The Butcher grunted and dropped hisfullweight upon her, holding her down with the stifling power of his arms and hips and legs. She could feel his tremendous masculine form—
too close, too tight, too overwhelming. Hysteria spun through her mind, and she shouted with anger, “Get off me, youbrute! I will not go willingly!”
The drizzle turned to rain,chillingher skin and soaking her hair while she fought withallher might. She blinked against the silvery drops that pooled on her eyelashes. Cool water sluiced over her bare thighs, for she had kicked her skirts up during the struggle. She continued to fight, punch, and slap at him.
It was not long, however, before her muscles grew weak against the uncompromising stamina of his brawn. She was perspiring heavily, breathless with exhaustion. She had nothing left.
The sky grew brighter. Morning was upon them.
“Please…,”she begged, hating that he had reduced her to this. If only she were stronger.
“You can’t fight me forever, lass, though I admire your efforts to try.”
She squirmed harder, but he had her arms pinned at her sides and at some point he’d curled a big leg around hers.
They were both soaking wet, drenched beneath the unforgiving rain. She looked up at his face and felt his warm breath on her lips. His dark-lashed blue eyes held her captive in some kind of persuasive dream. He was unbelievably handsome, and she could have wept at the unfairness of itall—that a devil like him could be blessed with such perfection. Clearly there was no justice in the world.
She was doomed.
Relaxing her body and unclenching her fists, Amelia expel ed a breath into thechillydawn air. She had no choice but to surrender to him, at least for now.
He relaxed, too, and his nose brushed against her cheek.
“Wise decision, lass.”
Sheallowed the fight to drain out of her body, then felt the Highlander’s erection, pressing against her pelvic bone. The shock of it nearly choked her, and her blood began to race.
She knew it would come to this sooner or later, but not now … not yet.…
“Please,” she said.
“Please what, lass?”
His lips swept across her mouth, and she made asmallinvoluntary whimper.
“You’re going to have to soften to me eventual y,” he said.
“Wouldn’t it be easier and more pleasant for us both if you did it now?”
“Iwillnever soften to you,” she replied, wishing she felt more in control.
He slid his hand down the side of her thigh,pulledhis body closer to hers, and her insides began to burn. “Stop touching me like that,” she said.
“Like what? Is there another way you would prefer?”
“I would prefer it not atall.”
With those disarming blue eyes, he looked down at her in the dawn light. She wished she could escape his gaze, but again she was trapped in it. He was too much for her.
“That’s better,” he said as he began to lay soft kisses across her cheek.
“I don’t know what you want from me.” She closed her eyes at the touch of his lips.
“I just want you to yield.”
Feeling helpless and defeated, she turned her head to the side and suddenly found herself gaping at a pair of animal-hide boots, less than two feet away from her face.
Startled out of her wits, she blinked through the rain to try to decipher if she was imagining things, but she was not.
