Dom O’Flaherty whitened, then reddened, with fear and helpless
rage. His eyes swept over Skye, then back to Lord Burke. He pictured
them locked in an embrace. Damn the bastard! thought Dom. He’s
got me trapped! At last he said savagely, “I yield. And damn you
to hell, my lord Burke!” Turning, he stamped from the chamber,
followed quickly by the O’Malley and the rest of the guests.

Niall Burke walked slowly to the door of the room and, shutting
it, slammed the bolt home. Turning back, he looked at Skye.
Throughout the whole exchange, she had remained as silent and still as a hiding rabbit. “I do mean to take you,” he said quietly.

Her eyes were enormous, blue-green against her white face. “I
know,” she answered softly. “You’ll have to tell me what to do. No
one has ever told me what is required, and I am very ignorant. Anne
didn’t have time to explain,” she finished helplessly.

A warm smile lit his features, and he was suddenly her Niall
again. “I think, sweetheart,” he said in a kindly voice, “that the first
thing would be to get you into bed. You look chilled.” With a
sweeping movement he pulled the covers back and, scooping her
up, gently tucked her beneath the down coverlet.

“Kiss me, Niall.” It was a simple request, and it was also the
first time she had called him by his name.

“I have every intention of doing just that, Skye. Give me but a
moment to divest myself of my clothes.”

“Please, now!”

Had she been anyone else he would have made a ribald jest. She
was so intense. So urgent. Instead he bent, kissed the lips she offered.
It was a sweet kiss, and they were both loath to stop, but finally she
drew away. “I had to be sure it would be as lovely with you this
time as it was the last. When Dom kissed me today I wanted to die
because he revolted me so.”

“And is it still as lovely, my darling?” His silvery eyes caressed
her warmly.

“Yes, Niall. It is still lovely.”

Thoughtfully, without haste, he removed his clothes and approached the bed. “Have you ever seen a man naked before, Skye?
The firelight from the small corner fireplace flickered across his bare
body.

“Only the top part. The sailors often strip their shirts off when
it gets too hot. I’ve seen bare feet, and part of the leg too.” Her
eyes slowly traveled the length of him, lingering a moment on his
sex, then blushingly moving upward.

He grinned mischievously at her. “I trust I meet with your com-
plete approval, sweetheart,” he teased, climbing into bed with her.

Her heart-shaped face was very serious. “I don’t understand how
it works.”

“Let me worry about that,” he answered. Taking her into his
arms, he rolled her beneath him. “Ah, Skye! Sweet Skye! I have
dared much for you, my darling.” His mouth found hers again, but
this time it was different. His lips teased, playing lightly across her
mouth, her fluttering eyelids, her forehead, cheeks, chin, and lastly 
the tip of her nose.

The shock of his sweet assault left her slightly breathless, and
she was certainly not ready for the warm hand that gently cupped her breast. “Oh!” Then, “Oh, Niall, I am sorry I am so small,” she
apologized shyly, unable to meet his warm gaze.

“You are perfection, Skye. See how sweetly your breast nestles
into my hand? It is like a little white dove.” He bent his dark head
and kissed the pink peak, pleased that it hardened almost immediately
beneath his lips.

Gently he pressed her back among the pillows, lightly straddling
her. His warm mouth now pressed kisses all across her trembling
breasts, taking pleasure in her rapid rise to passion. Her beautiful
hair billowed shining and dark across the white linen pillows. Head
thrown back to reveal the slender column of her throat, she tempted
the warm lips to leave a string of burning kisses down the quivering
flesh.

His big hands slipped over her torso, enjoying the silken skin.
Suddenly Skye was afire, and she moaned helplessly, frightened.
Her body felt liquid. She was languid, yet filled with a great strength
at the same time. His voice murmured soft and reassuring words of
love.

Still she gasped softly, surprised as his fingers gently explored
her, probing tenderly, forcing the tension from her body. Then she
became aware of a new touch, that of his manhood, hard against
her soft leg. Gently his knee nudged her thighs apart. The pulsing
root of him touched the tip of her womanhood, and in a sweet haze
of fear and desire she heard him say, “It will hurt you just once,
Skye. After that there will never be pain again, my love.”

“Yes! Yes! Oh, please, yes!” she panted, not even knowing what
it was that she sought, but desperately wanting it. A deep, burning
pain quickly receded, leaving her filled with a wonderful, throbbing
warmth. His silvery eyes met her blue ones, and passion mirrored
passion as he loved her. For a moment they hung suspended in time
and then she cried out her pleasure as his hardness broke, filling her
with his creamy juices.

After a few breathless minutes he rolled away and cradled her in
his arms. He stroked her hair, marveling at its soft density. When
he spoke again his velvety voice held the faintest hint of a tremor.
”Thank you, Skye, my little love. Thank you for the most precious
gift a man can receive from a maiden.”

She moved so that she could see his face, her new womanhood
making her brave. “I have waited all my life for you, Niall Burke.
Do not leave me now, for I should sooner be your leman than Dom
O’Flaherty’s wife. I would go where you go.”

He sighed. “I cannot let you go now, Skye. We will get your
marriage annulled based on your adultery with me. I have no inten-
tion of returning you to O’Flaherty. We will leave for my father’s castle in the morning. Your husband is a vain peacock. A fat financial
settlement and a new and noble bride should soothe his swollen
pride.”

“You will not leave me?” Her eyes were shining with happiness.
”Oh, Niall! I love you! I love you so much!”

“God, sweetheart, I adore you!” He kissed her hard. “I love you
too, my darling. I love you!”

Their bodies melted together once more. Skye was completely
overwhelmed by these new and delicious stormy sensations sweeping
over her. Her body responded to his every touch, eagerly seeking
each new thrill.

He lay on his back and, lifting her, lay her atop him. Her blushes
delighted him. Shyly she hid her face in his shoulder. He chuckled.
”Nay, sweetheart, now you must love me.”

“But Niall, I don’t know how,” she protested.

‘Touch me, Skye. It’s the best start.”

She sat up, her legs on either side of his torso. She couldn’t quite
meet his gaze yet. Shyly she touched his chest with a trembling
hand. The dark mat of hair was soft, his skin smooth and warm.
Her hand moved to his shoulder, then down his well-muscled sword
arm. In a sudden bold move she leaned forward and brushed his
cheek with her breast. Niall softly caught his breath and waited for
her next move. Slowly she rubbed his face and then a hard little
nipple was against his lips. It was now Skye’s turn to gasp as she
found the taut little peak in the warmness of his mouth. His tongue
teased it, sending darts of fire through her. She wriggled, eyes half
closed.

His arms came up around her, and she once more found herself
on her back. He caught her hand and drew it down to his manhood.
Unbidden she caressed him with devastating effect. He groaned into
the dark and tangled night of her hair. The clean, heathery smell of
her soap, the warm woman scent of her body maddened him. Again
he slid his great sword into her sweet sheath.

Sighing, she took as much of him to herself as she could. Her
arms held him as tightly as his held her.

“Put your legs about me, my darling. I cannot have enough of
you.” His voice was strange, fierce and husky. Obeying, she cried
out softly as she felt him drive deeper into her soft body. The world
about her exploded into a whirlpool of pleasure upon pleasure. It
could get no better, and yet it did-with each smooth thrust.

“Niall! Oh, Niall, I die!” she finally sobbed, seemingly unable
to bear any more. He was experienced enough to control their spiraling rise, but he could not stop loving her. “Just a little more,
Skye. Ah, God! You’re so sweet! I don’t want to stop!” he muttered thickly. “No! No! Don’t stop! Please, no!” she whispered back
frantically. She did not want to leave this marvelous world. Deeper!
Deeper! Faster! Faster! They were lost in each other. As they climaxed together she gave a long wail, half in joy, half in sorrow.

Gathering her to him, he crooned low, “Ah, Skye! Sweet Skye!
You are perfection, my little love. Pure perfection! I love you so,
sweetheart.”

Her blue-green eyes were heavy with exhaustion, but they shone
with love. “Give me a son, Niall!” she whispered fiercely.

Tenderly he stroked her cheek. “In time, my darling. In time.
Now sleep, Skye, my love. In the morning we will face the world
with the shocking news mat we would be together. We will need
to be well rested to meet the uproar that’s sure to follow.”

“You meant it when you said you wouldn’t leave me?” Her voice
trembled.

“Aye, sweetheart! Only the devil himself can separate us now,
Skye.”

“I’d go with you into Hell itself, Niall,” she answered passion-
ately.

At last, enclosed in each other’s arms, they fell asleep, trusting
the power of their love.

Chapter 3

In the gray half-light before dawn Niall Burke and Skye lay
sleeping. Heart hammering, the little pot boy crawled through
the unshuttered window and for a brief moment stared quite
openmouthed at the two people lying on the bed. Both were
naked. The man was on his stomach, face down, his arm flung
across the woman. She was curled on her side. The pot boy, who
was rarely freed from his kitchen, thought the two were the most
beautiful sight he had ever seen. He felt saddened at what he must
do. The woman stirred in her sleep and, guiltily recalling his duty,
the boy tiptoed across the room. Softly sliding the bolt back, he
opened the door.