“AmI?” She turned on her side, propped her head up on one hand, and casuallytrailed her fingers up and down his chest. “Why am I peculiar?”
“Yemean aside from the fact that ye see and speak to ghosts?”
“Aye,aside from that.”
“Yemake this confession from the heart, tell me how verra much ye love me, andthen act as if ye have done little more than remark upon the quality of thewine. Ye ask nothing of me.”
“Yeasked nothing of me save for passion. ‘Tisnae your concern if my heart chose togive ye more than that. And of what use is an emotion if it isnae given freely,undemanded and unfettered? If I have made ye feel guilty or the like, I amsorry. That wasnae my intention.”
Hecombed his fingers through her long dark hair. “I dinnae feel guilty, onlysurprised. I have done nothing to earn your love.”
“True.”She giggled when he sent her a mock scowl, then grew serious, bending to givehim a tender kiss. “I dinnae believe one can earn love either. One can do allthat is possible to make a person fall in love with her and never succeed. Ifear love is a verra unruly emotion.”
“Aye,verra unruly,” he agreed in a soft, husky voice. “‘Tis why most men try soverra hard not to fall in love. ‘Tis also seen by many men as a weakness.”
“Isit?”
Shespoke in a voice that was barely a whisper, a sudden tension tightening herthroat. There was a soft look in his eyes, a look that bespoke a deep emotion.He talked of all men, but she felt sure he spoke only of himself. She tried toslow the sudden rapid pace of her heart, to scold herself for letting her hopesleap at every hint of feeling from Ruari, but she could not still the headyanticipation that was making breathing difficult.
“Aye.No mon wishes his heart and soul held tightly by another.” He pulled her intohis arms, then turned so that they rested on their sides, face-to-face. “Oncethat happens, a mon can fear that he will be ruled by the woman’s whims. Ah,and then there is the gnawing uncertainty. He has succumbed to love’s tighthold, but has she? Should he tell her what he feels? Will she then see him as ahapless fool?”
Withevery word he spoke he caressed her, slowly moving his hands over her body ashe touched gentle kisses to her face, neck, and lips. Passion began to cloudher mind, even though she struggled against it. She wanted to hear every wordhe said, clearly and loudly. When he cocked her leg over his hip and slid hishand between her thighs, she knew she had already lost that struggle. Her bodygrew weak and hot with a building desire. Her passion was not concerned withwhat Ruari was saying, only with how he was making her feel.
“Ifye wish me to think about what ye say, ye shouldnae be doing that,” she said,her voice so thick and husky she barely recognized it as her own.
“MayhapI dinnae really wish you to think too much or to hear my words too clearly.” Heslowly joined their bodies.
Ittook her a moment to cease gasping from the strength of the pleasure that sweptover her and find the ability to ask him, “If ye dinnae really wish me to hearit or think about it, then why are ye even saying it?”
“Itneeds to be said. I need to say it.” Holding her tightly against him, he beganto move, stroking her intimately with every thrust of his body. “Mayhap I amalso somewhat of a coward,” he whispered as he touched his lips to hers. “MayhapI use the passion which so often blinds us to shield myself as I bare my soul.”
“Yeplan to bare your soul?” she whispered against his mouth.
“Aye,and ‘tis no easy thing for a mon.”
Hesaid nothing else for a long time, just kissed her, a long, slow kiss, thestrokes of his tongue within her mouth matching those of his body within hers.Sorcha’s passion was running so hot and wild she was not sure she could putenough coherent words together to form the questions she needed to ask him.Just as she felt her body tighten almost painfully, her release but a heartbeataway, she felt Ruari’s mouth at her ear.
“Ilove ye, Sorcha,” he whispered.
Thosethree words acted upon her body like the most intimate of caresses. Ruari’sbreath warmed her ear as he spoke and sent the final wave of passion rippingthrough her body. She called out his name as she wrapped her body tightlyaround his, trying to pull him even deeper inside of her, her body shudderingwith the intensity of her release. Just as she lost all capacity to think, sheheard Ruari call to her as he joined her in passion’s sweetest moment.
Itwas difficult to know how long a time had passed before Sorcha found herselfclear-headed enough to think about what Ruari had said and done. She looked atthe man sprawled across her body. He lazily moved his hand up and down herside, and she briefly wondered how long it would be before that idle strokingrenewed her passion. She smiled faintly when she admitted to herself that, attimes, she was positively insatiable.
Hehad said the words she had hungered for for so long. Sorcha was certain of it.When she recalled how reluctant she had been to speak her heart, she couldeasily understand why he had waited until she was nearly blind and deaf fromdesire before whispering the words. What she was not sure of was if he nowintended to pretend that the incident had never happened or that that would bethe only time he would speak those sweet words to her. He was certainly actingvery reticent, neither speaking to her nor looking at her. She decided that ifshe could talk openly about such things, then he could as well. Sorcha gave hima sharp poke in his ribs, smiling when he cursed and looked at her inconfusion.
“Suchgames ye play, Sir Kerr,” she murmured.
Hegrinned. “They are fun, arenae they? Let me but regain my strength, and I willshow ye a few more.”
“Iwasnae talking about the loving games, rogue. I was referring to the clever wayye waited to speak your heart until I was so frenzied with passion—“
“Frenzied,were ye?”
Sheignored his interruption and continued, “—that your heart wasnae the part of yeI was most concerned with.” She grinned when he laughed, but quickly grewserious again. “I fear ye will have to speak more boldly, my fine knight. Ihave spent too many tormented months loving ye and fearing that I would neverhave your love in return. I cannae count the times I grew almost maudlin as Iwondered how I could be so foolish as to believe that ye could ever love me.”
“Andwhy shouldnae I love ye?”
“Manyreasons. Dinnae forget that at first ye believed that I was quite mad.”
