chance to guard her virginity. For if they continued down this path, the marriage was inevitable.
‘This wasn’t the reason why I came to you, Lianna,’ he said. ‘If I join with you, you must become my wedded wife afterwards. Or if you want me to stop touching you, I will.’
She framed his face with her hands, her face flushed. ‘Don’t stop.’
* * *
Lianna knew this was wrong. She knew it down to her very soul, but she had come this far, and she could not wait any longer. Her father would come to her chamber with Rhys de Laurent, and if she were caught in Gavin’s embrace, that would be the end of her betrothal to the Norman. Rhys would never accept a woman who could be expecting another man’s child.
For that reason, she knew there was no return from this path of sin. She had made her choice, and she would abide by the consequences later.
‘So be it,’ Gavin growled. He removed his shirt, pulling it over his head.
She was spellbound by his hard muscles, fascinated by the reddened scar that ran across one rib. More than anything, she wanted to touch him, to know what it was to feel this man’s flesh upon hers.
He knelt before the bed and touched her bare feet, tracing her soles. Instead of being ticklish, his touch was sensual, awakening her. As his hands passed over her ankles and up to her calves, he caught the hem of her shift and lifted it higher. She wanted to help him, but the intense stare in his dark blue eyes warned her not to move. His hands slid over her inner thighs, and she was aware of the sharp contrast between his heated palms and her cool skin.
Between her legs, she felt a yearning, to be filled by this man. He would take her body, and afterwards, she would no longer have to wed the Norman. This Highlander would free her from that prison. Her mind tried to warn her that her father would not allow it, but she silenced the words of reason. Her time was running out, and she had to see this through.
The Highlander moved his hand to her intimate flesh, and she was shocked to find that she had grown wet. His finger traced the seam of her opening, and she could not help but moan with the pleasure of his touch. She had always imagined that lovemaking was a necessary means for breeding children, where she would lie still, so that her husband could complete the act.
It had never involved such shocking feelings of need and urgency. She fought to regain control of herself, but her body warred against her mind.
Gavin guided her to lie back on the bed with her legs still open. Then he leaned in and covered her nipple with his heated mouth, over the linen. She nearly bolted off the bed when his finger slid inside her.
Sweet God Almighty.
‘I—I can’t think when you do that.’ Reckless feelings tore through her, and she tried again to master her response. But her body craved his, aching with such fierce needs, she could hardly breathe.
‘Good,’ he answered, swirling his tongue over the damp fabric. ‘I don’t want you to think of anything else but me.’
Her body strained, yearning for something she could not understand. He circled her sensitive nodule while stroking her wet entrance. Then he switched his attention to her opposite breast, and she felt her body erupt with tremors.
‘Don’t fight it,’ he said quietly. ‘Your body will ken what it needs.’ He slid her shift higher so it was bunched at her waist, and then he inserted a second finger. The pressure of his invasion, coupled with the suction of his mouth, was her undoing. A burgeoning spiral of desire made her arch against him, until she felt a surge of hot pleasure breaking over her with the force of a wave. She cried out, fisting the sheets as she rode out the release. His fingers were coated with her essence, and soon she heard him remove his trews. A moment later, she felt the blunt pressure of his erection at her entrance. He was so large, she feared he might hurt her. But he didn’t force her at all. Instead, he remained poised there, his hands moving over her sensitive breasts.
‘Do you still want this, Lianna?’ he murmured.
‘Yes.’ There was no turning back now, not when the Norman could come to her door at any moment.
‘Then take off your shift.’
It was still bunched at her waist, but she obeyed until she lay naked upon the bed. Now that the moment was upon her, she tensed, closing her eyes. Surely, he would thrust inside her, and it would be painful. But as he traced her nipples, she felt her body stirring once more. He slid in a slight fraction, and then stopped again. She didn’t know what to think, but he withdrew and penetrated again. The motion startled her, for there was a yielding of her body, a craving to be filled. He continued his motion, and soon enough, she felt the hot shimmering sensation return.
‘Gavin, please,’ she begged.
The use of his name seemed to bring about a transformation in him. There was a sudden intensity, as if he hadn’t liked to hear it. But he answered her cry, sheathing himself in her body. It did hurt a little, and the sudden breach throbbed, bringing about a different sensation. He didn’t move, and she wondered if it was over. She was so conscious of his body joined with hers, of his breathing and the weight of him. He started to pull back, and she grasped his shoulders, silently pleading for him not to end it. She was certain that he had changed his mind, and she felt herself to blame for it.
But he thrust inside her, filling her completely. His dark blue eyes burned into hers as he made love to her, mastering her body. She met his thrusts, lifting her hips, and was rewarded with another surge of pleasure. Gavin pulled her to the edge of the bed, palming her bottom and invading her wetness with his steel erection. Over and over, he penetrated in a steady rhythm that made her exhale in time with his thrusts. She was coming apart, her body shaking until once again he pressed her over the edge, making her body soar with another release.
She lay beneath him, feeling the slight change in tempo as he continued pumping until he reached his own crest of pleasure. His body filled hers once more, and then he finished, his hard body pressed against her own.
Lianna’s heart was pounding, and she drew her legs around his waist, keeping him close. The Highlander kissed her sweetly, and she closed her eyes, trying not to let her mind dwell upon her father’s fury. Right now, she felt deliciously bruised and swollen, her body fully satisfied by her impulsive move.
He drew the coverlet over them, holding her close. For a moment, she allowed herself to feel safe and protected. But she knew her father would come soon enough with the Norman. And she didn’t know quite what to say to him.
Or worse, would the Highlander have to fight Rhys de Laurent for her? She didn’t like that thought at all.
Gavin drew his hand over the outline of her ribs, his body still joined with hers. A low growl resounded from her stomach, and she blushed. ‘I am sorry. It has been a long time since I’ve eaten.’ She hadn’t taken a meal at all, not since burying her brother. And then, too, her nerves gathered up into a tight knot at the thought of her father bringing her evening meal.
‘Shall I bring you food?’ he suggested.
‘No.’ He could not dare to leave her, not now. ‘It isn’t safe for you there.’ She was afraid of what would happen when her father returned. The burden of guilt weighed heavily upon her, more so because she had found Gavin’s touch so pleasurable.
He withdrew from her, still holding her to him. His thumb idly stroked
