass. ’Tis quite warm in here.”
“Aye. It has grown quite warm.” She repeated his words because she had forgotten most of her own vocabulary.
He helped her out of her coat. In a daze she watched him toss it on the arm of the sofa. Then he removed his tartan, which joined her coat. Next he removed his cravat to reveal the skin at his neck. Darker than hers. Her eyes moved down to the curly hair that rose from his linen shirt.
He grinned as he watched her watching him. “Aye. Ye like what ye see, lass?”
Her eyes flew up to his, but before she could offer a retort, he pulled her against him, his fingers linking at the base of her spine. “I hope ye like what ye see.” He smoothed the hair back from her forehead. “At least as much as I like what I see.” His head dipped and his mouth covered hers hungrily, his lips hard and searching.
His mouth left hers to nibble at her earlobe. “I love the taste of ye. The softness of yer skin.”
She soon found herself sprawled on top of him. When did he lie down?
Her hands roamed his shoulders, his sinewy muscles rippling under her touch. Even through his linen shirt, she could feel the warmth from his body. He returned once more to her mouth, and she quivered at the soft tenderness of his kiss. Unlike the others.
The room was growing warmer every minute, but all she could think about was this man, his lips, and how wonderful he made her feel. She hadn’t noticed his nimble fingers unfastening her frock until he pushed the bodice down, and he stared at her breasts through the almost invisible chemise, his lips curled in a slight smile. “Beautiful.”
She should be concerned. She should pull back, stop this nonsense right now, adjust her dress, and put an end to this. But why deny herself what he had her aching for? She would never marry, and at least this would give her something to hold onto once he left.
What number was she at again?
…
I should not be seducing the lass.
Evan had repeated the words to himself ever since he lowered his mouth to hers for the “one kiss.” He kenned as well as she that there would not be just one kiss.
His desire—and need—had reached the point where he just had to kiss the lass again. Of course, he could control himself if she truly said “nay,” but everything in her response to him screamed “aye.”
He moved back and viewed her breasts, which were nicely presented to him from the top of her stays. The thin chemise underneath covered nothing and only whetted his appetite to taste her. To feast on her breast, nibble on the dusky-rose nipple.
“What do ye say we make use of that mattress?” He tilted his head in the direction of the lumpy thing. ’Twas certainly not the place to take a woman for
