(1991) This Side of Heaven by Karen Robards

Author:Karen Robards [Robards, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Historical, Western
ISBN: 9780307801357
Publisher: Dell
Published: 1991-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

25

They stared at each other for a long moment as the echo of the slap died away.

“Now what do you deserve for that, I wonder?” he asked with commendable mildness under the circumstances. As shocked by her action as he was, Caroline was determined not to let it show. She put her chin up at him, difficult as that was when one was lying flat on one’s back, imprisoned by a man’s hard weight.

“You deserved that!”

“Aye, I very likely did.” The admission surprised her almost as much as the tone in which it was uttered. He was studying her, his expression grave. Seriousness became him every bit as well as laughter, she discovered. His mouth, unsmiling, was perfectly shaped. His eyes were darker than usual, a deep sea blue, breathtaking in the swarthiness of his face. Since he had not shaved for a fortnight, the stubble on his jaw and chin had grown thick. But instead of obscuring, the blue-black bristles only served to emphasize the hard planes of his face. The classic elegance of his high-carved cheekbones, long, straight nose, and wide brow made a dazzling contrast to the rugged masculinity of his newborn beard. With a plethora of black curls tumbling over his forehead—they needed another trim, she saw, and she felt a strange little ache at the memory of her hands in his hair—he was as handsome as a dark-visaged angel. Gabriel without the horn, Caroline thought, and she shivered.

At her shiver he stiffened, and her gaze rose to meet his. Blue eyes locked with amber, both dark with guilty knowledge: against her hip Caroline felt the unmistakable rising of male passion, even through the quilt that covered him and her clothing. He was, clearly, even more aware of what was happening to his body than was she. As their eyes met a hot tide of color rose to stain his cheekbones. His eyes darkened still more.

So Gabriel had his horn after all. The knowledge seemed to steal the breath from her, and she parted her lips to take in more air.

Thick black brows twitched together over his eyes. His mouth turned down violently at one corner.

“May the devil fly away with you, Caroline!” he muttered as if goaded, and then he bent his head. Caroline knew what was coming, knew that he would kiss her, and instead of turning her head aside or whispering “no!” or doing any one of the half dozen things that she knew would win her release, she merely watched, mesmerized, as his mouth descended toward her own.

She thought that she would die if anything happened to stop that kiss.

His mouth, warmly seductive, just touched her lips. Caroline closed her eyes, quivering at the wonder of it. Her body, of its own accord, turned into his, seeking the heat and hardness of him with instinctive greed. Her hands, freed now, found their way upward to wrap around his neck. Her head slanted to allow him greater access to her mouth.

But still he held back, his lips barely grazing the surface of hers.

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