Kiwi Bride Series: Highland Kiss (30 page)

“
Master Alec, ‘ere all by
yerself?” Mrs. McKenzie asked in surprise some moments
later.

Alec looked up at the
housekeeper. “Don’t mind me, Mrs. McKenzie,” he said, standing up
from his chair. “I’ll be off now.”

He left the dining room and went toward the library,
intending to leave, but stopped himself short. He raked his fingers
through his hair.
No, she
needed space.
He’d let her
read in peace for a while, and then go and get her. Yes, and then
he and she could—

He nodded, a devilish
smile on his lips. With that thought fixed in his mind, he headed
out for a good walk. The moon was bright, the air was fresh, and
Alec found he enjoyed his walk tremendously. It calmed his nerves
and cooled his lust for Ruby.

When he returned, it was
late, and he excitedly rushed upstairs. He expected to find his
captive there in the master bedroom, waiting for him expectantly in
bed. All that greeted his arrival, however, was a dark, empty room.
He frowned and wondered where she was. Still in the
library?

Heading back downstairs, he went into the library, and
found her curled up on the sofa, a tartan over her and Captain Snow
beside her. He kneeled next to the sofa and really looked closely
at her. He had the sudden realization of how far they had come
since that first day at the motel in Edinburgh. He gently stroked
her face, marveling at how precious she now was to him.

He picked the sleeping dog
up and placed him on the armchair. Then he gently took the tartan
from Ruby and tucked that securely around the dog. He returned his
attention to Ruby and scooped her up in his arms. He deftly carried
her to the door, taking long strides down the hallway, before
climbing up the stairs. She didn’t stir until he lay her on their
bed.

“
What are you doing?” she
asked sleepily.

He didn’t answer her, but
began to kiss her face repeatedly. Then he kissed her
lips.

“
Oh Lord, the Highlander
is kissing Sleeping Beauty,” she said softly.

Alec chuckled. “The
Highlander’s kiss, huh? How about that?”

Ruby was fully awakened
now, both in mind and body, which was not good. She was determined
to stay away from him since that morning, but it wasn’t working too
well. She didn’t want her departure to be difficult to endure. It
seemed now, however, he was leaving her no choice in the
matter.

She licked her
lips.

Alec noticed that, and
thought how erotic it was.

“
So, what are you doing?”
she asked again.

“
As you can see, my lady,
Master Hasting is all by himself tonight and needs a companion.
Would you like to be his companion?”

“
No, I wouldn’t,” she
replied bluntly.

“
Ah, but you have no
choice in the matter,” he said. Before she could protest, he locked
his lips on hers. When he let her go, she was
breathless.

“
You’re making it hard,”
she whispered.

He cocked his head to one
side. “Making what hard?”

She ignored his question
and said instead, “You’ll regret it.”

He chuckled. “Never!” he
said, his hot breath fanning her skin. Then he kissed her
again.

At first, Ruby seemed guarded against his lovemaking
endeavor, but she quickly softened and opened her mouth for him.
Just as quickly Alec plunged his tongue inside, and they really
kissed—wildly, passionately, and desperately. She wrapped her arms
about his neck, drawing him in. She knew it was going to be her
last night with him. She knew she’d never see him again after
tonight.
So why not?
Why not be as carefree and as wild
as she possibly could be?

Ruby finally let go. She
abandoned all her inhibitions and let her guard down, hoping to
allow him take her to new heights. When Alec stopped kissing her,
he began taking off her clothing. She watched him, and when she was
totally naked, he took his own off.

He cupped her face and
kissed her again, pulling her toward him, squeezing her between the
bed and him. His hands were everywhere on her person, caressing and
stroking every inch of her body.

Ruby closed her eyes and
allowed herself to savor every caress and kiss he gave her. She dug
her fingers into his hair, stroking and playing with the strands as
he continued kissing her body, moving south. When his hot mouth
devoured one hard, ripe nipple, she groaned with joy and arched her
back up, offering more access to him. He was pleased with her
willingness, as well as her response to his kisses. He couldn’t
help glowing with love and pride.

He continued to caress her
breast with his mouth as his hand travelled lower, seeking the
object of his desire. Upon finding it, he eagerly rubbed and
stroked her pearl, causing her to moan and groan loudly in
unbridled ecstasy. He could feel her sweet, delicious juices
flowing about his finger and couldn’t wait to taste it. Moving his
attention to her other breast, he gave it the same treatment as the
first one—caressing, stroking, and sucking her flesh until it was
hard and glistening like marble, standing proudly at attention
before him, and begging for more.

Ruby kept moaning and
groaning, her body dancing beautifully beneath Alec’s kisses and
fingers as he moved down, with his lips on her sensitive skin. He
was kissing her flat stomach, but Ruby knew exactly where he was
heading. She waited in eager anticipation, aching to feel that
unique pleasure he so expertly provided for her.

Upon reaching his
destination, his mouth devoured her, causing Ruby to jump as a hot
thrill of electric current coursed through her body. She cried out
sighs of pleasure. Alec knew she liked what he was doing and
naturally, continued to do more, which caused her to cry out even
louder, while begging him not to stop.

Ruby had never felt
anything like that before. It was amazing. It was wonderful. It was
intoxicating. And she craved it like a drug, desiring more and more
and more.

When Alec finished, he sat up and looked at her. She was
sitting, with her back resting against the headboard. Her body
shook and she panted with spasm-like reactions. He gazed up at her
face and saw her dark hair was a mess, her eyes were large and
bright, her lips red, and her cheeks were a perfect rose pink from
the blushing capillaries. Her whole body was glistening with beads
of sweat. She looked so beautiful and sexy.
And hell, yes!!!
So damn desirable, he wanted to take her right there and
then.

Ruby watched him, noting that his eyes seemed dark, and his
face almost a hard mask as he looked at her. She thought he looked
so damn hot, it caused her insides to constrict with desire.
Oh God!
She wanted him. She wanted him inside her. She wanted
him so badly that her insides were aching from need.

Their eyes met. Ruby
caught her breath, and tried to swallow. Seeing the intense desire
on his strong face, she felt herself tightening even before he
touched her.

He moved his head toward
her, putting his face only inches from hers so she could feel his
hot breath tingling on her skin. He said, “Now then, my lady, how
about a kiss?”

Ruby licked her lips and
looked at him, her eyes growing larger. She offered her lips to
him, which he gladly accepted. They kissed passionately and
desperately, like they never wanted to let the other go. Ruby felt
Alec pulling her down, making her lie beneath him. As his tongue
plunged into her mouth, so his rod plunged inside her. She groaned
with renewed delight and wrapped her legs around his torso for
better purchase.

Alec found his rhythm as
he made love to her, thrusting his manhood ever deeper inside
her—in and out, in and out—slowly and deliciously. Then, when Ruby
thought she couldn’t handle it anymore, and was about to come, he
stopped. He pulled out and sat back. Ruby wanted to cry out in
frustration.

“
No, no,” she begged.
“Don’t stop.”

Alec chuckled. “I’m not
stopping, my sweet.”

He pulled her over and flipped her on top of him. Ruby
could feel his hard abs against her soft flesh and groaned, biting
her lip. He guided her south, and before Ruby knew it, she felt his
rod plunging inside her as she cried out with joy.

“
Alec!”

He chuckled. With his
large hands wrapped around her tiny waist, he led her, lifting her
hips backward and forward and up and down. At first, Ruby seemed
reserved, unsure of what he wanted her to do. But once she felt the
pressure of a climax building up, and saw him groaning and moaning,
she understood. She moved of her own accord, dancing on top of him
as she drove his rod deeper and faster inside her.

Alec closed his eyes at
the amazing sensation. She was so tight around him, wrapping him in
her hot, wet sheet. When he opened his eyes again, his heart glowed
with pride. He watched his Ruby dancing on top of him, her skin
glistening with sweat, her breasts bouncing about freely. He found
her face amazingly beautiful as her desire built up and he could
see she was on the verge of an orgasm. He tightened his hands about
her small waist and pulled her down on him, seeking her lips for a
kiss.

When he pulled her down,
Ruby gasped in surprise. Then he kissed her hard and passionately.
Before long, he flipped her underneath him as he continued sliding
into her. He moved faster and wilder, his furious rhythm nearly
about to break her. She groaned loudly, begging him not to stop,
but to keep going, only harder and faster.

Alec obliged. Then he felt
her coming although she screamed it out again and again. She didn’t
need to tell him! He watched her; squeezing her eyes closed, her
small teeth biting her lower lip, her hands gripping his shoulders,
her fingers digging into his skin. She came, and it was long and
beautiful as he watched her, fascinated and loving it. Then it was
his turn. He came, and it was also long and satisfying as he
released his seed inside her.

She was still panting when
he pulled out. Taking her into his arms, he began kissing her
repeatedly.

Exhausted, Ruby closed her eyes, a smile on her lips. Alec
watched her as she slept peacefully in his arms, kissing her now
and again. He couldn’t believe how precious she was now to him. He
closed his eyes too, smiling.

* * *

It was still dark when Ruby opened her eyes. She felt her
throat tightening and her stomach
roiling in dread as she watched Alec. In his sleep, he
looked impassive and absolutely handsome. He had a slight smile on
his lips as though he were having a wonderful dream. She wondered
if she was in it.

After hastily getting out of bed, she showered and changed,
hoping sincerely that Alec was in such a deep sleep, he wouldn’t
wake up before she left him. Once refreshed and all dressed up, she
returned, looking at the man she was about to leave forever for the
last time. She gently brushed her fingers across his strong jaw
line, her heart burning with sadness
. But how could she stay with him if they had no future
together?
She belonged in her
own world back in New Zealand, and he belonged here, in Scotland.
He was Master Alec Hasting, multimillionaire, and she was just Ruby
from New Zealand.

Slowly, she withdrew her
hand. “I’m sorry, Alec,” she said, stepping back. “I love you.”
Then before she broke down, she spun on her heels and walked out
the door.

Down at the main entrance,
Brian was waiting for her. He gave her a fleeting smile, but she
noticed he looked tired. She couldn’t blame him. It was, after all,
five in the morning.

“
Are you
ready?”

Ruby nodded, refusing to
look back up the stairs, or wonder what Alec’s reaction would be
when he discovered she was gone.

Outside the manor, Brian
put her suitcase into the boot. “You don’t have anything
else?”

Ruby shook her
head.

“
Okay.” Brian opened the
door for her. Ruby looked up once more at the manor, a sickening
feeling building up in the pit of her stomach and tears burned in
her eyes.

No, she had to go. She had
to leave. This was no place for her. This was not her
home.

She slid into the front
seat, and Brian closed the door after her. He got into the driver’s
seat and started the engine. He noticed Ruby’s hand shaking as she
put on her seatbelt. He touched her shoulder.

“
We don’t have to do
this,” he said.

Ruby glanced at him. “I
have to do this, Brian. I can’t stay here. I… I don’t belong
here.”

“
What about
Alec?”

“
He’ll survive. All too
soon, he’ll forget about me. He’ll forget me
completely.”

“
I thought you loved
him.”

“
I do, but I can’t stay
here. I don’t belong here, Brian.”

“
Ruby, I’m
sorry.”

“
About what?”

He paused for a moment
before saying, “Nothing.”