“Most men chase my sister. I’m not the prize.”
His jaw tightened again, as it had earlier. Lord help her, she wanted to brush her fingers on it. “They don’t chase her because she’s the prize,” he whispered. “They chase her because you’re unattainable. They’re outmatched, and they know it.”
She could hardly breathe, but this time it had naught to do with swords. “And yet, here you are. Chasing.”
His hand cupped the side of her face, rough and warm, as his eyes devoured her. “I’m not most men.”
Chapter Eight
His thumb ranalong the bottom of her cheek as he fought his self-control. He needed to make certain she understood what he was suggesting before he went any further.
“I’m not looking to court anyone,” she told him softly, like she could read his mind.
“What are you looking for?”
Her eyes fell to his lips. “Just a little fun.”
“How about a lot of fun for just a little while?” he offered. “We’re only staying for a few weeks.”
“Who says I need a few weeks of fun?” Her eyes darkened, raising to look up at him from beneath hooded lids. “How about one night of fun?”
That was all he needed to hear. The last thing he wanted was to start up a reputation like his brother had—the sort of man who beds his way across the island. He had no interest in leaving a string of broken hearts in his wake. But he wasn’t going to live like a monk, either.
Without another thought, Conan gave into the desire he’d had since the moment they arrived. His lips came down on hers hungrily.
Her soft, sweet mouth opened to him, her tongue inviting him to delve deeper.
He happily obliged. The kiss was a frenzy of lust, a celebration of letting go. She tasted like temptation incarnate.
Dropping her sword, Alannah fisted his tunic and led him to one of the small guest roundhouses. She shut the door behind them, drenching the room in darkness.
Conan blinked, but his vision never cleared. There was no light at all in the little room. He sensed her in front of him, though, and reached for her until his hands found her waist.
“I’m disappointed I don’t get to see those muscles,” she pouted. Her fingers danced over his chest, emphasizing her statement.
“Perhaps we’ll have to make it two nights of fun,” he whispered, moving them both to the cot he’d seen behind him before the door shut.
Her teeth scraped his bottom lip, sending a shiver through him. “Just one night. I can’t afford a distraction as pretty as you.”
A low rumble escaped him. He couldn’t have said it better himself. “Then we’d better make it count.”
With no light whatsoever, Conan relied entirely on his other senses, running his hands along her body, using his mouth to taste every inch of her. Her breasts filled his palms, and he would have given anything in that moment to actually see them. Instead, he used his tongue to tease the nipples until he felt them harden, until Alannah’s soft moans grew ravenous.
“Conan,” she begged, reaching for his hard length and guiding it toward her.
Every muscle in his body went taut as he entered her. She felt exquisite—velvety and wet and warm. He moved slowly at first, doing his best to torment them both.
But Alannah spurred him on, lifting her hips in a movement that drove him wild, shattering what little control he’d had in the first place.
Slipping his hand between them, Conan helped her spiral toward her own fulfillment.
The pressure that had built to the point of agony in the base of his spine finally gave way to his own release. He held still, listening to her heavy breaths slow and wondering if he really could keep his promise of only one night.
Because already he found himself wanting more of Alannah.
When he wokethe next morn, Alannah was gone, the sun was up, and Conan had no regrets whatsoever. He couldn’t savor the satisfaction of a night well spent for long, though, as Illadan would be after him if he kept them from getting their mission underway. They may have bought the room for a month, but that was a worst-case scenario. If things went well, they may only stay a sennight or less.
She was nowhere to be found in the main hall where they’d dined last night. Emer swept the floor while the other Fianna broke their fast at the corner table near the door.
