Page 93 of The Lady Needs a Rogue
She pulled in a low breath, steadying the slight racing of her pulse. “Professor Aylesworth’s interest in me, for lack of a better word, is tied to my skill behind the camera. He wishes to document the expedition. There’s nothing more to it.”
“Do ye really believe that?” Finn raked his fingers through his hair.
“So, you think it’s all a lie?” She took a step back, folded her arms, and shot him a glare. “A mere ploy to flatter me?”
Finn gave his head a brisk shake. “I don’t question that he respects the artistry in yer work. He’d be a fool not to see yer talent.” His gaze locked with hers. “But Macie, he’s still a man.”
“Am I to believe that a man cannot embark on an endeavor with a woman present without there being some... complication?”
The line of his jaw hardened as he considered her question. “I cannot say it is not possible. But in the case of Peter Aylesworth, I have my doubts,” he said. “Macie, I saw how the man looked at ye.”
“And precisely what did you see?”
“He looked at ye like he’d come upon some rare treasure.”
She pulled in a low breath. “Really, Finn, it’s not like you to be so... poetic.”
“Ye think I’m exaggerating, do ye?” He slowly shook his head. “The man looked at ye like a bloody goddess had come to life.”Finn reached for her again, caressing her cheek with a feather-light touch. “He looked at ye the way I did at the moment ye fell into my arms.”
Macie swallowed hard against a sudden rush of emotion. “As I recall, you were none too taken with me that night.”
“And that’s where ye’re wrong, Macie. I was looking upon a beautiful lass, a diamond far out of my reach. I knew that truth all too well.”
Her pulse beat a steady rhythm against her ears. “And now?”
“Now, I know that I want ye. In my arms. So close, I can feel the beats of yer heart.” His smile warmed every inch of her body. “Whatever the risk I might have to take, Macie—ye’re worth it.”
Reaching up, she drew her fingertips over his stubble-roughened jaw. A subtle aroma of bergamot and soap filled her senses. “I rather like this side of you, Finn Caldwell.”
“Do ye, now?” He brushed a kiss over her lips. Soft. Gentle. Yet searing with unspoken need.
She smiled beneath the heat of his gaze. “As a matter of fact, I might say I adore it.”
A sensuous smile played on his mouth. “Ah, ye’re a true temptation, lass. If ye were mine... if we were truly alone, I’d prove it to ye. Right here beneath the moonlight.”
Macie’s heart raced. At this moment, she didn’t care about anything else. Or anyone else. Only this man. And the decadent heat of his kiss.
“And if I want that as well?”
“Someday, lass.” He framed her face between his hands. His mouth brushed hers, a gentle caress. And then deeper. Stronger. Claiming her kiss, leaving no doubt of his hunger. He kissed her again, a light touch of his lips to hers, seeming to savor every precious moment.
“And if that someday... could be tonight?” she whispered against his mouth.
“Ye’re so bloody beautiful,” he said, his voice raw with need. His hands fell away, even as his gaze locked with hers. “I’ve never wanted anything in my life more than I want ye.”
Macie sighed. She ached for his touch. For his kiss. For the sound of her name on his gravel-edged voice.
She pressed a kiss to his lips. “When you look at me like that, the world melts away.”
His arms slipped around her again, drawing her close. Her cheek pressed to his broad, hard chest, to the white linen shirt that came between her and the heat of his skin. Oh, how she wanted it gone. Her hands went to tug the ends of his shirt loose. Boldly, she inched the fabric higher, but he stilled her hands.
“Ah, Macie, I want ye, lass. But bloody hell, ye deserve more than a hurried passion.” He traced the curve of her face with his fingertips, infinitely gently. “Ye deserve more. Ye deserve everything that I can give ye.”
“Oh, Finn,” she breathed his name in a sigh. Her fingers threaded through the silky strands of his hair. “In this moment, I am yours.”
“There’s no need to rush in, lass.” A smile played on his lips, deliciously wicked. “I want to savor every inch of yer beautiful body. I want to hold ye in my arms all bloody night.” He kissed her again, a caress filled with heat and longing and tenderness. “A proper seduction takes time. Someday, Macie, ye’ll know how much I need ye. And then, ye will be well and truly mine.”
*
