Page 84 of A Dangerous Highland Affair

“What are ye going to do, Neacal?” she asked, alarmed.

“What I should have done ages afore,” he replied, calmly. “To see Marcas an’ have it oot wi’ him, man to man…!”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

“Y e cannae go, I willnae let ye…”

Teasag’s voice carried across the room and, picked up by the whistling wind at the window, out into the wilderness beyond.

By now, Teasag was on her feet, fevered and adamant. In the center of each cheek, a little rosebud illuminated her passion.

Neacal had to give it to her; she certainly was determined. But then again, so was he.

“Ye cannae stop me,” he said. Inside, he felt a pang of guilt for having to be quite so insistent, but there was no other way. His decision was a culmination of months of being on the run.

Over the last several weeks, Neacal had grown weary of looking over his shoulder. It was getting harder and harder to hide, especially with his face on so many posters.

At a stroke, Marcas had transformed him from a nobody into the most wanted man in the clan, possibly in the Highlands. And it had made daily life impossible for him.

But he had to tread carefully. The look in Teasag’s eyes filled him with pity, a deep wish that things didn’t have to be like this. As she approached him, tears brimming in her eyes, Neacal felt his heart give a rush, and his resolve almost soften.

“Neacal, it’s madness, it’s a suicide mission,” she said, her light blue eyes adrift with pain.

“I have to,” said Neacal, simply, taking her hands and holding them tight.

They now faced each other in the room, and Neacal was surprised to discover that the time had ticked on somehow. Their impasse had taken them long into the afternoon.

Neacal did not know how long they stood there, just looking at each other. He didn’t know how much time had passed since Gaie had left the room, just that it felt like a hundred thousand years and as if all the sadness in the world had washed over him.

“But why?” asked Teasag plaintively. Instead of answering, Neacal came over to her.

For the last half hour, they had stood apart, firing barbs from opposing sides of the room. But now, sensing a change in mood, Neacal walked over, bringing her face closer to his.

“Because,” he said simply. He stroked the side of her cheek with his index finger. The sensation of her skin beneath his finger set off a chain reaction inside him. Before he knew what was happening, he had brought her even closer, this time near enough to feel the heat of her breath on his chin.

The next thing either of them knew, they were kissing. To begin with, it was slow, Teasag’s kiss curling from her petal-soft lips. But then it gathered in force, like a storm, until Neacal had her in a clinch so powerful, it threatened to suffocate the pair of them.

“Oh,” groaned Teasag, as she clung into Neacal’s frame. The passion between them was undeniable, but as fast as the demons inside him might want to go, something was stopping him.

It was her innocence.

As much as Neacal wanted to slam into Teasag’s warm flesh and make mad love to her, something inside of him urged him to slow down. Somehow, it felt like the right thing to do.

So very gradually, Neacal pressed deeper and further, leaning into her gently and slowly.

Teasag responded, bringing her hand up to his hair and running her long, tapering fingers all over him.

Curiously, Neacal took hold of her slim hands and held them firm. He wondered what else those talented fingers could do. Leaning down, he kissed them softly, bringing a giggle to Teasag’s lips.

On hearing her laugh, Neacal swung around to face her. And then, slowly, very slowly, he kissed her tenderly on the lips, his own lips hovering tentatively over her face. Then he lowered his embrace so that his lips met with her chin.

By now, Neacal felt himself afloat. A fire had taken him and, pretty soon, had consumed his flesh in flames of passion. The tingle of her kiss wrenched at him inside. He was powerless to stop the feelings burning up inside of him.

His hands spread to the top of her body. Softly, he stroked her from the nape of the neck down to her shoulder blades, all the time, his fingers cajoling and teasing.

Although fully clothed, Neacal could already feel his hardness, as the sight of this beautiful woman sent his heart rate through the roof.

The scent of Teasag’s body was firmly upon him, swirling in the air around him. There was nothing else he could do; it was intoxicating.