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s. ‘We’re husband and wife—and we still haven’t shared the same bed.’
The dress parted and he pushed it back on her shoulders. His hands curved around her arms and he stared at her.
‘How the hell can you look so innocent?’ he whispered. ‘If only…’
A sob caught in her throat as he pulled her to him and kissed her. His lips moved on hers, demanding response. But she felt nothing. Once, Quinn had held her in his arms and the heat of a thousand suns had blazed in her blood. Now, the chill that had held her captive for so long was reclaiming her heart.
Tears stung her eyes. What dark Fate had sent Quinn to her? He was the man who’d freed her from her prison of ice—and now he would be the one who returned her to it for ever.
He lifted his head and looked down at her. His breathing was ragged, his eyes cold stars.
‘Playing the Snow Queen won’t stop me tonight, Paige.’ His fingers played idly with the lace border of her chemise. ‘You might as well make it easy on yourself. Pretend I’m Ward. Close your eyes and enjoy it.’
Her heart thudded against her ribs. ‘If there’s a shred of decency in you…’
‘Decency?’ He cupped her shoulders in his hands and lifted her to her toes. ‘Who are you to talk about decency? You don’t know the meaning of the word. Christ, if poor Alan had only seen through you. If he’d realised what a scheming bitch you are…’
‘I wish to God I’d never met your brother,’ she sobbed. ‘I wish I’d never met you. I…’
He growled as he pulled her against him. ‘But you did.’ His voice held the finality of doom. ‘We made an agreement,’ he whispered, lowering his head to hers. ‘And I’ll be damned if I’ll let you forget it.’
She stood within his arms like a marble statue. Immobile, cold, beyond feeling, she waited for him to finish what had become inevitable. His lips moved roughly over hers, then to her cheek, her throat, to the shadowed softness of neck and shoulder. She closed her eyes when he caught her chemise and pulled it away from her breasts.
It seemed impossible to remember that she’d ever longed for his caress. But she knew she had; once, the touch of his hands on her skin, the brush of his mouth on hers, had filled her with a rapture so sweet it had made her dizzy with longing. She felt nothing now. It was as if she were elsewhere, watching as Quinn made love to a woman made of stone.
‘What is this?’
His voice drew her back. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at him. He was looking at her through slitted eyes. His hand was between them, outstretched, the ruby ring he’d given her burning in his palm.
‘It’s… it’s the ring you gave me.’
A smile as deadly as summer lightning flashed across his face. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I remember.’
He closed his hand over the ring and the length of gold chain from which it hung. The fragile rope drew her closer to him.
‘You said it was mine,’ she said with a touch of defiance. ‘I offered it to you, but you said…’
The ring fell from his hand and swung back against her breasts. ‘I know what I said. Have you always worn it?’
Her chin lifted. ‘I forgot to take it off, that’s all.’
‘Forgot? All these weeks, and you forgot?’ His arms slid around her waist. His breath was warm against her cheek. ‘Do you remember the night I gave it to you?’
‘No,’ she said quickly.
‘I do,’ he said softly. ‘I remember it as if it were yesterday. I told you the flame that burned in the ruby’s heart would remind you of me.’
‘I… I don’t remember. I…’
His arms tightened around her. ‘I said it would make you think of how it would be for us when we made love.’
A tremor raced along her spine. ‘That was… that was in another lifetime,’ she whispered. ‘It was…’
‘Yes,’ he said softly, ‘it was. It was a time of magic.’ He gathered her to him. ‘Tell me you remember that night, Paige.’
Her gaze swept over his face, searching it for some new cruelty. His eyes blazed with light, his lips were parted.
‘Quinn,’ she whispered. ‘Quinn…’
