Page 35 of A Celtic Secret
She met his small smile, happy to see him show a little humor despite the conversation. What would he look like if he smiled wider? If he gave in to happiness she sensed he denied himself? She had a feeling it would only add to his hotness.
“What do you think held you back?” Declán asked.
“I’m not sure.” She shook her head. “It never seemed right, if that makes sense? Never seemed...” What was the word? That’s when it occurred to her. “It never seemedappropriate.”
His brows arched. “Appropriate how?”
“I don’t know.” But she was starting to get the sense shedid. Starting to understand the panicked sensation she had experienced when things got too heated. “I felt like I was getting ready to cheat on someone...betray them.”
“Like someone you might have forgotten?” he murmured, his steady gaze on her face.
“Yes,” she whispered, having trouble finding her voice as their eyes held. “Now that you mention it, exactly like that.” It almost felt like the dagger warmed in her hand. Or was that her whole body responding to the way he made her feel? Whatever it was, it made her recall something she had been aware of last night after the treacherous climb down the castle wall. “You were aroused. I felt it.”
When he narrowed his eyes in confusion, she managed to get the rest out.
“When you saved me from plummeting to my death over the cliff at Raghnall’s castle and pulled me back against you,” her gaze flickered from his groin back to his face, “you were aroused. Hard.” She swallowed, more nervous by the moment. Feeling shy when that wasn’t usually her style. “I’d say something about me worked for you.” She tried to get the feel of his strong, hard body and equally hard erection out of her mind, but it was impossible, and her skin heated even more. “So itdoeswork when it wants to, I guess.”
“It was?” He seemed baffled. “I was?”
“You were.” She tilted her head in question. “How did you not know that? Feel it?”
“Likely because I was too busy feeling you.” He might seem thrown, but amusement still twinkled in his eyes. “Although I had never felt such fear watching you climb down that wall, the view was,” he struggled to keep his eyes on her face rather than her body, “quite enjoyable.”
She could imagine considering her ass had to have been hanging out.
“’Twas not just your backside,” he said, obviously following her thoughts as his accent thickened, “but all of ye. From the curve of yer hips to the strength of yer lovely legs to, yes, most certainly yer backside.” She had no idea he had reeled her close until his strong hand closed over said backside. “And then I felt ye against me. Felt yer—”
She didn’t let him get another word out before she stood on her tip-toes, brought his lips down to hers, and kissed him. Kissed him like she never had another. With more feeling than she knew she was capable of.
A whole new type of desire.
In turn, he kissed her back with just as much passion. It started easy and seeking but soon became ravenous on both their parts as their tongues tangled.
Hell, kissing him almost felt better than what she imagined sex would. Like an erotic dance that had her so turned on, she groaned. He did the same and pulled her tighter against him. Let her feel what she had felt the first time he’d touched her. And it was impressive. Damn impressive.
“Thank the gods,” he murmured against her lips. She had no idea he had lifted her and walked until her backside hit the bed. Until they were struggling to lift her skirts. To remove anything that stood between feeling him inside her.
“Declán,” she gasped against his lips, loathe to break the kiss. “I need...” She struggled to catch her breath. “We need....”
“Ta,” he agreed, moving against her despite too much dress still standing in the way. “Soon.Now.”
She felt like she was going to explode, she was so aroused. And she would soon, too, into a climax she imagined would be downright crippling. On the edge in a way she had never been before.
“Declán,” she moaned, only to see Raghnall’s face when she closed her eyes.
“No,” she cried, pushing him away.
When she opened her eyes, she realized she had shoved Declán back.
“I’msosorry,” she whispered, struggling to find her voice. To figure out what had happened. “I didn’t mean....” She shook her head, confused. “But I did....”
His pride might be wounded, but Declán didn’t let it get in the way of his concern for her as he adjusted his clothing. “What happened?” He approached her carefully. “Are you all right?”
“I don’t think so.” Riona shook her head and fixed her dress. “He was there, Declán.” She frowned and tried to lose the image in her mind. “Raghnall was right there in the heat of the moment.” She flinched. “Almost as if he wanted to keep me from you or...be part of it.”
“’Twas surely just your imagination getting the better of you,” he said. “And ‘tis understandable considering what happened in the fire in your previous life.”
“Something I fear bonded us for good.” She slipped her sheathed dagger into a slender blue belt that must have appeared around her waist when she found the blade. There was no disguising her fear when she looked at him. “What happened in our past life? Because you and he were both there. I’m more sure of it by the moment.”
