When the madness finally passed, Dwyn found herself cushioned in Geordie’s arms, his hands moving soothingly over her backas he held her close against his chest and pressed kisses to the top of her head. She lay still against him for a moment asher breathing and the pounding of her heart slowed, and then cleared her throat, and whispered, “That was . . .”
She shook her head, unable to put into words what she’d just experienced.
“Ye liked it, did ye?” he asked, and she could hear gentle amusement in his voice.
“Aye,” Dwyn breathed, and then tipped her head back to peer up at him. “Can we do it again?”
That brought an abrupt laugh from Geordie, and he hugged her tighter to him, and shook his head. “Nay, lass. No’ now. I haveto go talk to me brother.”
“Oh,” she sighed with disappointment, but when he didn’t release her, she relaxed against him, and brushed her fingers overhis chest. After a moment she became aware of a hardness pressing against her stomach, and glanced down to see the long columnunder his plaid. Dwyn may not have understood what he’d meant by tasting her, but she did know what she was looking at, andasked with awe, “Is that fer me?”
She glanced up in time to see him grimace, and then he offered her a weak smile and said, “Aye. I’m trying to make it go awayso I can go speak to me brother.”
“Oh,” Dwyn said with understanding, and then asked tentatively, “Can I help?”
Geordie groaned at that, and rested his chin on her forehead as his arms tightened around her. “Ach, lass, ye’re killing mehere. Pray thee, just stop wiggling and asking questions and— Mayhap would help if we put yer dress back on properly,” hedecided suddenly, and sat up, taking her with him. Once he had her sitting upright, he reached toward the gown tangled aroundher waist, and then paused, a helpless expression crossing his face as his gaze slid over her naked breasts and then to herlegs, bare all the way to perhaps an inch below the apex of her thighs, where her skirt now rested.
“Ye’ll have to dress yerself, lass. I canno’ do it. Do I touch ye . . .” Geordie shook his head woefully.
Dwyn’s eyes widened at that, but she was already reaching for the top of her dress. She hadn’t expected he would dress her;she’d expected to do it herself. But not with him watching, his hungry eyes roving over her breasts and making them tightenand harden with excitement as she recalled his kisses and caresses. Struggling to get her sleeves turned right side out, sheglanced up at him to see that his gaze had dropped to her lap and her barely covered womanhood that he’d so recently kissedtoo, and Dwyn paused and scowled.
“M’laird, pray stop looking at me like I’m a peach ye wish to eat. Ye’re oversetting me nerves and making me long to rip megown off and climb in yer lap.”
Geordie blinked, and then raised his eyes to her face. “Lass,” he countered quietly, “while I most oft love yer honesty, thisis no’ a good time fer it. I am a hairsbreadth away from losing me control, pushing ye to yer back, tossing yer skirts upover yer head and thrusting into ye right here in the orchard like a lightskirt. I do no’ want to take yer maiden’s veil thatway, and beg o’ ye, please, just dress.”
Dwyn hesitated, tempted to ignore his plea and reach for him, but his “like a lightskirt” comment held her back. She suspectedher behavior here today already was no better than a lightskirt’s. But he didn’t seem to think so. She feared though thatdid she push him to the point of taking her here in the orchard, he would think her no better than one, and she didn’t wantthat. The things he’d done to her, and the pleasure he’d shown her, had been glorious. Special. Like a gift. She didn’t wantit all tarnished and turning to dust in her mouth by going too far.
Sighing, Dwyn shifted on the blanket until her back was to him, and quickly untangled and donned the top of her gown. Herhands were still shaking from what she’d experienced, but she managed to tie her lacings despite that, and then she ran herunsteady hands through her loose hair. She was about to turn back to him when he was suddenly standing beside her and bendingto pick her up.
Dwyn eyed his face solemnly as he straightened with her in his arms. “I thought ye wished to speak to yer brother?”
“I do. But I’ll no’ leave ye out here on yer own when ye canno’ even walk,” he said, turning toward the gardens.
“I could—” Dwyn paused and glanced around as the sound of a twig snapping caught her ear.
Geordie stopped as well, and they both stared along the trees, waiting for whoever had made the sound to appear. Instead,they heard the sound of someone moving quickly away.
“Ye do no’ think someone saw—?” she began with concern.
“It does no’ matter,” Geordie said grimly, and began to walk swiftly through the trees to the path through the garden. Andthen he forced a smile and assured her, “All will be well as soon as I speak to me brother.”
Dwyn nodded for his benefit, but didn’t really believe it. If someone had seen what they’d got up to in the orchard . . .Well, she could be ruined, she supposed, but that troubled her little. She
