Taken by Angeline Fortin (great books of all time TXT) 📗

“Ye drive me to madness.”  His brogue was thick, nearly indecipherable.

“Honey, I’m already there,” she whispered in his ear before nipping on his lobe.

A pained groan rumbled up from deep within him, shaking them both.

Turning, he carried her to the bed and fell with her on to the mattress.  His eyes met hers, fierce, dark with passion.  Hunger.  For her.  “I’m going to take ye, Scarlett.  No’ because I want to shag ye but because I long to possess ye.”

Scarlett trembled at the resolve in his rough brogue.  Possess.  It sounded so complete. So devastating.  “Yes.”

With a savage growl, Laird thrust hard, driving deep into her ready, willing body.  They cried out in unison, possessor and possessed.  He was so big, too big but still she wanted more.  Wrapped tightly around him, every part of her became his as Laird pounded a steady rhythm into her depths.  His chest against hers, his thighs against her.  It was a full body possession.

“Laird,” she moaned, urging him on as she held him with her thighs.  Stroked him with her hands.  “Yes, oh yes!”

Laird buried his face in her shoulder and quickened his tempo, his fingers biting into her hips.  Euphoria coiled deep within her and spiraled out.  Pulsing, searing, singing through her veins.  Incredible. Impossible.  She wanted to savor it, as always her passion for him spiraled out of control.  Too soon.  Too quickly. Lost, helpless against the waves as they began to crash.  Drowning beneath the waves of ecstasy as they lapped over her.  Consumed her.

Harder.  Faster.  An agonized keening filled her ears and Scarlett realized it was her.  Rapture called to her.  A whimper escaped her, and then she cried out.

“Laird.”  She shattered with a hoarse scream, coming apart at a cellular level as he plunged hard once more and tensed.  His own groan muffled against her neck as his heavy weight pressed her deeper into the mattress.

A moment later, he shifted and Scarlett felt him unlacing her gown.  He trailed soft kisses down her neck and shoulders as he bared them, tossing her linen parlett aside.  Her corset loosened and Scarlett drew in a deep, revitalizing breath.  “Stand,” he commanded.

Scarlett rocked her cheek negatively against his damp chest.  Silent laughter shook them and Laird clapped a hand lightly over her bottom.  “Contrary lass.”

He lifted her to her feet and Scarlett swayed, clinging to his shoulders as he untied her skirts and petticoats.  She wore no corset so her clothing fell to the floor as he swept it all downward, leaving her in nothing but her stockings and shoes.  Laird looked up at her for a long moment, his eyes skimming like flames over her body.  His calloused palms closed over her breasts and he released a ragged breath.

Lifting her, he laid her back on the mattress.  Climbing to his knees, he lifted her leg and grasped one foot to remove her shoe.  The muscles in her calf and thigh tensed and jumped as he fingers skimmed upward.  Unrolling one stocking slowly, his lips followed it down.  Kissing, licking and raking her with his teeth.  His eyes, shining like silver plate now, held hers with wicked humor.  He bit her ankle, the arch of her foot before lowering her limb and repeating the process on the other leg.

Scarlett watched him, her fingers curling into the counterpane as she twitched and tensed with every touch.  Her body was still pulsing with satisfaction from their quick, hard mating but heat was already began to pool between her thighs once more.

Finishing with the other leg, he crawled slowly up and over her bending his head here and there to graze his lips or stubbled cheek along her sensitized flesh.  He held himself above, arms bulging as he looked down at her.

Scarlett was trembling, shaken by his size as he loomed over her.  He was so big, so broad; Scarlett should have felt suffocated by his overwhelming presence.  She didn’t.  That tightly leashed power was the freakin’ sexiest thing she had ever experienced.   His arms were like steel beneath her hands as she caressed them, moving over his chest once more, unable to resist touching his deliciously sculpted body.  He was a colossus.

“You are so beautiful,” she said softly, feeling his body tense even more with surprise.

“Nay, mo chroí, ‘tis ye who is the beautiful one, for never hae a seen a more bonny sight in my life than ye right where ye are.” He stared down at her intently, cupping her breasts.

God’s breath, but he had missed looking upon her.

She was a vision in the candlelight, her short auburn hair aflame in the flickering light.  Her skin flushed and dewy from her exertions.  Her modest bosom heaving distractedly beneath his palms.

How could he have ever thought her scrawny, James wondered?  She was dazzling.  Perfect.

Enticing.  She made his blood heat on a normal day, but like this!  Ardor was scorching through his veins.  Even having just taken her, he was impatient to have her again. To ravish her fervently, though a part of him wished he could make love to her tenderly.  His fey, fragile lass deserved tenderness but such delicacy had no place among the riotous passions that consumed him.  Having known the paradise her body could bring, having tasted of her bliss, he was only that much more eager to plunder her again and again.

Perhaps one day.

This was not that day.

He moved between her thighs once more, pleased when she wrapped them tightly around his hips in a welcoming embrace.  His muscles tensed and twitched as her palms smoothed over his chest and ribs, around his back and downward to his arse.

Scarlett cast him an enticing glance from beneath her lashes then lifted her head.  Her tongue traced an erotic line up his throat.  By the time she nipped at his chin, his arms were shaking with lust.  He rocked his hips forward, unerringly finding her.  She blossomed around him, welcomed him.

Bending his head, James caught her lips