Guiding the now trotting horse with his knees, Leith pressed both of his palms to his eyes. “Goddamn it, I am a bloody coward and less than a dog’s vomit if I dinnae fix this.”
With teeth gritted, he turned back the way he had come and rode back to where he had left Mary. To his surprise, Mary had not moved from the same spot. God, she was determined to not move, wasn’t she? She did not even shift as he hopped off his horse came to her and took her hand. “Ye want to ken what’s wrong, lass?”
Her eyes lowered in caution, “I do.”
“Good, here it is,” he said then without any preamble, hoisted her off her horse and back against a tree. Cupping the back of her neck, he kissed her.
* * *
At first, the kiss was tender, almost chaste as they both knew she was not experienced in showing this sort of intimacy. Slowly, his tongue traced the seam of her lips, with a wet rough touch. Unsure of what to do she trembled in his arms but did not respond.
“Open to me, lass,” he murmured with dark desperation. “Let me in, I’m dying to taste ye.”
To give in to his plea was wrong but Mary had given no resistance when he had hauled her off the horse and she gave none this time, even when his arms enveloped her, and she was tight against his chest.
His lips were on hers and his hold on her body sent soft tremors through her. This is not right, only married folk do this.
Yet, an inner voice told her these newly awakened feelings—feelings she had not had until he had kissed her—were like the most natural thing in the world.
She had been raised to know nothing about men, but she had been given the impression of touching a man this way was disgraceful and ungodly. But they couldn’t possibly mean this. Her stomach was in saults and her skin tingling in desire. How could such a glorious thing be sinful, yet feel so amazing?
“Mary,” he groaned and as his mouth captured hers again, she opened her lips. Timidly, allowing his tongue to meet hers she could only rely on her instinct. She tilted her head to the side and allowed him to teach her how to kiss him back.
“Meet me halfway, lass,” Leith said as he pressed her closer. “Let yer body guide ye.”
He kissed her again, gently, worshipfully, and then his hand fell to her backside. His touch became possessive, just as his kiss was and even though she felt like she was being consumed, she had no wish to pull away, or fight the rise of feeling surging inside her.
With his strong hands caressing her and his mouth exploring hers hungrily, Mary tasted his passion and desire. When he pulled away to kiss her cheek, bite her lip softly and then kiss her again, she felt her head swoon. This feeling was senseless, it was not natural or perhaps it was, but she could not have ever known it. With her hands in his hair, Mary found herself wanting more…more of this feeling…more of him.
Finally, he pulled away and his breath was warm against her lips. “Leith…where did this come from?”
“Last night when ye licked yer lips,” he said. “I’ve never felt such…want for a woman in me life. I never expected it to come from something as simple as that. It blindsided me so much that I had to run. This is what I’ve been fighting, lass, from the moment I laid eyes on ye. I swore to meself that I would nay touch ye as I ken yer still a virgin, but the longer I forced this feeling away, the worse it got. Forgive me.”
Mary slipped her hands from his hair to his shoulder. “Why?”
His brows met in the middle, “Why what?”
“Why should I forgive you?” Mary said. “You’re entitled to feel any way you want to. I know I’m not versed in this…connection, but you affect me too. I didn’t even know what it was until you kissed me.”
“Mary,” Leith dipped his voice to a warning as he cupped her cheek and smoothed a thumb over her cheek, “Nay one can ken about this.”
Recoiling from him, Mary felt stung. “Are you ashamed of me?”
“What?” He exclaimed. “Nay, nay, lass, nay one can know because of the same reason when I told ye to be mute when we got to me home. I need to ken if ye will be in danger from me people. Those who despise outsiders.”
“And if it does get out?” Mary asked, searching his eyes for any signs of deceit, “What will you do then?”
This time, it was Leith who stepped away and rubbed a hand over his face, “I wish I could tell ye what I’d do lass but I cannae.” He shot a look over to her, “Dinnae take it as any way other than how I feel about ye. I will nae shun ye, but I must make sure yer safe.”
How do you feel about me?
She wanted to ask but bit her tongue. One kiss, no matter how passionate it was, was no indication of anything serious, was it? Was it just desire speaking instead of any other deeper emotion? Mayhap, Leith was feeling frustrated with his father and he was exorcising his frustration in another way?
Still, reeling from the kiss that had stolen her breath away, Mary turned to her horse but the moment she grasped the pommel, Leith was helping her up. After she was seated, she took his hand and stared him right in moonstone eyes, “Do not…disappoint me, please.”
The words she wanted to say, Please don’t betray me like those who I once trusted, did
