Chapter 17

O n dusk, as they rode by the Braemar Castle Garrison on the outskirts of the tiny hamlet of Invercauld, Robert noticed how Jessie fought to stay upright in her saddle.

He dropped back to ride alongside her. "It looks like there is a small but respectable inn up ahead, Jessie. I'm counting on the fact that Simon will think we've taken the shorter route to Edinburgh through the Pass of Drumochter. With any luck, he won't search for us here, and I'm loath to press our horses any farther in the dark. A warm meal and a soft bed are what we both need right now."

Jessie frowned. "But are ye no' worried about the garrison? Surely there will be dragoons about."

Robert shrugged. "They will not be on the lookout for me just yet. They do not know me here. Besides, I have papers stating I am the very English Mr. Robert Burnley."

Jessie arched an eyebrow. "Ye dinna sound verra much like a Sassenach."

Robert grinned. "Oh, but of course I do, my dear," he said in his best clipped upper crust accent. "It's how I survived for near on a decade."

When Jessie gawped at him like a caught salmon, Robert couldn't help but laugh.

Within a short time, he'd secured a private room at the relatively secluded Invercauld Arms on the banks of the Clunie Water. Thankfully Jessie had seemed too exhausted and distracted to question the arrangement of sharing a room. She did blush a fiery shade of red however, when Robert presented her to the innkeeper and his two daughters as his new wife, Mrs. Burnley.

The innkeeper smiled knowingly at them. "I will send Mary up to attend to yer bedchamber directly, Mr. and Mrs. Burnley," he said. "We have a bonnie private dining room, but perhaps ye'd prefer supper trays in yer room…?"

"Yes, that would be excellent," responded Robert with a smile, continuing his charade of the dashing English gentleman. It was a mantle that still fit very well. "My bride and I are a trifle tired from traveling, and given the circumstances, we would very much like a little privacy." He handed over an additional handful of guineas. "For your…discretion, shall we say," he added with a wink.

"Och, of course, Mr. Burnley." The innkeeper beamed. "And if there's anythin' else, just let my daughters ken. Mary will take ye up now."

During this exchange, Jessie had started to lean heavily against Robert, and he'd slid his arm around her slender waist to support her. Her ankle and arm were probably aching like mad, and the instinct to care for her appeared embedded deep within him. As the girl Mary started up the stairs toward the guest rooms, he carefully scooped Jessie up into his arms.

"What on earth do ye think ye're doing?" Jessie hissed into his ear.

"Sorry, my sweet Scots wife," Robert whispered back as he followed the innkeeper's daughter. "Just putting on a bit of a show. The innkeeper may be less likely to divulge details to anyone who did happen to make enquiries if he thinks we truly are the newly wedded Burnleys."

Jessie scowled but nevertheless relaxed in his arms…until they entered the room, which was obviously a bridal suite. "Ye could put me down now, ye ken," she whispered, her body stiffening again as soon as Robert had crossed the threshold.

"But I like holding you," he said, carrying her to the wide four-poster bed that dominated the room. "And remember, such is the custom of the newly wedded."

Jessie blushed again. She was such an innocent, his fiancée . She was obviously acutely aware, as was he, that they were soon going to be alone with the whole night ahead of them.

Robert prayed he had the strength to resist her allure. No matter how much of a temptation she presented, he would try to take the honorable course and behave like a perfect gentleman.

Once the candles and the fire were lit, Robert was surprised, and more than a bit pleased, to see the chamber was well-appointed for such a small inn. The four-poster bed where Jessie reclined, was covered in a deep blue damask counterpane with an abundance of plump white pillows piled against the carved walnut bedhead. Opposite the foot of the bed was a decent sized fireplace with a pair of matching armchairs and a small oak table arranged before it. To one side of the fire, by the shuttered windows, was a washstand with a large porcelain basin. The apartment was fit for King George himself.

Mary hovered by the door. "Would ye like Elspeth and I to bring ye hot water, and towels after yer dinner?" she asked quietly. "We often do for the couples stayin' here."

Robert glanced at Jessie—who was still bright red—before returning his gaze to the young maidservant. "I think that's a splendid idea. Thank you indeed, Mary."

Mary bobbed a curtsy and once the door snicked shut, Robert turned back to Jessie. They needed to talk.

"I-I wasna expecting anythin' like this," Jessie said, gesturing about the room, looking everywhere but at him as he approached. Why, she was as skittish as a wildcat. "A nice dry pile o' straw in a barn would have been sufficient."

Robert sat beside her on the bed and took one of her hands in his. Jessie bit her lip, further betraying how nervous she actually was… of him .

"Jessie lass, we need to discuss our…situation," he began, then stopped, not sure how to continue such a delicate conversation. Several moments passed in which the heavy silence was broken only by the crackle of the growing fire and the rattle of the window as a gust of wind battered against the panes.

It might have been a false start on his part, but it was enough of a prompt for Jessie. She drew in a shaky breath then at last, lifted her eyes to his. "I would like that," she said quietly, attempting a smile. "Neither of us was expecting anythin' like this to happen…and now we are both wondering?—"

"What will happen next," Robert finished. He was heartened to see Jessie's smile widen.

"Aye," she agreed. "That's it exactly." Her forehead pleated. "So…what will happen, Robert?"

Frowning as well, he shrugged. "I don't know what tomorrow will bring. But as for tonight …" Robert held Jessie's gaze, hoping she would see the sincerity in his eyes. "I'm not sure what you were expecting, but I want you to know, you mustn't feel beholden to me even though we've been handfasted. I assure you, I will not try to take advantage of you." He offered her a half-smile. "Well, at least not until we're properly wed."

A deep sigh of relief escaped Jessie's lips and her stiff posture visibly relaxed. He realized he'd been right in speaking so plainly about something which had clearly been worrying her. Easing her concerns by making a veiled reference to Simon's demands and emphasizing that he, Robert, did not expect anything like that from her, had undoubtedly helped.

"Robert, I understand what ye're saying," she said, squeezing his hand. "And thank you. I feel safe with you. I ken ye are an honorable man."

Robert let his gaze wander over Jessie as she sat propped against the pillows, her tousled red-gold curls framing her face, her whisky-brown eyes glowing with warmth. If she only knew how inviting she looked, sitting there on the bed, how much he wanted to seduce her…she would not feel so secure.

He inhaled a calming breath, his conscience warring with his baser instincts. "Hmm, safe. I've never been described quite that way before." He cocked an eyebrow. "So much for my reputation as a rebellious rogue."

Jessie smiled back, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Och, ye have roguish charm aplenty, Robert Grant. But I'm trustin' ye to keep yer promise, that ye will not try to use it on me until after we're married." Her smile then faded and another frown creased her brow. "Whilst we're being frank, I also wanted to clear the air…about Simon. It's difficult to talk about yer brother and what he did…" She trailed off, absently plucking at the blue counterpane, as if searching for the right words.

"You don't have to talk about it, Jessie. It's all right," said Robert gently. He could see this was awkward for her, but he also understood that perhaps sharing her experience with him would ease her mind. It would hopefully stop him from imagining the worst. Hypocritical though it was, given his own past actions, he was having a difficult time dealing rationally with the knowledge that Simon had even kissed Jessie against her will. If anything else had happened… He would need to be physically restrained from tearing Simon apart when next their paths crossed.

Jessie lifted her chin, looking him straight in the eye. "No, I need to, Robert. I want ye to know that Simon only ever kissed me that one time at the loch. Nothing more. I left before he could force me to…submit to any of his other demands. At any rate, I just thought ye should know."

"I understand," Robert replied softly, anger still churning in his gut for what Simon had put her through. But he was also relieved that the swine hadn't harmed her in any other way.

"But that's no' all," Jessie added, a pink blush blooming in her cheeks. "I also want ye to know that when ye kissed me last night, and this morning, that it was different. To be perfectly honest with ye, I liked the way it felt… Perhaps too much…" She trailed off, biting her lip momentarily before she took a steadying breath. "I wanted ye to know that too, seeing that we're now handfasted."

"I see," Robert said, his heart racing.

This was dangerous, very dangerous indeed. He was having a hard enough time dampening his desire for Jessie without this admission; an admission that sent a sudden rush of heat coursing through his veins, straight to his groin. He shifted uneasily on the bed, hoping like hell Jessie wouldn't notice the telltale sign of his burgeoning arousal.

But he needn't have worried. Jessie's gaze was cast downward at the quilt she'd returned to plucking. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I've shocked ye with my forwardness, haven't I?"

Guilt pricked Robert's conscience. The lass had obviously mistaken his silence for disapproval. He reached out and gently tilted her chin upward to capture her gaze again. "No, I'm not shocked, Jessie. I appreciate your honesty. You must know that I want you too, but I do not think it would be wise to compromise your virtue more than I already have. Not when my future is so uncertain."

He wouldn't go back on his word, no matter how hard he got, or how much his balls ached.

It was going to be a very long night.

Compromise your virtue…

Heart pounding with longing beneath his focused regard, flesh tingling beneath his touch, Jessie decided that maybe she would like to be further compromised by her handsome-as-sin fiancé . Her common sense had clearly flown out the window. She might be safe from him , but was she safe from her own weak and wanton self?

"Tonight will be difficult for both of us it seems," she said without thinking—then blushed to the very roots of her hair when Robert's gaze sharpened on her face.

Stop behaving like a vixen on heat, Jessie Munroe. Robert was right. Neither of them could afford to give in to their desires. Not when Robert's situation was so precarious.

A knock at the door saved her from making any further revealing admissions. After checking who was there, Robert unlocked the bedroom door to admit Mary and Elspeth with their dinner. Jessie's stomach growled noisily as the maids set out everything on the small table beside the fire. It had been three days since she'd had a decent hot meal. At least there was one type of hunger she could sate tonight.

Once the innkeeper's daughters had departed, Robert helped Jessie to the table then played servant, pouring red wine as well as ladling out steaming portions of jugged hare into bowls for each of them.

" Slainte . To our health, Jessie." Robert smiled as he touched his glass of claret to hers. His eyes were as warm as the deep blue of the sea on a midsummer's day.

Oh, my goodness. Jessie really wished Robert wouldn't look at her like that. She cleared her throat. " Slainte," she responded, not surprised at all when her voice emerged with a husky edge. "And might I also add, here's to yer bid for clemency and safe return home."

Robert inclined his head, the corner of his mouth tipping into a breath-stealing smile. "Thank you, mo ghaoil . That is one of my deepest desires."

Only one of them? Jessie really shouldn't dwell on what any of Robert's other desires might be as his attention focused on her mouth. Instead, she dropped her own gaze to the bowl in front of her and began to attack her fragrant stew with relish.

During the meal, and afterwards as they dallied over a platter of autumn pears and cheese, Jessie found herself both entertained and enthralled by Robert as he regaled her with amusing anecdotes about his experiences in France and his life in the Jamaican colony. She thought he must find her terribly provincial given that she'd spent most of her life in the far north of Scotland. Indeed, the largest city she'd ever visited was Edinburgh, and that was only to see cousin Maggie's first bairn. But Robert never showed any indication—by way of comment or expression—that he found her as dull as ditchwater. In fact, she felt as if he were watching her closely and paying attention to her every word.

"Tell me more about your family, Jessie," Robert said, refilling her wine glass, his eyes barely leaving hers.

"There's no' much to tell really. It's always just been my father and me, for as long as I can recall." Jessie paused as a wave of sadness washed over her. "My mother, Elizabeth was her name, passed away when I was but three years old."

"You have my sympathies." Robert's gaze was compassionate as it rested upon her face. "It seems we have that sad circumstance in common. My mother died within a few months of my birth. I think that's the reason my father remarried so hastily. But your father—Alasdair, is that right?—he never remarried?"

"No…" Jessie fiddled with the stem of her glass. Robert's eyes were drawn to the play of her fingers and she suddenly felt far too warm, like she was sitting too close to the fire. She took a hurried sip of her claret and Robert's gaze returned to her face. "I'm no' sure that he ever really stopped grieving for my mother, and he was always so busy with estate business. For my uncle, the laird."

"Your father sounds like a resourceful man," Robert observed. "It's obvious my father thinks very highly of him.'

Jessie smiled, unaccountably pleased that Robert had taken note of her father's reputation. "He is a wonderful da and the most giving man."

"And a canny manager by the sounds of it."

"Aye," Jessie agreed. "If it wasna for his skill, Dunraven, my uncle's estate would have collapsed long before it actually did. This is difficult to speak of but…my uncle, Dugald Munroe, was an inveterate gambler—a proclivity he concealed for a verra long time. By the time my father found out the extent of the problem it was too late. In the end, it was only because of my father's generosity that my uncle didna end up in debtor's prison. My father used his own savings to cover a sufficient amount o' the debt to prevent that." Her mouth tightened with disapproval. "The sad thing is, I dinna think my uncle, my aunt, or their three daughters will ever really appreciate the sacrifice he made for them all. Or be in a position to repay him."

Robert nodded. "Where are your uncle and his family now?" he asked.

"Quietly living in the depths o' the Yorkshire countryside I believe, with my aunt's family," replied Jessie. "No doubt they're all pining for a taste o' London society by now. I ken my aunt—her grandfather was a baronet—had high hopes that my cousins would make well-placed marriages. She will be bitterly disappointed at their downturn in circumstances. ‘Tis a shame for all concerned."

Robert took a sip of his claret, studying Jessie over the rim of his glass. "It might be indelicate of me to say so, but I imagine your family's loss also affected your plans for the future. Someone as lovely as you must have had a suitor or two at the very least…"

"One or two." She smiled, taking a sip of her own wine. "And yes, it is indelicate of ye to discuss such things, Robert Grant. I dinna intend to ask ye about yer past dalliances. I'm certain ye would have had quite a few more than one or two."

Robert's mouth curved into a rakish grin, and he raised his glass to her. " Touché ." He suddenly reached across the table and clasped her hand. "I want you to know, I care not a whit about your family's fall in fortune. Or that your tocher probably went toward clearing your uncle's debts—I notice how you don't mention it. You are all that matters, Jessie. Only you. I want you to remember that."

Jessie shivered, yet her face was hot. She didn't know what to say. Robert's perceptiveness and kindness had surprised her yet again. She took a large sip of her wine, trying to hide her discomposure.

They were just sharing the last of the claret when there came another knock at the door.

Robert rose from the table. "I suspect it is the serving girls with our bathing water."

Sure enough, Mary and Elspeth entered to deposit a large pitcher of steaming water, a bundle of towels, and soap on the washstand, before discreetly quitting the room.

As soon as the door shut, panic began to dance a wild reel inside Jessie's belly. There was no screen to speak of in the room, and there was no way on earth she was going to bathe in front of Robert.

Robert turned to regard her, a reassuring smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Don't look so alarmed, mo ghaoil . I will go down to the taproom for half an hour so you may have some privacy… Unless you feel you need my help of course…" Wicked amusement gleamed in his eyes. "I'm very good at loosening stays as you well know…and washing backs."

Such impudence could not go unpunished. "So much for yer vow to keep yer hands to yerself, Robert Grant," Jessie chided with a mock scowl as she lobbed the remnants of her pear core at him.

He dodged away easily, laughing. "Well, I suppose I have my answer then. Enjoy your bath, mo nighean ruadh. " With a wink and another annoyingly rakish smile, he departed, locking the door behind him—no doubt to ensure she wouldn't be disturbed while she washed.

Jessie heaved an exasperated sigh and tossed back the last of her claret. Robert Grant was a Jacobite rogue and seafaring pirate and gentleman all rolled into one. He was, quite frankly, irresistible.

Damn him.

And damn her errant lust.

It was surely going to get her into trouble. Someone was definitely going to have to sleep on the floor.

When Robert eventually returned to their room, more than a half hour later, it was to find Jessie sound asleep, her wildly curling red-gold hair tangled across the white pillows, the quilt tucked up around her chin. Her cheeks were flushed with sleep and her breath sighed gently between her slightly parted lips.

So beautiful . Robert puffed out his own heavy sigh, resisting the urge to stroke a lock of hair away from her cheek. She was clearly exhausted, poor lass.

A quick glance around the room revealed that she'd placed several blankets and a pillow by the fire. His mouth kicked into a grin. She was also a canny lass.

His amusement quickly died when he also spied Jessie's green riding habit, petticoats, stays, and stockings draped neatly over one of the chairs. That meant, beneath the covers, Jessie only wore her linen shift. And Robert knew exactly how she looked in only a shift.

His cock twitched at the vivid memory. Damn. He was going to have to suffer more than a hard floor. He prayed exhaustion would win out, otherwise he'd probably get no sleep at all.

With another heavy sigh of resignation, he shrugged off his coat then took a seat by the fire and tugged off a boot. Clumsy with fatigue, he dropped it. Bloody hell . The sound of leather hitting the wooden floor was loud in the silence. His eyes flew to Jessie. Had he woken her?

Murmuring and turning over in her sleep, his betrothed did not wake but the quilt slipped. Robert swore again as he caught a breathtaking glimpse of bare shoulder and the gentle swell of a breast.

His blasted cock stood to full attention.

There was only one thing for it. He was going to have to scrub away his ardor. There was probably warm water left in the pitcher. Enough to bathe and do what he needed to do to get some relief.

But he didn't want to disturb Jessie. Or worse, shock her, should she wake to discover him slaking his lust by his own hand.

Treading carefully, Robert silently approached the four-poster bed and drew the heavy damask curtains across the end…

Drifting on the edge of a dream, Jessie stirred from sleep. Water splashed in the distance, and she fancied herself by the shore of the Cromarty Firth, at home, at Dunraven. Sighing, wanting to recapture the dream, she rolled over…and a sudden stab of pain in her arm brought her crashing back to reality.

She wasn't home. She wasn't even at Lochrose.

She was…was staying at an inn. The name drifted back to her…Invercauld. With Robert.

But where was he? Had he come back to their chamber yet?

Jessie gingerly pushed herself up and swept a wave of tangled hair out of her eyes. The room was still suffused with the warm glow of fire and candlelight but strangely, the curtains had been drawn across the end of the four-poster bed. She frowned, nerves prickling with anxious curiosity. Tired though she had been when she'd collapsed onto the mattress, she was certain she hadn't done that.

All senses on alert, she sat up straighter. In a narrow gap between the swathes of dark blue bed hangings, Jessie sensed a movement—then bit back a gasp when she caught an unexpected glimpse of Robert, his upper torso naked, his breeches slung low around his lean hips. He was by the washstand, his back to her. He must be bathing.

She should close her eyes, at the very least avert her gaze, but she could not.

She was transfixed.

Surely he wouldn't mind if she admired his physique, not after his shirtless parade before her yesterday?

Through the opening Jessie could just see a section of Robert's back and lean waist. The firelight limned smooth flesh and sleek muscle with a golden glow. She unconsciously licked her lips, mouth suddenly dry, heart pounding. He was magnificent. A dark-haired Apollo. Her fingers itched to touch him, explore his sublime body.

Then he turned slightly, and she saw him. All of him . And her breath caught in her chest.

He wasn't washing himself…

Robert's eyes were closed while his hand was curled around his manhood, stroking the shaft. His rock hard, impossibly long shaft. As he squeezed his staff's ruddy head, he groaned soft and low, biting his lip as though in pain…

What in heaven's name was he doing?

The answer hit Jessie like a bolt of lightning .

He's pleasuring himself, you ninnyhammer . Remember Maggie told you. It's what men do.

This time, she couldn't stifle her gasp.

Robert immediately turned his head directly toward the end of the bed. "Jessie?" he called over his shoulder

Jessie was speechless, gawping. He would know that she'd been watching him. Her cheeks flaming, she squeezed her eyes shut as Robert drew the curtains back. She couldn't look at him.

"Jessie, I'm… Damn, I'm sorry if I startled you, lass." There was the sound of something rustling. "You can look now."

She cautiously opened one eye and then the other to find Robert standing at the end of the bed, his buckskin breeches re-buttoned and in place. Thank the Lord . Although acute embarrassment still twisted uncomfortably inside Jessie, she couldn't stop herself from running her gaze over Robert's beautiful body: his heavy pectorals with their light dusting of black hair, the hard ridges of his stomach, and then even lower to the suspicious bulge beneath the placket of his breeches.

She caught her lower lip between her teeth. She now knew what was in there. Apprehension and desire in equal measure, curled her toes.

Wicked, wicked, Jessie.

"Are you all right?" Robert asked.

She doubted that it was only concern that gave the man's voice a husky edge. Jessie swallowed then somehow managed to drag her gaze back to his face. "I-I woke and I could see yer…ah, yer back through the curtains… And ye were… Ye seemed to be—" She bit her lip again. She couldn't say what she'd really seen.

Robert cocked an eyebrow, a glint of amusement lurking in his eyes. "Washing?" he suggested.

"Aye," she huffed, prickly with indignation now. "We'll say ye were just doing that." The man was hateful when amused at her expense. "But ye're also half… Ye ken…" She gestured at his bare chest.

Robert's smile grew broader. "Half-naked? Like you?"

Jessie glanced down at herself and squealed. Her linen shift had slipped to an alarmingly low level, revealing far too much of her breasts. Why, her nipples were practically spilling out. Blushing furiously, she belatedly hauled the bedcovers up to her chin. "Ye should've said something sooner," she accused.

Robert winced, his expression approaching contrite. "Yes, I should have. I shouldn't tease you. And I apologize for waking you. If I somehow startled or offended you for any other reason, I offer you an apology for that as well. We men are very basic creatures sometimes… Well, I assure you, it won't happen again."

So Robert did suspect she'd caught him in the act of self-pleasuring. Jessie willed herself not to blush again, but his apology dispelled some of the tension crackling between them. She let out a shaky sigh, and at last had the courage to fully meet his gaze. "Thank ye, Robert. Yer apology is accepted."

"Well"—Robert rubbed the back of his neck—"I suppose it's time for bed."

Jessie grimaced. "About that…"

Robert gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. If you can spare another pillow, I'm quite happy to sleep on the floor. It was always my intention."

Guilt twisted in Jessie's belly. She suddenly felt quite mean, and she didn't like it. "Here ye are then," she said needlessly, pulling one of the pillows from behind her and thrusting it toward him when he approached her side of the bed. "Are ye sure this is all ye need?"

"Quite sure." As Robert's fingers innocently brushed against hers, Jessie's breathing faltered. Even that brief contact set her skin aflame, made her pulse race. This yearning ache inside her was almost too much to bear.

A pillow might be all Robert needed, but she definitely needed something more. Something she'd promised herself she wouldn't have.

The question was, would Robert give it to her?

Robert hovered by Jessie's side of the bed, pillow in hand, in a definite quandary. Should he kiss his innocent fiancée goodnight or beat a hasty retreat to the fireside?

He truly regretted how Jessie had caught him in flagrante . He wasn't sure how much she'd actually seen, but judging by her reaction, it was sufficiently shocking. She might have accepted his apology, but there was still a strange awkwardness between them. Indeed, the very air around them seemed to vibrate with it.

Perhaps a brief goodnight kiss would help to alleviate the tension.

After all, they were handfasted.

He glanced down at Jessie. She'd begun to worry her bottom lip with her teeth again. The urge to soothe her poor abused mouth with his own was strong, but he wouldn't. He would keep the kiss light and amicable—and away from her delectable lips.

"Well, mo chridhe ," Robert murmured. "I'll bid you goodnight then."

Leaning down, he aimed chastely for Jessie's cheek but somehow it all went wrong. In the moment before he kissed her, Jessie turned her head and his lips found her soft, lush-as-a-ripe-peach mouth instead. Her lips moved imperceptibly against his and desire sparked.

Had she done that deliberately? Stunned, Robert broke the contact and sought her gaze.

There was neither censure nor trepidation in the golden-brown depths. Indeed, Jessie's eyes looked almost drowsy with longing. Her lids were heavy, her pupils dilated. She'd told him earlier that she enjoyed his kisses. Would she welcome another?

God forgive him, he definitely wanted another.

He cleared his throat. "Jessie, what happened just now?—"

"It's all my doing, Robert," she said in a breathless rush. "I wanted ye to kiss me… I just didna know how to tell ye."

Christ. She really meant it. Despite catching him in the midst of a crude act, despite all of his provocative quips, she still wanted him. It was more than he deserved.

Robert dropped the pillow and sat down on the edge of the bed. Jessie did not draw away. If anything, she leaned closer, her attention completely focused on his mouth.

One more kiss, that's all he needed. One more kiss and he would be sated.

What harm could it do when they were practically wed?

His throat suddenly tight with longing, he murmured, "Jessie, may I kiss you again?"

The tip of her pink tongue darted out, moistening her lips. "Aye," she whispered, her eyes dark as molten honey. "I thought ye'd never ask."

At long last, the moment she'd been waiting for all afternoon, and the best part of the evening, had arrived.

Jessie held her breath as Robert slid one of his hands into the tangle of curls at her nape, then oh, so slowly bent his head to claim her. His mouth slanted over hers, hungry, yet gentle. His lips were satiny smooth yet firm. This kiss…it was delicious. Intoxicating.

Exhilarating.

Jessie pushed herself against Robert's naked chest and the potent scent of him—warm, clean, aroused male—wrapped around her, flooded her senses. Her head spun as she breathed him in. She slid her hands over his hot skin, and his powerful muscles flexed and rippled beneath her touch.

She couldn't touch him enough. Couldn't taste him enough.

Robert was holding back, taking too much care with her, she could sense it. And she didn't want him to. She wanted passion and blinding heat, all the sensations he'd aroused when he'd kissed her the night before in the cave.

Boldly, instinctively, Jessie slid her tongue between the seam of his lips. With a deep throaty growl that sent a deep thrill right down to her toes, Robert returned the thrust, his tongue stroking and tasting her in return.

It was divine, heavenly, but all too soon it ended. With an agonized groan, Robert suddenly dragged his mouth away and grasped her questing hands between his. He was breathing heavily, his blue eyes as dark as a turbulent storm-tossed loch. "Have mercy, lass. If we keep on like this much longer, we'll both burst into flames."

Jessie looked down at their entwined fingers resting against his thigh and immediately noticed how the kiss—how she —had affected Robert. His impressive erection strained against the fall of his buckskin breeches.

He noticed where her gaze had traveled and smiled, almost sheepishly. "There's no hiding your effect on me, Jessie. I apologize if my state frightens you."

"No, it doesna frighten me," she said shakily, answering his smile with one of her own. In fact, the sight of Robert's great need only served to increase hers. Her body was aroused in its own disconcerting way. Her nipples were hard and aching, and the secret place between the apex of her thighs felt heavy, pulsing with strong desire. They couldn't stop here. She didn't just want the taste of Robert's mouth, she wanted to taste and explore all of his sleek hardness.

And she wanted him to touch her in return.

When had she become so brazen and wanton?

Although Jessie understood why Robert had brought a halt to their passionate exchange, it also occurred to her that should their plans go dreadfully awry, this might be one of the last opportunities he would ever have to be with a woman. The only opportunity to be with her .

Truth be told, this was an experience she did not want to miss either, despite the consequences, despite her promises to herself.

And so Jessie took a deep breath. "Robert," she began. She disengaged one of her hands from his and stroked his stubble-shadowed jaw. He stared at her with such heated intensity, she thought she might catch alight. "Robert…I ken we should wait to consummate our handfasting. But after tomorrow, or even the next day…it may be too late. If this is one of yer last chances to spend a night with someone… With me…"

Robert pressed a finger to her lips. His smile was tender, his eyes filled with regret as he spoke. "Christ alive, woman. As much as I want you, it would not be right for me to take your maidenhead. Not when my future is so uncertain. If I am locked away or even worse, executed..." He inhaled a deep shuddering breath then stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. "It's a risk I won't let you take."

She shook her head. "I understand yer concern for me, but ye're too noble for yer own good." On an impulse, she leaned forward and kissed the side of his neck and was thrilled to feel him shiver, hear his sharp intake of breath.

Robert's groan thrummed through her. "Jessie, if you had any idea how much I want you, how hard it is for me to resist making you mine this instant, you would not be so bold."

In mute response, Jessie raised her head and kissed his jaw and the side of his mouth. The strength of her own desire was making her reckless and she did not care.

"I want ye, Robert Grant," she whispered against his mouth. "More than anything I've ever wanted before."

Robert's mouth crushed Jessie's in a hard, almost bruising kiss. A possessive kiss. She wants me as much as I want her . His blood sang at the heady realization.

If he were a better man, he would not be doing this: kissing Jessie like this, pushing her shift off her shoulders, raining hot, open-mouthed kisses along her neck and collarbone, down to the deep shadow of her cleavage. But heaven help him, he wasn't strong enough to resist her blatant invitation.

And Jessie was right. He may never have this chance again.

But he would not take her virginity. He would satisfy her need, and his own…but he would not risk getting her with child, not tonight.

Robert broke their kiss briefly to carefully ease Jessie down onto the pillows. The sight of her full breasts straining against the thin white fabric of her shift made his cock grow harder to the point of pain. But as much as he wanted to tear the garment from her body, and despite her declaration that she wanted him to make love to her, he didn't want to frighten her. For all her enthusiasm, she was still an inexperienced novice. He would take his time and follow her lead.

He wanted her to enjoy this as much as he was going to.

Jessie's heart burst into a wild unbridled gallop as Robert eased himself onto the bed to lie beside her. Her heart-stoppingly handsome, considerate fiancé was going to make love to her. She could barely believe it.

She could hardly wait .

"Jessie, you must tell me when you want me to stop," Robert murmured, his voice rough with emotion. "I won't do anything you don't want me to do."

She nodded, too breathless to speak, but seriously doubted she'd want him to stop. Ever.

"You are so, so beautiful, mo chridhe ." My heart . Robert's passion darkened gaze slid from her face to her breasts. "Everywhere."

He thinks I'm beautiful . Jessie's heart thrummed with unexpected delight. "So are you," she whispered and placed a hand against Robert's bare chest. She swore she could feel his heart pounding beneath the hard plane of muscle, an echo, a mirror of her own heartbeat.

Unable to resist exploring Robert a little more, she ran her fingers through the fine dusting of dark hair along his pectorals, smiling when his nipples contracted.

Robert shuddered and on a broken groan, buried his face in her hair. Pushing the tangle of curls away from her neck, he inhaled deeply before pressing a hot kiss in the hollow just below her ear. Encouraging his exploration, she arched her neck, marveling at the delicious, tickling sensations his clever mouth provoked as he nibbled and licked his way down her throat until he reached the edge of her shift.

Then he paused. Robert raised his head and his eyes locked with hers. "Let me see you," he whispered.

Jessie didn't hesitate. With trembling fingers, she clumsily loosened the ribbons at her neckline, all the while watching Robert's expression. His eyes were dark, heavy-lidded with desire and when her shift gaped open to reveal her breasts, he swallowed.

"I was right. Beautiful," he murmured reverently, trailing a fingertip down one breast to her tightly furled, aching nipple. She closed her eyes and whimpered, arching toward his hand. The hot restless ache in her was too much. She needed more.

And, thank the Lord, Robert obliged. He lowered his head and when his lips closed around the exposed bud, she cried out in agonized pleasure. Hot, dark desire swirled through her as he mercilessly suckled and teased her breasts with his tongue, lips, and fingers. She writhed beneath him, tangling her fingers in his hair, unsure if she could take much more of this exquisite torture, not when the throb in her sex was growing with each passing minute.

At length, Robert raised his head and smiled at her, a wicked, entirely self-satisfied smile. Through her thin shift, he stroked gently across her ribs and down to her belly, making her quake.

"Please dinna stop," Jessie breathed. She was unsure what he would exactly do next, what she needed to ask for, but she hoped he would focus his attention on that part of her where her unsatisfied need throbbed the most.

"I won't." Robert dipped his head and kissed her on the mouth again, tenderly this time as he gently lifted the hem of her shift.

One of his hands stroked slowly up the inside of one thigh and then the other. She instinctively parted her legs, straining toward his teasing feather-light touch. When his fingers slid up and down, between her most secret folds, warm and slippery with moist need, she gasped with the unexpected pure pleasure of it.

She was indeed wanton. Wild. She didn't care, not when Robert could make her feel this way.

But it wasn't the end, far from it. With unerring accuracy, the pad of one of Robert's fingers found the focus of her pulsating desire. Jessie jolted and gasped but his teasing, circling caresses didn't falter in rhythm. As he expertly built the intensity of the exquisite sensations inside her to fever pitch, she panted and moaned in utter abandonment, unsure how much more she could take. She was spiraling higher and higher toward some hitherto unknown heavenly world where agony and pleasure coalesced.

And only when she thought she could take no more did her reality explode into ecstasy. Jessie cried out again and again with the shattering power of her very first release. By degrees, she floated back to earth and became aware of Robert kissing her neck, her jaw, her cheek, her eyelids. She was completely boneless and replete and awed all at the same time.

Body humming with contentment, her mind hazy, she opened her eyes and smiled drowsily at Robert. "Thank you," she murmured. "I had no idea… That was… What ye did was amazing… I canna describe it any other way." She reached out and placed a hand on Robert's chest, not wanting to lose contact with his hot skin. "Is it like that for ye too?"

"It can be," he murmured before kissing her hair and drawing her close into his arms.

Jessie felt his erect manhood pushing hard up against her belly. Robert had satisfied her, yet his need was still great. She couldn't let him suffer so.

"Mmm, I think it is yer turn to be satisfied now," she said, kissing his neck where his pulse beat a strong and steady tattoo. Yet despite what they'd just shared, and as much as she wanted to please Robert, uncertainty pinched. She had no idea what she should do next.

She ran one of her hands languidly down Robert's chest to the taut plane of his stomach, pausing at the waistband of his breeches. Biting her lip, she wondered how to proceed. She'd seen how Robert had stroked himself…

Tentatively, Jessie placed her palm against the large, swollen length of him covered by the leather of his breeches. Would he let her see him, touch him, pleasure him there? She flexed her fingers experimentally, and Robert sucked in a harsh breath, pushing against her.

Jessie smiled to herself. Perhaps he would.

"I havena ever done this before," she said softly, meeting Robert's intent, dark-as-midnight gaze. "Ye might need to show me the way."

Robert chuckled gently. "I think you've found the right place," he said, then kissed her lightly. "Are you sure you're ready for this though? I can wait…if you are unsure about continuing."

Jessie's cheeks burned but she didn't look away. This was what she wanted. He was what she wanted. "Aye, I'm sure. I want ye to feel the way ye made me feel."

Pushing herself up, she took a deep breath and began unbuttoning the front of his breeches, exposing the mysterious swelling. At such close quarters, the sight of Robert's fully erect member jutting up from the thatch of dark curls at his groin quite took her breath away. He was powerfully, rampantly beautiful.

And tonight, he was all hers .

Robert's breath caught at the sight of Jessie, breasts still exposed, staring with rapt fascination at his raging erection. She evidently hadn't been put off by his earlier display of randy behavior.

Her tongue suddenly darted out to moisten her already kiss-bruised lips and Robert nearly choked.

No, his sweet yet daring fiancée clearly wasn't perturbed at all.

God help him, Robert was so aroused, he wasn't entirely sure that he wouldn't explode like a green lad as soon as she touched him.

Jessie reached out and ran a tentative fingertip down his straining shaft, as if testing the feel and texture of him. When she encircled him with her whole hand near his base then ran her hand up his pulsating length to the dripping head, he groaned and fisted the sheets, willing himself not to spill yet. She repeated the action, sliding her hand up and down, over and over again. How had she learned to do that? Her rhythm and the way she squeezed him was damned near perfect. Maybe she'd seen more of his failed self-pleasuring attempt than he'd thought.

"Tell me when ye want me to stop," she whispered with a satisfied coquette's smile. She was evidently pleased at his reaction so far.

"Jessie," Robert growled. "Don't you dare stop."

Of their own volition, his hips began to move in time with her rhythmic stroking and squeezing. Closing his eyes, he gritted his teeth. Sparks flew behind his eyelids. He wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to hold back.

And then her hair caressed his thighs and her tongue flicked over him. She'd suckled him. Suckled his cock!

Christ . Robert bucked and his eyes flew open.

"I-I'm sorry," Jessie stammered. Her eyes were wide. "I didna mean to startle you. Or offend you."

"No need to apologize, mo ghaoil ." Robert's voice was little more than a breathless rasp. "And I'm not offended at all, far from it. It's just that I wasn't expecting you to…kiss me like that." His mouth hitched into a smile. "And if you continue, you'll soon see how much I really do like it, and I don't know if you're quite ready for that experience yet." He reached for her hand that still grasped him and guided her back to the sliding rhythm she'd started before, only a little faster.

A few more strokes and he'd be there.

"Jessie," he groaned and pulled her beneath him, wanting to take her mouth, plunder her with his tongue as he pushed his rigid throbbing length against her smooth belly. Her sweet taste, the musky floral scent of her recent climax engulfed him.

Within a handful of thrusts, glorious oblivion rose up to claim him. Shuddering, gasping Jessie's name into her sweet-smelling neck, he undulated his hips and jerked against her soft silken flesh until he was quiet and spent.

Jessie's passion, her sensual curiosity…she was a revelation. Robert's heart and body thrummed with the deepest contentment he'd ever known. If the worst happened, and there was no tomorrow for him, he would die a happy man.

But there would be time enough to worry about his future tomorrow. He still had the rest of the night to share with Jessie.

Robert kissed Jessie's delicate earlobe. "Thank you," he murmured, catching her warm as honey gaze. "You have no idea how much this has meant to me." Then, because he was greedy and because he couldn't resist, he stole another kiss. "Now, let's make use of that pitcher of water before it turns to ice."

He slipped from the bed and returned with a damp washcloth. Once he'd wiped Jessie's stomach and himself clean, he put her shift and his breeches to rights.

"Well, goodnight again." Robert bent down to kiss her forehead near the scratch left by the rowan splinter. He then retrieved the discarded pillow from the floor.

Jessie caught his hand. "Dinna go. Sleep here, with me," she invited. "Ye'll be more comfortable and we have another long day of riding ahead of us."

"As long as you promise to behave now," he teased with a mock frown.

"I promise," Jessie said with a solemn smile and moved over to make room. Robert climbed in beside her and pulled her firmly against his side, reveling in the way her body immediately molded to his. Her cheek rested against his bare chest and her fingers curled around his shoulder. This felt so right to have her here in his arms.

As Robert watched Jessie drift into sleep, he prayed this would not be the last time.