Page 27 of Highlander's Caged Rose
To add to her problems, she knew that she would be living on Glennie’s charity, and she could not bear the thought of that. Glennie had already given her new clothes and was having more made. What else would she have to provide for her comfort and well-being?
Granted, she would never have to worry about food, obviously, but there were many other material things she would need. She could not bear the thought of being under obligation to someone and having to go begging them to give her whatever she required.
How many times had she told herself she had to go, Moira asked herself? Yet, every time she summoned the determination to do so she had been hindered by one person. It was Niall. Always Niall. He was the biggest reason she wanted to get away and the biggest reason she wanted to stay.
Damn him to hell!she thought viciously.I wish I had never met him!Moira tutted irritably as she turned to her bed to try to go to sleep. She had a sinking feeling that she would not rest well that night, however, having too much on her mind.
She had just turned the covers back when a loud knock sounded at the door, and thinking it might be her maid, Moira went to answer it. She was about to chastise her for making such a racket when she opened the door and found that the person standing on the threshold of her room was not her maidservant. Her eyes widened with shock as she beheld someone much bigger.
“May I come in?” Niall asked politely.
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Moirastared at him, open-mouthed with shock, for a moment. “It’s late, My Laird. Whatever it is, it can wait till morning.”
However, before she could shut the door in his face, he almost casually raised his right hand, palm first, and stopped the door’s closing arc. As she had found before, there was no point in trying to beat Niall in a contest of strength; he was simply too powerful.
“Are you afraid of me, Moira?” he asked gently, with an expression of deep concern on his face. “Because there is no need to be. I will never harm you. I promise you that.”
“I am not afraid of you,” she snapped. “I am sick and tired of you. You are torturing me. Why did you kiss me when you know you are marrying another woman in a matter of weeks? Why do you not just leave me alone? I will be gone as soon as I possibly can anyway. Get out and leave me be!”
Moira was just about to try to push him again, but quickly realised the futility of doing such a thing. Instead, she glared at him, but his eyes, which she had always found so mesmerising, were her undoing. She could not tear her gaze away from him.
Niall heard the rage in her voice and immediately knew it for what it was; jealousy. He realised that Moira could only be jealous if she had feelings for him—after all, what other reason could there be?
Niall backed her against the wall, and realised how ethereal and insubstantial she was compared to him. She resembled his idea of an elf, with her pale, translucent skin and eyes like hazy blue-white clouds.
As he thought of this, his gaze dropped to her lips, so full and ripe, and he felt his manhood surging into life.
Is there not an inch of you that is not absolutely gorgeous?he thought.
He was nearly unable to think straight, but then realised with astonishment that Moira had not tried to get away from him, and as he closed the space between them, he suddenly realised why.
Moira’s eyes fixed on his lips. She was fighting the urge to pull Niall’s head down to hers and kiss him with all her might.
Why should I resist this? It may never happen to me again. Do I not deserve all the pleasure I can get? I am leaving soon, so if I lie with him, the memory might last me for a lifetime. Should I not enjoy it just this once? What harm can it do?
Moira opened her eyes wide and tilted her face up to Niall’s. She opened her mouth to speak, but he pressed his forefinger against her lips to stop her. When he spoke, his voice was throbbing with need.
“Do you know what you do to me?” he asked. “I think about you every minute of every day, Moira. Ever since the first moment I saw you I’ve wanted you. You are driving me mad. I’m even thinking of calling off my betrothal. Do you know how that feels?”
“Yes, Niall,” she replied. “I do because I want you too.”
Niall’s eyes widened with surprise for a moment, then he smiled. “Good,” he whispered, before his lips descended on hers in a kiss of smouldering passion.
The last time they had kissed had been passionate but gentle, but this was something else altogether, and Moira moaned aloud at the sensual onslaught of Niall’s lips on hers.
She could only call it one thing; possession, and for the first time in her life, she was happy to give herself to a man, but only this one, special, beautiful man. Moira’s body was telling her so, too; she was moist and throbbing in the special place between her legs, and her nipples were hard and tingling.
At last, they drew apart, and after one last lingering glance, Niall drew Moira away, took her hand and led her towards the bed. He sat down on it and pulled her gently onto his lap then folded his arms around her, taking a deep breath to savour her heavenly scent. He had dreamed of this, just holding Moira, letting her lean her head on his shoulder while they heard nothing but each other’s breathing.
But he could not help himself from going further. He kissed her again and stroked her cheekbone with his thumb, then his fingertips travelled down the sensitive skin of her throat.
Moira’s mind had been completely jumbled and blurred by every new sensation Niall was arousing. She felt as though she had deserted the world and gone to another, one where all that existed were the two of them and the thick atmosphere of sheer pleasure Niall had created for her. At that moment, she was the only woman in existence, and if the world ended now, she would die happy.
“You are perfect.” Niall’s voice was a husky whisper as he moved his hand down to cup her breast, feeling the little pebble of her hard nipple under his palm. He cursed the fabric of the dress that separated them, but moved his mouth down to suck itinto his mouth and tease it with his tongue before biting it in a gentle, teasing way.
The sensation of pleasure was so acute that it shot straight to Moira’s core, and she gave a little scream as she fell back on the bed, her whole body throbbing. Niall ran his hands over her breasts, her stomach, her thighs and said, “You are the loveliest woman I have ever seen, Moira. You do things to me that no other woman has ever done. You make me want to be a better man just for you.”
