Page 43 of A Healer for the Ruthless Highlander
She wished with all her being that Kenneth wouldn’t beg. Fortunately, he also seemed to be burning with desire, for his eager lips found hers immediately, surrendering.
A moan of satisfaction escaped her. Her nails dug into his arms as he gripped her tighter around the waist and squished her breasts against his chest. His tongue, as direct as his words, probed her lips open and plunged into her mouth to explore her.
It came as a surprise to Leana. She had never kissed a man like that before, but she found she liked it.
She surrendered, submissive at first, but then she grew delirious with desire as Kenneth’s hot tongue slid against hers. He nipped her lips before kissing down her neck.
Kenneth pushed her back against the table. Leana rebelled against him for a moment, though deep down she loved being possessed in this way.
He tilted her neck with deliberate care, his fingers brushing against her skin, leaving a trail of warmth in their wake. His mouth found the curve of her throat, and the first touch of his lips sent a shiver cascading down her spine.
He explored her skin with tenderness and hunger, his teeth grazing in places that drew soft, involuntary sighs from her lips. Each bite, each press of his mouth, seemed to ignite a fire beneath her skin, a restless ache that she couldn’t suppress. Her hands hovered uncertainly, caught between the urge to push him away and the undeniable pull to draw him closer, to surrender to the storm he was stirring within her.
“Nay one’s ever wanted ye the way I want ye right now, lass,” he purred.
His hands ran over her dress, and she felt her skin tingle. A delicious wave of dizziness assaulted her as her tongue tangled with his. Sheneededhis kisses. Sheneededhim closer. Sheneededhis intensity. Sheneededhis dominance.
And Kenneth didn’t seem to hesitate to give her what she needed. He held her against the table as he pulled down the sleeves of her dress, so he could explore her better.
At the same time, Leana raised her face, closing her eyes and feeling his hands cupping her breasts. A moan escaped her lips, and Kenneth let out a grunt of satisfaction.
As he kissed her, she buried her fingers in his thick, dark hair. She had been dying to do it for so long, but now she indulged in all the fantasies she had entertained ever since she had laid eyes on him.
“Kenneth, be careful. Yer wound…” Leana whispered.
But Kenneth silenced her with another kiss, claiming her once more. His hands slid down to her buttocks, making her gasp.
The next second, he lifted her as if she weighed no more than a feather and set her on the table. His hands, strong and sure, spread her legs and pulled her dress up her thighs, baring her skin to his hungry gaze. He almost groaned when she wrapped her legs around his hips.
“I have better things to worry about than a wound,” Kenneth muttered as he ground his hips against hers.
Leana could feel his member, hard and thick, inviting her to go beyond drapery and propriety, to give herself over to pleasure.
Her lips were swollen from his kisses, and her fingers clung to his back. She caressed him, her eyes closed, her lips parted, while liquid heat pooled between her legs.
She realized that she wanted him more than she could ever admit, that this was not just a descent into the abyss, but an opportunity.
A chance to fly, or at least to die trying.
CHAPTER 15
“Kenneth…Kenneth, wait, please. We have to stop.”
Leana’s words floated between them for a second, just before he stopped.
Her cheeks were flushed, her thick dark hair hanging around her face in unruly curls, her lips swollen from his kisses, and her spring blue eyes heavy-lidded.
If Kenneth had to put a face to beauty, it would be Leana’s—troubled, given to pleasure, and slightly restless to be carried away by her emotions.
And if he had to give a name to desire, it would be hers.
But beyond desiring her, he respected her, even though she might think differently. Force her to do something… No, that would never do. He wouldn’t continue until she was sure it was what she wanted. So, he broke the kiss and pulled back slightly.
Their ragged breaths mingled as he rested his forehead on hers.
“Tell me ye’re nae askin’ me to stop because of me wound, lass. Because if that’s the case…”
Slowly, he slid a hand down her stomach to her naked thigh.
