Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 32223 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32223 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
“When you’re Lady of this castle, I supposed you can use this tub,” he growls, a slight hint of a smile teasing his lips. “Or have your own pump installed to your own bath for when I need my own bath.”
He smiles, and it’s a kindly, innocent smile. But there in his eyes, I can see the same spark of heat I saw last night, and again, just now when he barged in and saw me. Lachlan steps aside, nodding to the door, as if subtly asking me to leave his private chambers. I blush as I nod, hugging the robe tightly around myself while clutching my clothes as I scurry for the door.
And I’m almost out—almost, before my big dumb mouth decides to open.
“I suppose when I’m your wife, I won’t have to leave the tub when you want to use it.”
Wait, what?
My mouths snaps shut just about as fast as the heat flushes over my face, and I bolt out the door, but not fast enough. I gasp when I feel Lachlan’s strong hand dart out and grasp my wrist, tugging me back. My body shivers, my pulse racing as my heart jumps into my throat.
Lachlan tugs me back, and suddenly, I gasp louder as he spins me, whirling me and moving against me. He backs me into the door, pinning me to it with one hand flat against it next to my head, the other still firmly gripping my wrist.
“Iona…” he growls lowly, that spark in his eyes blazing like a roaring fire.
“I—I—” I stammer. “I just meant—”
“I know what you meant,” he says quietly, his voice low and his jaw clenched. Those blazing eyes of his drop down over me, making me shiver and God help me, making me bite back a small moan as I feel his heated gaze tease down over me, like he’s seeing all of me before he drags his eyes back to mine.
And then, it’s silent—silent that is but for the pounding of my heart in my ears.
“You should go,” he finally growls quietly, his eyes sparking with heat, his nostrils flaring and his jaw grinding.
“I—I’m sorry I was using your tub,” I whisper almost breathlessly.
“It’s fine.”
He suddenly pulls away from me, his hands dropping from my wrist and from the door as he turns away, his eyes looking everywhere but me. He swallows thickly, his broad chest rising and falling with his breath.
“Lachlan—”
“Go, Iona,” he grunts, stepping back, still looking away from me as he gestures with one hand for the door. And out I go, my heart racing, my skin tingling, and the heat pulsing between my thighs.
Chapter 4
Lachlan
There’s a ringing in my ears, and thunder barreling through my veins. And it’s been like that even before she left the room. It was there the second I stepped in here and laid eyes on her.
On all of her.
I groan, my jaw grinding and my hands clenching to fists at my sides as I stare at the door long after she’s gone. The ringing gets louder, the thunder booms harder, and the spark inside of me that I’ve done everything in my power to quell ignites into a roaring fire.
This is not good.
I want to tell myself again that this is all politics, but the lie is unraveling faster than I can even come up with excuses. And now? After this. The growl rumbles from my lips, my teeth bared and my body trembling with raw, untamed desire. The image of her laid back, bare, in that tub, has my blood sizzling like fire, and my cock thickening to steel beneath my kilt. It’s so wrong—so very, very wrong, for every conceivable reason. And yet, the more I tell myself to somehow forget the image that’s just been engraved on my very soul, the deeper it’s etched there.
The shimmering water barely concealing the treasures beneath. The water droplets like dew on her supple skin, glistening in the low light of the bath. Her knees tucked under her and her arms covering her bare, full breasts.
I want her.
The desire hits me like a storm, smashing through the very last of my resolve and eviscerating the last shreds of my willpower. I’ve been a very long time without a woman at all, since long before even Darcy. But that’s not it. That’s not all of it, at least. I’m a Lord of these lands. In good health, good height, and good shape, with the strength of a man half my age. I’ve wealth, lands, and titles, and believe me, my not having felt a woman’s touch in these long years is not for lack of, shall we say, offers. But however poisonous a marriage it was, it was a marriage with Darcy, and I honored that, though I’m quite sure she didn’t. And after her?