“How dare—’’
He drew her closer, until she could feel thesting of his hot breath against her temple.“You will go nowherewith Ian MacPherson.”
“I will go wherever I—”
“Damn you.”He kissed her.A hard, punishingkiss that cut off her words and left her breathless.
Against her lips he rasped, “You are drivingme mad, Lindsey.You are the most infuriating, impossible female Ihave ever encountered.”
“Well, if this is how you intend to treatme...”
He kissed her again and felt all his tightlyheld control begin to slip.What had begun as a desperate move tosilence her quickly became a passion that, once unleashed, whirledout of control.
He crushed her to him and devoured her withkisses that left her no chance to protest, no chance to even think.There was no gentleness in him now.Only fire and rage and hard,driving need.The hands that pressed against her might have bruisedher tender flesh.He was beyond knowing.He knew only that he wascaught up in something so powerful, so compelling, he had not thestrength to fight it.
Lindsey was overwhelmed by the passionaterage in him.It matched her own troubling feelings.But as the kissdeepened, she sensed the subtle change in him.Though the handsthat held her were still firm, they were no longer rough.Andthough his kisses devoured her, they were no longer punishing.Hislips were warm and firm and demanding.“What am I to do with you?”His whisper had the sound of quiet desperation.“I cannot sleep,knowing you are but a few steps away.I am tormented by thoughts ofstorming your room and making you mine.I can bear this tension nolonger.”
For the first time, she was at a loss forwords.She went very still as his meaning began to penetrate theconfusion that clouded her mind.
She lifted her lips and felt a wild surge ofpower when he kissed her with a hunger that left her trembling.
“You are not angry with me?”
“Angry, my lady?”His lips roamed her face,touching lightly across her lids, her brow, her temple.“I ambeyond anger.I am being devoured by worry, and jealousy, and fearfor your safety.”
She heard but one word.
“You are jealous?Of—Ian MacPherson?”
He responded with a low, guttural soundbefore returning for another taste of her lips.“I am consumed withfears for your safety, and you care only if I am jealous.”
“You are.I can hear it in your voice.”Shegave a delighted laugh and wrapped her arms around his waist.
He was surprised at how quickly his angerreturned.“You mock me.”
“Nay, my lord.”She drew closer, loving theway his eyes darkened as he studied her.“It is just that Ithought...”She ran a tongue over her lips and tried again.“Earlier this day, I suspected that you despised me for carelesslygetting lost in the forest.I realized that I caused you untoldworry, but...”
“It would seem,” he said, pressing his lipsover hers, “that this is the only way to make you understandanything.”
The kiss was long, and slow, and unhurried.And as the passion built, their kisses became more desperate, untiltheir breathing was shallow and ragged.His hands gripped hershoulders, his thumbs making lazy circles on the bare flesh of herupper arms.
“Stay with me, Lindsey.”
She heard his words as if from a greatdistance, and struggled with a new kind of terror.She pushedagainst him, but she was no match for his strength.
“I must go.They await me below stairs.”
He brought his lips to her throat, where hisnibbling kisses left her weak with needs.Needs that pulsed andthrobbed until she was forced to cling weakly to him.
“Nay.Stay here with me.”
His meaning was very plain.She struggled toclear her mind.She wanted what he wanted.The need for him hadgrown with every kiss.But the thought of what he was askingterrified her.They were not betrothed.He had not spoken forher.
“I cannot.”
He brought his lips to her shoulder andthrilled to the way she trembled in his arms as he ran kissesacross her sensitive skin.
“And I cannot bear another moment withoutyou, Lindsey.I love you.God help me, I tried to deny it, but Ican no longer deny what my heart tells me.I love you.”
