Isabel knew what she had to do; he would not come to her. Seduction it must be. She tried not to think about his warning not to manipulate him. Her motives were pure. She would fight for Rory’s love and seduce him—not to betray him, but because she wanted to hold on to him.
She squared her shoulders and headed up the stairs to change for the evening repast. Tonight. After the meal, she would retire to their room and wait.
She bit her lip. What was she going to do when he got there? She had learned much about kissing over the last few months and had a vague idea of the rest courtesy of their previous interludes. But there was a vast difference between knowing in the abstract and instigating in the reality. How would she let him know that she was ready to take the final step?
Isabel took her time winding through the dimly lit corridors. Though it was only late afternoon, the days were exceedingly short in the wintertime and dusk had already fallen.
She opened the door.
A taper flickered. Warm, steamy air entwined with a delicious masculine scent of spice enveloped her.
She knew he was there even before she looked. When she did, her heart dropped to her toes.
Rory had just stepped out of his bath. He wore a drying cloth slung low on his hips and—she swallowed—nothing else.
Her eyes gorged on the rugged masculinity of his powerful physique. He was magnificent. His broad naked chest, glistening with tiny droplets of water, tapered to a narrow waist above powerfully muscled legs. There was not one inch of him that was not cut and hard as rock. His body was a finely honed weapon of warfare, the numerous scars that crossed his chest evidence of his hard-earned prowess. The damp linen hugged his hips, dipping low above his groin, and outlined every ridge of his…Her eyes dropped farther, and her mouth went dry. Of his enormous arousal. The thick column strained against the thin cloth, leaving her no doubt of his desire.
Isabel flooded with heat. Awareness crackled in the sultry room like dry kindling in a hot fire. Her heart was pounding so loudly, she was sure he must hear. She lifted her eyes to his and nearly withered under the force of his penetrating stare. Never had she been the focus of such all-encompassing desire. She felt the hunger, the need. The whiplash of raw heat. His gaze possessed her. Like an animal caught in a trap, she was paralyzed by all that sexual potency fastened on her, claiming her. He looked as though he wanted to tear off her clothes and ravish her. It was a side of him—a wild, primitive, uncontrolled side—that she’d never seen. And for a moment, the intensity frightened her, even as it humbled her with its strength.
They stood perfectly still, staring at each other. His eyes glowed like sapphire coals. As he’d removed the leather thong that usually bound it back, his damp golden chestnut hair slumped forward across his face to his chin. The shadows that partially hid his face hardened his features into sharp angles—making him appear even more menacing than his large physique would suggest.
Isabel shivered with anticipation. Never had she been more certain of anything in her life. The intensity of his desire only emboldened her. She wanted to tame this man, to claim this warrior for her own.
All thoughts of a well-planned seduction fled. The time was now. Gathering the reins of her courage, she lifted her chin and took a small step toward him.
His body went rigid, every muscle taut with restraint. A tic in his jaw pulsed as she drew near. Slowly, she removed the plaid she wore for warmth and draped it over the chair.
“What are you doing?” he asked through clenched teeth, his voice strained.
“I came to dress for dinner. I didn’t realize you had called for a bath.”
“It’s too cold to swim in the loch.”
“Of course.”
“You should leave.”
She shook her head and took another step toward him. She was standing so close, she could hear the harsh unevenness of his breath. He was holding himself by a thread, and she knew it. Relished it. Savored it. And yearned to make it snap.
He stepped toward her, and she could see that his eyes were dark and heavy with desire. He reached down to cup her chin as he looked deep into her eyes. “Are you sure?” His voice was husky and full of promise, the soft brogue more pronounced. “My duty lies elsewhere. This will not change anything, Isabel. Even if I wish it differently.”
Isabel’s heart tugged. Did he wish differently? The glimmer of hope gave her all the encouragement she needed.
The polite small talk had drained every ounce of Rory’s reserves. He was running out of patience. Surely she could see how his pulse raced, how he struggled to breathe the sultry air between them, how he fought the urge to take her into his arms the very moment she entered the room.
The beauty that filled his eyes when she opened the door had nearly felled him—as if someone had unexpectedly punched him in the stomach. And then he picked up her scent. The beguiling perfume of lavender ensnared him, but it was the sensual promise in those damn violet eyes as she admired his body that made him realize he’d never stood a chance. There was an inevitability to this moment, probably from the first. Fate.
Rory waited, every muscle in his body clenched, for her response. He fought to contain the hunger pounding through his body. She must come to him knowingly and without pretense; nothing else would assuage his guilt. He would not take her virginity from her unless she understood. There was still the issue of a child, but Rory could prevent that. The questions kindled by her uncle’s letter would be left for another day.
His weeks of holding her in his arms like a bloody eunuch had come to an end. He would not fight this overpowering, mind-numbing attraction any longer.
Her hand touched his arm, and he flinched, shocked. The simple press of her fingers on his skin ignited an inferno that spread like wildfire through his body.
“I understand,” she said simply. “No promises.”
That was enough.
He swept her in his arms, crushing her in a fierce embrace. So thick was the tension that had built between them, she sighed audibly with relief. He knew she wanted him as he wanted her.
