Page 71 of Seduced By the Reckless Highlanders
Bernard had spent the evening in his and William’s room after his friend had left in a state of total boredom, which he relived by imagining that Janice was in his arms again. Naked. In his bed beside him. The more he thought about her, the more aroused and frustrated he became, and eventually he rose and strode to the door. Outside, it was cool and quiet, although he could hear the distant hum of music and laughter from the great hall and pictured Janice dancing there. She would be laughing, the skirts of her dress flying around her, and he smiled at the thought, although the notion of other men touching her bothered him greatly.
He walked on and began to ascend the stairs to the turrets. The stairway was dark, and he knew that at this time of night there would be few guards since there was currently no threat from any of the clans surrounding the castle.
He ascended the last step and stopped suddenly. There, as if he had conjured her up, stood Janice, the moon gilding her perfect profile and the sensuous lines of her figure. In the cold light, he could not see the color of her dress, but he did not have to know that to see that she looked beautiful.
Presently Janice heard the sound of heavy footsteps behind her and spun around to face whoever it was, hoping it was not one of her half-drunk brothers since she was just in the mood to kick one or both of them where it hurt most.
However, although Bernard was the last person Janice had expected to see, he was the one she was most glad to see. She watched him with appreciation as he walked toward her, the moonlight making him look as though he were made of marble. Every one of his powerful muscles was sharply etched in black and white, and all his movements were made with the sinewy ease of a jungle cat stalking its prey. She was mesmerized as his gaze caught and held hers, but she realized he was frowning at her.
“Why are you standing out here?” he asked. “It is cold. Come inside again, please. I would hate you to catch anything.”
He reached out a hand and gripped her arm, pulling her toward him, but she resisted and turned away.
She sighed. “I have done my duty for the evening. I have made my speech, planned all this, and made sure that everything went off without a hitch. But I could not stand another moment in the company of my idiotic brothers.” She shook her head angrily. “I was sorry to leave my father alone, but I might have done something to Alasdair and Andrew that I would have regretted later.
“My father has made me the estate steward, which is good news, but Andrew and Alasdair will receive all the credit for my hard work. That in itself does not bother me since I do not seek the unnecessary attention, but I would like to be treated with some dignity by my brothers. They make complete fools of themselves and me at every occasion.”
There were tears of anger in the corners of her eyes, and a single one made its way down her cheek before he gently brushed it away. Bernard was seething, and he felt as though he wanted to wrap his arms around her and make his body into a shelter for her. In his view, Janice was a treasure, and she did not deserve to be treated this way.
“If I could, I would give them my own form of justice!” he growled, fisting one of his hands and punching the palm of the other. His brows were drawn down, shadowing his eyes menacingly.
“No, they are my brothers, and I love them, no matter how silly they are,” she replied, sighing. “I just wish they would grow up.”
“So you will let them get away with treating you with such disrespect?” he asked furiously.
“Until my father dies, I will say nothing,” Janice replied firmly. “I want him to leave this world with a peaceful mind.”
“And then?” he asked pointedly.
“We shall see,” she said cryptically, with a grim smile.
“I wish I could be of assistance to you,” Bernard said, frustrated.
“But you can,” she replied. Her eyes were soft and silver with reflected moonlight.
He frowned, puzzled. “How? Tell me what I can do, and I will do it.”
“Like this,” Janice whispered, stepping into his arms. “Just hold me, Bernard. That is enough comfort.”
For a moment, Bernard was frozen, then he did as he had dreamed of doing and wrapped his arms tightly around her while Janice tucked her head under his chin and snuggled into his chest. They stood that way for a long while with neither saying anything, merely savoring the joy of being together.
Presently, he put her away a little to look into her eyes, and Janice, with a little giggle, put out her forefinger to touch his Adam’s apple.
“What is so funny?” he asked, laughing as he stroked her hair back from her face.
“I love the differences between us,” she whispered as she tickled the little knob on his throat with her forefinger.
He chuckled, and she watched two adorable dimples appear on his cheeks.
“I do too,” he said huskily, as his gaze dropped to her lips. “These are so soft.”
He dropped a tender kiss on her open lips, but it soon turned into something much hungrier as he swept his tongue inside her mouth to begin a sensual dance with hers.
Apart from their one kiss by the loch, Janice had had no intimate contact with Bernard, and now she felt overwhelmed in the most beautiful way, as his body surrounded her like a warm cloak on a cold night. Janice thrust her fingers into his hair, loving its silkiness as she drew them through it. Then instinctively, she ground her hips against him and felt the hard mass of his manhood chafing against her belly.
Her body responded in its own animal way, becoming warm and wet for him. She had never been with a man, but she was ready to give herself to him there and then if he allowed her to.
Bernard was intoxicated by the smell, feel, and taste of her, and when he cupped her breast in one of his big hands and felt her nipple harden under her gown, he was lost. Without parting his lips from hers, Bernard turned her around and flattenedher against the stone wall under the stairs. They provided a complete pool of shadow in which they feasted on each other.
