Highland Knight by Hannah Howell Page A

now I will keep this all verra private.”
    “I am humbled by your generosity.”
    Avery turned her back on him. She had not really thought too deeply on exactly how he intended to use her, beyond taking her chastity in exchange for his sister’s and using her to bring Payton to heel. It hurt to learn he had thought to make her shame widely known, but she told herself not to be such a fool. He thought his sister had been shamed, and he might well have been told that her loss of innocence was no secret. Naturally he would feel that Payton ought to suffer the pain of a humiliated sister, too. For a brief moment, she was almost sorry he had changed his plan, for she would have liked to know if he would have been able to follow it through. She told herself not to be such an idiot. It was undoubtedly one of those things it was best not to know. Since he thought he was fighting to restore his sister’s honor, it was a corner she had best never have to back him into.
    There was one thing to consider, however. He was not going to use what might happen between them to hurt her family now, except, perhaps, in the most private of ways. It would now be a great deal easier to dull the sharp edge of that sword. Now, her telling her family that her innocence had not been stolen, but had been freely, if foolishly, given away, would be heeded. Now all she had to do was decide if she was willing to risk all to try and win Cameron’s heart.
    “Sleep weel, Avery,” Cameron murmured.
    “Have nightmares, Cameron,” she grumbled, inwardly sighing when he just laughed.
    She closed her eyes and reached out for sleep’s calming touch. Her future was uncertain, but losing sleep over that would accomplish nothing. There was a hard decision to be made, and she wanted to be well rested, with her wits clear and sharp, when she made it.

Chapter Seven
    Her blood was on fire. The inferno raging inside of her was being stoked by warm lips and big, stroking hands. A shudder of fierce desire rippled through Avery, dragging her into full wakefulness. She clutched the man sprawled on top of her, gasping with delight as he wanned her breasts with his hands. Aching and hungry she rubbed her body against his and heard him groan.
    That deep, hoarse sound of desire broke through the haze of passion clouding Avery’s mind. Cameron was seducing her and she was avidly participating. Avery large part of her wished to continue to participate, but she struggled to grasp at some strand of sanity. Allowing oneself to be mindlessly swept away by passion was not the way to make a decision that could all too easily leave her with a shattered heart. She grabbed Cameron by the wrists, feeling both pleased and frustrated when he immediately ceased caressing her.
    “Ye are a sneaky, lecherous rogue, Cameron MacAlpin,” she said, her voice husky and unsteady as she struggled to rein in the passion still throbbing in her veins.
    “Are ye telling me to stop?” he asked.
    “Aye.”
    “Why? ’Tis clear that ye want me.” He brushed his thumbs over the hard tips of her breasts and watched her tremble.
    Avery felt his touch straight to the marrow of her bones “Arrogant oaf. Get off.”
    Cameron hesitated a moment, then cursed and rolled off her. He quickly undid the bonds tying their wrists together and got out of bed. He knew that if he did not put some distance between them, and quickly, his aching need could drive him to ignore her nay . Seducing her while she was still asleep was underhanded enough; he did not want to sink any lower to get what he craved. Cameron made note, however, of how swiftly and fiercely she had responded and how slow she had been to say that nay . It might be underhanded, but he knew he would try it again.
    It did not help Avery to cool the heat in her blood to see Cameron standing so close and wearing so little. She breathed a hearty, if silent, sigh of relief when he began to get dressed. Subtly taking deep, slow breaths, she fought to calm