The Magnificent Rogue

  “Open your eyes. I want you to look at me. I want you to watch me.” His voice was guttural. “I want you to know every minute who is doing this to you. Who is going to be inside you.” She opened her eyes to see him kneeling between her outspread legs, unclothed.

  “Is it going to happen now?” she whispered.

  “Aye.” He moved closer. “But not quite yet.” Two fingers slid slowly into her.

  She arched upward at the incredible invasion of body and senses. His fingers moved in and out slowly, then more rapidly, and then with a jerky, primitive rhythm that drove her to bite her lips to keep from screaming with the erotic sensations that were cascading through her with his every motion.

  “Tight … God, you’re tight,” he muttered. “I can’t—wait any longer. I have to get in.”

  He entered carefully, fighting the tightness. When he reached the barrier, he stopped, his chest lifting and falling with each labored breath. “Brace yourself, lass.”

  He plunged to the hilt.

  She gasped as pain shot through her. He became still, buried deep, joined, pulsing within her.

  She still felt a dull ache, but another sensation was beginning to submerge the discomfort. Fullness … but still hunger, a hunger she suddenly knew she could not bear not to assuage.

  She instinctively clenched around him.

  He gasped, and a shudder went through him. He lifted his head to look down at her. “Are you trying to kill me?”

  But he had liked it. She had caught that expression of unutterable pleasure on his face. “It felt … right. It was right, wasn’t it?”

  He nodded. “You just surprised me.”

  It had been no surprise to her. Now that he was within her, everything seemed to have its own rhythm, its own primitive inevitability. “But there’s more.” Her hands reached out blindly to clutch at his shoulders. “There has to be more.”

  “Aye, there’s more.” He began to move in and out, with short and long thrusts that came like fiery blows, striking at the heart of her.

  Bonding, wild pleasure, hunger, all growing more intense with each driving thrust.

  He was not giving her enough, she thought feverishly. She had to take more of him. She began to thrust upward, meeting him with a need so fierce, it made her nearly mindless as she tried to clench around him to keep him within her.

  “Easy,” he muttered. “It’s too good. I can’t hold on.”

  He was speaking foolishly. There could be no ease in this act. It was madness, fire and pleasure, and she could not bear it to either slow or stop.

  She thrust upward, her nails digging into his shoulders. “Help me.”

  He froze. “God.” He began to move with animal ferocity, his hands cupping her buttocks in his palms as he drove to the quick. “This?” His voice hoarsened. “Is this what you want? Take it!”

  This must be like birth or death, she thought hazily. Whatever it was, it had to go on forever. No, it had to be done. She couldn’t go on like this with the pleasure building, satisfaction beckoning, climbing, yet just out of reach.

  Robert’s face above her was flushed, his lips heavy with sensuality, his cheeks hollowed and drawn with a terrible strain. “Now,” he said, through clenched teeth. He lifted her higher, closer. “Give it to me. Now!”

  Her body convulsed, splintering into hot arcs of pleasure.

  He groaned, his spine arching, the tendons of his throat distending as he threw back his head.

  He collapsed on top of her, his entire body shuddering, shaking as if with a fever.

  She was shaking, too, she realized dimly, as her fingers ran down his back. Roughness against the smoothness of his skin. Scars, she remembered, he had scars on his back. They had hurt him. She felt a wild burst of possessive anger, and her arms tightened around him. Never again. He must never be hurt again.

  “Kate.”

  His voice was deep and caressing as he said her name. How beautiful … her name had never sounded so beautiful.

  “I’m too heavy on you. Let me go, lass.”

  He wasn’t too heavy, and she didn’t want to let him go. She never wanted to let him go again.

  Robert lifted his head and brushed her forehead with his lips. “I’d gladly stay here, but I’m already stirring, and I think you’ve have had enough for the first time.” He made a face. “Probably too much. I wasn’t as gentle with you as I would have liked.”

  He was stirring, she realized incredulously. He wanted her again. It could go on, the pleasure could go on.…

  “No!” he said as he felt her tighten around him. He quickly drew out and moved to one side. “Not now, Kate. Rest now. I can’t believe I’m saying that.” He chuckled as he kissed her nose. “But you must admit you bore this hideous trial quite well.”

  Her breath was coming in gasps, and it was as if she were seeing everything through a haze. Only what had gone before was real. “Is it … always like this?”

  “More or less.” His tongue delicately licked her shoulder, and a hot shiver ran through her. “But this is definitely more. You appear to have been created for this kind of sport. I admit I didn’t expect such an enthusiastic response from a virgin.”

  “I did not expect to give it.” Panic jarred her into full awareness as she realized what had just happened to her. She had been shameless, uncontrolled, the slut Sebastian had always claimed her to be. With a jerky motion she sat up and wrapped the blanket around her. “It was a … surprise. I’m sure I wouldn’t have responded with such abandonment if I’d known—”

  “Known what?” He smiled teasingly. “That you were born with the kind of passion Aphrodite was said to have?”

  Heat flew to her cheeks. “You are making jest of me.”

  “Am I?”

  She nodded. “I’m not the stuff of legends, and you know it. Besides, I would not conduct myself in that foolish fashion. All those goddesses seemed to think only of lust and vanity and deserved all their tribulations.”

  He chuckled. “Very well, you’re no goddess.” His hand reached up to cup her breast. “But I believe I’ll have to try you again to determine the extent of your earthiness.”

  Sweet Jesus, it was happening again, she realized in despair. Her nipple was peaking, readying beneath his touch. “No!” She scooted backward, out of reach. “It was a mistake.”

  He lifted a brow. “How fleeting is gratitude.…”

  “I will find another way.”

  “I like this one.”

  “And I don’t.” He was still too close. She stood up and moved around the fire and sat down.

  “You like it very much.” His gaze narrowed on her face. “And will like it even more once you’ve learned the way of it.”

  “I will not,” she said fiercely. “I will not be the whore Sebastian called me.”

  “Ah, there’s the problem.” His lips tightened. “By Judas, that bastard manages to spit his poison even when he’s not in the same country. You’re no whore, Kate.”

  “Pure woman do not enjoy—”

  “What of your friend Carolyn? Did you not tell me she was eagerly looking forward to marrying?”

  She frowned in confusion. He was right. Carolyn had always had a lustful turn. “It’s different for me.”

  “Because Sebastian told you it was wicked so many times that the truth became blurred. You told me that yourself.”

  She shook her head helplessly. “You don’t understand. If he is right about this, he may be right about other things. I cannot let it happen again.”

  “But you will.” His expression hardened. “You didn’t have to give yourself. I would have kept my promise. It was your choice.”

  “And I’ve changed my mind.”

  “It’s too late.” His eyes glittered in the firelight. “If you think I’ll stay in this cave with you, knowing what we could have and letting Sebastian take it from—” He broke off and repeated, “It’s too late.”

  “You would take me against my will?” she as
ked shakily.

  He shook his head. “But we’ve already discussed how delightfully weak your will is in this particular matter. I’ll simply lay assault until it crumbles.”

  Fear surged through her, and with it a dark, forbidden heat. She knew how determined he could be, and now she also knew the pleasure he could give her. Her lustful body would not wish to fight him, would instead battle to surrender. She searched wildly for an argument that would get through to him. “You said once a child would be a danger to Craighdhu, and that you could prevent—But I don’t think you protected that from happening, did you?”

  An indecipherable expression flickered across his face. “No.”

  She did not think he had. She was not sure what action would have been necessary to prevent a child, but their coming together had been so savage, calculating behavior of any sort had seemed impossible. “Then you clearly should not let it happen again.”

  “You’re wrong, I’ve already made the mistake. You may even now be with child. There’s no reason I shouldn’t enjoy your body until I find out if it’s true.”

  “There is a reason,” she said in exasperation. “I say no.”

  He suddenly smiled. “And that’s reason enough for now. There is probably soreness from your first joust, and I’ll not trouble you again tonight.” He lay down and pulled the blanket over him. “Tomorrow night will do as well. When darkness falls, and we light the fire, I’ll show you how a man can be mounted. You’ll find it much more pleasurable than any ride Caird has given you.” He met her gaze across the fire. “In the meantime think of how you felt when I came into you. Do you not want that pleasure again?”

  She did want it, she realized in despair. Just the memory of that joining was starting an aching heat between her thighs.

  His gaze moved down to the fullness of her breasts outlined beneath the blanket. “I have few fond memories of my time in Spain, but I learned many things there that will bring you pleasure. I’ll show you a few tomorrow evening.”

  “No,” she whispered.

  “Aye, pleasure is no sin between man and wife. Personally, I’m delighted Mary has gifted you with such a lustful nature. It will be my joy to develop it to our mutual advantage during our stay here.”

  “I’m not lustful.”

  “But you are, with a clean, beautiful lust such as I’ve never known before. If you will be honest with yourself, you’ll admit that you came to me as much from lust as from gratitude.”

  Her eyes widened in shock. “It’s not true. I knew nothing about this. How could I know I would find this—” She stopped in dismay.

  He smiled knowingly, and she realized he had guessed what she had almost blurted out. “You couldn’t know, but you were curious, weren’t you? You’re always curious. You want to know how everything smells and tastes and feels. Curiosity, too, is a form of lust, Kate.” He closed his eyes. “Now go to sleep. You’ll need your rest tomorrow.”

  Could he be right? Had she lied to herself about her motives tonight? she wondered, stricken. It was true at one time she had passionately wanted to pierce that wall surrounding Robert and learn everything about him. The desire had been like a terrible thirst, and when she’d been denied the means to soothe that thirst in the way of her choice, it was possible she had tried to quench it in the only way left open to her.

  She settled down, her gaze on his face. He was so sure, so confident of victory, the falcon swooping down on its prey. But she was no helpless victim. She could fight him, best him. She had only to ignore what had happened tonight and—

  But she could neither ignore nor forget what had happened. Because, God help her, it was still happening. He had only had to look at her and her body had changed, ripened. Even now, her breasts were still aching and swollen beneath the blanket. She did not know that woman who had moaned and moved and arched at his command. What would be her response if he touched her again? Would she change into the panting, lustful animal she had been only a few moments before? The thought filled her with sickening fear, and another emotion even more terrifying.

  A dark, dangerous anticipation.

  “Wake up, Kate.”

  She opened her eyes to see Robert already dressed and pulling on his boots. He smiled. “Get dressed. It’s time to put out the fire.”

  The fire was already burning low, and even beneath the blankets she could feel the chill. When it went out entirely, it would be frigid in the cave. Memories of last night abruptly flooded back to her, and she became acutely conscious of her own nakedness and Robert watching her across the fire. She hurriedly reached for her clothing, dragged it to her, and started to struggle into the garments beneath the blanket.

  “For God’s sake, what are you doing?” Robert asked impatiently. “You look like a pig rolling in the mud.”

  “I’m getting dressed.”

  “Modesty? Did it not occur to you I’ve already seen what you’re trying to conceal?” He smiled sardonically. “Or are you just obeying Sebastian’s commands and trying not to arouse my wicked carnal lusts?”

  “Modesty is not unknown to me,” she said, stung. “And I do not need either Sebastian or you to lesson me in it.”

  “I have no desire to teach you any such foolishness. I infinitely prefer you as you were last night.”

  “I do not,” she said crisply. “And I wish you would not speak of it. It makes me uncomfortable.”

  “I passed a few uncomfortable hours myself last night,” he murmured. “Would you like for me to tell you in what fashion?”

  “No,” she said in exasperation. She was sure she had her blasted gown on backward, and how was she to put on her stockings without disarranging the blanket? “I want you to be silent and let me get on with this.”

  His lips were suddenly twitching. “At the speed you’re going, we’ll use our entire supply of wood before you manage to clothe yourself.”

  He was right, she thought crossly. Why should she be forced to this foolishness when it only amused him and discomforted herself? She sat up and tossed aside the blanket. She did not have the gown on backward, but the bodice was buttoned wrong. She quickly corrected the matter. “I meant what I said last night, you know.”

  “I’m sure you did.” He paused. “So did I.”

  “Then you must change your mind.” She started to tug on her woolen stockings. “For I shall not change mine.”

  “You seem to be having a great deal of difficulty with those stockings. May I help?”

  “No! I have no need—” He was already kneeling in front of her, his hands brushing aside her hands. A jolt of heat went through her when his fingers touched her bare calf as he slowly drew the gray wool up her leg.

  “You have fine limbs,” he said softly. “You gave me no opportunity to study you last night.”

  She had a sudden memory of herself lying open and defenseless before him. “That’s not true.” The words sounded breathless, and she deliberately steadied her voice. “You must know every inch by now.”

  “Not every inch.” He pulled her stocking past her knee. “I was preoccupied with only one portion of your enchanting person. Lust has a habit of making one single-minded.” He reached for the leather garter on the blanket beside her. “I’m sure you understand that now.” He tied the leather garter, and then his hand moved up to caress her inner thigh. “There’s nothing more sensual or pleasing than the sight of a woman’s limbs bound by stockings and garters and then to find this lovely surprise of soft flesh.”

  She stared helplessly at his tan hand against her pale limb. His touch was caressing, its very lightness beguiling, chaining her. She must move away from him.

  He touched the leather garter. “This is good leather, butter soft. I enjoy the feel of leather.” His cheeks were flushed, and the mocking note had vanished from his hoarse voice. “I’ll show you later what a pleasure leather can be.” He tore his hand away and reached for the other stocking. “I have a great fondness for most textures, but I have no liking for this
rough wool. I’ll find you silk stockings when we get to Craighdhu.” He pulled the stocking up past her knee and tied the garter. “Silk has a pleasing texture too.” His fingers trailed up, and then still farther. “But there are a few textures even more pleasing.”

  The muscles of her thigh clenched beneath his touch, sending a chain reaction upward to the place he had stroked last night. Why could she not move? It was as if she were frozen in place by his touch.

  “I’ll try to take more time tonight,” he said thickly. “I know I was too quick with you. There are many ways of pleasure, and not all of them so rough.”

  He had not been rough. There had been wildness but not brutality. If anything, she had been the one who was brutal. She remembered how her nails had dug deep into his shoulders as she lunged upward. She had been an animal, no better than a whore. The thought broke the spell he was weaving about her, and she drew away from him. “I will not learn these ways.”

  He sat back on his heels and pulled down her skirt. “You’ll have no choice.”

  “I’ve learned enough about you to know you won’t force me.”

  “I won’t have to. You don’t have a temperate nature.” He met her gaze. “We both know I could have taken you just now, if I’d wished.”

  She started to deny it and then remembered that moment of mindless fascination when he had held her in thrall. She would do better to search out his weaknesses than deny her own. “Then why didn’t you?”

  “I can wait.” He stood up and drew on his cloak. “You’re a little confused, but you’re generally a sensible woman. You’ll come to see the truth.”

  “That it’s right to be a whore?” she asked scornfully.

  “No, that it’s right to be a woman,” he said. “Entirely a woman, with a woman’s right to give and take pleasure. You could never be a whore, no matter what Sebastian told you. You’re too strong. A whore is used, and you would not let yourself be used. You’re far more likely to use me than I you.” He added as he reached out and pulled her to her feet, “And it will be my pleasure to let you use me in any manner you find agreeable.”