To Tempt a Scotsman (Somerhart 1)
The eyebrow dropped. "Pardon me?"
"I saw you at the fair, riding by, and nearly had a fit of the vapors."
Her laugh stroked his body, warmed his blood. A sudden vision made him ache—Alexandra, above him, riding his shaft, a delighted laugh spilling from her mouth. One of the many fantasies he'd indulged in over the past months. She was a damned affliction and a painful one at that.
"I'm sorry you've been tormented. Still, it only serves you right."
"Oh?"
"Don't forget who walked away." "I rarely do."
Grinning, she grabbed his hand and pulled him out onto the path, out of their leafy alcove and back into the world. Collin tried not to groan as she turned them for a stroll into the darkest part of the garden.
"We could have already satisfied our curiosity and gotten over each other by now."
"You think so?"
When she shrugged, the small mounds of her breasts rose against her dress as Collin watched with avid interest. "Perhaps. Surely it's the anticipa
tion, the wondering, that's made me so . . ." She shrugged again.
Collin swallowed. "So what?"
A frown tugged at her brow as her left hand drifted up to brush low against her belly. "So hungry."
His breath hissed out between his teeth, drawing her sparkling eyes.
"You have undone me, Collin Blackburn." She smiled a little when he didn't respond, shook her head sadly. "I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon."
"Tomorrow?" Panic tumbled his gut. "Why?"
"I'm going home. Let's not pretend you would invite me to stay."
"No," he said without thought and cursed himself when she smirked and looked away.
"You searched me out here, pulled me into the garden, fell upon me, as you say. What do you want, Collin? Certainly not a strolling companion."
"No."
"No?" She shot back, pulling her hand from his to cross her arms. "No, you know what I want."
"Hardly. I know what I want. I want you in my bed. If you wanted the same thing, we would've already been there."
"Jesus, do you want me to come and have you tonight? To slake my thirst and sneak out the window before the hour's out?"
"No."
"Then perhaps you'd be happy if I took you behind the hedge here and stood you against the wall?"
"No."
"No?" Collin swallowed hard, fighting the urge to shout at her.
"I want you to come back to England." Growling, cursing, he threw his hands in the air, wondering how she always drove him to such frustration. "Listen, Collin. I'm to go away next week. There's a small house outside my brother's land. It's mine, passed to me by my mother. Meet me there."
He stared at her, dumbfounded. Her chest rose and fell in rapid rhythm, excitement or anger, he couldn't tell. "Meet you."
"Yes. Stay with me. A week. Two. Long enough to ease this need we've roused between us."