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at her as if she were a goddess, a creature out of myth and legend that no man dared touch.
He cupped her face between his hands. Are you afraid? he asked.
No. Not of you. It is just that I am so very plain.
Plain? You? He chuckled and drew her against him. You are magnificent in every way.
Oh, Donal&
He quieted her again with his mouth on her lips, her throat, her breasts, and then he carried her back to
the bed. He stood before her without embarrassment and removed his shirt, revealing a well-muscled
torso with a dusting of coppery hair from chest to hard stomach. She had only moments to admire his
breathtaking masculine beauty before he began to unbutton his trousers. She could not look away, and
when he had shed his drawers she saw that he was fully, and impressively, aroused.
I do not believe, Cordelia said softly, that I have ever beheld such a fine male specimen of the species
Homo sapiens.
Donal s cheeks reddened, but her compliment only seemed to fuel his desire. He joined her on the bed,
stretching out beside her, and resumed his caresses, stroking her skin from breast to belly, gliding over
hip and thigh as he removed her drawers and left her naked to his gaze. His fingers circled her navel,
moving lower to dip between her thighs in delicate exploration.
She closed her eyes and gasped. Donal&
Hush, he said. His finger skimmed over her slick, tender flesh, finding the tiny bud where all sensation
gathered. He teased it with small, circular motions as he suckled her breasts and kissed her throat,
bringing her closer and closer to the mysterious and magical moment of completion.
But it was not enough to experience that moment alone, no matter how unselfishly Donal might wish it.
Cordelia pressed her face to Donal s chest, flicking his nipple with her tongue. He froze. She reached
down between them and found the hard length pressed against her thigh, stroking it with her fingertip.
I want you inside me, she whispered into the hollow of his shoulder. She shifted her legs, resting her
thigh over his hip, and guided him against her.
If there had been a moment when Donal might have broken free, when his mind might have overcome the
needs of his body, that time had long since passed. He felt Cordelia s velvet warmth opening to him,
heard her low moan of approval as he slid inside, and he was lost. Lost as she wrapped her legs about
his hips to pull him deeper, lost beyond all recovery when she gasped his name in time to the rhythm of
his thrusts. When he would have been gentle she dug her nails into his back and demanded his ferocity,
and soon there was nothing but the dance of their bodies and Cordelia s sighs of pleasure.
Still Donal held himself back, waiting for Cordelia to reach her peak before he let himself find his. But she
would have none of it. She arched up against him, her fingers tangled in his hair, and played him like a fine
instruments in the hands of a master. Just as he felt himself begin to lose control she bucked and
shuddered beneath him, and with a groan of triumph he surrendered.
With their bodies still linked he rolled Cordelia to her side, cradling her head in the crook of his arm. His
heart was so full that he couldn t speak for fear of the words he might say. Instead he stroked the damp
hair from her face and kissed her forehead, content beyond all reason.
She pulled back and kissed his chin, her face still flushed with passion. Tears shimmered in her eyes.
He leaned over her, stricken. Why are you weeping? Did I hurt you?
No. She smiled and wiped at the tears with the back of her hand. I do not believe I ve ever been so
happy.
Céadsearc, he said hoarsely, hating himself, you have made me very happy, too.
She rose up on her elbow, her hair spilling over her shoulders, and smiled at him tenderly. How strange
that I can almost hear your thoughts, she said. Right now you are wondering how best to remind me
that this is but a temporary pleasure, and that it would be a mistake for me to rely upon you for my future
happiness.
Cordelia&
You need not say it, for I already know. She caressed his lower lip with her fingertip. Be at ease, my
lord Enkidu. I shall not demand anything of you, save perhaps a few more nights like these. I am willing
to take what pleasure we can steal& today, tomorrow, for as long as you remain at Edgecott.
For all her brave words, Donal heard the quiver in her voice. He was more than grateful to accept the
temporary liaison she offered, but to speak of it now seemed crass and vulgar.
Enkidu, he said, grasping at a less painful subject. Where have I heard that name before?
It was the name I gave you in my mind when first we met at the Zoological Gardens. You have heard of
the Epic of Gilgamesh, the great Babylonian hero? His dearest companion was Enkidu, who was lord of
the beasts and could speak their tongue.
Donal shivered. I know the story. Just as he knew that Enkidu, the wildest of wild men, was tamed
when he lay with a woman sent by Gilgamesh, and thus lost his mystical bond with his animal brothers.
That would not happen to Donal. He might lie beside Cordelia a thousand times and never lose his
abilities& unless he slipped over the deadly border from friendship and desire to love.
I hope I have not offended you? Cordelia asked, smiling shyly.
How could you? At least you found me worthy to be lord of something.
Worthy indeed. She stretched up and kissed him lightly. But if you feel you have not yet earned your
title, I should be more than willing to give you another chance.
Donal groaned and pulled her against him. Her mouth was hot and wet, and her heart beat strongly
against his chest& so strongly that it seemed to shake the very walls of the cottage.
Someone was knocking at the cottage door.
Donal lifted his head, aiming a savage thought at the one who so cruelly plunged him and Cordelia back
into harsh reality.
What is it? Cordelia asked.
Donal rose and threw on shirt and trousers, buttoning up in haste as the knock sounded again. Cordelia
sat up, her gaze losing its softness as she looked toward the door.
Stay where you are, Donal warned her. I won t allow them to know you re here.
She pulled the coverlet up to her shoulders. Do you think such a thing can be kept secret? She tossed
her hair. I am not ashamed.
Donal admired her spirit, but he knew that soon she would begin to consider the consequences of their
joining. When she did, she would realize that it was ill-advised to allow either Ivy or her father to learn
what had happened.
He tucked in his shirt, pulled on his boots and carefully opened the door. A nervous footman stood on
the threshold. He bobbed his head at Donal, attempted to look over Donal s shoulder, and retreated
several steps when Donal fixed him with a withering glare.
I am sorry to disturb you, Doctor, the boy said, his Adam s apple bobbing with his words. I am
looking for Mrs. Hardcastle.
And you expected to find her here?
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