Read Online By Vengeance Guided (The Lost Shrines Book 1) by Amberlyn Holland - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Amberlyn Holland
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feather-light touch that made her ache for more.
Lia stared up into those beautiful, chiseled features and lost herself in the want, the need, she'd been suppressing since the moment they'd first met on the village street.
When Wyn leaned toward her, she went up on tiptoe to meet him. The first brush of his lips over hers was gentle, questioning. When she brought her hand up to tangle in his hair and pull him even closer, though, the desire and heat exploded between them.
His mouth closed over hers with firm demand and she willingly opened for him. Tongues tangled, breath mingled and soon she had no idea where she ended and he began. The drugging heat pulsed through her veins, washed through her like a blessing. Like a promise of untold pleasure to come.
Time had no meaning as she lost herself in him. The hard-edged rocks pressing into her thighs eventually worked themselves into her awareness, though. Then the sounds of the manor, men shouting, chopping, animals calling, children playing. None, thankfully, close enough to need immediate attention. But enough that she knew they could not continue. Should never have started.
Her hand slid from his hair, mapping a trail across the sharp planes of his face, down the strong muscles of his neck and shoulder to the broad expanse of his chest.
With a gentle, regretful press against him, she dropped back to flat feet, putting a few inches between them.
It took three deep breaths before she found her voice.
"I'm sorry."
He blinked, eyes still cloudy with passion. "For what? I think I'm the one that kissed you, I believe. If an apology needs to be made, it should be mine. Does one need to be made?"
She shook her head. "No. Not for the kiss. But I shouldn't have… I can't allow it to happen again. And I can't make an exception about the festival. So, I'm sorry."
Like a sudden winter squall, the desire and warm, easy expression disappeared behind an icy mask. His hands dropped away from her as if he had been scalded.
"I see."
"No, you don't. I'm afraid you never will. The important thing… The thing I should have told you before it got…" She waved a hand helplessly around them. "I should have told you I am betrothed."
He didn't even blink at her announcement. She narrowed her eyes, pinched her lips tight, and she took a step back to give herself a little more space from him. She'd have thought a stone wall was enough, but she'd just proven that wasn't the case.
"You don't look surprised."
There was a flicker of something, there and gone so fast she wasn't sure it had ever been.
"I'm not. Not really. I'd heard rumors. It's a small village, you know."
With a long-suffering sigh, she nodded. "I know."
"I'd also heard you probably wouldn't marry him. You'd get out of it. Somehow."
"I wish," she muttered, then, louder, she said. "That is the plan. However, right now, I'm still kind of stuck with him. Even if… I can't get involved in any way with anyone. There's too much at stake. I'm sorry."
She bit her lip. She was tired of apologizing. Tired of almost saying more than she should. Tired of not saying what she wanted to. Of not doing what she wanted to. Just, really, really tired.
He looked for a moment like he wanted to ask more questions. Then he stopped and let his eyes roam over her once again. She wondered what he saw. If her expression was as unreadable as his.
"All right. Friends, then?" He held out a hand.
"Yes," she agreed wholeheartedly and took his hand. An electric echo of the heat from their kiss raced along her nerves. She knew she’d regret the necessary outcome of this conversation for a long, long time.
*****
After Lia walked away, Caer finished the last of the stone wall, then followed when everyone joyfully cut the day short and headed home to prepare for the night's revelry. As soon as he arrived at the inn, he'd taken his meal upstairs with an exaggerated pout and heavy feet.
He collapsed on the bed to plan but remembered sensations of
Lia stared up into those beautiful, chiseled features and lost herself in the want, the need, she'd been suppressing since the moment they'd first met on the village street.
When Wyn leaned toward her, she went up on tiptoe to meet him. The first brush of his lips over hers was gentle, questioning. When she brought her hand up to tangle in his hair and pull him even closer, though, the desire and heat exploded between them.
His mouth closed over hers with firm demand and she willingly opened for him. Tongues tangled, breath mingled and soon she had no idea where she ended and he began. The drugging heat pulsed through her veins, washed through her like a blessing. Like a promise of untold pleasure to come.
Time had no meaning as she lost herself in him. The hard-edged rocks pressing into her thighs eventually worked themselves into her awareness, though. Then the sounds of the manor, men shouting, chopping, animals calling, children playing. None, thankfully, close enough to need immediate attention. But enough that she knew they could not continue. Should never have started.
Her hand slid from his hair, mapping a trail across the sharp planes of his face, down the strong muscles of his neck and shoulder to the broad expanse of his chest.
With a gentle, regretful press against him, she dropped back to flat feet, putting a few inches between them.
It took three deep breaths before she found her voice.
"I'm sorry."
He blinked, eyes still cloudy with passion. "For what? I think I'm the one that kissed you, I believe. If an apology needs to be made, it should be mine. Does one need to be made?"
She shook her head. "No. Not for the kiss. But I shouldn't have… I can't allow it to happen again. And I can't make an exception about the festival. So, I'm sorry."
Like a sudden winter squall, the desire and warm, easy expression disappeared behind an icy mask. His hands dropped away from her as if he had been scalded.
"I see."
"No, you don't. I'm afraid you never will. The important thing… The thing I should have told you before it got…" She waved a hand helplessly around them. "I should have told you I am betrothed."
He didn't even blink at her announcement. She narrowed her eyes, pinched her lips tight, and she took a step back to give herself a little more space from him. She'd have thought a stone wall was enough, but she'd just proven that wasn't the case.
"You don't look surprised."
There was a flicker of something, there and gone so fast she wasn't sure it had ever been.
"I'm not. Not really. I'd heard rumors. It's a small village, you know."
With a long-suffering sigh, she nodded. "I know."
"I'd also heard you probably wouldn't marry him. You'd get out of it. Somehow."
"I wish," she muttered, then, louder, she said. "That is the plan. However, right now, I'm still kind of stuck with him. Even if… I can't get involved in any way with anyone. There's too much at stake. I'm sorry."
She bit her lip. She was tired of apologizing. Tired of almost saying more than she should. Tired of not saying what she wanted to. Of not doing what she wanted to. Just, really, really tired.
He looked for a moment like he wanted to ask more questions. Then he stopped and let his eyes roam over her once again. She wondered what he saw. If her expression was as unreadable as his.
"All right. Friends, then?" He held out a hand.
"Yes," she agreed wholeheartedly and took his hand. An electric echo of the heat from their kiss raced along her nerves. She knew she’d regret the necessary outcome of this conversation for a long, long time.
*****
After Lia walked away, Caer finished the last of the stone wall, then followed when everyone joyfully cut the day short and headed home to prepare for the night's revelry. As soon as he arrived at the inn, he'd taken his meal upstairs with an exaggerated pout and heavy feet.
He collapsed on the bed to plan but remembered sensations of
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