and found him towering above her,
their bodies almost touching.
"Wil you keep the secret, Rosamond?"
Silence stretched between them.
He reached out with firm fingers and raised her chin, forcing
her to meet his eyes. "Wil you keep silent?" he demanded.
"Wil you end our betrothal?"
He stared at her with disbelief. "You dare to bargain with me?"
"You want to prevent a horrendous scandal—"
"I want to prevent murder! You know Richard of Gloucester's
temper and towering pride. He would take it as a personal
insult from the crown. His quarrel with the prince could end in
death for one of them."
"If I swear I wil be silent... wil you release me from the
betrothal agreement?"
He took hold of her shoulders with powerful hands. "No,
Rosamond, I wil never let you go. I wil have you at any cost!"
The appal ed look on her face scorched his pride. His
knighthood
34
and high royal office seemed to mean nothing to her. "Why do
you not wish to marry me?" he demanded.
"Why must I be forced to honor a promise I gave when I was
twelve?" she countered defiantly. Rosamond knew she did not
want to be uprooted from her serene life at Kenilworth. The
dark man who towered above her both frightened and
fascinated her, though she would not openly admit it. If she
placed her fortune and her future in this man's hands, she
would lose control over her own destiny.
"Spend time with me . . . al ow me to court you ... I wil soon
change your mind, chérie," he promised persuasively.
She felt the heavy oaken door against her back and was
forcibly reminded of the sexual encounter she had overheard.
For one blinding moment, she thought Rodger de Leyburn
would sweep her into his arms, take possession of her mouth,
and dare her to defy him then! Al her senses were heightened
as she became aware of his strength, his masculine scent,
and his ruthless determination. Her heartbeat accelerated and
she began to pant in anticipation of what was to come. When
he removed his hands from her shoulders, she swayed toward
him, then steadied herself with a hand against his chest. Her
thoughts and her emotions were in total disarray. What the
devil was the matter with her? She prayed it was the wine on
an empty stomach that made her thoughts so fanciful. When
he opened the tower door for her, Rosamond fled through it.
Hoping not to awaken Demi, she entered her bedchamber
quietly, although her heart was pounding. She undressed in
the dark, laying the cloak and her tunic across the bottom of
the bed, and slipped beneath the covers. As the events of the
evening replayed themselves in her mind, Rosamond
trembled with humiliation and anger, most of it directed at
herself. Why was she so headstrong, so impulsive? Why had
she gone to Rodger's chambers? Her tranquility was
shattered, her peace of mind destroyed. If only she could turn
back time and start the evening al over again, she would put
on her prettiest gown and gladly go down to the Great Hal for
dinner. Rosamond didn't want to know anyone's secrets, least
of al the prince's. Resolving to put Rodger, Alyce, and Edward
out of her mind, she escaped into blissful sleep.
Slowly she became aware of his masculine scent. "No!" she
breathed. He
35
swept her into his arms and took possession of the mouth that
dared to deny him. When she struggled, he pressed her back,
imprisoning her against the hard oaken door. Then he slid a
hard, muscular thigh between her legs and deepened the kiss
until she stopped struggling and clung to him. It was forcibly
brought home to her that she had no defense against his
powerful strength. Only when he had mastered her resistance
did he lift his mouth from hers.
As she looked up into his intense green gaze, she realized
how pleasurable it was to feel the hard door pressing against
her bottom, and to feel his hard length pressing against her
bel y.
"Say it again," she whispered.
"I wil never let you go, Rosamond. I wil have you at
their bodies almost touching.
"Wil you keep the secret, Rosamond?"
Silence stretched between them.
He reached out with firm fingers and raised her chin, forcing
her to meet his eyes. "Wil you keep silent?" he demanded.
"Wil you end our betrothal?"
He stared at her with disbelief. "You dare to bargain with me?"
"You want to prevent a horrendous scandal—"
"I want to prevent murder! You know Richard of Gloucester's
temper and towering pride. He would take it as a personal
insult from the crown. His quarrel with the prince could end in
death for one of them."
"If I swear I wil be silent... wil you release me from the
betrothal agreement?"
He took hold of her shoulders with powerful hands. "No,
Rosamond, I wil never let you go. I wil have you at any cost!"
The appal ed look on her face scorched his pride. His
knighthood
34
and high royal office seemed to mean nothing to her. "Why do
you not wish to marry me?" he demanded.
"Why must I be forced to honor a promise I gave when I was
twelve?" she countered defiantly. Rosamond knew she did not
want to be uprooted from her serene life at Kenilworth. The
dark man who towered above her both frightened and
fascinated her, though she would not openly admit it. If she
placed her fortune and her future in this man's hands, she
would lose control over her own destiny.
"Spend time with me . . . al ow me to court you ... I wil soon
change your mind, chérie," he promised persuasively.
She felt the heavy oaken door against her back and was
forcibly reminded of the sexual encounter she had overheard.
For one blinding moment, she thought Rodger de Leyburn
would sweep her into his arms, take possession of her mouth,
and dare her to defy him then! Al her senses were heightened
as she became aware of his strength, his masculine scent,
and his ruthless determination. Her heartbeat accelerated and
she began to pant in anticipation of what was to come. When
he removed his hands from her shoulders, she swayed toward
him, then steadied herself with a hand against his chest. Her
thoughts and her emotions were in total disarray. What the
devil was the matter with her? She prayed it was the wine on
an empty stomach that made her thoughts so fanciful. When
he opened the tower door for her, Rosamond fled through it.
Hoping not to awaken Demi, she entered her bedchamber
quietly, although her heart was pounding. She undressed in
the dark, laying the cloak and her tunic across the bottom of
the bed, and slipped beneath the covers. As the events of the
evening replayed themselves in her mind, Rosamond
trembled with humiliation and anger, most of it directed at
herself. Why was she so headstrong, so impulsive? Why had
she gone to Rodger's chambers? Her tranquility was
shattered, her peace of mind destroyed. If only she could turn
back time and start the evening al over again, she would put
on her prettiest gown and gladly go down to the Great Hal for
dinner. Rosamond didn't want to know anyone's secrets, least
of al the prince's. Resolving to put Rodger, Alyce, and Edward
out of her mind, she escaped into blissful sleep.
Slowly she became aware of his masculine scent. "No!" she
breathed. He
35
swept her into his arms and took possession of the mouth that
dared to deny him. When she struggled, he pressed her back,
imprisoning her against the hard oaken door. Then he slid a
hard, muscular thigh between her legs and deepened the kiss
until she stopped struggling and clung to him. It was forcibly
brought home to her that she had no defense against his
powerful strength. Only when he had mastered her resistance
did he lift his mouth from hers.
As she looked up into his intense green gaze, she realized
how pleasurable it was to feel the hard door pressing against
her bottom, and to feel his hard length pressing against her
bel y.
"Say it again," she whispered.
"I wil never let you go, Rosamond. I wil have you at
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