Despite her words, her body remained rooted to the spot, refusing to cooperate.
At his continued silence, she finally risked a glance at his face. The desire in his eyes was hot enough to burn her alive. Her entire body was being consumed by flames, and the only thing that could douse them was Finlay. She breathed in his smell: sweat and whiskey, and a muskiness that was uniquely him.
“Thalia, if another woman had barged into me room wearing nothing but a shift, and was looking at me the way ye are looking at me now…” His eyes roamed over her again with a hunger that sent a shiver down her spine.
“What would ye do?” she asked, so softly the words were hardly more than a breath.
“I’d throw her down and take her.” His voice lowered to a growl.
“But nae me?”
She could barely hear his answer over the blood rushing in her ears as he said, “Nae ye.”
His hands, large and rough with calluses, cupped her face. Then his lips descended on hers.
CHAPTER 11
Finlay kissedThalia so hard he thought his lips might bruise, but he did not care. Her body melted against his, her hands grasping at his chest as if she could not get enough of him. He groaned, sliding his hands down to her waist to pull her even closer.
The heat of her body was intoxicating, and he could feel every bit of her through the thin fabric of her shift. It reminded him of that night two years ago, when she had been out exploring the gardens in her nightgown. It had been hard to forget the way she had looked then, but being able to touch her, to taste her like this, was far superior to merely looking.
She pulled back as she gasped for breath, but he just chased her lips down again. She moaned against him, her hands coming up to curl into his hair as she pulled him closer still. Grasping her hips, he pushed her back onto the bed. She fell, panting heavily as he climbed on top of her.
There was no fear in her eyes. There was nothing but want and desire that he had seen in dozens of other women. He settled his weight on her and captured her lips again.
She was a quick study, responding to his movements with some of her own. Her hands had slipped under his shirt, her nails digging into his back so hard he groaned loudly against her mouth.
His hands found her breasts, and he palmed one expertly. Her nipple pebbled under his fingers, and he was happy to find that he could still feel its hardness through her shift. She moaned again, and he moved his lips to her cheek, down her neck, just so he could hear it properly.
She hummed prettily, tilting her head to give him better access.
“Finlay… Oh, Finlay!” she cried, lifting her leg to press against his side.
He could take her now. She was behaving so well. She would not resist him. It would be so easy for him.
And if I take her maidenhead now, I will have to marry her.
That thought sobered him.
With a jolt, he launched himself off the bed, stepping back from her until he was on the other side of the room.
Thalia sat up in a daze. Her hair was disheveled, her shift had slid up high on her waist, nearly revealing all of her to him. She still looked so enticing; he had to force himself to stay where he was.
She is a lady. I cannae defile her without consequences.
“Finlay?” Her eyes were wide with confusion. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Nay,” he rushed out. “Nay, it’s just… I think it’s best ye get back to yer room now. I thank ye for the advice about Daisy.”
She rose to her feet, smoothing down her shift. Her face was still flushed, but now he could see it was from shame rather than arousal. That stung, and he dug his nails into the palms of his hands.
“Finlay—”
“I’ll see ye at breakfast.” The words came out harsher than he had intended, but they did the trick.
Thalia tilted her chin up and stormed out of the room. He suspected she would have slammed the door behind her had she not been worried about alerting the entire castle to what had almost transpired.
He exhaled, the breath feeling like a weight being lifted off his shoulders. He needed to regain control of himself. What hadgotten into him? He had not even been this impulsive during the height of his ‘Wolf’ days.
