"Yes, I know, I know… name of God, any sailor would be proud to have such an extensive vocabulary. Is your ankle sprained?"
"No," she said reluctantly.
"Here, take my hand. I'll help you up."
"I don't want your help."
"Mira," he warned, "I don't have much patience right now." He extended a commanding hand to her, and she turned her face away, refusing to accept it. Suddenly she gasped as he bent and scooped her up swiftly, holding her stiff body against his chest and carrying her to the sloping boulder.
"I don't…" she began in feeble protest, but he silenced her with a burning stare, his arms tightening to let her know that he had had more than enough of her comments. "You're going to crush my…" she started once more, and his grip tightened even more,causing Mira to fall silent with an indignant sound of discomfort. Alec, she reflected inwardly, was not presently in a mood to be argued with. "Please…" she dared meekly, and his arms loosened at once. So this was how he wished to play it, she thought, and decided to keep quiet, suddenly interested in what more her temporary submissiveness might bring.
Alec sat down on the boulder, cradling her in pleasantly hard arms and looking down at her with those silvery black-lashed eyes. She had never felt the ache of longing so acutely. God help her, there was nothing that would ever feel as good as this… being held by him, being near him. Unable to meet his penetrating gaze, she lowered her head to his shoulder, pressing her face into the warm golden skin of his neck. The minutes drifted by at a lazy pace while Alec waited. The color returned to Mira's face in a pink glow and her body conformed to his.
A cooling breeze swept through the woods, rustling leaves together and producing the sound of waves. Slowly Mira lifted her face from Alec's shoulder, sensing his intent before he had even begun to move. Her lashes fluttered upward, and she saw his mouth descending to hers… she closed her eyes and her lips parted, eagerly accepting the warmth, the promise of his kiss. His hand slid to her hip and clasped her lightly, his finger resting on the curve of her buttock. Alec shivered slightly, and his mouth slanted more firmly over hers, his jaw flexing as he kissed her with the hunger that only she could assuage. Dimly Mira realized how easily the fire between them had been struck, how little effort it took for him to bend her to his will. Somehow she managed to tear her lips from his, her lungs contracting and expanding in an unsteady rhythm.
"Not again… not again…" she murmured brokenly, her hands clenching in the loose folds of hisbuckled tearfully. "Now tell me that you'll marry me."
"What if I'm not any good at being Lady Falkner?"
"You won't have to learn everything at once. And I won't ask anything of you that you can't give."
"We are bound to quarrel often. Will you still feel the same about me if—?"
"In between the times that we quarrel, I will worship you. And I will love you as no man has ever loved his wife. Now give me an answer."
"Your family… will they like me?"
"My sweet, they don't even like me."
"Will you promise… to give me many children?"
Alec smiled at the shy glance she gave him. "Yes."
"Several?"
"My exasperating brat… if you'll give me an answer, we can start on the children right now."
"Alec, no."
"What?"
"Yes, I will marry you… but no, we can't do that… not here." As she spoke, she felt the back of her gown loosen… he had unfastened it while they had been talking. He pulled it down until her shoulders were bare and her breath caught in her throat. "Alec…"
"Say 'husband,' he said, easing her bodice down until her breasts were exposed and her arms were trapped. Uneasily Mira looked around at the still forest, feeling as if hundreds of eyes were watching them.
"Husband," she whispered, her heart hammering madly as his ebony head bent over her breasts, his mouth seeking and finding the most delicate nerves, teasing them into tingling arousal.
"Now tell me how you feel about me."
"I love you…" Her neck arched back as pleasure threaded through her in ever-thickening skeins. Somehow she managed to yank her arms out of the confin-ing sleeves, and she twined them around his shoulders. "I love you so much… and I want you… Alec…"
Pulling one of her legs up, he cupped his hands over her buttocks and raised her hips to straddle his. She felt him through their clothes, the large, powerful shape of him straining up against her, and her fingers curled against his back as desire shot through her.