“Vague?” His voice dropped to that dangerous murmur that made her stomach flutter. “Fine. Ye want me to be clear? We need to practice.”
“Practice what?”
“Being a couple. Lookin' comfortable with each other. Touchin'.” His eyes dropped to her mouth. “Actin' like we cannae keep our hands off each other. Because that’s what people will expect from a newly betrothed couple.”
Heat flooded through Leona’s body. “And how exactly do we practice that?”
Murdock pushed off the desk, moving around it with predatory grace. “Like this.”
He closed the distance between them in two strides, his hand coming up to cup her face. Leona’s breath caught as his thumb traced her cheekbone, his touch both gentle and possessive.
“This,” he murmured, his other hand finding her waist, “is what a man does when he wants a woman. When he’s staking a claim.”
“I’m nae property to be claimed,” Leona managed, though her voice came out breathless.
“Nay, ye’re nae.” His hand tightened on her waist, pulling her closer. “But ye’re mine to protect. Mine to…” he trailed off, his gaze intense. “Ye came here askin' for protection, lass. Ye got yer wish. But it’ll be on me terms.”
“Yer terms?”
Something about his tone, about the way he was looking at her, made her pulse race for reasons that had nothing to do with fear.
“Aye. Ye wanted to stay? Ye’ll stay. Ye wanted protection? I’ll protect ye. But ye’ll do it me way. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the village. Ye’ll stand close to me. Ye’ll touch me when appropriate. Ye’ll smile and play the part of a woman who wants to be exactly where she is.”
“And if I daenae want to play along?”
His thumb brushed her lower lip, and she felt the touch all the way to her toes. “Then ye’re a worse liar than I thought.”
The words hung between them for a heartbeat. Then his control shattered.
His hand fisted in her hair, the other kneading her waist as his mouth crashed down onto hers. The kiss was brutal, consuming,nothing like the careful touches at dinner. This was raw need finally unleashed.
His tongue swept into her mouth, demanding. Leona gasped against him, her hands clutching his tunic as he kissed her like he was trying to devour her whole. His teeth caught her bottom lip, and she moaned.
He walked her backward until her spine hit the wall. His body pressed against hers, hard and unyielding. She could feel every muscle, every plane, his thick arousal straining against her belly.
“This is wrong,” he growled against her mouth, but his hands contradicted his words. One angled her head. The other slid down to grip her hip, pressing her against him.
“Then stop,” she challenged breathlessly.
Instead, his mouth moved to her throat, teeth scraping the sensitive skin. His hand found her breast, squeezing it roughly through the fabric.
Even through the layers, the touch sent lightning through her. Her nipples pebbled instantly, tight and aching, and when he circled one with his thumb, she whimpered.
Heat pooled between her thighs, dampness gathering as her body responded shamelessly. His thigh pushed between her legs, and the pressure against her core made her cry out.
“Christ,” he muttered, his voice ragged.
His hand left her breast to grip her thigh, hitching her leg around his hip. The new angle brought his hardness directly to her core, and when his hips rolled forward, grinding, pleasure sparked through her like wildfire.
Her nipples were sensitive against her dress, aching with every breath. When her chest brushed against his, the friction was almost too much.
His mouth found hers again, this kiss somehow deeper, more desperate. He kissed her like he was drowning. His hand slid up her leg, bunching her skirts. His calloused palm blazed a trail over her stocking, past her garter, finding bare skin.
They both groaned at the contact.
“We have to stop,” he said against her lips, even as his fingers slid to her inner thigh. “This is madness.”
But he didn’t stop. His fingers crept higher, and when they brushed the damp fabric between her legs, Leona nearly came apart. The sensation was overwhelming, heat and pressure and an ache that demanded relief.
