Page 45 of Glasgow Rogue

Annie stopped breathing. The mere graze of the first kiss was a gentle caress, barely there, the second teasing, his warm lips playing with her. Then Niall nibbled lightly at one corner of her mouth before slowly sucking her bottom lip between his.

Annie felt dizzy and about to swoon, even though she had managed not to while abducted. His tongue probed hers as he deepened the kiss. Instinctively, her arms went around his neck as she opened her mouth to allow him entrance. Niall groaned, his tongue delving deeper to taste all of her.

The experience was heady, like sweet mead. Instinctively, her tongue sought his, circling and looping, playing tag. Her nipples tightened and her breasts grew heavy. Annie rubbed against him, seeking the friction that would bring pleasure.

Niall broke away, his breathing short. “I want to taste all of ye, Annie, but ’tis nae the place. We are nae safe yet.”

Annie drew a shaky breath. “Ye are right. We must ride.”

Niall nodded and boosted her into the saddle, then handed her the reins. He vaulted onto his own horse and turned to her, his eyes darkening again and his gaze intense. “But tonight…tonight we can finish what we started.”

****

They forded Loch Lomond a short time later, leaving Campbell lands, and rode south along the coastline toward Glasgow.

While they rode, Annie recounted what the MacDougall leader had told her.

She still shuddered at what might have happened once the riders returned with the news that she was not Briana Campbell, but with each passing mile a little bit of tension eased.

By the time Niall decided to stop at the village of Drymen, she felt almost like her former self. Almost.

“Do ye think it safe to get a room for the night? Perhaps we should camp—”

“Nae camp,” Niall answered as he helped her down. “I doona intend to take your virtue on hard ground. A nice, soft bed sounds much better, nae?”

Before she could reply, he had taken her arm and walked into the inn. This time he didn’t even ask if two rooms were available and, instead, ordered one with a large bed along with instructions for a hot bath, two meals, and a bottle of wine.

Annie followed him tentatively up the stairs, her teeth worrying her lower lip.

He had obviously not forgotten the kiss they’d shared.

Of course, she hadn’t forgotten either. Just recalling how his mouth had felt made her insides melt and her core grow warm and damp.

With the juggling of the horse’s gait, her breasts had not stopped tingling all afternoon.

She wanted to experience the pleasure of rubbing herself against Niall’s bare flesh.

Her body quivered in anticipation, knowing what it wanted.

And that was the problem. She was no virgin. There was no virtue for Niall to take.

What would he do when he found out? Shun her?

Most men would. Even worse, what if he thought her lack of a maidenhead meant she had been loose with her favors?

She hadn’t. There had only been that one time…

but what difference did that make to a man?

A single woman who was not chaste was considered a wanton in society.

Nothing more than a trollop. Annie couldn’t bear to have Niall think of her like that.

She loved him, even if he didn’t love her.

Better that he not find out about her past.

Just how she was going to keep him uninformed about that, she wasn’t sure.

****

Niall looked at the clock on the mantel over the fireplace in the public room.

Had thirty minutes been enough for Annie to enjoy her bath?

He’d been through this routine before with her, but this time he wasn’t waiting for her to fall asleep.

This time he wanted her waiting for him.

She’d asked for privacy for her bath, so he could only anticipate she wanted to ready herself.

Just the thought made his cock stir. Truth be told, he’d have enjoyed helping her with her bath, but that could happen once she’d gotten used to shared intimacy.

Besides, after tonight, there would be no way she’d refuse to marry him.

He gave her another fifteen minutes, although it seemed more like fifteen hours, before he walked back upstairs.

The door opened to near darkness, the only light being the dying embers in the brazier and a single candle by the bed.

Annie was already in it. Niall grinned and moved closer, then stopped, the smile disappearing from his face.

She appeared to be asleep. Not exactly what he’d expected, but then maybe she’d been more tired than he thought.

But there were other ways to revive her energy.

Niall removed his shirt and sat on the edge of the bed to pull off his boots and socks.

He was reaching for the laces of his trews when she spoke.

“Please doona remove those.”

Niall looked over his shoulder to find her looking wide-eyed at him.

She had the covers tucked nearly to her chin, but her arms were on top of them and he could see she was wearing her shirt.

He hadn’t thought of Annie as being shy, but then he was not in the habit of bedding virgins.

He’d never deflowered any girl. He let his hands drop.

“Doona fash. I can remove them later.”

Annie shook her head as she sat up, still holding the sheets in front of her. “’Tis nae a good idea.”

Niall frowned. Where was the woman he’d kissed earlier—the one who’d kissed him back with passion?

Annie had practically crawled into the corner where the bed sat against the wall.

She must have been more traumatized than he’d thought.

She’d not only been abducted, but threatened with rape. He should have considered that.

“Ye need nae fear me, lass. I will nae hurt ye.”

Her eyes blinked at him like an owl’s. “I ken that.”

That was good. Perhaps she just needed to relax a bit. Niall glanced at the wine she’d left untouched when they’d eaten their meal earlier. “Would ye like a drink? ’Twould calm your nerves.”

“I am nae nervous.”

Not nervous? She looked about as skittish as a foal and he had the distinct impression she would have liked to bolt from the bed, but he blocked her way.

What in the world was wrong with her? He wished he knew something—anything—about easing a maiden’s worries.

He’d already offered marriage, but maybe he could soothe her with words of reassurance.

“I will nae get ye with child, if that is what ye are fashing about. ’Tis ways to prevent that from happening.

” Her eyes grew more owlish and he hurriedly added, “I will try nae to hurt ye either.” Annie made a sound that sounded almost like a squeak.

Even in the dim light, Niall could see her face had paled.

Was she that scared of pain? “I promise ye, I will go slow. I will even stop if ye say so.” Hell.

Where were those words coming from? Going slow would be difficult enough, but stopping?

Niall grimaced. It would be nigh to impossible, but he would do it if he had to.

“I give ye my word as an honorable man that I will respect your wishes.”

Annie stared at him, her eyes dark against her white face. “Re…respect?”

“Aye.” Niall moved closer to give her a kiss, but her hand came between them. “Please doona do that.”

Niall pulled back, confused. Was Annie playing a game with him?

He didn’t think she was the type to play coy and hard-to-get.

He’d never seen her flirt. She didn’t even accept compliments graciously.

And now she was acting like she didn’t want him touching her at all, even though she’d been quite willing to be in his embrace this morning by the burn…

Suddenly, the truth struck him. Annie had reacted to him earlier because she’d been in shock.

She had needed someone—anyone—to comfort and assure her she was safe.

That was all. The kisses meant nothing. They were simply the physical response of a female body to a male one as relief—or gratitude—replaced the threat of danger.

It was one of the reasons warriors of old pillaged villages after winning bloody battles. Human instinct was, after all, human.

“Forgive me. I mistook your interest this morning.” Niall reached down to get his boots and grab his shirt, shrugging into it as he walked to the door. “I will see ye in the morning.”

“Wait!”

Niall hesitated, his hand on the doorknob. He should go without turning back. He didn’t need to hear any excuse she was about to give. He started to open the door.

“Wait!” Annie called again. “Where are ye going?”

Niall took a deep breath, closed the door, and turned around. “I am going to get another room for tonight and leave ye in peace.”

“Ye…ye doona have to do that.”

“I think it would be best.”

“But…” Annie inched toward the edge of the bed. “We have stayed in the same room before.”

Did she not have any idea of how she affected him? Perhaps not, since he seemed to be the only one harboring fantasies. “I was wounded and feverish the last time, hardly able to…” Niall stopped abruptly. There was no need to finish the sentence.

“To what?”

Niall sighed. Apparently he was going to have to finish the sentence after all, although he didn’t know how Annie could be so daft. “To do what a man wants to do when he finds himself in bed with a beautiful woman. Do I need to be more clear?”

Pink suffused her face as Annie shook her head. “Nae.”

“Then ye ken why I must leave.” He managed a brittle smile. “I would nae be able to keep from touching ye.”

“I…would nae mind if ye touched me,” Annie whispered.

Niall stared at her, sure he had misunderstood the barely audible words. “What did ye say?”

“I said…” Annie cleared her throat. “I said I…would nae mind if ye touched me.”

“What?” The word came out before he could stop it. The woman was going to drive him completely barmy, if he wasn’t already there.

Annie cleared her throat again. “I said—”