Rogue of the Highlands: Rogue, Book 1 (45 page)

Impressions of sparkling licks of flame erupted throughout her body as she tried to accustom herself to the feel of his mouth on her bare skin and his arm encircling her middle to hold her so intimately against him. His strength was unexpected, as was his unhurried and practiced mode of seduction. She could never have imagined the way her body reacted to the warmth of his hand covering her breast. She tried to remind herself what this elaborate masquerade was all about. But when he trailed a path of kisses across the sensitive skin at the nape of her neck, she had to concentrate to keep her knees from giving way.

There was too much sensation, too much heat, too much fluttering reaction in her belly. She was grateful for the stiff binding corset, for surely he would have felt the wild quivering of her body beneath the steadying band of his arm.

“Relax,” he whispered behind her. “Your heart beats like a trapped bird beneath my hand. Do I frighten you?”

“I do not frighten easily,” Anna replied, though she doubted her words were very convincing.

“Then I excite you?” he pressed in a low voice.

“A lady wouldn’t answer such a query,” she replied. The pertness of her words softened with the long audible sigh as he lowered his mouth to kiss the spot below her ear where her pulse beat most fiercely.

“That’s all right,” Jude murmured, as he slid his hand from her breast up the length of her throat to press under her jaw. His gentle urging eased her head back and to the side. Anna’s eyes drifted closed just as his warm breath chased across her lips. “You already did,” he whispered.

Then his mouth lowered to claim hers in a burning kiss.

Oddly, Anna’s first thought was of Leif, and the one time he had stolen a kiss from her. He had been drunk and in a playful mood and had pulled her down into his lap and planted a kiss on her lips before she had even known it was coming. Although he’d apologized afterward, she hadn’t regretted it. It had been short and swift, and Anna remembered being grateful he hadn’t been in a state of mind to use his full arsenal of skills in that kiss. As it was, the experience had been more than pleasant and had left Anna just a bit shaken afterward.

But even that experience with one of the most practiced and celebrated lovers in England was nothing in comparison to what she felt the instant Jude’s lips touched hers.

The bright and flashing passion took her by surprise.

After no more than a second, Jude turned her in his arms and hauled her up against him in a full embrace. He growled quietly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave herself to the kiss. She had no choice in the matter. Every bit of common sense had fled from her consciousness. She wanted to be closer. She wanted to feel more of his heat, more of the delicious desire pouring from his kiss.

Her fervent wish was granted as his hand slid into her carefully constructed coiffure to cup the back of her head. He positioned her so the kiss could go deeper. She drew a sharp breath, expanding her lungs and crushing her breasts against his solid chest. His tongue forced entrance and she gasped at the wicked sense of possession. Their tongues mated in a furious dance and she felt as though she may never get enough. The taste of his mouth was an intoxicating combination of fire and need, and the encompassing warmth of his arms secured her to him like a vice from which she had no wish to escape.

She was drowning, sinking deeply into the overwhelming desire that pulsed through her.

Wait!
This is all wrong
, a voice shouted in her head. Alarm speared icily through her body. She’d never intended the deception to go so far. She had underestimated the situation by drastic degrees.

Unwrapping her arms from around his neck, she pressed her palms against his shoulders and arched away from his kiss.

“Enough,” she muttered on a ragged gasp.

“Not nearly,” Jude replied as his mouth fell to the lengthened curve of her throat.

Chills chased over her skin and she closed her eyes again as she fought the burning temptation to sink back down into the whirlwind of passion. She managed to grasp onto one delicate detail in her mind that reinforced her need to escape.

He still had no idea who she was.

“I said enough,” she repeated more forcefully as she shoved free from his hold. She took two stumbling steps back, though it didn’t appear to be necessary as he did not reach for her. His arms dropped to his sides and he eyed her with lust and tension.

Anna fought to regain her breath and her composure. She met his gaze and his eyes burned bright with the flames of unspent passion. Need pierced her core.

She was surprised to feel the tears pricking behind her eyes as reality set in.

She hadn't expected this to be so painful. She thought herself to be well past the feelings of betrayal and disillusionment that had consumed her when she had been young and first married. Her daring little escapade tonight had succeeded beyond her expectations. In case she had harbored any doubt, she now had undeniable proof her husband was as wickedly adulterous as the stories had always claimed. She’d also learned she was not nearly as strong as she thought.

“I didn't think I could still be so foolish and naïve,” she whispered with a shaky little laugh as she lifted her hands to untie the ribbons of her mask.

“What the hell are you…?” Jude started, but as she lowered the mask from her face, his question trailed off and his glowering expression deepened.

She wondered what he was thinking as he stared at her then. Mostly, he looked annoyed and frustrated and still passionately aroused. Anna returned his stare, her chin lifted high, her eyes direct and challenging. She blinked away her threatening tears and recalled all the reasons she had to hate him.

“What's the matter, Jude?” she asked finally, pleased to find her voice steady and confident. “Nothing to say?”

“You know me?” he asked stiffly.

“That depends upon your definition of
knowing
, my lord,” Anna replied with a harsh twist of her lips.

Jude narrowed his gaze and his voice took on an almost menacing tone. “I am not a man to find enjoyment in dark pranks or willful subterfuge. It would be best if you disclose your identity and your purpose.”

“You really haven’t figured it out yet?” Anna asked then, surprised he hadn’t put it all together. “You said earlier that it wouldn’t matter if I were married.” She paused, but he remained silent and waited for her to continue. “What about your wife, my lord? Does she matter?”

Jude’s expression blackened. “I have no wife.”

Anna laughed then, a rough and raw sound. “I beg to differ, my lord husband.”

When you walk on the wild side of society, the greatest danger could be to your own heart.

Scarlet Kisses

© 2012 Tish Westwood

Passions Unveiled, Book 1

Alyssum Rosewood has just come to a shocking realization. Her life is boring. Visions of spinsterhood dancing in her head, she dons a dramatic red gown and sneaks out to attend Lady Brook’s infamous masquerade ball, where a gentleman sweeps her into his arms and steals a kiss that reveals a passion she never dreamed existed. But then she learns his identity—the reckless and improper Viscount Lambert, her overprotective brother’s best friend
.

Robert Lambert finds the lady in red captivating. Her kiss quickens his heart and her innocent yet wicked touch sets his body on fire. But she slips from his grasp and flees before he can remove her mask. Come hell or high scandal, he will find his fiery little temptress
.

Certain Robert will be horrified to learn she is the woman whose shocking behavior aroused his lust, Alyssum desperately tries to hide the truth deep in her heart. But with every look, every touch, every kiss, she comes ever closer to throwing caution to the wind
…

Warning:
This book contains a hidden love, a possessive brother, scoundrels and fistfights. A scarlet gown, ladies sneaking into taverns and a heroine who has just been awakened into the world of pleasure.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Scarlet Kisses:

Robert looked over the crowded ballroom and saw Jackson grinning down at his Rosy. He turned his gaze and found Tucker leaning against a white column while stroking the back of his hand down Lavender’s arm. She stared up at him, giggling and blushing.

Robert exhaled sharply. He needed to stop looking for Alyssum and go win his wager. He shifted his gaze, looking for the bold scarlet dress. He had spotted her throughout the night, constantly surrounded by gentlemen.

Walking through the room, he saw three red dresses but none belonging to Scarlet.

He walked out onto the balcony but he found it empty. Just as he was about to turn and go back inside, he spotted a woman in the corner, hiding in the shadows. His eyes slowly adjusted to the dark and he saw her leaning against the railing. It was Scarlet. With another quick look around for any signs of guests, he walked over to her. As he made his way over, he stripped off his gloves and tucked them into the inside of his coat pocket.

Alyssum heard the footsteps of someone approaching her. By the clomp of the shoes on the balcony, she knew it was a gentleman. Hoping it wasn’t one of the men she had already met tonight, she slowly stood straight but kept her back to him. She held the railing with her gloved hands.

The gentleman stopped behind her. She held her breath. His shoes scuffed the stone floor then she felt the brush of his coat against her back. She exhaled and found her breath shook.

Alyssum gasped under the soft caress of fingers on her exposed back. She felt her skin tingling and responding. She remained still, wanting his touch. Her cheeks burned at her wicked behavior. She felt the gentleman step closer, his coat brushing her bare back. She then felt his warm breath at her ear.

The man raised both hands and smoothed them over her shoulders slowly, as if he didn’t want to frighten her. He gently swiped her hair over one shoulder, dragging the waves behind her ear then across her neck.

Alyssum exhaled on a gasp as she felt his mouth touch her neck. His hands were warm and gentle as one rested on her shoulder and the other held her nape lightly. His lips were soft and firm as he led a trail of kisses up her neck. Her eyes drifted shut as his tongue swept over her skin. She felt her stomach somersault. Her breath shook with each draw of breath she took. She gasped again with a mixture of shock and pleasure as he began to gently suck her neck. She felt a change in her body. Her skin became sensitive to his every touch. She became hot. Her dress was too tight. Her breaths became heavier as she felt an ache begin between her thighs. His fingers at her nape stroked as his mouth sucked. Alyssum gasped for breath now. She had never felt these sensations before. She wanted more. She needed to touch him, feel him. She ached with want.

Robert felt her yielding to his touch. He had to be careful not to scare her away. She may have dressed provocatively, but every young lady in that ballroom was a proper miss. Lady Brook didn’t invite harpies to her balls. Only the toast of the ton were invited.

He took hold of her arms and turned her around to face him. She arched her back and her breasts pressed against his chest. He stared down at her parted lips. He could hardly see her in the shadows, so he felt. He lowered his head and kissed the curve of her jaw, then her cheek, then the corner of her lip. Her breath fanned his lips before he fused their mouths together softly. He skimmed his hands along the softness of her cheeks and cupped her face. He tilted her head and slanted his mouth over hers. He seized her mouth in a hot, wet kiss. With her lips already parted, he thrust his tongue inside the warmth of her mouth and tasted her.

The kiss started slow and gentle, but with each passing second he felt the change in his Scarlet. She was no longer the innocent, but was now the eager student. He gave her his tongue and she suckled it. He groaned in pleasure. His breathing became heavier as the kiss spun out of control. His hands slipped from her face, captured her hips and brought her against him. He couldn’t get enough of this woman. Where had she been hiding? She was incredible. This woman was his dream. Fiery, aggressive and addictive. His slid his hands down and grabbed her buttocks. He pulled her forward and ground her against his hardened shaft. She gasped and fueled his passion.

Alyssum gripped her masked man’s coat in her fists. She kissed him hungrily, even wildly.

She felt a rush of heat sweep over her body. Her deep moans caused him to kiss her harder, deeper, so she moaned again and again.

She could hardly believe what she was doing, but it felt too good to stop. She couldn’t pull away, wouldn’t.

In her eagerness for him, she reached up and grasped the back of his neck. She rubbed her body against him and couldn’t stop the moans of pleasure rising within her. This was what she had come for. This perfect kiss. This perfect embrace. Body afire with passion, she clutched her masked gentleman and refused to let go. She loved the feel of his strong, hard body against her. She loved his mouth, his kiss, his touch. He grasped her buttocks in his hands and rocked her against the hard length of him. She squealed in surprised but wasn’t afraid. With exhilaration racing through her veins, she pushed against him, wanting to feel every inch of him.