Free Midnight Rose by Patricia Hagan Page A

waist and spun her about. Momentarily surprised, she had only to look into his smoldering eyes to know what was about to happen. As his lips began to descend to hers, she began to tremble, first in fear, then anticipation, as she yielded with a sigh.
    As his mouth covered hers, Ryan could feel her quivering response. Shyly, slowly, her fingers lifted to his shoulders, and then she was clutching, clinging, her body unconsciously arching against his. She was swept away from reality by a dizzy ecstasy never before experienced. Time seemed frozen as he held her captive in his embrace.
    Ryan felt himself being wrenched apart, ignited with desire fiercely above and beyond anything he’d ever known before. He was on fire with want and need, an almost frantic wave sweeping him from head to toe as he pressed her yet closer to him, knowing she could feel his hardness.
    Erin was too naive to know what to do. She wanted to cry and laugh all at once in the sheer wonder of it all. She was helpless, befuddled, could only continue to cling to him and savor the sweetness for as long as it lasted.
    He raised his lips to whisper hoarsely, “God, you’re driving me mad,” then assaulted again, his tongue tracing a hot line between her lips, urging, coaxing them to part. But when she felt his tongue at last plunge inside her mouth, at the exact instant he reached to cup her breasts and gently squeeze, Erin found herself suddenly caught in the whirling maelstrom of a nightmare returning. Gone was the joy, the sweetness, and in its place was a terrified child, writhing in protest and terror as her stepfather tried to hold her still, hands clawing at her beneath her nightgown.
    “No! Don’t!” she screamed, tearing herself from him. “No…” She stumbled away from him, swiping at her mouth with the back of her hand, but was instantly horrified at what she’d done. The hurt in his puzzled, bewildered gaze was unbearable, and she could only stammer, “I—I’m sorry. It—it was happening so fast.” Dear God, she couldn’t tell him that he’d unknowingly conjured terrifying memories.
    He stared at her in frowning disbelief. It was difficult to comprehend that one so sensuous and enticing could be so easily unnerved. Surely she’d known what she was doing. He’d felt her pressing herself against him almost eagerly. Was she playing some kind of game, making him crazy with wanting her? She seemed far too sophisticated for such capricious nonsense, especially when she’d impressed him with intelligent questions, her own knowledge of worldly affairs. Seldom did he encounter such intellectually captivating company in a female, particularly in one so beautiful. Seeing the undeniable panic in her lovely brandy-colored eyes, he supposed an apology was in order and murmured he didn’t mean to offend her.
    She untied her horse and swung up into the saddle to look at him beseechingly. “There’s nothing to apologize for. It was my fault. I shouldn’t…” Her voice trailed, and wildly, silently, she asked herself what it was she shouldn’t have done, because everything she did, she’d wanted to do, right up to the time he’d touched her breasts and slipped his tongue in her mouth, bringing back all the ugliness.
    She reined the horse around and dug her heels into his flanks to set him at full gallop. She could think of nothing else to do for the embarrassing moment except to escape it.
    “Tomorrow,” he yelled firmly after her. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
    She was too filled with self-loathing to look back or respond, yet felt the familiar thrilling rush.
    She’d be there.
    Oh, yes, she had to be there, for there was no denying that Ryan Youngblood had touched her heart, and she had to find out where all of this was going to lead, where she truly wanted it to lead.

Chapter Five
    Letty listened, entranced, as Erin told herabout the chance meeting with Ryan. Then, when she got to the part about him kissing her, how she’d