Their eyes met. She saw the exultation fill his gaze at the same moment the sensation claimed her. Their bodies stiffened together in that one timeless pause before breaking apart in a shattering ray of stars and light. Their cries weaved and tangled together, as a hot rush of pleasure came over them in wave after powerful wave.
When the sensation finally ebbed, it was as if every ounce of energy and emotion had been wrung out of her. Spent and exhausted, Cate curled herself into the warmth of his body and like a well-fed, contented cat, promptly fell asleep.
It took Gregor a moment to realize where he was. The last thing he remembered before closing his eyes was thinking how ironic it was that the first time he actually wouldn’t mind hearing how wonderful (explosive, mind-blowing, and earth-shattering also seemed appropriate) their lovemaking had been, the lass snuggled up against him had fallen into the sleep of the dead. When he opened his eyes in the cool, dark chamber, the warm presence at his side was gone.
Where the hell did she go?He looked around in confusion and disbelief, followed quickly by irritation. Bloody hell, didn’t she know it was rude to slip out of bed and run away without saying something first? Something like “Thanks for the most incredible night of my life, Gregor,” or “You were amazing, Gregor,” or “I love you, Gregor.” Aye, especially that. He rather thought he would like to hear it again, especially when he was feeling so contented. Nay, not contented,happy. Maybe happier than he’d ever been in his life.
Making love to Cate had been every bit as incredible as he’d thought it would be physically, but it had gone beyond that.Farbeyond that, taking him to a place he’d never been before. A place where he’d like to be holding her in his arms right now!
Minutes passed—at least twenty of them. Bloody hell, where was she? If anyone should be sneaking away in the darkness, it should be him. This was her room, damn it!
He’d tossed off the bedsheets and was starting to look around the floor for his braies when the door opened. He straightened and turned, seeing the object of his irritation shadowed in the doorway, frozen in her tracks. She seemed surprised, but he wasn’t sure whether it was at seeing him awake or the fact that he was standing naked in her room.
He rather suspected it was the latter when after the stunned pause, she made no secret of her interest—hergreatinterest—in every facet of his body. Good God, the lass shouldn’t look at him like that unless she was prepared to act on all that lust she was casting in his direction. He was liable to forget that he needed to leave, and that she was probably in no condition to be ravished after the ravishing of the night before.
Her face fell as he drew on his braies. “You’re leaving? You can’t go yet.”
The vehemence of her protest took an edge off some of the sting of waking up to find her gone. “It will be morning soon. Where were you?”
She frowned, catching something in his tone. Closing the door behind her, she walked toward him. “I’m sorry if I woke you. I tried to be quiet.” She bit her lip, heat rising up her cheeks. “I needed to use the garderobe.”
“You were gone a long time.”
That probably wasn’t the most delicate thing he’d ever said in his life, but damn it, this was a new experience for him, and he was feeling…
Uncertain. As if he were sailing in unchartered waters. He’d never been in a situation like this before. A situation where he needed to know that everything was all right. Nay, better than all right. He needed to know that she was all right, that he hadn’t hurt her, that it had been just as incredible for her as it had been for him.
The heat in her cheeks deepened. “There was some blood. I used a cloth and the pitcher of water in your room, so as to not disturb you. Did I do something wrong? Are you angry with me about something?” Her mouth trembled as she looked up at him.
“Ah, Christ,” he said, drawing her into his arms. The feeling of warmth and contentment that he’d missed upon waking returned instantly. He was acting like a scorned lass. “I’m sorry. Nothing is wrong, and of course I’m not angry with you.” He tipped her chin, bringing her luminous eyes to his. “What would I have to be angry with you about?”
She gnawed on that wickedly crimson bottom lip a few more times before responding. “I thought you might be regretting what…what we did.”
His gaze held hers intently. “I don’t regret anything that happened last night.” His thumb caressed the part of her lip that had just been bitten. “How could I?”
The smile started out slow, but it didn’t take long to light her whole face. The warmth radiated inside him as well.
“I’m glad. It was…wonderful,” she finished with a sigh. Her grin turned cheeky. “I guess I’d forgotten how cranky you can be in the morning.”
He drew back. “Cranky? I’m not cranky.”
She arched one delicate, dark brow.
All right, well, maybe he was occasionally—though very rarely—a little out of sorts in the morning. But not today. “I just wasn’t expecting to wake up alone.”
The second brow shot up to join the other, this time in surprise. “What did you think, that I’d skulked away in shame and left you?”
He frowned—darkly. “Of course not.”
“You did!” Amusement danced in her eyes. “You did think that.” She put the back of her hand up against her forehead in mock horror. “The most handsome man in Scotland abandoned in bed, what has the world come to?”
His eyes narrowed with warning at her teasing. “Christ, not you, too! I wish I knew who’d come up with that ridiculous moniker, so I could devise some kind of horrible torture to return the favor.”
She laughed, lifted up on her toes, and pressed a soft kiss on his mouth. The easy display of affection surprised him. But he suspected he might be able to get used to it.
“Poor Gregor. I’m sure it’s been horrible having women falling at your feet all the time.”
He grinned wryly. “Aye, well, maybe it wasn’t so badallthe time, but you haven’t met Hawk.”
