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“Kieran,” she said again, her hips arching up toward him in perfect rhythm. He was buried full hilt now.

“Let. It. Go.” This time he demanded, and she did exactly that. Pressing up into him, she squeezed her eyes shut and made the most seductive of sounds. Removing his hand from between them, he braced himself and, after one final thrust, wanting nothing more than to remain buried inside her, spilling his seed . . . he pulled out.

And came instead into the cloth he’d placed beside them.

By the time Kieran recovered, Maisie had turned to him. Head on the pillow, the curve of her hips too enticing not to touch, he jumped from the bed, disposed of the cloth, and lay back next to her. Wordlessly his hand splayed on her waist and then moved downward. It stilled on her hip, Kieran content to leave it there as he looked into Maisie’s eyes.

“You do not cover yourself,” he said.

“Nor do you. Why are you surprised that I do not?”

“Never mind that. I am glad that you do not. You have a beautiful body, Maisie.” As they spoke, his fingers caressed her soft skin.

“I have the body I was born with. No more, no less.”

“A body that sang for me this eve.”

“A song I’d gladly sing again.” She smiled. “I was no virgin before this night, but had never truly made love before.”

As he suspected. “Tonight,” he insisted, “was as it should be.”

Kieran moved closer to her so that he could feel the heat of her body. Neither of them moved to get underneath the coverlet, and he realized it was a unique situation, to lie with a woman this way.

He quite enjoyed it.

“I’ve not met a woman like you before.”

Maisie’s hand rose toward his head. Smoothing back a lock of his hair, she traced her finger along his jaw.

“Nor I, you.”

“I came to speak with you about last eve, and yet, we’ve not done so. You did not wish to do so today on the ride back.” It was not a question, nor did Maisie respond. She sighed instead, dropping her hand on the bed between them. Somewhat reluctantly, Kieran removed his hand from her hip and laid it atop her own.

Neither of them spoke for some time.

“I like looking at you,” she said finally.

“Not as much as I do you, lass. But you are cold,” he said, having seen her shiver.

“Will you warm me?”

He’d love nothing more. “Come here,” Kieran said, tugging the coverlet down and pulling her toward him. “I will gladly do so before I leave. We should talk, however. ‘Tis why I came.”

“To talk,” she said, her naked body now pressed to his side.

“Aye,” he responded, ignoring the teasing tone of her voice. “To talk.”

“Mmmm,” Maisie murmured, not seeming inclined to do so. But then again, neither was he. In fact, it was a discussion he dreaded, knowing his mind. And hers. Especially after what had transpired between them.

I’ve not met a woman like you before.

It was true. Neither had he ever wanted so much to please a woman as he had Maisie. Likely because of her past experience with her husband, no more than that.

He wanted to see her face and so leaned back just slightly. Sleeping. Maisie’s eyes were closed, her breathing steady. And she was sleeping, in his arms. He’d intended to speak with her and leave, but no part of him wished to do that.

And so he pulled her tighter against him and closed his eyes instead.

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