My Heart's in the Highlands by Angeline Fortin (best english novels for beginners .TXT) 📗

had once again been drifting downward, shot back tohis. The logical rebuttal was there in her eyes, and Hero wasvisibly fighting against voicing it, but Ian couldn’t battle hisamusement. He chuckled throatily, thinking this confrontation wasfar more interesting than the one he had been anticipating thatnight. “Why don’t you come in here with me and find out what I am …or am not … wearing for yourself?”

Predictably, she stiffened in face of hisamusement. “Do you think I won’t?”

What Ian thought was that Hero would go withwhatever part of her conscience won the war that had been raging inher since the moment he had touched her thigh. The inexperiencedpart of her would argue for a retreat while the portion of her thathad emerged so briefly in the music room and in the dungeons whenher passions were roused would want to continue from where they hadbeen interrupted. But instead of voicing any of that, Ian offeredonly the earnest truth. “My God, Hero, I hope ye will.”

Her hand trembled against his abdomen, herfingers curling against him before she drew away and stood. Ianinwardly cursed. He should have simply kissed her into submission,knowing that she wanted him as well, knowing that he could easilykindle her passions into a fire she could not deny. He should have,but Ian wanted her to come to him freely. Wanted the decision to behers without influence.

His body raged, begging him to pull her backdown to him. Ian lifted himself onto one elbow. “Hero …”

He froze as she unbuttoned one of the quartetof buttons that held her dressing gown closed at her waist. Whenher hands moved to the next one, Ian held his breath. Leisurely,she worked the third and fourth before parting the gown and liftingit off her shoulders. It fell slowly, dragging at the low gatheredneckline of her nightgown as it went until it was pulled along withthe robe, baring one shoulder to his hungry eyes as his breath wasdrawn from him just as gradually.

Her white nightgown was gossamer thin,falling in folds from the gathered top that could not hide thesilhouette of her body beneath. He could see the shadow beneath herbreasts and lower between her thighs. It was a gown made forseduction. His hand clenched the sheet tightly to restrain himselffrom reaching for her. “Ye came in here for more than conversation,my love. Didn’t ye?” he asked thickly.

“No, that’s what I went to the pagoda lastnight for,” she said. “I wanted to see if you would keep yourpromise but you weren’t there.”

Ian tensed at the thought of Hero walking thegrounds alone. He would have to make certain that didn’t happenagain until his assailant was caught. “My apologies, my love, I waslate. You must have left before I got there. I was so lookingforward to meeting you. Are you sorry to have missed it, Hero?”

“Where were you?” She tugged at the ribbonthat held the gown together at the top and it slid apart, fallingover the other shoulder as well. She paused and waitedexpectantly.

Drinking in the smooth ivory skin of herbared shoulders and the shadowy hint of her breasts, Ian almostcouldn’t recall the subject at all. His focus was on her and heralone. “Business. Hero, my love …”

Hero shifted almost imperceptibly and thegown slipped lower, catching at the peak of her breasts. “What kindof business?”

Ian’s breath caught along with the gown.“Later. I promise.”

Her eyes lit and with a soft whoosh, theentire garment slid to the floor, leaving Hero clad in nothing morethan shadow and moonlight.

A low moan escaped him at the sight of her.Hero was pure perfection, more lovely even than Ian had imagined.Her breasts were full above an impossibly tiny waist, yet her hipsflared in a wide, rounded curve. One long lock of her hair layagainst her breast, curling beneath it like a lover’s hand. Arousalbecome instantaneous erection, and the heat spread.

He had to touch her. “Come to me, mylove.”

Hero took his outstretched hand withouthesitation and lifted a knee to the edge of the mattress. Anybashfulness and uncertainty she had been feeling fled at the needin his eyes. The heat there transferred to her, stoking herconfidence, and she knew the time had come. She had wanted it to.Wanted it for days before Ian confessed his love. She would havegladly had him without it, but knowing that he loved her, knowingthat he wanted so much more from her than a just a body to warm hisbed, had fueled her own desire to a feverish pitch.

Ian had been right. Hero had come for morethan conversation and explanation. She had come to collect on thepromises he had made. To find out where the extraordinary passionhe roused in her could take her. The sight of his bare chest andthe feeling of his muscles playing underneath his hot, smooth skinhad only strengthened her resolve to finish what they hadbegun.

Now she slid her palm over his rippledabdomen, marveling at the muscles clenching beneath her hand, andmoved her hand up his chest more boldly as she leaned over him. Herhand moved up over his shoulder to caress his cheek as she bent tokiss him gently. His lips parted beneath hers, encouraging her toexplore more fully, and Hero did. She traced his lips with hertongue before dipping inward to meet his. Ian’s hands ran up hersides, and Hero couldn’t help but shiver at the contact against herbare skin. She jumped with a start when his thumbs slid up underher breasts before he cupped them in his palms. Squeezing gently,he rubbed the pad of his thumbs across her sensitive nipples, andit was Hero’s turn to moan helplessly.

“Ian, I …” she gasped against his lips.

“Please, don’t tell me ye don’t know what todo, Hero,” he growled hoarsely. “If you knew any better, I’d be adead man.”

Hero released a breathless giggle and loweredherself against him until her breasts were pressed against hischest. Propping herself on an elbow on his pillow, she brushed herlong hair aside only to have his hands join hers in the effortbefore those roughened palms slid down her back and over herbottom. His