Highlander's Touch (14 page)

Shona felt anger bubbling in her belly, hands coming to her hips, she stared hard at the warrior before her. “What was a mistake? Me saving your life or you touching me?”

He shrugged. “Maybe both. Ye should have left me.”

What felt like a fist socking her in the stomach took Shona’s breath away. A mistake. Since the moment she’d seen him fighting, this man had captivated her. She’d risked her life taking him back to her cottage. Had saved his life. Had laid her soul open and let him make love to her not once, but twice, and he claimed it was all a mistake?

Her mouth fell open in shock. The fever must still hold him captive despite him being able to walk around—and hold her up against a wall. That could be the only reason behind his odd behavior. Unless…

“I dinna believe ye.” Her words came out strong, funneling the anger that burned in her chest.

“What?” Ewan whipped around, torment crinkling the corners of his eyes and drawing his mouth down.

She took a step closer to him, and locked her eyes on his, seeing their pain-filled depths, and wishing he’d tell her what had him so shaken up.

Shona straightened, braced for his anger. “Ye’re the one lying now.”

EWAN gaped at the fiery lass who stood before him. Never in his life had so many conflicting emotions wrapped their way around him inside, tugging, splitting, nothing catching hold and nothing making sense.

“Just what in bloody hell do ye think I’m lying about? I’m not the one traipsing about seducing wounded men.” The moment the words left his mouth he wished to tug them back. To suck them in like a wind tunnel sucked a galleon into the ocean’s cold, dark depths. But it was too late.

Across from him, Shona’s face crumbled into a tumult of reactions that he himself felt deep in his chest. Anger. Sadness. Grief. Her hand flashed out and she struck him hard across the face.

And he let her. He could have stopped her, but he didn’t. He needed that slap. Needed to feel the sting of her anger. Relished the burn on his face.

“How dare ye speak to me like that!”

He advanced toward her in a single long step, both their chests heaving with passion. “And why shouldn’t I? ’Tis what happened, is it not? Tell me, how many men have ye brought back to your little croft? How many have you fed with your tinctures and then lain with?”

He watched her grind her teeth, an angry spark flashing in her eyes. When she raised her hand to slap him this time, he gripped her wrist, stopping her in mid-air. Her pulse beat hard beneath his fingertips and Ewan couldn’t help it, he couldn’t stop himself. His anger and desire exploded and he caught her chin, crushing his mouth against hers. He kissed her in a hard, possessive, bruising kiss. She bit his lip savagely, hotly. And when she opened her mouth allowing him to plunder deep inside, he tasted his blood on her tongue.

Ewan seized her tight, her lush body pressed to his solid one and his cock, full and hard with need, ground against her belly. He wanted to pound inside her, to thrust away the pain and anger that swelled in his heart.

Gripping her hand, he pulled her palm to his rigid shaft. “Do ye feel that? Ye do this to me. No other has possessed me as ye do.”

Shona glared up at him. If she’d had arrows for eyes he’d be as dead as the man she felled in the forest. She struggled against him, and when he wouldn’t let her go she grasped his cock tight enough to be both sensual and cause a little pain.

“Is this what ye want, Ewan?”

God, it was what he wanted and so much more. But not like this. He hissed a breath. “I dinna want to be second.”

“Who said ye are? There’s no one else here.”

“Not yet.”

Shona shook her head. “Ye’re a bastard.”

He was, and he was coming apart in her hand because she still held his cock and was slowly stroking upward.

“I dinna want ye to stop, yet I want ye to.” He wrapped his arms around the small of her back and squeezed her buttocks, tugging her closer.

“That makes no sense.”

“Nothing makes sense to me, anymore.” Especially this. The attraction he had for her went beyond sanity and reason. He was drowning in it. “I have to have ye. Have to taste ye.”

Ewan swept her up in his arms and carried her to the small bed.

“We shouldn’t. Not again,” she said, trembling beneath him. One look in her eyes told him she didn’t tremble from fear though, but from the need he, too, felt inside.

“I canna help it.” Ewan covered her with his body. “Ye’ve sucked away the last traces of my control.”

And sucking… The thought of her mouth… Would he never be rid of such thoughts? Shona licked her lips. Blast, could he even ask?

“I want…” he started, then closed his eyes. With Hildie and her crew it was easy to make demands. But with Shona…

“Tell me what ye want.” A potent hunger filled her voice.

But Ewan couldn’t ask something he wasn’t sure she was willing to give, and so he yanked up her gown, and stared down at the fiery curls and the pink petals of her cunny that shone damp.

“I want to taste ye.” He ran a single finger through the slick folds and watching her tense and eyes widen.

“What?”

“Has no man ever run his tongue over your mons?”

Shona licked her lips and shook her head. Interest and hunger sparked in her eyes. “I didna know…”

“I’m going to lick ye clean, lass.”

Her lips parted, a soft moan escaping, and his cock jumped with the need to fill that warm, velvet cavern. To have her tongue run over his cock. She must have seen a visceral reaction in his eyes for she glanced down at his groin and licked her lips again.

“Can I… can we…?” she asked.

Ewan grinned. “If ye’re saying what I think ye are, then I’d be verra happy to oblige ye, lass.”

“Show me.”

“Get undressed.” Ewan stood from the bed, loosened his belt and let his plaid fall to the floor. He kicked off his boot and tore off his hose.

Shona stared at his solid shaft, seemingly immobilized by the sight. Ewan held out his hand to her and pulled her to stand. One more moment of abandon and then he’d be on his way. This was too much for him. He lay on the bed, watching her strip down to her slick smooth skin.

When she was naked, he beckoned her closer. “Ye’re going straddle my face, but facing my toes. This way we can both put our tongues to the other.”

Her eyes widened, but her lips quirked into a seductive smile.

“Sinful,” she whispered.

“Completely.” He flashed her a wicked grin and a wink. “Now, come here.”

He grabbed her hand and tugged her forward.

Ewan positioned her so that her thighs were on either side of his face, and he ran his hands over her round rump, breathing in her delicious musky scent.

Shona leaned down on her elbows, her breath washing over his cock. He shuddered, and barely had time to breathe when she took his shaft into her mouth. Her tongue swirled over his sensitive skin. She sucked soft and slow, then hard and fast.

“
Mo chreach
, lass, where did ye learn…” But he didn’t finish his question, because he didn’t want to know the answer. It only reminded him of the argument they’d never finished.

Her fingers wrapped around him working him up and down in rhythm with her mouth. Time for him to reciprocate. Holding onto her thighs, he leaned up and flicked his tongue over the pink pearl she’d exposed to him. Shona jerked and moaned, the sound vibrating over his skin. If she kept up this pace he would burst before he had a chance to make her climax.

That wouldn’t do.

Ewan wanted this last time together to be explosive and pleasurable for them both. A punishing memory.

With his tongue flattened, he licked her from one end to the other, stroking over her folds and the tiny knot of nerves. He dipped a finger, then two, inside her, stroking over the slick velvet walls until he found the pressure point that made her cry out. He was relentless in his pursuit of her satisfaction, alternately stroking her soft flesh with his tongue and sucking, and plunging fast then slow with his fingers.

Shona rocked her hips back and forth, her mouth picking up speed around his cock as her enjoyment increased. Her moans were soft then louder and came faster together, until finally she cried out, her cunny walls tightening and spasming around his fingers. Ewan thrust his hips hard, and she took all of him in, sucking harder as she climaxed, causing him to let go, a powerful release gripping him.

Ewan growled his pleasure, “Fuck, lass.”

She collapsed on top of him, then realized what she’d done and murmured apologies as she slipped to the side.

Ewan swiped his hand over his face, the intoxicating scent of her everywhere. He stood from the bed and used her water bowl to splash his face.

His blood ran both hot and cold as he stared at her lush body on the bed. Immediately he wanted her again. Wanted to possess her. Wanted her to wrap herself around him and never let go.

Impossible.

“I have to leave. Now.”

Shona sat up, staring at him with a blank expression. Her eyes were shuttered, closing off her feelings from him. He didn’t know if that was because she was relieved to see him go or because it pained her. And it shouldn’t be his concern.

Shona dressed, not meeting his gaze as she did so. He pleated his plaid in record time.

“Have ye never had anything good in your life, Ewan?” Her voice was soft as she asked it, though he could tell by the tremble in her tone that she was affected a lot more by what had transpired than she was willing to admit. “Is it all pain and suffering? Must ye push your darkness into all things light?”

This time she did meet his gaze and the pain he saw there nearly tore his heart from his chest. Likewise, her words took him aback, hitting a chord inside that he’d rather leave untouched. Aye, his life had been filled with pain. It had been filled with darkness. Light wasn’t a part of it. He was a warrior. No family. No ties to anyone other than his laird. He owed a duty to his clan. That was it. A woman would only complicate things—and a woman not free to be his would bring on a world of suffering he wasn’t willing to explore.

He had to put some distance between them. Had to sort things out in his mind.

She stood before him, shoulders squared, waiting for his response, but he didn’t even know how to reply. So he remained silent, lips clamped closed when all he really wanted to do was tug her back into his arms, to feel her warmth wrap around him again.

“I can barely remember beyond the last five years. And what memories I can dredge up are nothing but desolate sadness.” She pressed her fist to her chest. “And it hurts, deep inside. Dinna take away from me the few moments of pleasure ye’ve given. Dinna ye dare!”

Her admission only fueled his anger. How dare she try to tell him that he’d given her the only bit of happiness she’d known. What did she take him for? A complete fool? “Save your paltry confessions for your husband.”

The lass took a step back, stunned. Her expression could have been the same if he’d slapped her.

“My husband?”

“Aye—I know about him.”

“But, I—”

He cut her off before she could try to manipulate him further. “Dinna say it. Now, if ye’ll kindly point me in the direction of my weapons I’ll be on my way.”

Tears sparked in Shona’s eyes, but he forced himself not to look at her, not to see what was shining there. The emotions running rampant in his own mind were too much to handle, he couldn’t deal with hers, as well. It was all too much.

“Ye’re a fool, Ewan.”

Resentment flooded him—most of it aimed at himself. He hardened his expression. “I agree. Where are my things?”

Shona pressed her lips together until they were white, studying him hard. She looked as though she wanted to say something to him, but thought better of it. Disappointment she didn’t try to hide flared in her gaze. “They are in the chest.” Her voice cracked and she took a deep breath. “I’ll ready your horse.”

“I’ll ready my own damn horse.” The anger surging through Ewan was unrelenting, and he felt horrible inside with each word he uttered. He was being monstrous to her. She didn’t deserve it, no matter how much she’d lied to him.