He took a deep breath, his grip on her arm tightening just a little. “Ye are afraid of me?” he demanded, a little roughly.
She gathered her scattered wits and raised an eyebrow. “No. I just don’t want to kiss you.”
His lips immediately curved up in a self-assured smile. “I think ye dowantto kiss me Faith. I think ye willna allow yourself to do so. Ye willna regret it, this I promise ye. Ye will enjoy my kiss, as much as I will enjoy kissing ye.”
His hand slipped around her waist, pulling her closer before she could resist. Her temper flared. Despite her frighteningly strong inclinations otherwise, she hadsaidno.
She struck out at him with her one free fist. It glanced harmlessly off his rock-hard arm. “Don’t want to or won’t, the end result is the same! Let me go Bren, I am not one of your playthings. In fact, you have noideawho I am!” She slipped from his grasp and ran towards the keep, before he could see the sudden tears welling up in her eyes. He overwhelmed her in a big way, and that, on top of everything else, was just too much right now. Everyone had their breaking point, and she had just found hers.
***
He let her go. Watched her run away from him as if he were the very devil. He could have compelled her to stay. He could even have compelled her to give herself willingly to him, but that would not be the same. He would know, even if she didn’t. It never mattered before, but for some reason, with Faith it did. He wanted her in truth. Wanted her to come to him of her own free will. But oh God, how he wanted her. His whole body was alight and burning with a need greater than any he had ever known before. Fire coursed through his veins, and he could still feel the firm softness of her body beneath his hands, her warm and delicate scent was burned into his memory. She brought out the wildest part of him, the hungriest and the most insatiable. He knew he would not rest until he had had her.
He hadn’t followed her out here intending to kiss her, only to talk to her, as Eian had suggested. But he hadn’t done a very good job of it, because once he’d been close to her, kissing her was all that he could think about. Nay, not just kissing her, he wanted her naked beneath him,right now, and wanting him so badly that she was helpless to refuse him. He wanted to spread her thighs and push himself inside, pull her body tight against his and rock her against him, slow and deep. He had almost tasted her, had been so close, but it seemed that her scent alone was enough to make him crazy with lust, all for her alone. Letting her walk away from him like that when his body burned hotter than ever before took all of his strength. And he hadn’t even kissed her. God, what would it feel like to kiss her? He had to know. He had to know everything.
Bren was a very sensual man, and when he was with a woman, it was the smell of her skin, the taste of her flesh under his tongue, even the sound of her heartbeat that drove his hunger to a fever pitch. He needed those things, fed on them, and in turn, a woman’s touch could soothe the untamed parts of him and keep him nearly civilized. He was a man of strongpassions, his mind ruled by honor and duty, but his body ruled by his Mac Coinnach blood that flowed hot and powerful in his veins.
And right now he found himself quickly becoming obsessed with one woman. This worried him a little, for he had never before favored one woman over any other. All women were special, gifts of the gods to be treasured. All had secrets to be discovered, could give pleasure to a man’s body as he could give pleasure to theirs. But he had never been so drawn to one in particular, at least not for longer than a few days or at most a few weeks. No, this felt very different somehow.
He let her go, this time. But he would keep her close. Yet even as he lay his head down that night to sleep, her scent came back to him as if she had been there in his bed, and his body grew hard and restless. He ached so much that twice he nearly rose from the bed and went to find her, to bring her back to lie by his side. But that would be the very surest way to break his vow. And no vow he had ever freely given would be broken. He would just have to seduce her slowly, and she would give in to him eventually. The wait, though was going to be bloody painful.
The next morning he found her in the kitchen, kneading dough. Her hair was falling out of its tie, her sleeves were pushed up to the elbows, flour dusted the front of her dress, and she looked all the more beautiful for it. He frowned. She wasn’t supposed to be in here. He had told her he didn’t want her doing the hard work of a kitchen servant. Already she was disobeying his orders.
“Faith.”
She looked up. At the sound of his voice, with its note of reprimand, all of the other women snapped to attention, surreptitiously glancing around the kitchen to make sure all was in order. He didn’t care about the damn kitchen. The damn kitchen could go to hell if only…
“What is it,my laird?”
She gave him a saucy smile that had him rock hard in about two seconds. Damn good thing he had trews on this morning instead of a kilt. Confusing, maddening woman. Last night she wanted nothing to do with him. Had run from him.
“We’re riding to the hunting lodge this afternoon lass, we need extra meat for the feast of Beltane. Be ready to leave in an hour’s time. And stay the hell out of the kitchens.”
“I’m riding? A horse?”
He turned back to stare at her. “Aye, a horse. What else?”
“I don’t know how. I’ve never ridden a horse before.” She had always wanted to, dreamed about it even, but there was never enough money for riding lessons when she was growing up. And then never enough timeormoney when she was in school.
Bren studied her for a moment in disbelief. How could it be she had never have ridden a horse? How did she gethere? Had she walked the whole way, for God’s sake?
He shook his head in amazement at the incredibly sheltered childhood she must have had. “Dinna worry, I’ll be sure ye ride the most docile mare in the stables. Ye only have to hold on and stay astride, and she’ll follow the other horses.”
A look of relief passed over her face, and she smiled thankfully. Staying astride was probably something she could manage. “I’ve always wanted to learn to ride, maybe someone can teach me while I’m here.”
“Aye, perhaps.”
He made to leave and she bent back to the kneading. He turned back suddenly, clenching his teeth to keep from losing his temper. “Stop that at once! Leave the kitchen work to the other women who ken what they’re doing and go get ready to leave. Clean yerself up, too.” He gestured to the flour dusting the front of her gown. “Dinna ye have any finer gowns than that one?”
She looked back at him, raising an imperious eyebrow. “I don’t haveanyother gowns.”
“Hmmmph.Where’s Colm?Colm!”
His shouts echoed loudly through the hall as he stalked out of the room. Faith looked back at Mathilde and Fiona andshrugged helplessly. They gave her looks of sympathy. No doubt they thought the laird had gone mad just trying to deal with her many inadequacies.
***
Faith eyed the horse dubiously, but the old mare merely swung her head around and nuzzled her hair. She giggled at the attention, and rubbed the velvet-soft nose. The stable master appeared to hoist her into the saddle, and she felt a slight flutter of nerves. She didn’t want to fall off, nor did she fancy looking like an idiot in front of all of these men. She was lifted easily onto the horse, and handed the reins. She looked down, and the ground had never seemed so far away, but when the old mare just stood there, waiting patiently for the hunting party to leave, Faith relaxed a bit. She did know enough to realize the animal would sense her unease, so she made a big effort to stay calm. As they started out, she soon found the gentle rocking of the horse soothing, natural, even.
