He'd never seen her garbed in anything other than black, and the effect was like a punch in the heart. She looked so achingly lovely, and for the first time since he'd met her, he did not feel that the shadow of another man stood between them.

"What did you think?" she asked softly. "That some man had absconded with me?"

He refocused his gaze on her face. Glossy strands of hair had worked free of her braid, lending her a sensually disheveled air. Lifting his hand, he brushed a single fingertip over the smudges marring the delicate pale skin under her eyes, marks that told him without words that she had not slept. Her pupils dilated at the whisper of a touch, and he instantly wondered what her reaction would be to a bolder, more intimate caress.

"I feared some manner of disaster had befallen you, yes," he said. "Based on the events of our acquaintance thus far, you can hardly fault my concern."

"I was not finding fault. Indeed, considering my conversation this evening with Elizabeth, I appreciate your vigilance on my behalf."

His fingers drifted down her smooth cheek. She had no idea how vigilant he intended to be. "What did Elizabeth tell you?"

"That she sensed danger. And that I should not venture off alone."

"So you know about her… feelings?"

"She told me this evening, yes. Told me she'd felt something about David… that was why she'd tried to persuade me not to marry him." A humorless laugh escaped her. "If only-" She shook her head, then stepped away from him. His hands fell to his sides, and he watched her walk across the room to stand in front of the fireplace. Sensing she needed to put some space between them, he forced himself to remain where he was.

"I cannot change the past," she said. "All I can do is learn from my mistakes."

"That is all any of us can do, Allie."

She contemplated the burning log for several seconds, then turned back to him. "This ability of Elizabeth 's, it's extraordinary."

"Indeed it is," he agreed. "Her 'feelings' saved Austin 's life. My brother William's and his family's lives as well. We are forever in her debt."

There was no mistaking her surprise. "I did not know this. It is a story I would be interested in hearing."

"Then I shall tell you. But not now. Now there are other things we need to discuss."

He watched her go still. Then she lifted her chin a notch. "What other things?"

"The fact that there is still danger facing you," he said, walking slowly toward her. Her eyes widened slightly at his deliberately measured approach, but she stood her ground. Good. He liked that she didn't back away. Liked the awareness tempered with caution flickering in her eyes. "There is also the fact that you do not need to worry about venturing off alone because I have no intention of being farther away from you than"-he halted when only two feet separated them-"this."

Reaching out, he lightly clasped her wrists. Her pulse raced beneath his fingers, pleasing him. "Then there is the matter of finishing our conversation from the carriage."

"Have you thought on the matter?" she asked.

"I've thought of nothing else."

"I see. And have you made a decision?" He had to admire her air of calm nonchalance, an effect spoiled only by the rapid quickening of her pulse.

With his eyes steady on hers, he said, "Surely there can be no doubt in your mind that I want to make love to you."

A flicker of what appeared to be relief flashed in her eyes. Yet when he said nothing further, simply stood and watched her, that relief turned to uncertainty. "Not a doubt exactly," she said, "yet I sense a 'but.' "

"I assume you've considered that you could become pregnant." He forcibly pushed aside the incredible, heart-stopping image of her, large with his child.

"Of course I considered it, but it is not a concern." She lowered her chin and stared at the floor. "I am… barren."

Everything inside him tensed, and a mental No! screamed through his head. Fate would not be so cruel. Swallowing to moisten his suddenly dry throat, he asked, "What makes you believe that?"

She raised her head and met his gaze. "I never conceived during my marriage."

His muscles relaxed somewhat. "You were not married very long."

"Eight months. Certainly long enough, especially considering how frequently we… tried."

His teeth clenched at the thought of that thieving scoundrel touching her, and he was glad the bastard would never touch her again. No man will. Except me. "Perhaps the fault was your husband's."

She shook her head. "No. The failure was mine. David was quite positive on the matter. So positive, in fact, that given what I now know about him, I would not be surprised if he'd fathered a child at some point." Bitterness compressed her lips. "Indeed, he might have fathered several. Lord knows I was not his first woman… or his last. Not being able to have children… it was difficult to accept, yet I had no choice but to do so."

Her words cut deep. He wanted children. Lots of them. And Allie would be a wonderful mother.

But what if she were truly barren?

He looked into her eyes, and his heart turned over. Yes, children were important. But she was essential. If she truly could not bear a child, then they would lavish their love on their nieces and nephews. And in the meanwhile, he'd pointed out the likelihood that her husband could have been at fault for her childless state. If the lady wasn't concerned about becoming pregnant, well, who was he to argue?

The ramifications of that seared through his brain. If she were to become pregnant with his child… that would force her to stay with him. Marry him.

Surely that thought should horrify his conscience, yet his inner voice remained silent, allowing him to rationalize that, while he would never want her to be forced into a marriage she did not want, there was not a doubt in his mind that given enough time, she would come to realize they belonged together. Certainly once they'd made love, she would know.

"Was there anything else you wished to discuss?" she asked.

Releasing her wrists, he entwined their fingers. "No. In fact, I believe I'm quite out of conversation."

She stepped forward, erasing the distance between them. The tips of her breasts brushed his shirt, igniting him. "Then perhaps you'd like to kiss me."

His gaze drifted down to her full lips, and he swelled against his breeches. "Yes, I would. For starters…"

Bending his head, he captured her mouth in a kiss he'd meant to be tender. But the instant his lips touched hers, it blazed into something hot and demanding, then scorching when she disentangled her fingers from his and ran her palms up his chest and over his shoulders to tangle in his hair.

Wrapping one arm around her waist, he hauled her tightly against him, while his free hand slid up her back, into her soft hair. They strained against each other, her breasts flattened against his chest, his erection cradled in the V of her thighs. Their tongues tangled in a desperate dance to taste more, delve deeper. The taste of her… sweet and spicy at the same time, her luscious honeysuckle scent, wrapped around him, invading his senses. He wanted, needed, more of her. Now.

A small inner voice warned him to slow down, but his body was beyond obeying. He felt as if he'd spent months in the desert, deprived of water, and she was an oasis. A desperate need to touch her everywhere at once overwhelmed him, fueling the hunger pounding through him. His hands skimmed restlessly down her back, cupping her rounded buttocks, then wandered up her rib cage and forward, to fill his palms with her full breasts.

She squirmed against him, and a low, animal-like growl vibrated in his throat. He wanted his hands on her skin. Needed hers on his. Breaking off their kiss, he looked down at her. Her lips were swollen and moist, her color high, her eyes glazed with arousal. Her chest rose and fell with her rapid breaths, no less frantic than his own.

Reaching up, he cupped her face between his none-too-steady hands. "Allie…" Bloody hell, he barely recognized that rasp as his voice. "I want to go slow, gently, with you, but God help me, I don't know if I can."

Her warm breath puffed over his lips. "I don't recall asking you to go slow. In fact…" She lowered her hand down his body and stroked her fingers over his straining erection.

He sucked in a sharp breath and managed a jerky nod. "Right. We'll save slow for another time." He took one step back and set to work unfastening his shirt with an impatience he could not control. She immediately busied herself undoing the row of buttons on her dressing gown. He mourned the fact that he wasn't removing her clothing himself, but damn it, this was faster. And he wanted, needed, them skin to skin as quickly as possible.

In spite of his shaking hands, and his attention diverted by the arousing sight of her robe slipping off her shoulders, he managed to strip off his clothing in record time. He tossed his breeches aside just as her gown slithered downward to pool at her feet.

For the space of several heartbeats, they stared at each other. She was incredible. Round and womanly, soft and fragrant. Her breasts were high and full, her coral nipples pebbled with arousal. His gaze wandered downward, touching on her curved waist, then the triangle of chestnut curls nestled between her shapely thighs. By God, the instant he did not feel so desperate and about to explode, he would take the time to savor every delectable inch of her.

They reached for each other at the same time, arms going about each other, skin pressed to heated skin from chest to knee. At last. She felt so damn good… so soft and warm. He captured her mouth in another searing kiss, slipping his tongue into the silky heaven behind her lips. With his mouth fused to hers, he cupped her buttocks and lifted her up against him. She instantly wrapped her legs around his hips, opening herself, her moist feminine flesh pressing against his arousal. Bloody hell, he wasn't sure he could make it to the bed. Determined not to disgrace himself, he headed swiftly across the room, tumbling her onto the mattress, then following her down.