“Dwyn!”
That shout from below startled both of them, but Dwyn physically started and he saw the way her eyes widened in alarm as her foot slipped from the branch and she began to fall. Geordie didn’t even think, but leaned down and caught her about the waist, then dragged her back up and onto his lap. They both froze then, neither seeming to even breathe as another pair of females appeared under the tree and stopped to look around the orchard with obvious exasperation. They were both tall and pretty with dark hair and appealing features that were presently somewhat vexed.
“Oh, where has she got to now?” the lass in a pale pink gown muttered with irritation.
“No doubt, hiding,” the second woman, dressed in a pale blue gown, responded on a sigh. “Ye ken how shy she is.”
“Aye, well, she must work past that, Aileen, if she ever wishes to marry. Hiding is no’ going to get her a husband.”
“Oh, let her have some peace, Una,” the lass named Aileen said wearily. “The single Buchanan brothers are no’ here at the moment anyway, and we have harassed her enough what with taking in her gowns until she can hardly breathe, and constantly pinching her cheeks trying to give her some color. Besides, that bitch Lady Catriona and her friend Lady Sasha have both been tormenting our sister horribly. I do no’ blame her for wanting a moment to herself.”
“Aye,” the lass named Una agreed grimly, and then growled, “They are calling her horse face now, did ye hear?”
“What?” Aileen said with dismay.
“Aye, and they have taken to taunting her by calling her Whinnie instead o’ Dwyn too.”
“I thought I heard them call her Whinnie, but then decided I just misheard and they were saying Dwynnie.”
“Nay,” Una assured her. “And they follow it up with whinnying sounds too. I’d like to scratch their nasty eyes out for picking at her.”
“They are like she-wolves scenting the weakest in the herd, separating them and then attacking,” Aileen said sadly. “I wish Dwyn would fight back.”
“She is too nice for that,” Una said, somehow making nice sound quite disgusting. “And do no’ even bother suggesting it to her. She’d just make us feel bad for being angry at them and say they were obviously unhappy to act so and needed our sympathy.”
“Aye,” Aileen agreed with a faint smile, following when Una moved away from the tree. “I swear she’d have sympathy for the devil did she meet him.”
“Probably offer him mead,” Una muttered as they disappeared from view and their voices began to grow fainter.
Dwyn remained completely still at first as the voices faded away. She’d barely dared breathe once her sisters had appeared beneath them, but now that they were leaving, she realized she couldn’t move anyway. Her back was pressed tight to the chest of her savior, the arm around her waist like a band of steel under her breasts, holding her in place . . . And pushing her breasts up out of her top again, she realized with dismay. There was more than a little nipple now on display in the oversmall gown, although Dwyn didn’t think that had been the man’s intent. She didn’t even think he probably realized what was happening. Did he?
Dwyn turned her head and tipped it so that she could glance back at him. Much to her relief, his head was turned, his eyes pointed in the direction her sisters had taken as he waited to be sure they left. Just as she noted that though, he glanced down toward her and then froze, the arm around her waist tightening briefly and sending her breasts farther out of her gown until the nipples were almost completely on display.
They both remained still for a moment. Dwyn was blushing fiercely and struggling to find something to say to ease her embarrassment when he suddenly lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. Dwyn stiffened in amazement as his mouth brushed over hers once, then twice. When he nipped at her lower lip, drawing on it and tugging gently, she opened for him. The moment her lips parted, he released the lower one and covered her mouth again with his. This time she felt his tongue slide out and Dwyn gasped with surprise as it snaked in to fill her mouth. That reaction melted away, replaced by a warm rush of excitement though, as his mouth slanted over hers, his tongue thrusting and exploring.
Dwyn found herself responding, or trying to. She hadn’t a clue what she was doing, and at first tried to keep her own tongue out of his way as her mouth moved under his, but he merely chased it. When his tongue rasped against her own, Dwyn moaned and stopped retreating to thrust back. Her hands came up to clasp his arm under her breasts, her nails digging into his skin as she kissed back with all that she was worth.
This time it was him who moaned, and for a moment the kiss became most demanding and hungry. It was as if he was trying to devour her, Dwyn thought faintly, and found she wasn’t at all alarmed at the prospect. Tearing one hand from his arm, she reached up to slide her fingers around his neck, her body straining and twisting in his hold to press closer, and then he suddenly broke the kiss and lifted his head.
For a moment he just stared down at her, his heated gaze sliding over her flushed face and then down over her exposed breasts. Dwyn followed his gaze, noting that the circles of dusky rose flesh had contracted and darkened around the small buds that had hardened and were now rising out of the center like flowers seeking the sun.
She’d just noted that when the man holding her abruptly shifted his hands, caught her by the waist and turned Dwyn to set her on her branch again. The moment her bottom landed on the hard wood, he grabbed the front of her gown and tugged it up to cover her properly. He didn’t let go of the cloth at once though, but froze, still holding the material, the backs of his fingers warm against her nipples, which were responding most oddly to the unintentional touch.
Panting breathlessly, Dwyn stared at his dark hands against her pale flesh. But then he groaned, drawing her gaze up to see that he’d closed his eyes and appeared to be in some distress.
“I— Are ye all right?” she asked shakily, her gaze shifting from his pained expression to his fingers still inside her top and back. “Did ye hurt yerself lifting me? I know I am heavy. Did ye—” She paused, her own eyes widening slightly when his suddenly flashed open. He was looking at her like she was sweet meat and he hadn’t eaten in days, Dwyn thought faintly, and then he abruptly removed his hands and was gone. She blinked at the empty branch in front of her, and then leaned forward and looked down in time to see him land lightly on his feet on the hard-packed ground. He snatched up a sack that lay against the trunk and walked away.
Dwyn watched until he was out of sight and then sat back with a shaky sigh. Well, wasn’t that . . . She shook her head slightly and reached up to press her fingers to her still-tingling lips. That had been . . .
“Oh, my,” Dwyn breathed. She’d just had her first kiss, and it had been quite wonderful. At least, she’d thought so. She didn’t think his walking off like that was a good sign though, and wondered what it meant. Perhaps she shouldn’t have let him kiss her. Not that she’d had much choice, she assured herself. It had been somewhat unexpected, and her precarious position in his lap—
Oh, give over, her mind argued at once. She hadn’t wanted to stop him, not once his tongue was in her mouth. Then she’d wanted him to continue to kiss her, and still did, she acknowledged with a grimace. Truly, she wished he was still there, holding her in his lap, his mouth moving on hers, his arms around her. But she wished he’d done more. She wasn’t sure what exactly, but . . . Her hands rose and closed over her breasts almost protectively. They had tingled and hardened as he’d kissed her, and were oddly sensitive now, the brush of her palms over them even through the material of her gown making them tingle all the more.