Read Online Defiance at Werewolf Keep (Werewolf Keep Trilogy) by Nhys Glover - Free Book Online
Authors: Nhys Glover
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side of her face gently, staring into her eyes. His were so black she could see herself mirrored back in their onyx gleam.
‘I told you yesterday on the train how I feel about you. Do not demean yourself by not believing me. I have not des ired a woman as I desire you…in a very long time. Be satisfied with that. Why is it that you women want men to proclaim their feelings from the rooftops? Does it no’ satisfy you to have me admit it?’ He sounded angry now, and frustrated with her stupidity.
‘ I am not trying to get you to proclaim your feeling from the roof top. I am trying to get you to admit the truth instead of trying to save my fragile feelings – ’
His mouth came down on her s so hard and fast that she gasped. That was all he needed to invade her mouth, plunging into her hungrily, desperately, raging with some unfathomable emotion. But it frightened her, and she fought to draw away.
Immediately , he let her go.
‘Does that not tell you how I desire you?’ he grated out between tightly drawn lips.
‘That tells me you are punishing me,’ she countered breathlessly.
‘Dear God in Heaven, lassie , you will be the death of me! What can I say to put an end to this nonsense? That from the moment I saw you in your father’s shop, I wanted you? That I havena had a moment’s peace since then, the sight and scent of you always on my mind? That you are like a glowing lamp in the darkness for me?
‘ But you canna have my heart, though you deserve it, because I havena got one. There is a stone in my chest where flesh should be. And a stone canna give you what you want.’
‘What I want?’ she managed to get out of her suddenly dry mouth.
‘Aye. You want my heart and my soul. You want to ensnare me so completely I’ll give everything to be with you. You want me to love you… And I canna do that.’
‘I… I do not want your heart… N ot as you mean it. I… I want your friendship, your gentle caring. That is all I could ever imagine having. The rest is for other women – ’
His rough finger stroked down her cheek gently, sadly. ‘Other women who are not skinny , invalid spinsters, is that it?’
Lily nodded, fighting back the sob that was threatening. Her life was out of control and she didn’t know what to do about it. She had never been in the company of men before, other than her father and physician. In her wildest romantic dreams, she had never envisaged a lover who would marry her and give her children. No man, even had he the opportunity to meet her, would have wanted to risk his heart on her, a woman who could be dead in a month or a year. A plain woman who was already living on borrowed time.
‘You have every right to expect the rest. Yo u are beautiful, like the twin flowers of my home. They’re wild and tiny and grow two funnelled flowers per thin stem, and they’re pale as milk with a centre that looks the colour of your eyes in some lights. A man might walk past them without noticing, but if he stops and looks closely, why, the sight is enough to take his breath away. They bloom for a very short time, so the sight must be appreciated for its rarity. They’re no’ as dramatic and hardy as heather or sweet smelling as Charlotte’s roses, but they are beautiful. And, had I a heart, I would give it to one of those flowers in a moment.’
Lily choked back the lump in her throat. Tears blurred her vision. How could a man who saw the beauty in a tiny flower think he had no heart? How could a man who had shown her the kindness he had, think his heart was a stone? What terrible thing had happened to make this gentle giant think so poorly of himself? Not his wolf, he had told her he had never hurt anyone in that form. But as a man he had killed. Is th at when he felt his heart turn to stone?
She lowered her gaze, confused and unsure what to say or do next. His big hand cupped the side of her head and drew her face upward, forcing her to look at him.
‘Do you understand now?
‘I told you yesterday on the train how I feel about you. Do not demean yourself by not believing me. I have not des ired a woman as I desire you…in a very long time. Be satisfied with that. Why is it that you women want men to proclaim their feelings from the rooftops? Does it no’ satisfy you to have me admit it?’ He sounded angry now, and frustrated with her stupidity.
‘ I am not trying to get you to proclaim your feeling from the roof top. I am trying to get you to admit the truth instead of trying to save my fragile feelings – ’
His mouth came down on her s so hard and fast that she gasped. That was all he needed to invade her mouth, plunging into her hungrily, desperately, raging with some unfathomable emotion. But it frightened her, and she fought to draw away.
Immediately , he let her go.
‘Does that not tell you how I desire you?’ he grated out between tightly drawn lips.
‘That tells me you are punishing me,’ she countered breathlessly.
‘Dear God in Heaven, lassie , you will be the death of me! What can I say to put an end to this nonsense? That from the moment I saw you in your father’s shop, I wanted you? That I havena had a moment’s peace since then, the sight and scent of you always on my mind? That you are like a glowing lamp in the darkness for me?
‘ But you canna have my heart, though you deserve it, because I havena got one. There is a stone in my chest where flesh should be. And a stone canna give you what you want.’
‘What I want?’ she managed to get out of her suddenly dry mouth.
‘Aye. You want my heart and my soul. You want to ensnare me so completely I’ll give everything to be with you. You want me to love you… And I canna do that.’
‘I… I do not want your heart… N ot as you mean it. I… I want your friendship, your gentle caring. That is all I could ever imagine having. The rest is for other women – ’
His rough finger stroked down her cheek gently, sadly. ‘Other women who are not skinny , invalid spinsters, is that it?’
Lily nodded, fighting back the sob that was threatening. Her life was out of control and she didn’t know what to do about it. She had never been in the company of men before, other than her father and physician. In her wildest romantic dreams, she had never envisaged a lover who would marry her and give her children. No man, even had he the opportunity to meet her, would have wanted to risk his heart on her, a woman who could be dead in a month or a year. A plain woman who was already living on borrowed time.
‘You have every right to expect the rest. Yo u are beautiful, like the twin flowers of my home. They’re wild and tiny and grow two funnelled flowers per thin stem, and they’re pale as milk with a centre that looks the colour of your eyes in some lights. A man might walk past them without noticing, but if he stops and looks closely, why, the sight is enough to take his breath away. They bloom for a very short time, so the sight must be appreciated for its rarity. They’re no’ as dramatic and hardy as heather or sweet smelling as Charlotte’s roses, but they are beautiful. And, had I a heart, I would give it to one of those flowers in a moment.’
Lily choked back the lump in her throat. Tears blurred her vision. How could a man who saw the beauty in a tiny flower think he had no heart? How could a man who had shown her the kindness he had, think his heart was a stone? What terrible thing had happened to make this gentle giant think so poorly of himself? Not his wolf, he had told her he had never hurt anyone in that form. But as a man he had killed. Is th at when he felt his heart turn to stone?
She lowered her gaze, confused and unsure what to say or do next. His big hand cupped the side of her head and drew her face upward, forcing her to look at him.
‘Do you understand now?
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