Page 63 of Deception of a Highlander

Desire prickled her flesh, and his eager thrust sent her to the brink. She cried out and yielded to his beautiful strength.

A sublime wave of pleasure crashed over her and robbed her of breath. Her body squeezed against Kieran’s arousal, and a deep groan tore from his throat as his buttocks clenched beneath her hands. He grasped her shoulders and warmth rushed against her womb.

She stared into eyes of liquid midnight, riding out the vestiges of shared delight rippling between them. His thumb brushed her cheek, and she found herself turning her face to the comfort of his palm.

“Did I hurt ye?” Concern puckered his brow.

She met his gaze and answered earnestly, “No.”

He slid himself from between her legs with a shaky breath, and another unexpected jolt of bliss snatched the air from her chest. He did not move off her. With her cheek still cradled in his hand, he pressed a tender kiss to her mouth.

“Did I please ye?” he murmured against her lips.

Did he please her? Her core still quivered from the strength of her release, and her limbs were heavy with the effects of satisfaction. Her answer came in a breathy moan as she remembered the heat of his tongue between her legs.

He leaned back and chuckled softly. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Thunder cracked overhead and mingled with the roar of rain as it whipped against the solid cottage—a violent indication the storm still raged outside the cozy warmth of their cabin.

“The weather willna clear for a while still.” He grinned down at her. “Looks as if we’re trapped here until morning.”

He rose to his feet and padded to where the plaids were laid by the fire to dry. He wore his nudity with unabashed pride, and rightfully so. Mariel sat upright and took her time savoring Kieran’s beauty.

The flicker of the fire cast erotic shadows against the hard contours of his chiseled body. His long legs were strong beneath the muscular curve of his bottom. He plucked a length of plaid from the floor, his powerful back rippling with corded flesh before he turned toward her once more. Her gaze moved toward his semierect phallus, and heat spread over Mariel’s cheeks.

He glanced down at himself and then back up at her. His eyes sparkled mischievously.

“Did I catch ye looking at me?” He knelt beside her and covered her with the plaid.

The fire had dried the heavy wool and left it warm. Mariel wrapped it around her back like a shawl to protect her from the prickle of hay and settled into their makeshift bed.

“I couldn’t help myself,” she mumbled.

He gave a low chuckle and slid in beside her. His naked arm pulled her close, so her head rested on his solid chest.

“Good answer.” The smile was evident in his silky voice.

Exhaustion curled around her shoulders and eased throughout her body. The steady thump of Kieran’s heartbeat against her ear and their combined warmth lulled Mariel toward the comfort of sleep.

And then a stark thought invaded her dreams, jarring her from slumber.

She was in love with the very man she had to kill.

* * *

Kieran woke to the graying light of dawn and looked down at the woman who slept with her warm back pressed against his chest. He shifted his hand from her waist and brushed a wave of dark hair from her brow. Her lips curved into a gentle smile.

Sometime in the night, she had put on his leine. The front fell open, revealing the rounded edge of one perfectly shaped breast. His mouth watered with the memory of how her skin had been so wet and cold beneath his tongue after he’d removed her chemise and how quickly she’d warmed beneath his attentions.

She had been so responsive, so eager. His cock woke at the memory of how tightly she milked him with each grind of her hips.

Mariel shifted in her sleep, and the curve of her lush rump arched against him, cradling the thick column that rose between his legs. He groaned and tried to nudge away from her. He would not interrupt her sleep with the insistence of his desire.

No woman had ever claimed his interest with as much intensity as Mariel. In the past, his passions were slaked with women eager to warm his bed, women who departed with ease the next day. Never had their leave bothered him. And yet, here lay a woman who made his chest ache with the very thought of her absence. A woman who called to him from the depths of her slumber even though he’d had her only hours before.

Her bottom ground against him once more, and a little noise of pleasure hummed in her throat. His hand rested on her hip with the intent to push her away when he saw the edge of her mouth lift into a slow smile.

The vixen was teasing him.