Page 31 of Taken By the Ruthless Highlander
As much as she wanted to sound stern and forceful, she put up as much of a fight as a church mouse. Ryder moved swiftly to the castle doors, keeping to the shadows when he could.
“Ryder, I’m nae playin’. Put me down.”
Paying no heed to his wife, Ryder moved with purpose through the empty corridors, making a beeline for his study. They pushed through the sturdy oak doors of the study.
“Ye said we couldnae do anythin’ outside, so I’ve brought ye inside,” he said as he set her on her feet before the grand fireplace in his study. The orange glow of the fire on her skin was enchanting. It was as if she had become an angel of light and power.
Morgana’s gaze remained fixed on the fire, bewitched by its hypnotic dance.
Ryder moved to her. He held his breath as he dared to brush a loose strand of hair over her shoulder. Any excuse for him to touch her, to be near her. He couldn’t understand the impulse, the need to be close. It was like she was his center of gravity he’d never be able to escape.
“Tell me, Morgana, what do ye want?” he whispered, his teeth grazing her earlobe. “I’ll give ye whatever ye want.”
His fingers curled around the nape of her neck. The way she pressed her head into the palm of his hand, so trusting, so tender made his heart flutter.
“I dinnae ken,” she answered, her voice lighter than candlelight on a windy day.
“Perhaps I could suggest something,” he said and pulled her to him once again.
And as he crushed his lips to hers, her arms draped over his shoulders and pulled him closer.
9
Every inch of Morgana’s body tingled as heat coursed through her, as if her passion was lava racing down the face of a cliff. How were Ryder’s lips so tender and soft, when not more than five minutes ago, they were tight and stern?
Morgana’s head swirled as she sank deeper into his embrace. She hadn’t noticed when the world had disappeared, or when the room had vanished. All she cared about was the feel of Ryder’s strong arms around her, holding her to him as if she could slip and fall at any moment.
Somewhere in the distance, she heard the sound of air whooshing into the room. It rattled her to her core, causing her to jerk back. Gulping in the air, she tried to clear her thoughts, but it was hard enough just trying to comprehend where she was and what they were doing.
Pressing a hand to his chest, Morgana tried to resist him, but how could she, when his frantically beating heart mimicked her wild pulse?
“Ye have nay idea how I’ve longed to ken what ye taste like,” Ryder whispered.
The way his teeth grazed her ear caused her skin to tingle and stirred her desire even more. Chewing on her lower lip, Morgana knew if she didn’t get out of the room soon, she’d succumb to his allure.
“My Laird, please, I thought…” she trailed off, her thoughts shifting and spiraling quicker than she could keep up.
Why did he have to be so desirable?
As Morgana fought the urge to kiss him once again, she swallowed hard and eased back. Ryder’s embrace tightened, refusing to let her move even so much as an inch from him.
“Tell me what ye thought,” he said. “Did ye think that yer absence wouldnae be missed? Or that there would be nay consequences for disobeyin’ me?”
Panic shot through her, mingling with her longing and yearning. It was an odd struggle, one she was certain she’d never experienced before. How could she want someone so badly, when they irritated and frustrated her to no end?
“Consequence?” she managed to get out.
A wicked, mischievous grin spread across Ryder’s lips. A spark of playfulness and longing danced in his eyes. Morgana swallowed hard as he arched an eyebrow and his fingers curled around her wrists. Before she knew it, he had clasped both her hands into one of his.
“Aye, but seein’ as how this is yer first offense, I promise I’ll be gentle,” he purred, his eyes gleaming with a wild playfulness she had never seen before.
Her heart racing, she dared to glance around the room, hunting for an escape. But there was no clear path for her to follow that would get her to the door quickly.
“My Laird, please,” she gasped as a tremor of fear cut through the fog in her mind.
He pulled her to him and crushed his lips to hers once more. There was a hunger in the tenderness of his lips. As if he knew this might be the last time he kissed her lips.
“When I ask ye to have dinner with me, I expect ye to show up,” he said as he pulled away.
