Kresley Cole - If You Desire

"Do I pass muster?" she murmured breathlessly with a slow, easy grin that made his heart punch the insides of his chest.

"As ever." He fought not to touch a curl that teased her cheek, taunting him.

"You, however, are quite dirty," she said with a disapproving glance at his clothes. "And your face is cut up." Were her words slurring worse? "Hugh, whatever have you gotten into?"

"I've ridden for days on end." He hadn't taken time to heal and sure as hell hadn't stopped for ablutions when he'd believed she was in danger. But how badly he wished he looked successful, as wealthy as he'd finally become. Any man would want to appear rich and powerful to the woman he desired. Instead, Hugh was injured, his clothing covered in road grime.

Appearsuccessful ? Right now, he'd accept clean.

"And what brings you to London?" she asked.

You. Finally, I've permission to see you.Hugh had never lied to her before. Yet the last time he saw her, he'd been a decade younger and still concerned with honor. No longer.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the facile lie he'd prepared refused to escape his lips. So, he told her the truth. "Your father sent for me."

"Important business?" she asked, gazing over at him with an understanding expression.

Staring at her, he searched for his voice, finally grating, "You canna imagine."

Jane had been quaking with jealousy at the thought of Hugh sampling the pleasures of the Hive—and at the possibility of his interest in Maddy. Jane had no objection to Maddy snagging her cousin Quin, the only male in Jane's entire Weyland generation, solely for his money.

But the idea of Hugh together with Maddy had made Jane want to claw her eyes out.

Then came Hugh's quiet admission. His words had softened her, undermining her guard.

"How do you feel, Sìne?" he asked.

Sìnewas the Gaelic form of Jane—he pronounced itShee-ah-na and had never seemed to realize that he always said it as if it were an endearment. Her eyes nearly fluttered closed with pleasure at the name rolling from his tongue. That brogue would be the death of her.

"Lass, are you shivering?"

"Too much excitement," she said, though she knew that wasn't why she shook. Even if the crush hadn't scared her witless, even if seeing him once more hadn't stunned her, she'd still be reduced to shivers by the way he said her name in his language.

"Hugh, someone really ought to see about these." Before thinking better of it, she lightly touched the backs of her fingers to the three marks on his face, but he flinched as if burned.

"Did I hurt you?" She laid her hand on his arm, but he slowly shrugged away. "I'm sorry."

"No bother."

Then why had he shifted as far away from her as possible on the bench and turned away without a word? As he stared out the window, eyes subtly darting over the street as though searching for something, she took the opportunity to study him.

She couldn't decide whether the years had been kind or unkind to Hugh. He'd grown larger than he'd been at twenty-two, which was saying something, considering his strapping build even then. He was perhaps six and a half feet tall, still towering over her own five and a half feet, but now his body seemed packed with even more muscle. He was a man in his prime, and the years had honed the strength of his body.

Virile, masculine, rough.All the qualities she'd loved about him before had now become magnified—his heroic actions tonight were proof of that.

Yet if his body had benefited by the years, his face had not. Those three long gashes carved his cheek, and a furrow was etched between his brows. A raised scar marred the side of his neck. And his brown eyes seemed darker, as if the flecks of warm amber that she'd loved to stare at had been extinguished.

As she'd discovered tonight in the melee, Hugh looked…dangerous. The steady, grave Hugh she'd known had become an intense man—analarming man.

But he also looked markedly unhappy. Wherever he'd been without her for all this time, he hadn't been content. She could have made the brooding Highlander happy these past years. That was all she'd ever wanted. Just achance to—

"DoI pass muster?" he asked quietly, facing her.

Striving for politeness, she replied, "The years have been kind."

"No, they have no'. And we both know it." His gaze flickered over her. "At least they have for one of us."

Her hot blush of pleasure flustered her. Luckily, she was saved from having to reply when the cab stopped for Hugh's horse. The poor animal looked as road-weary and fatigued as Hugh, but Jane could tell that under the layer of dust the animal was exceptionally fine with an unusual build and markings.

After Hugh had tethered the horse to the back of the hansom, and he'd rejoined her, she said, "You're lucky someone didn't steal a horse like that. Why didn't you take it to the city stables a block away?"

"I dinna have t—" He broke off, seeming irritated. "I just dinna."

"Oh. I see," she said with a frown. After several moments of silence, she ventured to make conversation with him. Her home was only fifteen minutes away, but as the ride was filled with clipped, awkward exchanges—between two who used to be so at ease with each other—it seemed the longest of her life.

Mercifully, they arrived at last. When Hugh put his hands to her waist to help her down, he seemed to linger, then kept his palm across her back as he escorted her to the front door.

"I don't have a key." Jane patted her skirts as if she had pockets. "I lost my reticule tonight."

"Rolley will be awake," Hugh said, but he didn't make a move to knock. He looked like he was about to say something, but whatever he saw in her eyes made him fall silent.

There they stood at the door facing each other, each seeming to await something. Could he see how much she yearned for an apology, or, at the very least, an explanation? The moment stretched out interminably.

Hugh, if you were ever going to make things right between us, now would be the time.But he didn't. Instead, his eyes grew intent, and his brows drew together.

He's going to kiss me!she vaguely comprehended, her breaths growing shallow.For the first time? Now?

Anger simmered inside her. He didn't deserve her kisses. He could have had them freely for the last ten years.

He leaned in….

Without even an apology?Her palm itched to slap him—

At the last instant, the door swung open. "Thought I 'eard something," Rolley said, standing tense in the doorway.

Hugh drew back and had to cough into his fist to rasp to her, "Go inside now. I'll see you in the morning when I return."

"Seeme ?" She blinked up at him. "Whatever for?"

Jane's cousins called him Hugh "Tears and Years" MacCarrick.

Because she'd wasted an inordinate amount of each on him.

Now that the giddy rush of seeing him again—and the effects of the deceptively potent punch—had worn off, she stared into her dressing table mirror, combing out her hair after her bath. When her eyes glinted in the glass, Jane realized she was about to go wasting even more. She laid down her brush beside the message from Claudia saying they'd all gotten home safely, then put her head in her hands. She shoved the heels of her palms against her eyes, as if that would stem the tears.

Countless nights crying and years of her life she'd squandered. Jane—who knew how precious time was!

When Jane was only six, her mother had died from a lung inflammation, and since then Jane had never beencontent . Perhaps she knew too well that she could never take for granted a single second, and that was what made her restless. Perhaps she was simply never meant to experience a feeling of complete satisfaction.

She burned to travel, to experience exciting new places—but was it wanderlust, or the yearning to be wherever shewasn't at the time? Ten years ago, with Hugh at her side, that anxious feeling had dimmed to a point where she could ignore it. She couldn't explain why.