“I’m sorry,” she said, her face turning pink. “I’m behaving badly.”
“Sorry?” he said in a ragged voice. “I wanted to die that felt so good.”
A purely feminine smile curved up the corners of her mouth. “Truly?”
“Aye,” he said. “I haven’t seen this wild side of ye before.”
“I haven’t either.”
Her breath hitched when he cupped her cheek and ran his thumb over her swollen bottom lip.
“Don’t misunderstand me. I like ye when you’re sweet and shy,” he said. “But when you’re like this, I’m at your mercy.”
Though he had made his admission in all seriousness, she laughed and proceeded to cover his face with kisses. Ach, this lass was a mystery. Yesterday she cursed at him in front of his men. But now that he’d made an utter arse of himself, she was kissing him as if he was a hero returned from battle.
He pulled her on top of him so that she was sitting up straddling him. She looked so lovely with her cheeks flushed and her hair falling loose that she took his breath away. He ran his hands up her thighs under her gown.Ach, he could feel her heat through their clothes.
How far would she let him go this time…
“I’m ready,” she said, sounding determined.
“Ready?” His heart hammered in his chest. He was afraid to hope. Yet all the signs pointed to the answer he’d wanted to hear since the first moment he saw her.
“To truly become your wife,” she said, looking straight at him with her wide violet eyes.
He held his breath and waited, still afraid he mistook her meaning.
“I want to consummate our marriage.” She paused and wet her lips. “I want ye, David Hume.”
God, yes!How long had he waited for her to say those words? He felt as if he’d suffered a lifetime of longing.
“Are ye certain, Allie?” He had tried to ignore the quaver in her voice, but he couldn’t.
She gave him a slow nod. “Aye.”
He wanted her so badly his hands shook, but he must not frighten her. No matter what it cost him, he would be gentle and go slowly.
“Does this mean you’ve given up on your brothers rescuing you?” he asked, though he should not care why she was willing.
“I have, but that’s not the reason,” she said, her gaze unwavering. “Ye were right when ye said if it wasn’t you, I’d be forced to wed some other man.”
He tried to ignore the stab of disappointment that she had simply accepted the inevitability of marriage and the loss of her freedom.
“If the choice were mine to make,” she said, “I’d choose you.”
His foolish heart wanted to believe her, but the truth was that she’d had no choice.
“Ye prefer the devil ye know?” he said, forcing a smile.
“Today I saw what was in here,” she said, and placed her hand over his heart, “and you’re no devil, David Hume.”
She was wrong. But he would do his damnedest to protect her from the darkness in his soul.
***
Alison was startled by her own boldness. After the unbearable tension of waiting to see if David would go through with the punishment, and then the burst of joy when he tossed the whip aside, all her pent-up emotions had turned quite suddenly—and unexpectedly—into flaming desire the moment she flung her arms around David.
If he had not halted their headlong rush into passion, the bedding would be over and done with by now. She wished it were. Now that she had time to think, she was losing confidence.
