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Snow had started falling shortly before they arrived at the cottage, big fat snowflakes that quickly stuck to everything they settled upon. Reeve dismounted first and then, with a quick grab at her waist, he had her standing next to him.
Odran and Reeve talked for a few moments, though Tara had no idea what they discussed. She was much too worried about spending time alone with Reeve and trying desperately to ignore, chase, and be rid of the passion that so thoroughly consumed her.
Reeve took hold of her hand, and it was then she noticed that they were alone. Not only Odran was gone, but so was the horse. Snow was falling fast and hard. And she was surprised that the flakes that fell on her weren’t melting, her burning desire for Reeve having flamed even more instead of dying to tiny embers.
He hurried her into the cottage, shutting the door. And before he turned, she scurried around so that the table stood between them.
When he turned, his grin faded though he said nothing. He removed his cloak, hanging it on the peg near the door. Then he pulled his black shirt from his plaid, stretching his arms up to shed it with a careless toss.
Tara felt her legs buckle, and she leaned on the back of the chair for support. He was simply delicious. His lean form was defined by taut muscles, and each stretch and turn defined those muscles even more. He was a gorgeously crafted male and he loved her and she loved him and this should be so easy, but it wasn’t.
He yanked his boots off and tossed them to land near the hearth. He then grabbed his plaid at the waist, where it sat tightly tucked, and once he pulled the strip loose and let it fall, he would be completely naked.
“Don’t,” she said sharply.
“You don’t want to make love with me?”
Damn him for asking her that. “You know I want to make love with you.”
He grinned and let his plaid fall.
Tara almost shut her eyes, almost, but then thought better of it. She would not appear a coward. She had to make him see reason though how she would do that with him naked in front of her was the real question.
She tried not to focus on his obvious desire for her, but damn if she couldn’t keep her eyes off it.Large, long, thick.She startled at the fast throb that struck between her legs.
“You can’t deny we want each other,” Reeve said.
Tara felt like raging at the injustice of all she had endured and still continued to endure, and tears were quick to fill her eyes.
Reeve stepped forward, but she swung her hand up. “Don’t.”
“I am going to make love to you,” he said adamantly.
“Then you will die,” she said, shaking her head and letting the tears fall. She was exhausted from fighting, exhausted by the loneliness, exhausted from the passion that just would not dissipate.
Reeve moved so fast that Tara had no time to react. He had her in his arms before she could protest, and once there, she didn’t want to leave. She rested her head on his bare chest and let the tears fall.
He held her close. “Cry all you want. I am here with you, where I want to be, and with you is where I intend to stay forever.”
She let the tears fall, not sure why she was crying and not caring, knowing only that she needed to shed them. Perhaps they fell because she would not make love with him, or perhaps she would and then regret it, for she would be the death of him. She didn’t know, didn’t want to know. She simply wanted to remain safe in his arms forever.
“We need to do this,” he said.
“Why? Why can’t we remain like this? Me forever in your arms.”
“You know why as well as I do.”
“Love,” she said. “You won’t say it, won’t admit it, but it is love that drives our passion, our need, our never-ending ache for each other.”
“That need, ache, whatever you wish to call it needs to be satisfied.”
“And the consequences? What of them?”
“We leave them to fate,” he said.
“Don’t ask that of me. I can’t.”
“I can, and you will.” He took gentle hold of her chin and raised her face to look upon him. “Trust me. Let me make love to you.”
