Faced with such masculine beauty, she found herself rooted where she stood. He seemed huge, all rippling bronze muscle and springy black hair. Her nerves were alive and acutely tuned to him, her senses assailed by his nearness.
She shivered as he took his goblet from her trembling fingers and raised it in the air. “May I propose a toast, mistress? To our experiment.”
“Exp-periment?”
“In lovemaking.”
“I w-won’t make love to you.”
“Ah, but you must, my sweet. As I said, I have a very lusty nature, and I intend to make quite certain it is reciprocated in my bride.”
Sabrina felt her breath catch in her throat as she watched Niall take a long draught of wine. His implied threat sent excitement and an intoxicating sense of peril scurrying across the tips of every nerve ending in her body.
“You…would ravish me?” she asked, her breath the merest whisper.
“I haven’t ravished anyone,” he replied softly, “lately.”
No, Sabrina thought dazedly, he would never have to resort to force when he could legitimately seduce any woman into willing compliance.
“But in this instance”—his voice dropped even lower…soft…husky—“I could make an exception. I mean to see if we are compatible, mouse.”
“I…I will not sacrifice my innocence simply to satisfy your curiosity.”
“There are ways of exploring your sensuality that don’t entail relinquishing your virginity.”
Curse that enchanting voice of his, she thought wretchedly. It was marked by a delicately sexual rasp that flooded her raw nerves in a warm bath of sensation.
She stood frozen as Niall took her wine cup and set it with his on the table. “Before we conclude any agreement, we need to establish if we would suit physically. To make certain you’ll be a douce wife and not find the demands of the marriage bed too distasteful.”
Her lips parted but no sound came out.
“You’re not afraid of me, are you, sweeting?”
Afraid? Whyever should she fear a rogue of legendary charm and passion with whom no woman was safe? Sabrina swallowed. She was indeed alarmed by the overwhelming maleness of him, by his dark beauty and power, yet she refused to allow herself to be intimidated. “I am not afraid, sir.”
She raised her eyes to meet his fearlessly. He liked that.
The air between them crackled with challenge as their eyes clashed wordlessly.
Silently Niall reached a hand toward her. “I think we should take off your cloak, mistress.”
The rhythm of her heart changing perceptively, she took a hasty step backward. “N-No.”
“Faintheart,” he murmured. “This is hardly the way to persuade me, fleeing at the first test.”
For a long moment Sabrina stared at him. He was goading her, she knew. Deliberately daring her to rise to his challenge.
Swallowing hard, she forced herself to gather her courage. “Very well…What must I do?”
“Perhaps you should start by kissing me.”
“You want me to kiss you?”
“For a start. Come closer.”
His smile was taunting as she hesitated. “If you quail at a simple kiss, mouse, you are unlikely to enjoy my attentions once we are wed.”
His infuriating air of supremacy roused her ire and made her determined to thwart him; to prove she wasn’t the meek creature he thought her. It was not as if he posed any real danger, Sabrina reminded herself. Rab was within call. And Geordie would rescue her if need be.