Page 63 of Tempted
Tina’s look was anything but triumphant as she half-gasped and swallowed her fear. She stood frozen to the spot, clad only in the white silk nightgown with its exquisite diamond-eyed butterflies. The candle she held dripped hot wax upon her hand, and it spurred her to action. She set the candlestick beside the bed and asked faintly, “What are you doing here?”
“That should be obvious,” he said.
Her wide eyes took in the bare chest covered with its sable-black pelt, and she whispered, “You intend to sleep here?”
“Hardly sleep,” he said with a laugh that contained no hint of mirth.
“You have come to claim your privileges,” she whispered, as full realization of his intent dawned upon her.
“Privileges?” he ground out with contempt “I think ye mean my rights and my duty. The king and the chiefs of our clans desire a blood bond between us. That can only be accomplished if I get ye with child.”
Damaris was appalled, but she knew she could not stay and witness this consummation.
Tina flinched visibly at being told she was to be nothing but a brood mare. She could have sworn he had lusted for her, but perhaps lust brought out the most unpleasant characteristics men had.
Ram felt his blood stir with excitement as his shaft filled and his balls tightened. She was such a challenge, the anticipation stirred him deeply in spite of his resolve. Damn her to hellfire, he wanted to lie with her, and he suspected she was well aware of his too-eager response. “Get in the bed,” he ordered, his pewter eyes flaming with what looked like ruthless, pitiless violence.
If she disobeyed him, would he flog her? He might. His temper was hot enough to do anything when roused.
He snuffed the candles before she could read the naked need in his eyes. Tina groped for the bed in the darkness and slipped beneath the cover. Ram was drawn into the bed by the magnet of her body.
Conflicting emotions washed over her; fear, curiosity, disgust. She was about to experience the unleashed sexuality and violent danger that every man suppressed just below the surface. The beautiful virginity that she had saved for her husband was there to be taken. She was a gift, a divine sacrifice to the gods of passion and love.
Ram lay rigid in the bed, forbidding himself to lust for her. She was just another woman. But nothing is more tempting than the forbidden The white nightgown whispered its invitation. Her subtle scent stole to him, inspiring his imagination to vivid imagery. Her skin was like ivory velvet, her hair a cascading glory. He knew an overwhelming desire to dominate her.
She gasped as she felt him reach out two strong hands to take her. The Douglases owned half of Scotland. Tonight she would become just another possession.
Ram now regretted snuffing the candle. It denied him the visual pleasure of her beauty. He wanted to see her eyes widen with admiration as she gazed at his powerfully muscled torso and the size of his erect sex. He wanted to see them darken with desire as he washed away her resistance to him. He wanted to watch her lashes become heavy with sensuality as he made love to her. He knew a craving to watch her mouth soften before she yielded it up to him, to watch it curve with delight as he pleasured her. He longed to watch her remove the exquisite nightrail for him so he could watch the tips of her creamy globes rouch and harden as he aroused her. He ached to see the bright color of her flaming triangle between her legs. He’d imagined it a thousand times, and now he cursed himself for a fool for taking her in the dark.
As he pulled her hard against him so she felt all of him, the powerful legs, the muscular arms, and the wide chest, she went rigid for a moment. Ram felt her stiffen and took it as a sign of rejection. He was offended. No female had ever rejected him in his life. Till now, all his bed partners had been willing—nay, more than willing, they had been eager for his lovemaking. He closed his mind to the men who may have gone before him. He would show her he excelled and surpassed any other lover she had known.
He brought his mouth down upon hers in a demanding kiss. He fully expected the usual eager female response. He waited for her to open her lips, her mouth, and take him inside where they would duel, then his tongue would master her. He waited in vain.
Tina was rigid with fear. She could not think coherently, wrapped in the powerful arms of Douglas. What was it she was supposed to do? Yield to him—aye, that was it! She must become all soft and womanly. The last time he had kissed her, she had allowed her mouth to soften beneath his and had felt the tip of his insistent tongue tasting her, but now his tongue wanted to rape her mouth. She did not return his kiss, so taking it as an insult, he left off the kissing.
His beard was harsh and abrasive against her sensitive skin, and yet it was so masculine, she went weak. He was annoyed that she made no move to take off her nightgown for him, so with impatient hands he pulled it up to give him access to her woman’s center. Her skin against the swollen head of his shaft felt like velvet. He buried his face in her flaming hair, and its fragrance dizzied him and stole away his senses. Touching her intoxicated him. He knew he must act quickly before love words tumbled from his lips. He pulled her beneath him, tearing the delicate silk as he positioned her with rough hands.
Tina braced herself to endure the pain that she knew was inevitable. Ada had told her she must get past this first time. She gasped as he mounted her, then bit down upon her lips to prevent further protests. She must yield without protests.
The intensity of his need for this woman tumbled him into the abyss. She excited him so much, he was going to spill himself if he did not soon achieve penetration. Then she would laugh at his lack of finesse. He gripped her with iron-hard thighs, then plunged into her with savage need. She cried out, and he knew it was clumsily done—he was nowhere near seated to the hilt.
“Tina, open for me,” he urged
“I cannot,” she gasped.
“Will not, you mean!” he cried raggedly, then thrust home. He closed his eyes with deepest pleasure. She was so exquisitely small and tight and hot, he had never before known such a fierce response. He knew a need to arouse a matching response in her, so he plunged until his white-hot seed flooded up inside her.
He had spent so quickly, he was ashamed of his body’s response to her. Not once had she touched him, caressed him, arched her body to fit his. Her arms had not stolen about his neck to cling to him, nor had her mouth kissed or tasted him, yet she had brought him to fulfillment. No sigh, or murmur, or cry of pleasure had passed her lips. She had deliberately held herself aloof from him. He withdrew and took his hands from her, leaving her sprawled and mute with shock. He flung from the bed, more angry now than before he’d taken her. “We leave at dawn—be ready!” he commanded.
The chamber door banged shut behind him, the crash of wood releasing her tears. In the next room Ada heard her weeping. She knew Ramsay had visited Valentina. He had stayed an impossibly short time, then left in a rage. She sighed. Would Tina never learn to curb her sharp tongue?
Ada opened the adjoining door cautiously, saw the room was in darkness and hastened to light the candles. The scene before her made her gasp. “Good God, I never dreamed he’d had time to consummate your vows. Are you badly hurt, child?”
The spirit of Damaris drew close to Tina, longing to take away her hurt.
Tina glanced down at the bloodied, torn nightrail and hastily covered herself with the sheet before she struggled to sit up. A feeling of betrayal curled inside her that included Ada. She had told her she must learn to love the sex act but that was an impossibility. Ada had told her there would be desire, then pleasure, then fulfillment, but she had clearly lied.
“I warned you that you must get beyond this first time. That there would be pain and blood, but I had no idea he would be so brutal, love.”
