Beneath a Midnight Moon - By Amanda Ashley Page 0,21

bring herself to wear them. Colors were forbidden to the members of the Sisterhood. The novices wore brown, the professed wore black. Kylene had looked at the bright reds and blues and greens with covetous eyes, and then, regretfully, had begged Sharilyn’s understanding and asked for a simple dress of plain brown wool.

Sharilyn had not argued. She had provided Kylene with several dresses of different design in varying shades of brown, but she had insisted that Kylene keep the other dresses as well.

And now it was evening and they were gathered in the dining hall. Sharilyn sat at the head of the table. Hardane sat at her left, Kylene at her right. She tried to concentrate on the meal, but, as always when he was near, she was aware of Hardane’s proximity. The sound of his voice, deep and mellow, tugged at her heart. The knowledge that she could reach across the table and touch him made her pulse race. And when he looked at her, as he was doing now, all coherent thought fled and she was conscious only of the magnetism of his gaze, the timbre of his voice, the blatant maleness that seemed to fill the room, dwarfing her, making her feel vulnerable and somehow empty inside.

“You look pale, child,” Sharilyn remarked. “Hardane, why don’t you take Kylene riding tomorrow? No doubt she’s weary of my company. Perhaps a ride to the cove. It will be cool there.”

“There’s no need,” Kylene said quickly. “I’m sure he’d rather spend the day with Jared. And I . . . I should . . .”

Sharilyn made a gesture of dismissal with her hand. “Nonsense. You’re our guest. A ride will do you good, put some color in your cheeks.” She looked at Hardane. “What say you?”

A shadow passed over his face, and then he smiled. “It would be my pleasure, mother mine. Perhaps Nan will pack us a lunch.”

“I’ll see to it,” Sharilyn said, smiling benignly.

The rest of the meal passed in a blur. Kylene could think of nothing but the coming day, of spending it alone with Hardane.

She excused herself immediately after dinner and hurried to her room, only to pace the floor, her stomach a knot of anxiety.

A day, alone with Hardane.

It was a dream come true.

It was a nightmare.

It would be too soon upon her.

Chapter 13

Hardane paced the floor as he waited for Kylene. How could he spend the day with her, be near her, and not touch her? Thoughts of women often filled his meditations. He had admired them, lusted for them, but never before had he been plagued with such soul-wrenching desire as he was now. He had only to look at Kylene to want her. Her image filled his dreams so that he tossed and turned night after night. When the wanting got unbearable, he left the castle, running through the darkness until he was exhausted, but no matter how far he ran, he couldn’t outrun his desire.

The sound of footsteps drew his attention, and he glanced up to see Kylene standing at the head of the stairs. She was wearing a dark brown riding habit that would have been drab on any other woman, but the earthy color enhanced the red of Kylene’s hair and deepened the color of her eyes.

Kylene smiled tentatively as she started down the stairs, unable to shake the feeling that Sharilyn had maneuvered Hardane into this outing against his will.

“We don’t have to go if you’d rather not,” she said when she reached the bottom of the staircase. “I know how busy you are.”

Hardane shook his head, then held out his hand. “The horses are waiting, lady.”

Kylene placed her hand in his, noting how large his was, how dark the skin compared to her own, and then his fingers closed over hers and all thought fled her mind as a soft golden warmth crept up her arm and spread through her, filling her with sunshine.

Her gaze darted to his face. Did he feel it, too, that slow heat that sent shivers along her spine whenever he was near, whenever he touched her? She stared at him in confusion, her nerve endings tingling, her whole body yearning toward that which she did not fully understand.

Hardane sucked in a ragged breath. He looked down at her hand, so small, so delicate, compared to his own. Heat radiated from her touch, pulsing through him to settle in his groin, hot and heavy.

Wordlessly, he led Kylene outside and lifted her onto the