Page 49 of Tempted
“I know that, but very shortly you will have. Remember that the most important sexual organ is your brain, not what’s between your legs.”
Tina’s cheeks were quite pink now, but she was thankful that Ada was willing and able to discuss these things in such a forthright manner. “What’s between my legs isn’t important?” she questioned.
“Oh darling, it’s very important. Only think! There are two places where a man and woman are different: your breasts and your mons, and men can never get enough of them. Your entire body is a weapon. Your skin like velvet, your hair like silk. A real man wants everything from a real woman. He wants to smell her and taste her.”
Tina’s eyes widened, which told Ada these ideas were all new to her.
“At the moment, you have an innocent sexuality that attracts men like a lodestone. When you gain experience, it will give you confidence over men in general and one man in particular. With men other than your husband, your sexuality must be subtle. When you are alone with your mate, however, it must be blatant. The single most important thing you must learn—that many women never, ever learn —is to love sex. You cannot fake it, it is impossible. You must be able to abandon yourself to him and truly enjoy anything and everything he does to you. Learn to be a sensual woman, ripe, endlessly yielding, and you will hold him in the palm of your hand. You will own him body and soul. Ramsay Douglas is a most powerful man, and if you gain power over him, it will be the most magnificent feeling you will ever experience.”
Suddenly Tina began to laugh. She remembered their past encounters, knowing when they rolled in the grass he had wanted to rub dirt in her face. She remembered exactly the pewter eyes turning to a murderous black when she struck him with her riding crop and he had forced open her hand to disarm her of the weapon. But their last encounter was still most vivid in her mind: Black Ram Douglas had walked off the dance floor, dismissing her from his life. “God’s passion, I’d like to see his face when they tell him he must wed Flaming Tina Kennedy.”
“Our fate is written in the stars. We can’t alter it,” Ada said before she departed.
Alone, Tina’s laughter subsided into a sob, and she threw herself upon the bed to soak her pillow with tears of pure misery. She cursed Old Meg, the Gypsy, who had foretold all this. She heard the words again, exactly. “You will be involved with a dark man whose symbol is the ram. He will rule you” In that moment Tina made her vow. “I will rule him!”
Chapter 16
The Earl of Angus was not best pleased in spite of the whisky Ramsay was pouring generously for him. Ram downed his whisky in one gulp, letting its rawness eat at his innards. “The answer is no.”
“Christ’s holy wounds, I’ve swallowed ma pride an’ signed a bond o’ friendship wi’ the bloody Hamiltons. I’m man enough tae do what’s best fer the clan, an’ so will ye, an’ there’s an end tae the matter!”
Ram protested, “Marry a Kennedy bitch, just because Jamie has decided?”
“It’s no’ just the king. I’ve decided it’s time ye had an heir.”
“Marriage is no guarantee of an heir Has the Hepburn lass produced an heir fer yer son? Margaret has miscarried three times since the king wed her. She’s finally produced an heir, but none know how long it’ll live!”
“Ye can argue until yer black in the bloody face, but ye’ll still form an alliance wi’ the Kennedy lass.” He drained his cup and threw it into the fireplace
Colin tapped on the door. He was the only one in the whole castle who had enough courage to interrupt the two Black Douglases.
“Can ye no’ see we’re busy?” Angus glared.
“Aye, but Lord Rob Kennedy is below, and despite the thickness of the walls, he can hear the two o’ ye are havin’ a slight altercation,” he said dryly.
“Show him up,” directed Angus. “This concerns him.”
Colin looked to Ram.
“I’m still master in my own castle, though Angus here seems to have forgotten. Show him up,” Ram directed.
Damaris sensed her brother’s presence the moment Rob Kennedy stepped inside the castle. She left her old chamber and saw him ascending the stairs. “Robert, oh Robert, I haven’t seen you for so long!” She bit her lip as she saw how the years had aged and thickened him. “Oh Robert, you can’t see me or hear me, can you?” she cried softly She touched his plaid sleeve lovingly. “Why are you here?” she wondered. She knew he could not answer her, but there was a very easy way to find out. As Colin opened the door to Ramsay’s private living quarters, Damaris glided inside and sat down upon a cushion in the wide window-seat.
Kennedy had come in his full dress tartan, his face redder than his hair now that it was mixed with gray. Rob nodded his respect to the most powerful earl in Scotland— “Angus”—then his eyes swung to the earl’s favorite nephew. “Douglas.”
“Sit doon, mon,” invited Angus. “We’ve never been enemies in spite o’ the bad blood that happened over fifteen years back.”
Rob jumped right in. “Ye rode back wi’ Arran, so perhaps ye already have the news about the Hamilton-Kennedy wedding bein’ off.”
Angus waved his hand dismissively. “It canna be called off—the chiefs of the clans have agreed.”
Rob Kennedy said bluntly, “I’ve just had a visit from the Hamiltons. Patrick’s knocked up one of the Howard lasses, and the queen insists they wed.”
Ramsay experienced a surge of triumph that his enemy’s deepest desire had been thwarted. With contempt he said, “Patrick Hamilton’s brains are in his prick.”
Angus, irascible as always, said, “That stinkin’ piece of English vermin! Howard likely told the lass tae spread her legs, so there’d be a bond o’ matrimony wi’ Scotland’s admiral.”
Ram at one time or another had bedded all the Howard daughters, and suddenly he was damned thankful they hadn’t played this trick on him.
