Margot stubbornly kissed the point between his shoulder blades. “Were you never tempted?” she asked.

“Aye, of course I was tempted,” he said, making a feeble attempt to bat her away. “I’m a man. But I was married and I didna act on it.”

“Then you’re much stronger of character than am I.”

He grunted at that. “You’ll be astonished, no doubt, that admitting your weakness does no’ pacify me in the least. It only makes me more suspicious of you.”

She kissed the back of his neck. “I didn’t tell you to pacify you. I told you to be completely honest and offer you my sincerest apologies.”

“Then you’d best start offering, madam—the list is quite long.”

“Yes, it is, and I do offer them, Arran,” she said, and her hand slid around to his chest. “I offer my apologies for everything.”

Everything. What did that mean, really? He looked over his shoulder at her. Diah, but the woman could fire his blood, her lips dark rose against her skin made milky by the moonlight. She looked so earnest. So treacherous. So desirable. His head warred with his heart. His heart warred with his cock. What was he doing with her? Why had he not sent her home straightaway?

“I am sorry,” she said, biting his arm lightly. “Can you not see how I’ve tried to show you? I danced. I drank ale. I came to you. It’s not pretense—it’s my sincere effort to please you.”

“Ach, it shows me nothing,” he said with a flick of his wrist. “You might do the same for a new gown.”

“Then perhaps this will convince you,” she said, and kissed his ribs.

Arran jerked. He was ticklish there. “Donna do that.”

Margot moved lower, her hair trailing down his arm as her mouth moved across him. She kissed his abdomen, lingering there.

He wouldn’t fight it. He was incapable of fighting it. He was brought to mind of their wedding night, of how beautiful and innocent she’d been. And completely ignorant of what went on between a man and a woman. It was utterly impossible that she should have reached adulthood with no carnal knowledge, but it appeared that was precisely the case. He had not relished taking her virginity the way some men did, but when the task was done, he had loved teaching her what pleased her. And what pleased him. And the many ways they could enjoy each other.

She moved lower, her tongue teasing the tip of his cock. Had he taught her this, as well? How to drive a man to utter madness? “I’m no’ a woman,” he warned her. “I’ll no’ be swayed by a bloody kiss. I’ll trust you no more by morning’s light.”

“You most certainly are not a woman,” she agreed, and took him into her mouth.