“She knew it was the safest place to take ye. Friends take care of one another.”A huge black stallion stepped out from the shadows beside the mound of stones and touched noses with the little mare chewing at what leaves she could reach.Astride the great horse, dressed all in black, was a scowling Ronan, glaring at her with his hands resting on the lip of the saddle.
Harley’s heart geared up to a hard, pounding rate, making her swallow hard. She squared her shoulders and shifted to put the mare between them. “Go home, Ronan. I am no longer the responsibility of youor your family.”
“Like hell ye’re not.” Dismounting in one smooth, powerful move, his dark cape billowed out behind him. It snapped in the rising wind as he slowly strode toward her. “’Tis not safe for ye to travel alone.I have come to bring ye back.”
“I’m not going back. Go away.”She kept her gaze locked on him while trying to untangle the reins from the bush. Everything had been going so well—until now.
His eyes were dark and unreadable, his mouth hard and unsmiling. His approach never slowed. He stalked toward her like a hunter determined to capture its prey. “Ye will come with me. Either willingly or not.I will be damned straight to the hottest parts of hell before I allow ye to ride off to some unsavory fate because of yer sheer bullheadedness. I have had my fill of women who think they can do as they damn well please without giving a care as to the consequences. We will begin anew, ye and me. Somehow.”
Burning rage shot through her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.“Women who think they can do as they damn well please?Your sister stole my life away, and you dare lump me in with that self-serving little beast?Go home, MacKay!As I said, my fate is no longer your concern and as far as yourfill—you can shove it.”
Lightening split the clouds roiling in to blot out the light of the moon. Deafening thunder crashed like boulders dropped from the sky, shaking the ground. Glancing up, Harley stared in bewilderment at the quickly rising storm.
With one great stride, Ronan closed the distance between them and jerked the reins out of her hands.He grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her off the ground, forcing her to meet his gaze.“Aye, my sister stole yer life.But I’ll not stand idly by and allow ye to throw the rest of it away.Ye will return with me whether ye like it or not.”
Harley kicked hard, landing a solid hit to his groin.As he doubled over, she brought her knee up under his chin and knocked him back onto the sand.“As I said MacKay—shove it!”
Just as she recovered the reins to her horse, she found her feet jerked out from under her. Ronan yanked on her ankle, pulling hertoward him.She scrabbled flat on her stomach, then rolled in his grasp and kicked at his face.
Growling like an enraged beast, he caught hold of her free foot, crawled his way up her body, pinned her shoulders in the sand, and forced her to meet his glare.She kicked and bucked, trying to dislodge him, growing more enraged the longer he held her down. Hands full of sand, she threw it into his eyes, causing him to shift his weight.As he bellowed at her success, more lightning and thunder shattered the skies. The clouds opened, sending rain and hail pelting down.
She finally bucked free as he was trying to clear the dirt from his eyes.Scuttling away on her hands and knees, a roar of rage ripped free of her throat as he grabbed her ankle again and dragged her back to him.
As the storm built and the rain sluiced down, he grabbed her hair, forced her head back, and stared down into her face. He narrowed his eyes and thunder once again shook the earth as he crushed his mouth onto hers.
His lips were hard and unrelenting as he worked her mouth open wider, claiming her with a determination she’d never experienced before. He crushed her against his chest and stroked the line of her jaw as he drove his tongue deeper, demanding her to yield with every possessive thrust. This was not just a kiss. This was a vow, a bonding that neither time nor tide would ever erase. The connection both staggered and thrilled her. Theyclicked,for lack of a better term. He was the missing piece to her puzzle—the part she had always searched for, the part she needed to be complete.
When he lifted his head and stared down at her, the fiery resolution in his eyes shook her to her core. “Come with me. To my ship,”he said, his voice deep and raw with passion. It was neither a question nor an invitation, but a call to war if she chose to rise to the challenge.
An urgent breathlessness spurred by panic and pure unadulterated lust made it so hard to think, impossible to be logical, rather than animalistic. She fought to ignore the raginginferno he had kindled.If she gave in to him, then what?She was not a subservient woman of this century. She would never be the sort to bow her head and accept whatever a man said—no matter his handsomeness or the possessiveness in his eyes.
She was already so vulnerable.So unsure of herself.But the way he looked at her, the way he held her, she hadn’t felt this connected to another human being since—ever.She needed him. A shuddering breath escaped her. She needed him a damn sight more than she was ready to admit.Did she have the courage? Would she rise to the challenge?
“Fine,” she whispered. “I will go with you—just this once.”
He inhaled deeply and locked her in a hypnotic stare.“Domum recurro,”he uttered, then touched his forehead to hers.
The air around them crackled as though electrified. A myriad of colors whirled around her. She squinted her eyes shut against the dizzying energy and tucked her face against the warm, muscular curve of his throat. She had to escape the strange, blinding haze.
Then the luxurious softness of a feather mattress cradled her. The plump firmness of a lush pillow was tucked under her head.She opened her eyes and found herself staring into Ronan’s watchful gaze.
“Where are we?” she whispered, afraid to look.
“On my ship.”
Was he as dangerous as his sister? Would he attempt to manipulate her if she didn’t do what he wished? Her heartbeat roared in her ears, threatening to make her retch. “You do magic too?”
“Magic is a part of me.But never a part ye should fear.I would never bring harm to ye, Harley, or use it to force ye to bend to my will.” His dark brows drew together, pain and regret shadowing his gaze. “I swear to protect ye for all of my days.”He smoothed her wet hair out of her face and softly ran the heel of his thumb across her bottom lip.“I am sorry for all that has happened, lass.” He seemed to be battling with himself. “But it would be a lie if I said that I was sorry ye are here.” He pressed his forehead to hers again. “I need ye, Harley. I am drawn to ye—and heaven help me if ye ever cast me aside.”
She turned her head away. Unshed tears of uncertainty burned her eyes. How could she trust him?Was it just duty making him say these things, or did he really want her? If it was only duty, that would soon fade. She had been down the road of empty promises before.
He gently forced her to face him. Ever so softly, he tasted her mouth—a precious caress this time with the subtle promise of so much more.He pressed tender kisses to her eyelids and nuzzled his way to the tender flesh behind her ear, all the while barely trailing his fingertips along her collarbone. “Trust me, lass. Dinna fear I will hurt ye or ever cast ye away. I promise—as retribution for my sister’s selfish ways—I will always protect ye and stay by yer side.”
And there it was. Duty. Paying for his sister’s sins. His words doused her fires as effectively as an ice bath. She even shuddered. “We are done here.I need to find the little mare and take her back to the castle.”She shoved him. “Get off me. Now.”
“What?”He stared at her, his face a storm of disbelief. “But, Harley?—”
“Let me up. Nothing is going to happen between us. Not now. Not ever.I appreciate your oath and all that—and if you want to protect me the rest of my life? Fine. Do—whatever.”She pushed up from the bed and yanked at her wet clothes, doing her best to straighten them and wring them out. “But that’s it. I do have some pride, and pity sex is something I’ll never need. Not from you. Not from anyone.”
