Page 27 of Saved By the Highland Beast
She took a step back when he suddenly came striding toward her. He took her face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers tenderly yet somewhat angrily.
He continued to kiss her lips and moved his hands down to her waist, where he angrily gripped her hips, pulling her closer to his body until she could feel the hardness of his muscles.
Her brain fought for a response, but the suddenness of his actions left her nearly paralyzed. She brought her fists up in protest but left them hanging in mid-air as he slowed the pace and gently parted her lips with his tongue. Her hands came down as if they had a life of their own and gently touched his shoulders before making their way to the back of his neck and caressing the skin.
Dean let his hand wander down the sides of her thighs before coming around and firmly cupping her bottom with a gentle squeeze.
Sophia felt the strength of his hands pulling her into his body as she melted into his kiss, allowing him to take the lead and freely search her body. She let out a gasp when his lips left hers and kissed a path to the nape of her neck, where he nipped the tender flesh in a manner that made her lose her mind. All she could think of at that moment was that she was his. He could do whatever he wanted with her, and she wouldn’t protest.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer as he licked and trailed kisses up her throat and back up to her mouth.
He moaned with pleasure as she bit his lower lip and sucked it into her mouth. It was as if something or someone had taken over her body and mind. All she could do was give in to the carnal instincts that were driving her on.
Dean suddenly placed his hands on her hips and lifted her with ease, carrying her to the edge of the desk, where he placed her down and ran his hands up her legs over her skirt.
Her hands sought his chest as they continued to kiss, feeling the tautness of his muscles through the fabric of his shirt before working their way down and going under his shirt. His chest was thick and muscular, and her fingers traced the sculpted contours.
He gently used his thighs to push her slightly back on the desk, but he froze with his hand on her abdomen when they suddenly heard Cillian’s voice calling from down the hall.
“Miss Harrison!” his tiny voice called urgently to her. “Are ye still asleep? Ye are late for our lesson! I hope ye are nae ill?”
The laird pulled back and stared at Sophia for a second with a strange look in his eyes, which were almost wild with passion and lust, before helping her from the desk. His breathing had quickened, and long strands of his hair had come loose.
“I’ll be out soon,” she called out loud and hurriedly fixed her blouse as a tiny knock sounded at the door. “Go up to the classroom and set up all of the weapons. I’ll be right there. I’m just busy getting ready.”
“All right!” Cillian said excitedly and ran away from the door. They could hear the pattering of his feet.
Dean fixed his shirt without saying a word. It seemed as if he were about to say something, but he quickly stopped and left the room, pulling the door shut behind him.
Sophia straightened her skirt where his hand had just begun to pull it up before they had been interrupted. She lifted her hand to her mouth. Her lips were tingling from his kiss. Leaning back against the desk, she felt a mix of emotions that she didn’t quite know what to do with. She had enjoyed the kiss, as intense and passionate as it was. She’d even wanted him to go on, feeling disappointed when he’d stopped.
Yet, parts of her were still terrified at what the future held. There was still a man somewhere in London who wanted to know where she was. Her trust in men was still at an all-time low, and here she was kissing a man in the privacy of her bedchamber. And not just any man.The man who had offered her a job along with a safe place to live.
What if things go horribly wrong? What if he ends up hurting me?
Straightening herself, she walked over to the mirror and fixed her hair. There would be time enough to think about all of this later on. Right now, she needed to carry out her lesson and act as if nothing had happened.
She left the safety of her room and shut the door firmly behind her, then made her way to the study, where Cillian was patiently waiting for her to repeat the lesson from the day before.
* * *
Dean spurred the horse on, digging his heels into the mare’s flanks as she galloped even faster over the moor. He’d saddled his horse and gone for a ride in an attempt to clear his head, yet Sophia remained at the back of his mind no matter how far he rode. She was there with her messy room and perfect lips, begging him to kiss her again.
He gently eased his horse into a trot before stopping beside a stream and letting her drink. His body was hot and clammy from the sudden burst of speed. He’d left the castle with no idea of where he was going. He dismounted, then knelt by the water and splashed the cool liquid over his face. It did little to ease his conscience as he thought over what had driven him to kiss Sophia.
Why did I kiss her?
The mare neighed and stepped to the side as she waited for him to mount her again. The drifts of snow created a blanket on the ground as he stood and looked around, his breath visible as he exhaled.
He had gone to her room in an attempt to apologize for his behavior the day before, but he had only ended up making things worse. He should have left her room when he realized that she was dressing behind her screen, and not stayed to clean. God, that room needed to be cleaned. He smiled to himself as he thought of the argument that had ensued.
The way she had stomped her foot at him made him want to laugh. She had cut a comical figure when she had pointed her finger accusingly at him.
Sophia was messier than anyone he had ever met, and he wasn’t sure what he would do with her. She had driven him insane with the chaos, yet she was proving to be a fantastic tutor for his son. Cillian was livelier than he’d ever seen him before and was even excited to learn.
It’s more a question of what will I do without her at his point.
Dean reached for the reins and froze at the sudden realization of what he was thinking. In just a few weeks, Sophia had become irreplaceable in his life. Shaking his head, he tried to reassure himself that it was only in terms of his son. She could be replaced, but then his son would suffer.
