Free Amethyst Destiny by Pamela Montgomerie Page B

arms.
    She stiffened, intensely uncomfortable with the closeness even as she strained to hear the sounds of footsteps over the pounding of her heart.
    “Calm, lass,” Talon said softly. “Your heart is about to race from your chest.” His hands slid back and forth over her shoulders, a light touch that was probably meant to calm her, but was having the opposite effect.
    He was too close, everything about him too much. Too virile, too physical, too charming. Her pulse sped instead of calming, her body warmed, flushing with heat. Sexually experienced or not, she’d never been comfortable around men and this man less than most.
    His warm, male scent filled her senses and all she wanted to do was put some distance between them, yet she didn’t dare move. Not when someone could walk into the room at any moment.
    Talon’s fingers slid beneath her hair. His thumbs began to trace light, gentle strokes up and down the sides of her neck, sending her breathing into an awkward unevenness.
    Deep and low inside, her body began to ache.
    “Calm, lass,” he whispered leaning down until his mouth was against her temple, his warm breath stirring her hair and smelling faintly of beer. He smelled . . . so good.
    Other than to bend his head toward her, she’d swear he hadn’t moved, yet she suddenly felt as if he were closer, enveloping her in his warmth and scent, in his overpowering maleness.
    The fingers at her nape slid down, caressing her upper back, then slowly moved to the base of her neck where her shoulders were bare. Everywhere his fingers touched, her skin flushed and heated.
    “Don’t.” Her voice lacked its usual firmness, sounding soft and breathless to her ears.
    His mouth touched the corner of her eye, making her swallow hard against the intimacy. “I only mean to calm ye, lass.”
    “I don’t need calming. Remove your hands.”
    “I havena anywhere else to put them.”
    Julia groaned at the oh-so-innocent tone. “Yeah, I think you do.” She tried to shift away from him and only managed to brush her hip against his pelvis. The unmistakable feel of a thick erection jolted through her.
    He was hard as a rock, pressing against her, touching her, his mouth on her temple, on her eye, as if he were in full seduction mode.
    She froze with a shock of realization. He wasn’t acting like a man hiding from imminent danger. This was a man playing at danger to worm his way closer to a woman.
    “You jerk. Let me out of here.” She shoved away from him and into the room.
    “Julia . . .” he said urgently.
    “Can it, you liar. God, what a cheap, sleazy trick. You didn’t hear anyone, you just wanted to rub yourself against me. What a pervert!”
    He grabbed her and shoved her against the wall, none too gently. Julia’s heart leaped into her throat as she stared up at him, her breathing suddenly harsh. Would he hit her? She kept pushing him, kept forgetting he was nothing like the civilized men she knew.
    His hands pinned her shoulders to the wall, his face lowering angrily to hers. “Ye’ll ne’er call me a pervert again.”
    She stared up at him, torn between trying to placate him, which went utterly against her nature, and retaliating with a swift, hard lift of her knee. But the thought of his retaliation had her swallowing her pride. No one else had ever hit her before, but she had little doubt he’d do it again if she provoked him.
    “I’m sorry,” she said stiffly. “For calling you a pervert. But you took advantage of the situation. Of me. And I don’t appreciate it one bit.”
    Half his face was lit by moonlight and she watched the anger slowly drain from his features, though the hardness remained. “Ye want me.”
    “No. I don’t. I don’t want anything to do with you.”
    “Do ye not? I feel the heat rising from your skin, lass.” His lips grazed her temple, sending shivers through her body. “Now who’s the liar?”
    Julia struggled to free herself, but to her shock, he grabbed her by the