She was unlike any other woman. He wanted her as he’d wanted no other woman.
Drawn by a force he felt powerless to resist, Alec left the house and followed, but he kept his distance. He couldn’t have stopped himself from following even if he’d wanted to.
Gathering flowers from nearby, she guided little fingers in making daisy chains as they sat on the ground. The girls beamed as she placed a coronet of flowers on their heads. Little Greta dropped one onto Maura’s head.
Maura began to sing—off-key, which made it all the more disarming. On her feet now, she danced an Irish jig. Like leapfrogs, the children jumped up and joined in. Their laughter shrilled into squeals. Maura kicked off her shoes. Her hair had slipped from its knot on her nape. Raven locks streamed wildly behind her as she danced. Then she and the children joined hands and skipped in a wild circle. Shrieks of glee filled the air.
Alec moved closer. Shielded by the trunk of a giant oak, he watched them romp, conscious of an odd sensation growing deep in his chest. He couldn’t take his eyes off Maura.
A smile tugged at his lips when her garland of daisies slipped off. She snatched it up and plopped it crookedly atop her head.
Then one of the children spotted him. “Can his grace dance?”
He’d been discovered.
“Come, your grace!” shouted Andrew, Mrs. Yates’s youngest grandson. “Come dance with us!”
Alec arched a brow, then held out his hand as Maura twirled close. Her fingers caught his and she pulled him in. Then somehow she and Alec were in the middle, while the little ones danced all around. Alec spun her around and around until Maura was gasping and laughing and dizzy, her face turned up to the sky.
He caught her up against him. Locked fast in his arms, Maura gazed down into eyes of deep blue fire. And in those fiery depths glimmered a fierce yearning.
He wanted to kiss her.
He wanted to kiss her.
What happened next was a blur. Maura was hazily aware of Alec tugging her by the hand. Blindly, she followed until he pulled her around and into his arms, back against the trunk of a tree.
“Alec,” she cried. “Alec, what are you doing?”
“What I wanted to do in front of the children.”
His eyes were burning. His words thrilled her as nothing else could have. The raw hunger on his face made her mouth go dry.
Her pulse clamored madly. She inhaled sharply. A battle raged inside her. She couldn’t—shouldn’t!—be with him like this. “Alec,” she said weakly, “we can’t. We mustn’t.”
“I know.”
The words were a hoarse, ragged mutter.
He didn’t stop kissing her. Nor did she want him to. She saw on his face the same desperate desire that she felt.
With stormy heart and quavering limbs, her arms crept around his neck. Everything inside her went weak as he brought her against him. She felt the shape of him through his trousers, quickening in one breath, pulsing and erect against her belly even before the next.
His kiss sapped her strength and left her utterly boneless.
Maura had little recollection of entering the hall by the back entrance. Caught up in his arms, they kissed wildly as he closed the door of his room with the heel of his boot.
Their clothing left a trail to the bed. He deposited her on the bed and followed her down.
“Maura,” he whispered. “I want you, sweet.”
His tongue sparred with hers. Her breasts swelled. He caught one ripe, swollen nipple in his mouth. One hand caught her buttocks. The other caught his shaft. He rubbed it between her thighs, parting her damp, dewy pocket to find the nub within. He was fever hot, and hard as stone.
His fingers spread her wide. They were both half mad when he thrust inside. Neither could look away. She moaned. He groaned. It was wild. Tempestuous. He pumped frantically and Maura clung to him blindly, arching her neck as she shuddered her release.
Then Alec collapsed beside her, wrapped an arm around her and pulled her tight against his side. Catching her hand, he kissed her knuckles and drew her hand to the center of his chest, covering it with his own.
Maura laid her head against his shoulder, nestling against his warmth, welcoming the peace that settled over them.
