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.She relaxed into his embrace, and wound her arms round his strong body.His breathing, too, was flurried.Dark colour stained his cheekbones.Judith shut her eyes.She felt Rannulf’s tongue flicker experimentally across her lips.The muscles in her jaw relaxed, and the kiss deepened, till both were breathless.When at last they drew apart, they stared at each other.His eyes look hazy, she thought.Rannulf gave an unsteady laugh.His fingers stroked down the side of her jaw.“Admit it—”“Aye,” she capitulated, her voice cracking.Her skin was on fire.“I admit it.”“Judith, now you’ll have to marry me.”“Have to?”“Aye.Now that you’ve admitted you love me—”“I admitted I desire you,” she said quickly.“’Tis not the same thing.” He’d made no admission himself, she realised.She wondered whether it was love or merely desire that clouded those beautiful green eyes.“For you, it is.” He smiled lazily.Judith scowled, anger rising once more to the surface.He was too confident, almost arrogant.“And you?” she demanded.He shrugged, and twined a growing strand of her hair round his forefinger.“Oh, I don’t know.’Tis hard to resist a pretty lady when she—”Judith snatched her hair from his finger and herself out of his arms.“You vile, loathsome beast.You’re hateful!”He had the gall to grin.“Maybe,” he conceded.“But lovable too, don’t you think?”That stung.Kneeling on the edge of the bed, Judith struck out with the flat of her hand.“Why, you are so full of conceit, Sir Rannulf, I wonder you don’t burst!”Rannulf cowered away from Judith’s flailing arms, still smiling.“Mercy! I crave mercy, lady.”His smile, and his apparent surrender, disarmed her.Her anger subsided, and Judith sank down on her heels.She tried not to meet his eyes.The real defeat, she knew, was hers.She did not want to witness his triumph.Why did he have to have such a beautiful smile? When he smiled at her like that, and looked at her so tenderly, she could deny him nothing.And he knew it.It was wicked of God to have given him such a powerful weapon.“Why react so angrily?” he asked quietly.She shot him a glance from under her lashes, and instantly regretted it.You could drown in the softness in his eyes.Bemused by that, and his smile, Judith could hardly speak.“What?” she croaked.“If you merely desire me, why are you so angry?” He lifted a dark brow, and put his hands behind his head.His lips quirked upwards.Judith glared at him.Clever devil! Her stomach felt hollow.He had laid his trap, and she had charged right into it.“I…I…” She snapped her mouth shut.She’d not risk another word.He sat up, and rested a hand on her shoulder.“No need for anger if desire is all you feel,” he whispered.“I am more than willing to satisfy you, princess.” His voice sent shivers racing down her spine.The pressure of his fingers increased, and he fell back on to the bed again, taking Judith with him.He shifted slightly and then she was pinned beneath him, one muscled leg resting between hers.“Rannulf—” Judith shook her head to clear it.Her thoughts were no more than vague, misty swirls in her mind.All the worries that plagued her seemed unreal.What was real was the feel of Rannulf’s long body lying half over hers.The scent of rosemary was real, his hands on her cheeks, his lips near her ear.She could not fight both herself and him.Casting aside all thought of freeing herself, Judith made her body soft for him, and waited.“At last,” he breathed.His lips nuzzled her ear.“I have you where I want you.In my bed.I thought I’d never get you here.And willing too.” He kissed her cheek.Judith sighed, and shyly put her hand on his waist.“You are willing?” He lifted his head.She could only nod.Courage, the will to fight, speech—he robbed her of them all.Her breath stopped at the expression on his face.There was no mockery now in either his smile or his eyes.They were as tender as any maid could wish.“I too—” he sighed “—am more than willing.Shall we make love now, Judith?”She knew her own eyes were soft and dreamy in the yellow torchlight, and suddenly, she was glad that he could see it.“Aye.I would love with you, Rannulf,” she acknowledged softly.He caught her hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing her fingers.His eyes never left her face.It was as though he wished to memorise every feature and contour on it.His thumb moved over her cheek.Then, all at once, he snatched her to him, and buried his head on her breast.“You—” his voice was husky “—have been the one bright star on my horizon.If it had not been for you, I would not have seen my way out of this nightmare.”Judith’s heart swelled.She did not stop to analyse what lay behind his admission.All she could think of was that Rannulf had confessed that he needed her.She rested her cheek against his head, and gently smoothed a wavy brown lock from his face.Maybe he needed her as much as she needed him.True, he had not fallen to his knees and declared he loved her, but was needing not a part of love?“My love,” she murmured.For a few moments the only sound in the chamber was the crackling of the fire in the hearth, and the soft sighing of their breathing.Rannulf stirred and hoisted himself on his elbows.He began weaving his fingers into her hair.There was something in Rannulf’s eyes—a new intensity, that caused Judith’s stomach to tighten.She licked her lips.“Don’t be nervous, my love.” Rannulf lifted his eyes from a fair strand of hair and smiled at her.“I’ll not rush you.We have all the time we need.” His fingers continued their game with her hair.“I’m not n…nervous.” She turned her head to kiss the hand that tangled her hair
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