Ruarigrimaced and thrust his fingers through his hair. “So, there were angry wordsexchanged. I didnae mean mine any more than ye did yours. Let us cry pax.”
“Fairenough. That isnae enough though, my fine knight.”
“‘Tisthe ransoming?”
“Ishould like to consider that a matter between ye and Dougal. Aye, even when Iwas the one holding you for ransom. It has always concerned Dougal. Nay, as yesaid we should the last time, let us consider this ransoming business a thingapart. I have already made it clear what I think of this twist in the game. Ihave no need or wish to say more.”
“Nordo I.” Ruari did not add that he wished he could also forget about it all. “Sowhat do ye want?”
“Morethan passion. I cannae be much more specific. I willnae demand that ye tell methings ye dinnae truly feel and I willnae drag ye into a marriage ye dinnaewant. Nevertheless, I want more than the fact that your braies grow tighterwhen I am about.” She smiled faintly when he was surprised into a brief laugh.
Ruaristared at her for one long moment. There was no sign of cunning in her fineeyes, no hint that she was not saying exactly what she felt. She would notdemand more of him than he was willing to give or try to entrap him, dragginghim before a priest when it was the very last place he wanted to be. Hesuddenly knew that he could deal with Sorcha with the same straightforwardnesshe used with his friends and kinsmen. She was simply asking a slightly higherprice for her passion and, although she had not yet offered more for his, heknew instinctively that there was more. It was why she was so hesitant tobecome his lover again.
“Weel,lass, there is more. I cannae put a name to it, but ‘tis there. Ye have hauntedme consistently since I left Dunweare. I looked for your bonnie eyes and yourwit and spirit in each one of the lasses I inspected.” He reached out, gentlycaught hold of her slim hips, and drew her closer. “At times I fear that mademe verra angry with you.”
Shesmiled and lightly ran her fingers through his thick hair. “Aye, there weretimes when I heartily cursed you as weel.”
Sorchawas amazed that he could not hear her heart racing. He was not saying much, butit was far more than she had hoped for. She had reached him. The seed she hadplanted at Dunweare might still be a tender sapling, but she now had a chanceto make it grow strong. Every word he said told her that she had a foothold inhis heart, and she intended to make good use of that.
Itwas not, however, enough to make her bare her soul and tell him of her love forhim. She was not sure just how much she should reveal. He had asked nothingfrom her, and she suspected that was because he had already guessed that shefelt far more than passion for him, that those feelings made her hesitant tobecome his lover again. Sorcha decided that she would match whateverrevelations she made to his. Whatever he gave her she would return in equalmeasure. If he wanted more, he would have to give more.
“AlthoughI fought the admission, I have long kenned that it was something deeper thanpassion we shared. If ‘twas no more than passion, sweet as it was, I would havebeen able to find a salve for the ache I have carried around like a battlescar. Instead I lie alone in my bed and have done since Dunweare, because Iknow, have always known, that none could feed the hunger gnawing at my innardsexcept you.”
“Areye saying that ye have been celibate since leaving my bed?”
“Weel,aye, although I thought I worded it more prettily.”
“Oh,aye, ‘twas verra pretty.” She grinned down at him, wondering if he knew howmuch that information meant to her.
“Um,I assume ye have also been alone?”
“Nay,there has been a veritable horde of men in my room.” She bit back a laugh whenshe saw the dark look upon his face. “Idiot. Of course I have.”
“Yeshould be careful what ye jest about, dearling. There are some things a monjust cannae find amusing.” When she just smiled and made no attempt to wrigglefree of his hold, he asked, “So, have I given ye what ye wanted?”
“Weel,aye, but”—she leaned forward and touched a kiss to his lips—“I think ye stillhave a great deal of work ahead of ye.”
Hebegan to slowly untie the thong and free her hair for his caress. “A great dealof work, ye say?”
“Oh,aye. It could easily take most of the night.”
“Iwas rather considering spending all of the night at my work.”
“AndI was allowing ye time to rest.”
Ruarilaughed and flopped backward onto the bed. Her hair fell forward, and hewriggled his face through it, taking several deep breaths, savoring the feeland smell of it. He wanted to tear her gown off and bury himself deep insideher, but he also wanted to move slowly so that he could more fully enjoy herreturn. As he unlaced her gown, he prayed that he could accomplish something betweenthe two.
Hekissed her hungrily as he helped her slip out of her clothes. The moment shewas naked, he paused to drink in the sight of her lithe frame as he yanked offhis own clothes. When their flesh met for the first time in months, he finallyconceded that he had missed her more than he could ever put into words.
Withone graceful turn he arranged them lengthwise on the big bed with Sorcha lyingbeneath him. Reverently he kissed and caressed his way down her body, leavingno silken inch untouched. The way she squirmed beneath him, the soft noises ofpleasure she made, and the touch of her hands all enflamed him almost pastcontrol.
Whenshe cried out for him, her body trembling with need, he slowly eased himselfinside of her. He shuddered beneath the force of the pleasure that tore throughhim. A sense of coming home, of being exactly where he had always belonged,swept over him as she curled herself around him. Groaning her name, he began tomove, swiftly driving them both to the blinding culmination of their passion.As he collapsed in her arms he savored the musical way their names blended asthey both cried out from the power of their releases. They were in perfectharmony and he prayed that nothing would happen to sever that bond.
Sorchastretched and looked at the man sprawled on his stomach by her side. Dawn’slight was just inching into the room. The night had passed too quickly, shemused as she traced Ruari’s spine with her fingers. The reunion of their bodieshad been sweet and hot, and she hated to think it would end. She knew theycould still savor the pleasure of their lovemaking at any time, but the factthat they had come to a new understanding before falling into each other’s armsafter a long separation had added something she could neither describe norname.
Idlysmoothing her hand over his taut buttocks, she smiled as he shifted beneath hercaress, passion slowly pulling him from his sleep. Her whole body ached, but itwas a good feeling, and she wanted to add to it. She leaned down and marked theline of his backbone with warm, lingering kisses, smiling against his skin whenhe murmured her name.
Heturned onto his back and tried to pull her into his arms, but she neatly eludedhis grasp. The sounds he made as she inched her way down his long frame were anodd mixture of pleasure and protest over the fact that he could not reallyreturn her caresses. When she touched a kiss to the tip of his erection, heceased to protest his inability to participate fully in the lovemaking, thrustinghis fingers into her hair and subtly directing her intimate kisses.
