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Despite herself, Lily couldn’t help but slip into their flirtatious repartee "No, ht and the effect on Lily was like that of standing in front of a blazing hearth on a gloomy day

"Well, lass, shall we have a look then?"

She was taken aback by his sudden effusiveness, but before she had a chance to respond the laird was up on his feet, looking behind curtains, under tables, and behind chairs

"Really, Ewen, I appreciate this, but I think if Finn were in here he would’ve heard reeted me by now "

"Don’t doubt how much of a fancy your wee lint in his eyes was disarainst her better judg

Ewen and Lily suddenly froze at precisely the sa as both beca fro had been at his feet under the desk the wholetime

"Aye, you see now, lass Your Finn may have an Irish name, but he ’s a braw Scotsman who kens his laird "

"Met out of here and let the laird get back to his critically important business "

"Stop I mean… Lil ’…will you not bide a wee moment with me?"

Lily was now completely disarmed by Ewen ’s erratic, almost tender, behavior She heard her heart say the word before her head knehat she was about The word that, at that ht that its three letters implied That answered so many more questions than merely the one he’d just asked

"Yes "

Ewen nodded slowly, his gaze never leaving hers, and it was as if they were both assenting to soer than thehtness of it all And the recklessness It felt unlike her, unlike the Lily who had always done the right things, the responsible things Who had denied herself a life as an artist in favor of stock options and a erous ones And Eas nothing if not dangerous Yet with the realization that she loved him came a sense of joyous completion

"I kno you can return home, Lil ’ "

She heard him speak the words but she had to replay them over in her mind before she couldshe had expected She dairl who had been caught doodling Mrs Lily Cas and she wondered for a otten how to inhale How dare he, yet again …

Ewen chuckled, and Lily felt the tears sting her eyes at his dismissal

"Nay, nay, lass, don’t fret so " Ewen rushed to her side, e, as if it were thein the world for the two of them to do "I see the thunderheads on that bonny face of yours I was saying, the witch Gor one arhtly around her, tilted her chin up so that her reddened eyes could ht now, Lil’, all I truly know is that I want you, need you, here withEwen the only assent he needed Still gingerly cupping her chin, the laird brought his mouth down to hers so slowly Lily felt her heart break and ain a thousand ti over her ently deepened the kiss, and Lily’s body responded like a blosso was the only indication of the great control Ewen exerted over his body, now taut with desire S he opened her ency that swept theht of place or time, save for one exclusively their own

Their hands roved each other’s bodies, fingers touching and exploring as if their senses had been long deprived of for fast to the solidity of the other as a drowningit into a rigid peak beneath the coarse linen of her dress

The intensity of her re sponse brought tears to Lily’s eyes She had long denied herself the pleasures of her body and had forgotten just howsoher His touch was skillful, as if he lived to serve her body alone, anticipated its every want,in her a violent current of desire that coursed with a depth and power that she didn ’t know she possessed