them onto the bench. Her eyes followed the movement as she
concentrated on taking deep, even breaths.
But then he was before her, slipping his fingers around her
belt. “You are nervous.”
She could lie. Perhaps insisting upon her confidence would
help her to feel it. But she didn’t have the fortitude. She turned her head
toward him until one roped biceps came into view. “A little.”
The empty whisky cup and decanter still sat on a low table
near the bed, just past Rathe. The decanter probably held more of the dangerous
liquid. She chewed her bottom lip. Perhaps just a bit more might get her to
relax.
His chest rumbled with a low laugh. “No, lass. I will not be
allowing you any more whisky.”
Leah’s head snapped forward. “What? How did you know what I
was thinking?”
“I watched your eyes. Besides, I could taste it on your
lips.”
Her hand flew to her mouth. Where was a breath mint when you
needed one? “I’m so sorry! I don’t normally drink so much, but—”
“I like whisky, you have no complaints from me. I just want
you awake.”
She dropped her eyes to his chest, her cheeks heating again.
Even when she had lost her virginity to the sweet, unassuming computer
programming major she’d dated for a short time during her junior year of
college, she had not acted like such a bumbling idiot.
“You have been married before?” He slid the fingers of his
other hand around her belt.
“No.” She gulped as his arm flexed and the belt loosened
around her. “Just engaged.”
“Engaged?” His brow crinkled, giving him a boyish air.
“It’s kind of like betrothed,” she explained with a gulp.
“We were supposed to be married last month.”
Rathe paused and then slid the belt from her hips. “But he
took you to his bed before that?”
“Well, yes, but—”
Grabbing fistfuls of the light-green dress overlaying her
leine, he pulled up on the garment and lifted it over her head. He turned his
back to her and folded it.
Leah shivered. But now he wasn’t watching her and her gaze
fell along the contours of each well-defined, powerfully built muscle from
broad shoulders to narrow hips. His body pulled at something deep and primitive
within her. Her pussy rippled in anticipation.
He laid the garment on the bench next to his clothing and
then sat upon the edge of the bed to remove his brown leather boots. Setting
them off to the side, he extended one hand out to her. “Come.”
She placed her shaking hand in his. Did she really want to
do this? She had never been with anyone other than Simon in many years. He was
a man of simple pleasures—namely the missionary position after a successful
night of fantasy football or the completion of a tough case at work. And even
then it wasn’t like the other two men she’d been with were rock stars beneath
the sheets. Would she even know what to do with a man like Rathe?
His warm fingers wrapped around hers and he pulled her
toward him, guiding her between his thighs. “I think it is time I took a look
at that hip.”
Leah held her breath as he slipped the soft leather shoes
and knitted socks off her feet. Drawing her leine up until it reached her
knees, he slid his hands underneath the hem, laying his warm, rough palms along
the sides of her bare thighs and up to her hips.
“Off with it.” His clipped tone was softened only by a hazy
suggestion of barely checked ardor radiating from his eyes.
She should step away and run as far as possible. After all,
this man could have any woman he wanted and had, if Alpina was to be believed.
What allure did he see in her? Or was he just taking advantage of the fact she
was a willing woman?
But it was too late. She couldn’t turn back now. She would
never forgive herself. The cold of the room wrapped around her bare midriff as
she grabbed the hem of her leine and lifted it. The soft linen dragged along
her stiff, sensitive nipples as she pulled the garment over her head and
dropped it to the
concentrated on taking deep, even breaths.
But then he was before her, slipping his fingers around her
belt. “You are nervous.”
She could lie. Perhaps insisting upon her confidence would
help her to feel it. But she didn’t have the fortitude. She turned her head
toward him until one roped biceps came into view. “A little.”
The empty whisky cup and decanter still sat on a low table
near the bed, just past Rathe. The decanter probably held more of the dangerous
liquid. She chewed her bottom lip. Perhaps just a bit more might get her to
relax.
His chest rumbled with a low laugh. “No, lass. I will not be
allowing you any more whisky.”
Leah’s head snapped forward. “What? How did you know what I
was thinking?”
“I watched your eyes. Besides, I could taste it on your
lips.”
Her hand flew to her mouth. Where was a breath mint when you
needed one? “I’m so sorry! I don’t normally drink so much, but—”
“I like whisky, you have no complaints from me. I just want
you awake.”
She dropped her eyes to his chest, her cheeks heating again.
Even when she had lost her virginity to the sweet, unassuming computer
programming major she’d dated for a short time during her junior year of
college, she had not acted like such a bumbling idiot.
“You have been married before?” He slid the fingers of his
other hand around her belt.
“No.” She gulped as his arm flexed and the belt loosened
around her. “Just engaged.”
“Engaged?” His brow crinkled, giving him a boyish air.
“It’s kind of like betrothed,” she explained with a gulp.
“We were supposed to be married last month.”
Rathe paused and then slid the belt from her hips. “But he
took you to his bed before that?”
“Well, yes, but—”
Grabbing fistfuls of the light-green dress overlaying her
leine, he pulled up on the garment and lifted it over her head. He turned his
back to her and folded it.
Leah shivered. But now he wasn’t watching her and her gaze
fell along the contours of each well-defined, powerfully built muscle from
broad shoulders to narrow hips. His body pulled at something deep and primitive
within her. Her pussy rippled in anticipation.
He laid the garment on the bench next to his clothing and
then sat upon the edge of the bed to remove his brown leather boots. Setting
them off to the side, he extended one hand out to her. “Come.”
She placed her shaking hand in his. Did she really want to
do this? She had never been with anyone other than Simon in many years. He was
a man of simple pleasures—namely the missionary position after a successful
night of fantasy football or the completion of a tough case at work. And even
then it wasn’t like the other two men she’d been with were rock stars beneath
the sheets. Would she even know what to do with a man like Rathe?
His warm fingers wrapped around hers and he pulled her
toward him, guiding her between his thighs. “I think it is time I took a look
at that hip.”
Leah held her breath as he slipped the soft leather shoes
and knitted socks off her feet. Drawing her leine up until it reached her
knees, he slid his hands underneath the hem, laying his warm, rough palms along
the sides of her bare thighs and up to her hips.
“Off with it.” His clipped tone was softened only by a hazy
suggestion of barely checked ardor radiating from his eyes.
She should step away and run as far as possible. After all,
this man could have any woman he wanted and had, if Alpina was to be believed.
What allure did he see in her? Or was he just taking advantage of the fact she
was a willing woman?
But it was too late. She couldn’t turn back now. She would
never forgive herself. The cold of the room wrapped around her bare midriff as
she grabbed the hem of her leine and lifted it. The soft linen dragged along
her stiff, sensitive nipples as she pulled the garment over her head and
dropped it to the
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