A Time & Place for Every Laird by Angeline Fortin (ebook reader TXT) 📕

Sorcha visibly started at his words, turningaway from the rail but gripping it behind her back with both hands.“Nothing, Hugh. I’m fine.”

The words were as transparently false as herhabit of introducing a new topic when another was uncomfortable,and Hugh had to wonder what had unsettled her so. Sorcha had beenabnormally withdrawn ever since their return to the island, whichwas to say she participated in their conversations, includinganother more in depth dissection of human evolution, but herthoughts were clearly elsewhere. Her eyes followed him unblinkinglyas if she were studying every inch of his person. It might havebeen that her thoughts had returned to the offer he had made backat the marketplace, and Hugh wondered if her considerations wereleaning toward joining him or not.

Perhaps he had asked too much, too soon.

Or perhaps she was simply not as confidentof their success with the plan they had laid out as he was. It wascertainly an easier topic to broach, and Hugh cursed himself forhis sudden cowardice. “Do ye hae a concern over our strategy, lass?Is that what preoccupies ye?”

She was chewing her lip uncertainly. Herfeet were bare, one on top of the other as if it might warm the onebeneath it. She looked smaller and more nervous than Hugh had yetseen her. “I do worry about getting into Canada safely,” shemurmured.

There was some truth in the confession, butHugh could tell that wasn’t the whole of it. Something more wasbothering her. If it was not their strategic departure, there hadto be something else that had changed her mood between theirarrival on the island and their return to the beach house. “DidDanny say something to distress ye?”

Sorcha blinked and met his gaze, and Hughknew that he had the right of it. “What is it? What did hesay?”

“Nothing.”

Also patently untrue.

“Come now, lass,” Hugh murmured as heapproached her. “After our time together, I’ve become a fair handat telling when yer lying. What is it?”

Tilting her head back to look at him, shesaid, “You said I was a terrible liar.”

“Aye, that’s why it is so easy to see it.”Hugh cupped her cheeks in his hands and bent his head, brushing atender kiss across her lips. He meant for it to be only a kiss ofaffection but Sorcha’s dewy lips unexpectedly clung to his.Nostrils flaring, he inhaled the warm scent of her, citrus andfloral. The heady desire of being so close to her when he hadendeavored to keep his distance set his heart pounding heavily, hisbody tensing with the need to pull her close.

Her soft lips parted with a sigh,encouraging him to deepen the kiss. Easing away, Hugh looked downat her in surprise. She looked soft and sweetly feminine with herhair loose around her shoulders, her lovely face pale in the mutedglow of the moon, but her eyes shone like jewels as she caught herlip between her teeth once more as if she were suddenlynervous.

“There is nae need to worry so, my love,” hesaid, hoping to reassure this unexpectedly vulnerable woman who upto this point had shown nothing but spit and fire. “I swear tae ye,all will be well.”

“I know it will,” she said softly, lookingup at him through her thick lashes. Hugh felt her hand against hiswaist and her fingers curling into the fabric of his t-shirt beforeher palm flattened against him and smoothed across his ribcage andover his chest. Skin met skin as her fingers tickled at his neckabove his collar and curved around to tease the hair at his nape,and Hugh swallowed deeply. “Sorcha, what are ye about, lass?”

Lifting herself onto her toes, Sorcha kissedhim once and then again, sighing against his lips. Hugh’s fistsclenched, fighting the urge to grab her, to pull her closer. Allweek he had fought this. Even with permission to flirt asoutrageously as he chose, Hugh had resisted the temptation to touchher, knowing that once he succumbed, he wouldn’t be able stop. Thetheory had become truth, and soon he had been taking anyopportunity to hold her hand or touch her. Each tiny caress was atorment. He had wanted her too much; knowing that she wanted him aswell, knowing that she was tempted and teetering on the edge ofsurrender had only inflamed that desire. He hadn’t been able totouch her without longing for more, and didn’t trust himself tokiss her lest he take so much more.

Now she was luring him into passion’s darkfire, tempting and teasing, and Hugh braced himself against theonslaught of lust that hardened his body, resisting his body’s callto plunder her sweet depths. He had no wish to be faced with theguilt and remorse that would surely plague her if he did so. “Lass,ye hae tae stop this.”

“Shh,” she blew against his ear, kissing hisjaw and neck. Then her hands were beneath his shirt, her palms onhis stomach, his chest, pushing it upward. “Lift your arms.”

The request was so faint Hugh wasn’tentirely sure if she voiced it or he imagined it, but he lifted hisarms and helped her pull the shirt over his head. Then her handswere on his chest again, burning a path around him as she pressed ahot kiss there. She rubbed her cheek against him, purring like akitten as she kissed her way upward once more. Her lips were hot,her tongue unbearably arousing as they grazed his neck and theunderside of his chin. With a groan, Hugh looked up at the ceiling,praying for help as her mouth closed over the base of histhroat.

Then she was tugging at him again, forcinghim to look down at her. Those purple eyes were dark and heated.Insistent. “This isnae what ye want, lass.”

“Oh, but it is. It is what I’ve been waitingfor all night,” she whispered, stretching to kiss him once more.Then she took his hand and pressed his palm against her heart. Itwas beating erratically, matching her breathing. “I want you, Hugh.My heart is pounding like this for you.”

By God, but Hugh had never wanted a woman asbadly as he wanted his one. He wanted to possess her, become onewith her, but he wanted