Twin of Ice (Montgomery/Taggert 6)

“The worst,” she said as his lips came down on hers.

His hands played along her body as he kissed her, touching her skin and sending fire through her. Some small part of her brain was aware that Kane was holding back part of himself, that he was more reserved than she was, but she didn’t listen.

As his hands roamed about her body, Houston moved so she was closer to him, stretching out her body to give him freer access.

He kissed her face, her neck, his mouth running down to her breasts. When he took the pink crest in his mouth, she arched against him, and he used his hands to caress her waist and hips.

“Slow down, love,” he murmured. “We have all night.”

All the sensations were so new to Houston. Always, when Lee’d touched her, she’d felt like withdrawing, pulling away from him rather than wanting to explore and discover everything at once. As Kane touched her, she felt more and more wonderful, and all the fears that Lee’d instilled in her, that she was frigid, were fast disappearing.

Her hands began to explore his skin, to feel the warmth of it. The firelight made his flesh glow, and Houston so much wanted to touch all of him.

Kane pulled her closer to him, lying down with her in his arms. He removed the towel from his hips and Houston moved her hips closer to his, a little afraid of the feel of his swollen manhood.

Kane’s control began to break. His breath in her ear was ragged and quick, and his gentle kisses turned hot and demanding. Houston met his force with her own.

“Houston, sweet, sweet Houston,” he said as he laid her down on the blanket-covered floor and lay on top of her.

Eagerly, she clutched his body to hers. When he entered her, she gasped and quick tears of pain came to her eyes. Kane lifted himself and looked at her, and held himself back until he saw by her face that the pain was receding. He kissed her neck with little nibbling kisses, running his tongue along her ear until she moved her face and sought his mouth.

Slowly, Kane began to move inside her, and after the first few painful movements, Houston began to arch toward him in clumsy little circles. Kane put his hands on her hips and began to guide her, slowly, carefully, gracefully.

Houston put her head back and gave all her thoughts and feelings over to the new and delicious sensations Kane was sending through her body.

She began to move in a rhythm as old as time itself, and inside her she felt all the emotions she’d kept pent up, at last finding a release.

Her breath came faster and harder as she began to feel herself building into an explosion.

Kane began to move faster and she moved with him. Higher and higher her passion climbed, until she thought she might burst.

And when she did explode, she was sure she might die from the experience. “Kane,” she whispered. “Oh my dear, dear Kane.”

He pulled away from her just enough to look at her, and his face wore an unusual expression, one she couldn’t understand.

“I didn’t please you?” she asked, as her body began to tense again. “Do you think I’m frigid, too?”

He put his hand to the side of her head and kissed her softly. “No, sweetheart, the last thing I think you are is frigid. I’m not sure I know anythin’ about you at all, except that you’re the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen and you do the damnest things, like come all the way up the side of a mountain just to spend the night with me, and then my prim little lady-wife turns out to be a hot little . . . Maybe we shouldn’t go into that.”

He kissed her forehead. “I’m goin’ outside into the rain and wash this blood off, and when I get back, let’s eat. I need my strength if I’m gonna make love to you all night.”

As he stood, Houston stretched, her fair skin tawny in the firelight.

As Kane watched her, an unusual thought entered his head: he didn’t want to be alone, not even for the length of time it took him to go outside.

He reached out his hand to her. “Go with me,” he said, and there was a plea in his voice.

“Anywhere,” Houston answered.

Chapter 16

Houston walked out into the rain with her husband and wasn’t even aware of the cold. Her mind was occupied with the fact that she wasn’t frigid. Maybe the problem had been Leander, maybe she had been too close to him, or felt too much like his sister, to want to climb into bed with him. But whatever the reason, she was now released from her fear that there was something missing inside her.

Kane pulled her into his arms. “You look dreamy,” he said. Rain was dripping down his face and onto hers. “Tell me what you’re thinkin’. What does a lady think after havin’ the local stableboy make love to her?”

Houston pulled away from him and stretched her arms up toward the sky. On impulse she began dancing slowly, as if she wore her satin wedding dress, holding the skirt out and moving gracefully with it. “This lady feels wonderful. This lady doesn’t feel at all like a lady.”

He caught her wrist. “You aren’t regrettin’ that your weddin’ night wasn’t in a silk-sheeted bed? You don’t wish some other man—.”