Page 21 of The Highlander Steals a Virgin
“Ye dragged me here for vengeance, as a tool to get yer kinsman released,” she continued, watching his approach warily. “Ye took me from the only home I’d ever known and now I cannae go back.
He continued his slow stalking without a reply.
“So… aye,” she continued, taking another step backward. “’Tisyerfault I’m in this situation. Ye owe me?—”
“Oweye?” Rhys said, raising a dark eyebrow.
Amara took another step backward, then gasped when her back came up against the wall. His eyes traced her movements, and he smirked. He closed the distance between them with one long-legged step and leaned forward. Placing his hands on either side of her head, he leaned forward, so close she could see tiny golden dots in his dark brown eyes.
“I daenae owe ye anythin’, lass,” he said, his voice deceptively soft. A shiver ran down her spine at the heat blazing in his eyes. At his nearness. “We negotiated. Now the field has changed. Time for renegotiations.”
What were they talkin’ about?
All thought flew from Amara’s mind as she stared into his eyes. His hands, palms pressed flat against the wall, trapped her. He towered over her, his large body an immovable barrier.
His gaze dropped to her mouth. And stayed there. Her lips tingled, swelled, grew warm and dry as he continued to stare. The tip of her tongue shot out to moisten her bottom lip, and his eyes darkened, the muscles in his arms tightening.
Is he thinking about kissing me? Do I want him to kiss me?
She looked at his mouth, at his full inviting lips.
Aye, I do. I want to feel his touch. His mouth on mine. I want it so badly, I cannae think straight.
As she silently willed him to kiss her, he just continued to stare at her mouth, driving her mad. Finally, she could take the tension no more. Standing on the tips of her toes, Amara pressed her mouth to his. She didn’t know who was more surprised, her or Rhys. He hesitated, but only for the briefest moment, then returned her kiss.
Amara moaned against his mouth. This, her first kiss, was more than anything she’d ever expected. His lips were indeed soft, and masterful as they moved over hers, gentle and coaxing.
One large hand slid from the wall, down to her waist. His grip was tight, but not painful, and it had the added advantage of helping Amara stay on her toes. The heat of it there was so intense she shivered. The other hand curled around her neck, his fingers slipping under her hair to tease the sensitive flesh there.
Amara was lost in sensation and wonder. Her thoughts were like butterflies, flitting in every direction. But that was fine. She didn’t want to think. She just wanted to feel, to experience his touch without worry, without her conscious telling her this was wrong.
Her eyebrows drew down at the thought and she quickly pushed it away. She would worry about her bold behavior later, for now she would enjoy the moment.
She raised her arms and wrapped her hands around his neck, unsure what to do with them. When her fingers buried beneath his hair and she tugged at some of the curls, he growled in pleasure and pulled her closer to him. So close she could feel the hard muscles of his chest. The flatness of his torso. And something hard, growing harder in the space between them.
Amara wasn’t completely ignorant of the ways between a man and a woman. Her mother had sat her down one day and explained it. So, she knew what she was feeling pressing so insistently against her middle was his…male member.
A thrill of excitement and power shot through her. That she could have this kind of effect on a man such as the laird was a heady feeling. It made her feel even more bold, wanting to see if she could draw more responses from him.
Dropping one arm, she let her hand trace the plains of his back, down his side, and lower, onto the upper part of his waist. She stopped there, though. There were limits to how bold she could get.
“Open yer mouth for me, lass.”
Amara didn’t hesitate or even ask why he made such a request. His voice had been so smooth and rough at the same time, like warmed whisky. It shot through her like fire through her veins and she immediately obeyed, opening her mouth to him.
She jumped when his warm tongue entered her mouth and caressed her own tongue. She had not expected that. Had not even known that was part of kissing.
Do all men kiss like this?
If someone had told her a man would stick his tongue in her mouth, she would have been appalled and disgusted. She didn’t feel either of those things now. Every stroke of his tongue sent waves of pleasure through her body.
“Aye, lass,” Rhys whispered. “Just like that.”
Amara became aware that she wasn’t supporting herself on the tips of her toes anymore. He was holding her, lifting her with the arm around her waist. It was a good thing too, since she doubted she had the strength to stand on her own.
When he broke the kiss, Amara moaned in frustration. She tried to pull him back, pressing against his neck, but then she stilled when his mouth traced kisses across her cheek. Down to her jaw, then the side of her neck.
Goosebumps broke out on her arms as he nipped, licked, and kissed his way down her throat, across her shoulder, moving her dress sleeve aside to get better access. An unfamiliar tightening sensation began low in her belly. Her breasts swelled. Her nipples tightened to the point of aching.
