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Authors: Elaine Coffman
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that gave him authority over her and seemingly negated her own will?
He did not hear her enter, but he sensed her presence.
Still, he did not turn toward her, for he preferred to wait and see what she would do. He had been thinking about her during her absence, and went so far as to go to her room to see about her when she did not return after so long a time.
When he'd opened her door, he saw immediately that she was sleeping, and upon closer inspection, he saw the dark circles beneath her eyes, the fatigue that went to her very center. Her ordeal had weakened her, and it would take some time for her to fully recover the loss of so much of her vitality. He thought of how close she had come to dying, and was thankful Tavish had found her when he did.
He wanted her. It was obvious to him the moment he returned below stairs, for the rooms seemed suddenly empty and cold without her. He did not understand it, for he could never remember being so preoccupied with a woman before.
He regretted he had allowed his desire for her to build into a driving need to copulate, just as he was sorry that it pushed him to the point of almost seducing her—when she was still weak of body, and inexperienced when it came to lovemaking. A woman like her deserved more, and yet, around her he was a predatory animal.
It was all pure lusting instinct and the need to possess. Yet, he knew once would never be enough, for she was the kind of woman a man kept beside him.
In the back of his mind, he kept asking himself if he frightened her. It had all happened so fast that he did not have''time to consider anything except making love to her. It had taken a bolt of thunder to bring them both to their senses, although he considered all the blame to be his.
Still standing behind him, Sophie lifted her hand to test the texture of his hair that was tied back with a leather thong.
He turned suddenly, and tried to understand what was happening here. This strength of feeling, this compelling desire, the tender emotion was both alien and strong, and it lodged like the sharpest lance in his heart.
She was wearing Arabella's dress, but his sister had never looked so good in it, for the deep gold color was not as becoming to her coloring. But on Sophie, it only served to draw out the golden tones of her skin and the warm brown tones of her chestnut hair. The light from the fire illuminated her with a pearly glow, and he found her so lovely he ached to take her in his arms.
The moment he turned, she dropped her hand and stood quietly before him. She seemed uncertain, and thoughtfully quiet, and he found this unsettling, for it was he who was so uncertain. "Ye fear me."
She did not answer him at first, and he was about to turn back to the window when she said, "I do not fear you, but who I am—what I become when I am with you."
"You are still the same person, in my presence or away from it. You have not changed. Only your circumstances have."
"No, you are wrong. I have changed a great deal, and there is no going back."
"What do you mean, 'changed'? How so?"
"I know things. I feel them. There is now awareness where there was nothing before."
"What kind of things?"
"Knowledge...the forbidden fruit. It is as if I have been locked out of my own world. I no longer know myself or my capabilities."
"Ahh, you feel..."
"Immoral."
He frowned. Immoral? That was not the word he was thinking of. "You aren't immoral, you are only awakening to your own wants and desires that have been dormant since you were born. Clear your mind of any prudish thoughts. There is a first time for all of us."
That brought a smile to her shapely, made-for-kissing lips. "Somehow I cannot believe there was ever a first time for you. I think you are superhuman, a being beyond ordinary understanding. I do not think you were ever an apprentice. You are like Athena, who leaped forth from the brain of Zeus, mature and wearing full amour. Oh, I do not know what I am saying. I rattle on like
He did not hear her enter, but he sensed her presence.
Still, he did not turn toward her, for he preferred to wait and see what she would do. He had been thinking about her during her absence, and went so far as to go to her room to see about her when she did not return after so long a time.
When he'd opened her door, he saw immediately that she was sleeping, and upon closer inspection, he saw the dark circles beneath her eyes, the fatigue that went to her very center. Her ordeal had weakened her, and it would take some time for her to fully recover the loss of so much of her vitality. He thought of how close she had come to dying, and was thankful Tavish had found her when he did.
He wanted her. It was obvious to him the moment he returned below stairs, for the rooms seemed suddenly empty and cold without her. He did not understand it, for he could never remember being so preoccupied with a woman before.
He regretted he had allowed his desire for her to build into a driving need to copulate, just as he was sorry that it pushed him to the point of almost seducing her—when she was still weak of body, and inexperienced when it came to lovemaking. A woman like her deserved more, and yet, around her he was a predatory animal.
It was all pure lusting instinct and the need to possess. Yet, he knew once would never be enough, for she was the kind of woman a man kept beside him.
In the back of his mind, he kept asking himself if he frightened her. It had all happened so fast that he did not have''time to consider anything except making love to her. It had taken a bolt of thunder to bring them both to their senses, although he considered all the blame to be his.
Still standing behind him, Sophie lifted her hand to test the texture of his hair that was tied back with a leather thong.
He turned suddenly, and tried to understand what was happening here. This strength of feeling, this compelling desire, the tender emotion was both alien and strong, and it lodged like the sharpest lance in his heart.
She was wearing Arabella's dress, but his sister had never looked so good in it, for the deep gold color was not as becoming to her coloring. But on Sophie, it only served to draw out the golden tones of her skin and the warm brown tones of her chestnut hair. The light from the fire illuminated her with a pearly glow, and he found her so lovely he ached to take her in his arms.
The moment he turned, she dropped her hand and stood quietly before him. She seemed uncertain, and thoughtfully quiet, and he found this unsettling, for it was he who was so uncertain. "Ye fear me."
She did not answer him at first, and he was about to turn back to the window when she said, "I do not fear you, but who I am—what I become when I am with you."
"You are still the same person, in my presence or away from it. You have not changed. Only your circumstances have."
"No, you are wrong. I have changed a great deal, and there is no going back."
"What do you mean, 'changed'? How so?"
"I know things. I feel them. There is now awareness where there was nothing before."
"What kind of things?"
"Knowledge...the forbidden fruit. It is as if I have been locked out of my own world. I no longer know myself or my capabilities."
"Ahh, you feel..."
"Immoral."
He frowned. Immoral? That was not the word he was thinking of. "You aren't immoral, you are only awakening to your own wants and desires that have been dormant since you were born. Clear your mind of any prudish thoughts. There is a first time for all of us."
That brought a smile to her shapely, made-for-kissing lips. "Somehow I cannot believe there was ever a first time for you. I think you are superhuman, a being beyond ordinary understanding. I do not think you were ever an apprentice. You are like Athena, who leaped forth from the brain of Zeus, mature and wearing full amour. Oh, I do not know what I am saying. I rattle on like
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