Sleep lingered in her drowsy eyes and she pointed to him and her eyes turned wide. He knew that she asked if he was all right and he wanted to warn her not to do that, not to worry over how he felt, but he kept silent and let her concern stir his desire for her.
She waited patiently for an answer even though her eyes were still heavy with fatigue. He growled and snarled that she should be more concerned about him than the much needed sleep she obviously required.
He told himself to keep his distance, order her to return to sleep, and most of all turn away and not linger on her eyes that looked more languid with passion than with sleep. It was wishful thinking. She would not want him to touch her; she would startle and scream if she could. Or would she do what Colum expected of her and rut with the prisoner?
He was tempted to find out, though he warned himself against it.
Keep your distance. Keep your distance. The words echoed in his head but did he pay heed?
Not for long. He stomped over to her in two easy strides, dropped to his knees in front of her and brought his mouth down on hers. She did what he expected, leaned back away from him and he followed her down until she lay flat on her back, his hands braced on either side of her head. And then he kissed her.
Chapter Nine
Dawn had feared this moment, the anticipation of it causing her endless worry and yet it was necessary to her survival. If she didn’t couple with him, have his scent upon her, Colum would make her suffer.
Cree’s powerful strides had startled her as he had advanced and dropped down beside her. His intentions were obvious; he would have his way with her and be done with it. Instead he kissed her and the unexpected happened; it sent a pleasant shiver rippling through her.
His hand took hold at the back of her neck and his lips pressed against hers with a strength that turned her shiver to a tingle. She startled again when his tongue invaded her mouth and she braced her hands on either side of her to steady herself. Surprisingly, the more her tongue sparred with his the more she enjoyed the kiss. It hadn’t been intentional; she had meant to avoid his brash invasion, instead she seemed to have fueled something inside herself.
His other hand slipped around her waist and eased her back on the sleeping pallet following down on top of her, the kiss uninterrupted. The heat from his hard body drifted into her and strangely enough comforted her. Fear tingled at the recesses of her mind but his kiss held it at bay.
When he drew his mouth away she felt a moment of loss but then he brushed his lips over hers as if teasing her.
“My kiss is the first you have ever tasted?” he asked in a whisper that sent tingles rippling across her passion-plumped lips.
She nodded realizing a heathen had been the first to kiss her and oddly enough she wished he would kiss her again and as if hearing... he did.
She couldn’t lie still a minute longer. It was as if something inside her nudged her and without thinking her arms wrapped slowly around him. She had never felt such strength before, his thick muscles as hard as stone and yet his flesh smooth to the touch. She didn’t think, she wanted only to explore and so her hand slipped up beneath his long hair and along his neck where her fingers began to roam ever so gently.
Cree was off her in an instant, his bare chest heaving as if he was breathless. She couldn’t be sure if it was anger or passion she saw in his eyes. And she quickly scurried to sit up suddenly feeling defenseless lying prone while he stood so close towering over her.
She waited and as she did fear began to crawl over her turning her skin damp and causing her heart to pound. What had she done wrong? He had kissed her but when she had touched him... the thought struck her like a slap in the face.
He doesn’t want me to touch him. Most everyone avoided being touched by her, as if she would inflict them with her horror. And yet he had wrapped himself around her to sleep or had it been because he didn’t trust her and so kept watch over her that way?
Whatever it was she had been a fool to respond to his kiss. He was a heathen; he cared for no one. He would have his way with her simply because there was no other woman but her to assuage his need. And there had been need, she had felt it swell against her as they kissed. Why hadn’t she kept her hands to herself? He would have taken her and it would have been done with or would it? Could she truly admit to herself that she had enjoyed his kiss and had been sorry to have it end? Then she recalled Flanna’s warning not to touch the devil or she’d become a slave to his passion.
She quickly recited a prayer for her sinful action and turned her head away from him. Lord forgive her, but she wished Colum had never caught Cree for then life would have gone on as always. And she could have continued to pray and dream that somewhere there was a man brave of heart and soul who would love her.