He wrenched her closer, his grip punishing on her arms. “Aye. That’s what I am, only because you made me so. But I shouldn’t need to explain it to you. Do you not seeeverythingin the stones?”
She didn’t know what he was referring to, but she could not risk angering him further. “I will be honest,” she said, swallowing tightly. “I have no idea if I am the real Catherine Montgomery or not, but I did not come here looking for any of this. I meant it when I said I don’t remember meeting you, because I have no memory of anything. I do not know who you are.”
His dark eyebrows pulled together in a frown.
“No one here knows where I have been for the past five years,” she continued to explain, “but you seem to know something. If you could tell me why—”
Suddenly he covered her mouth with his big, callused hand. Her eyes grew wide with panic.
“I admire the effort, Raonaid, but you cannot foolme.I’ve been hunting you down for three years, and now that I’ve found you, you’re going to do exactly as I say. Do you understand?”
A mixture of rage and desire burned in his eyes. As a result, she did not dare provoke him. She would do what she must to keep him calm. Catherine nodded her head.
Slowly, he withdrew his hand from her mouth, but used his body to keep her pinned against the stone.
Everything inside her—all her thoughts, senses, and emotions—screamed with alarm, but she had to keep her head. She had to explain herself logically. Make him understand.
“You called me Raonaid,” she carefully said.
“Aye, that’s your name.” His voice lost some of its hostility in that moment. A quiet, more curious arousal seemed to take its place.
Catherine took in a shaky breath. All she wanted was to understand why he was here and to find out what he knew about her past. Perhaps if she heard something familiar, her memories might return. And if she understood what she had done to him, she might be able to appease him somehow.
“What is it that you want me to do?”
“I want you to fix it.”
Her pulse throbbed. “Fix what?”
“The curse.”
He had mentioned a curse before, but still no memories returned to her.
“Have you cursed so many men that you don’t remember one from the other?” he asked as he pulled her snugly against him.
All her instincts roared at her to go along with this, at least until she understood what he wanted. He seemed to be growing more aroused. Perhaps if she could get him to let down his guard, she might be able to strike back at him and escape.
He reached down and gathered her skirts in his hand, and began to tug them upward. “You look different,” he said, his voice husky with desire. “The clothes, the hair, the perfume. It’s a wonder I even recognized you.”
He slid his hand up her thigh.
“What are you doing?”
She squeezed her legs together and pushed his hands back down, but he was persistent.
“Lift the curse, Raonaid. You know what will happen if you don’t.”
“No, I assure you, Idon’tknow.” She punched at his arms and tried to shove him away. “Stop, or I will scream!”
“You want me to stop?” he scoffed. “And you expect me to honor your wishes? Thanks to you, it’s been three years since I’ve had a woman, and suddenly, I’m as randy as a bull. I didn’t expect it to be quite so stimulating—not withyou,of all people—but I suppose I’m in a worse state than I imagined. Since it’s your fault I’m this way, here is my proposal.” He paused and brushed his lips across her cheek. “You’re going to do one of two things for me today. Lift the curse, or relieve some of my pent-up frustrations. It’s your choice.”
He used his body to hold her captive against the stone while he pushed his kilt to the side and began to wrestle with her skirts. A blazing hot fireball of terror shot through her bloodstream.
“Tell me how to lift it, and I will!”
She squirmed against him and tried to escape, but he was too big, too strong—and all of a sudden he was brimming with sexual need.
“You can feign innocence all you like,” he said, looking into her eyes, “but I’m not as easily swindled as your doting grandmother. I know who you really are, and I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment—for you to undo what you did to me three years ago. Lift the curse now, or you will soon fall victim to it.”
