Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon Page B

You might find that hard to believe, considering what an idiot I’ve been.”
    The honey-smooth tones of his voice caressed my face, as if it were his hands that had touched me and not his words. I opened my mouth, still not sure what to say, and he put his finger on my lips.
    “I was warned to stay away from you. They told me from the very beginning that it wasn’t safe to ‘consort,’” he said, slightly wincing at the word, “with you. But I’m not strong enough to stay away. I think our destinies are too closely linked to be diverted to a different course.”
    He glared back toward the gate we’d come through and I followed his gaze. Rían was standing there, leaning against his motorcycle. Watching us.
    “You feel it too. I can tell. It’s more than just attraction.” His finger that was caressing my lips moved slowly to my cheek. He let it slide gently up my jawbone toward my ear, stopping there to twirl a lock of my hair in between his finger and thumb. I lifted my hand to where his rested on the side of my face and I leaned into it. I rubbed my cheek slowly back and forth over his palm as I managed to get my breathing under control. I looked right at him, staring deep into his eyes.
    “Yes. I feel it too,” I admitted, barely able to breathe. “Since the first day I saw you I’ve felt it.”
    He brought his other hand up to the other side of my face and held it there, as if memorizing it. Slowly he bent toward me and kissed my left cheek, then my right. His breath was so warm it sent tingles down my spine. I sat perfectly still, delighting in every sensation. He moved up to my forehead and kissed it gently. His neck was tantalizingly close to my lips. He smelled warm, spicy even. My whole body tingled with pleasure.
    He moved back down toward my nose and paused there for a little kiss before reaching my lips, where he stopped and pulled away slightly. Was he waiting for my permission? I moved into him, pressing my face into his hands, leaving him with no doubt as to what I wanted.
    He bent in again and pressed his lips against mine. They were soft and full and everything I had imagined them to be. The kiss became deeper and more meaningful. The flow of electricity, of power, of passion between us was hard to contain. It was as if nobody else existed.
    I put one arm around his back and left the other holding his palm against my face. His free hand raked through my hair. He pulled back gently.
    “Wow,” he said.
    “Wow,” I agreed.
    “That was…”
    “I know. What now?”
    “Now things get very interesting.” He looked back toward Rían, who climbed onto his bike and sped off back down the lane.
    I put my hand on Adam’s face and felt along his cheek and down along his jaw, reveling in the softness of his skin in comparison to the light stubble. He closed his eyes.
    “You have no idea how good that feels,” he murmured.
    “Oh, I think I do,” I replied with a smile. I felt slow, like I was moving through syrup. Everything around me seemed to glow.
    “Megan,” Caitlin called from the direction of the bonfire.
    I looked away from him reluctantly. “Over here.” A little embarrassed by my intense feelings, I pulled my hand away, but Adam held it to his lips, letting his tongue lightly caress my palm. My eyes closed in pleasure.
    “There you are,” Caitlin said, ducking under the boughs of the tree that were half hiding us from view. She stopped short, catching sight of the two of us.
    “I, uh, I just wanted to check and make sure you were all right.” She was already backing away. “So … you’re okay?”
    “I’m fine,” I reassured her.
    “It’s all right, Caitlin,” Adam said. “We were just coming to look for you.” To my surprise he stood up and pulled me up from the log. “Let’s go join the fun.”
    Caitlin glanced at me, wide-eyed. I just smiled. I would tell her some edited details later, but not everything. There was something entirely private about our moment.
    As