Briana

hand to the naked flesh of his back.

  It was only a touch, but it had him frozen to the spot. Fighting for

  composure he kept his back to her. ' The servants would have plenty

  to talk about if they were to find you in the lord's chambers, dressed in

  that nightshift."

  "Is it the servants you're worried about, Keane?"

  He pulled away from her and crossed to the night table. Earlier he'd

  tossed away his ale. Now he wanted, needed something to steady his

  nerves.

  "Nay, lass. It's your fine, upstanding reputation I'd like to preserve.

  Believe me, you wouldn't like to have rumors about yourself and

  Keane O'Mara filtering back to your fine family at Ballinarin." He

  poured himself a tumbler of ale and lifted it to his lips.

  But she stalked him, laying a hand on his chest, before looking up at

  him from beneath her lashes. The mere touch of his flesh burned her

  fingers like fire. "I thought we'd give them more than rumors to

  whisper about, Keane."

  He felt as if he'd taken a blow from a broadsword. All the air seemed

  to leave his lungs.

  "I've finally realized why you've been avoiding me." Her voice, low

  and sultry, seemed to cloud his mind. "You made some sort of vow,

  didn't you?"

  He nodded, needing a moment to find his voice. To collect his

  thoughts.

  "But it wasn't a formal vow, made in church, before witnesses, was

  it?"

  He shook his head, struggling to clear his mind. He couldn't think

  when she was so close, touching him like this.

  Her smile bloomed. "There. You see? But such vows are not

  binding."

  "They aren't?"

  "Nay. Mother Superior said most people make such bargains with

  heaven, whenever they're feeling fearful. And afterward, they realize

  the foolishness of their impulsive behavior."

  "It wasn't foolish." His voice was stronger now. And tight with anger.

  "A vow is a vow. And I vowed to return you to your father as I'd

  found you."

  "Aha. It's as I'd thought." She gave a low, throaty laugh. "And I

  vowed that this night I would lie with you and love you." She gave a

  meaningful pause before asking, with a knowing smile, "I wonder,

  Keane, which of our vows is the stronger?"

  Her smile, her laughter only made him more determined. Though he

  was quickly losing his strength, he had to find a way to make her see

  the danger in this course of action. He would do and say whatever it

  took.

  "I warned you before, lass." He kept his tone deliberately cutting.

  "But I see that you'll accept nothing more than cold, hard facts. And

  the fact is, I'm a man accustomed to much more worldly women. I

  have no intention of indulging you, simply so you can amuse my

  servants with something to whisper about."

  He saw the hurt in her eyes as she took a step back. He cursed himself

  for his cruelty. But she'd given him no choice. Somebody had to save

  her.

  "You'd best get back to your chambers before Cora finds you gone.

  She and the others will have a fine laugh over their sweet innocent

  lass pursuing the wicked lord of Carrick House." He lifted the glass to

  his lips and took a long drink.

  Briana felt as if a knife had pierced her heart. Damn him. How could

  she have been foolish enough to open herself up to more humiliation?

  Her chin came up in that familiar way. And then she noticed

  something.

  His hand was trembling. Some of the ale sloshed over the rim as he

  brought it to his mouth.

  Seeing it gave her a strange rush of exhilaration. She'd been right

  about Keane. It was all an act. For her sake. Because he cared about

  her. Truly cared. And she wasn't leaving here until she proved it.

  "Run along now, Briana." Keane's voice sounded hoarse in his own

  ears as he set the tumbler down on the night table and strode to the

  balcony.

  When he heard a light footfall, he breathed a sigh of relief, until he

  realized she was heading toward him instead of toward the door.

  He watched the way she moved, head high, hips undulating in the

  way of beautiful women from the beginning of time. On her lips was

  a mysterious, woman's smile.

  He backed up all the way to the railing before he caught himself.

  "What are you doing?"

  She opened the first button of her nightshift. "I'm about to tempt fate."

  "Stop that." He caught her hand, then realized his mistake. Despite

  the cold night air, the touch of her had him burning for more.

  "I didn't come to your chambers to stop, Keane." She reached a hand

  to his cheek.

  Though he wanted to resist, he couldn't help moving his face against

  her hand as if starved for the touch of her.

  "I came here to start something." Her words whispered over his

  senses and wrapped themselves around his heart.

  He caught her by the shoulders to hold her a little away. Instead she

  boldly stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips over his. He felt all the

  breath leave his lungs.

  There was no way he could deny her anything while she stood here,

  pressing that slender body to his, offering him everything he'd ever

  wanted in this world.

  Though he knew it was futile, he gave her one last chance to consider

  what she was doing. "Once it's started, Briana, it's like being one of a

  vast sea of warriors swept along in a field of battle. A battle not of

  your choosing. But whether it's your war or someone else's, there's no

  stopping it. No going back." His eyes were hot and fierce as they

  stared into hers, trying vainly to hold her at bay. "Do you

  understand?"

  In answer she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself

  against him. "You know I love nothing more than a challenging

  battle. What about you. Keane O'Mara? Are you up to the challenge?"

  His voice was a low moan of pleasure and pain. "Oh, God help us,

  Briana. God help us both. For I've no strength left to deny what I

  want."

  "What we both want," she whispered against his mouth.

  For the space of several heartbeats, he merely stared down at her, his

  fingers digging into the delicate flesh of her upper arms. Then he

  dragged her close, and his mouth crushed hers with a fierceness that

  left them both gasping.

  "There's still time." He muttered the words inside her mouth as he

  devoured her with kisses.

  She knew he meant it as a warning. But for her there was no turning

  back. Instead, she offered her lips to him, opening herself to all that

  was to come.

  The sweetness, the generosity of her gesture, had him feasting like a

  man who had been starving for the taste of her.His kiss seemed to

  drain her, then fill her, as he kissed her with a savageness that

  surprised them. At last, struggling for breath, he lifted his head and

  framed her face with his hands, staring deeply into her eyes. For the

  space of several moments he studied her with an intensity that

  stopped her heart. Then he slowly lowered his head and kissed her

  again, with a slowness, a thoroughness that made her head swim.

&
nbsp; With his mouth on hers he drove her back against the railing of the

  balcony and wrapped her legs around him.

  Briana gave a gasp of surprise. She'd been prepared for sweet, tender

  loving. For soft sighs and whispered promises. She hadn't been

  prepared for this. This all- consuming hunger. This urgent mating.

  What he wanted, what he demanded, was her complete and total

  abandonment.

  He'd called it a battle. It was, she realized, a war. Unlike any she'd

  ever experienced. And she had been thrust into it without any

  knowledge of the rules, or even what part she should be playing.

  His mouth was avid, eager, searching out every sweet, hidden taste.

  His tongue probed all the secret recesses of her mouth, challenging

  hers to do the same. But just as she sighed in enjoyment, his mouth

  suddenly left hers to roam her face, her neck, her throat. When .she

  arched her neck to give him easier access, he gave a hiss of

  impatience and tore aside the neckline of her nightshift. As his lips

  closed over one erect nipple, she cried out with exquisite pleasure and

  clutched his head. He gave her no time to recover before he moved to

  the other breast, to nibble and suckle until she moaned and writhed

  with need.

  Feelings unlike any Briana had ever known seemed to take

  possession of her. Her body felt more alive than at any time she could

  recall. Alive with sensations that had completely taken over her mind,

  her will. With a sigh she gave herself up to the pleasure. She knew not

  what lay ahead. She knew only that she wanted him to go on like this

  forever, touching, tasting, arousing.

  With a muttered oath he pushed aside the billowing skirt of her

  nightshift and found her, hot and moist and ready. He covered her

  mouth in a savage kiss, swallowing her gasp of shock.

  He was touching her in a way that no man ever had. And yet those

  battle-roughened fingers were bringing her the most incredible

  pleasure. Pleasure that bordered on pain. Before she could even form

  a protest, he brought her to the first peak, leaving her dazed and

  breathless. But while her head was still swimming, he took her on an

  even faster ride, until she felt herself spinning out of control.

  "Keane. Wait." She pressed a palm to his chest, hoping for a moment

  of calm.

  "It's too late, Briana." The words were torn from his lips.

  She looked into his eyes, glazed with passion, and realized that this

  thing they had set into motion was only beginning. And she knew, in

  that moment, that she wanted to experience more of it. All of it. Now.

  This minute. With this man.

  "Changed your mind?" He caught her by the chin, forcing her head up

  so that he could see her eyes.

  Instead of an answer, she merely laughed.

  His hand fisted in her hair, and he dragged her head back to feast on

  her neck, her throat, her shoulder. With a sigh of impatience he tore

  away her nightshift, feeling buttons pop and seams rip in his haste.

  Next he shrugged out of his breeches and kicked them aside.

  He dropped to his knees, dragging her with him. They faced each

  other, their breathing ragged, their heartbeats labored, their bodies

  glistening with sheen.

  The world beyond no longer mattered. The footsteps of servants

  along the darkened hallway went unheard. The threat of the English

  invaders was forgotten. For now, the only thing they knew was the

  dark, musky heat of passion that clogged their lungs, and the sweet,

  seductive need that clouded their vision until they were half-mad with

  it.

  Keane wanted desperately to slow the madness. To give her time to

  savor the moment. But he could feel himself slipping ever closer to

  the edge. One more touch. One taste, and he would lose all control,

  taking them both over the brink.

  "Briana. Briana." He whispered her name like a prayer, as his mouth

  moved over her temple, her cheek, her ear.

  She had never before thought her name beautiful, until she heard it

  from his lips, in this growl of pleasure against her ear. She caught his

  face between her hands and brought her mouth to his.

  "Do you know how long I've wanted you?" His words were issued on

  a groan as he took the kiss deeper:.

  "How long?" She could barely manage the words over the hunger that

  was driving her. A hunger that had her wrapping herself around him,

  opening herself to him: eager to give and take. To feed. To feast.

  Until they were both sated.

  Instead of a reply, he dragged her down until they were both lying on

  the floor, cushioned only by their discarded clothes. As he levered

  himself above her, she saw his eyes. Hot and fierce. Dark and

  dangerous. And filled with such need, it took her breath away.

  She knew that she would give him anything, as long as she could

  always see that look. In Keane's eyes she felt beautiful. She felt loved.

  She felt...safe.

  "Dear heaven, Briana. I want you. I need you."

  "And I need you, Keane. Oh, I love you so."

  Love. The word pierced his heart, shattering all his control. It was

  more than he'd ever hoped for. All that he'd ever dreamed of. And it

  was his. She was his. This incredible, magnificent woman owned

  him. Heart and soul.

  He took her with the force of a warrior in the heat of combat. He

  heard her cry of surprise. Felt her stiffen. Knew that he was hurting

  her and hated himself for- it. Sweet heaven, she was a maiden. An

  innocent. And he was taking her like a barbarian.

  He went very still, struggling to hold to a last tenuous thread of

  sanity. His voice was a strangled whisper. "Briana, I'm such a brute.

  I'm sorry...."

  "Shhh." She touched a finger to his mouth to silence his protest.

  He stared down into her eyes and was shocked by the intensity of

  passion he could see in them. An intensity that matched his own.

  "Don't stop, Keane. Just love me."

  He felt the last of his fears vanish. "Ah, Briana. I do, I will. Now and

  for all time."

  He covered her mouth with his and began to move with her and she

  with him. Moving with a strength neither of them had known they

  possessed. Faster, then faster still, until they felt themselves soaring,

  shattering, drifting. It was the most incredible journey of their lives.

  Chapter Sixteen

  "Sweet God in heaven." Still joined, Keane rested his forehead

  against Briana's and sucked in deep draughts of cool night air to fill

  his starving lungs.

  She lay very still, grateful for the calm after the storm. She had feared

  for a few moments, that her heart would leap clear out of her chest.

  Even now, as she felt her racing pulse slowly return to normal, she

  marveled at what they had just shared. "That was..." She struggled for

  words, "...truly amazing. I never expected...I had no idea..."

  Much to her embarrassment, she found herself suddenly weeping. For

  no reason.

  Seeing it, Keane felt his heart stop. "Ah, Briana. Now look what I've

  done." Alarmed, he shifted himself above her and started to roll aside.

  "Forgi
ve me, my lady. I'm so sorry...."

  "Nay. That isn't why I'm weeping." She laid a hand on his cheek. "It

  isn't you. It's us. And this wonderful thing we did."

  "You think it...was wonderful?" The vise that had begun to crush his

  chest disappeared. He felt his heart begin to beat once more.

  She nodded. "It's like nothing I've ever known. It was...breathtaking.

  Is it always that way between a man and woman?"

  "Not always. But it can be so beautiful, when there's love between

  them." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, her cheek, the tip of her

  nose, before rolling to one side and drawing her into the curve of his

  arms.

  As she snuggled close, he thought how perfectly she fit. As though

  made for him alone.

  She touched a hand to the mat of dark hair at his chest. ' 'When were

  you going to admit your feelings for me?"

  He frowned, shivering at the feelings that pulsed through him at her

  simple touch. "Never."

  ' 'Never?' She sat up, brushing aside the tumble of red curls that

  spilled over into her eyes. "But you just told me that you'd long

  wanted me."

  "Aye. It's the truth." He reached up, letting his hand play with her

  hair. It was deceptively soft. Like her. "But I felt honor-bound to keep

  my feelings secret."

  "How long have you wanted me?"

  Though he kept a straight face, his voice was tinged with laughter.

  "The truth?"

  She nodded.

  He tugged on a curl, then wrapped it around his finger. "Since that

  first night, when I watched you fighting for every breath. I knew you

  were a brave little scrapper, Briana. And though at the time I thought

  you were a woman pledged to the church, I can't deny it. I wanted

  you."

  She seemed clearly delighted with his admission. "The jaded, worldly

  lord of the manor wanted a sheltered woman of the church. You

  probably hated yourself for your thoughts."

  "Aye." He seemed distracted by the silken texture of her hair as his

  fingers played with the strands. "It seemed just one more in the long

  list of sins for which I'll probably do penance for eternity. But this

  was one temptation I was not about to give in to."

  "Then I'm glad I told that little lie." As the words slipped out, she

  clapped a hand over her mouth. But it was too late.

  His hand stilled its movements. "What little lie?"

  When she didn't respond, he caught her by the chin and forced her to