What he really wanted was the bold, innocent kiss of a redheaded hellion. And this woman in his arms was nothing more than a poor substitute, and his body knew it.
Damn it straight to hell!
How could he want Maggie so? She made him insane. She was stubborn, opinionated, and the last thing she wanted to do was please a man.
And yet...
I am a fool! A stupid, cursed fool who should have his head ripped from his shoulders.
Suddenly, their embrace seemed tawdry and vile. Despicable. And if Maggie should ever learn of it, it would crush her.
“I can’t do this.” He pulled back from Tara.
Nay, he couldn’t, not while the true object of his desire was waiting in the stable with his brother.
“Me Da is already in bed,” Tara said. “He’ll never know.” She reached for the laces of his shirt.
Braden caught her hands in his and took a step back. “You’re a beautiful lass, but I’m afraid my mind is somewhere else tonight.”
Tara licked her lips suggestively. “I could make you forget all about that one who holds your thoughts.”
How he wished that were so.
“Good night, Tara.” He released her and headed back to the stable. And with every step he took through the pouring rain, he cursed himself and Maggie.
What was he going to do?
Dear God, did he already love her?
Nay, his mind bellowed. He couldn’t love her. He refused to allow himself to love a woman. Love made a man weak. It made him blind and foolish.
What if she one day asked him to forsake his own blood as his mother had done his father? Or Isobail had done with Kieran and Ewan? Women tore families apart.
He could never live with himself if he hurt his blood because of a woman’s feelings.
This was lust, he decided. He’d merely had a taste of Maggie and liked it.
Worse, was the fact that he knew he couldn’t even bed her to get her out of his system. He would never take that from her.
Throwing his head back, he wished the bloody lightning would strike him dead where he stood. Because there was no way out for him, and no peace to be had.
Rain pelted Maggie’s body, virtually blinding her, and soaking her clothes as she left the stable and started across the yard, toward the house.
She was sure to find Braden there with one of the lasses. And she had a pretty good idea which one of them would be wrapped about him.
Her teeth clenched to stave off the pain, she rounded the edge of the stable.
A loud bleating caught her attention.
Squinting through the rain, she saw two shapes tussling nearby. It appeared to be two farm animals, no doubt doing something she shouldn’t interrupt.
Maggie started to ignore them, until a flash of lightning showed her the outline of a man’s body.
Stunned, she froze, unable to believe her eyes.
Until another flash of lightning flared and she again saw the man pulling at the tiny beast.
Maggie smiled. She’d know that well-muscled form anywhere. Even when it was wringing wet and tugging at some poor, hapless animal.
