told herself; added to this was his contempt for women, especially Englishwomen.
'You're not cold?' Leon sounded anxious, she thought, hastily reassuring him. 'Perhaps you should have brought a coat, nevertheless,' he said, and she knew a slight frown had settled on his brow.
'It isn't cold,' she said, hurrying a little to keep up with him. 'It's a beautiful night!'
But even as she spoke the moon became masked, clouds having blown in from the sea, and the darkness thickened with the lengthening distance from the house. Leon took her arm; she quivered and hoped he hadn't noticed. He was almost morosely quiet and although she several times attempted to open a conversation she gave it up in the end, having received only monosyllables in response.
'It's - eerie after the brilliance of the moonlight,' she said after a long time. 'Look at those trees on the mountains — they seem to have taken on the most grotesque shapes.' He nodded, merely glancing over to the mainland, where the forest trees were outlined in the shadows. They reached the extreme edge of the garden and he stopped under a tree. The indecision which had dropped on him a few minutes earlier was gone suddenly and before she had time even to grasp his intention she was in his arms and his hard demanding mouth was pressed to hers. Instinctively she began to struggle, but soon desisted, his very savagery sharpening her own nervous response, and she found herself giving her lips unstintingly, and even thrilling to the far-too-intimate proximity of his sinewed body against her soft and tender curves. Madness! So why didn't she make some sort of move?
But sheer recklessness held her in its grip and she desired nothing more than to remain in his arms, and to surrender her lips to the passionate mastery of his.
'Tara. ...' He held her from him at last, but his mouth still caressed her cheek and her neck and would have sought pleasure lower, but she inserted a protective hand. A soft laugh escaped him before she was crushed to him once more and her head forced back as he kissed her with all the pagan ruthlessness of his unbridled ancestors. 'Tara .. . say you love me. Say it!'
She shook her head, but it was stilled instantly by his imperative hands.
'Leon ... Paul.' She must mention Paul, even though he was as nebulous as a dream. Leon would consider it very strange indeed if she forgot all about her 'fiance'! 'I'm - engaged—'
'Say you love me,' he demanded harshly. 'I've seen it in your eyes tonight - yes, and before that, but you didn't know. You love me ! Do you hear?'
'Yes, but-'
'Yes! You've said it,' triumphantly as those bands of steel took possession of her even yet again. 'You're mine, Tara, mine! Do you understand? You can't marry Paul now. You were meant for me; it was fate that brought you here ...' He allowed his voice to fall to silence as he looked deeply into her eyes. Her own eyes shone, but she rather thought he would not notice as clouds still partly obscured the moon. 'My own sweet love,' he whispered presently, 'we cannot allow three lives to be ruined. With Paul it is calf-love; I saw this at once. With you - well, my dear, I don't pretend to' know what it was.
I'm sure you truly believed you loved him - am I right?' he asked before continuing. It was so easy a way out of what had at first appeared to be a most difficult situation, and she seized upon it instantly.
'Yes, Leon, you are right.' Such deceit - but what; did it matter so long as no one was to be hurt? She could scarcely tell Leon the truth at this stage— No, indeed not! She actually shuddered at the thought, having witnessed the great strength of him, and the ruthlessness. This in love ... so what in anger? She hoped she would never make the mistake of arousing that.
'Say you'll marry me,' he went on when she had answered him. 'Say it, my dear, beloved Tara.' The name rolled, deliciously, and her emotions soared and r in a little access of desire she pressed close against
'You're not cold?' Leon sounded anxious, she thought, hastily reassuring him. 'Perhaps you should have brought a coat, nevertheless,' he said, and she knew a slight frown had settled on his brow.
'It isn't cold,' she said, hurrying a little to keep up with him. 'It's a beautiful night!'
But even as she spoke the moon became masked, clouds having blown in from the sea, and the darkness thickened with the lengthening distance from the house. Leon took her arm; she quivered and hoped he hadn't noticed. He was almost morosely quiet and although she several times attempted to open a conversation she gave it up in the end, having received only monosyllables in response.
'It's - eerie after the brilliance of the moonlight,' she said after a long time. 'Look at those trees on the mountains — they seem to have taken on the most grotesque shapes.' He nodded, merely glancing over to the mainland, where the forest trees were outlined in the shadows. They reached the extreme edge of the garden and he stopped under a tree. The indecision which had dropped on him a few minutes earlier was gone suddenly and before she had time even to grasp his intention she was in his arms and his hard demanding mouth was pressed to hers. Instinctively she began to struggle, but soon desisted, his very savagery sharpening her own nervous response, and she found herself giving her lips unstintingly, and even thrilling to the far-too-intimate proximity of his sinewed body against her soft and tender curves. Madness! So why didn't she make some sort of move?
But sheer recklessness held her in its grip and she desired nothing more than to remain in his arms, and to surrender her lips to the passionate mastery of his.
'Tara. ...' He held her from him at last, but his mouth still caressed her cheek and her neck and would have sought pleasure lower, but she inserted a protective hand. A soft laugh escaped him before she was crushed to him once more and her head forced back as he kissed her with all the pagan ruthlessness of his unbridled ancestors. 'Tara .. . say you love me. Say it!'
She shook her head, but it was stilled instantly by his imperative hands.
'Leon ... Paul.' She must mention Paul, even though he was as nebulous as a dream. Leon would consider it very strange indeed if she forgot all about her 'fiance'! 'I'm - engaged—'
'Say you love me,' he demanded harshly. 'I've seen it in your eyes tonight - yes, and before that, but you didn't know. You love me ! Do you hear?'
'Yes, but-'
'Yes! You've said it,' triumphantly as those bands of steel took possession of her even yet again. 'You're mine, Tara, mine! Do you understand? You can't marry Paul now. You were meant for me; it was fate that brought you here ...' He allowed his voice to fall to silence as he looked deeply into her eyes. Her own eyes shone, but she rather thought he would not notice as clouds still partly obscured the moon. 'My own sweet love,' he whispered presently, 'we cannot allow three lives to be ruined. With Paul it is calf-love; I saw this at once. With you - well, my dear, I don't pretend to' know what it was.
I'm sure you truly believed you loved him - am I right?' he asked before continuing. It was so easy a way out of what had at first appeared to be a most difficult situation, and she seized upon it instantly.
'Yes, Leon, you are right.' Such deceit - but what; did it matter so long as no one was to be hurt? She could scarcely tell Leon the truth at this stage— No, indeed not! She actually shuddered at the thought, having witnessed the great strength of him, and the ruthlessness. This in love ... so what in anger? She hoped she would never make the mistake of arousing that.
'Say you'll marry me,' he went on when she had answered him. 'Say it, my dear, beloved Tara.' The name rolled, deliciously, and her emotions soared and r in a little access of desire she pressed close against
Similar Books
