“No, Alec,” she whispered. “I cannot….”
His fingers stopped their advance, but he continued to hold her tightly against him. “You can and you will. Agree to the betrothal, Peyton.”
She shook her head and his mouth clamped down on her lips, draining her control. “Say you will marry me,” he demanded huskily.
“I….” she began and he cut her off with another brutal kiss until she was gasping for air.
“Say it!” he ordered.
“Alec….!” she tried to pull away from his consuming mouth but he would not allow her to.
“I shall have your agreement if I have to kiss it out of you,” he rasped, his tongue licking her mouth indecently.
She moaned and responded to his onslaught, but only momentarily before she returned to her slimly-held senses. “I do not want to.”
“But you will,” he suckled her lower lip furiously and her breathing came out in sharp little pants. “Say it.”
She gasped and his mouth closed over her lips violently. She was only aware of Alec and his passion, of their tongues tangling, of the feel of him against her. She could barely comprehend her thoughts, but she knew clearly that she wanted more of him. For the first time in her life, she gave into the wicked world of desire.
“I shall…. I shall agree!” she breathed as his mouth released her.
He grinned, his eyes half-lidded with lust. “Promise?”
She could barely nod and her eyes opened slowly; she was positively dazed. He continued to smile at her and brushed her lips with his own, gently this time.
“Truly?” he murmured. “No regrets?”
She blinked and swallowed hard, her lucidity returning. “I said I would. What choice did you give me?”
“None at all,” he said honestly, kissing her deeply once more. “I may not be ready for marriage, and mayhap you aren’t either. But I shall be damned if another man will have you. I would regret it sorely if my father married you to another.”
She sighed raggedly, gazing into his sky-blue eyes. “Why?”
His grin turned wolfish. “Because you are a tasty morsel and I intend to have you all to myself. Besides, you are so beautiful that I shall find you very pleasant to look at in years to come.”
She stared at him, regaining her senses bit by bit until she realized he was holding her aloft without any trouble whatsoever. Her bootedfeet dangled a dozen inches off the ground and she attempted to release him, but his grip held her fast.
“Put me down, Alec,” she said quietly. The severity of her wanton behavior was bearing down on her and she was suddenly ashamed and confused. Moreover, she had just agreed to marry him and she wasn’t at all sure how to feel about it.
“As you wish, my lady,” he complied, but not before kissing her again. Good lord, he could melt her to the core with his sweet kisses.
He took her hand and led her over to the fire where the pot was boiling furiously. Still dazed, Peyton sat on the stump stupidly as he fussed with the contents of his satchel.
“We will break the night’s fast with broth and bread and then I shall take you back to Blackstone,” he said.
Peyton stared at him, taking another look at his profile. She’d noticed that he was handsome before, but she did not stop to realize precisely how handsome. His features were sculpted and perfect, lending credit to his aura of pure strength. In spite of his size, he moved with awesome grace and agility. It was an extremely pleasing combination.
This man is to be my husband, she thought as if the full impact of the idea had just occurred to her. She felt defeated and giddy at the same time.
“Which way did Ivy go?” he asked, putting the broth into a tin cup.
“South, to the woods,” she replied dully, still caught up in her own thoughts.
“We will go and search for her, then,” he handed her the broth and a hunk of brown bread. “’Tis not safe for her to be traveling the woods alone, although from what I have seen she can take care of herself.”
Peyton sipped the broth and devoured the bread; she was starving. Alec stood several feet away, chewing on a large piece of bread and looking thoughtful. “Are your sister’s ideas on marriage the same as yours?”
“Very much so,” Peyton said firmly. “She doesn’t like men.”
