“Ye’ve thanked me,”he replied, a bitter edge to his voice. “Now, go.”
Yet she approached his desk,setting the léine down before him. The movement caused her robe to open slightly, revealing the swell of a breast beneath her chemise. Hector’s mouth went dry.
“Is somethin’wrong?” she asked, her voice soft and uncertain. “Ye seemed… angry durin’ our lesson today.”
“Nae angry.”He rose abruptly, needing to put distance between them. “Ye should return to yer chambers, Gabriella. It’s nae proper for ye to be here.”
“Since when haveye cared about what’s proper?” she challenged, a flash of the spirit that had first caught his attention. “Ye placed me in the Laird’s wing rather than the guests’ quarters. That’s hardly proper.”
“For yer protection,”he growled.
“Is that all it was?”
She rounded the desk,close enough now that he could smell the lavender in her hair, see the pulse fluttering at the base of her throat. Close enough that the heat of her body seemed to reach across the small space between them, calling to something primal within him.
The firelight caughtin her eyes, turning them into sapphires.
“I warned ye,”Hector grunted, his control slipping with each passing moment. “I warned ye nae to wander around dressed like that.”
Gabriella tiltedher face up to his, her lips parted slightly. Her tongue darted out nervously to wet her lower lip, and the innocent gesture nearly undid him. “I remember.”
Her expression—theopen invitation, the vulnerability beneath the bravado—snapped the last thread of his restraint.
“God help me,”he breathed, and then his mouth was on hers.
The kiss wasn’t gentle.Couldn’t be, not after days of wanting her.
His hands tangledin her hair, tilting her head back to deepen the kiss. Her lips parted on a gasp, and he took immediate advantage, his tongue seeking the sweet warmth of her mouth.
Gabriella didn’t pushhim away. Instead, she melted against him, her arms winding around his neck as she pressed herself against his chest. Her response was eager, if inexperienced—following his lead with an enthusiasm that fed the fire raging through his veins.
Her soft curvesmolded perfectly against his harder frame, and he groaned into her mouth at the exquisite torture of feeling her body against his.
Their mouths moved togetherwith increasing urgency, tongues dancing and dueling. Her fingers threaded through his hair, holding him to her as if afraid he might pull away. The small sounds of pleasure she made—soft whimpers and sighs—drove him to the edge of insanity.
Hector’s handsfound her waist, spanning it easily before sliding lower to cup the curve of her backside. The thin fabric was no barrier at all; he could feel the heat of her skin, the firm roundness of her flesh beneath his palms. He pulled her tighter against him, letting her feel the evidence of his desire. Her hips bucked instinctively, and the friction made them both gasp.
“Mmm. Oh, Hector,”she whimpered against his mouth, her fingers digging into his shoulders. Her voice was breathless, wanting, and it sent liquid fire straight through him.
She moaned,and this time, the sound broke through the haze of lust.
This was Gabriella—thewoman he’d rescued, who had suffered at the hands of men like Lewis. The woman who trusted him enough to come to his chambers alone, vulnerable and seeking… what? Comfort? Connection?
He should stopthis madness now before it went further. Should send her away with a stern warning, or an apology, or both.
Instead,his lips left hers to trace a burning path along her jaw, down the column of her throat. He found the sensitive spot where her pulse hammered beneath delicate skin and lingered there, tasting her with the tip of his tongue. Her skin was silk and salt, and he wanted to explore every inch of her.
Her head fell back,granting him better access, her fingers clutching at his shoulders. The graceful arch of her neck and the way she trembled under his ministrations was the most erotic sight he’d ever beheld.
His hands trailed upward,skimming her ribs, feeling each rapid breath she took, the way her body responded to his touch. His thumbs brushed the underside of her breasts, and he felt her nipples harden in response, the peaks visible through the gossamer fabric.
Gabriella moaned.It was a sound of pure pleasure that shot through him like lightning. She arched her back, pressing into his hands, and for a moment, he was lost in the sensation of her softness, her warmth, her complete surrender to the moment.
The beastwithin him roared in triumph, urging him to take more, to claim her completely.
His mouth foundthe hollow at the base of her throat, and she gasped his name again, her hands fisting in his shirt as if she needed the anchor. The sound of his name on her lips, breathless with desire, nearly shattered his resolve.
With monumental effort,Hector pulled away, his breathing ragged. His entire body protested the loss of contact, every nerve ending screaming for more.
