by Connie Mason
Rose was wrong to believe he did not want her. Hedid want her, more than he should, more than was prudent. And he certainly did not need to think about Veronica to become aroused. The truth was that he had wanted Rose from the beginning but had chosen to wed her sister because he feared Rose was the kind of woman he could not ignore, while the submissive twin would demand naught from him.
Dominic removed Rose’s under-gown, his gaze riveted on her slender form, scantily clad in a thin shift. He gaped at her breasts. They were the finest Dominic had ever seen. There was something arousing about a half-clad woman, but right now he wanted Rose naked.
“Your shift,“he rasped. “Remove it.*
Rose swallowed audibly. “Will you not allow me a shred of dignity?”
His heated gaze raked over her.“Nakedness has its own dignity.”
Her eyes downcast, Rose pulled her shift over her head and used it to cover her private parts. With a low-pitched growl, Dominic tugged the shift from her nerveless fingers and flung it away. Then he rocked back and simply stared at her.
“You are magnificent,” he said with a hoarseness that betrayed his need. “I am well pleased.”
“Think you I care?“Rose shot back. “Go ahead and do what you must. There is naught I can do to stop you.”
A pang of guilt shot through Dominic. But he shoved it aside when he recalled that Rose had brought this on herself when she had duped him into wedding her. Still, he did not wish to cause her unnecessary pain. He wondered if she would feel more kindly toward him if he gave her pleasure. It was worth a try, be decided. He hated the thought of spending the rest of his life shackled to a woman who despised him.
Dominic stripped off his tunic, then his shirt”Why would you want to stop me when I intend to give you pleasure? I am not going to beat you into submission, if that is what you fear.” He gave her a cocky grin. “Very soon you will be panting and begging for my attention.”
Rose gave an unladylike snort”Not in this life.”
He released the ties on his braies and let them drop, then removed his boots and peeled off his hose. An arrogant grin curving his lips, he posed before her, his rampant cock pulsing hard and thick against his taut belly. He scowled when he realized that Rose was staring at the battle scar that curled along his leg from knee to hipbone, her eyes wide with shock.
“Does the scar repulse you?” he asked sardonically.
She shook her head. “The wound must have given you a great deal of pain.”
It took a moment to realize that Rose was not looking at him with revulsion; she was staring at him with a mixture of awe and curiosity.
“It still gives pain when the weather turns bitter, but otherwise bothers me little.”
Her gaze drifted downward to his rampant sex, then swept upward, a startled look on her face. “You will kill me with that… that thing between your legs.”
Dominic laughed aloud. “I think not. Have you never seen an unclothed male before?”
“I am a virgin,” Rose said indignantly. “Had I known what awaited me in the marriage bed, I would have joined Mama and Starla in the convent.”
Dominic sat on the edge of the bed and eased her over to make room for him. Idly he caressed her breast. “I wonder, will you express those same sentiments after we make love?”
“Like most men, you think too much of yourself. Just get on with it.”
“Nay, my thorny Rose. I am proud of my ability to arouse a woman to passion, and I am not going to hurry or let you talk me out of making you want me.”
“I am your wife, not your mistress. I do not have to want you.”
His gaze traveled the length of her nude body. “Aye, youare my wife,” he said possessively.
It was true. Rosewas his. Her body was appealing in every way, even though she was not as voluptuous as Veronica. Dominic had never thought Veronica lacking until he had seen Rose in all her nude glory. He ached to be inside her, to feel her wetness bathe him, but he wasn’t going to let his lust get in the way of proving that he could make her hot for him.
He caressed her breasts, paying special attention to her rosy nipples, brushing his palms against them until they beaded into taut little buds. He thought he heard her gasp, but when he looked into her face, she appeared distracted instead of aroused, while he was submerged in lust.
His lips found hers unerringly. They tasted so sweet, his cock swelled harder and thicker. He felt a soft puff of breath escape from between her lips, felt her mouth soften beneath his, and exulted. Rose was not as unresponsive as she would like him to believe. He backed off a little and looked down at her. Her eyes were glazed over and she wore a dazed expression.
“Open your mouth, Rose.”
“Why?”
“Don’t argue, just do it” He wanted to put his tongue inside her first, then his cock. He wanted to fill her with every part of himself.
Her lips parted, just a bit, but enough for Dominic to thrust his tongue inside the opening and taste her. He kissed her boldly, thoroughly, demanding more of her than she offered. He kissed her until he felt her soft body trembling beneath him. Then he broke off the kiss and whispered into her ear, “Put your arms around me.”
Rose had no idea why she obeyed, but her arms slid over the hot, damp skin of his shoulders. She stared up at him, her thoughts tumbling one after another inside her head. The sight of his nude body made her tremble. A tingling sensation lanced through her. Wide of shoulder and broad of chest, he exuded strength and power, like the dark, raging dragon for which he was named. And when he touched her breasts, she had to clench her teeth to keep from moaning.
Curiously, Dragon’s scar did not repulse her. She thought about the pain he must have suffered during his recovery and how remarkable it was that he had survived so dreadful a wound.
Even more remarkable were his kisses; they set her blood afire and curled her toes. How could a man she did not like make her tremble like a leaf in the wind simply by touching her and kissing her?
Rose feared she had spoken aloud when Dominic lifted his head and asked, “Do you still hate me, Rose?”
With an emotion almost like despair, Rose acknowledged to herself that it was difficult to hate a man when he was making such sweet love to her. She was so thoroughly mesmerized by his kisses, she could not think clearly. He had touched a passion in her that she never knew existed.
When Rose did not answer, Dragon kissed her again, roughly, his mouth going from gently coaxing to fiercely possessive to demanding. She could not help responding, her mouth moved under his and her lips parted. His tongue thrust into her mouth at the same time as he parted her thighs and slid between them. Rose nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt his hand stroke the soft folds between her legs.
“Let me love you, Rose,” Dominic whispered into her ear. “Let yourself feel pleasure.”
“Not with you. Never,” Rose gasped, though it cost her dearly. Resisting Dragon was not as easy as she had expected. His skin beneath her hands was hot and taut and hair-roughened. Not an unpleasant feeling, but she did not want to like touching him as much as she did.
With a will of their own, her hands moved upward into the dark silk of his hair. He groaned and dropped his head against her chest. Then she felt his mouth on her breasts and could not prevent the soft little sigh that slipped past her lips. The sigh turned into a muted cry when he took one nipple into his mouth and suckled her. Pleasure spiraled through her.
“This… has to be … a sin,” she gasped.
Dominic raised his head. “Why?”
“Because it feels so…”
“… good?” He chuckled.“Tis just the beginning.”
As if to prove his words, Dominic’s mouth trailed a path of fire between her breasts, across her ribs and down her belly. Rose made a mewling sound and arched against him. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined herself acting the wanton for a man she scarcely knew. What was wrong with her? Women were not supposed to enjoy the
marriage bed. Obviously, her inexperience was telling, and Dragon was taking advantage of it. He seemed to know exactly where and how to touch her body to elicit the most response from her.
Suddenly Dragon’s mouth began moving downward along her belly, toward the thatch of hair crowning her woman’s mound. A startled cry left her lips when he placed a kiss there. She had never thought a man would want to kiss a womanthere. But obviously Dominic had more than kissing in mind, for he parted her with his fingers and ran his tongue along her cleft.
“Dominic, nay! Cease!”
“Not yet,” he moaned as he continued to tease and torment her with his tongue.
Rose tried to shove him away, but he grasped her hands and held them. As desperately as she wanted him gone, there was something she wanted even more, though she could not put a name to it. Her body was thrumming, her head spinning and her flesh burning. Madness, pure madness!
She was panting and writhing beneath him, incapable of thinking. She wanted … something, but it slithered out of reach. She thought she had almost found it when suddenly Dragon removed his mouth, leaving her wanting and needy.
“Dominic, don’t stop!” He had reduced her to begging, just as he’d predicted.
Slowly he moved up her body. She felt his arousal prodding the opening between her thighs and closed her eyes. After he took her she would never be the same. The thought fled when he began kissing her like one would expect a lover to kiss his beloved. Before she was ready to let him go, he broke off the kiss and raised his head, watching her, his face close to hers.His fingers glided over the tangled mass of her bright hair, drifted downward along her temple to her cheekbone. His fingertip touched her chin, raising it.
“You know what is going to happen now, do you not?” he whispered hoarsely.
“I… think so.” She suspected how the act was accomplished but knew nothing beyond that.
“I’ll try to make it as painless as possible. I never want to hurt you.”
Dominic placed his hands beneath Rose’s hips and caressed the honeyed warmth between her legs with the tip of his cock, readying her for his entrance. He was so hot, so hard, so ready, he feared he would lose control before giving Rose pleasure. He lowered his head to kiss her breasts, warm and damp with a woman’s sweet fragrance, a scent that sent him headlong toward consummation. He felt himself tremble at her cleft, heard her moan, and sank into her velvety folds. He paused a breathless moment at her maidenhead, then breached it with a single stroke.
The soft intake of her breath turned into a moan of pain; he felt her stiffen, felt a tremor run through her, and waited a moment for her to adjust to the feel of him inside her. Then his control shattered. Flexing his hips, he moved deeper. He hoped he had not hurt her too badly, but he did not regret taking her. She was incredibly hot and tight, and if he was not mistaken, she was beginning to enjoy it as much as he.
* * *
Rose released a shuddering sigh. The sense of invasion was beginning to abate as his movements eased something tight and tense within her. With a choked gasp, she strained against him, clutching at his shoulders to anchor her to sanity. She felt his muscles flex and grow taut as he pounded into her, filling her so fully she feared she would burst. The pain had all but disappeared now, replaced by a slowly building pressure that filled her senses. Her body was thrumming; responding, reaching for a culmination that was surrounded in mystery.
“You feel incredible,” Dragon whispered against her mouth.“So tight, so hot.”
Rose knew how incrediblehe felt, driving into her like a roaring tide, bringing her closer and closer to that elusive peak. He bent his head to taste her mouth, stabbing his tongue into her in perfect rhythm with his thrusting hips.
When the explosion hit her, she was ill prepared for the tumult of white-hot heat and the shattering power that spiraled through her, in her, around her.
She cried out his name as he drove into her one last time, his body convulsing as he spilled his seed inside her. After a long, suspenseful silence, he said, “Had I known a virgin could give me so much pleasure, I would not have waited so long to take one.”
Dominic’s words were like a splash of cold water in Rose’s face. She had given him pleasure, but any virgin would have sufficed. The arrogant bastard! She shoved him away, and he withdrew. The ropes beneath the mattress protested loudly as he collapsed on the bed beside her.
“Leave now,” Rose demanded.” Tis over. You have done your worst.”
Dominic rolled up on his elbow, his brow furrowed.“Did I hurt you? I know I gave you pleasure, too. A man can tell those things.”
“I was not looking for pleasure,” Rose shot back.
“Stop pretending, my prickly Rose. Once I got past the thorns, I found something rare and inspiring, something I did not expect. There is passion in your body and hot blood running through your veins. I believe we will deal reasonably well with one another. At least in bed,” he added.
Rose reached for the bedcover and pulled it up to her neck. “I do not want to deal with you at all, in any way or form.”
Dominic grasped the cover and pulled it away. “Hiding yourself from me will do naught but anger me.”
“Will you beat me?” Rose challenged pugnaciously.
Dominic’s mouth flattened.“Do not tempt me, madam. You do seem in need of a good beating.”
“Tempting you is the last thing I want to do,” Rose charged. “May I get out of bed now that you have had your way with me?”
“Aye, but from now on we will share a bed. With your uncle on the way to claim Dragonwyck, I want no one, least of all MacTavish, to question the legality of our marriage.”
Pulling the cover about her body, Rose scooted to the edge of the bed and sat up before Dragon could change his mind. She did not want him to touch her again. Had she known his touch would trample her will and affect her in ways that made a shambles of her resolve, she would have fled to the convent with her mother and sister. She did not want to like the Dragon Lord, nor did she wish to become a victim of his lust.
Rose left the bed and reached for her discarded clothing. A feeling of stickiness between her thighs caused her to look down. She saw blood staining her thighs and cried out.
“Oh, no!”
Instantly alert, Dominic leaped from bed. “What is it? Are you hurt?”
“Nay! Stay away.I… there is blood.It startled me.”
Dominic lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the bed. “Did your mother not explain that there would be blood?”
There was no time. I did not come to the marriage bed totally ignorant but…” She turned her face away. “I never suspected…”
Dominic poured water into a basin and dipped a cloth into it. Rose stared at him warily when he returned with the cloth and gently spread her legs. When she realized what he intended, her face flamed and she tried to hold her legs together.
“Relax, Rose, I will not hurt you.”
Rose was having none of it; her thighs remained locked together. Dominic pried them apart with little effort. Rose hid her face as he ran the wet cloth over her tender flesh, cleansing her. When he finished, he returned the cloth to the basin and stared down at her.
Rose willed herself not to look at Dragon, but her contrary mind refused to obey. Oblivious of his own nudity, Dragon stood over her, hands on hips, legs splayed wide. Her gaze roved freely over broad shoulders, massive chest and powerful arms and legs, noting each and every battle scar that marred his hair-roughened skin. That he had survived countless battles was evident. She gasped in dismay when she saw his male part stir and begin a slow rise upward.
“Keep looking at me like that and ‘tis unlikely we will leave this room any time soon.”
Rose flushed and looked away. What was wrong with her? Her ruthless husband had just ravished her; she should be looking at him with revulsion instead of admiration.
“I did … did not mean …” she stammered.
His voice held a
bitter edge.“Of course you did not. Tis too much to hope that you would welcome me into your bed.” He turned away and began pulling on his hose. “We must make the best of this marriage, Rose. Neither of us is wed to a mate of our own choosing, but I suspect it will not be as bad as we expected if we keep out of one another’s way during the day.“He grinned at her over his shoulder. “The best will come when we retire to our chamber.”
Rose said nothing. Dragon thought too much of himself and his ability to beguile women. She knew about his mistress, knew he did not care for her, so why did he pretend? How could her innocence please him when he had known women with considerably more knowledge about sexual matters than she ever wanted to know?
“There is much to do before your uncle arrives,”Dominic said once he had finished dressing.“He brings a large fighting force with him.”
“Uncle Murdoc always brings a large number of clansmen when he comes to visit,” Rose offered. “We had no reason to fear him while my father was alive.”
“I do not fear him,” Dominic replied. He reached for the door handle. “We will talk later, Rose.”
Leaving Rose lying in bed all warm and flushed was not easy for Dominic. His prickly bride had surprised him. She might have been unwilling in the beginning, but her responsive body had melted in his arms. She pleased him so well that he had not once compared her to Veronica.
Raj met Dominic at the foot of the stairs, his face as enigmatic as ever. “Did you find something in your bride to please you, master?”
“More than I expected,” Dominic acknowledged.“Any sign of the Scotsmen?”
“Not yet, but the men are watchful. Do you expect trouble?”
“I always expect trouble. If anyone wants me, I will be on the battlements.”
As Dominic strode across the hall, he spied Lady Emily speaking with her husband and turned in their direction.
“My lord,” Sir Eric said. “Have you instructions for me?”
“Aye. Double the guards. No one is to be allowed inside the gates without my permission.”
“I will see to it immediately,” Eric said, hurrying off.
