The Virgin's Pursuit Read Free

If he could have moved he would have reached to stop her. To save them both from the fierce tide of heat that rolled through him. Yet he stood frozen and watchful, like a great buck just before the firing of a deadly arrow.
    Perhaps she recognized how powerless she held him, for she smiled with the knowing of Eve before she bent to lift the hem of her heavy outer garment.
    â€œIsolda, you should not—” he protested, holding himself back with formidable restraint that would not last.
    But before he could finish the thought, the noblewoman-turned-woodland nymph plucked off the gown and flung it to the ground. Clad in the softest linen kirtle imaginable, she stood before him. The garment revealed every curve and hollow, every shadowy nuance of the most comely form he’d ever beheld.
    Full breasts tested the strength of the worn fabric where it cupped her graceful curves. Her hips swayed from side to side as she neared him, bringing the whole, decadent offering closer to him.
    â€œWell, Cormac?” She paused a mere hand’s span away, close enough for him to inhale the clean scent of her hair and the earthy fragrance of womanly desire. “Will you banish my loneliness for just one night?”

Chapter 2
    Could he see her tremble?
    Isolda could not imagine her shame if he refused her. Yet she had pursued him as far as she dared. Every maidenly instinct screamed in protest at her boldness. But she was not the pampered daughter of a rich overlord any longer. Life in the forest had taught her self-reliance and daring, strengths she’d never known she possessed until she’d needed to hunt her own food. Build her own shelter.
    She’d sacrificed her pride, her refined manners and many worldly possessions already. Surely she could part with this one last remnant of her old self—her innocence—for the sake of her dreams? Her family legacy should not die with her.
    Cormac’s eyes darkened from tawny gold to rich amber, his gaze moving over her body with a thoroughness that both thrilled and frightened her.
    What have I done?
    She had never felt so vulnerable. Even in the dead of winter, she had not once been so exposed. Thinking she’d given her scheme long enough to work, she was about to retrieve her surcoat when he reached for her.
    His hands clamped about her sides, holding her steady as his mouth descended upon hers. She had no time to react, her lips parting with surprise. But any startled sound she might have made was lost in his kiss.
    She knew this was not the kind of kiss a lady would receive. An unbetrothed woman of her once lofty station would never have been so thoroughly handled. He used his hands to draw her close, pressing her to him in sudden, aggressive contact.
    Her whole body caught fire. Whatever had been simmering slowly before now leapt into full flame at the contact of his hard, masculine form against her soft curves. His tongue stroked hers with a knowing skill that left her breathless and wanting. His kisses were deep and thorough. She clenched the front of his tunic in helpless surrender—or was the grip a desperate plea? She wasn’t even sure herself.
    But Cormac knew.
    Her bold act of partial disrobing had sent his noble intentions packing, leaving in their wake a man with more base—and exciting—desires. His thigh slid between her legs, anchoring her body against the tree behind her and awakening her most secret places to a delicious new thrill.
    She told herself she was simply excited that her plan to conceive was working. But the sweet arousal swirling through her senses owed more to the man than to achieving a goal. Apparently, Cormac knew how to make coupling something more than just functional. He could make it so deliciously exciting she thought she might faint.
    â€œTell me you deserve better,” he muttered against her lips between kisses, his voice rough and demanding. His thigh pressed harder between her legs and she