As he turned to look at her, his face and expression were entirely incredulous. Her heart thumped upward in her chest, leaping into a dance of delight just to see it. He truly believed his words! He wasn’t just saying things for the sake of getting on her good side, but he truly believed them. It was written all over his handsome visage, his bright eyes burning with it as he closed the distance between them once more, reaching for her, ringing the back of her neck with a strong hand and pulling her forward slightly … yet not enough to come into contact with him. Just enough to make certain she was looking into his eyes.

“I canna believe this is true,” he said, his sentiment so low, making the r on the word “true” spin hard on his tongue. “That the world can be so blind. Anyone can just look at you and see how fine you are. Any man wi’ blood in his veins can see the lush weight of your breasts and the wicked curve of your arse and start to feel his blood boil hot wi’ need of you. Aye, you’re a tiny thing by and by, but you pack a lot in this fine li’le package.”

For the first time in her life she felt the honest truth of those words blossom inside of her, making her entire body curve toward him in newfound sensuality, wanting to tempt him as he said he was tempted, needing to wield that power over him.

“What else do you like about me?” she asked, hearing the breathy nature of her voice and pleased with the sound of it. It too sounded suddenly sexy to her ears and she hoped it sounded the same to his.

“Good God woman, doona speak tae me so. I’ll be fixating on every last part of you then craving you as I go. ’Tis all I can do from this moment tae next tae keep my hands from you. You made me promise no’ tae … tae touch you like that. I may be many bad things by and by, but I’m a creature of my word and I will no’ go back on it wi’out your permission, as I’ve said before.”

“Yes, as you’ve said before,” she breathed softly. “And before I wanted you to be that man. But right now … right now I don’t want you t-to keep your word anymore.”

It was by far the most provocative, most dangerous thing she’d ever said. She knew what he was, knew the world he was from, and yet she was inviting him into her. Inviting him to do his worst and his best. She began to breathe hard as she recalled the heat of his body and the bold passion of his touch before she had set limitations. It was awesome and shocking to realize she wanted that more than anything. She wanted him to overwhelm her with his hunger.

“Och, lass! You canna say such things tae me! You doona ken what you’re saying!” He dragged her into the press of his huge body, towering over and around her until she felt very small and very fragile indeed. He was breathing hard, and she knew this because he had burrowed his face against her neck once again and the hot spill of his breath was swift and fierce. “Jesus, you smell so good,” he rumbled. “Can no’ you see? Just the smell of you has me running away from myself and has me mad wi’ need of you.” To prove his point he ran a hand down her arm, gripped her hand in his and brought it to the front of his jeans, to the raging hard erection lying just beneath the denim. He used her hand to rub himself hard, used her to put pressure against himself. There was nothing about him that could be considered even remotely small, this least of all, and she had to admit that frightened her, but not half as much as it excited her. She uncurled her fingers, cupping them around him and pressing her palm into him of her own accord. She could feel the heat of him burning against her palm and now she was the one breathing hard and he was the one catching his breath in a gasp.

“Ah fuck,” he groaned, that guttural tone returning with a vengeance. “If this be a game, lass, you’ll be sore regretting it in another minute or two.” He drew back far enough to catch up her gaze with his own. The sight of the fire that was burning in his eyes took her breath away.

“I … I’m not saying I want to … to … Not yet I mean. But I want to … I want you to …”

“You want me tae want you,” he ground out. “You want tae cocktease me, no? ’Tis a dangerous pastime, Katrina Haynes. And I can make no promises of controlling myself. I’m a beast, Kat. Was once a man, but now … I’m a beast and I’m starting tae look on you as a mate … Hell, I have been for a while now. Why else would I work so hard tae respect whatever you wish of me that was in my power tae give tae you?”

“I’m not …” Kat flushed so hotly she was afraid her face would burst into flame. “I’m not trying t-to … t-to tease you. I didn’t mean …”

“I speak plainly, and that is what it is. Maybe no’ with the conniving connotations the term sometimes implies, I ken you’re no’ like that. But you’re afraid of me yet. Afraid, but curious. Afraid but hungry for what I can give you.” He leaned into the press of her hand again, his eyes shuttering closed a moment as a low groan filtered up from deep in his chest. “Verra well then. I’ll take whatever you can give me and give whatever you can take of me. But I’ll warn you now. I’ll press you. I’ll press for what I want every single moment I can. If that scares you then best you back out now, though I’m no’ sure I can let you go even so.”

She swallowed noisily. “I don’t want to back out. And I think I can hold my own. I have so far.”

“Ah, do you now?” A darkly devious smile spread over his lips a moment before he yanked her off her feet and strode into the next room, then up the stairs … all the way until they were back in his bedroom. Her heart was thundering louder and louder every step of the way, but never as loud as when he threw her down onto the bed so hard her body would have caught air if not for the fact that his weight came down on her immediately after. He propped himself up over her with his weight leaning on one arm. He straddled one of her legs and with a powerful hand he pulled her thigh up into the seat of his jeans, rubbing himself against her. “I’ll make you a deal, Kat lass. You keep doing this tae me, tae keep me busy let’s say, and I’ll be doing other things tae keep you busy.”

“O-otherwise?” she hitched out nervously.

“Nothing for you tae fear, Kat lass. Nothing at all.” His free hand came up and he touched her, two fingers, in the hollow of her throat. Such a sensitive, vulnerable part of her, and he touched it with a soft sort of reverence. Then he drifted those two fingers down to her breastbone, slowly riding the length of it until he reached the edge of her shirt. She watched breathlessly, anticipating, waiting. His big fingers slipped the button free with a whisper of sound and an incredible lightness of touch. One might expect a man as big as he was to be ham-handed and brutish, but whenever she expected it to be that way he proved her wrong with this grace and gentility.