For the first time, she actually heard him before she saw him. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that his hair was disheveled and his demeanor was weary, but his eyes...they burned wild.

"You didn't have to come out here to coddle me," she said. "Go back to your new friends."

He was silent, just staring.

"Are you drunk?" She'd never seen him this way. Even at Vinelands, he'd had no more than a glass of scotch while everyone else imbibed heartily.

"Aye," he finally answered. "But it does no' help."

"Help what?" she asked, bewildered by this new facet of Hugh.

"Help me stop wanting you day and night. And I've come to realize only one thing will."

She stood waist-deep in the water, her hair streaming down her back, looking at him over one shoulder. Steam swirled all around her, and a hunter's moon glowed above, illuminating the pale perfection of her body.

Long moments passed as they both remained still, breathing heavily, as if gauging what the other's next move would be. Unless she'd been jesting earlier, this exquisite woman had admitted to having feelings for him - foryears .

He'd rather not have known that.

He hadn't drunk with the MacLarty brothers only to make sure none of them got any ideas about his wife - especially after they'd all seen Jane in nothing but a wet shift and his shirt. He'd drunk because she'd absolutely staggered him -

She turned fully to him, arms by her sides. Something in him simply...snapped.

With a muttered curse, he snatched off his shirt, boots, and pants. He dove in after her, then yanked her na**d slick body to him, pressing her close. Her hands trailed up his chest to twine behind his neck and her lush br**sts slipped against him, making her moan softly.

"This was supposed to fade, but it has no'," he slurred against her neck. "It's worse. How the bloody hell can it be worse?"

"I-I don't understand you, Hugh."

"You will," he said, then used a straight arm to sweep off her bathing oils from the rock ledge. He set her roughly atop the shelf, putting them face to face. She gasped, but he simply gazed at her, committing this scene to memory. Her dark hair was streaming over her br**sts, over her tight, jutting ni**les. The silky curls at her sex were stark against her pale, spread thighs. "So beautiful," he rasped. "You torment me. If you only knew..."

He shoved his h*ps between her legs, leaning in to softly suck her earlobe. She sighed, relaxing, allowing him to work her legs wider.

He grasped her br**sts, molding them, covering them completely with his hands. Then, as she gazed at him breathlessly, he leaned down to suckle her as he'd wanted to do that afternoon.

She cried out, and he recognized that he couldn't stop what was happening, even if he wanted to. And he didnot want to.

Switching to her other nipple, he sucked her hard, but she liked it, holding his head to her breast, arching her back for more.

Only after he'd made sure that both of the peaks were hard and throbbing did he pull away to move down her body, to her spread thighs. When his mouth was inches away from her sex, he let her feel his breaths before he pressed his opened lips to her, and slid his tongue out. She gave a strangled cry as he closed his eyes in bliss, delving at her folds, finding them deliciously slick with her own wetness.

He glanced up to gauge her reaction and found her wide-eyed, shamelessly watching him. If possible, that aroused him even more. He spread her flesh with his thumbs, kissing her so that she'd never forget the sight of it. Between licks, he rasped, "Have you had this done tae you before?"

She shook her head. "N-no, never."

He knew his expression was wicked. "I'm going tae make you come like you never have before."

She gasped. "Are you sure you want me to, Hugh?" she asked with a hint of nervousness. "While you're down there?"

"I want you tae come right under my tongue," he growled, taking her between his lips to suck her clitoris for the first time.

She cried out, threading her fingers through his hair, clutching him hard. "Hugh,I will , yes!There . Oh, God, yes!"

At that, he went mindless...felt her damp breast clutched in his hand, her soft, soft flesh beneath his tongue...licking, devouring, squeezing her. He pushed up against the backs of her thighs, pressing her knees wider to get to more of her exquisite taste. She gave a sharp cry, undulating her h*ps up to his greedy mouth, completely abandoned.

He broke away to say, "Now come for me," then returned his tongue. When she did, her long moan was broken only by her awed words: "It feels sogood . Hugh, you make mefeel so good. "

He licked her madly as she writhed, and his c*ck seemed to pulse in the warm water with her every word, her every cry. When she grew too sensitive, he finally eased up, then stood before her. "I have tae be inside you," he groaned, desperate to sink into her glistening, plump flesh, still spread to him. Becoming frenzied, he used one hand to pin her wrists above her head against the rock.

Her half-lidded eyes grew wide and she quickly said, "Wait, Hugh. L-let me free. I need to tell you something." But her words sounded indistinct as he cupped her sex beneath his whole hand. "Hugh, please - "

"I am," he growled, keeping her wrists pinned. "I've waited too goddamned long, and I'll wait no more."

"But I'm - "

"No more talking." He was through listening. "You've haunted me." He wanted to punish her as she'd punished him again and again. He wanted to take out ten years of pain on her and make her feel what he'd suffered. He shoved her legs wider, about to plunge into her and take her mindlessly, furiously. Finally.

With his free hand, he clutched her breast, feeling his cockhead straining against her, seeking to be inside her. "I've told you I'm no' a good man. If you would believe me, if you only knew, you'd no' want my hands on you. But you push and push."

"I know. I do." Her face went soft, and her body relaxed. "And I'm sorry. It's just that I need you, Hugh," she whispered, then leaned up to press kisses to his neck. "So much that I can't think of anything but you." The light touch of her lips and her panting words against his skin set him awash in that indescribable feeling of...rightness.

Her eyes met his. She gazed up at him with desire, but also with trust.

He released her wrists and lowered his forehead to hers. "Damn you, Jane," he whispered harshly.

Had he actually thought he could hurt her? The woman he'd been born to touch and to hunger for?

"Don't be angry, please," she murmured. "I want this, but only if you do."

He almost laughed at that - if he did.

"I do, Sìne." He was glad she'd made him come to his senses. Not because he was going to back out of this - no, their fate was sealed on that score - but because he'd be damned if he took her like a mindless, rutting animal. The first time.

He disbelieved what he was about to do, but he was resolved. For once in his life, he would have the woman he desired more than anything else on earth. He didn't deserve her, but he was a selfish bastard. He didn't deserve her, but God, he needed her.

He'd bring her pleasure again. He'd meant for her to come around his c*ck when it was thick inside her, but knowing how badly he wanted this, he'd probably embarrass himself, losing his seed with the first thrust.

He slipped his middle finger into her wetness, and she moaned, h*ps arching up to meet his hand. She was wet for him, but so tight.

"Hugh," she gasped out when he withdrew his finger and returned with two, preparing her, thrusting deep just as she arched up -

He froze. Staring down at her in confusion, he said in a strangled tone, "Jane? You're a virgin?"

Her eyes flickered open at his tone, and she bit her lip guiltily. "I-I was going to tell you."

He removed his fingers, shaking over what he'd been about to do. He'd been about to hurt her - hadwanted to - never knowing how devastating it would be. "Why did you no' tell me?"

"I thought you'd be less likely to make love to me."

"You thought right!" His eyes narrowed. "But you and Bidworth?"

"Never even got close."

His relief staggered him, but then he realized that now there was no way he could have her. Just as he was about to pull away, she grabbed his hips, holding him to her.

"Hugh, I wantyou to show me this, only you. I've waited so long, and I know you'll make this incredible for my first time."

She couldn't have said anything more convincing, because he knew she was right. He'd imagined taking her virginity countless times, envisioned the care he would take to spare her pain if he could. He would do everything in his power to pleasure her. Would another man be able to give her what Hugh was dying to?

Chapter 40~41

Chapter Forty

"I will," Hugh vowed, returning his fingers to her. "I want tae show you this. And that means readying you." He began to tease and stroke her flesh again, making her melt for him, until she was on the verge of release. Mercilessly, he kept her just on the edge as he delved and rubbed, over and over.

She moaned with need, ready to beg. "Hugh, I'm ready!" she cried. "I ache so much inside...please..."

He was so gorgeous in the moonlight - his eyes were burning with intent, with possession. She swept her palms over his damp chest, reveling in the way the muscles in his torso flexed under her hands.

At last, he took his shaft and positioned it, clenching his jaw when the head met her entrance."So hot...so wet." His lips were parted, his breaths ragged. "It's everything I can do no' to come right now." When he began working the head inside her, she felt it stretching her - no matter how much he'd prepared her, the fit was still tight. "Tell me," he rasped, feeding his length into her, "tell me what you meant this afternoon, Sìne."

By the time he met the barrier, she was trembling, clutching his shoulders, and he was sweating with the obvious effort to go slow. He gazed down at her, dark eyes questioning.

"I'm yours," she whispered. "To take." She'd never been more certain of anything in her life.

He groaned, thrusting deep. She felt the tearing, hissing in a breath just as he groaned, "Sotight ." He shuddered, but remained still inside her as he gently smoothed her hair back from her forehead. "I dinna want to cause you pain."

"No, I knew there'd be" - she tried to conceal a wince - "a bit of hurting."

Even with this discomfort, the feeling of closeness awed her. This was worth the wait a thousand times over. She could feel him throbbing inside her, could see his anguished expression, but somehow he didn't move, wanting to spare her pain, wanting to please her.

She gazed up at him and couldn't hold back the words: "I...love you."

"What did you say?" he bit out, battling the frantic need to shove his h*ps at her.

"I always have."

Her words made him wonder if he was dreaming this entire scenario - this was exactly as he would imagine. Now, when he was buried so deeply inside her, the need arose to say the words that would bind her to him - a vow of self, spoken in the old language. Yet he couldn't. He didn't have that right.

Instead, he bent down and kissed her, with everything he felt for her, until she was panting. Her hands went from holding on to his shoulders, as though for dear life, to exploring touches over his body. When she tentatively rolled her hips, he withdrew, then eased back inside her, determined to make this good for her.Concentrate. Slowly in...easing out. Again.

He had to stop wondering why she had chosen to give this gift tohim  - tolove him. He drew back to study her face. "Does it still hurt, Sìne?" he asked, rocking against her.

Her eyes fluttered open with a look of wonder. "N-no, not anymore," she murmured. "That feels so perfect...." She leaned up to press her wet little kisses on his chest, driving him mad. "Does it for you?"

In answer, he shuddered again and couldn't help stirring himself in her, savoring all her wetness around him. When he thrust again, her ni**les were hard points goading his chest. He bent to lick them, and she began meeting every thrust.

As soon as he slipped his thumb down between them and rubbed, she cried, "I'm about to...You're making me...Oh, God,promise you'll do this again to me. Tonight." She took his face in both of her hands. "Promise,Hugh ." His name became a cry as she cl**axed.

Though he fought it, had even stopped thrusting, her hungry body demanded, her sex squeezing him, tight as a fist. He couldn't hold his seed. Defeated, he bucked between her thighs with all his strength, yelling to the sky. He came with a violent force, shuddering with each fierce pumping inside her.

As he leaned against her, heart thundering against hers, he said hoarsely, "You love me?"

Back in his bed, she curled against him, her breaths light on his chest, her body warm and soft with sleep. But Hugh was wide awake, turning thoughts over and over in his mind.

Tonight, he had dared to put his rough hands on her delicate body - his hands, which had killed so many times before. He'd dared to take her virginity - had been about to do it in a crazed moment of anger. He'd almost hurt her without measure.

Yet hehadn't .

The only dire thing he'd done was to give in when she'd wanted him four more times. If he was destined to bring her pain, then why had she told him that what they'd done hadawed her?

He wondered where the guilt was. He'd expected to be disgusted with his weakness; instead he felt alive, energized, optimistic. His body was relaxed, his muscles at ease. Throughout the night, she'd made him feel like the lad he'd been when he'd seen her last. He wanted more of that feeling.