Why wasn’t she telling him no? Why wasn’t she defending her honor and crying for her servants to drag him off and beat him for his presumption? The scent of white heather arose up from her body to assail him again. He buried his face between her small breasts. “Elizabeth! Elizabeth!” he whispered against her beating heart. God help him! He was falling in love with her. Nay! Hewasin love with her and had been for months. To be holding her in his arms, to be kissing her... it was more than he had dared to hope.
Her fingers wove themselves into his dark head. The touch of his mouth on her skin was utterly intoxicating. And she wanted more. But what more was there? Could she tempt him tonight into revealing the mysteries of passion? She sighed happily.
And it was that soft sound of utter contentment that brought him to his senses. He might be in love with her, but he had no right to make love to her. And he was an experienced man ten years her senior who knew that unless they stopped this delightful activity right now, disaster was going to befall them both, but especially Elizabeth Meredith. He closed his eyes for just one more moment of pleasure. Then, lifting his head, he said sternly, “Enough, Elizabeth. This can only lead to seduction.”
“Aye,” she drawled. “Don’t you want to be seduced, Baen?”
He laughed in spite of himself. “What am I going to do with you, lassie?” he despaired. “You surely know better.”
“I only know what is best for us, Baen,” Elizabeth told him.
“Us? There can be no us, lassie,” he said in a suddenly hard voice.
She jumped from his lap, surprising him. “There most certainly can be an us, Baen MacColl. I am the lady of Friarsgate, and I want it! And I usually get what I want!”
“Damn it, why will you not understand?” he demanded angrily.
“Why willyounot understand?” she snapped back, stamping her foot at him. Her hazel-green eyes scanned him, and she saw the hard bulge between his thighs. “You want me!” she accused him. “And if you dare to give one of my servants that which I want, I will murder the girl, Baen MacColl! Do you understand me? If you would satisfy that itch I have caused, you must satisfy it with me alone!”
“You will kill me before this is done,” he said half angrily.
“You must kill me with pleasure first, Baen,” she whispered against his lips, her hands reaching down to stroke him boldly as she slipped back onto his lap.
“I don’t believe you are a virgin at all!” he accused her. “You behave like a wanton, Elizabeth Meredith!” He forced her out of his lap again.
“There is but one way to find out, Baen MacColl,” she challenged him wickedly.
“Go to bed!” he commanded her. God’s blood, how he wanted her!
“Alone?” she asked softly, her lips pursing temptingly. “Would you not come with me, Baen, and lie by my side? I want you to make me a woman, and you want me.”
In answer he flung himself out of the hall and heard her mocking laughter behind him. Damn her! Damn the little tease! What in the name of all that was holy was she thinking of, behaving so? If she kept up like this he was going to eventually succumb, but if he did it would be her own wretched fault. He rubbed his distended member, for it ached, but he would not satisfy himself on another.
Elizabeth had watched him go, and she had laughed in hopes of forcing him back to silence her with his kisses. Kisses that would eventually lead to more. But Baen was an honorable man. Still, she had proved to them both that he could be tempted. Yet she had to admit she was satisfied with the results of tonight’s encounter. As unfortunate as Edmund’s sudden illness was for him, it had proved providential for her. Baen could not escape being with her now. She would have him. Oh, yes, she would!
Outside there was a strong rumble of thunder. The storm that had been threatening all day was ready to break. There came a gentle patter of rain upon the windows that over the next few minutes grew into a hard downpour. Elizabeth moved through her house, seeing that all the doors leading to the outside were firmly barred, snuffing the candles, making certain the public fires were banked. The dogs in the hall didn’t even move as she stepped over them and, climbing the stairs, went up to her own bedchamber. Nancy was waiting for her.
“You should have gone to bed,” Elizabeth said. “You know I can take care of myself,” she told her tiring woman.
“But I’m supposed to take care of you,” Nancy replied with a smile. “You’re a grown girl now, and must accept all that goes with your position as lady of Friarsgate. Besides, ’tis my duty to look after you, mistress. If I did not have this duty I might be out in the fields or in the kitchens or helping the laundress. I prefer caring for you.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Very well then,” she acquiesced, and let Nancy prepare her for her bed.
“How is Edmund?” Nancy asked.
“I think in the morning we shall know better,” Elizabeth answered her, and explained what Baen had told her.
“Poor old fellow,” Nancy sympathized. “Friarsgate won’t be the same without him. You have your work cut out for you now, mistress.”
“The Scot will help. Edmund wants him to take his place until he is strong enough again to act for himself,” Elizabeth said softly.
“He’s a right handsome lad,” Nancy responded with a small grin. “We’ve all flirted with him, but he don’t seem to like the lasses. Yet I don’t think him like Lord Tom and his William. Mayhap he has a sweetheart in the Highlands, and is being true to her, the lucky girl.”
Elizabeth said nothing, getting into her bed and bidding her tiring woman a good night. She had never considered that Baen might have someone else. Well, it didn’t matter. He was going to be hers. Still, the thought niggled at her, and the next morning as they rode out together to the shearing sheds she asked him bluntly, “Do you have a woman of your own at Grayhaven, Baen?”
“Nay,” he answered her, and then he realized that if he had said aye, she would have left him in peace.
“Good!” she said sweetly. “I should hate to have her disappointed by you.”
