innocent tonight as I was last night.”
He looked uncomfortable. “I’m sorry for kissing you.”
She raised her chin. “I’m not sorry.”
“Very well, I’m not sorry, either,” he said wryly. “But I shouldn’t have done it.”
“Perhaps not.” She wouldn’t be standing here with bare, cold feet if not for that kiss. “But what’s done can’t be undone. You . . . intrigue me, Mr. Mackenzie. I would like to see you again in London.”
His amusement died. “The feeling is mutual, Lady Kiri. But no, we can’t see each other in London.”
“Do you have a wife?” she asked, steeling herself for an answer she wouldn’t like.
“Good God, no!” he exclaimed, his expression horrified. “But we come from separate worlds. They must remain that way.”
“Why?” She moved toward him. She was descended not only from warrior queens, but great beauties who were famously alluring. A war had been fought for the right to marry one of her great-great-grandmothers. Summoning all the ancestral sensuality she could imagine, she imagined herself beautiful. Desirable.
“Jesus, Lady Kiri!” He bolted from his chair and retreated as if she were wielding her new dagger. “You are not making it easy to do the right thing!”
“Call me Kiri.” She smiled with wicked delight at seeing how she affected him. Apparently she had inherited some of the family allure. “I am not interested in making this easy for you. What I want is to know if this . . . means anything.” She cornered him by the window and raised her face for a kiss, resting her hands lightly on his arms.
“Damnation!” Swearing, he dropped his flask and drew her hard against him.
Fire flared again, the flames fanned by the fact that they wore only thin nightwear. She felt his bones and muscles and . . . more. Much more.
His mouth was hungry, giving no quarter. Her fear dissolved, leaving only desire and soaring excitement. She hadn’t imagined this fierce rightness. It was real, more real than anything she’d ever experienced. . . .
Mac’s wits fled as Kiri melted against him with shocking intimacy. She was intoxicating, as irresistible as air to a drowning man. He inhaled her fierce, lovely essence as he caressed her sweetly curving body. The bed was only a few feet away. . . .
No! He’d always prided himself on his control, but it took every last shred of discipline to put his hands on her shoulders and shove her an arm’s length away. She swayed, staring at him with huge, vulnerable green eyes. “What’s wrong?”
He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or howl. Dropping his hands, he said, “You are sent by the devil to tempt me for my sins, Lady Kiri.”
She bit her lip. “Why can’t I be reward instead of temptation? Or are your sins so great they are beyond forgiveness?”
“Many people do not forgive easily.” He stalked out of touching distance as he thought of all the things he’d done that he wished he hadn’t. Sorting through his past, he said, “The best I can say for myself is that I’ve never killed a man without good reason, nor lain with a woman I didn’t genuinely like.”
Her dark brows drew together. “Men sleep with women they don’t like?”
She really was essentially innocent despite her fiery nature. “Sometimes,” he said dryly. “As do women on occasion. Lust is not the same as friendship or caring.”
She thought about that. “I would think that lust is enhanced by caring.”
He tried not to be distracted by her elegant bare feet. “It is. That’s why I only choose women I care about.”
She tilted her head to one side, her dark, silky hair sliding over her shoulders. “To me, the . . . the attraction between us seems rare and special and not to be wasted, but I have little experience. Am I wrong? Is such powerful desire common?”
“It is indeed rare,” he said, knowing only the truth would do. “But passion is pain, not pleasure, if there is no honorable channel for it. To my regret,
He looked uncomfortable. “I’m sorry for kissing you.”
She raised her chin. “I’m not sorry.”
“Very well, I’m not sorry, either,” he said wryly. “But I shouldn’t have done it.”
“Perhaps not.” She wouldn’t be standing here with bare, cold feet if not for that kiss. “But what’s done can’t be undone. You . . . intrigue me, Mr. Mackenzie. I would like to see you again in London.”
His amusement died. “The feeling is mutual, Lady Kiri. But no, we can’t see each other in London.”
“Do you have a wife?” she asked, steeling herself for an answer she wouldn’t like.
“Good God, no!” he exclaimed, his expression horrified. “But we come from separate worlds. They must remain that way.”
“Why?” She moved toward him. She was descended not only from warrior queens, but great beauties who were famously alluring. A war had been fought for the right to marry one of her great-great-grandmothers. Summoning all the ancestral sensuality she could imagine, she imagined herself beautiful. Desirable.
“Jesus, Lady Kiri!” He bolted from his chair and retreated as if she were wielding her new dagger. “You are not making it easy to do the right thing!”
“Call me Kiri.” She smiled with wicked delight at seeing how she affected him. Apparently she had inherited some of the family allure. “I am not interested in making this easy for you. What I want is to know if this . . . means anything.” She cornered him by the window and raised her face for a kiss, resting her hands lightly on his arms.
“Damnation!” Swearing, he dropped his flask and drew her hard against him.
Fire flared again, the flames fanned by the fact that they wore only thin nightwear. She felt his bones and muscles and . . . more. Much more.
His mouth was hungry, giving no quarter. Her fear dissolved, leaving only desire and soaring excitement. She hadn’t imagined this fierce rightness. It was real, more real than anything she’d ever experienced. . . .
Mac’s wits fled as Kiri melted against him with shocking intimacy. She was intoxicating, as irresistible as air to a drowning man. He inhaled her fierce, lovely essence as he caressed her sweetly curving body. The bed was only a few feet away. . . .
No! He’d always prided himself on his control, but it took every last shred of discipline to put his hands on her shoulders and shove her an arm’s length away. She swayed, staring at him with huge, vulnerable green eyes. “What’s wrong?”
He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or howl. Dropping his hands, he said, “You are sent by the devil to tempt me for my sins, Lady Kiri.”
She bit her lip. “Why can’t I be reward instead of temptation? Or are your sins so great they are beyond forgiveness?”
“Many people do not forgive easily.” He stalked out of touching distance as he thought of all the things he’d done that he wished he hadn’t. Sorting through his past, he said, “The best I can say for myself is that I’ve never killed a man without good reason, nor lain with a woman I didn’t genuinely like.”
Her dark brows drew together. “Men sleep with women they don’t like?”
She really was essentially innocent despite her fiery nature. “Sometimes,” he said dryly. “As do women on occasion. Lust is not the same as friendship or caring.”
She thought about that. “I would think that lust is enhanced by caring.”
He tried not to be distracted by her elegant bare feet. “It is. That’s why I only choose women I care about.”
She tilted her head to one side, her dark, silky hair sliding over her shoulders. “To me, the . . . the attraction between us seems rare and special and not to be wasted, but I have little experience. Am I wrong? Is such powerful desire common?”
“It is indeed rare,” he said, knowing only the truth would do. “But passion is pain, not pleasure, if there is no honorable channel for it. To my regret,
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