Ravensong by ML Hamilton

pan
into place.
    He shook himself at her touch and
realized he wasn’t being much help staring at her. “Sorry,” he
murmured gruffly and frowned, trying hard to concentrate on the
task at hand.
    It wasn’t easy with Elena so close,
the smell of her damp hair filling his nostrils. As she bent to
take the dust pan from him, her hair brushed against his bare
chest. Joshua closed his eyes.
    Aware of his response, Elena quickly
turned away and emptied the dust pan in the garbage. “I’m afraid
there won’t be any coffee this morn...”
    She stopped abruptly. Joshua had moved
up behind her and as she turned to speak with him, she found
herself nearly in his arms.
    “ Joshua...” she began, but
he interrupted her.
    “ When I told you last night
that I was infatuated with a woman, I was afraid to tell you who it
was, but I can’t pretend anymore. Since the moment I saw you,
Elena...”
    “ Stop,” she said. “Please,
I don’t want to hear this.”
    “ Why? Are you afraid you
won’t be able to hide in your safe little cocoon of
marriage?”
    “ That’s not it. I made a
commitment...”
    “ ...to a man you don’t
love. What are you afraid of?”
    “ This isn’t any of your
business.”
    Joshua licked his lips slowly. Elena
couldn’t help but follow the move with her eyes. “It wasn’t my
business, until last night, until...” He paused and frowned. “Until
it became obvious that we both are feeling the same
attraction...”
    “ Stop, please!”
    His jaw hardened. “You’re
right.”
    Elena started to ask him what he
meant, but he moved too quickly, catching her in his arms and
pulling her against him. He lowered his head and captured her
lips.
    Sliding her hands up either side of
his neck, she sank her fingers in his thick black hair. He crushed
her tighter against him.
    “ Joshua,” she breathed, but
he swallowed her words with his mouth.
    At first the pressure was gentle,
probing, but then he captured her lower lip with his teeth and she
gasped in surprise. His tongue traced around her lips, forcing her
to part them, his hands sliding down her back to her hips, crushing
them against his own.
    “ Joshua,” she whispered
again. “Please...stop...”
    He stopped abruptly, his eyes flashing
up to hers. “Why, Elena?”
    “ If we don’t stop, we both
know where this will lead us.”
    “ And that would be
bad?”
    She smiled. “I’m engaged to be married
and you’re...”
    “ No longer in a
relationship.” He shook his head. “You don’t love the
man.”
    Elena looked away. “I don’t
want this. Can’t you understand?”
    “ Not really.”
    “ I don’t want to be just
another conquest.”
    Joshua released her and
stepped back.
    “ That’s right, Joshua,
isn’t it? You only want me because you know you can’t have me,
because I’m committed to someone else. But should I give in to you,
you’d be on to the next woman as soon as it was over.” She jabbed
him in the chest with her finger. “Admit it. You couldn’t have a
relationship and make it work if your life depended on
it.”
    “ You’ve got no right...” he
began, but she cut him off.
    “ Really? Let’s look at your
track history, Mr. Ravensong. One failed marriage, more one-night
stands than I can count or even want to try, and a relationship you
ran away from as soon as another woman caught your eye. So before
you accuse me of being too calculating about my life, look at your
own. At least I’m not being ruled by what I have in my
pants.”
    Joshua moved so quickly Elena flinched
and fear sprang into her eyes. He backed her up against the wall
and placed his hands on either side of her head, trapping her. At
the look of fear in her eyes, his expression softened.
    “ I wouldn’t hit you. That’s
how my father solved all his problems and I swore I’d never lift my
hand in anger.” He squared his jaw and drew a deep controlled
breath. “Go upstairs and get dressed, then I’ll drive you to
work.”
    For a moment he