Mystic Mountains

She pushed it back and got onto her knees. "I'll be off to my bed as well," she said.
    Tiger leant over and placed a hand on her arm. "Stay awhile, Bella," he urged. I don 't feel like sleeping yet." He pulled a wry face as he glanced about. "And there's nobody else here whose company I'd like to keep."
    "Thanks." She sighed tiredly. "So, I 'm to keep you company because I happen to be the only one available."
    "I didn 't mean that and you know it. Please stay and talk to me." The note of pleading in his tone made her raise her brows. "I need to be with you, and I think you need to be with me."
    He tugged gently on her arm and after staring at him a while she sat back down, sighing.
    "Why the sudden need to be with me? You've not sought my company for so long I reckon there were times you forgot I existed." The flames drew her eyes and she gazed into the fire.
    "Never." Tiger moved closer, pressing his thigh on hers. "You 're in my blood, woman. I look at you and something in me comes alive as it never has with any other woman, and that's the truth."
    She shrugged, pulling at a clump of grass. "Missing your mistress already, eh? Agnes is too young, Lily too free and easy with the laborers, so Bella will do, is that it?" Angrily she tossed the plucked grass away.
    Tiger swore, pushing his hair back as he swallowed. "By God, you have a low opinion of me, don 't you?"
    "What have you ever done that I should have a high opinion of you, pray tell me?" Her lips curled.
    "True. I guess I've lived up to my name of English pig, eh?" He chuckled, but there was little mirth in the sound. "Have you ever wanted to turn back time an’ start all over again?" She shook her head. "Well, I have, many a time," he confessed. "Do you know, I often wish we could wipe out words we should never have said and deeds that should never have been committed."
    "Words unexpressed will doubtless fall dead, but God himself can 't kill them once they're said," she quoted. "Same goes for deeds. So, best thing is not to do anything you'd be sorry for, isn't it?"
    " Mm, too late for me though. I'll probably rot in the hell you confined me to a long time ago." He lifted her hand and Isabella stared into his eyes where the flames of the fire were reflected. She made a soft sound of disbelief.
    "If what you have in mind is what I think it is, then you can just forget it, Tiger Carstairs." She shrank back when he ran a finger up and down her forearm, then began to stroke her wrist where her pulse beat rapidly.
    "And what am I thinking of doing?" He searched her eyes intently.
    "You think to have your way with me because we 're here on our own. But you can think again." Pushing at his chest she freed her hand and started to move away. He lay back with a heavy sigh, his hands under his head, and she relaxed.
    "What do you take me for, Bella? I just wanted to offer you comfort. Dougal 's not cold yet and I feel sick with worrying he may have been alive when we left him. Jesus." He pushed himself onto his elbows and groaned. "Bella, suppose he was still alive? I'll rot in hell for sure if he was. It was unforgivable not to go down and check on him. How could I not have tried?"
    His face wore such a genuin e look of grief and regret she couldn't help putting her arms about him. "Don't torture yourself so, Tiger. 'Twas my decision. I didn't want you to take the risk. I'd die if anything happened to you," she whispered, her voice catching. She knew she'd confessed too much, but it was too late to take it back.
    "And I 'll die if I don't taste your sweet mouth once more." With a mumbled word she couldn't understand he pulled her down and twisted until his body covered hers, pressing her into the soft tufts of grass. "Bella, Bella," he murmured before his mouth slanted over hers.
    Welcoming his heavy weight she circled his body with her arms, returning the kiss in full measure.
    "It's been so long," he said, dropping kisses all over her face.
    "Aye." It had. It seemed a lifetime since she 'd known the ecstasy of his lovemaking.
    "I 'm dying for you. I need to be inside you. Can I please make love to you, Bella?"
    Speechless, she pulled back to stare hard at him. Her head moved in a small nod of acceptance. That was the first time Tiger had ever asked for anything. It was her undoing.
    Silently he made love to her beside the fire, while a short distance away the men laughed and talked. One of them played on a makeshift pipe, and the haunting melody wove itself