you breathe,” he whispered, “almost as much as I love taking your breath away.”
He raised her arms above her head with one hand as the other slid down her rib cage. “Breathe,” he whispered, “while I feel you.” Spreading his hand wide, he moved over her as he kissed her face lightly. When she let out a sigh of pleasure, he covered her mouth and kissed her deeper than he’d ever kissed a woman. Her arms lowered to his shoulders as her body seemed to melt into his.
There was no hesitance in his touch, only passion. He’d wanted her all day, dreamed of her all night, and now she’d come to him. He wouldn’t pretend his hunger for her was any less. Shoving the gown off her shoulders, he let it settle on her hips as he caressed her.
When he ended a long kiss, he didn’t remove his hands from her. She was warm now to his touch. He kissed her face and throat gently until her breathing slowed, then moved his hand up to the valley between her breasts. His fingers were slowly passing over each breast when he decided to kiss her again. He cupped her face with his free hand and opened her mouth with his thumb, then began another long endless kiss.
Her arms tightened about his neck as his hands moved behind her, shoving the gown lower as he cupped her hips. He pulled her against the length of him without breaking the kiss. The day without touching her had left him hungry. He wanted to be gentle, to move slow, to be sure of his footing before he jumped into passion, but the taste of her, the feel of her, drove all rational thought away, leaving him exposed and open.
She wanted this too, he thought. She’d come to him. She was returning his kiss. If only for a moment in the shadows, she was his Em again and she wanted him.
When the kiss finally ended, they were both exhausted from wave after wave of passion. He pulled away, knelt, and lifted her gown slowly from the floor. He was so close, his breath warmed her skin as the material moved up her body. Slowly, he buttoned her gown, then kissed her forehead as if he hadn’t just been roaming his hands all over her and loving every moment of it.
For a long while, he just held her, moving his fingers in her hair, kissing her lightly now and then on the cheek, pulling her briefly into a hug. Neither said a word. She swayed slightly into his embrace and pressed against him so closely he could feel her heart beat next to his.
A thousand questions came to his mind, but for now just holding her seemed enough. He brushed his hand lazily over her hip and heard her soft sigh. She was his mate, he thought. A perfect match, if only in the shadows.
When Lewt heard footsteps, he turned and lifted his rifle. Someone was coming from the direction of the shed. He stepped out of the shadows and waited.
“You awake?” Wyatt’s low voice asked as he materialized out of the night.
Lewt glanced over his shoulder. Em had vanished. He thought he saw her nightgown caught in the blink of moonlight, but he couldn’t be sure. “I’m awake,” he said, wishing he could return to the dream he’d just experienced.
“No,” he whispered to himself. It was real. Em had been in his arms.
“Did you say something?” Wyatt asked as he stared out into the night sky.
“Only that it’s time to turn in.” Lewt headed into the darkness. “Good night. See you at dawn.”
A few minutes later he spread out on the hay and relived every moment he’d spent with Em. He could still feel her skin on his fingertips and smell the honeysuckle fragrance of her hair.
If she was mad at him and had decided to use this as a way to punish him, it was working. He’d be dead from the need for her in no time.
At dawn the men ate breakfast with the priest, then saddled the horses while the women took their meal of simple porridge and honey bread.
They were ready to leave when the women finally came out into the morning sun. Anna moved to Duncan’s side and let him help her into the wagon. The cooks kept up a steady stream of conversation, even though none of the men paid much attention.
Lewt watched Em and wasn’t surprised she didn’t look