"I'm not sure," he answered honestly. "But I do know he's a different man around you than he is other women."

"Different how?"

Sin shrugged. "It's hard to explain exactly. He's just more at ease with you. Teases you in ways I've never seen him tease anyone else."

"And how wouldI know if he loved me?"

Sin gave another bitter laugh.

He looked up as if addressing the Lord Himself. "Again, she asks a man who has never known love," he muttered. Then, louder, he said, "How does anyone ever know if they're truly loved or not? You just have to take a chance and see."

He seared her with the intensity of his gaze. "But I can tell you this: If someone were after something I wanted, I wouldn't stand in here weeping about it. I'd go take action on the matter."

His raked her with a cold stare. "I thought you were a fighter. Or are you willing to just give up on your dreams?"

"I'm willing to fight," she said.

Aye, that she was.

Stiffening her spine, she rose to her feet and went to find Braden and his strumpet.

Because if there was any truth to Sin's words, then she might actually have a chance at the man of her dreams. And if that was true, then she wouldn't stop until she had him at the altar.

Chapter 12.

"Och, now, what a big, bonny man, you are," Tara purred as she took the platters and cups from Braden and set them inside the back door of her cottage.

Braden smiled at her as she closed the door and stepped out beneath the small overhang that protected the back door from the rain. It was a tight s.p.a.ce, but it easily accommodated both of them.

The light from the cottage's window lit the area just enough that they could see each other.

A flash of lightning highlighted her face and the dark hunger in her blue eyes.

Aye, he'd be tasting a bit of heaven in a few minutes, and he couldn't wait to put an end to his celibacy.

Braden braced his arm above Tara's head, against the doorframe, and let his gaze roam her voluptuous body. She had one of those figures that could drive a man to distraction. Large, lush b.r.e.a.s.t.s where a man could bury his face and hands, among other things, and a tiny, inviting waist. Her hips flared gently, and by the way she was rubbing herself against him, he could tell she knew quite a few tricks to please a man.

And then the unimaginable happened as she glided her hand over his chest.

His body did nothing.

Nay, it couldn't be!

Instantly his smile faded.

Tara pressed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s against his chest and ran her arms about his neck. She breathed in his ear, stirring his wet hair, before she took his earlobe between her teeth and ran her tongue along the edge of it.

Normally, such actions would have his head reeling, and he'd be feverishly relieving her of her clothes.

But tonight...

Well, he couldn't say it wasn't pleasurable, because it was. Yet somehow, it wasn't satisfying to him.

Worse, his body only stirred a bit. It was far from the fiery loins he'd been having the last few days.

And in that instant he knew why.

He wanted Maggie.

Dear saints in heaven! It was all he could do not to curse aloud as Tara ran her nails down his spine.

And nothing happened. No chills, no...

Well, his body did perk up a bit as she rubbed her hand against his groin. Still, it wasn't the same reaction he'd had even last night when Maggie had teasingly displayed her more conservative, fully clothed cleavage at him.

Determined to prove himself wrong, Braden took Tara's chin in his hand, tilted her head back, and kissed her deeply.

She met his kiss fully and with the practiced ease of a woman who was well versed in the art of lovemaking. She could ride a man well, there was no doubt about it.

But still his body and mind remained painfully disinterested.

What he really wanted was the bold, innocent kiss of a redheaded h.e.l.lion. This woman in his arms was nothing more than a poor subst.i.tute, and his body knew it.

d.a.m.n it straight to h.e.l.l!

How could he want Maggie so? She made him insane. She was stubborn, opinionated and the last thing she wanted to do was please a man.

And yet...

Iam a fool! A stupid, cursed fool who should have his head ripped from his shoulders .

Suddenly his and Tara's embrace seemed tawdry and vile. Despicable. And if Maggie should ever learn of it, it would crush her.

"I can't do this," he said, pulling back from Tara.

Nay, he couldn't, not while the true object of his desire was waiting in the stable with his brother.

"Me da is already in bed," Tara said. "He'll never know." She reached for the laces of his shirt.

Braden caught her hands in his and took a step back. "You're a beautiful la.s.s," he said. "But I'm afraid my mind is somewhere else tonight."

Tara licked her lips suggestively. "I could make you forget all about that one who holds your thoughts."

How he wished that were so.

"Good night, Tara," he said, releasing her and heading back to the stable. And with every step he took through the pouring rain, he cursed himself and Maggie.

What was he going to do?

Dear G.o.d, did he already love her?

Nay, his mind bellowed. He couldn't love her. He refused to allow himself to love a woman. Love made a man weak. It made him blind and foolish.

What if she one day asked him to forsake his blood as his mother had done his father? Or Isobail had done with Kieran and Ewan?

It was l.u.s.t, he decided. He'd merely had a taste of Maggie and liked it.

Worse was the fact that he knew he couldn't even bed her to get her out of his system. He would never take that from her.

Throwing his head back, he wished the b.l.o.o.d.y lightning would strike him dead where he stood. Because there was no way out for him, and no peace to be had.

Rain pelted Maggie's body, virtually blinding her, and soaking her clothes as she left the stable and started across the yard toward the house.

She was sure to find Braden there with one of the la.s.ses. And she had a pretty good idea which one of them would be wrapped about him.

Her teeth clenched to stave off the pain, she rounded the edge of the stable.

A loud bleating caught her attention.

Squinting through the rain, she saw two shapes tussling nearby. It appeared to be two farm animals, no doubt doing something she shouldn't interrupt.

Maggie started to ignore them until a flash of lightning showed her the outline of a man's body.

Stunned, she froze, unable to believe her eyes.

Until another flash of lightning flared and she again saw the man pulling at the tiny beast.

Maggie smiled. She'd know that well-muscled form anywhere. Even when it was wringing wet and tugging at some poor, hapless animal.

Maggie rushed toward them to see a small sheep caught in the fence. Braden was kneeling in the mud, trying to free the little beastie.

Relief poured through her at the sight. He wasn't in another woman's arms! She felt like crying out in happiness. He had only stopped to free the animal.

She ran to his side.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked as she stopped beside him.

Unwilling to admit her suspicions, she changed the subject. "Can I do anything to help?"

"Aye, get back inside before you catch your death."

It was all she could do not to kiss him. At that moment, he was more beautiful to her than he had ever been before, and she felt terrible that she had so misjudged him. "Let me see if I can help." She knelt down and held on to the sheep.

"Keep her still," Braden said as he stood up, then leaned over the railing to free the animal's hind leg.

The sheep jerked and bleated again.

Lifting up a piece of wood that had fallen, Braden finally freed it.

The sheep took off running across the yard and vanished into the night.

"We need to get you inside," Braden said, taking her by the hand and running with her back into the stable.

Oh, how she wanted to shout! He was such a good, sweet man.

Sin had been right. Braden was her perfect hero.

Braden opened the door for her and the two of them entered the musky building.

"You're chilled to the bone," Braden snapped at her as she shivered just inside the doorway. "What were you thinking when you went out there?"

She responded by sneezing.

"Bless you," he said, retrieving a plaid and wrapping her up in it. He urged her toward the only empty stall, in the back by the four horses. "Now go get out of those clothes before you become ill."

Smiling up at him, Maggie nodded, then went behind the gate where she could have a bit of privacy. She heard Braden walking, but didn't look up to see where he was.

"Why didn't you stop her?" Braden demanded of Sin.

Maggie frowned at the rage she heard coming from Braden. It was so unlike him to be angry over anything, especially something as minute as a simple dousing.

"I didn't think anything of it," Sin said, his tone level and calm.

"Well, you should have."

"Ease off, little brother. I don't care for your tone." This time, she heard the note of warning in Sin's voice.

Braden growled at Sin.

Quickly she removed her wet plaid, binding and saffron shirt, then wrapped the dry plaid around her.

She stood on her tiptoes to ask one of the men to bring her a new shirt, but the words died on her lips as she caught sight of Braden's back.

Hisnaked back.

Her mouth went dry as her eyes feasted on the bare, tawny skin that gleamed in the candlelight. She'd known all her life that Braden was well formed, but never had she guessed exactly how fine a body he had.

A wealth of bronze flesh was stretched tight over muscles so toned that the sight made her burn.

Oblivious to her attention, he continued talking to Sin as he dropped his plaid and bared the whole length of his backside to her.

Her head light, she feared for a moment she might faint. He was gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous! And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't tear her gaze away from his firm, golden b.u.t.tocks that begged for a woman's caress.