Page 78 of The Highlander's Princess Bride
His lips curved up in a wicked grin. “I assure you, Miss Knight, I wish to kiss you very much.”
When his head bent to hers, she pressed her fingers against his lips. “Stop, please.”
He pulled back with an exasperated sigh. “Perhaps you’d like to enlighten me as to why you wish me to cease something that is clearly pleasing to both of us.”
She had to give him credit. For a man thoroughly in his cups, he sounded remarkably articulate.
As she was reclining in his lap in a graceless, immodest sprawl, she struggled to sit up.
He sucked in a pained breath. “Careful, my dear.”
“Sorry, sir.” That impressive bit of masculinity was again pressing against her bottom. Apparently, wriggling about too vigorously might damage it, which was—
Stop thinking about it.
But that was almost impossible when sitting on the aroused lap of the most virile man she’d ever met.
Victoria cautiously sat up and met his gaze. Rather than a passionate lion, he now looked more like a surly bear—one awakened from a long hibernation. She’d read that such bears could be very dangerous, since they were both grumpy and hungry.
Arnprior was definitely hungry.
Blowing an errant bit of hair from her face, she tried to adopt her most stern governess look. Unfortunately, his only response was a blink and then a slow smile curving up the corners of his mouth as he settled his hands around her waist.
“All right, Madam Governess, try to convince me that I don’t wish to kiss you.”
“You’re simply trying to distract yourself, sir. You’re feeling . . . a bit under the weather.”
“Is that so?”
“Resorting to pleasurable activities is often what people do when they’re feeling . . .”
“Under the weather?” he finished with a grin that resembled a smirk.
She sounded utterly ridiculous, but she had no choice but to stick it out. “Yes, exactly.”
When he shifted underneath her, she had to bite back a gasp at the feel of his hard thighs and even harder erection.
“Miss Knight, let me reassure you that I am feeling quite a lot,” he murmured. He punctuated his comment by kissing the tip of her nose. It was a sweet, funny gesture that almost made her giggle.
Giggling was not allowed, since it would only encourage them both. He certainly needed no such encouragement, and she felt like she was hanging on by her fingertips.
He cupped her chin and once again rubbed his callused thumb gently over her lips, drawing forth tingles of pleasure. The man was a menace—a handsome, seductive sorcerer.
“Tell me what’s wrong, my sweet?” he murmured.
“Aside from the fact that I’m sitting on my employer’s lap?” she asked tartly.
“Yes, aside from that,” he said, seeming to believe it was entirely reasonable for her to be perched on top of him.
At the moment she seemed to be having a problem in marshaling arguments fornotsitting on his lap.
Think harder.“We’ve already verified that you’re only kissing me as a way to distract yourself.”
He frowned. “What’s wrong with that?”
“Everything.”
“I disagree. I’m entirely in possession of my wits, and I know exactly what I want to do.”
