Page 71 of Moon Craving

moving. "Let me help you with this."

She pulled back, but it was too late. He had her belt undone that fast. The pleats of

her plaid simply fell, leaving the Scottish garment hanging over her shoulder like a long

blanket. He tugged and it was gone completely, falling to a pool of fabric around her feet.

She turned and leapt for the relative safety of the pool, grateful that unlike her older

sister, Abigail had learned to swim. It was deeper than she expected, and warmer than

any bath she had ever taken. Her head submerged before her feet hit the bottom of the

pool. Water swirled around her from Talorc's entry into the pool as she kicked upward and

away from where she had felt him come in.

His hands locked on her waist and she broke the surface right in front of him. He

was looking at her quizzically. "Do the English bathe in their clothes, then?"

Chapter 7

"My blouse needed washing." Which was nothing less than the truth.

"It is not the time for laundry; it is time for you to become my wife."

"No . . . I . . ."

He leaned down and brushed a kiss over her wet lips. "Yes."

"But . . ."

"I have waited long enough."

"It has only been two nights."

"I will have you now."

She shook her head.

He nodded.

Just like outside the cave. Only this time, she did not have some puny ravenous

wild beast to worry about; she had her new husband's amorous nature.

She leaned back, trying to put distance between them.

"Take off your blouse."

Taking comfort in the fact he had not mentioned her shift, she tugged the

now-soaking blouse over her head and tossed it to the side. It really would need a

washing tomorrow after that treatment.

He looked down at her and his eyes burned. "Perhaps we should develop a new