His hand came to rest on her shoulder. He stroked the back of her neck with his thumb, andallher defenses began to crumble.
“Are you not afraid I’llturn you in to the King?” she asked, retreating back to the war thatstillexisted between them, because she was afraid to let herself give in to the passion.
“You won’t do that, lass,” he replied.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I know you care for me,” he said, and her body grew warm with unease. “I felt it last night when I held you in my arms. A man learns much about a woman during such a moment.”
Somethingcompelledher to deny it. “That is not true.”
Yet this morning, when she left him, she’d wanted to cry her eyes out.
He circled around her to block her view of the water and gazed down at her sagely. “And youcallmea liar.”
His voice was oddly hushed, and his eyes glimmered with shadows of desire that caused everything inside her to melt.
Amelia lifted her face to his, and for a moment she stood apart, struggling to bury the memory of what had passed between them the night before, but the attempt was futile.
Hepulledher toward him, her body flush against his, and pressed his mouth to hers. For a shuddering moment, the rest of the world ceased to exist. Arousalswelled within her, and she needed to touch and hold him, to beg him to make everything better, to deliver her from this torment.
Then a sudden, raw hurt reared up inside her and she pressed her hands to his chest.
“Please don’t kiss me like that,” she pleaded. “I may be your captive, but I am not your woman. I do notwantto love you. So please, just let me go.”
“It doesn’t have to be so difficult,” he gently urged. “Al you need to do isfollowyour impulses.”
“My impulses?” She glanced up at him with fire in her eyes. “What if my impulses are to run you through?”
Duncan slowly backed her up against thewall. His mouth found hers again in a second, tender effort to claim and possess. He kissed her deeply, then caught her up in his arms and held her close. The intimacy of it broke herwill. His tonguerolledseductively around hers, and a wild frenzy of heartache and yearning racked her body. She was no match for him, and she hated him for that.
“Whatwillyou do with me?” she asked,stillwishing she could push him away but failing in the attempt.
“I plan to keep you, lassie. I’llnot let you run from me again.” His voice was soft and husky, heavy with desire.
She could barely think now. “What are you saying? That youwillnever let me go? That youwillkeep me as your prisoner forever?”
He lightly palmed her breast. “Surely you know me better than that. I told you I wasn’t daft. I’llnot be letting you go, lass, because you’llbe my countess.”
She looked up. “I beg your pardon? You are suggesting that we should marry?”
His expression was darkly sexual. “Aye. I can’t stomach the idea of you returning to your betrothed. He’llnever put his hands on you again, not while I live. I mean to take you from him, and have you for myself.”
“So this is about your vengeance?” she asked, needing to understand. “You wish to deprive Richard of his wedding day, as he deprived you of yours? Just to punish him? Is that it?”
“Aye, and I’lltake great pleasure in it. I can’t deny it.”
Fighting to stay strong, sheswallowed hard over the frustration and discontent she was feeling. “So by wedding me, youwillagain be using me as your weapon?”
The corner of his mouth curled up slightly in a predatory grin. “I’llbe using you inallsorts of other ways, too, lass, and I promise we’llboth enjoy it, just as we did last night by the fire.”
Amelia pushed away from him and faced the door. “This is too much, Duncan. You cannot do this to me. You cannot make such a demand, nor can you expect me to forgive you forallthat has occurred between us leading up to this moment. You abducted me, you bound me with ropes, you threatened my life, and you want tokillthe man who isstill, despite everything, my fiancé. You have no right to claim me as your own.”
He scoffed. “You and yoursillyEnglish rules. Youwillbe my wife, Amelia, and I do not care what Richard Bennett thinks about it. Itwillnot matter for long, at any rate.”
“Because youstillplan tokillhim.”
“I’llnot rest until I have my justice.”
