“Well, ye had better get used tae it, lass,” he said, moving ever closer, his eyes not leaving hers. She was trapped where she was, and her feet couldn’t move. His gaze was intoxicating, pinning her to the spot. “Because ye are a remarkable woman, and men will always want tae fight over ye.” In another second, he was right in front of her, and after he spoke those wonderful, beautiful words, he pulled her close and kissed her, right on the mouth.
* * *
Bryce couldn’t take it anymore. He had to kiss her, to draw her close, to tell her that she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and she was wanted just for herself. At the first touch of her soft mouth on his, he regretted it, but only because he feared she didn’t want it. He pulled back and was assisted by Lorna’s swift push against his chest.
She stared at him for a few seconds, her golden-brown eyes watching him, full of questions. Her hands were still on his chest, and she was breathing as hard as he was. His mind searched for the right words as his hand slid from her waist to touch her cheek. He didn’t want to step away just yet, and she said nothing.
He was about to step farther back, to get away so that he didn’t hurt her any longer, when he felt her fingers curl around the fabric of his shirt. She pulled him down again so that his mouth covered hers. Even more, her hands slid up behind his neck to move through his hair. He paused for another second before he let himself go, opening his mouth over hers to show her just how much he wanted her.
She responded, opening her mouth to let him in, the heat of their kiss burning slow and soft. Her tongue touched his with the light innocence he knew she had, and it only made his blood stir even more. With a low growl of pleasure, he pulled her tighter against him, his hands moving to grip her waist and feel the shape of her there.
She sighed into his mouth as she moved her head to deepen the kiss. He was kissing Lorna McAdam; it was finally happening, and his every sense was attuned to her, from her lovely scent to the heavenly taste of her. She tasted of wine and something more, something he had craved for so long: safety, warmth, home.
The kiss grew in passion and frenzy; and his hands roved to touch her, from her face to her neck down the line of her back until they gripped her buttocks in his hands. She moaned at his touch, and he held her all the tighter until he broke the kiss to trail his mouth down the warm, soft space of her neck.
Her feverish breath in his ear instantly hardened him against her, and he wished they were not in the library but in his chamber, and they could strip one another naked to feel the sensation of skin on skin. When he returned to her mouth, he lifted her bottom up so that he could carry her to a table on the edge of the room. His mind was hazy and full of Lorna, only Lorna, and he thought he would never get enough of tasting her.
When she settled on the table, her hands pulled him closer as the kiss deepened more, their tongues savoring one another. His rough hands moved to grip her thighs and shift her heavy skirts. As best he could, he yanked her closer, wanting to feel her warm center against the rigid place between his legs.
But then she made a little gasp and pushed away from him, making him almost stumble back in surprise. “Lass,” he said, wanting to apologize for taking it too far as she jumped down from the table.
“I am…” she said, her face turning even redder, and her chest heaving for breath.
He waited, breathless, staring at the woman who awakened him to something new, something more, and now she was backing away from him, looking almost afraid.
“I cannae,” she said and then turned around, leaving a bewildered Bryce in her wake.
He stood there for a few seconds, watching the trembling door, and he put a hand to his neck, rubbing away the discomfort and the incredulity. He couldn’t tell if she was afraid of him or angry at herself for allowing it to go as far as it did. He waited a little bit longer, trying to recover after the earth-shattering kiss, which had made his limbs weak.
But then he was resolved to go to bed and try his best to forget what had just happened. He knew, deep down, however, that that would be a very difficult task.
