me.”
“I plan ta try ye, as ye say.”
“The hell you will. You won’t get very far, except for a sore dick. Just leave me alone.”
He shook his head, amusement darting all over his expression. He was genuinely delighted with her threats. Hugh looked carefree and hot as hell.
Jules pinned her fists to her sides so she wouldn’t punch the look off his face.
He chuckled and grabbed her wrist. “The things ye say, lass.”
She glared at the twinkle in his eyes.
He’d shaved—there was no stubble on his cheeks, and she wanted to drag her fingers against his skin.
Dammit.
Just stop it.
“Let me go,” Jules ordered.
“I’ll have ye in my bed.”
She shook her head, but Hugh wrapped his arms around her and picked her up. Instead of tossing her over his shoulder, he held her like a baby against his hard chest and carried her to that oversized bed. His eyes bored into hers.
Fear chased away her ire. “Hugh.” She wanted to demand he release her, but the words wouldn’t form. He was bigger and stronger, as he’d proven all day long.
What if he wants to rape me?
“Juliette.” His voice was a whisper and he set her down with surprising gentleness.
Jules scrambled to the headboard and hugged her knees to her chest.
Hugh paused, arching an eyebrow. “I willna hurt ye.”
“I don’t want to have sex with you,” she blurted.
He cocked his head to one side. “Ye want me, lass.”
“No.” Jules’ denial was too quick—and they both knew it.
His shoulders loosened and he joined her on the bed. Hugh moved toward her, and Jules’ pulse thundered in her ears.
She didn’t look away from his eyes. She couldn’t.
Hugh cupped her cheeks. “I wouldna force ye, Juliette. Never tha’.”
“Thank you,” Jules whispered. Her heart pounded as his hands fell away from her face. She slowly unfolded her body and lay down, but she couldn’t relax.
Waited for Hugh to do or say something.
Anything.
Her barbarian extended his big body in the bed, pulling the blankets higher, covering them both. One corner of his mouth shot up. “Ye want me, lass. No matter wha’ yer sayin’ now.”
Jules’ stomach fluttered but she didn’t dare answer. She might agree. “I’m leaving tomorrow. Like you promised.”
Hugh grinned and dragged his hand down her arm.
She trembled, even though he hadn’t touched bare skin. “I am going, Hugh.”
“I’m a man of my word, lass. I’ll see ye ta Dunvegan. But, when tha time is righ’, ye’ll return ta me. And there willna be a need ta force ye. Ye’ll come ta my bed willin’. I’ll have ye, Juliette.”
Jules gulped at the promise in his eyes, in his voice. She stared as he turned over, settling his head deep into a thick pillow, his dark hair fanned out.
She didn’t move as she watched him.
Soon, Hugh’s breathing became deep and even, but Jules couldn’t loosen her body or concentrate on much-needed sleep. She was tense, gripping the MacDonald plaid with both hands as she tugged it to her chin.
Crushing her eyes shut, all she could see, remember… feel was his mouth moving over hers.
Jules cursed and sucked in a breath.
It’s gonna be a long night.
Chapter Eight
When he rolled over, he remembered he wasn’t in bed alone. Hugh swallowed a yawn as he came around and blinked to clear his vision. The room was dim, but not wholly dark and he could see a sea of honey waves spread on his pillow.
Her face was turned toward his as she slept, and he restrained himself from touching her.
Hugh didn’t want to let her go.
He’d promised his aunt he wouldn’t ransom her, but could he keep Juliette some other way?
She’d kissed him back when he’d stormed into his rooms after his bath in the stables. But the fear in her eyes had given him pause. She’d actually thought he’d rape her.
Hugh growled.
He’d never forced himself on a lass, no matter how many lovers he’d taken since—
Still couldn’t say her name. His eyes instinctively
“I plan ta try ye, as ye say.”
“The hell you will. You won’t get very far, except for a sore dick. Just leave me alone.”
He shook his head, amusement darting all over his expression. He was genuinely delighted with her threats. Hugh looked carefree and hot as hell.
Jules pinned her fists to her sides so she wouldn’t punch the look off his face.
He chuckled and grabbed her wrist. “The things ye say, lass.”
She glared at the twinkle in his eyes.
He’d shaved—there was no stubble on his cheeks, and she wanted to drag her fingers against his skin.
Dammit.
Just stop it.
“Let me go,” Jules ordered.
“I’ll have ye in my bed.”
She shook her head, but Hugh wrapped his arms around her and picked her up. Instead of tossing her over his shoulder, he held her like a baby against his hard chest and carried her to that oversized bed. His eyes bored into hers.
Fear chased away her ire. “Hugh.” She wanted to demand he release her, but the words wouldn’t form. He was bigger and stronger, as he’d proven all day long.
What if he wants to rape me?
“Juliette.” His voice was a whisper and he set her down with surprising gentleness.
Jules scrambled to the headboard and hugged her knees to her chest.
Hugh paused, arching an eyebrow. “I willna hurt ye.”
“I don’t want to have sex with you,” she blurted.
He cocked his head to one side. “Ye want me, lass.”
“No.” Jules’ denial was too quick—and they both knew it.
His shoulders loosened and he joined her on the bed. Hugh moved toward her, and Jules’ pulse thundered in her ears.
She didn’t look away from his eyes. She couldn’t.
Hugh cupped her cheeks. “I wouldna force ye, Juliette. Never tha’.”
“Thank you,” Jules whispered. Her heart pounded as his hands fell away from her face. She slowly unfolded her body and lay down, but she couldn’t relax.
Waited for Hugh to do or say something.
Anything.
Her barbarian extended his big body in the bed, pulling the blankets higher, covering them both. One corner of his mouth shot up. “Ye want me, lass. No matter wha’ yer sayin’ now.”
Jules’ stomach fluttered but she didn’t dare answer. She might agree. “I’m leaving tomorrow. Like you promised.”
Hugh grinned and dragged his hand down her arm.
She trembled, even though he hadn’t touched bare skin. “I am going, Hugh.”
“I’m a man of my word, lass. I’ll see ye ta Dunvegan. But, when tha time is righ’, ye’ll return ta me. And there willna be a need ta force ye. Ye’ll come ta my bed willin’. I’ll have ye, Juliette.”
Jules gulped at the promise in his eyes, in his voice. She stared as he turned over, settling his head deep into a thick pillow, his dark hair fanned out.
She didn’t move as she watched him.
Soon, Hugh’s breathing became deep and even, but Jules couldn’t loosen her body or concentrate on much-needed sleep. She was tense, gripping the MacDonald plaid with both hands as she tugged it to her chin.
Crushing her eyes shut, all she could see, remember… feel was his mouth moving over hers.
Jules cursed and sucked in a breath.
It’s gonna be a long night.
Chapter Eight
When he rolled over, he remembered he wasn’t in bed alone. Hugh swallowed a yawn as he came around and blinked to clear his vision. The room was dim, but not wholly dark and he could see a sea of honey waves spread on his pillow.
Her face was turned toward his as she slept, and he restrained himself from touching her.
Hugh didn’t want to let her go.
He’d promised his aunt he wouldn’t ransom her, but could he keep Juliette some other way?
She’d kissed him back when he’d stormed into his rooms after his bath in the stables. But the fear in her eyes had given him pause. She’d actually thought he’d rape her.
Hugh growled.
He’d never forced himself on a lass, no matter how many lovers he’d taken since—
Still couldn’t say her name. His eyes instinctively
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