Hannah Howell by Highland Hearts

second chance.”
    “And ye took it.” He caught her hand in his and kissed her palm.
    “Grabbed it with both hands and all the greed a strong hunger can inspire. The touch of sin suddenly didna mean so very much, didna seem such a great price to pay. In truth, I had already sinned by thinking on it.”
    “Ye have been thinking on it, have ye?”
    “Oh, aye.”
    “ ’Tis good to learn I wasna alone.”
    “Ye thought about it, too?”
    “From the first time ye curled up against me in the night.” He brushed soft kisses over her face. “Then I never ceased to think about it. I found it difficult to think about anything else—even the danger we were in.” He began to slowly cover her slim, long neck with kisses. “It made the days and nights we have spent here seem like years. Long, hellish years.”
    Slipping her fingers into his thick hair, she murmured her pleasure as his lips touched her breasts. “Did I torment you, then?”
    “Night and day.”
    “Good.” She grinned when he gave her a look of feigned reproach. “Well, ye were tormenting me some.” She trailed her fingers down his spine. “I am glad to hear I wasna alone in thinking some of those days and nights were longer than they ought to be.”
    “I think that the rest of our stay here will seem all too short,” he whispered as he touched his mouth to hers.
    As Tess accepted and returned his passionate kiss, she prayed the time would be long enough for her to get at least a tentative grasp upon his heart.

CHAPTER 6
    “Are ye certain ye have the right meeting place?” Tess sat and idly plucked at the mossy ground that made a slight clearing in the trees.
    Sitting at her side, Revan put his arm about her shoulders and kissed her cheek. “Aye, in this forest at the place where ye can look through the fork of two trees and see the hill.”
    “Ah, of course, there being so few forked trees and hills in Scotland, ’tis foolish to think ye might be wrong.”
    Revan laughed, tugged her into his arms so that she was sprawled across his lap, and heartily kissed her. “Such a tart tongue yet such sweet kisses,” he murmured as he diverted his kisses to her throat.
    Realizing what Revan was contemplating as a possible way to pass the time, Tess wriggled in his hold until he looked at her. “Wasna your friend supposed to be here by now?”
    “Aye.” He gently pulled at the front of her doublet. “Why not loosen this? Ye must be feeling warm.” He winked at her.
    “Rogue. Not so warm I wish your somewhat tardy friend to catch us tussling about amongst the trees.”
    “Old Simon willna mind.”
    “Och, well,” drawled a deep voice, “I think ‘old’ Simon would mind just a wee bit.”
    Tess gave a startled cry. Revan abruptly turned toward the voice, reaching for his sword with one hand, and unceremoniously dumping her off his lap. She realized she had been forgotten as Revan gave a glad cry, then rose to embrace Simon, both men clapping each other on the back with a rather boisterous camaraderie. As she stood up and brushed herself off, she told herself it was foolish to feel hurt. Revan was simply acting like a man. She did, however, retain the right to be annoyed.
    As she waited to be remembered, she studied the man called Simon. He was built much like Revan but a few inches shorter. From his rich attire, she guessed that Simon had a taste for finery. She judged him to be of an age with Revan. Whereas Revan was fair, however, Simon was as dark as night. She could almost think him some unknown kin of her father’s.
    “Come, Revan, introduce me to your fair companion,” Simon said at last.
    When Revan drew Simon closer to her, Tess saw that the man’s eyes were fine and green. His warm smile lightened his swarthy, somewhat sharply cut features.
    “I assume ye are Mistress Contessa Delgado,” Simon murmured, bowing slightly then taking her hand in his to lightly kiss the back of it. “May I say that my friend has never stolen a fairer