“You promised me a tour, remember?”
“Thank you for the reminder.” He pulled her swiftly
down another long hallway and took a turn, starting up a long winding set of
stone steps.
She laughed. “Where are you taking me?”
“To the most important view in this castle,” he
announced. “My rooms.” Max paused in front of an enormous sturdy wooden door
and opened it. He pulled Carrie inside, slammed the door, and locked it.
Leaning back against it, his eyes sparkling with laughter and, dare she think
it, a look of utter possessiveness. For her.
Carrie wanted him every bit as much as he wanted her,
she guessed. She gave him a dimpled smile as she folded her arms across her
breasts and peered around the room. Splashes of goldsand reds filled
the cavernous room, bringing intimate warmth to it. The colors suited Max, she
decided, and her as well. Carrie shivered at the sight of his bed centered
against one curving wall covered in lush red and gold satin; Max’s room seemed
to occupy one turret in the castle. Plush fur and patterned rugs covered the
stone floor. Against another wall was an enormous stone fireplace, with a fire
burning merrily in the hearth.
Right before the fire was a table set for two with
fine white linens, silver goblets, and china dishes. There were two
silver-colored dishes with covers; Carrie saw steam escaping from them.
Max sauntered over to the table, efficiently poured
them each a glass of wine, returned to her, and passed her a goblet. He raised
his up and murmured seductively, “To many such delightful evenings as this.”
She raised her glass, smiled and sipped from the cup.
This wine was unlike anything she’d ever tasted. The King’s Tavern’s wine
couldn’t compare. She closed her eyes, sighed appreciatively at the fruity
taste and swallowed down the sip. “This wine is wonderful.”
“Finish up then, for we’ve an entire meal to consume
as well.”
“I’m not all that hungry,” she whispered.
“I am,” he announced, his eyes flashing with potent
passion.
Heat seeped into her cheeks. She clutched the goblet
and backed away from him.
His small smile widened as he set his own goblet down
on the mantle, folded his arms behind his back, and sauntered toward her. He
wore a rakish look that unsettled yet thrilled her, with his sensuous lips wide
and smiling, his eyes sparkling with bedevilment and one lock of golden hair
having fallen forward on his forehead, she knew she’d give into his amorous
advances, and likely lay down with him. She couldn’t deny her attraction for
this man, and somehow, mysterious as he seemed, she felt safe with him. He
wanted to marry her. She took a quick gulp of the wine then set her own cup
down on the table beside the bed.
She frowned then as she thought about the one
brother’s words. Hadn’t he said that Max should introduce them to his mate? How
strange a term to use for marriage, she mused, growing uneasy again.
Her eyes widened as his saunter turned into a stride
and hitching up her skirts, she shrieked and scrambled across the bed, putting
distance between them. Max leaned against a bedpost and quirked an eyebrow.
“You aren’t afraid of me, are you?”
Narrowing her eyes on him and tilting her head to one
side, she said, “It depends on what you’re planning on doing.”
He dropped his arms and headed around the end of the
bed. “Everything. I want to give you utter pleasure, Carrie. Pleasure unlike
anything you’ve ever experienced before. Mate with…marry me, Carrie.”
“Eventually,” she said with a nod. “But you promised
to court me.”
She knew she would give into him this night, for it’s
what she wanted too. He’d affectively broken down all of the barriers she’d
built between them. And now realized none of those barriers mattered, for she
knew she’d give into him—as easily as he wished. He would dance a bit to her
wishes, first. But then doubts entered her mind. What if he only wanted to
“Thank you for the reminder.” He pulled her swiftly
down another long hallway and took a turn, starting up a long winding set of
stone steps.
She laughed. “Where are you taking me?”
“To the most important view in this castle,” he
announced. “My rooms.” Max paused in front of an enormous sturdy wooden door
and opened it. He pulled Carrie inside, slammed the door, and locked it.
Leaning back against it, his eyes sparkling with laughter and, dare she think
it, a look of utter possessiveness. For her.
Carrie wanted him every bit as much as he wanted her,
she guessed. She gave him a dimpled smile as she folded her arms across her
breasts and peered around the room. Splashes of goldsand reds filled
the cavernous room, bringing intimate warmth to it. The colors suited Max, she
decided, and her as well. Carrie shivered at the sight of his bed centered
against one curving wall covered in lush red and gold satin; Max’s room seemed
to occupy one turret in the castle. Plush fur and patterned rugs covered the
stone floor. Against another wall was an enormous stone fireplace, with a fire
burning merrily in the hearth.
Right before the fire was a table set for two with
fine white linens, silver goblets, and china dishes. There were two
silver-colored dishes with covers; Carrie saw steam escaping from them.
Max sauntered over to the table, efficiently poured
them each a glass of wine, returned to her, and passed her a goblet. He raised
his up and murmured seductively, “To many such delightful evenings as this.”
She raised her glass, smiled and sipped from the cup.
This wine was unlike anything she’d ever tasted. The King’s Tavern’s wine
couldn’t compare. She closed her eyes, sighed appreciatively at the fruity
taste and swallowed down the sip. “This wine is wonderful.”
“Finish up then, for we’ve an entire meal to consume
as well.”
“I’m not all that hungry,” she whispered.
“I am,” he announced, his eyes flashing with potent
passion.
Heat seeped into her cheeks. She clutched the goblet
and backed away from him.
His small smile widened as he set his own goblet down
on the mantle, folded his arms behind his back, and sauntered toward her. He
wore a rakish look that unsettled yet thrilled her, with his sensuous lips wide
and smiling, his eyes sparkling with bedevilment and one lock of golden hair
having fallen forward on his forehead, she knew she’d give into his amorous
advances, and likely lay down with him. She couldn’t deny her attraction for
this man, and somehow, mysterious as he seemed, she felt safe with him. He
wanted to marry her. She took a quick gulp of the wine then set her own cup
down on the table beside the bed.
She frowned then as she thought about the one
brother’s words. Hadn’t he said that Max should introduce them to his mate? How
strange a term to use for marriage, she mused, growing uneasy again.
Her eyes widened as his saunter turned into a stride
and hitching up her skirts, she shrieked and scrambled across the bed, putting
distance between them. Max leaned against a bedpost and quirked an eyebrow.
“You aren’t afraid of me, are you?”
Narrowing her eyes on him and tilting her head to one
side, she said, “It depends on what you’re planning on doing.”
He dropped his arms and headed around the end of the
bed. “Everything. I want to give you utter pleasure, Carrie. Pleasure unlike
anything you’ve ever experienced before. Mate with…marry me, Carrie.”
“Eventually,” she said with a nod. “But you promised
to court me.”
She knew she would give into him this night, for it’s
what she wanted too. He’d affectively broken down all of the barriers she’d
built between them. And now realized none of those barriers mattered, for she
knew she’d give into him—as easily as he wished. He would dance a bit to her
wishes, first. But then doubts entered her mind. What if he only wanted to
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