Aware that Aulay was staring down at her, waiting for a response, she sighed and shook her head. “I just thought I shouldgo inside before me father started to worry.”
“Ah. I will no’ keep ye, then.” Nodding, he straightened and stepped to the side, but then added, “Howbeit if those lassestrouble ye again, ye’ve but to tell me. I’ve warned them to behave else I’ll send them on their way, and will no’ hesitateto do so do they bother ye again.”
“Oh.” Dwyn stared up at him wide-eyed. “That’s . . . er . . . Thank ye, m’laird, but ye needn’t . . . I mean, I would no’want ye sending them away on me account. What if one o’ yer brothers desire them to wife?”
“If they do, they’re no’ the men I think they are,” he assured her. “In fact, I suspect the two women are doing naught buttaking up space here. I’d send them away altogether except I did no’ wish to humiliate them that way. But I will if they ignoreme warning and continue to harass yerself or any o’ the other women.”
“Thank ye, m’laird.” Tipping her head, she smiled faintly and said, “Ye’re a kind man, m’laird.”
Aulay Buchanan snorted at that. “Away with ye, lass. I’m no’ kind. Have ye no’ heard? I’m a monster, more like to make womenand children weep and scream than anything else.”
Dwyn’s eyes widened in surprise, but then she recalled the tales she’d heard of the fierce warrior and his ruined face. Thetales were all exaggerated, she’d decided when she saw him. While the man had a scar that almost divided his face in half,it wasn’t nearly as bad as she’d been led to believe, and she thought he was still an attractive man. That being the case,Dwyn snorted right back at his claim, and said, “Oh, aye, m’laird. Why, just look at yer wife. Lady Jetta is obviously terrifiedo’ ye.”
Aulay grinned at her teasing. “Me wife does no’ have the sense to be afraid.”
“Then we should get along well,” she assured him. “Because I do no’ fear ye either.”
“And I hope ye never have reason to, lass,” he said solemnly, and before she could think too hard on that, he added, “Now,ye’d best go in, Dwyn. Yer father and sisters will be looking fer ye.”
Dwyn clucked with irritation at that, and moved around him muttering, “You Buchanan men, ye do like to order me inside.”
She was so exasperated Dwyn didn’t notice the way his eyebrows rose or that his gaze then slid to search the depths of thegardens as she walked away.
Geordie turned from watching Dwyn disappear down the garden path and let a small sigh slide from his lips. She was a temptinglittle bundle. He could still see her lying back across the branch, her bare breasts arched upward invitingly, her pale skinglowing in the darkness. He could feel her soft skin under his fingers, taste her on his tongue, and again felt the urge he’dhad then to drag her to the ground, throw her skirts up and plant himself in her eager body.
Dwyn would have been eager, Geordie had no doubt. There was no subterfuge with this woman. She’d admitted she’d liked hiskisses, and had responded honestly to his every caress, shuddering, sighing and moaning in his arms, her nails digging intohis shoulders and urging him on, unintentionally stirring his own desires to a fever pitch.
Aye, Geordie thought, Dwyn would have opened eagerly to him, spreading her legs and taking his hard shaft into her body, welcomingit and openly enjoying the passion he could show her. He had no doubt he could make her beg with her need and then screamwhen he gave her the satisfaction her body cried for. It was the after, when her need was slaked and her passion cooled, thatthe problems would begin. She would be full of regret and shame then, he was sure, and he hadn’t been able to do that to her.But she would never know how close he came to taking her anyway. It had required determination and grit to set her back onher branch and cover those lovely breasts. And then when she’d climbed down the tree . . .
Geordie opened his eyes and peered up the tree again, recalling the view he’d had of her legs all the way to her knees beforethe shadows had hidden the rest of her naked legs and the spot where they met under her gown. He’d only grabbed her ankleto help direct her on her climb down, but once he’d touched her, he hadn’t been able to make himself let go. He’d let hishand glide up that smooth, pale skin as she’d descended, and had even stepped under her skirts, his head lifting, eyes tryingto pierce the darkness and his mouth filling with saliva as he contemplated kissing her inner knees, and then her thighs,and then tasting her . . .
Dwyn’s shaky “m’laird” had startled him out of his dark fantasies, and he’d released her with a groan, and then had caughther by the waist and lifted her down to end his torment. Geordie hadn’t been able to resist kissing her then though, but hadallowed himself only a brief hard kiss before setting her away, knowing that if she’d responded even the least little bit,he’d have her on the ground with her skirts over her head in no time.
Geordie turned away from the tree, his hand rising to run over his face where her hair had flown up and caught in the stubblewhen she’d turned away. It had been strands of gold silk against his skin, and he’d instinctively caught it, briefly contemplatingpulling her back to him, before his good sense had made him release the golden tresses.
His uncle’s words returned to him. “With those breasts against his chest and that glorious hair wrapped around him, a man would be in heaven.” As much as he
