Connor deepened it before sense returned. Her mouth opened beneath his, and the small sound she made nearly shattered the last of his restraint.
He wanted to press her into the grass, to feel the full length of her under him, to teach her something far more dangerous than how to break a man’s grip.
He lifted his head first, and for once, he had no order ready. Violet, on the other hand, stared up at him, lips parted, eyes wide with the same shock burning through him.
The training yard was quiet around them, and his hand was still braced beside her head.
Damn ye, Connor.
8
Connor lifted his head first.
The training yard was quiet except for Violet’s rough breathing beneath him. Her fingers were still curled into his shirt, twisted into the linen as if she had meant to push him away and forgotten how.
His palm was pressed against the damp grass beside her head, and her lips were parted, red and swollen. For one brief moment, he could think of nothing but lowering his mouth to hers again.
He hadkissedher. He had wanted her at that moment, and he had moved first.
All of a sudden, as if the spell binding them both broke free, Violet’s eyes narrowed.
“Move,” she said.
Connor moved.
He pushed himself off her at once and stood, though standing gave him no advantage over the blood thrumming in his veins.
Violet sat up quickly, brushing grass from her gown with hands that were not as steady as she likely wished them to be. Her face was flushed, and she would not look at him for longer than a heartbeat.
“This was a bad idea,” she muttered.
Connor reached for control the way he would usually reach for his blade. His voice came out even. “The lesson or the kiss?”
Her flush deepened. “Both.”
He shrugged, in a bid to lighten the atmosphere. “The lesson was useful.”
“The lesson was meant to help me protectJohn.” She stood and shook more grass from her dress, keeping some distance between them as if distance had become another rule she could enforce with sheer will. “This did not help.”
“It taught ye something,” Connor pointed out.
“Aye.” Violet finally looked at him, and the anger in her eyes was too bright to be only anger. “That I should stay far away from ye.”
The words struck cleaner than he had expected.
He let his hands fall to his sides before they could curl again. “There is nothing wrong with wanting yer husband.”
“Well, ye arenae me husband yet now, are ye?” she scoffed.
“I will be soon.”
“Nae if I strangle ye before the priest arrives.”
He narrowed his eyes, studying the steady frustration behind hers. “Well, that would complicate the ceremony.”
“Good.”
The sharp exchange did not hide the truth. Not from him. Not from her either, judging by the way her gaze dropped to his mouth before snapping away.
