fist uncurled. Just as slowly he caught Amber's right hand in his own. Her body jerked subtly at his touch.
“Don't be afraid, golden fairy. I won't hurt you.”
“I know.”
The certainty in Amber's voice was reflected in her eyes. Duncan was too pleased by her trust to ask why she was so confident. He lifted her hand to his lips for a kiss.
The sound of Amber's breath rushing out made Duncan's heartbeat speed. He had meant only to kiss her hand, but her response was an irresistible lure. He turned her hand over, cradling it in his palm while his lips found the pulse point of her wrist and brushed it repeatedly.
When his lips parted and the tip of his tongue traced the fragile blue vein, her heart's blood visibly raced in response to the caress. Desire arced through Duncan like a bolt from an invisible storm.
Yet the gentleness of his caress never varied. He remembered too well Amber's retreat when he had tried a bolder kind of love play.
“Duncan,” Amber whispered. “1…”
Her voice vanished as a sensuous shiver took her. Being touched by Duncan under any circumstances was a piercing pleasure. Knowing the full force of his passion for her while being kissed so very tenderly by him was like being wrapped in delicate, consuming fire.
Duncan lifted his head and looked down into the dazed golden eyes of the girl who was as much a mystery to him as his own past.
“You come to my lure like a falcon to its master's call,” he said in a deep voice. “You burn for me and I for you. Were we lovers in the time I don't remember?”
With a small cry Amber jerked her hand free and turned her back.
“I was never your lover,” she said in a strained voice.
“I find that hard to believe.”
“ Tis true just the same.”
“God's teeth,” Duncan hissed. “I can't believe that! We are too strongly drawn. You know something about my past that you aren't telling me.”
Amber shook her head.
“I don't believe you,” he repeated.
She spun back to Duncan with a speed that made her clothing flare.
“As you will,” she said angrily. “Before you came to the Disputed Lands, you were a prince.”
Duncan was too shocked to speak.
“You were a freeholder,” Amber continued.
“What are you—”
'“You were a traitor,” she said ruthlessly.
Stunned, Duncan simply stared at Amber.
“You were a hero,” she said. “You were a knight. You were a squire. You were a priest. You were a lord. You were—”
“Enough,” Duncan interrupted in a savage voice.
“Well?” she demanded.
“Well what?”
“One of those things is the truth.”
“Is it?”
Amber shrugged. “What else could you have been?”
“A serf or a sailor,” he said sardonically.
“No. You haven't the calluses for it. Nor the thick head, though lately I begin to wonder.”
Abruptly, Duncan laughed.
Against her will. Amber smiled. “You see? Whatever I tell you isn't the same as knowing. That you must do for yourself. No one can do it for you.”
Duncan's laughter stopped. For the space of several breaths he said nothing.
The temptation to touch him and discover what he was feeling almost overwhelmed Amber. She fought her own hunger, her own need.
And she lost.
Her fingertips smoothed lightly over Duncan's clean-shaven, cheek.
Anger.
Bafflement.
A loss so great it couldn't be described, only felt like thunder from a distant storm quivering through the air.
“Duncan,” Amber whispered painfully. “My dark warrior.”
He watched her with eyes that were narrowed, glittering the eyes of an animal caught within a trap.
“Fighting yourself only wounds you more,” she said. “Let yourself grow used to the life you have now.”
“How can I?” Duncan asked in a rough voice. “What of the life I left behind? What if there is a lord expecting me to honor my vow? What if there is a wife? Heirs? Land?”
When Duncan spoke of lord and land. Amber sensed the dark seething of his memory. No such response came at the
“Don't be afraid, golden fairy. I won't hurt you.”
“I know.”
The certainty in Amber's voice was reflected in her eyes. Duncan was too pleased by her trust to ask why she was so confident. He lifted her hand to his lips for a kiss.
The sound of Amber's breath rushing out made Duncan's heartbeat speed. He had meant only to kiss her hand, but her response was an irresistible lure. He turned her hand over, cradling it in his palm while his lips found the pulse point of her wrist and brushed it repeatedly.
When his lips parted and the tip of his tongue traced the fragile blue vein, her heart's blood visibly raced in response to the caress. Desire arced through Duncan like a bolt from an invisible storm.
Yet the gentleness of his caress never varied. He remembered too well Amber's retreat when he had tried a bolder kind of love play.
“Duncan,” Amber whispered. “1…”
Her voice vanished as a sensuous shiver took her. Being touched by Duncan under any circumstances was a piercing pleasure. Knowing the full force of his passion for her while being kissed so very tenderly by him was like being wrapped in delicate, consuming fire.
Duncan lifted his head and looked down into the dazed golden eyes of the girl who was as much a mystery to him as his own past.
“You come to my lure like a falcon to its master's call,” he said in a deep voice. “You burn for me and I for you. Were we lovers in the time I don't remember?”
With a small cry Amber jerked her hand free and turned her back.
“I was never your lover,” she said in a strained voice.
“I find that hard to believe.”
“ Tis true just the same.”
“God's teeth,” Duncan hissed. “I can't believe that! We are too strongly drawn. You know something about my past that you aren't telling me.”
Amber shook her head.
“I don't believe you,” he repeated.
She spun back to Duncan with a speed that made her clothing flare.
“As you will,” she said angrily. “Before you came to the Disputed Lands, you were a prince.”
Duncan was too shocked to speak.
“You were a freeholder,” Amber continued.
“What are you—”
'“You were a traitor,” she said ruthlessly.
Stunned, Duncan simply stared at Amber.
“You were a hero,” she said. “You were a knight. You were a squire. You were a priest. You were a lord. You were—”
“Enough,” Duncan interrupted in a savage voice.
“Well?” she demanded.
“Well what?”
“One of those things is the truth.”
“Is it?”
Amber shrugged. “What else could you have been?”
“A serf or a sailor,” he said sardonically.
“No. You haven't the calluses for it. Nor the thick head, though lately I begin to wonder.”
Abruptly, Duncan laughed.
Against her will. Amber smiled. “You see? Whatever I tell you isn't the same as knowing. That you must do for yourself. No one can do it for you.”
Duncan's laughter stopped. For the space of several breaths he said nothing.
The temptation to touch him and discover what he was feeling almost overwhelmed Amber. She fought her own hunger, her own need.
And she lost.
Her fingertips smoothed lightly over Duncan's clean-shaven, cheek.
Anger.
Bafflement.
A loss so great it couldn't be described, only felt like thunder from a distant storm quivering through the air.
“Duncan,” Amber whispered painfully. “My dark warrior.”
He watched her with eyes that were narrowed, glittering the eyes of an animal caught within a trap.
“Fighting yourself only wounds you more,” she said. “Let yourself grow used to the life you have now.”
“How can I?” Duncan asked in a rough voice. “What of the life I left behind? What if there is a lord expecting me to honor my vow? What if there is a wife? Heirs? Land?”
When Duncan spoke of lord and land. Amber sensed the dark seething of his memory. No such response came at the
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