stool to dry, then the man knelt to remove his master’s thigh-high boots.
Forcing herself to be totally limp with lashes lowered to her cheeks, she felt a strong, callused hand firmly take her chin and lift her face for his perusal. A flicker of recognition showed in Ram’s eyes as the firelight showed him the lass had red hair. He’d seen her before, and he knew exactly where. His heart skipped a beat. When he’d seen her ride in to the Gypsy camp, he’d coveted her. Now here she was delivered up to him!
Tina opened her eyes slowly and put a trembling hand to her head. “Wh-where am I?” she asked. “Is this my home?”
Ram Douglas stared at her fiercely, afraid that she had sustained some terrible hurt in her fall. “This is Douglas Castle,” he said as both his brothers came to investigate.
Tina tried not to shudder at the name, but she couldn’t help it. The only thing she had control over was her face.Her voice was unnaturally high-pitched and jerky from the threat of impending tears. The dark-visaged man who sat beside her was so broad-shouldered, he blotted out the rest of the room He was clearly the figure of authority, and she knew instinctively that this was the man she must convince. She knew she must say something to confirm that she had received a blow to the head and wasn’t in her right senses. She looked helplessly into Ram’s glittering eyes and asked, “Are—are you my father?”
He was nettled at the insult. He found her unbelievably alluring, yet she thought him old. His voice cut through his brothers’ laughter. “Christ, I don’t deny the possibility of by-blows, but I’ll be damned if I couldha fathered a woman grown. What’s yer game?” he demanded.
“Who are ye, lass?” Gavin asked.
She looked at them blankly, and again her hand went to her head as if she were dizzy “I—I don’t know,” she whispered.
Cameron, callous as only the very young can be, asked, “Is she a halfwit?”
“Nay,” said Ram, more kindly now that he realized she had been hurt. “I’ve seen it in battle. She’s lost her memory, but it’ll return if she bides awhile.”
Tina’s golden eyes watched the beautiful curve of the man’s mouth soften as he looked at her. She was momentarily mesmerized by his penetrating pewter gaze, and she sat absolutely still while his strong hands reached out to touch her body. He was checking her for broken bones, but suddenly she realized his hands were lingering upon her as if he were deliberately caressing her! Did he think her some groom’s daughter he could tumble? She wanted to cry out that she was Lady Valentina Kennedy, but of course she could not. She had allowed men to kiss her before, but none had ever dared take the liberty of touching her body intimately as this bold devil had just done. His hands still lingered on her shoulders. She jerked away from him. “Don’t!”
Colin came limping up and gave his cousins a black look. “Mistress, forgive these rough men. Yer soaked tae the skin. Allow me tae offer ye a private chamber wi’ a bed and a fire where ye mun rest an’ recover.”
“Th-thank you,” she said in a bewildered voice. She stood up, and indeed her knees were like butter. She swayed, and three pairs of Douglas arms reached for her. Ram was quicker than Gavin or Cameron, and he swept her high in his arms, gently enfolding her body against his hard-muscled chest. Her golden eyes were bright with tears and apprehension, her tempting, generous mouth inches from his own. Suddenly he was handling her much more gently than when he had carried her in from the rain.
Colin led the way, his crippled leg echoing oddly across the stone floor. Gavin followed.
Tina felt panic rise within her If only one of the younger, less dangerous men had picked her up, she would be able to think coherently. She knew instinctively she would have a much easier time cozening them.
Ram’s deep voice spoke intimately to her as they climbed the rough
Forcing herself to be totally limp with lashes lowered to her cheeks, she felt a strong, callused hand firmly take her chin and lift her face for his perusal. A flicker of recognition showed in Ram’s eyes as the firelight showed him the lass had red hair. He’d seen her before, and he knew exactly where. His heart skipped a beat. When he’d seen her ride in to the Gypsy camp, he’d coveted her. Now here she was delivered up to him!
Tina opened her eyes slowly and put a trembling hand to her head. “Wh-where am I?” she asked. “Is this my home?”
Ram Douglas stared at her fiercely, afraid that she had sustained some terrible hurt in her fall. “This is Douglas Castle,” he said as both his brothers came to investigate.
Tina tried not to shudder at the name, but she couldn’t help it. The only thing she had control over was her face.Her voice was unnaturally high-pitched and jerky from the threat of impending tears. The dark-visaged man who sat beside her was so broad-shouldered, he blotted out the rest of the room He was clearly the figure of authority, and she knew instinctively that this was the man she must convince. She knew she must say something to confirm that she had received a blow to the head and wasn’t in her right senses. She looked helplessly into Ram’s glittering eyes and asked, “Are—are you my father?”
He was nettled at the insult. He found her unbelievably alluring, yet she thought him old. His voice cut through his brothers’ laughter. “Christ, I don’t deny the possibility of by-blows, but I’ll be damned if I couldha fathered a woman grown. What’s yer game?” he demanded.
“Who are ye, lass?” Gavin asked.
She looked at them blankly, and again her hand went to her head as if she were dizzy “I—I don’t know,” she whispered.
Cameron, callous as only the very young can be, asked, “Is she a halfwit?”
“Nay,” said Ram, more kindly now that he realized she had been hurt. “I’ve seen it in battle. She’s lost her memory, but it’ll return if she bides awhile.”
Tina’s golden eyes watched the beautiful curve of the man’s mouth soften as he looked at her. She was momentarily mesmerized by his penetrating pewter gaze, and she sat absolutely still while his strong hands reached out to touch her body. He was checking her for broken bones, but suddenly she realized his hands were lingering upon her as if he were deliberately caressing her! Did he think her some groom’s daughter he could tumble? She wanted to cry out that she was Lady Valentina Kennedy, but of course she could not. She had allowed men to kiss her before, but none had ever dared take the liberty of touching her body intimately as this bold devil had just done. His hands still lingered on her shoulders. She jerked away from him. “Don’t!”
Colin came limping up and gave his cousins a black look. “Mistress, forgive these rough men. Yer soaked tae the skin. Allow me tae offer ye a private chamber wi’ a bed and a fire where ye mun rest an’ recover.”
“Th-thank you,” she said in a bewildered voice. She stood up, and indeed her knees were like butter. She swayed, and three pairs of Douglas arms reached for her. Ram was quicker than Gavin or Cameron, and he swept her high in his arms, gently enfolding her body against his hard-muscled chest. Her golden eyes were bright with tears and apprehension, her tempting, generous mouth inches from his own. Suddenly he was handling her much more gently than when he had carried her in from the rain.
Colin led the way, his crippled leg echoing oddly across the stone floor. Gavin followed.
Tina felt panic rise within her If only one of the younger, less dangerous men had picked her up, she would be able to think coherently. She knew instinctively she would have a much easier time cozening them.
Ram’s deep voice spoke intimately to her as they climbed the rough
Similar Books
