Defiant by Pamela Clare

Author:Pamela Clare
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, General, Historical, (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯), Fiction
ISBN: 9781101559987
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 2012-07-02T22:00:00+00:00

Awed by Sarah, Connor kissed away her tears, her joy his absolution. Weak from loving her, he rolled onto his back, cradling her against him, feeling a kind of satisfaction and peace he hadn’t known since…

He couldn’t remember when.

“If coupling brings women such pleasure, why did Margaret tell me only of the pain?” Sarah’s eyes were closed, her voice soft.

“Perhaps her husband was rough wi’ her and only ever gave her pain. There are many men who think only of their own satisfaction and dinnae take the time to please their women.” He thought on it for a moment more. “Given that she desired women, perhaps her husband’s touch was loathsome to her. But perhaps she found pleasure with lovers—women who shared her…passions.”

“I hope so—for her sake.” There was deep grief in Sarah’s voice. “I wish…I wish she hadn’t taken her own life. I never got the chance to thank her, to tell her that I do not blame her for this.”

“She kens, lass. Wherever she is now, she kens the truth.” Connor held Sarah a bit tighter, touched by the strength of her heart.

A lesser woman might have renounced a friend under such circumstances—and for good cause. But not Sarah. She held true, even when those who ought to have protected her had not.

“Did I…Do you think me…” Her voice held uncertainty now, her brow troubled. “Do you think me licentious or shameless? The way I cried out…”

Was she ashamed of her own response?

He shifted her in his arms, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You’re a passionate lass, aye, and an ardent lover, but shameless, licentious? Nay. Never. To hear you cry out with pleasure—’tis the sweetest sound I ken.”

She smiled and settled into his arms again, her breathing growing deep and even.

“What did you say to me?” She sounded sleepy.

“Hmm, lass?”

“When we were making love—you spoke words I don’t know. Perhaps Gaelic. What did you say?”

“That you are bonnie beyond my dreams.” He pressed another kiss to her hair. “In truth, I cannae recall.”

But that was a lie. He remembered perfectly what he’d said because the words that had fallen from his lips had startled him.

Tha móran ghràdh agam ort.

My love lies upon you.

There was no need to tell her the truth because he hadn’t meant what he’d said. He didn’t love her. He’d been drunk with desire for her at the time, his tongue unanswerable for its mindless mutterings.

Her words slurred, as if she were on the brink of sleep, she spoke again. “Promise me you won’t let go of me tonight. If tonight is all we have…”

She didn’t need to explain.

“Aye, lass, I promise. I’ll no’ let you out of my arms.” He drew her closer, pulled the bearskin over the two of them.

It was only later, when he lay half dreaming, Sarah asleep in his arms, that Connor remembered he hadn’t meant to come inside her.

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