My Heart's in the Highlands by Angeline Fortin (ebook reader screen TXT) 📕

Ian swung her into his arms with a grin. “Ireally do feel that you should be abed, Lady Ayr.”

“Whatever you say, Lord Ayr,” she agreed,curling her fingers in his hair and tousling his locks. “Might wego to my bed, though? In truth, the idea of making love beneaththat portrait makes me oddly anxious.”

Looking up at the gigantic portrait over thefireplace, Ian smiled. “I love that painting but I shallaccommodate you only because I’ve been fantasizing about makinglove to you in in your bed all week,” he said softly as he carriedher through the attached dressing rooms and into the marchioness’schamber. Her bed hadn’t been turned down, and the hangings weredrawn back as they should be this time of year. Ian laid her downon the green counterpane. At her quizzical gaze, he continued as heplucked the pins one by one from her hair, “I imagined you herewith your hair spread out over the pillows.”

Hero shook her head and worked her fingersthrough her curls. “Like this?”

Ian toyed with one of the long blond locksbefore placing it across her chest. “Aye, just like that, my love.By God, but yer a bonny lass.”

Hero’s heart pounded furiously at the emotionin his words, feeling that they said so much more. Already they hadprofessed their love, but somehow the words did not say it all. Hiseyes said so much more. She felt the message to her core. Love,adoration, desire, need.

“Are you going to make love to me now?” Heroasked when Ian didn’t move from her side. Yet with only his darkgaze touching her, Hero was already throbbing with desire. Herbreasts tingled and tightened, waiting for his hand, and she wasn’teven unclothed yet!

“Wi’ yer clothes still on?” he asked huskilyas he took her hand and began unfastening the pearl buttons at herabove her hand, kissing the inside of her wrist. His brogue washeavy with barely leashed passion. “Nay, there will be moments forthat in the days to come.”

Hero blinked at that. “Really?”

“Aye, I might come upon ye in the BlueDrawing Room one morning while ye are playing piano,” he began. “Iwould see ye there wi’ your head bowed over the ivories, the sun asbright as gold on your hair. I would pick ye up and set ye on thekeys. I might push yer skirts up to yer waist and take ye rightthere and see what music we might make together.”

Hero swallowed deeply, her heart beating hardwithin her chest. Ian had finished opening her sleeves and pulledher to her feet. Turning her about, he gathered her loose hair andpushed it over her shoulder so he might begin unbuttoning herdress. “Or?” she asked hoarsely through her suddenly tightthroat.

“Or,” he whispered, brushing his lips acrossher nape and sending shivers down her spine, “I might take yeagainst the balustrade outside the Round Drawing Room with thecrash of the waves below. I would thrust into ye hard, so hard yewould have to hang on to me tightly so ye dinnae fall over.”

Her dress fell to the floor but Hero hardlynoticed anything besides Ian’s lips against the side of her neck.Her head was swimming dizzily at the images he presented, and adull ache tightened between her legs. “Or?”

Ian began tugging at the strings of hercorset. “Or I might take ye out to our spot on the ramparts onenight. But when I lift your skirts, the wind would caress ye asonly I should. Would I mind, do ye think? Or would I simply bend yeover the wall and take ye with all the fury of the wind and sea? Wemight have to find out.”

A soft thud hailed the corset’s drop to herfeet, and Hero felt Ian’s arms come around her to untie herpantalets. His hands smoothed them down as he knelt and untied hergarters. As if he knew she was nearly speechless, Ian continued,“Or there is still the pagoda to visit. Not at night, though. Ourtime for a surreptitious rendezvous is past. I would make love toye on the top floor wi’ the sun’s rays on us and with the birds andwildlife all welcome to watch. When ye came, yer screams wouldscare them away. Would ye scream, fair Hero?”

Hero could hardly keep a thought in her head.She was quivering from head to toe, her knees so shaky she wassurprised to be upright. Ian’s palms smoothed up the back of herlegs, then she felt his lips touch the back of her knee and Herocried out softly. He stood once more and she could feel him behindher before he even touched her. An arm encircled her waist, drawingher back against his chest, and Ian bent his head to whisper.“There are a hundred days ahead of us, wife, when I will come uponye and be so caught by lust that I must take ye then and there.When I will do little more than push yer skirts up so that I mightha’ ye. But not tonight. Tonight, I want ye naked with me.”

His hands came up to cup her breasts and herolled her nipples gently between his fingers. “I want ye bared tomy hands and my lips. I want to feel yer skin against mine.” Onehand dipped lower, and Hero gasped when his fingers slid betweenher legs, parting her. She was agonizingly damp, a testament to howthoroughly his words alone had aroused her. His fingers circled thespot he had found with his mouth the night before, petting heruntil Hero was panting desperately. Unable to touch him as sheliked, Hero clung to Ian’s hips while his hands pleasured her. Histeeth grazed the side of her neck and shoulder.

“Will ye come for me, my love? Will ye screamfor me?” he urged hotly.

Hero bit back a cry that became a whimper asher body tensed. She ached for him, wanted him within her. Sheshook her head, fighting back the orgasm that was building in her.“No.”

“No?” His fingers curled into her, and Herothrew her head back against his chest as the waves of pleasurebegan to sweep over her.

“I want you,” she whispered