Page 30 of Taken By the Ruthless Highlander
There was a certain delight in watching her bosom rise and fall with each quick breath she took.
“Aye, I was with my family. Eloise was practically traumatized by the guards and hadnae said a word in two days. Poppy thought it would be best if I spent time with her to let her ken all was well.”
“I cannae fault ye for skippin’ out on me this evening,” Ryder conceded as he plucked a strand of her hair off her collarbone. “I saw ye there in the garden, with them. How ye all seemed so close.”
“After everythin’ we’ve been through, it’s a blessin’ we still are together under one roof. For a moment there, their future as well as my own was uncertain.”
“And what do ye think of yer future now?” Ryder asked.
He knew the question was intrusive, yet the need to know was all-consuming. He found himself gravitating ever closer to her.
“I suppose every day I wake up with my head still attached to my neck is a good day,” Morgana drawled. “I ken there’s some who still want to see me dead.”
“They’ll nae dare touch ye,” Ryder said with such conviction that the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. “Nay one can touch what is mine, or have ye nae learned that lesson yet?”
Morgana’s blue eyes flickered and danced as the moonlight shimmered in her eyes. She was such a beauty in the dim pale light. The warmth radiating from her seeped into him, arousing the needs and passions he’d buried for so long.
Dropping the lock of her hair, Ryder clenched his jaw and stepped back. Her floral scent swirled around him as he tried to clear his head, but there was no escaping from her. Each moment that passed, he was trapped in a cage of her intoxicating presence.
“Ye made yer point clear enough,” she answered. Her voice was raspy, as if each word scraped against the back of her throat. “I dinnae need another lesson on the matter.”
A flicker of defiance danced in her eyes as she stared up at him. Her long lashes batted like wings of a butterfly as she pressed her hand to his chest.
The heat from her palm ignited flames Ryder no longer wanted to try and tame. He was tired of being so calculated and rigid as iron. He wanted to taste the forbidden fruit of Morgana’s lips and explore the wilderness of her body.
“Are ye sure?” he whispered, trying to keep the longing from his voice.
His fingertips grazed her bare skin, brushing back the locks of hair curling around her neck. Her smooth skin taunted him. How he wanted to run his tongue along the curves of her body and taste every delectable thing she had to offer.
“My Laird, what is it ye want?” she whispered.
Her want laced her words and stoked the flames of yearning deep within him.
“Ye ken what I want,” he answered as he leaned closer to her. He could not resist her intoxicating scent or teasing embrace. “I want ye.”
Without another word, Ryder cupped his hand around Morgana’s neck, holding her head secure and steady. Keeping his eyes open, he crushed his lips to hers and swallowed the protest on her tongue. His arms curled around her small frame as his body twitched and ached for her.
“Oof,” Morgana gasped as he pinned her against the wall.
A wicked grin stretched his lips as he kissed the length of her neck. How delicious she tasted, sweet and savory. But it was the way her body quivered against his that stirred him.
He grabbed her leg and wrapped it around his hip, wishing there weren’t so many skirts to hike up.
“My Laird… please,” Morgana breathed.
There was a flicker in her eyes that Ryder could not decipher. Was it lust that was burning within her? Or hatred? How the two looked so familiar to him.
“What?” he croaked, fighting back the urges ripping through him like a pack of wild dogs.
Her scent swirled around him, making his head foggy and his thoughts clustered, one longing being woven through him as if he were a wicker basket.
“We cannae be doin’ this,” she whispered.
A wave of hope rose within him as he leaned back just enough to read her expression. Expecting the sting of rejection to prick his heart, Ryder found no such pain crippling him. She hadn’t outright rejected him. Merely said they couldn’t get so close where they were.
An idea came to him. Without a word, he grabbed Morgana, throwing her over his shoulder as if she were nothing but a sack of flour. He slapped her firm buttocks, causing her to thrash and kick. Her feeble attempt to free herself only added kindle to the lust raging within him.
“Ye brute, put me down,” she hissed.
