FitforaKing(04-1987)

ChapterOne

The king-size bed felt strange to Elissa, which was no surprise, really, since it wasn't her own. It
belongedtoKingstonRoper,anditwasagoodthingtheywerefriendsorshe'dneverhavedonehim
this "little favor" on a minute's notice. Elissa's own safe, single bed was in her little cottage on the
whiteJamaicanbeachnearMontegoBay,onlyashortwalkfromKing'senormousvilla.

InthepasttwoyearsElissaknewshe'dgonefrombeingjustanirritatingneighbortotheonlyfriend
Kinghad.Andfriendwastheword;theycertainlyweren'tlovers.ElissaGlorianaDean,forallher
eccentricities and uninhibited appearance, was an innocent. Her missionary parents had given her a
loving but restrictive upbringing, and not even her budding success in the sophisticated world of
fashiondesignhadliberatedherinanyphysicalway.

Thistripdownshe'dbeenontheislandonlysincethatmorning,missingKing,whowasn'tathome,
and halfheartedly working on her newest collection of colorful leisure wear for the boutique that
carriedherexclusivedesigns.Then,justanhourago,Kinghadphonedherwiththiswildrequestand
had hung up without a word of explanation the moment she'd agreed to help him out. She couldn't
imaginewhyhewantedhertobefoundinhisbed.Hedidn'tseemtobedatinganyone.Butthenagain,
maybe he was being hounded by some bored socialite and wanted to show her that he was already
involved. This tactic did seem a bit drastic, though, especially since King was adept at speaking his
mind. He never pulled his punches, even with people he liked. Oh, well. All the wondering in the
worldwasn'tgoingtogiveheranyanswers.She'dsimplyhavetowaittohearwhatKinghadtosay.

Shestretchedluxuriouslyinhishugebed,thesmoothsatinsheetsfeelingcoolandsexyagainsther
skin.

Shewaswearinganightgown,butitwasmadeofthefinestcottonandslittothehipsonbothsides.In
front, it made a plunge to her navel. The daring pink negligee was part of her fantasy life, she
admittedtoherself.Insomewaysshemightberepressedonthesurface,butinhermindshewasa
beautifulsirenwholuredmentotheirdooms.

OnlywithKingcouldshesafelyindulgethatfantasywoman,however,becauseheneverapproached
herphysically.WithKing,shecouldflirttoheart'scontent.Althoughshewasfriendlytomostmen,
shewas careful notto tease. Theinstant a man mistookher playful friendlinessfor a come-on, she
retreatedintohershell,thefantasyshattered.Itwasonethingtopretendtobesexy,butquiteanother
tofollowthrough.Afrighteningexperienceinherteenshadleftherextremelywaryinthatregard.

Kingwassafe,though,Elissaremindedherself.Overthepasttwoyearshe'dbecomeafriendanda
confidant, and she wasn't afraid to let down her guard with him. She wouldn't have dreamed of
wearing this revealing gown in front of anyone else. But despite their sometimes flirtatious
camaraderie,Kingscarcelyevenseemedtonoticethatshehadabody,sothislittlecharadeheldno
danger.Shesmiledtoherself,feelingwomanlyandsexyandwildlycome-hitherish.Shewouldputon
agreatactforwhoeverthispersistentfemalewas,andlaterKingcouldtellherallaboutit

Kingston Roper, she mused. He could be such an enigma at times-like now. He was a big-time

businessman, she knew-oil and gas and a few diversified interests, as she recalled. He'd inherited
interestinthefamilycompany,whichhadbeenonthevergeofbankruptcy,andhadusedhisbusiness
savvytomakeafortune.

Apparentlyhishalfbrother,whosefatherhadleftthebusinesstobothsons,hadbeencompetinglike
madtoovertakeKingeversince.

Althoughtheytalkedfrequentlyandfreely,sheandKingdidn'tspendawholelotoftimediscussing
everyday details about themselves, and as a result, she now realized, she didn't know all that much
abouthisfamily.

Hishalfbrother,Bobby,wasmarried,andKinghadsaidsomethingaboutexpectinghimandhiswife
for a visit. But that was at about the time she'd had to go back to the States to oversee her latest
collectionasitwasassembled.

Shesmiledagainasshethoughtaboutthesuccessofthatcollection,whichallowedhertheluxuryof
spending time in Jamaica. Her name was her label-Elissa-and she catered to a unique clientele. Her
sportswearwasexotic,anditsfantasyflairwasdesignedtocapturetheeyeaswellastheimagination.
She favored dramatic combinations of red and black and white, with the emphasis on cut and
silhouette.Herstyleshadtakensometimetocatchon,butnowthattheyhad,saleswerebooming,and
shewasmakinganiceliving.Thecottagehadbeenagodsend-she'dboughtitataterrificpricewhen
she'dbeenonararevacation-andforthepasttwoyears,wheneversheneededrestorinspiration,she
leftthesmallMiamihouseshesharedwithherparentsandcametosunnyJamaica.

She'd led a sheltered but happy life, one of the consequences of being the only child of former
missionaries.

HerparentswerehighlyindividualisticandencouragedElissatobethesame-exceptinonerespect.
Theywereextremelymoralpeople,andtheyhadinstilledthatsamemoralityintotheirdaughter.Asa
resultofherupbringing,Elissawassomethingofamisfitinthemodernworld,butinmostrespects-
eveninherwilddesigns-shewasanindividual.

When she came to Jamaica, she relaxed by watching out for King, who seemed to be in almost
permanentresidencethesedays.Twoyearsagoshe'dtakenhimonasasocialproject,sincehekept
somuchtohimself,neversmiledandseemedtothinkaboutnothingexceptbusiness.Gradually,she
reflected,he'dthawedalittle.Shegrinned,thentensed,listeningcarefullytothesoundscomingfrom
thenextroom.RealizingitwasonlyWarchiefmumblingtohimselfinhiscoveredcage,sherelaxed.

Thebigyellow-napedAmazonparrotbelongedtoElissa,butshe'dnevertakenhimtotheStates.He
belongedonhistropicalisland,andshelovedhimtoomuchtoriskdisturbinghisdelicateimmune
systemwiththestressofinternationaltravel.Kingseemedtolikehimwellenough,sinceheletthe
five-year-old parrot stay with him when Elissa was away. Warchief had had a bad cold when she'd
arrivedinJamaicathistime,andtoavoidupsettingthebirdwithamovewhilehewasstillsick,King
waslettinghimstayatthevillauntilherecovered.He'dbewellsoon,though;alreadyhewasasfeisty
asever.

IthadbeenWarchiefwho'dfirstintroducedthem,sherememberedfondly.Elissahadnearlydrained
her bank account to buy the big green bird from his previous owner, who'd been moving into an
apartment Warchief definitely wasn't an apartment bird. He heralded dawn and dusk with equal
enthusiasm,andhisear-piercingcriesdidsoundlikeanIndianwarriorofoldontheattack.Hence,
hisname.

Atthetime,Elissahadbeenthoroughlyignorantofbirdsandhadn'tknownaboutthisparticulartrait
ofAmazonparrots.ShehadtakenWarchieftohercottage,andpromptlyatduskshe'ddiscoveredwhy
hisformerownerhadbeensoenthusiasticaboutsellinghim.

Coveringthecagehadonlymadetheparrotmadder.She'dfranticallythumbedthroughoneoftheold
birdmagazinesshe'dbeengiventoanarticleonscreaming,bitingbirds.Don'tthrowwateronthem,
the article cautioned. If you do, instead of a screaming, biting bird, you'll have a wet, screaming,
bitingbird.

She'd sighed worriedly, gnawing on her lower lip as the parrot began to imitate a police siren. Or
coulditbetherealthing?PerhapshernewneighborinthatbigwhitevillahadcalledtheJamaican
police?

Atthatpointaloud,angryknockonthefrontdoorhadstartledher."Hush,Warchief!"she'dpleaded.

He'dsquawkedevenlouder,rattlingthebarsofhiscagelikeaconvictbentonescape.

"Oh,forheaven'ssake!"she'dwailed,holdingherearsandpeekingoutthecurtainbeforesheopened
thedoor.

Butithadn'tbeenthepolice.Itwasworse.Itwasthecold,hard,mean-lookingmanwholivedinthat
hugewhitevilladownthebeach.Themanwholookedasintimidatingasastonewallandwalkedlike
a bulldozer hunting hills. He seemed furious, and Elissa wondered if she could get away with
pretendingshewasn'thome.

"Openthisdoor,orthepolicewill,"adeep,Western-accentedvoiceboomed.

With a resigned sigh, she unlocked it. He was tall, whipcord lean and dangerous looking, from his
tousled dark hair and his half-opened tropical shirt to the white shorts that emphasized the deep tan
and pure muscle of his long legs. He had a chest that would have started fires in a more liberated
woman than Elissa. It was very broad, with a thick wedge of black hair that curled down past the
waistbandaroundhisleanhips.Hisfacewaschiseledlooking,roughandmasculine,withastraight
nose and a cruelly sensuous mouth. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him, and he smelled of tangy
cologne-expensive,probably,ifthatRolexburiedinthethickhaironhiswristandthebigdiamond
ringonhisdarklytannedhandwereanyindicationofmaterialworth.Hemadeherfeellikeamidget,
eventhoughshewasconsideredtallherself.

"Yes?"Shesmiled,tryingtobluffherwaythroughhisobviousanimosity.

"Whatthehell'sgoingonoverhere?"heaskedcurtly.

Sheblinked."Ibegyourpardon?"

"Iheardscreams,"hesaid,hisverydark,almostblack,eyesstaringintentlyatherface.

"Well,yes,theywerescreams,but-"shebegan.

"Iboughtmyhousespecificallyforitspeacefullocation,"hebrokeinbeforeshecouldfinish."Ilike
peaceandquiet.IcameallthewayherefromOklahomatogetit.Idon'tlikewildparties."

"Oh,neitherdoI,"shesaidearnestly.

AtwhichpointWarchiefletoutascreamthatcouldhaveshatteredcrystal.

"Whyisthatwomanscreaming?Whatinhellkindofcompanyareyoukeepinghere,lady?"Theman
fromOklahomasparedheraspeakingglancebeforehepushedpastherintothecottageandbegan
lookingforthesourceofthescream.

She sighed, leaning against the doorjamb as he strode into the bedroom, then the small kitchen,
muttering about bloody murder and the lack of consideration for the neighbors on this side of the
island.

Warchiefbeganlaughinginanabsurdparodyofaman'sdeepvoice,andthenhescreamedagain,his
tonerisingalarmingly.

TheOklahomanwasback,handsonhisnarrowhips,scowling.Andthenhiseyesfoundthecovered
cage.

"Hellllllp!"Warchiefmoaned,andtheman'seyebrowsshotuphisforehead.

"The wild party," she informed him calmly, "is in there. And wild is really a good word for that
particularparty."

"Ouuuuut!"theparrotwailed."Letmeout!"

The Oklahoman pulled off the dark cover, and Warchief immediately began making eyes at him.
"Hello!"

hepurred,leapingfromhisperchringtothecagedoor."I'magoodboy.Whoareyou?"

Thetallmanblinked."It'saparrot."

"I'magoodboy,"Warchiefsaid,andhelaughedagain.Asanencoreheturnedupsidedown,cocking
hisheadattheman."You'recute!"

Cutewasn'texactlythewordElissawouldhaveused,butthatparrothadstyle-she'dsaythatforhim.
Shecoveredhermouthwithherhandtokeepfromlaughing.

Warchiefspreadhistailfeathersandruffledtherestofhimself,dilatedhispalebrowneyesinwhat

bird fanciers call "blazing" and let out a beaut of a wail. The stranger from Oklahoma raised one
heavyeyebrow."Howwouldyoulikehim,"heaskeddarkly,glancingather,"friedorbakedstuffed?"

"Youcan't!"shemoaned."He'sjustababy!"

Theparrotletoutanotherbloodcurdlingscream.

"Down,boy!"themangrowled."Idon'thavemyearsinsured."

Elissamuffledagiggle."He'sterrific,isn'the?"sheaskedgleefully."NowIseewhyhisownerhadto
sellhimwhenhemovedintoasmallapartmentbuilding.Ididn'trealizeituntilthesunstartedgoing
down."

Theintruderstaredatthepileofbirdmagazinesontheglass-toppedcoffeetable."Well?Haven'tyou
learnedyetwhattodoabouthisscreaming?"

"Ofcourse,"shereplied,tongueincheek."Youcoverthecage.Itworkseverytime.Thisexpert-"she
heldupthemagazine"-saysso."

Heglancedatthecoverofthemagazine."Thatissueisthreeyearsold."

Sheshrugged."CanIhelpitifbirdmagazinesaren'texactlythegoingthingontheisland?Theowner
gavethesetomealongwiththecage."

Hiseyestoldherwhathethoughtofthemagazines,thecageandthebirdinit.Her,too.

"Sohescreamsalittle,"shedefended,shiftingunderthathotglare."Basicallyhe'sanicebird.He'll
evenletyoupethim."

Heeyedthebird."Wanttoshowme?"

"Not really." But at the man's baleful glance, she moved closer and held out her hand. The parrot
cackledandmadeaplayfulswipeatit.Shejerkedherhandback."Well,he'llalmostletyoupethim,"
sheequivocated.

"Caretotryagain?"hechallenged,foldinghisdarklytannedarmsacrossthatmassivechest.

She put her hands behind her. "No, thanks. I've kind of gotten used to having ten fingers," she
muttered.

"Nodoubt.Whatinheaven'snamedoyouwantwithaparrot,anyway?"heasked,clearlyexasperated.

"Iwaslonely,"shesaidbluntly.Sheglanceddownatherbarefeet.

"Whynottakealover?"hereturned.

Shelookedupandsawthathiseyeswerefullofwhatlookedlikemischief."Takehimwhere?"she

askedglibly,hidingtheuncomfortablereactionhissuggestionevokedfromher.

Acornerofhisfirmmouthseemedtotwitch."Cute."

"You're cute!" Warchief echoed, and he began to strut in a circle, fluffed up like a cat in a dryer,
screaminghislime-greenheadoff.Eventhestreakofyellowonhisnapeseemedtoglow.

"ForPete'ssake,boy!"themanburstout.

"Maybehe'sagirl,"Elissacommented."Hesureseemstolikeyoualot."

HeglaredatWarchief."Idon'tlikethewayhe'slookingatme,"hecommented."Ifeellikeanentree."

"Hisformerownerpromisedhewouldn'tbite,"shefaltered.

"Surehedid."Heheldouthishand,andWarchiefseemedtoactuallygrinbeforehereachedthrough
thewidecagebarsforit.

He wasn't a malicious bird; he just liked to test his strength, Elissa rationalized. But the man from
Oklahomahadstrongfingers.HeletWarchiefbeardownforaminutebeforeheleisurelyremoved
thebigbeakandfirmlysaid,"No!"

Hepickedupthecagecoverandputitbackinplace.AndtoElissa'samazement,theparrotshutup.

"Youhavetoletananimalknowwho'sboss,"hetoldElissa."Neverjerkyourhandbackifhestartsto
bite,anddon'tlethimgetawaywithit.You'llonlyreinforcehisbadbehavior."

Sheblinked."Youseemtoknowalotaboutbirds."

"Ihadacockatoo,"hetoldher."IgaveittoafriendofminebecauseI'mawaysomuchofthetime."

"You'refromOklahoma,yousaid?"sheasked,curious.

Hecockedaneyebrow."Yes."

"I'mfromFlorida,"shesaidwithasmile."Idesignsportswearforachainofboutiques."Shepeeked
upathim."Icoulddesignyouagreatsundress."

He glowered at her. "First the parrot, now this. I don't know which is worse, lady, you or the last
womanwholivedhere."

"ThewomanIboughtthecottagefrom?"sherecalled,frowning."Whatwaswrongwithher?"

"ShelikedtosunbathenudewhenIwasswimming,"hemuttereddarkly.

Shegrinned,rememberingthewomanverywell.Shewasaboutfiftyyearsold,atleastasizetwenty
andonlyfivefeettall.

"It'snotfunny,"hecommented.

"Yes,itis,"shelaughed.

Buthestilldidn'tsmile.Despitehisearlierflipremarks,helookedlikeamanwhohadn'tmuchuse
forhumor.

"I've got three hours of work left before I can sleep," he said curtly, turning away. "From now on,
coverthatbirdwhenhestartswhooping.He'llgetthemessagesoonerorlater.Anddon'tkeephimup
late.Itisn'tgoodforhim.Birdsneedtwelvehourseachofdaylightanddark."

"Yes,sir.Thankyou,sir.Anythingelse,sir?"sheaskedpertlyassheskippedalongbesidehimtothe
door.

Hestoppedshort,hisdarkeyesthreatening."Howoldareyou,anyway?Pasttheageofconsent?"

"I'm a candidate for the old folks' home, in fact." She grinned. "I'm pushing twenty-six. Still about
twentyyearsyourjunior,though,I'llbet,oldman."

Helookedstunned,asifnoonehadeverdaredspeaktohiminsuchamanner."I'mthirty-nine,"he
saidabsently.

"You look more like forty-five," she sighed, studying his hard, care-creased face. "I'll bet you take
five-hourvacationsandcountyourmoneyeverynight.Youhavethatlook,youknow."Hiseyebrows
shotup,andshewiggledhers."Richandmiserable?"

"I'mfilthyrich,butI'mnotmiserable."

"Yes,youare,"shetoldhim."Youjustdon'trealizeit.Butdon'tworry.NowthatI'maround,I'llsave
youfromyourself.Innotimeyou'llbeanewman."

"IlikemefinethewayIam,"hesaidtersely,glaringdownather."Sodon'tpesterme.Idon'tcareto
beremodeled,leastofallbysomeboredtextileworker."

"I'madesigner,"sheshotback.

"Youcan'tpossiblybeoldenough."Hepattedheronthehead,thefirstglimpseofrealhumorshe'd
seeninhim."Gotobed,child."

"Mindyoudon'ttripoveryourlongbeard,Grandpa,"shecalledafterhim.

Hedidn'tlookbackorsayanotherword.Hejustkeptwalking.

Andthathadbeenthebeginningofanoddfriendship.Inthemonthsthatfollowed,Elissahadlearned
precious few actual facts about her taciturn neighbor, but she'd gleaned a great deal about his
temperament.HisfullnamewasKingston,andnoonecalledhimKing.ExceptElissa.Hespentmost
ofhiswakinghoursonbusiness.

Although he traveled extensively, his home base was Jamaica because few people except those who
reallyneededto,knewhowtogetintouchwithhimthere.Helikedhisprivacyandavoidedthesocial
gatheringsthatseemedderigueurfortheAmericansintheirexclusivepartofMontegoBay.Hekept
tohimselfandspenthisrarefreetimewalkingonthebeach,aloneandapparentlylikingit.Hemight
havegoneonforyearsthatway.ButElissahadsavedhimfromhimself.

Althoughshedidn'ttrustmostmen,sheinstinctivelytrustedKing.Heseemedtotallyuninterestedin
her as a woman, and when weeks went by without his making a suggestive remark or a pass, she
begantofeeltotallysafewithhim.Thatallowedhertoindulgeherfantasyofbeingthesophisticated,
worldlykindofwomanshelikedtoreadaboutinnovels.Itwasanillusion,ofcourse,butKingdidn't
seemtomindheroutrageousflirtingandsometimessuggestiveremarks.Hetreatedhermuchlikea
young girl, alternately indulging and teasing her. And that was fine with Elissa. She'd long since
learnedthatshewouldn'tfiteasilyintothemodernworld.Shecouldn'tbringherselftosleepwitha
manjustbecauseitwasthefashion.Andsincemostmenshedatedexpectedthatcourtesy,shesimply
withdrew.Shenevertookadatehome-notanymore,atleast.Therehadbeenanicemanwhenshewas
twenty.Arealjewel,she'dthought-untilshetookhimhometomeetMomandDad.She'dneverseen
himagain.

Forallherreligiousoutlookonlife,herparentswerecharacters.Herfathercollectedlizards,andher
mother was a special deputy with the sheriffs department. Odd people. Lovely but very odd. Since
she'd given up on expecting tolerance from the opposite sex, she couldn't imagine a male friend
reallyunderstandingherdelightfulfamily.Soitwasagoodthingshe'ddecidedtodieavirgin.

Fortunately,Kinghadnodesignsonherwhatsoever,sohewasgoodcompanyandahedgeagainst
othermenwhenshewasontheisland.Hewastheperfectsafeharbor.Notonlythat,butheneededa
little attention to keep him from becoming a hermit. And who better to draw him out than Elissa,
givenhersomewhatevangelicalbackground?

Atfirstshecontentedherselfwithleavinglittlenotesforhimtofind,exhortingpithythingslike"Too
muchlonelinessmakesamanodd"or"Sunstrokecanbehazardoustoyourhealth."Sheputthenotes
onhisfrontdoor,onthewindshieldofhiscar,evenundertherockwherehelikedtositandwatchthe
sunset.Fromthere,shetookboldersteps.Shebakedthingsforhim.Sheputflowersonhisdoorstep.

Eventually, he came over to tell her to stop-and found her waiting for him with an elaborate meal.
Clearly it was the last straw, and he gave up trying to ignore her. After that, he came to eat at least
onceaweek,andsometimestheywalkedonthebeachtogether.Despiteheroutgoingapproach,she
wasalittlewaryofhimatfirst,untilheprovedbyhisattitudethathewasn'tgoingtotrytogether
intothenearestavailablebed.Andthenhebecameherfriend.Shetotallyrelaxedwithhimandlooked
forwardtotheirtimestogether.Heseemedpleasedenoughwiththatarrangementhimself,talkingto
herasifshewereasister.

When she went back to the States to work, he generously offered to keep Warchief. She'd been
delighted, and King had given the bird a nice substitute home. When he was out of the country on
business,heevenhiredawomantolookafterthehouseandthebird.Forallhishardness,hehada
softcenter-ifonelookedcloselyenough.

Hewasstillimpatientanddemandingwithmostpeople-Elissahadoncehadherearscurledlistening
tohimchewoutasubordinate-butheseemedtotolerateherbetterthanhetoleratedothers.

The only puzzling thing about him was his lack of a love life. He was devastatingly handsome and
physicallynearperfect.Athisage,she'dhaveexpectedhimtobemarried.Buthewasn'tandevidently
never had been. He dated occasionally, but Elissa never spotted him bringing a woman home
overnight.EveninherinnocenceElissaknewitwasratherunusualforamanwhowassomuchaman
to spend so much time alone. She wondered about it frequently, and once she even got up enough
courage to quiz him on the subject. But his face had closed up, and he'd changed the subject. She
hadn'taskedagain.

Despiteherinnatecuriosity,shewasrelievedthathe'dneveroncemadeapassather.Shehadsome
hang-ups from an experience that her parents didn't even know about, thank God. One wild party,
attendedwithouttheirknowledge,hadcuredherofanywantonimaginings.She'dbarelyescapedwith
her innocence intact, and she'd gleaned a very unpleasant, threatening picture of the aroused male.
She'dbeencarefuleversince.

Shewasonlygratefulthatherparentsweren'tinanydangerofdroppinginattheRopervilla.Ifthey'd
seenherinKing'sbed...Thenshelaughed,rememberinghowtheywere.Theyknewhersowellthat
they'dhaveaskedwhatwasthejoke.Howmarveloushavingparentslikehers,idiosyncraciesandall.

King was due any minute, and Elissa's part in this practical joke was simply to lie back and look
loved.Shewasn'tsurewhyhewantedtogivethatimpression,ortowhom,buthe'doncesavedher
from the unwanted attention of a very persistent insurance salesman, so now she was saving him.
Fromsomething.Really,though,hewasgoingtooweherasteakdinnerforallthisbother.

Sheheardthefrontdooropen,andvoicesdrifteddownthehall.SherecognizedKing's,andforone
wildsecondsheletherselfpretendthatshewaswaitingforhimasalover.Thethoughtdidn'tterrify
her,andthatpuzzledher.Infact,herbodybegantotingleintheoddestways,andthatreallypuzzled
her.

Then the bedroom door opened, and King stared at her over the head of the most beautiful blonde
Elissahadeverseen.

The blonde wore a look of helpless longing and unholy torment. And King's expression was a
revelation as he glanced down at her. For a face that rarely gave away a trace of emotion, it was
suddenlyexplicitwithtenderinterest.Whowasthewoman?Elissawondered.AndwhywouldKing
wanttodiscourageherwhenhewassoobviouslyattractedtoher?

Elissa was so confused that she almost forgot to play her part. This vulnerability in King was so
expected.

But there must be a reason he wanted that lovely woman with him to think he was involved with
someoneelse,andthiswasobviouslynotimetoaskquestions.

"Well, hello, darling," Elissa said in her best husky voice. She tugged the covers up demurely and

yawned delicately. "I fell asleep again," she added meaningfully, and she waited for the blonde to
react.

ChapterTwo

Thereactionwasalmostinstantaneous."Oh!"Thewomanfaltered,stoppingbesideKingasiffrozen
tothespot.ShestaredatElissawithhuge,softeyes,clearlystrugglingtofindwords,andherdelicate
skincolored,makingherevenmorebeautiful."Ex-excuseme."

"Ididn'texpectyoutostillbehere,Elissa,"Kingsaidwithasmilethatwasobviouslyforced.

Elissaplayedherparttoperfection,lettinghereyesdroopsleepily."I'msorryifI'veoverstayedmy
welcome."

"Don'tbeabsurd,"hereplied."There'snoreasonyoushouldn'tstayifyoulike.Bess,doyoumind...?"
heaskedtheblonde."There'saguestbathroomjustdownthehall."

"I'll...I'll use that one, of course." She looked totally flustered, Elissa noted sympathetically. "Excuse
me,"

shewhispered,hervoicealmostbreaking.Sheturnedandnearlyrandownthehall.

Kingclosedthedoorandleanedbackagainstit,hisfacewithoutexpression,hisdarkeyeslookingat
Elissawithoutreallyseemingtoseeher.Henevergaveawaymuch,butthathardfacewasfaintlypale
underitsruggedtan.

Elissaclimbedoutofbed,oblivioustoherstateofundress.Hewasn'tlooking,anyway.Hepaidvery
littleattentiontoherasarule,andifshe'dwonderedwhyinthepast,shenowhadasuspicion.She
wenttostandinfrontofhim,herheadback,hereyescurious.

"Okay,"shesaid."Whydon'tyoutellmeallaboutit?I'maclamwhenIneedtobe,andyoulookasif
youneedafriendprettybadly."

Hisjawtightened.Helookeddownintoherblueeyes,andshecouldseehiscontrolwaver,justforan
instant, before he got it back. "That's Bess," he said finally. "My brother's wife," he added
significantly. After a pause, he continued tonelessly, "He'll be along in an hour or so; he's still in a
businessmeeting."

SherememberedhismentioningBobbyandBess,andshealsorememberedthathenevertalkedmuch
aboutthem.Nowshehadasneakinghunchsheknewwhy.Hereyesnarrowedasshetookinhislook
ofutterdejection.

"Isoneofyouinhotpursuitoftheother?"sheconjectured,smilinggentlyathisfaintsurprise."Since
I'mguessing,she'safteryou,Iimagine,andthat'swhyIwasshanghaiedintodecoratingyourbed."

"Itisn'tquitethatsimple,"hemurmured,searchingherwideeyes.

"Whydon'tyoutrytellingmeaboutit?"shesuggestedsoftly.

Stillgazingintentlyather,heseemedtoconsiderthatpossibility,tookadeepbreathandthenbegan.
"TheycamedownmonthbeforelastwhileBobbywasworkingtogetahotelcomplexstarted.He's
beendeeplyinvolvedinnegotiations,andnowhe'sfinalizingthesubcontractingbids,"heexplained.
Hepaused.

"Goon,"Elissapromptedgently.

"Bess has been lonely, so instead of going back to Oklahoma, she's been depending on me for
amusement."

Hestopped,thencontinuedhaltingly,"Butacoupleofnightsago,theamusementdidadisappearing
act, and things started to get serious." Again he stopped, then rushed on. "So I started grasping at
straws and told her I was involved with you. If you hadn't sent me that letter asking me to get the
utilitieson,Imightstillbeinhotwater.ButIknewyou'dbeintonight,soImadesureBesswould
comeover.Tocatchyouinacompromisingsituation,thatis."

"ToobadIwasn'tstarknakedinstead,then,"shesaidlightly,tryingtocheerhimup.Shegavehima
wickedsmile."Justpictureit:gorgeousmeinmybirthdaysuitsprawledoutonyoursatinsheets.That
wouldhavereallycaughthereye."

Oddlyenough,thatpicturemadeKinggohotallover.Hesuddenlyrealizedhe'dneverreallythought
ofElissaasawomanbefore.Shewassoyoung,sonaive,sotrusting.Shewaslikealittlesisterto
him.Butnow,ashisdarkeyeswanderedoverher,herealizedwithastartthatshewasprettysexyin
thatgown,andhewasn'tthinkingbrotherlythoughtsatall.Heblinked.Maybehewasgettingoldand
hisglandsweregoingcrazy.EitherthatorhisconfusionoverBesswasgettingtohim.Inaneffortto
groundhimselfinrealityoncemore,hereachedoutandclaspedhershoulders.Itwasamistake-they
werebare.

Elissastarted.ItwasararethingforKingtotouchher,andshewasamazedatthepleasurethefeelof
hishandsonherbareskingaveher.

"Ithinkthiswilldoit,"hemused,evenmoreconfusedyetrelievedhecouldstillfindvoicetorespond
toherjokingremark."Temporarily,atleast.Howaboutjoiningusfordrinks,justforanhourorso?
JustuntilBobbygetshere?"

Hesoundedalmostdesperate,andElissagrinned."Sure.Whatarefriendsfor?"shesaideasily.She
wonderedhowmuchhereallycaredforBessandifhisonlymotiveinthecharadewastowardoff
hissister-in-law.

Perhapsheneededabarrieragainsthisownimpulses,too,tokeephimselfhonest?Hardtotell;he
couldbesuchapokerface.Attimesshewonderedifshereallyknewhimatall.Shesearchedhisdark
eyes,frowningslightly.

"King,issheinlovewithyou?"

"Idon'tthinksheknows,Elissa,"hesaid,hisvoicequietandtense."She'slonelyandbored-maybea
bitafraid,aswell.Bobbyleavesheralonetoomuch.I'mnotsureifshe'sreallyinterestedinmeor

justusingmeasaploytogetBobby'sattention."

In fact, he was afraid to take a chance on Bess's developing any real feeling for him, since he was
havingahardenoughtimeresistinghernow.Buthewasn'tadmittinganyofthattoElissa.

He'dalwayshadasoftspotforhissister-in-law,heacknowledged.Fewpeopleinhercurrentsocial
circleknewhowroughshe'dhadit,whatwithafatherwhodrankandkepthermotherpregnantallthe
time.Besshadn'tevenownedadecentdresswhenBobbybroughtherhomeandannouncedthatthey
were getting married. King had formed an immediate affection for the shy little blonde, and that
tendernesshadheldonforthepasttenyears.Nowitwashardtodecidewhetheritwasstillbrotherly
affectionorsomethingmore.Besshadneveractivelyencouragedhimbeforenow.

ElissacaughtthewistfullookinKing'seyes.Herlipspursed."Didyoueverhavesomethinggoing
withher,maybebeforeBobbydid?"sheprobedgently.

Heshookhishead."Shewasjusteighteenwhentheymarried.Theywerethesameage,infact."He
shrugged. "I was already eleven years her senior. Besides, Bobby saw her first." He laughed, then
instantlysobered.

"Theywerecloseinthoseearlydays,whenBobbywasworkinghiswayupinthebusinessworld.But
now,withtheiryearsoflivinghighonthehogandwiththeoilindustrydepressed,money'sgottena
littletight."Hefrowned,studyingher."Youknow,IthinkmaybeBobby'sworkinghimselflikecrazy
becausehe'safraidBesswon'twanthimifhecan'tsupportherinthestyleshe'sgottenaccustomedto.
Andbecausehe'signoringherinhispursuitofnewbuildingcontracts,shethinkshedoesn'tcare."

"Whatamess,"shesighed.

"You aren't kidding. And guess who's smack-dab in the middle of it?" he asked ruefully. "They've
gottenalongprettywellthepasttenyears,butthen,therewasalwayslotsofmoney.Bessusedtojoke
aboutleavinghimifheeverlosthisshirt;shesaidsheneverwantedtobepooragain.Idon'tthinkshe
reallymeantitaboutleavinghim,butBobbytendstotakethingsliterally,andtheydon'tseemtotalk
much anymore. Anyway, I helped Bobby make some real-estate contacts here in Jamaica, and two
months ago they came down to get things started. Bobby's been hellishly busy, so for the past few
weeksBesshasturnedtome-outofboredom,I'msure.AtfirstIsuspectedshewantedtousemetoget
Bobbytonoticeheragain-youknow,makehimalittlejealous.Butit'sgettingcomplicatednow."He
shrugged, smiling faintly. "She's always been special to me, and I'm only human, if you get my
meaning.

ButIdon'twantanyonetogethurt.That'swhereyoucomein."

"I'mgoingtoruninterference,Igather?"shemurmured.

"That's it," he agreed pleasantly. "By the way, you've been in the States for the past few months
becausewehadaquarrel.Butnowwe'vepatcheditup,andwe'requiteseriousabouteachother."

"I'mbeginningtoseethelight,"shemused,grinning."Sowe'relovers,isthatit?"

Hechuckled."Can'tkeepourhandsoffeachother,"heagreed."Madtobetogether."

"What fun." She smiled. "Now explain my missionary parents to her and how you so easily led me
intoalifeofsin."

Hegroaned."Don't,forheaven'ssake,evenmentionyourparentstoher.Well,notwhattheydofora
living,atleast."

Shesighed."Ihopeshedoesn'tpinmedownandstartaskingembarrassingquestions."

"I'lltrynottoleaveyoualonewithher.You'vegottosaveme,"hemurmureddryly,althoughthere
seemedtobesomethingseriousbehindthegibe.

"BobbyandIaregettingalongbetterthanweeverhave.Ican'tcomebetweenhimandtheonethingin
lifehereallyvalues."

Shesighed."Okay.I'llplayalong.ButIhavetogobacktotheStatesinaboutthreeweeks,soyou'd
bettergetherconvincedfast."

"They'llbegoingbackanydaynow,Ihope,"hesaid."OtherwiseIdon'tknowifIcanstanditmuch
longer. It's a good thing I saw your lights on before Bobby got me to pick up Bess at their villa. I
barelyhadtimetopressureyouintocooperatingbeforeIhadtoleave,"

"Luckyyou,"sheagreedwithagrin."Ihadn'tplannedtocomebackfortwomoreweeks."

Hegroaned."I'dhavebeeninovermyheadbythen,forsure."

She glanced up at him. "Well, don't you worry. I'll save you." She frowned, moving away from the
disturbingtouchofhishands."Let'sseenow,whatdidIdowiththatredcape-youknow,theonewith
thebigSonit?"

"NevermindtheSuperwomancape,"hesaid."Justholdmyhand."

"TheonewiththeRolexandthediamondring?"Shepursedherlips."CarefulIdon'tstealthem.I'm
notrichyet,youknow."

Helaughed."Youwillbe,"hesaid.Thenheglancedtowardthedoor."Getdressed,willyou?I'llwait
foryou."

Heavens, he had it bad, Elissa thought, if he was afraid to face the other woman without
reinforcements.

"Chinup,"shesaidlightly."Iknowkarate.Ifshemakesonemove-justonemove-toundressyou,I'll
defendyourhonorwithmyverylife."

Hechuckled.Once,he'dthoughthisnewneighborwasacompleteeccentric.Hestilldid,actually,but
shecouldbequiteagemattimes,too.Andrightnowshewassavinghisneck."You'reanicegirl,"he
saidplayfully.

Shewinced."Anicegirl?Thanksawfully.Ilikeyou,too."

Sheturned,pickedupherclothesfromthechairandheadedtowardthebathroom.

"You can't dress in front of me?" he asked unexpectedly, watching her from his relaxed position
againstthedoor.

Sheglancedupathim."No,"sheconfessedwithasomewhatwobblylaugh."I'mnotquiteasliberated
asImightseem.I-I'veneverundressedinfrontofamaninmylife,exceptformyfamilyphysician."

Theconfessionseemedtoshockhim."Never?"heasked.

"Never,"sheemphasized,knowingexactlywhatshewasrevealingtohim.

Hescowled.Becauseofherphysicalaloofness,he'dsomehowtakenitforgrantedthatshe'dbeenhurt
inlovesomehow.Tothinkofherasavirginwasvaguelydisturbing.

"Why?"heaskedwithcharasteristicbluntness."Didsomethinghappentoyou?"

"Myfather'saminister,remember?AndheandmymotherweremissionariestoBrazilwhenIwas
growingup.TrybeingMs.Liberationinthatkindofatmosphere.Idareyou."

Hewaslearningmoreaboutherinminutesthanhe'dlearnedintwoyears.Hestudiedherintently,his
gazetakinginwhathecouldseeofherbodyinthatveryrevealinggown.Herbreastswerefulland
firm looking, her minuscule waist flared into nicely rounded hips, and she had long, nicely shaped
legs. Her face was lovely. And that teasing, provocative air of hers, he realized, was pretty false at
times. Remembering that he'd seen her actually back away when men came too close physically, he
regardedherthoughtfully.

"Nowonder,"hemumbled.

"Nowonderwhat?"sheechoed.

"Well, I'd always thought of you as sophisticated," he mused, thinking of her occasional
flirtatiousness.

"Youcertainlydon'tactlikeavirgin.Andyet-"

"Howdoesavirginact,forheaven'ssake?"shebrokein."Standontheedgeofavolcanoandjump
in?"

Despite the seriousness of his current predicament, King found himself laughing, and it dawned on
himthathelaughedmorewithElissathanheeverhadinhislife.Butthen,hispathhadn'tbeenaneasy
one.PartIndian,he'dgrownupfightingtwoworlds.Mostpeopledidn'tevenknowthatheandBobby
haddifferentfathers.Bobby'swasaTexasoilmanwho'dlefthisbusinessequallytobothboys.King's
father was a full-blooded Apache whose illfated attempt to fit into his wife's social set had been a
disaster. A marriage of rich and poor might make good novels, but it was hard work in real life.

Eventually,King'sfatherhadwalkedoutthedoorinthemiddleofonetoomanycocktailpartiesand
vanished.Kinghadneverseenhimagain.Hismotherhadremarried,andwhenBobbycamealong,
thereseemedtobelittleaffectionleftfortheelderson.Helearnedtofighthisownbattles,becausehe
gotnocoddling.He'dspenthiswholelifefighting.Heguessedthatinmanywayshewasstillfighting.

"Youalmostneverlaugh,"Elissapointedout,holdingherjumpsuitagainstherbreasts.

"Oh,nowandagainIdo.Withyou."Hesmiled."Gogetdressed,walkingsacrifice.I'llwaitouthere."

Shestudiedhimquietly,curiousaboutthewornexpressiononhisface.MorethanBesswastroubling
him, she sensed. She wondered briefly if being the product of two worlds ever bothered him. She
knewabouthisIndianancestry;inhertypicaloutspoken

fashionshe'donceaskedhimwhyhewassodark.He'dgivenhertheanswerabruptlyandchangedthe
subject,clearlyunwillingtodiscussit.Shesighed.Whatanenigma.Shesmiledbackathimandwent
intothebathroomtochange.

She put on one of her own creations, a slinky black jump suit with a red bodice and single strappy
sleeve,andranabrushthroughherlonghair.Sheprobablywouldn'tweartheoutfitaroundanybody
exceptKing.Anotherpartofherfantasylife,shethought,andgrinnedatherreflection.Sherealized
thenthatherlipstickwasinherpurse,soshewentbackintothebedroomtogetit.

"Oh,fudge,"shemuttered,fumblingthroughthecontents."Idon'tevenhavealipstick."Sheliftedher
eyebrowsinaspeakinglook,expectinghimtoreadhermind,asusual.Andhedid.

"Sorry,Ineverusethestuffmyself,"hesaiddryly."Doyoureallyneedone?"heasked,shouldering
himselfawayfromthedoor,acigaretteinhishand.Hedidn'toftensmoke,buttonightwasunsettling
him.

"Your sexy sister-in-law will be sure to notice if I don't make myself as beautiful as possible," she
teased.

He came close to her, towering over her and letting his eyes wander with uncharacteristic boldness
down her slender body. "If you'd put lipstick on," he murmured, "probably I'd have kissed it off by
now,don'tyouthink?"

Herheartjumpedupintoherthroatattheunfamiliarlookinthosedarkeyes.Theysearchedherface,
onlytodropandlingeronherfullbreasts,andsuddenlyshewishedhernecklinewereabithigher.
Hehadn'tseemedtonoticeherbodyintheveryrevealingnightgown,buthewasunusuallyattentive
now.

"We shouldn't keep your sister-in-law waiting," she said. For the first time, he was making her
nervous.

Eyeinghimwarily,shewalkedaroundhim,hercomposurestartingtoshatter.Asusual,whenaman
cameontoostrong,shebegantodrawintohershell.

His lean hand shot out unexpectedly, and he drew her toward him, clamping her waist so that she
couldn'tmoveaway.

Thatproximitywasnewandalittlefrightening,andshelookedupintohisdarkeyesuncomprehend-
ingly.

"Whatareyoudoing?"sheaskednervously.

"Trying to ruffle you a little," he murmured darkly. "You're too neat and pretty to go out there and
convinceBesswe'relovers."

"Allright,then,how'sthis?"Sheranherhandroughlythroughherhair.

Heshookhishead."Notgoodenough."Hiseyesdroppedtohersoftmouth,andforthefirsttimein
theirrelationshiphewonderedhowitwouldfeeltohavethatsoftmouthunderhislips.

She felt his strong fingers bite into her waist, and her eyes widened. "Hold it, now, big fella," she
cautionedgently."I'mnotonthemenu,remember?"

His eyebrows rose curiously. "Are you afraid of me, tidbit?" he asked in a tone he'd never used
before.Itwasdeepandslowandsultry,likethelookinhisdark,faintlyamusedeyes.

"That doesn't enter into it," she replied. "I won't let you use me for real. I won't substitute for your
sister-in-law,King."

Hisfacehardened."Idon'trecallaskingyouto,"hereturnedcurtly,releasingher.

"Good. As long as it's just an act, we'll get along fine," she said sweetly, although her legs were
wobblingfromhisunexpectednearness.Shecouldalmostdrowninthatheady,expensivecologneof
his,whichclungtoherskinfromjustthatbriefcontactwithhim.Thesituationwasfartoointimate,
andshequicklychangedthesubjecttodivertthemboth."IsBobbyanythinglikeyou?"sheasked."I've
nevermethim,youknow.TheywerealwaysbackinOklahomawhenIwasdownhere."

"Wedon'tlookalotalike,"hemusedafteraminute,finishinghiscigarette."You'llseeforyourself
soonenough."

Sheforcedasmile."Don'tworrysomuch,"shesaid,attemptingtoeasehisobviousanxiety."They'll
leavesoon,andyou'llgetyourlifebacktogether."

Witharoughsigh,heputoutthecigaretteandstuckhishandsintohispockets."Ihatebeinginthis
position,"hesaidunexpectedly,glaringtowardthedoor.

"Doesn'tyourbrotherpayheranyattentionatall?"sheaskedquietly.

"He'sverycompetitive,"hereplied."Hedoesn'tlikerunningaclosesecondtome.Heneverhas.With
theoilglutbringingthepriceofcrudedown,we'vebothhadtodiversify.ButI'vedoneitwithmore

success than he has. Now he's going to catch up or kill himself. Unfortunately, Bess has become a
casualty."

"Dotheyhavechildren?"

Hegrimaced."Bobbywantedtowaituntiltheywerecompletelysecure."

"Aren'tthey,bynow?"sheprobedgently.

He glanced at her. "They're comfortable, but they've gotten used to credit in a big way. Bess has
diamondsandasportscar,butitcouldallgoupinsmoketomorrow.That'showclosethey'reliving.
Bobby'sscared,andwithgoodreason.ThisJamaicaprojectwilleitherpullhimoutorbreakhim,and
heknowsthat,too."

Elissadidn'tsayanything,butshefeltsorryforBess.Forawife,theworstthingintheworldmustbe
havingahusbandwhonevernoticedher.Elissa'sparentswerealwaystogetherathome,evenifthey
weredoingdifferentthings.Theymightbeapartphysically,butwhentheylookedateachother,you
knewthattheywerealwaysone.

"Talkingaboutitwon'tsolvethisproblem,"hesaidafteraminute."Youdon'tmindcarryingoutthe
charade?"headded,raisinghiseyes.

"Notatall,"shesaid,smilinggamely."I'vealwayswantedtotrymyhandatacting."Shestruckapose,
thebackofherhandacrosshereyes."Ivanttobealone!"

"You imp," he chuckled. He shook his head on a sigh. "You're a puzzle, little miss designer," he
murmured, watching her narrowly. "I'm amazed that no enterprising young man has ever seduced
you."

Sheshrugged."Mostyoungmendon'tlikeseducingaminister'sdaughter,"shesaidpertly.Hereyes
twinkled."Ialmostgotintroubleonetime,defyingmyfolks.Ithurtmyconscienceandfrightenedme
alittle,butIbouncedback."

"Didyoureally?"hemused."Thenwhyareyoustillavirgin?"

"Because you don't undo twenty-five years of conditioning overnight," she replied easily. She
searchedhisdarkeyes."IfIeverdidletamanseduceme,though,I'dwanthimtobelikeyou."

Hisheartstopped.Hecouldn'tthinkofasinglethingtosayasthethoughtworkedonhimandmade
hisbodyreactinashockingway.

She shifted, embarrassed at her own boldness, although his stony face didn't give away a thing.
"Sorry.Ididn'tmeantoembarrassyou.Ijustmeantthatyou'reaspecialkindofman.Iknowyou'd
neverhavetohurtawomantofeedyourego."Shesighed."Iguessyou'veprobablyforgottenmore
aboutsexthanI'veeverlearned."

"IguessIhave,honey,"hesaid,studyingherdown-bentheadwithaslightfrown.Hecaughtherhand

inhis-offeringasmallmeasureofcomfort,hetoldhimself."We'dbettergoout."

At his strong, possessively warm touch, which set her palm to tingling, she looked up and met his
searchinggaze.Itwaslikeelectricity.Startling.Unnerving.Herverybreathingseemedtobeaffected
byit.

"Yes,"shesaidabsently.Hismouthwasbeautifulinaverymasculineway,andshecouldn'tseemto
stoplookingatit.

He touched her long hair gently, his eyes still probing hers. She was trembling, he noticed in
amazement.

Thenhelookeddownatthebodiceofherjumpsuitandwassurprisedtofindhernippleshardagainst
thefabric-veryobviouslytherewasnobrabeneathit.Suddenlyhewantedtosmoothhishandsover
herbreasts.Hewantedtotasteherwarmmouthandfeelherbodyyieldagainstthestrengthofhis.His
eyesnarrowedathisowndisturbingthoughts.

"I wish you wouldn't look at me that way," she said with that irrepressible honesty that had always
intriguedhim."It...itmakesmefeelshaky."

Hiseyesrosetohersoncemore."WhenIlookatyourbreasts,youmean?"heaskedgently.

Herlipsopenedonashockedbreath.He'dneverspokentoherthatway.

He could have bitten his tongue. What in hell was wrong with him? This was Elissa; they'd been
friends for a long time. It was Bess who was getting to him. He sighed, wondering why he'd never
beforereallynoticedthislittleimpwithherexquisitebodyandlovelyface.

"Ididn'tmeantosaythat,"hesaidvaguely.Hedroppedherhand,turnedawayfromherabruptlyand
litanothercigarette."I'minahellofasituation.IguessI'mmoredisturbedthanIrealized.Comeon.
Let'sgetitoverwith."

"Allright."Shefollowedhim,hermindwhirling.Hadhebeendrinking?Wouldthatexplainhisodd
behavior?PerhapswantingBesshadworkedonhismindlongenoughtodisorienthim.Thathadto
beit.He'dlookedatherandhe'dseenBess.Itwasnothingtoworryabout.

"You'resureaboutthis?"heaskedbeforeheopenedthedoor.

"Ofcourse,"sheassuredhim.

Hesighed."Well,let'sseeifwecancarryitoff."Heheldouthishandagain.

Sheslidherslenderfingersintoit,ahesitant,buttrusting,"Okay."Shelookedup,battingherlashes.
"Oh,Kingston,you'resosexxxxxxy!"shedrawled.

Helaughedunexpectedly."Cutitout.You'resupposedtoconvinceher."

"IguessIcantry,"shesighed."Youlead;I'llfollow."

Besswassittingontheedgeofachair,glancingtowardthehallwaywhentheyemerged.Theblonde's
veryblueeyesnarrowedandtherewasrealhostilityinthemforaninstantbeforesheskillfullyerased
it.

"Ididn'tknowKinghada...agirlfriend,"Besssaid,deliberatelyhesitatingovertheword.Shesmiled
withsleeksophistication."Hesaidyou'dhadaquarrelandwentbacktoFlorida.Butyouseemtohave
madeup."

"Oh, in the most delicious ways, too, haven't we, darling?" she asked King with a fluttering of her
longlashes.

Hechuckled."Iguessso,"hemused,buthedidn'tlookatBess.

"WhereinFloridadoyoulive?"Besscontinued.

"InMiami,mostoftheyear,"Elissareplied.SheletgoofKing'shandandsmiledattheolderwoman.
"Iunderstandyou'remarriedtoKing'sbrother?"

Bessglanceddownatthedrinkshe'dpouredherself."Yes.I'mBobby'swife."

"You'recuuuuute!"Warchiefburstout,circlinghiscagewithappropriatewhistlesandclicks.

Bessstaredatthebigparrot."Youflirt,"sheaccusedthebird,forcingasmile.

Elissarelaxedalittle.Besswasn'tsobad;atleastshelikedparrots."Helikeswomen,"sheexplained,
"buthe'sreallyinlovewithKing.WhenItakehimhome,hemourns."

"Oh.He'syours?"Bessasked.

"Yes.HestayswithKingwhenI'mintheStates,andI'veonlybeenbacksincethismorning."

Kingglancedatherquickly."Wantadrink?"

"Yes,thankyou,"Elissasaid.Shereadhimverywell.Hewaswarninghernottolettoomuchslip.
Shesmiled."Doyouhavepets,Bess?"

The other woman shook her head. "No pets. No kids." She sounded oddly wistful. She laughed, a
hollow,hauntingmelody."Nonothing.It'sjustmeandBobby-whenBobby'severhome."

"Hard times, Bess," King reminded her. "If he doesn't keep on the ball, you'll have to give up your
diamonds."

"Itwasn'tthediamondsImarriedhimfor,buthewon'tbelievethat,"Bessreplied.Shelookedup,her
eyessearchingKing'sfacewithwhatlookedlikepurelonging."Rememberhowitusedtobe,inthe
olddays?BobbyandIwouldgotoamusementparksandspendhoursontherides.Sometimesyou'd
takeanafternoonoffandcomewithus,andwe'dstuffourselveswithicecreamandcottoncandy...."

"Itisn'twisetolookback."HehandedavodkaandtonictoElissa.

"It isn't wise to look ahead, either," Bess replied miserably. "All I do is sit in hotel rooms these
days...orsitathomealone."Sheglaredatherdrink."It'samiracleI'mnotanalcoholic."

"Don'tyouhaveajoboranythingtokeepyoubusy?"Elissaaskedwithoutthinking.AtBess'sobvious
chagrin,shehastilyadded,"I'msorry,thatsoundedlikeacriticism,buthonestlyitwasn't.Ijustmeant,
ifyouhadaprojectorahobby,itmightbelessofastraintobealoneattimes."

"I don't know how to do anything," Bess said sadly. "I married fresh out of high school, so I never
reallylearnedhowtodomuch...besidesbeawife."TheironyofBess'ssituationwasn'tlostonElissa.
"Wecanalldosomething,"shesaidgently."Paintorwriteorplayaninstrumentordocrafts...."

"Iusedtoplaythepiano,"Bessreplied.Shelookeddownatherhands."Iwasprettygood,too.But
BobbyresentedthetimeIspentpracticing."Shelaughedbitterly."How'sthatforareversal?"

"I'vealwayswishedIcouldplay,"Elissasaidenthusiastically,glancingatKing'sset,solemnfaceand
hopingtoalleviatethetensionBess'scommentswerefeeding.

"You design clothes, don't you?" the other woman asked curiously, her eyes faintly approving the
jumpsuit."Didyoudesignthat?"

"Yes,doyoulikeit?"Elissaaskedeagerly."Ihaven'tshownthisonetomyparents.They'dbe-"She
stoppedshort,jammingonverbalbrakesasKingglaredather."They'dbedelighted,"sheconcluded
weakly.

"Ofcoursetheywould.They'reveryproudofyou,"Kingsaidquickly.

"Whatdoyourparentsdo?"Bessaskedpolitely,raisingherglasstoherlips.

Elissa gnawed her lip. "They're...they're into ancient history," she said truthfully. Wasn't the Bible a
recordofhumanhistory,afterall?

"How interesting." Bess finished her drink, tossing back her hair as she glanced at the diamond-
studdedwatchonherslenderwrist."Bobby'slate,"shemuttered."Anotherbusinessmeetingthatran
overtime.Orsoheswears,"sheaddedunderherbreath."ToobadI'mnotabriefcase;I'dbeswamped
withaffectionthesedays."

"It's a difficult time, Bess. Subcontracting can be extremely time-consuming," King reminded her.
"Jamaicadesperatelyneedsoutsideinvestments,andthehotelBobby'splanningwillemployalotof
people,helptheeconomy.Butithastobeproperlybuilt.Thesethingstaketime."

"It'sbeenmonthsalready,"Bessmuttereddispiritedly.

"Itwillbeoversoon,"Kingsaid,"andyou'llbebackinOklahomaCity."

Besslookedup."Yes,IsupposeIwill.Whatatriptolookforwardto.Insteadofstaringathotelwalls,

Icanstareatmyownforachange,"shesaiddully.

HereyessearchedKing's."Younevervisitusanymore,Kingston.Youspendmostofyourlifehere."

KingswirledtheScotchinhisglassandstuckhisfreehandintohispocket."IlikeJamaica,"hesaid.
HeglanceddeliberatelyatElissa."Alot."

Besstookanaudiblebreathanddrainedherglass."Pourmeanother,wouldyou,please?"sheasked,
handingittoKing.

"I think you've had enough, Bess," he replied. He took the glass and put it aside, gazing down at a
chas-tened-lookingBess.Shemerelyfoldedherhandsinherlapandlookeddefeated.

Elissa was trying to decide what to do to cheer them all up when a car came up the winding sandy
drivefromthemainroad.Ahornsounded,andsecondslater,acardoorslammed.

"It'sBobby,"Besssaiddully.

Kingstrodetothedoortomeethim,andElissafoundBessstaringafterhimwithquietmiseryinher
eyes.

ElissawatchedBesswatchingKing."What'syourhusbandlike?"sheasked,divertingher.

Bess blinked, looking startled. "Bobby? He's... he's a businessman. He doesn't look much like
Kingston,eventhoughtheyhadthesamemother.Kingston'sfatherwasIndian,"sheadded.

"Yes,Iknow."Elissasmiledather."You'reverypretty."

Bess'seyeswidened."You'reveryfrank."

"Itsavesthinkinguplies."Shecockedherheadattheotherwoman."HowdidyouandBobbymeet?"
sheasked.

Besslaughedsoftly."You'resounexpected!Bobbywasourstarquarterback,andIwasacheerleader."

"King says you've been married about ten years, yet you never had children," Elissa mused aloud.
"Didn'tyouwantany?"

Besssighed,lookingathershoes."WhenwouldBobbyeverhavetime?He'salwaysattheofficeor
on the phone." She pushed back her hair angrily. "I never thought it would be like this. I thought-
Anyway,whowantskids?"shemurmured,avoidingElissa'seyes.Sheshiftedrestlesslyonthecouch.
"Theyjustclutteruppeople'slives.

I would love to go back to studying piano again, though. But my practicing would disturb Bobby
whenhe'stryingtoworkathome."

"How sad," Elissa said, and meant it. "I think a woman needs fulfillment as a person, just as a man
does."

Bessfrowned."ItflooredmewhenyouaskedifIdidanything.Youknow,IneverrealizedthatImight
beabletodosomethingwithmyself...."

Elissaheardmalevoices;KingandBobbywereapproaching,muchtoherrelief.Shewasfindingthis
hardgoing.Itshouldn'thavebotheredherthatKingwasindangeroffallinginlovewiththisbitter,
confusedwoman,butitdid.Itbotheredheralot.

"How long have you and Kingston been...been together?" Bess tried to sound casual, but there was
paininhervoice.

"Well..."Itwasextremelydifficultforhertofabricate,andElissawasgratefulthatKingandashorter
mansuddenlyappearedinthedoorway.

"Thereyouare.Finally,"BesssaidastheyoungermancameinastepaheadofKing.Shelookedat
him and then averted her eyes. "Did you get what you went for?" she asked. The question sounded
innocent enough, but Elissa sensed something in the blonde's voice, something faintly accusing.
PerhapsshewonderedifBobby's

"business"wasreallybusiness.

"Ofcourse,"Bobbyreplied.Hegavehiswifeanintentappraisal,hisgazebothsearchingandfaintly
defensive.

He wasn't anything like King, Elissa decided. His hair was dark blond, and he was blue eyed. He
wasn'tabad-lookingmanatall,andhewasslimbutwellbuilt.Hehadanicemouth,andheseemed
pleasantenoughaltogether.Buthelookedwearyandworn,andthereweredeeplinesinhisface.

"Your husband has approved the subcontractors," King announced with a grin. "And the bids were
wellunderbudget.He'llmakeyouarichwomanyet,Bess."

"Howlovely,"shesaidcarelessly."I'llrunrightoutandbuyanewmink."

"You'dbettergetastrongcageandsomethickgloves,"Elissasaidwithamischievoussmile.

Besslookedup,clearlypuzzledbytheremark.Shefrowned."Cage?Gloves?"

Bobbygotthejokeandburstoutlaughing,instantlylookingyearsyoungerandmoreapproachable.
"I'mafraidyou'vegotitwrong,"hetoldElissa."Shedoesn'twantaminkkit.Shewantstherealthing-
aready-madecoat."

"Oh,afast-foodminkinamannerofspeaking,"Elissaagreed."Gotyou."

King's eyes sparkled as he watched her, his firm lips tugging up in a smile. "Watch this girl," he
cautionedhishalfbrother."She'sgotaquickermindthanIhave."

"That'll be the day you old-I mean, darling," she drawled at King, winking. "I happen to know that

yoursisagenuinesteeltrap,alwayssetandreadyforbusiness."

"AbetterdescriptionIhaven'theard,"Bobbyagreed."YoumustbeElissa.Kingston'stoldmesomuch
aboutyouoverthepastcoupleofyearsthatIfeelasifIknowyoualready.Tellme,howintheworld
doyouputupwithhim?"

"Why,there'snothingtoit,"Elissasaid,glancingwickedlyatKing,andoddlypleasedtohearthathe
talked about her at home. "I got commando training by watching that television show about
professionalmercenaries."

"Iguessthat'stellingyou,"Bobbysaidwithachuckle,winkingatKing.

"Iguessitis,"sheagreed.

"Kingston isn't all that bad, surely," Bess interrupted, smiling gently up at him. "He's kept me from
vegetatingonthisislandforthepasttwoweeks.Idon'tknowhowI'dhavemanagedwithouthim."

Bobbylaughed,failingtoseeBess'sintentlookathisbrother.Heseemedtobetoobusylookingat
Elissa.

"Good thing, too, considering how little free time I've had," he tossed off to his wife. "You know,
Elissa,you'reeverybitasdelightfulasKingstonsaidyouwere,"headded.

Elissa smiled, murmuring a polite reply. She was totally unprepared for the shock and sudden
irritationinBess'seyes.

ChapterThree

BobbysparedBessafaintlycuriousglancebeforehisattentionwentbacktoElissa."I'mgladyou're
back,"

hetoldher."Kingston'sbeenaroyalpainthesepastfewdays."

Kingfrowned,buthedidn'trisetothebait.

"Soyoudidmissme."ElissabattedherlashesatKing."Hownice!"

"OfcourseImissedyou,"hesaidcurtly."Bobby,whatwillyouhavetodrink?"

"Nothing,"Besssaidquietly."I'dliketogobacktothehotelnow,"shetoldherhusbandwithacool
stare.

"I'mtired."

"Try sitting in a board meeting for four straight hours and see how relaxed that leaves you," her
husband challenged. "Look, Bess, we're leaving tomorrow, and I may not see Kingston again for
weeks.Iwanttotalkoveranewprojectwithhim."

"You can use the phone, can't you?" Bess asked, exasperated, as she got gracefully to her feet. In
three-inchheels,shewasalmostherhusband'sheight."Lordknowsyoufindtimetotalktoeveryone
else,butheavenforbiditshouldbeme.MaybeIshouldmakeanappointment."

"Youjustdon'tunderstand,doyou?"herhusbandsaidwitharesignedsigh."Nevermind,babe.We'll
go."

HeglancedapologeticallyatKingandElissa."Thanksfortheinvitation,evenifIdon'tgetthedrink.
I'llcallyouinthemorning,bigbrother."

"Fine,"Kingreplied.

"Wecouldgoforaride,"BessmurmuredtoBobbyashejoinedher.

"Aride?Areyoucrazy?Istillhavetogooverbids!"Bobbysnapped.

Bessstartedtospeak,thenseemedtogiveup."Yes,ofcourse."Sheledthewaytothedoor,calling
over her shoulder, "Good night, Kingston, Elissa." She didn't look at either of them. She just kept
walkingoutintothesultryeveningbreeze.

"I don't know what in hell's gotten into her," Bobby apologized. "She's been worse since we came
downhere.Ican'tverywellstopworking,canI?Idon'thavetimetoentertainher;theoilmarketis
toodepressedtosupportus.Ifwehadn'tdiversifiedafewyearsbackintorealestate,we'dbelivingin
publichousingbynow!"HeglancedatKing."She'ssoboredwitheverythinglately.SupposeIlether

stay with you for a week or so while I fly back to Oklahoma and catch up at the office?" he asked
Kinginallinnocence.

Elissa,standingatthedoorbesideKing,couldfeelhimtenseagainsther."ElissaandIaregoingto
spendafewdayswithherpeopleinFlorida,"herepliedunexpectedly,hisquickglancedaringElissa
todenyit"NotthatBessisn'twelcometousethehouse..."

"No, I don't want her here alone." Bobby sighed. "It was just a thought. So your people live in
Florida?"headded,smilingatElissa.

"Yes,inMiami,"shereplied.Thiswasunexpected.SurelyKingwashedging,butthethoughtoftaking
him home with her made her nervous. Her parents didn't approve of her fashions; they certainly
weren'tgoingtoapproveofherfriendshipwithamanlikeKing.They'dthinkhewasaplayboy.And
forKingtoactuallyspendtimearoundhereccentricparents!Herheartalmoststopped.Butthenshe
remindedherselfthathewasonlyplayingfortime,ofcourse.Hewasn'tserious.

"Whatdotheydo?"Bobbypersisted.

"My father is a min-" She caught it just in time, even before King unobtrusively pinched her. She
jumped.

"He'sinancienthistory,"shebitoff,glaringatKing."Andmymotherisahousewife."

Bobbynodded."Anybrothersorsisters?"

Sheshookherheadgladly."No.Justme."

"You'dbettergetgoing,"Kinginterrupted,asifhedidn'tliketheinterestBobbywasshowinginher.
"Besswilltakethecarifyoudon't."

"Shewillatthat,"heagreed."Well,goodnight."

"Goodnight,"Kingreplied.

Bobbyleft,andaminutelaterthecarroaredangrilydownthedriveway.

"They don't seem ideally suited, do they?" Elissa asked quietly, watching the taillights disappear
amongthepalms.

"They used to be," King replied. "When times were hard, they were always together, doing simple
thingslikewindow-shoppingorjustwalking.Then,whenthemoneystartedcomingin,Besswaslike
akidinacandyshop.Shehadtohaveallkindsofexpensivethings."Hesighed."AndBobbywanted
hertohavethem.Heworkedharderandhardertogivethemtoher,butitkepthimawayfromhomea
lot.Whentheoilmarketfell,hewentintopartnershipinasmallconstructionfirmbackhome."

Hepaused,asifthinking,thencontinuedpensively,"Bobby'salwaysfeltobligedtocompetewithme.
Inrecentyears,he'striedevenharder.ThatmeansBessspendstoomuchtimealone,andsheisn'tthe

kind of woman who can just sit. She isn't even domestic. Too bad she and Bobby never wanted
children."

He turned, missing Elissa's sharp glance. Didn't he know that Bess was just hiding what she really
wanted?

Elissa was sure that the other woman did want children, very much. He poured himself another
Scotch."Wantanother?"heaskedasanafterthought.

Shenodded."Yes,thanks.Whydoeshewanttocompetewithyou?"

"It'sthe way he'smade, I guess.The second brother isn'tgoing to besecond best. He's twenty-eight
now,andIthinkhewantstobestmefinanciallybeforehegetstobemyage."HepouredElissa'sdrink
beforeheopenedtheslidingdoorstothebeach.Hestoodthere,tallandunapproachable,thebreeze
runninglikefingersthroughhisthickblackhairashewatchedthesurfcrashwhiteandfrothyonto
thehard-packedsandbeyondthepatio."Hedoesn'tlikethefactthathisfatherallowedmetoinherit,"
he added. "His father and I got along pretty well-in a business sense at least-and I think Bobby
somehowfeltthreatenedbythat."

"He's your half brother, of course," she said hesitantly, remembering how little King liked to talk
aboutpersonalmatters.

"That'sright."Heliftedhisglasstohislipswithabittersmile."He'snotaduke'smixture-didn'tyou
notice?"

She glared at him. "Neither are you," she snapped. "You're part Apache, which is something else
entirely."

Hecockedanamusedeyebrowather."Thankyouforclarifyingthesituationforme,"hemurmured
dryly,andhewentbacktocontemplatingtheoutsideworld.

Forafewminutestheysippedtheirdrinksinsilence,andElissawonderedatthesenseoffreedomthe
liquorgaveher.Shehadn'thadmorethanasmallglassofwineinalongtime.Butthevodkaseemed
tobedoingstrangethingstoher,makingherextremelyawareofKing,dilutingherinhibitions.She
feltlight-headed.Reckless.

Herbodyburnedwithnewtemptations.Sheputdowntheemptyglass,andherhandseemedtomove
inslowmotion.Kingwasclosetofinishinghisdrink,too.Wasithisthird?Shecouldn'tkeeptrack.
Besshadgottentohim,allright.Elissawonderedifhewascompletelysober.

"Doyouhaveotherfamily?"sheaskedafteraminute,joininghiminthedoorway.

"Bobby's father died some years back. Our mother is in a nursing home," he added simply.
"Alzheimer'sdisease.Wevisither,butshedoesn'tknowusanymore."

"Howterribleforyou.Andforher."

"Itisthat,"heagreed.Hetookalongswallow."Idon'tknowaboutmyownfather.Hegotsickofmy
mother's rich friends and left us when I was just a boy." He studied his glass. "He was from New
Mexico,butheworkedonoilrigsinOklahoma.That'swherehemetmymother."Heglancedather.
"Shewasblondandblueeyed,likeBobby,andshelovedthegoodlife.Moneywaseverythingtoher.
Myfatherhadsimplertastes."

"Iwouldn'thaveasked,"sherepliedquietly.Itstartledherthathewaswillingtosharesuchapersonal
thingwithher.EitherhewasextremelyupsetbyBess,orthealcoholwasaffectinghim.

Shestaredathisshirtwherehe'dunbuttoneditandremovedhistie.Againstthewhitefabric,hisskin
looked even darker than usual. Her eyes were drawn to the thick mesh of hair over hard, bronzed
muscle.

As if he sensed that rapt stare, he turned toward her and his eyes caught hers. He didn't look away.
Whileherheartwentwild,withdeliberateslownesshetossedawaythecigarettehe'djustlitandtook
a step toward her, bringing her totally against him, so that her breasts touched his chest where his
shirt was open. She wasn't wearing anything under the jump suit, and she could feel her nipples
hardenatthecontactwithhim.Tensingawayfromhim,shewondereduncomfortablyifhefeltthem,
too.

"Anything sexual disturbs you, doesn't it?" he asked softly, well aware of the tension in her body.
"Well,I'msafe-yousaidsoyourself.Sowhydon'tyoucutyourteethonme?"

"I can't!" she gasped. He had her with her back to the sliding glass door, so that she was trapped
betweenitscoldnessandhiswarmth,herbreastswildlysensitiveagainsthishardchest.

"Shh,"hewhisperedathertemple."Don'tpanic.Iwon'thurtyou,"Hesmiledsoftly.Thedrinkshad
done the trick; he was finally feeling relaxed and slightly muddled, which was a relief from all the
heavy thinking he'd had to do lately. He couldn't have Bess, he reasoned now, but Elissa was fair
game, wasn't she? Shy and virginal-how tempting to a man. What would it hurt to give her a little
experience?Hecaredabouther,inaway.Andwhobettertodealwithherrepressions?She'dalmost
admittedearlierthatshe'dlethim.

"Whyareyoudoingthis?"sheaskedinahigh-pitchedtone.Herfingersstartedtopushhimaway,but
whenherhandsencounteredwarm,hair-roughenedskin,theystoppedstrugglingandflattenedagainst
him. She realized she didn't feel like resisting, anyway. The vodka had done something to her
willpower. She felt more like relaxing against King than fighting him; his proximity was having a
throbbingeffectonherbody.

"Because I need something to occupy me, to keep me out of trouble. So you're going to be my
hobby,"hesaid.

"Idon'twanttobeyourhobby,"sheprotestedweakly.Herlegsfelttrembly.

"Iwasyoursatthebeginning,"heremindedher."You'venoonetoblamebutyourself."

"Thatwasdifferent.Youwererepressed,"shesaiddefensively.Hewastooclose.Shewasinhalingthe

tangy,cleanscentofhim,anditwasintoxicatinghermorethanthevodkahad.Hisbaredchestwas
hardunderherfingers,andbetweenseeinghimandsmellinghimandfeelinghim,shewasadrifton
sensation,herheartpounding.

Allthatdevastatingmasculinity,soclose.

"/wasrepressed?"heaskedwithanamusedsmile.

"You were all alone," she said quietly, avoiding his eyes. "I felt sorry for you. I was alone, too. I...
well,Ithoughtitwouldbenicetohaveafriend."

"YouhadWarchief,"hepointedout,grinning."SpeakingofWarchief..."Heglancedaround.Thebig
parrotwasonhisperchring,onefootdrawnup,hiseyesclosed."Unusual,hisgoingtosleepwithout
beingcovered.Isthatantibioticworking,doyouthink?"

"He isn't sneezing or rasping," she said, grateful for the change of subject. "He's better. He's just
sleepy. He always goes to sleep at dusk, when you're not around." She grinned. "He's in love with
you."

"Ithinkhe'sashe,"helaughed.Thenheturnedhisattentionbacktoher,lookingdownatthebodiceof
herjumpsuitwithnarrowingeyes.Hemovedexperimentally,rubbinghischestagainsther,andshe
gaspedatthesudden,sharppleasurethefrictionproduced.

Sheflushedtotherootsofherlongdarkhair."King!"

"Shocking,isn'tit?"heasked,liftinghisnarrowgazetohers.

Hereyessearchedhis,curiositymomentarilydisplacinghernervousnessatthisnewintimacy.

His gaze held hers while the hands at her waist began to move her in a sensuous circle against his
hard,warmchest.

Theonlysoundssheheardwerethehoarsenessoftheoceanagainstthesandandthewildnessofher
ownbreathing.Shecouldn'tbeartolookatKingassensationoverwhelmedher,andsheloweredher
foreheadtohisshoulder.Hewasbreathingheavily,too,hisheartbeataudible.

Histhumbsedgedunderherarms,brushingatthesidesofherbreasts,feelinghersoftness,feeling
herbegintotremblewiththenewnessofphysicalpleasure.

"Youaren'twearingabra,areyou?"hewhispered,hisvoicedeepandsoftatherear."Thatsilkything
issothinthatit'slikeholdingyounakedinmyarms."

ThepoweroftheeroticsuggestionwassuchthatElissabitherliptokeepfromcryingout.Hernails
dugintohisshoulders,andherlegsthreatenedtobuckleunderneathher.Sheshuddered.

"Elissa,"hebreathedroughly.

ShecouldsmelltheScotchonhisbreath,buteventhatwasoddlyexciting.Hisarmssuddenlylifted
herintoanembracetightenoughthatshecouldfeelhisribsdiggingintoher.Sheclungtohim,her
faceburiedinhisthroat,breathingintheexquisitelymalescentofhim,herheadspinning,herbody
aching for something it had never known, her breasts crushed against hard muscle. He bit her ear,
then ran his tongue around its soft curves, an intimate gesture that she'd never realized could have
suchaprofoundeffect.

Herarmstightenedaroundhisneck,herfacefierywithunexpectedpassionasheheldher.Wasshe
mistaken,orwasthereafinetremorinthearmssofiercelyholdingher?

His cheek brushed against hers. "Your breasts feel swollen," he whispered, once more moving her
bodyagainsthim."Dotheyache?"hewhisperedknowingly.

"Yes,"shegaspedmindlessly."Oh,King!"Hercuriosityoutweighedhercaution,outweighedthefear
thathadalwayscomewiththethreatofintimacy,andshereveledinthefeelofhisslick,dampskin
againsthertenderbreasts.

"Icanmakethemstopaching,"hewhisperedhuskily.Hislipstraveleddownherfacetoherthroat,his
breathingharshandrapid."Here..."

Hismouthslidoverthesilkybodiceandsuddenlypressed,openandhot,rightagainstthesoftcurve
ofherthinlyveiledbreast

Shecriedoutatthepleasureitgaveher,andherbackarchedtogivehimaccess.

ButthesoundhadshockedKingintorealizingwhathewasdoing.Hisheadjerkedup,hiseyeswide
andfranklystunned."DearGod,"hesaidharshly.Hehadn'texpectedthis.Hadn'texpectedtowanther.
Hehadn'tknownituntilnow,hadn'tdreamed...Hefeltthetautnessofhisbodyandsuddenlyreleased
herandturnedaway,notwantinghertoknowwhatshewasdoingtohim.

Shegapedathim.Hewasbreathingharshlyashereachedovertopickuphisnearlyfinisheddrink
fromthetable.Hishandseemedtotremblealittleasheliftedtheglasstohismouthanddrainedit.
"I'msorry,"hebitoff,settingtheglassdownhardonthetable."Ididn'texpectthattohappen."

He was apologizing, she registered, but for what? For wanting her? "I don't...mind." She said it and
was amazed to find that it was true. She didn't mind having him want her. It was heady and wildly
exciting.

Heturned,hisdarkeyesglazedandquestioning."Whynot?"

Sheshruggedhelplessly."Idon'tknow."Hereyesfelltohischest."Istill...Istillache,"shewhispered
shakily.

Hislipswereparted,asifhewasfindingitdifficulttobreathe."Haveyoufeltlikethatwithanyone
else?"

heasked,distressedtorealizeitwassuddenlydeeplyimportantthatheknow.

"No,"sheconfessed,hervoicesoft,gentle.

Hecouldn'tdecidewhattodo.Shouldhesendherhomeorpickherupinhisarmsandtakeherinto
hisbedandshowherhowsweethecouldmakeitforher?Damn.Howcouldjustacoupleofdrinks
makehimsoaddled?

She looked up at that moment and saw the indecision in his eyes, and she knew exactly what had
causedit.

Her face colored. "I-I can't sleep with you," she whispered huskily. "I...like what you just did to me,
but...Ican'tdealwiththatkindofeasyintimacy.Notevenwithyou."

Hisdarkeyesroameddownherbody,thesightofthatsweetsoftnesshe'dknownsobrieflymaking
himache.Hecaughthereyes."Icanmakeyouwantit,"hesaidinastranger'ssensuousvoice.

"Andafter?"sheasked.

Hedrewinaslowbreath."MyGod,whatamIsaying?"

"It'sbeenahardnightforyou,"shesaid,forcingherselfnottotakeittooseriously.Hewasfrustrated,
that was all, and she was handy and he'd forgotten all the reasons why not. "I wish things were
different."

"SodoI."Herammedhishandsintohispockets."Believeme,sodoI."Itwasthetruth,hisbodyfairly
throbbedwithwantingher.Howodd,hismuddledbrainmused,tohavethiskindofreactiontoElissa
whenitwasBesshe'dbeenafraidofwanting.

Coulditbemisplaceddesire?Lord,hecouldn'teventhinkstraight.

"I'dbettergohome."

Heturned."I'llwalkyou."

"No.It'sallright.Youcanwatchmeoutthedoor,"shesaidquickly-tooquickly.

"Ican'thelpit,youknow,"hesaidsoftly,accuratelyreadingtheapprehensioninherlovelyfaceand
smiling in spite of himself when she colored. "A man's body will give him away every time. But I
trustyounottotakeadvantageofit,"headdedwithdryhumor.

Shestaredathim,thengaspedwithhelplesslaughter,"Youhorribleman!"

"Well,I'mvulnerable,"hecommentedasheopenedthefrontdoorandstoodasidetoletherpass."A
manhastolookoutforhishonor,afterall.Imightmarrysomeday.She'llwanttobethefirst."

"I'msureshe'dbeatleastthefifteenth,"shechided,laughingatherownboldness.Nowthattheheart-
shatteringtruthofjustmomentsbeforehadpassed,itwasonceagaineasytotalktohim,evenabout
theintimatethings.

"Notquitethatmany,"hemumbledastheywalked,thebreeze,warmandsaltysmelling,rufflingthe
frondsofthepalmtrees.

"Well,youdidn'tlearnwhatyoudidbacktherebyreadingabook,"sheobserved.

Hecockedaneyebrowandlaughedfaintly."No,Ididn't."Hestopped,tiltingherchinup."God,itwas
sweet."

Herlipsparted,andherbreathcaughtinherthroat.Thenhelaughedsoftly,angrily,ashetookher
arm, almost roughly, and propelled her along the moonlit beach. "I must be drunk," he muttered.
"You'llhavetooverlookafewthingsabouttonight,Iguess.Ihaven'tbeenmyself."

Which was absolutely true. Even speaking was hard for him right now. He needed a cold shower-
badly.

Andforsomereason,hedidn'twantElissatoknowwhathewasfeeling,toknowtheextentofthis
bizarreaberrationinhisthoughtprocesses.Itshockedhim,thesuddenhungerhefelttostripherout
ofthatjumpsuit,throwherdownonthebeachandmakeherhis.Herememberedhowshe'dlookedin
thatsexynightgown,andhealmostgroanedoutloud.Hehadtobedrunkallright,hetoldhimself.
Howcouldheevenimagineaunionbetweenthem?

Shewithherhang-upsandhewithhisimpossiblyconfusedfeelingsforBess.Wasthiswhatpeople
meantbyloveontherebound?OrhadhealwayswantedElissaandrefusedtoacknowledgeitinthe
faceofherphysicalreticence?

"You'reveryquiet,"shesaidwhentheyreachedherdoor.

"I'mshockedatmyownbehavior,"hesaidcurtly.

"It'sbeendifficultforyou,"shereturned,unabletomeethiseyes."Itwasjustthealcohol."

"Yes.Itmusthavebeen.We'llforgetithappened."

"Thatmightbebest,"shesaidlightly,forcingherselfnottoshowthedisquietshefelt.

"Youdon'tneedtomakeitsoundsodamnedeasy,"hesaid,unreasonablyirritatedandfindinghimself
onthevergeofspewingoutexactlywhathe'dwantedtokeepsilentabout,yetunabletostophimself.
Hisself-controlwasshot."DoyouknowhowmuchIwanttolayyoudowninthesandandhaveyou?
Do you?" he demanded harshly. "And because of that, you'd better stay away from me until I get
myself together." Hurting, and lashing out because of it, he straightened to deal the killing blow.
"BecauseanythingIdidrightnowwouldbebecauseofBess-wantingBess-andyou'dbetterremember
it."

Itwasalie-hewastooconfusedtoknowhisownmindrightnow-buthereasonedthatenoughpeople
stoodtogethurtbyBess'srecentinterestinhim,andhedidn'twantElissatobecomeacasualty,too.
Anything-anythingatall-thatwouldkeepheratarm'slengthwouldultimatelybeforherowngood.

Shedidn'tneedtocompromiseherinnocencebecauseofhisconfusedlongings.Sohe'dhavetobe
crueltobekind,eventhoughshewouldn'trealizeitrightnow.Someday,however,she'dthankhim
forwhatmustseemlikecallousbehavior.

Sheclenchedherteeth.Hehadn'texactlyshockedherwiththeadmission-she'dsuspectedshe'dbeena
standinforBess-buthadheneededtobesoblunt?"ThenI'llsaygoodnight."

"Sayit,andgoinside."Hejammedhishandsintohispockets.

"Whatasweet-temperedmanyouare,"shemuttered.Sheturnedtounlockthedoor,thenglaredathim
overhershoulderasshewentinside."Thanksforalovelyevening.Ididsoenjoyit."

He glared back. "Including the way you threw yourself at me back there?" he asked with a cold,
mockingsmile,pushingherthatlaststep.

Hewasaskingforahardslap.Shetriedtorememberthathe'dbeendrinking,butallshewantedtodo
waspushhimintoacoralreefandwhistleforapassingshark!"Iwasdrinking,"sheadmitted,"andso
wereyou."

"Well,Iwon'tmakethesamemistakewithyouagain,"hereturnedcoldly."Obviouslyyoucan'thold
yourliquor."Hedidn'tknowwhyhewasgoadingher-whydidn'thelethergoinside,whereshe'dbe
safelyawayfromhim?

"Saidthepottothekettle!"shethrewback,fuming."Youweretheonewhostartedit!"

"Youweren'tfightingveryhard,"hepointedout.

She clenched her fists. "Next time you need help with your love life, find another pigeon. I'm not
playingsecondfiddletoyouandyoursister-in-law!"

"Stopshouting,"hegrumbled.

"I'llshoutifIlike.AndIwantmybirdback!"

"Whenhe'swell,withmyblessing,"heshotback.

Her lower lip trembled. She was near tears. With her fists clenched at her sides, she felt herself
shakingwithmingledrageandfrustration.Hereshewasyellingthingsshedidn'tmeanbutcouldn't
helpsaying,andshedidn'tknowwhattodoaboutit.She'dneverfeltlikethisbefore,andshedidn't
evenunderstandwhatwaswrong.

"Ihateyou!"shewailed.

Hetookhishandsoutofhispocketsandmovedclose,cuppingherheadinhisleanfingers,holding
herfirmly."Doyou,Elissa?"That'swhathe'dwanted,wasn'tit?Toprotectherfromhimself?Butas
hegazed down intoher wide, glisteningeyes, he felt awave of emotioncrash over him, engulfing
himinfrustrateddesire.Hewasonlyhuman,afterall.

"Inlieuofacoldshower..."hesaidunderhisbreath,andhebenthishead.

Elissa'smouthfeltbruisedfromthesheerforceofhishardlips,andhedidn'tspareher.Hismouth
liftedforaninstant,onlytocomedownagainmoreintimately,histonguepushingintohermouth,his
fingersbitingintohertotiltherheadandgivehimbetteraccesstoherlips.

She moaned, and he caught his breath. "Open your mouth," he ground out, his hands at her throat,
lifting,coaxing."Oh,God,Elissa,openyourmouth...."

Shedid,shudderingashedeepenedthekiss.Herkneesweakenedandthreatenedtocollapse,butthe
instant her body relaxed against the rigid strength of his, he seemed to come to his senses. His lips
lifted slowly, delicately probing, brushing. He felt her breasts, so smooth and hard tipped, press
againsthim,sawherexpressionsoftwithconfuseddesire.Elissa.Heblinked,hismindinlimbo.He
wanted her. His body ached to have hers, to press it into the soft sand beneath his, to feel her skin
warmandwelcomingunderhishands....

Elissa...Hecursedunderhisbreathandstoppedabruptly,feelingoutragedathislackofcontrol.He
hadn'tmeantforthistohappen.ThatdamnedScotch!Whatwashedoing?Hewentrigidandsuddenly
allbutthrewherawayfromhim.

"Was that what you wanted?" he demanded, wanting to hurt, to make her pay for that lapse in his
control.

"Nowyouknow,sogoinside,littlegirl.You'llhavetogettherestofyourexperiencewithsomeone
else.Idon'tinitiatevirgins."

Sheswallowed.Hewasn'tmakinganysenseatall;hewasbeingtotallyerratic.Hisfistsclenched,and
she saw the shudder ripple through his powerful body. Too much to drink, her mind registered.
Dangerous.

"Whoaskedyouto?"sheshotback.Shehatedhim.Shehatedhim!Withshakinghandssheopenedthe
door,wentinsideandslammeditbehindher,lockingit,aswell.Outsidesheheardaharshmuttered
curse.

She collapsed against the wall with an unsteady sigh. She hadn't expected that. As a matter of fact,
about the last thing she'd expected after his outburst was for him to kiss her. He'd never kissed her
beforetonight.Cometothinkofit,they'dneverarguedbefore.Shefeltalumpinherthroatasshe
realizedthatshe'djustlostagoodfriendandshedidn'tevenunderstandwhy.

Hisfootstepsdiedaway,andallsheheardwasthegentlewindofftheCaribbean.Shetouchedherlips,
feelingtheirswollenfullnesswithwonder.Hertonguetouchedthemandtastedhim.

It all seemed like a dream. For some reason King had stepped completely out of character, and for
that matter, she had, too. But none of it made any sense. Surely if King were pining away for his
sister-in-law,hewouldn'tbecapableofthatkindofpassionwithanotherwoman.Orwouldhe?She
cursedherignoranceofmenandtheirbasicmakeup.

Tryingtosortthingsout,sheconcludedthatifKingneededtouseherasashield,hemusthavesome
kindofspecialfeelingforBess.Thetenderlookinhiseyeswhenhe'dgazedathissister-in-lawhad
affordedElissaarareglimpsebehindthemaskofcoolreserveKingusuallywore.Apparently,Bess
hadalwaysbeenspecialtohim,andnow,maybeforthefirsttime,hewasconfrontingherinanew
way-asadesirablewoman,notjustasarelative.

Elissa sighed, remembering with guilt her own delicious abandon in King's arms. She was sure the
drinks had influenced her. They'd obviously influenced him, too. She went into her bedroom and
flicked on the light, quietly removing the jump suit and putting on a long, plain cotton nightgown.
King had reminded her that anything he did to her would be only out of desire for Bess. Was that
completely true? she wondered. There were so many puzzles now. Their uncomplicated friendship
hadturnedintoamentalwrestlingmatch.

Shebrushedherlonghairandcrawledintobed.Butoncesheturnedoutthelight,shecouldfeelall
overagainthewarmthofKing'slipsonhers,histonguepushingintohermouthinakissunlikeany
she'd ever experienced. She felt her face go hot as she remembered just how involved he'd gotten.
Andhe'daccusedherofthrowingherselfathim!Incredible,howmuchhissharpwordshadhurt.Of
course,she'dbeensparedhistemperforthepasttwoyears.Shemightneverhaveseenitifhehadn't
madesuchablatantpassatherinthefirstplace.Men!

Well,hersexynightiewasstilllyingonhisbed,sheremembered;shehopeditgavehimnightmares.
Sherolledoverandclosedhereyes,countingwavesandprayingforsleep.Youcanjustholdyour
breathuntilIdoyouanotherfavor,KingRoper,shethoughtfuriously.

ChapterFour

In her wild and confusing dreams, Elissa felt King's hands caressing her, molding her curves,
teachinghernewmovements,newsensations.Shecouldseehisfacetautwithpassion,feeltheripple
ofhismusclesashebeganapaganrhythmwithhisbody....

Shesatupstraightinbed,drenchedwithsweatandtremblingfromtheeffectsofthosesensuousand
disturbingdreams.Herownreactionsshockedher.Wereallthoseyearsofsuppressinghersensuality
about to explode in her face? Last night her old fears of intimacy had dropped away, and she'd felt
straightforwarddesireforthefirsttimeinherlife.

It was the vodka, she thought stubbornly, trying desperately to get her delinquent emotions under
control.

Afterall,howcouldsheforgetthatKinghadaccusedherofthrowingherselfathim?

"SureIdid,"shemutteredasshewentintothelivingroomthatoverlookedthebeach."SureIdid.I
forcedhimtoholdmelikethatandkissmy..."

Sheswallowed,ignoringtheinstanthardeningofhernipples.Thiswasoutrageous!Wherewasher
pride?

She made herself a cup of coffee and opened a packaged pastry, nibbling at it halfheartedly as she
begantoscribbleideasfornewdesignsonherbigsketchpad.Unfortunately,nothingappealedtoher.
Shestayedwithherworkforafewminutesandthengaveup,walkingoutontohersmallpatio.Her
longhairandwildlycolorfulcaftanflutteredintheeternalbreezefromthesea,andsheletthesound
ofthesurfsootheherasshegazedappreciativelyatabigsailboatonthehorizon.

Jamaica was the stuff of dreams, she mused. Pirate legends and fascinating people. Her eyes turned
towardadistanthill,atthetopofwhichthestructurecalledRoseHallperched.Iflegendwasfact,its
long-ago owner, Annee Palmer, whom the locals had dubbed the White Witch of Rose Hall, had
murdered three husbands and several lovers there, in addition to practicing voodoo and brutalizing
herslaves.

Once,afteratourofthespookyhouse,Elissahadhadnightmaresfordays.Onenight,sherecalled,
she'dawakenedscreaming,andshe'dheardapoundingatherdoor.King,hispajamabottomspeeking
out above the waistband of his trousers testifying to his haste in rushing to her cottage, had, upon
assessingthatnothingwaswrong,laughedatherindulgentlyandcradledherlikeachild.Eventhen,
she reflected, sitting on the edge of her bed and holding her, he hadn't seemed to notice her as a
woman.Therehadbeennothingremotelysexualaboutthecomforthe'dgivenher.Andyetnow,after
lastnight,itwasimpossibletothinkofhiminanonsexualway.

She stepped down onto the beach and saw that King's car was gone. Where was he? she wondered
briefly.

Decidingitwasreallynoneofherbusiness,shebrushedbackherhairandturnedonceagaintowatch
the big passenger ship in the distance wend its way seaward. Her cottage was too far off the beaten
trackformuchcontactwithcitylife,andshelikeditthatway.Allthesame,itmustbefascinatingto
live in Mo' Bay, as everyone called Montego Bay, and see the people who visited the island from
thosegrandoceangoinghotels.

Withhercoffeecupinherhands,shesatdownonthewarmsandandwatchedthegracefulcasuarina
pinesblowinthewind.Itwasheavenhere.Sopeacefulandquietandexquisitelyunpolluted.

Her eyes drifted closed, and suddenly she envisioned herself on the beach with King, in the
moonlight,makingwild,passionatelove,withthesurfcrashingaroundthem....

Hereyespoppedopen,andshejumpedtoherfeetsoquicklythatshealmostupendedhercoffeeall
over herself. Dazed by her wayward thoughts, she stumbled back inside and went straight to work.
Andthistimeshedidthreedesignsthatsatisfiedhercreativeinstincts.

Itwasthelongestdayshecouldremember.AtdusksheheardWarchiefgoofflikeanair-raidsiren
andwishedthatshecouldgethimandbringhimhome,butitwasmistingrainandhewasbetteroff
wherehewasforthetimebeing.Shewasfeelingunaccountablylonely,andshemissedhavinghimon
his big T-stand perch in the living room, chattering away and begging scraps when she broke off
work for a snack or a meal. She almost always ended up sharing fresh fruits and vegetables and
bread,whichheatewithevidentenjoyment.

Shesighed, turning awayfrom the window.She missed her bird.She was goingto miss King even
more.

Afterlastnight,shewassurehewouldn'thaveanythingelsetodowithher.Shestillfounditamazing
that he'd wanted to take her to bed. She was glad she'd had the sense to refuse, but she still flushed
thinking about what she'd let him do to her by those sliding glass doors. Best to put such errant
thoughtsoutofhermind,shechidedherself.

Justafterdark,shewasputteringaroundthekitcheninshortsandalong-sleevedman'sshirtwhenshe
sawKingdriveuptohisvilla,accompaniedbyBobbyandBess.Shefrowned.Weren'ttheysupposed
tohaveleftthatmorning?

Minuteslater,herphonerang.

"I'mhome,"Kingsaidinadeep,sexytonethatsheknewinstantlywasaruse."Whydon'tyoucome
overandhaveadrink?BessandBobbyarestayingthenightwithme."

Shefishedforexcuses."Ihavetofeedthehermitcrabsandputoutlobsterpots...."

"I'llseeyouinfiveminutes,"hesaid,ignoringherfeebleattemptathumor,andhungup.

She glared at the telephone. She wanted to call him back and tell him what he could do with his
overbearing attitude, but now that she'd begun this horrible charade, she felt obliged to go through

withit.Why,shedidn'tknow.

After changing into a strappy little black dress, hose and high heels, she tramped across to King's
house.

Warchiefwentintoraucousecstasiesofwelcomeatherarrival."Quiet,sweetthing,"Elissascolded
playfully,noddingtoBobbyandasubduedBessasshewenttopetherparrot.

Evidentlyhe'dlosthisinclinationtobite.Heblazedhiseyes,docilelybenthisheadforhertoscratch
andcooed,"Hello,prettything."

"I'vemissedyou,too,youhorriblebird,"shemurmured,nuzzlinghernoseagainsthishead.

"Iwouldn'tputmynosethatclosetohim,"Bessgasped.

"Wisedecision,"Kingremarkedeasily."He'stotallyunpredictable.Hewon'tletanyoneexceptElissa
thatclose."

"Nowgotosleep,"Elissawhisperedwhenshe'dscratchedhisgreenheadenoughtosatisfyWarchief
andhiseyeswerenearlyclosed.

She busied herself covering his cage, uneasier around King than she'd ever been in the two years
she'dknownhim.Shecouldn'tevenmanagetomeethiseyes,shewassoconfused.

"I expected to find you already over here," Bess remarked. Dressed in flowing yellow lounging
pajamasthatsuitedherblondness,sheleanedbackonthebigwhitesofa.

"Ihadsomedesignstoworkon,"Elissareplied.

"She works better at her own cottage, where there are fewer distractions," King remarked, his dark
eyesnarrowonheravertedface.

Bobbyhadn'tsaidaword,excepttogreetElissawarmly.Hewasbentoverfinancialreportsspreadall
overthecoffeetable,seeminglyoblivioustotheworldaroundhim.

BessgavehimawearyglancebeforesheturnedbacktostudyElissaandKing."Sowhat'swithyou
two?

Youbarelyseemtobespeaking,"sheobserved.HereyesopenlyflirtedwithKing.

KingclearedhisthroatandstaredhardatElissa."Howastuteofyoutonotice,Bess.Actually,Elissa
andIhadalittletiff,butit'snothing,really."

"Yes,"Elissabegan,glaringathim."Isimplylostcontrolandthrewmyselfat-"Suddenlyshefound
herselfbeinggrabbedbythehandanddraggedintoabedroom.

"Rape!"sheyelled,andBobbysurprisedeveryonebyburstingoutwithlaughter.

King closed the door behind them, his face livid. He leaned back against the door, watching her
retreattothewindow.

"Stopthat,"hegrowled."You'reslittingmythroat!"

"Good.I'llbetyoubleedicewater,"shereturned,hereyeswideandaccusing.

"Ishouldn'thavesaidwhatIsaidlastnight,"hebeganslowly."I'msorry.Ican'tbegintoexplainwhyI
didit."

"YouweredrunkandsowasI,"sherepliedtosaveface.

Hiseyebrowmadeanarch."Onthreedrinks?"

"I'mnotusedtoliquorofanysort,"shedefendedherself."AndunlessI'mmistaken,youdon'tdrink
much,either."

His powerful shoulders rose and fell. In his white slacks and a red-and-white knit shirt, he looked
impossiblyhandsome.Hisdarkeyesranupanddownherbody,andsheknewhewasremembering,
asshehad,howithadbeenbetweenthem.Herheartpoundedonceagainatthesheerimpactofthat
memory.

"Bobby postponed his flight until tomorrow morning," he said a few moments later. "He thought it
wouldbefunifthefourofusflewbacktotheStatestogether."

"Ican't,"sheprotested."Warchief-"

"I've got a sitter, as usual," he returned. "I can't stay here or Bess will get a migraine or find some
excusetostaywithme.Bobby,asyoucansee,isimmersedinhiswork.Hedoesn'tevenrealizewhat's
happening."

"Youpoorman,"shesaidcoolly.

Heglaredather."DoyouthinkIcanhelpit?"

"No,"shesighed,turningaway."Idon'tsupposeshecanhelpit,either."

He came up behind her, his warm, strong hands clasping her arms. She trembled at their touch, so
awareofhimphysicallythatitmadeherache.

Hisfingerscontractedrhythmically,asifhelikedthesilkyfeelofherskin.Hisbreathinherhairwas
warmandnotquitesteady.

"We can fly to Miami, and then I can drive you to your parents' house. That will accomplish two
things:satisfymysenseofhonestyandgetBessoutofmyhair."

So he wasn't planning to stay, thank God. But what would her parents say at this unexpected visit?

Theywereboundtowonderwhyshe'dcuthervacationshortandwhyKingwaswithher.Thisentire
situationwastotallyludicrous.Yet,despiteherself,herheartwentouttoKinginhispredicament,and
shereasoneditwouldn'thurtherworkanytotouchbaseinFlorida.Maybeherparentswouldn'thave
toseeKing,andthey'dneverknowthatanythingwasamiss.

"Allright,"sheagreed."I'llgo."

"Goodgirl."

Sheturnedandlookedupathim."Yes,Iam,"shesaidquietly."Trytorememberthatthenexttimeyou
decidetomakeapassatme."

Hesearchedhersoftblueeyes."YouandIareanexplosivemixture,aren'twe?"heasked,hisvoice
deepandmeasured.

Her nails were making quiet patterns on his shirtfront while she looked at him. "Until last night, I
never really understood why women couldn't stop men from making love to them," she confessed.
"It'sveryhardtostop,isn'tit?"

Hesmiledindulgently."Well,awomancanteaseamanuntilhe'sdesperatetohaveher."

"Iteasesometimes,"sheadmittedslowly,searchinghisdarkeningeyes,"butIdon'treallymeanit.Not
asacome-on."Sheloweredhergazetohisthroat."I'vealwayswantedtobemorelikeBess,"shesaid.
"Sophisticated and worldly and very desirable. But the minute a man comes too close, I freeze. All
thoseoldinhibitionsrearup,andIrun.ButIdon'tmeantobecruel.It's...likeafantasy."

Hetiltedherfaceuptohis."IthinkI'vealwaysknownthat,Elissa,"hesaidquietly."AndIknowyou
weren't teasing me. Not deliberately, anyway," he added with a smile. "Though you did get a little
wild."

Sheblushedfeverishly.

"WhatI'mtryingtoexplain,"hecontinued,tracinghercheek,"isthatIwasfrustratedandIcouldn'tdo
anythingaboutit.IendedupsayingalotofthingsIdidn'tmean."

"SodidI,"shereplied."I-Iached."

"NothalfasmuchasIdid,"hesaidwithamockgroan.Hepushedherlonghairawayfromherface.
"Ilayawakehalfthenight,picturingyounude,onthebeach,yourarmsopenforme,"hesaidhuskily.

"Why,that'sjustwhatI-!"Shestopped,hermouthopen,horrifiedatwhatshe'dadmitted.

"There'snothingtobeashamedof,"hesaidgently."You'rehuman.SoamI.Wehadalittletoomuch
todrink,wequarreled-that'sall."

"King,you-youwon'ttrytoseduceme?"sheasked,afraidthathemightoutoffrustrationoverBess
andknowingfromlastnight'sexperiencethathewouldn'tmeetmuchresistance.

"CouldI?"heaskedinasmooth,sensuoustone,searchingherwideeyes.

"Yes,"sheadmitted,loweringhergaze.

Hisownreactionstartledhim;itwasinstantaneousandoverwhelming,andhecaughthisbreathashis
body tautened. He saw her blush scarlet at the awareness of what was happening to him, and he
mutteredunsteadily,"Thisisabsurd."

"King?" she whispered, her body throbbing wildly from the knowledge of what her response had
donetohim.

"Oh,whatthehell,"hebreathed,andhebenttohermouth.

His lips came down on hers and opened them sensuously, while his arms lifted her against him,
savoring her soft weight. He carried her to the huge king-size bed and placed her carefully on the
blacksilkcoverlet.Thenheslidalongsideher,hislooklazy,hiseyesdangerous.Loweringhishead,
hetrailedastringofwarm,moistkissesfromhertempletoherthroat.

"Doesthisuntie?"hemurmured,searchinghershouldersfortheendsofthestraps.

Herlipsparted.Shethoughtshewantedtoprotest,butherbodywassingingtoher,herbloodraging
inherveins.Shewantedhiseyesonher,there,hismouth,shewanted...

"Youhavebedroomeyes,"hewhispered.Hisfingersfoundthetinybowsjustbehindhershoulders,
andheuntiedthemveryslowly."WhenIlookinthemIcanseewhatyouwant."

"WhatdoIwant?"shewhispered,hervoicehuskyandunfamiliartoherownearsasshelaybeneath
him.

"Myeyes,"hereplied,drawingthebodiceofherdressdownjusttothesoftbeginningslopeofher
breasts.

"Andmymouth."Hebenthisheadtohercreamyskin,runninghislipsjustbeneathhercollarbonein
slow,sensuoussweeps.Hishandswereonherribcage,smoothingtheblackcrepe,histhumbsjust
underherbreasts,touchingthemasifbyaccident.

Herfistsclenchedbesideherhead,andherbreathcaught.Heliftedhishead,lookingather.

"You'retrembling,"hebreathed,reachingforthetopofthebodice.

"King,"shemoanedhelplessly.

"Innocent,"hewhispered.Heheldhereyesashishandsmoved,andshefeltthecoolnightaironher
breastsasthefabricfelltoherwaist.

"Oh!"shewhisperedsoftly,archingherbodygently.

His gaze moved slowly down to her breasts, their small pink nipples aroused and hard, her body
shudderingalittlewiththenewnessofthiskindofintimacy.

"The first time," he said under his breath. "My God, they're exquisite." His lightly callused fingers
brushedthem,tenderlytracingtheircontours,touchingthehardnipplesjustlightlyenoughtomake
hershudderwithpleasure.

Shecouldn'tevenspeak;herthroatwastightwithexquisitetension.

"Now,"hewhispered,bending."Now,Elissa,now..."

Hishandcuppedherwhilehismouthopenedonher,andshecriedout.Thenhismouthcaughthers,
stiflingthetinysoundwhilehishandpossessedher,savoringhersilkywarmth.

"Icouldeatyou,"hegroundoutagainsthereager,openmouth."Icouldeatyoulikecandy."

Anothersoundtorefromher,andheliftedhishead,lookingdazedlypasthertotheradio.Hishand
trembledashereachedforthevolumeandturneditontoaheavyreggaebeat.

"Now,"hemurmured,"youcanmakeasmuchnoiseasyouwant."

Herlipsopenedtovoiceaprotest,andhiscrusheddownoverit,histonguemovingintohermouth
withaslow,hungryrhythm,hiskneeeasingbetweenherlegs.

Shefeltherfingernailsdiggingintothenapeofhisneck,revelinginthefeelofhisthickdarkhair.
Herbodywasonfireforhim;she'dneverinherlifefeltanythingasexplosivelysexual.Shewanted
fulfillment;shewantedtobepartofhim,rockwithhim,writheunderhim.

Hermoansgrewsharperwhenhismouthtraveleddownoverherbreaststoherwaist,herstomach.
Shemovedhelplesslyinhisembrace,feelinghisstrength,lovinghishands,lovingtheardorofhis
warmmouth.

He paused, breathing raggedly, to strip off his shirt, and she gasped at the sight of him like that,
looming over her, his chest thick with dark hair, the bronzed muscles rippling, his face dark with
passion,hiseyesalmostblack.Shecouldfeeltheheatofhisbody,seethefinetremorofhisarms.

"Comehere,"hecommanded,kneelingbeforeher.

She rose to her own knees, and he pulled her to him, pressing her breasts hard against his hair-
roughenedchestandmakinghershudderwiththefiercepleasureofit.Heheldherthere,kissingher
deeplyandshiftingheragainsthimintheprocessuntilhernipplesweresosensitizedthattheyburned
andhernailsdugintohisback.

"Iwant...you,''wasdraggedoutofherthroat.Sheburiedherfaceinhisneckandclungtohim,her
hipsagainsthis,herthighstrembling."I...want...you."

His hands went to her hips, grinding her into him, and a burning sensation shot through her lower

body.

Sheshudderedhelplessly,gaspingwithpleasureandbarelycontaineddesire.

"Liedown,"hewhisperedshakily."Liedownunderme.I'llmakeyoustopshaking.I'llmakeyoupart
ofme...."

"Thedoor...isitlocked?"sheaskedhuskily,feelinghisweightcomeoverher,hishandsurgentonher
body.

"Locked?"Hishandsstilled,andhelookedintoherfeverisheyes."Elissa?"Heswallowed,hisbare
chestrisingandfallingwiththeforceofhisheartbeatashelookeddownather."Elissa...Icouldmake
youpregnant."

Shewashardlyabletobreathe.Hiseyesweretheworld.Shelovedhim,andshehadn'tknown.Hewas
more than her friend. He was everything. And to have his child-the thought was too wonderful for
words.

Hereyeswentdownhisbodypossessively,lovingitslong,powerfullines,lovingeveryinchofhim
withsweetabandon.Herhipsmovedsensuouslyunderhis,elicitingagroanfromhim.

"No, honey," he whispered, stilling her impatient movements. "Don't make me. We've got to stop
whilewecan."

"Why?"sheaskeddazedly.

"Wecan'tmakelovewithBobbyandBesssittinginthenextroom."Helaughedbrittlely."Imusthave
beenoutofmymindtoletthingsgothisfar."

Hishandscuppedherhead,andhedroppedahard,quickkissontoherlips.Thenhesatup,smoothing
his hands blatantly over her breasts, his eyes appreciative and boldly possessive. "God, you're
something,"hesaid."AshotandwildasIam.We'dsetfirestogether,"headdedwithwhatsounded
likeregret.

She sat up, too, more than unsettled by the confusing sequence of events and moods. Feeling
uncomfortably exposed beneath that frank stare of his, she tugged at her bodice, but his hand
preventedherfromtuggingitup.

"Notyet,"hemurmured.Hishandwenttoherback,archingheroverhisarm,andhismouthopened,
takingherbreastinsidethemoistdarkness.

Sheshuddered,bitingherliptokeepfromcryingout.Itwasthesweetestkindofachehemadethere,
histonguerubbinglazilyathernipple,hislipstuggingather.Sheclutchedthebackofhisdarkhead,
holdinghimthere,whilehisfreehandcameupjustbelowhismouthandcuppedhersensuously.

Itwasalongtimebeforeheliftedhishead,andheclearlylikedwhathesawwhenhelookedather.

"I'dliketohaveyouonthebeach,justthewayIdreamedof."

Sheflushedtotherootsofherhairattheimagethathadhauntedherallday,too.

His hand moved over her soft breasts. "You're very pale here," he said. "I'd like to teach you the
deliciouspleasureofsunbathingnude.Swimmingnude."

"Youdo,"shesaidwithoutthinking,hervoicebreathlesssounding.

He lifted his head, smiling slowly. "Yes. You've watched me sometimes at night, from your kitchen
window,haven'tyou?"

The flush got worse, but she didn't look away. "I was curious," she confessed softly. "There was
moonlightonce,andyoucameoutofthewaterveryclosetothecottage...Ineverknewamancouldbe
beautiful."Shefaltered,blushingfuriously."Ididn'tthinkyou'dknowIwaswatching."

Hebrushedhismouthoverhereyes."Iknew,"hemurmured."Idon'tmindifyoulookatme."

Shewasstilltremblingwhenhegottohisfeetandpulledherupwithhim,slowlyretyingthestrapsat
hershoulders.

"Youlookloved,"hesaidunexpectedly.Hebrushedhertangledhairawayfromherdampface,then
turnedawaytopickuphisshirt.

ToElissa'samazement,herhandreachedouttoprotestwhenhestartedtoputiton.

Helookedupinsurprise,thengentlydrewherhandstohim."Goahead.Indulgeyourself."

"You don't mind?" she asked, savoring his hair-roughened skin with hands that had never known a
man'sbody.

"Mind?Notintheleast,"hereturned."Comehere.I'llteachyouhow."

Shehadn'tknowntherewasarightandwrongwaytotouchaman,butwithhishandsshowingher
how,urginghermouthtohisskin,teachingherwhatexcitedhim,whatpleasedhimthemost,shefelt
herconfidencegrow,andwithitanewsenseofwomanlypower.Shedidn'tprotest,notevenwhenhe
guidedherhandsandletherexperiencehiminawayshe'dneverdreamedof.

Finallyheemittedalowgroanandslidherarmsaroundhiswaist.

"SometimesIforgethowinnocentyouare,"hesaidinherear.Hebitit,laughingsoftly,andhischeek
nuzzledhers."Youmakemeforget,"hewhispered.Hedrewhismouthacrosshercheek,thenraised
hisheadtosearchhereyes."YoushutouttheworldwhileI'mholdingyou."

Hekissedhergentlythen,andsheunderstood.SheblottedouthishungerforBess-thatwaswhathe
meant.

ButIloveyou,shewantedtosay.Iloveyou,andIwantsomuchmoreofyouthanthis.Twoyearsof

friendship, and it had never occurred to her just how necessary he'd become to her, just how
possessiveshe'dbecomeofhim.Nothinghe'ddonetoherwasunwelcome.Sherealizedshecouldlie
withhimandgiveherselfandliveonitfortherestofherlife,despiteallherhard-wonprinciples.
Wasthatlust?Orwasitthenaturalhungerforoneness,fortotalknowledge?

With his mouth still over hers, she frowned and opened her eyes, only to find his eyes open and
watching her. Her heart went wild. His tongue penetrated her mouth, his hands came up under her
breasts,andshecouldn'tsustainthelookasecondlonger.Sheclosedhereyeswithahungrymoan,
and he kissed her deeply, thoroughly, before finally releasing her and putting her from him. She
straightenedupandsmoothedoutherdressasbestshecould.

"Don'tbrushyourhair,"hesaidwhenshereachedforabrushonhisdresserjustastheywereaboutto
leavetheroom.

"Whynot?Imustlookamess."

"BecauseIwanthertoseeyoulikethis,"hesaidgruffly."Withyourmouthswollenandyourhairina
tangleandyourskinglowing.Iwanthertoknowthatwe'vebeenmakinglove."

"That'scruel,"shewhispered.

"Ihavetobecruel,don'tyousee?MyGod,Elissa,he'smybrother,"hegroaned.

"Yes,Iknow."Shestoodinfrontofhim,reachinguptosmoothawayhisfrown.Shesmiledgently,
drowning in new fantasies, brimming over with her new knowledge of him, new memories to put
underherpillowandcherish.

"Toobadyou'resuchaninnocent,"hesaidwithasigh.

"WhatwouldyoudoifIweren't?"sheteasedgently.

"I'dtakeyouintomybedandworkBessoutofmysystemwithavengeance,"hesaidhonestly."AndI
could,withyou.I'veneverwantedanyonesomuchinallmylife."

"I wish I could let you," she replied. "I think I'd like sleeping with you, King. Lovemaking is more
beautifulthanIeverrealized."

"I'mgladyouthinkofitthatway,andnotassomethingtosatisfyapassingphysicalurge,"hesaid.
"Ideally it is an act of love. With you," he added quietly, bemusedly, "it feels like it. I don't
understand...."

Shedrewinaslowbreathandwenttoturntheradiooff,flushingatthereasonithadbeenturnedon.

Shelookedacrosstheroomandfoundhimwatchingher.

"There'snoneedtoblush,"hesaidquietly,onceagainreadinghermind."Youdidmyegoaworldof

good-believeme.Ifithadn'tbeenforourhouseguests,Iwouldn'thavegivenadamnifyou'dyelled
theplacedown."

"It'sembarrassingtofeellikethis,"shewhispered."They'llsee...."

"Yes,"heagreedtersely."ThankGod."

Shecouldn'tanswerthat.Sheopenedthedoorandwalkedaheadofhim.

Bess wasn't there. Bobby looked up with a sly grin. "Bess has gone for a walk on the beach," he
murmured.

Heclearedhisthroat."Iguessyoutwosettledyourdifferences...."

Elissa blushed to the roots of her hair. King laughed delightedly and slid his arm around her. "It
wasn'tanythingserious,"hesaid,chuckling."I'msorryifweembarrassedyou."

Bobbyshrugged."Notme.ButBessisunusuallysensitive,Iguess."Heputdownhispen."SheandI
usedtobelikethat,butshe'sgrownawayfromme.Somanypartiesandteasandgirls'nightsout-I
hardlyseeherwhenI'mathome."

"Youmighttryspendingmoretimethere,nowthatyoucanaffordto,"Kingsuggestedpointedly.

"Imight.IthinkI'llstrolloutandjoinher."

"We'llmakesomecoffee,"Kingsaid,andheledElissatowardthekitchen.

"Shewashurt,"Elissasaidasshefilledthecoffeepot.

"Iknow."Hisvoicewasdeepandcurt,andhewasstaringoutthewindowatBesswatchingthewaves.

She plugged in the pot and went to him, touching his chest lightly where the shirt was unbuttoned.
"Andsoareyou,"shesaidgently."I'msorry.IfeelasifI'vefailedyou."

"How?"heasked,smiling.

"Icouldn'tgivemyself."

"Thehellyoucouldn't."Hechuckledwryly,thenlinkedhisarmsaroundherwaistandlookeddownat
her.

"/stoppedus.Youdidn't.NotevenwhenImentionedpregnancy.''

Sheloweredhereyestohischest."I'mnotsoafraidofit."

"Aren'tyou?"Hestudiedher.No,shedidn'tseemtobe.Andhewasshockedtolearnthathewasn't,
either.

Thatintriguedhim.Shouldn'thehavebeen?

Heturnedtogazeoutthewindowoncemore.

ChapterFive

AreyousureBessdoesn'twantchildren?"Elissaaskedabruptly,disruptinghisdisturbingthoughts.

He turned back toward her. "She says not," he replied. Hands in his pockets, he leaned against the
counter.

"In the beginning, I think it was because she didn't want to be tied down. Her mother had seven
children."Hesmiledsadly,remembering."Besswasinthemiddle,butshedidhershareoflooking
after the little ones. She had a rough time of it, and so did the other kids, for that matter," he
murmured,rememberinghowBess'sfatherdrankandterrifiedthechildren."Anyway,childrendon't
necessarilyguaranteeagoodmarriage.I'veseenhappymarriagesdestroyedbythem."

Thatsoundedveryprivate."Haveyou?"

Hefrowned."MymotheroftensaidthatsheandmyfatherwerehappyenoughuntilIcamealongand
spoiledthings,"hesaidquietly.

"What a horrid thing to say to your own child," Elissa muttered, her face taut as she arranged cups
andsaucersandcreamandsugaronabigsilvertray.

"My mother was a devoted socialite," he said. "She didn't much care for children. If my stepfather
hadn't insisted, Bobby probably would never have been born. Odd how things turn out. She was a
vivacious,beautifulwomanwithaquickmind.Andnowshe'sashellofherformerself."

"Doyouvisitherveryoften?"

"AsoftenasIcan,"hesaid."Shedoesn'tknowme,ofcourse."

Shestudiedhishardfacewhilethecoffeefinishedperking,thinkinghowdifficulthischildhoodmust
havebeen.Shefeltaburstofsympathyfortheboyhehadbeen.

"It wasn't that rough," he said after a minute, clearly reading her expression. "Besides, it was an
incentivetoshowthemallwhatIcoulddo.Hasn'tanyoneevertoldyouthatrevengehasproduceda
hellofalotofsuccessfulmen?"

"I suppose so. Is that why you've never married? Because of your own childhood?" she persisted
gently.

Hesighed."Oh,Elissa,"hemurmured,smiling."You'reoneofakind,honey."

"Ijustwondered,"shesaid.

He watched her pour coffee into the elegant floral china cups, thinking how sweetly domestic she
seemedatthatmoment.Shecouldcooklikeanangel,shelookedexquisiteinanythingsheputon,she

had a gentle and loving nature, and physically she made the top of his head fly off with the
uninhibitednessofherresponsetohim.

"IfIevermarried,Isupposeitwouldbeyou,"hesaidunexpectedly.

Herhand trembled, spillingcoffee. She putthe pot down withshaky fingers andreached for a dish
toweltomopupthemess.

"Thatwasunkind,"shetoldhim.

"I meant it, in fact," he said lazily, moving closer. "There's not much hope of marriage in my life,
withthingsthewaytheyare.ButIthinkIcouldenjoylivingwithyou.You'requietandamusing,andI
covetyourbody."

Hewasopenlyleeringatit,infact,andsheburstoutlaughing.Itwasajoke,ofcourse.Afterallthe
timeshe'dknownhim,occasionallyitwasstilldifficulttotellwhenhewasjoking.

"Icovetyours,too,butI'mnotthatkindofgirl,"sheremindedhimprimly.

"Thatdoesn'tstopyoufromlookingoutwindowsatnudemenatnight,Inotice,"hesaid,tonguein
cheek.

Shethrewupherhands."Well,ifthat'stheattitudeyou'regoingtotake,I'llfindsomeothernudeman
toogle!"

"What was that?" Bobby asked from the doorway, laughing. Behind him, Bess was glaring at them
both.

Elissaflushed."Nowseewhatyou'vedone?YourbrotherwillthinkI'mavoyeur."

"Well,aren'tyou?"Kinggrinned.

Shehandedhimthetray."Ihopeyoudropitonyourfoot,"shesaidsweetly.

"Viciouswoman,"hemuttered."Openthedoor,honey,"hetoldBess.

Bess flushed, and the two of them exchanged a look that made Elissa want to throw herself off a
building.

Fortunately, Bobby had gone ahead and didn't see it. Elissa wished she hadn't. King might want her
body,butwhatshesawinhiseyeswhenhelookedatBesswassomethingshe'dhavediedfor.Itwasa
sweepingkindofhunger,mingledwithtenderness.

Besscurleduponthesofatodrinkhercoffee,pausingnowandagaintoglanceatElissa,whoknew
thateverythingsheandKinghaddoneprobablyshowedinherlackofmakeupandtangledhair.

"Ihopewe'renotintrudingbystayingheretonight,"Besssaidquietly."Butthehotelwassocrowded,
andyou'remuchclosertotheairportthanwewere,wayupinOchoRios."

"You'renotintrudingatall,"Kingreplied.HeglancedatElissa."Elissawillneedtonighttopackand
getthecottagesquaredaway,won'tyou,baby?"

"That'sright,"shesaid.Itwashardtotalkwhenhecalledher"baby.""AndI'dbettergettoitifwe're
leavinginthemorning.Whattimeisit?"sheadded,rising.

"You'llneedtobereadybyeight,"hesaid.Hegotlazilytohisfeet."I'llwalkyouhome,"hesaidwith
ameaningfulsmile."Don'twaitup,"hetoldtheothertwo.

"Ineedanearlynightmyself,"Besssaidcoolly."IexpectI'llbeoutlikealightinnotime."

"IwishIcouldsaythesame,"Bobbymutteredoverhispaperwork."Iwon'tfinishbeforedawn,atthis
rate.

Iguessyouwouldn'tcaretohelp?"heaskedBess.

Hereyeswidened."Me?Heavens,Ican'taddoneandone."

"Too bad," Bobby said. He seemed about to say something else, but he shrugged and bent his head
again.

"Seeyouinthemorning,Elissa."

"Sleepwell,"shetoldthem,clingingtoKing'shandasheledheroutintothedarkness.

Helitacigaretteandsmokeditduringtheshortwalktohercottage,notsayingaword.Itwasawarm,
pleasantnight,evenwiththemistingrainaroundthem.

Atthebackstepofhercottage,hegroundoutthecigarette."I'msorryaboutthistrip,butIcouldn't
thinkofanotherwaytodoitthatdidn'tinvolveyou."

"It'sallright.I'mnotdoingsowellwiththenewdesigns,anyway.I'llletthemgoforaweekortwo
andtouchbasewithsomeofmycontactsbackhome."

"Youstilllivewithyourparents,don'tyou?"heasked.

"Well,there'sbeennoreasonnotto,"sheremindedhim."They'dbehurtifIwantedtolivealonein
Miami,andNewYorkisprettyfaraway.We'vebeencloseallmylife."

"Iwouldn'tknowwhatthatkindofclosenesswas,"headmitted."IlikeBobbywellenough,butwe've
neverbeenreallyaffectionate.I'veneverfeltthatwayaboutanyofmyfamily."

"I'msorry,becauseit'saspecialfeeling."

"Isupposeitis."Hebentandbrushedhislipscarelesslyoverhers."I'llgoforawalkbeforeIhead
back.

Don'tanswerthephoneforthenexthour,incaseBesscallstoseewhat'sgoingonoverhere."

Shetuggedathisshirtsleeveasheturned."Icouldmakeyousomehotchocolate,"shesaidshyly.

Heliftedherhandtohismouthandkisseditswarmpalm."Icouldtakeyoutobed,too."

Shelookedupathiminthelightfromherkitchen."King..."

Hisfacewenttaut."Elissa,Ienjoymakinglovetoyou.Icouldmakeabanquetofyourbody.Ieven
likeyou.ButifIseducedyou,whatwouldwedo?"

Sheblinked."Idon'tunderstand."

Hecuppedherfaceinhishands."Listentome,littleone.Sexisaloadedgun.Onceyouhaveitwith
someone,itinvolvesyouinwaysyoumightnotrealize.Ican'tbecomeinvolvedwithavirgin."

"Afterthefirsttime,Iwouldn'tbeavirgin,"sheremindedhim.

Hesighedangrily."Afterthefirsttime,youmightwishyoustillwere,"hesaidbluntly."You'vebeen
raisedtothinkofsexasasinoutsidemarriage.HowareyougoingtofeelaboutyourselfandmeifI
letthathappen?

Besides which," he added, "there's always the risk that you could get pregnant. And that's a
complicationneitherofusisreadyfor."

Shesmiledwistfully,shakingherhead.

"Whatdoesthatmean?"heasked.

"Iwasjustpicturingyou,yourfirsttimewithawoman,goingthroughallthatwithher,"shesaidona
grin.

He cocked his head a little and smiled slowly. "My first time," he said in a loud whisper, "was so
damnedfastshehardlyknewwhatwasgoingon."

Herfaceslowlywentscarlet,andhelaughed."Didyouexpectthatthefirsttimeisalwaysgoodfora
man?"

Hegrinned."Menaren'tbornknowinghowtomakelove.Ittakesexperiencetomakebellsringand
theearthmove.

Aftermyfirstfumblingattempts,Ihadtoworkupthecourageeventotryagain."

"Ican'tquiteimaginethat,"shemused,smiling.

Henuzzledhisforeheadagainsthers,sighing.

"Funny,IcantellyouthingsI'venevertoldanyoneelse,"hemurmured."Imustfeelsafewithyou."

"Ifeelsafewithyou,"sheechoed."ThatwaswhyIlatchedontoyouattheverybeginning.Younever
triedtoputthemakeonme."

"Untilnow,"hecorrected,liftinghisheadtosearchhereyes."AreyousorryIdidn'tletthingsgoon
astheywere?"

"No,"shesaidalmostatonce."EventhoughIcan'timaginelyingwithanyothermanlikethat,Iknow
I'dhaveletyoudoanythingyouwantedto,"sheadmitted,"andIwouldhavegloriedinit.Idon'teven
haveenoughpridetorefuseyou;it'stoowonderful."

His eyes narrowed in pain, and his hands tightened on her oval face. "You shouldn't be quite that
honest,"

heteasedgently."I'monlyhuman.Imightlosemyheadonenight."

Herlipspartedonasoftsigh."I'llbetyou'reverygoodinbed,"shewhisperedshyly.

"So I've been told," he said, laughing. His hands caressed her shoulders. "Look, we have to stop
talkingaboutsex,"hemurmured,"orwe'llbothbeintrouble."Hesighed."Whatamess.Whatahell
ofamess."

"It will all work out," she said. She stood on tiptoe to touch her lips to his eyelids. They closed
tremulously,andshedrewhermouthoverthem,amazedatthesuddenstiffeningofhisbody,thecatch
ofhisbreath.Shedrewaway,buthishandscaughtherwaistandheldherthere.

"Don'tstop,"hebreathedroughly."Ilikeit."

"Do you?" She repeated the soft little caresses, then instinctively smoothed kisses over his thick
eyebrows,hisleancheeksandhighcheekbones,downtohisverysensuousmouth.

He was breathing rapidly, and she liked that. She remembered what he'd said to her that first time,
drivingherwild,andwithherlipspoisednearhis,shewhispered,"Openyourmouth."

Itwaslikesettingamatchtodrywood.Heseemedtogoupinflames.Hisarmsliftedher,crashing
her against him, and his mouth invaded hers with a sensuous insistence. He was trembling, and his
lossofcontrolinspiredbothfearandwonderinher.

"Yes,"shewhisperedwhenhebackedherupagainstthedoorandfithisbodytohers."Yes!"

Hisrhythmicmovementsshouldhaveshockedher,buttheywerepuredelight.Shearchedintothem,
herpridegonewithherinhibitions,herarmscurvedaroundhisneck,hermouthsmilingunderhisas
shegaspedwithpleasure.

Shefelthishandsmovingonherbody,glidingdowntoherhips,easinguptheskirtofherdress.His
urgentfingersfeltcoolonherhotskin,sowelcome,soright.Shemoaned.

Heliftedhisheadforaninstanttobreathe,hiseyesfrightening,Hisbodyshuddering."Crazychild,"
he ground out, glaring at her. Then he moved against her, deliberately. "Feel that! Don't you know
whatyou'reaskingfor?"

"Heaven,"shewhispered,feelingdeprivedwhenhepulledawayfromherandturnedhisback.

"Heaven,"hechided.Heliftedhishead,gulpingindeepbreaths,hatinghislossofcontrolandalmost
hatingherforcausingit.He'dneverletawomanaffecthimsodeeply.Hefumbledforacigarette.It
wasbecauseshewasavirgin,ofcourse.Shedidn'tknowwhatshewasdoing.Shewasexperimenting,
andherinnocencecausedhertodothingsthatamoreexperiencedwomanwouldknowbetterthanto
try.

"Damnyou!"heburstout,halflaughing,halfgroaning.

Shewasstillleaningagainstthedoorwherehe'dlefther,breathlessbutsmiling.Hewasasvulnerable
to her as she was to him, she knew now. That was encouraging. Perhaps he did feel drawn to Bess,
who was more or less using him to salve her tortured ego, but his emotional involvement with the
otherwomanwasn'ttotal.Itcouldn'tbe,orhewouldn'thungersoforElissa.Forperhapsthefirsttime
inherlifesheconsciouslyfeltasurgeofprideinherownwomanhood,inherabilitytoreachhim.
Herlovelifehadbeenstrictlyfantasyuntilnow,butKingmadeherfeelfiercelyfemaleandtotally
unafraidofhimoranythinghemightdo.

"Chicken,''shepurred.

Hewhirled,hisblackeyesnarrowedinafacethatwasdrawnwithpain.

"Whatinhellareyoutryingtodo?"hedemanded.

"Lureyouintobedwithme,"shesaidsoftly."Comeon.Idareyou,"shetauntedwithhernewfound
confidence.

He just stared at her. He had the cigarette in his lips now, but lighting it was another matter. He
couldn'tseemtoholdtheflamesteady,andthatbroughtastringofbittercursestohislips.

She only smiled, coaxed the lighter from his lean fingers, flicked on the flame and held it to the
cigarette.

"Proudofyourself?"heaskedcoldly.Hesmiled,butnothappily.

"Proud of what I can do to you, yes," she confessed gently. "You seem so reserved at times, so
unapproachable.It'snicetoknowyou'rehuman."

"Youalmostfoundoutexactlyhowhuman,"hemuttered.

Hereyessearchedhis,andshesighedsoftly."Itingleallover.Thatwassosweet."

"Notforme,"hesaidthroughhisteeth.

Shewatchedhisface,frowningalittle."Idon'tunderstand."

"Iknow."Hetookadeepdrawfromthecigaretteandturnedaway,walkingdownthebeach.

Shefollowed,puzzled."Can'tyoutalkaboutit?"

Hereachedout,drawinghergentlyagainsthiships.

Hisvoiceathertemplewasslowandthickwithdiscomfort."Iacheforyou,"hewhispered."Badly.
Haveyouforgottenwhatwetalkedabout,howafteracertainpointit'sdifficulttopullback?"

"Iwasn'tgoingtostopyou,"sheremindedhim.

"We couldn't very well make love on the beach in full view of my family!" he burst out. "Where's
yourmindtonight?"

"Idon'tknow,"shesighed."IacheinplacesIneverknewIhad,I'mburningupwithdesire,andhere
youare,fullycapableofputtingouteveryfireI'vegot,andyou'recomplainingthatyou'reinpain."

Hecouldn'thelpit;heburstoutlaughing."Oh,myGod,"hemoaned.

Shethrewupherhands."Iofferyoumyself,nostringsattached,andyouwalkoffinasnit."

"Yourparentswouldbeashamedofyou,"hepointedout.

"My parents don't expect me to be superhuman," she shot back. "God made bodies, you know, so I
guessHeexpectedthatpeoplewouldwanttoenjoythemoccasionally."

"Althoughyou'dratherdosowitharingonyourfinger,"heprodded.

Sheshrugged."Yes.Butthatdoesn'tcoolmeoffany."

"Cool,thedevil."Heflungthecigaretteawayandliftedhersuddenly,carryingherintothesurf."I'll
coolyouoff."

Hedumpedherintothenextwave.Shesplutteredandstruggledtoherfeet,herdressplasteredtoher
body,herhairinstringsdownherback.

"Wildanimal!"sheraged.

"Sexybaggage,"hereturned."Wanttohitme?Comeon.Tryit."

She took a swing at him. He sidestepped, and she went down again, and before she could get up he
wasinthewaterbesideher,holdingherdown.

There was a look in his eyes that she'd never seen, and the sheer strength of his hands excited her.
"Youcan'tverywellwearitlikethat,canyou?"Helaughedsoftlyashefeltherbedraggleddress."Let

mehelpyououtofit."

"Youcan't!Nothere!"shegasped,lookingaroundwildly.

"YesIcan,"heshotback,andhebeganunfasteningthesoakingdress.

The surf crashed around them while he undressed her, and she reveled in the contrast between the
cool water and her heated flesh, in the lazy contact of his hands, in the look on his dark face as he
uncoveredandsavoredeverysoftinchofher,hiseyeslingeringonherfullbreasts.

"God,whatabeautyyouare,"hewhispered."Ioughttostrangleyoufordoingthistome."

"I'dliketopointoutthatyou'reundressingme,notviceversa,"shechoked.

"You'veseenmewithoutmyclothes,"hesaidsoftly,searchinghereyes.

"Yes."Herlipspartedasshelookedathim."Iwishwewerealone.Totallyalone."

"Stoptemptingme,"hewhispered.Afteraminute,hereluctantlyfastenedthedressagainand,witha
heavy sigh, picked her up. His arms were strong and comforting against the night breezes. She
snuggledcloser,feelingunutterablycaredfor,andhebenttokisshergentlyashecarriedherupthe
beach."Youneedtochangeandgetsomesleep.Andincaseyouwanttoknow,I'mleavingyouatthe
door."

"Why?"shemoanedagainsthislips.

"Sexmakesbabies,"hewhisperedback."Idon'thaveanythingtoprotectyou."

Shemoanedagain."Idon'tcare,"shewailed.

"You would in the morning." He carried her to the door and set her slowly on her feet, taking a
minutetorunhishandsoverherandmakehertremblewithwanting.

"Sexy,"hemurmured."Sexyandsweet,andIwanttoburymyselfinyou.Nowyou'dbettergetinside
andtrytosleep."

"Don'tgo,"shewhispered."You'resoakingwet,too."

"Ican'tverywellwalkhomewithoutmyclothes."Hechuckled."Gotobed."

Sheshivered."Ican't."

"Whynot?"

"My house key is in my pocketbook. Inside," she added with a faint flush. "Well, I forgot when I
lockedthedoor..."

Helookedheavenward."Women!"Hesearcheduntilhefoundthesparekeyshehidunderthehibiscus
bush."Here.Iremembered,evenifyoudidn't."

Shelookedupathim,herheartshakingher.Hewassomuchman.Sobigandcapableandstrong,and
justforonceshelikedbeingdependent,lettinghimtakecareofher.Shethoughtabouthowitwould
be,havinghimbesideherinthedarkness,holdinghimthroughthenight.Justholdinghimwouldbe
enough,sherealizedsuddenly.

Whatshefeltwasoverpoweringbutnotentirelyphysical.Itwassotender,sosweetandnew.Ifonly
hecouldfeelitforher.

Heunlockedthedoorandopenedit,glancingdownatherexpressioncuriously."What'swrong?"he
asked,pressingthekeyintoherpalm.

"Nothing,really."

Hereachedinandswitchedonthelight,thenlookedather,drinkinginthecontoursofherbodynow
clearlyvisiblethroughthedressplasteredwetlytoherskin.Heshookhishead."You'llbethedeathof
meoneday.

I'llhaveaheartattacktryingtobenoble."

"Iwon'ttaketheblame,"shesaidpertly.

"I won't take you" he whispered, bending to brush a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Now go to bed,
siren.

We'vegotanearlyflight."

"Allright."

Hehandedherashawlfromthehatrack,watchingherwrapherselfinit."Whydoyouwantmeallof
asudden?"heaskedgently."You'vespenttwoyearskeepingmeatarm'slength.What'schanged?"

"Ineverknewhowdevastatingitcouldbe,"shesaidshyly.

"Itshocksmealittle,too,"hesaidhonestly."You'renotexactlymyusualkindofwoman."

"Maybethat'swhyyouwantme,"sheessayed.

He sighed. "I don't know. All I know is that for the past twenty-four hours, you're all I've thought
about.

ButIcan'taffordtolosemyhead.Yourconsciencewouldtormentyoutodeath."

"ButIdon'twanttoloseyou.You'remyfriend."Hereyesfilledwithunshedtearsatthethought.

"Don'tcry,"hegroundout."Ican'tstandit."

Sheliftedherface."Sorry.Iwaslookingahead.Oneofuswilleventuallymarry,Iguess,"sheadded,
thinkingthatitwouldprobablybeKing."Andthatwillbetheendofus,anyway."

Hestudiedher,scowling.Ithadn'toccurredtohimthathemighteverhavetoloseher.Butshewas
right:shewouldprobablymarryeventually,andherhusbandmightnottakekindlytotheirunusual
friendship.TherewouldbenomorelongwalksalongaJamaicanbeach,nomorephonecallsattwo
inthemorningjustbecauseheneededsomeonetotalkto,nomorelaughingElissaleavinghimnotes
underrocks....

"I'llmisshavingyoutotalkto,"sheconfessedsoftly.

He shifted restlessly. "I was thinking the same thing," he said quietly. "I'm alone except for you."
Beforeshecouldreply,heturnedandopenedthedoor."I'llseeyouinthemorning."

Hecloseditandleftherstandingthere.

Alone,intheharshlightofreality,shewasastoundedatherbehavior.Lettingfantasiestakeover,she
hadofferedto...Herfaceflamed,andshecaughtherbreath.She'dactedlikeatotalwantonwithKing.

Shegotoutofherwetthings,putonacaftananddriedherhair,troubledbythedirectionherlifewas
taking.IfshetrulybecameKing'slover,wouldshebediscardedwhenhetiredofher?Shelovedhim,
but she knew he merely wanted her. She had to get her perspective back, and she couldn't do that
aroundKing.Allinall,itwasbestthatshewasgoinghome.

Unbidden,thememoryofwhatKinghadsaidbeforeleavingcamebacktoher:"I'maloneexceptfor
you."

Whathadhemeantbythestatement?

Shewasstillpuzzlingoveritwhenshewenttobed.

ChapterSix

Riding to the airport was an ordeal. Although Elissa sat in the front seat with King, his eyes kept
dartingtotherearviewmirror.HetalkedtoBobby,butitwasBesshewasexchangingeloquentlooks
with.

TheonethingitdidaccomplishwastomakeElissaseeclearlywhatafoolshe'dbeentodaydream
over his exquisite lovemaking. He'd only been toying with her; there hadn't been anything serious
aboutitonhispart.

Probably he'd made love to dozens of women without feeling the need to commit himself. Men
weren'tlikewomen,shetoldherself;theydidn'tneedemotionalinvolvementtofindfulfillment.Butit
saddened her all the same. She'd just begun to realize how much she cared about him, how much a
partofherlifehe'dbecome.She'dlookedforwardtocomingtoJamaica,notbecauseoftheisland
itselfbutbecauseofthemanwholivednextdoor.Andshefeltpossessiveabouthim.

ThatpossessivenesshadreareditsuglyheadtheinstantshesawBess.Ithadn'ttakenmucheffortto
realize how appealing King's sister-in-law must be to him. She wasn't a shallow flirt just out for a
goodtime.Shewasbeautifulandvulnerableandunhappy,tiedtoamanshecaredaboutwhonever
paid her any attention. How terrible that must feel, and how much King must want to comfort and
protect her. But how terrible, too, for King to be torn between his feelings for Bess and for Bobby
andhissenseofwhatwasright.Whatamess.

And what a pity, Elissa thought, that she herself couldn't be one of those superficial people who
enjoyed life without really considering consequences. But she knew herself too well to think she
couldsurviveacasualaffairwithKing.Herprinciplesweretoofirmlyembeddedinherpersonality,
anddespiteherabandonwhenshewaswithhim,hewasrightthatherconsciencewouldkillherifshe
fellintohisbed.Besides,shethoughtmiserably,wouldhestillfeelthesameaboutheroncehe'dbeen
intimatewithher?Shedidn'tthinkshecouldstandtohavehimandthenlosehim.

And what about Bess? Did she really want King, or was she attracted to him because he was safely
unattainableandnorealthreattohermarriage?Elissasighed,staringatthepassingsea-grapetrees
and tall casuarina pines that partially veiled the blinding white beach and the incredible blues and
greensoftheCaribbean.Whataridiculousquestion.HereyesturnedtoKing,adoringhisprofile.He
washandsomeandrich,andwhathedidn'tknowaboutwomenwasn'tworthknowing.Whowouldn't
wanthimforkeeps?Shelookedawayquicklyandclosedhereyesonawaveofpain.IfheandBess
wounduptogether,theywouldundoubtedlymarryandhavechildren.

Howthatthoughthurt!

Timecrawledwhiletheygotthroughthelonglineofcustomsandimmigrationbeforeboardingthe
plane.

Bess eased into the seat next to King's on the enormous jumbo jet, and Elissa, on his other side,
couldn'thelpbutnoticethewayBessclutchedhishandastheplanepreparedfortakeoff.

"Frightened?"Kingaskedhissister-in-lawinatonesotenderthatithurtElissa.

"Notnow,"Besswhispered,herheartinhereyes.

Elissalookedaway,unabletobearthetendersmilestheywereexchanging.Acrosstheaisle,Bobby,
oncemoreburiedinhispaperwork,hadn'tevennoticed.

WhentheytoucheddowninMiami,Elissabreathedasighofrelief.SittingnexttoKingandBesshad
beenuttertorment,butnowshecouldescape.Shecouldgohometoherparentsandtrytoforgetall
aboutthis.Shedidn'teverwanttoseethetwoofthemtogetheragain.Ifthatmeantsellinghercottage,
well...Thethoughtwashorrifying.

She couldn't bear it if she never saw King again! Her eyes filled with hot tears, and she swallowed
themdownbeforehecouldseethem.Howhadthishappened?They'dbeenfriends.Shealmostwished
he'dnevertouchedher.

Shecouldalmosthatehimformakinghersoawareofhim,ofherfeelingsforhim.

Theyclearedcustomsandimmigrationagain,andElissastoodalittleapartwhileKingsaidgoodbye
toBobbyandBess.

"Weneedtogetgoing,"hetoldthem,"sowewon'twaittowaveyouoff.I'llbebacktotheranchina
week or so. Check with Blake Donavan and make sure everything's all right. He's supposed to be
lookingoutformewhilemyforeman'sonvacation."

"ImagineDonavanhavingtimetodothat,"Bobbysaidwithalaugh."ThelastIheard,hewasuptohis
ears trying to hold on to his own place after his uncle died. All those greedy cousins of his, filing
lawsuits..."

Kingchuckled."Donavanwon,didn'tyouhear?Hellofabusinessman."

"And a dish," Bess said playfully, glancing surreptitiously at Bobby. "He's never married, either. I
wonderwhynot.Doyousupposehe'snursingsomehopelesspassionforsomeone?"

NoonerespondedtoBess'smusings,butElissasawKing'sfaceharden.Thenheforcedasmileashe
shookBobby'shand."TakecareofyourselfandBess."

"Sure,sure.Thoughtwemightfindsometimetogohorsebackridingthisweekend,"headdedwitha
grinatBess,wholookedamazed."BessandImightpackapicniclunch."

"Youonapicnic?"Bessmurmured."Doyougowithorwithoutyourpocketcalculator?"

"Don't be catty, you sweet little thing," Bobby said, chuckling. "See you, Elissa. King will have to
bringyououtsometimeandshowyoutheplace."

"Thatwouldbenice,"Elissamurmuredpolitely.

Bessdidn'tsaygoodbyetoeitherofthem,excepttoforceasmileandwaveasshewalkedaheadof
Bobbydowntheterminal.

King watched her, his heart in his eyes. Elissa couldn't bear that, so she picked up her carryall and
begantowalktowardtheexit.

"Wherethehelldoyouthinkyou'regoing?"hedemanded,fallingintostepbesidehertoreachfor
herbagwithanimpatienthand.

"Home,"shereplied."There'snoneedforyoutocomewithme.You'reperfectlysafenow.Youcan
checkintoahotelsomewhereand-"

"I said I'd take you home," he reminded her, his tone cool and authoritative. "Sit over there while I
arrangeaboutacar."

Shedid,angrily,stillwoundedbyhavingwatchedhimwithBess.Shehadtogetherselfundercontrol,
shethought.Itwouldn'tdotolethimseehowdeeplyinvolvedwithhimshe'dbecome.

She gave a brief thought to her parents and how they were going to react to having her home so
unexpectedly.Atleastshedidn'thavetoworryaboutKing'smeetingthem;he'dprobablybegladtolet
heroffatthegateoftheirmodesthouseoutsideMiamiandrushoff.

ButwhenKingpulledupatherparents'beachfronthouseandsurveyedthesurroundingdunesandthe
wavesoftheAtlanticrollinglazilytoshorebehindit,heseemedinnohurrytoleave.Hegazedatthe
hibiscusliningthefrontwalk,alongwiththegracefulpalmsandabananatreehermotherhadplanted
years before, took in the white front gate and the lounge furniture on the porch and remarked, "It
remindsmeofyourcottageinJamaica."

"They'resimilar.Well,thanksfortheride."Shestartedtogetoutofthecar,butheclaspedherwrist,
thenherfingers.

Hiseyeswereverydark,lookingintohers.Puzzled.Faintlydisturbed."You'vebeenquiet.Tooquiet."

Sheshiftedrestlessly.Shedidn'twanthimaskingquestionsormakingassumptions."Myparentsaren't
expectingme,"shemuttered."I'mtryingtofigureoutwhattotellthem."

"Tellthemahurricaneblewoveryourcottage,"hesuggested,tongueincheek.

"What a cheerful man you are," she replied, staring at him. "Why don't you go into comedy for a
living?"

"Stopfightingme,"hemurmuredasshetuggedagainsthisfirmbutgentlehold."You'llhurtmyego."

"Itcouldstandalittledeflation,"shesaidcrisply,glaringathim.

Comprehensiontooktheplayfulexpressionfromhisface,leavinghiseyesnarrowandglittering.He

droppedherhand."Shecan'thelpitanymorethanIcan,"hesaid,histonecoldandcutting.

"SoInoticed."Shereachedforthedoorhandle."Goodthingforyouboththatyourhalfbrotheris
blindasabatandkeepshisnosestuckinhispapers.Thosequiettypesaretheoneswhogofortheir
guns without asking for explanations. You and Bess would look lousy on the front page of the
tabloids,fullofbulletholes."

"Wouldwe?"heaskedwithsurprisingmildness."Youseemtofindtheideasatisfying."

She grabbed her carryall and slammed the door, about to add something cutting. But just as she
opened her mouth, her mother, clad in a flapping red-splashed muumuu, came rushing through the
gatelikeabarefooted,white-hairedtornado.

"Darling!"sheenthused,grabbingherdaughterupinafiercehug,herblueeyesdancingwithglee.
"Oh,whatadelicioussurprise!Yourfatherwillbeoverjoyed!He'sjustboughtanothercrawlyforhis
collection and wants to show it off to someone-Who are you?" she added, staring over Elissa's
shoulderasKingcamearoundthecar.

"KingstonRoper,"heansweredeasily,studyingthetall,thinwoman."YoumustbeElissa'smother."

"Yes,Iam.I'mTinaDean."Hermotherwithdrewalittle,herblueeyesconfusedandalittlecurious.
"Issomethingwrong?"

"King is my neighbor in Jamaica," Elissa said. "He was kind enough to offer me a lift from the
airport. We flew over with his brother and sister-in-law." She could see that Tina Dean was quietly
sizing him up, taking in his tailored suit, his hand-stitched shoes, his silk tie and expensive
accessories.Shecouldalmosthearhermother'smindclicking,sortingthroughwhatElissahadtold
her of her friendship with King and trying to put two and two together about what this obviously
wealthymanwasdoingwithherdaughter.

"Ihavesomeicedteainthekitchen,"sheremarked."Wouldyoulikesome,Mr.Roper?"

"KinghastogetbacktoMiami,"Elissasaidfirmly,staringupathim."Don'tyou?"sheemphasized.

"Notatall,"herepliedwithamaddeningsmile."I'minnohurry."

"Delightful," Mrs. Dean said with a grin. Her eyes twinkled. "How do you feel about reptiles, Mr.
Roper?"

"Well,Iusedtohaveapethornedtoad,"hebegan.

"Oh,Mother,no,"Elissamoaned,puttingherfaceinherhands.

KinggaveheracuriousglancebeforeMrs.Deantookhishandandledhimintothehouse.

Elias Dean was in his study, where he kept his collection of exotic lizards. He looked up, his thick
silverhairslightlyrecedingfromhisbroadforehead,hiseyescoveredbythickspectacleswithwire

rims.Atthesightofhisdaughterhebeamedandgreetedherwarmly.Thenheturnedhisattentionto
theirnewvisitor.

"Well,hello,who'sthis?"heaskedpleasantly,risingfromaterrariumwithabigfrilledgreenlizard
inonehand.

King offered a hand, apparently unruffled by the "crawlies." "Kingston Roper." He grinned. "You
mustbeElissa'sfather."

"That I am. Do you like lizards, Mr. Roper? This is my hobby." He sighed, looking around him
contentedly at terrarium after terrarium. "I can't ever seem to get enough, you know. It's up to ten
curly-tailsnow,severalspringlizards,newts,salamanders...Butthisismyprideandjoy."Hereached
foradoorandopenedit.Insidewasanenormouspoolwithpottedtropicalplantsallaroundit.Ona
rock in the pool under a fluorescent lamp was Ludwig, a four-foot iguana who looked like a
dinosaur.Hestaredatthemwithtotalboredomandclosedhiseyes.

"Iguana?"Kingasked,clearlyinterested.

"Yes.Isn'thebeautiful?"herfatherasked."HewasonlyababywhenIgothim.Ihadtoforce-feedhim
the first week with a big syringe, until he took fruits and vegetables on his own. I like frogs, too. I
wantoneofthosehugeAfricanfrogs-theyweightenpounds.Shedoesn'tlikefrogs,"headdedwitha
miserableglanceatTina.

Tinalaughed."You'rejustluckyIdon'tmindlizards,Elias.AlthoughIdiddrawthelineatthatball
pythonyouwereogling.Snakesdisturbme."Sheshuddered."Lizardsarebadenough."

"Ihavetohaveahobby,mydear,"heremindedher."Itcouldbeworse.Doyourememberthatwitch
doctorwemetdowntheAmazon,theonewhocollectedheads?"

"Iwithdraweveryobjection,"Tinapromised,handoverherheart."Wouldyouliketea,darling?I'm
goingtopoursomeforElissaandher...andMr.Roper."

"I'llbeoutdirectly,"Eliaspromised."IhavetofeedpooroldLudwig."

"Poorold Ludwig," Tinachuckled as theymade their way backdown the hallto the kitchen, where
slidingdoorsopenedontoadeckfacingtheocean."Hetakeshimwalkingdownthebeachonaleash.
It'sagoodthingwehavesuchaloyalcongregation."Sheshookherhead.

"Fatheriseccentric,"Elissasaidquietly,glancingworriedlyatKing.

Hecockedaneyebrow."Myfathercollectedrocks,"heremarked."AndIhadagreat-unclewhocould
forecasttheweatherwithjarsofbeargrease.Comparedtothat,keepinglizardsseemsprettysane."

Elissa leaned back in her chair. "Go ahead, Mother, tell him what you do in your spare time," she
dared,watchingTinapouramberteaintotallglassesofice.

KingfrownedslightlyandturnedtoTina."Whatdoyoudoinyoursparetime?"

Tinasettheglassesonthesmallkitchentable."Well,I'maspecialdeputyforthesheriffsdepartment."

"Now,thatsoundsinteresting,"Kingsaid,andheseemedtomeanit.

"It'sveryinteresting,"sheagreed.Shegotherownteaandsatdown."Ihavesomuchexperienceasa
missionary,yousee,itgivesmealittleinsightintopeople.Someofthefolkswearrestarewomen,
andIseemtodealwiththembetterthanthemendo."Shesmiledwistfully."I'vebeenondrugbusts
and in shoot-outs and stakeouts, and once I jumped a fence and wrestled down a young pusher and
heldhimforthedeputies.Yes,it'sexcitingandveryrewarding.Ioftenlookupthepeoplelaterandtry
togettoknowthem."Hereyessoftened."I'vemanagedtogetseveralofthemtocometoserviceson
Sunday.Andwebaptizedonejustlastweek,"sheadded,hervoicealittlehusky."Isupposethissounds
prettysaccharinetoaworldlymanlikeyou."

"ButI'mnot,"Kingsaid,surprisingevenElissa."IwasraisedaBaptistinJack'sCorner,asmalltown
outsideOklahomaCity,nearmyranch.MyfatherwasApache,buthebowedtosomewhitecustoms.
Hefoundchurchfulfillingforatime."

ElissawasstunnedathoweasilyKingrelatedtohermother.He'devenvolunteeredinformationabout
hisheritage,whichhewasusuallysopricklyabout.

"Apache," Tina said, studying him more closely with totally innocent curiosity. "Yes, your eyes are
verydark,andyouhavehighcheekbones...."

"Mother,"Elissagroaned,"he'snotanexhibit"

Kingchuckled."ElissaisrememberingthatIcangettouchyaboutmyancestry,"heremarkedwitha
smileinElissa'sdirection."Idon'tmindhonestcuriosity.Idon'tsupposeyouseemanyIndiansinthis
partofthecountry."

Tinagrinned."IguessIdon'tlookit,"shetoldhim,"butI'mpartSeminole,onmymother'sside."

King'seyebrowsrose."Younevertoldme,"hemurmuredtoElissa.

Sheshrugged."Youneveraskedaboutmyancestry."

Hefrowned.Thatwastrue.Theyoftensharedtheirthoughtsandfeelingsanddreams,andhe'deven
told her about his family, but he'd never bothered to ask about hers. He felt oddly guilty about that
nowandinordinatelycurioustoknowmoreaboutthislittlespitfire.

"My grandfather had a Seminole name, which he changed," Tina continued, looking at King. "Is
Roperyourfather'srealname?"

KingsmiledandtoldhertheApachewordforManWhoThrowsRope."That'swhyhechangeditto
Roper,"headded.

"Doyouliketofish,Mr.Roper?"Elissa'sfatherasked,comingintothekitchen.

"Ifyoumeandeep-seafishing,no,"Kingreplied."Butifyoumeandippingawormonahookintoa
creek,yes."

Mr. Dean grinned. "My sentiments exactly. There's a nice little swamp about two hour's drive from
here,whereyoucangetsomeofthebiggestbreamandcrappieyoueversaw."

"Wehaveaspareroom,"TinaDeanadded,smilingathim."It'squiethere;we'reoffthemaindrag.I
seethatElissalookshorrified,butwewon'tletthelizardseatyou,andifyou'reastiredasyoulook,
thechangemightdoyougood,Mr.Roper."

Elissa went red. She'd forgotten how outspoken her mother was. She did look horrified. She felt
horrified.

Don'tdothistome,shewailedsilently.He'sinlovewithanotherwoman,andIwanttogetawayfrom
him.

KingturnedtowardElissaandsawthatlookonherface."Ifyoudon'twantmetostay,Iwon't,"he
saidgently.

Thesofttonemadehertoescurl.Whatcouldshesay?"Idon'tmind,"shemurmured.

"Imustlooktiredifitshowsthatmuch,"hesaid,winkingatMrs.Dean."Yes,I'llstay,thankyou."

"Wonderful!"Mr.Deanchuckled."We'llfindsomelazyprojectstokeepyourelaxed."

"I'llfattenyouup,"Mrs.Deanseconded,givinghimacriticalglance."Youlookundernourished."

Elissacouldhavelaughed.Hemightlooktrim,buthewasverymuscularunderhisshirt.Sheflushed,
wonderingwhatherparentswouldsayifsheconfessedthatshe'dwatchedhimswiminthenudefrom
her cottage window. She forced a smile and finished her iced tea while her mother asked about his
work.Herepliedthathewasinoilandgas.Itdidn'tdawnonElissauntilmuchlaterhowhermother
hadinterpretedthatremark.

"Tothink,ahandsomemanlikethatworkinginagarage,"Mrs.Deansighedasshemadesupper.

"What?"Elissaaskedsharply.

"Well, he's in oil and gas," she explained patiently, "and despite the nice-looking suit he's wearing,
which he might have borrowed, I think his watch and ring are only copies of expensive ones. He's
tryingtoimpressus,darling,toshowusthathe'dbeagoodcatchforyou.I'mveryflattered.Ilike
him.Sodoesyourfather.Andthere'snothingwrongwithworkinginagarage.Hisparentsprobably
ownit,youknow,andthat'sprobablytheirhomeinJamaica.Theymustjustlethimuseit."

Boy,hadhermothergottenitwrong.ButElissabithertongue.Thiswasbetter.Theydidn'tneedto
know how rich King really was; it might inhibit them. She liked their response to him, and his to
them.Shecouldn'tbeartospoilit.She'dtellthemlater,afterKingwasgone.

Hereyesclosed.Despitehertrepidations,itwasmarveloustohavehiminherhome,tosavorbeing
withhimawayfromBess'sinfluence.Shewasinheaven.Evenifheonlystayedovernight,she'dlove
thehouseforeverafterward,becauseshe'dseehimineverynookandcrannyofit.Andifhemarried
Bess,well,herdreamswouldn'tharmthetwoofthemverymuch.

ChapterSeven

After supper, King and Elissa went for a stroll along the beach. It was very much like Jamaica at
night,thewhitecapsrollingontothebeachwithafoamywhisper.

"Youdon'tmindthatI'mhere,doyou?"heaskedcasually.

"No."Shehadchangedintoshortsandalong-sleevedshirt,andshewasenjoyingthefeelingofthe
cool white sand on her bare feet. She tossed back her long hair and sighed, drinking in the
peacefulnessofthesetting.

Hewasstillwearinghisslacks,buthe'dunbuttonedhisshirthalfwaydownandwaswearingthongs
insteadofshoes.Helookedverycasual,notatalltheelegantmillionairehereallywas.

"Ididn'tknowyou'dbeenraisedaBaptist,"shecommented,turninghereyesseaward.

Heglancedather."AndIdidn'tknowthatyouhadSeminoleblood."

Shesmiled."I'vegotalittleIrish,too,andatraceofGerman."

"I'vegotsomeIrishmyself."Hestoppedher,gesturingtowardahermitcrabdivingintoaholeina
smallsandybank."Ihadoneofthoseforapetonce.They'recute."

"Withthoseclaws?"shegroaned.

"Claw,woman,"hechided."Well,onebigoneandonemuchsmallerone.Theydon'tpinchthathard."

"Youwouldn'tfeelitwithhandsthesizeofyours,Iguess."

Heslidhishandsintohispockets,stretchingtheexpensivefabricofhisslacksagainstthepowerful
musclesofhislegsashewalked."Ilikeithere,"hesaidlazily."Ilikeyourparents,too.Icanseenow
whyyou'resuchanindependentlittlecuss.They'reveryopenandhonest."

Shelaughedsoftly,enjoyinghiscompanyandthecoolbreezeandthesolitude."You'dreallythinkso
ifyou'dheardwhatmymothersaidaboutyou."

Hestopped,lookingdownather."Whatdidshesay?"heaskedwithinterest.

"Shesaysthatyou'reveryhandsometoworkinagarage,whichyourparentsmustown,andthatthat's
their villa in Jamaica. They just let you use it. Your watch and ring are copies of the real thing, to
impressthem.Oh,andyouprobablyborrowedthatexpensivesuityou'rewearing."

Hiseyebrowsshotup,andhebegantolaugh,butnotinasarcasticormockingway.Itsoundedlike
puredelight."TheythinkI'magreasemonkey?"

"Youtoldthemyouwereingasandoil,"sheremindedhim."Myparentsdon'tknowanyoilmagnates

buttheyknowalotofmechanics."

"Well, I'll be damned," he mused. "I think I like that. Yes, I think I do. I haven't been treated like a
normalhumanbeinginmyadultlife.AtleastnotsinceIhititbig."

"Youhaveso,"sheretorted."DoItreatyoulikeabigfish?"

Hepursedhisfirmlips,thensmiledather,hiswhiteteethgleaminginthepalelightofthehalfmoon.
"Notreally,"headmitted."ThatwasoneofthethingsIlikedbestaboutyou.AfterIrealizedthatyou
weren'tchasingaftermebecauseIwasrich,"headded.

The cynicism in his voice touched her. "Did you really think that's why I kept hounding you?" She
laughed.

"Howsurprising."

"Women had chased me for years," he replied. "Once or twice I let myself be caught, but mostly I
didn'tgiveadamnforthatkindofwoman.Itdidn'ttakemelongtolearnthatyouweren'ttheleastbit
interestedinmybankaccount.Then,"headdedwithawickedglanceashestartedwalkingagain,"I
decideditwasmybodyyouwanted."

"Howconceited,"sheremarkedairily.

"If you remember, I made one very subtle pass at you, right at the beginning," he said. "And you
backedawaywithalookinyoureyesI'llneverforget.Ididn'tunderstandwhyyoushiedawayfrom
me. I thought you'd had some bad experience and were afraid of men. That made me even more
protective,andIgaveupanyideasofseducingyou."

"Untilafewdaysago,"shemuttered.

Hisheadjerkedtowardher."Don'tputalltheblameonme,honey.Youweregivingasgoodasyou
gotinmybedthatnight."

Shewasgladthedarknesshidherblush.Shestiffenedalittleassheshuffledalongthebeachbeside
him,obliviousnowtotheclamoringsurf.Herlegsweregettingcold,butshedidn'twanttosuggest
thattheygoinside.

Everysecondshecouldspendalonewithhimwasadelight,evenifithadtobespentinthemiddleof
anargument.

"Thankyouforthatsterlingassessmentofmymorals,"shesaidlightly,forcingbackasurgeoffury.
"Isupposethatmakesmewhatmencallaneasy-King!"

Hejerkedheraroundnonetoogentlyandshookherbybotharms."No,itdoesn'tmakeyoueasy,"he
said,hisvoicecoldandcurt."Stoptryingtomakeyourselfsoundcheap.''

"Isn'tthatwhatyou'retryingtodo?"sheasked,hatingtheslightwobbleinhervoice.

Hisleanfingerstightenedonherarms,excitingandstrongthroughtheflimsysleevesofheroversize
shirt.

"Idon'tknowwhatI'mtryingtodo,"hesaidsurprisingly.Hishandsrelaxed,becamecaressing.He
breathed slowly, deliberately, and drew her into his arms. He wrapped her against his taut body,
envelopingherinhisspicycologneandhiswarmth,andlaidhischeekonherdarkhair.

Itwas,shethoughtsuddenly,asifheneededcomforting.Andperhapshedid.Hedidn'tsayalotabout
hisfeelingsforBess,butshewassurethathewasconfusedandwoundedbywhatwashappening.He
waswillingtosacrificehisownhappinesstokeepfromhurtingBessandBobby,sohe'dsubduewhat
hefeltforBessorignoreitifhecould.Butwiththewomentemptinghimand,ashe'dsaid,withhis
being only human, perhaps he did need comforting. And at the moment, Elissa was his anchor, his
safetynet,hislifejacket.Shedidn'tmind;itwasenoughtodowhatshecouldtohelphimthrougha
difficulttime.Lovemadeyouvulnerable.Sheknew,lovinghimasshedid.

She slid her arms around his hard waist and pressed her cheek over his heart, enjoying the heavy,
measured beat of it in the darkness. "We all want things that we can't have, from time to time," she
begansoftly."Likeme,livingafantasy.I'dgivesomuchtobelikethosewomeninthenighttimesoap
operaswhohavetheirfunandneverhavetosufferforit.ButI'mtoomuchofacowardtotryit.I'd
always worry about consequences and about hurting other people." She closed her eyes, breathing
himin."Ialwaysfeltsofreewithyou.Icouldtease,andyounevertookmeseriously.Icouldtrymy
wings,Icouldfly,withoutanydangeroffalling."

"Untilonenightyouflewtooclosetotheflameandsingedyourprettywings,"hemurmureddryly.
"Wereyoushocked?"

"Oh,yes,"sheconfessed."Ididn'texpectit,yousee.AndIdidn'trealizehowvulnerableImightbe."

"Idid,"hereplied.Hisarmstightened."Wewerebothholdingbackfordifferentreasons,bottlingup
ourpassions.Inevitably,itwasgoingtogetawayfromusoneday.Itjusthappenedtobewitheach
other.AndI'mdamnedgladaboutthat,"headdedcurtly."Anothermanmighthavetakenadvantageof
itandseducedyouforreal."

Shecoloredsoftly."Ican'timaginelettinganyothermandothosethingstome,"shesaidhonestly.

Heactuallyshuddered."Don'tsaythingslikethat.I'mmorevulnerablethanyourealize."

"Becauseshe'sgone."

Hepausedforaninstant,andwhenhisvoicefinallycame,itwascoldandmeasured."Yes.Because
she'sgone.IdidwarnyouthatanythingIdidtoyouwouldbeoutofdesireforher.Didn'tyouhear
me?"

"Iwastoobusykissingyou."Shelaughedgently.

Helaughed,too,despitehimself."Imp,"hemuttered,tighteninghisarmsandthenlooseningthemto
stepawayfromherandlookdownintoherquieteyes."Youseemedtolikekissingme."

Shetossedbackherhead,livingthedreamalloveragain."Youhaveanicemouth.Veryslow,very
experienced."

"Yoursisn'tbad,either,"hemurmured,droppinghiseyestoitHetouchedhercheekandtracedher
lipswithhisthumbs."I'msorrywe'resoclosetothehouse.Wecouldstripandgoswimming."

"MyfatherwouldletLudwigeatyou,"shesaidwithalaugh.

Hesighed."Itwasjustathought.I'dgivealottoseeyououtofyourclothes,prettything."

Thatwasembarrassingandalittleexciting,allatonce."Well,youhaven'tmissedmuch,"shesaid.

"Notfromthewaistup,anyway,"heagreedtooreadily,andlaughedathershockedlittlegasp."God,
you'resweettotease.I'dforgottenthatwomencouldbeshocked.Womeninmysettendtobepretty
blaseaboutsex."

"Probablybecausethereisn'talottheydon'tknowaboutit."Shetriedtostepback,buthecaughther
longhairandheldherthereinfrontofhim.

"You'renervousofme,"hemurmured."Whyshouldyoube?Youcouldalwaysscreamforhelp."

"Yes,Iknow."Shetuggedathishand."Idon'twanttostandinforBess,King."

"Youtoldmethatinthebeginning.Ihaven'tforgotten."Hehesitatedforaminutebeforehereluctantly
lethergo."Yousoundpositiveenoughaboutit."

His voice gave nothing away, but she thought he sounded a bit irritated. She tossed her hair and
laughed up at him. "How would you feel if I kissed you and pretended you were some sexy man I
wanted?"

Hisbloodsurged."I'dbreakyoursweetneck,"hesaidwithoutasecond'shesitation.

Shelaughedevenlouder."Yousee?Titfortat,bigman."

Hemadeaswipeatherbehind,andshebarelysidesteppedintime.

"Ifyouhitme,"shethreatened,"I'lltellmydaddy."

"Goahead,"hechallenged."Idareyou."

"Yououghttobeshakinginyourshoes,"shereplied."He'sgotfriendsinhighplaces."

Hegothermeaningandgrinned,allhisbadtempergone."Youknow,IlaughmorewithyouthanI've
everlaughedinmylife,"heremarkedastheywanderedbackdownthebeachtowardthebrightlylit
cottage.

"I don't think you even knew how to laugh at the beginning," she recalled. "You were a little

frightening.

Allbusinessandcoldasice."

"Coldontheoutside,"hesaidsoftly."Neverontheinside."

Thatwasablatantinsinuation,andsheignoredit"AreyouandDadgoingfishingtomorrow?"

"Yes,weare."Heglancedherway."Areyoucomingwithus?"

"I'd like to, but I've got to get in touch with Angel Mahoney and tell her I'm going to need another
week on those new designs. Angel is vice-president of the Seawear collection, and she bought my
designs for the chain of boutiques Seawear owns. I thought they were too strange for anyone," she
confessed,"butAngelthoughttheyweredeliciouslyoutrageousandverysalable.Andshewasright.
I'mmakingallkindsofmoneythesedays."

"Itdoesn'tshow,"hesaidabruptlywithaspeakingglanceatwhatshewaswearing.

She lifted a haughty eyebrow. "I wouldn't waste my exquisite wardrobe on a mere friend," she
informedhim.

Hisdarkeyesnarrowed."IsthatallIam?"

"It'sallI'mgoingtoletyoube,"shesaidgently,lookingawayfromhim."Wouldyoulike-"

"Why?"Hewasbehindherintheshadowofthehouse,hishandsaroundherwaistpullingherback
againsthistautlymuscledbody.

"Youknowwhy,"shegroundout.Thewarmthofthosehandswasdrivingherwild.

"I can't have Bess," he whispered in her ear, drawing her even closer, "but I can have you. You can
haveme."

She trembled and closed her eyes as the tempting pictures rambled shamelessly in her mind. She
gritted her teeth, because there was only one possible answer to the blatant seduction in his voice.
"No."

"Tellmeyouaren'ttempted,Elissa,"hedared.

She pulled away from him, taking a few seconds to get her composure back. "How about some
coffee?"

Hehesitatedatthebackdoor,thensighedandgavein.Hedidn'tunderstandhimselflately.Elissawas
suddenlyinhisblood,andhewantedherout.Hehopedhewouldn'tonedaylosecontrolwithher.The
thoughtfrightenedhimalittle.YetheseemedtototallyforgetBesswhenhetouchedElissa.Thatwas
somehowfrightening,too.

He followed her inside, his face thoughtful, to find her parents waiting to join them around the

coffeepot.

He smiled at them, relieved to find something to keep his mind occupied. It was having a field day
withmemoriesofElissa,herdressdisheveledandpusheddowntoherwaist.

Thenextmorning,KingandElissa'sfathersetoffbeforedaylight.BythetimeElissaandhermother
were up, the men were long gone. Tina fixed a small breakfast for them and then set about her
housework, while Elissa went down to the beach for a swim. Afterward, she set to work on her
designswithafiercedeterminationtoworkoffherfrustrationsonpaper.

Itworked,too;shecameupwithsometotallynewlooks,veryinnovativeandsexyandcool.Shetook
abreakforlunchandsomelazyconversationwithhermother,andthenwentbackdowntothebeach,
afloweredpatioskirtoverherone-pieceblackbathingsuit,andstretchedoutonhertoweltoscribble
somemore.

Thesunkeptgoinginandoutoftheclouds.Sheclosedhereyeswithasighasitbegantocooldown,
andshewasalmostasleepwhenashadowfelloverher.

SheopenedhereyestoKing'sdarkface,hiseyesnarrowandspeculativewheretheskirthadfallen
away from her long, tanned legs. Her bodice had slipped because of the shoulder straps, almost
baringonebreast.

"Sexyashell,"hemurmured,andtherewasirritationinhisvoice."Youlooklikeabeachedmermaid,
andyou'dbetterthankyourluckystarsyourparentsarewithinearshot."

"Oh, promises, promises," she laughed drowsily, only half taking him seriously. She stretched, and
hisjawtightened.

He unbuttoned his shirt, watching her the whole time, seeing how her attention suddenly became
rivetedonthehair-coveredmuscleshewasrevealing.Whenhestrippeditoff,hereyeswidenedon
his torso, and he felt a surge of desire so strong that it almost knocked him to his knees. She liked
lookingathim.Shewastooinexperiencedtohideherownlonging,andthesightofitmadehimallto
vulnerabletohisownhungers.

"IthoughtImightgoforaswim,"hesaidhuskilyashishandwenttohisbelt.

Herlipsparted."You...can't,"shebegan,thinkingofherparents.

"I'm wearing trunks," he said. He unhitched the belt and slowly moved the zipper down. She was
breathing quickly by the time he finally peeled the jeans down his long legs and discarded them,
alongwithhissneakers.

"Whydidyoudothat?"sheaskedinastrange,high-pitchedtonewhenheturnedtoher.

"IlikethewayyoulookatmewhenI'mundressing,"hesaidquietly,meetingherhesitantgaze.There
was no mockery in his eyes, no teasing. He moved closer, looking down at her for a long instant

beforehecaughtoneofherhandsinhisandputitagainsthischest.Thehardmusclessurgedagainst
itashebreathed,feelingthesoft,silentsearchingofhercoolfingersagainsthisheatedskin.

"My...myfather?"shewhispered,glancingdownthebeach.

"He'scleaningfish,"hereplied,searchinghereyes."Yourmotheriscooking."

"Oh."

He eased down alongside her, deftly unbuttoning her skirt. He pushed it aside, baring the smooth,
exquisite lines of her body in the bathing suit. His hand went to the shoulder strap that was already
almostoff.Hetraceditdownthefasteningunderherarmand,holdinghershockedeyes,unhookedit.

"Youmustn't,King,"shesaidshakily.Shecaughthiswrist,butitdidn'tevenslowhimdown.Hestared
atherbodice,peelingitasidewithsteady,strongfingers,histhumbblatantlycaressingherswelling
breastandmakingherjerkwithasuddenspasmofpleasure.

"Goahead,"hemurmuredcurtly,bendinghishead."Lietome.Tellmeyoudon'twantthis."

"Whatabout...Bess?"shegroaned,pushingathim.

Hesaidsomethingharshandexplicitthatsheonlyhalfheard,andthenhisheadwasagainstherbody,
hismouthtakingherbreastinsidethewarmdarkness,teasingitwithhistongue.

Her whimpers excited him. She didn't know how to hold back, and that was delicious. He slid his
handsunderher,smoothinghersoftskin,liftingherclosertohisardentmouth.

Shewastremblingnow,toofargonetoprotestanythinghedidtoher.Hemovedonehandupherside
toexploretheexquisitesoftnessofherbreastwhilehismouthgentlyteasedit.Heliftedhisheadjust
enoughtolook,towatchhissubtletracingshatterhercomposureandbringamistoftearstoherblue
eyes."Don'tcry,"hewhispered,bendingtotouchhismouthtohereyelidsandtastethesaltymoisture
there.

"Ihateyou,"shewhimperedhuskily.

Hesmiled indulgently. "No,you don't. Youhate being vulnerable. Sodo I. Butwe enjoy each other
toomuchtodenyourselvesthispleasure.Anditispleasure,isn'tit,Elissa?"hewhisperedoverher
mouth."Suchwild,sweetpleasure."

"But-"

Hecoveredthewordwithhislips,brushinghermouthopenwithlazy,expertmovementsthatmade
her body burn. She tried to protest, but he kept at it, slowing his movements, deepening them,
tormenting her with little shivers of sensation that made her wild. He'd never kissed her like this
before.Itwasasintimateaslovemaking.

Moreintimate.Shemoaned,thesoundasintimateasthekiss,asrevealingashershudders.

Hisfreehandcameuptoherchin,cuppingit,holdingitfirm.Aboveher,hisbodyblockedoutthe
sun,andhisfacewasastranger's,hardandfaintlyflushed,hiseyesalmostfrightening.

"Yes,"hewhisperedgruffly,continuingthesubtletormentofhermouth,watchingitopen,feelingits
achingsensuality."Yes,you'rereadyforme,now,aren'tyou?Softandsubmissive...oh,baby..."

Histonguepenetratedhermouthinoneslow,sharpthrust,hislipscrushingdownonhers.

She cried out, her trembling hands clutching his hair, her nails digging into his nape. She arched,
shuddering,herbodyinsweetanguishashefeltherneedandansweredit,hishandswallowingher
breast,softlycradlingit.Hertonguetangledwithhis;herbreathingseemedtostop.Itwasthemost
incrediblesensationshe'deverfeltinherlife.Likeflyingintofire.Burningup.Shewastremblingall
overandshecouldn'tstop,totallyvulnerableandpowerlesstohideitfromhim.

Shebegantocry,tearsrollingdowntotheirfeverishlyjoinedmouths,sobstearingfromherthroat,
andstillsheclung,archingherbodytowardhishand.

"Elissa,"hewhisperedinatonehe'dneverused-achinglytender,almostloving.

Hemovedcompletelyontohershakingbody,hisweightexquisitelysatisfying,hismouthtendernow,
hishands...Hewasdoingsomethingtoherbodice,andthenshefelthischestagainstherbarebreasts,
thehaironittickling,thewarmmusclesgentlyspreadingherswollensoftnessagainstthem.

"Holdontight,"hewhisperedatherlips."Holdme."

Shecouldn'tstopcrying.Sheburiedherlipsinhishotthroat,shudderingunderhisweight,devastated
bythefeelofhisbodyinsuchintimacy.Hewasaroused,andshefeltthat,too,andmoaned.

"Sweet,"hewhisperedatherear,hisfingersbitinginterherback."Sweet,sweetElissa!"

She bit his shoulder, a helpless reaction that she didn't even understand, and made a sound in her
throatthatcurledhistoes.

"Shh," he murmured. His fingers came to her cheek and soothed it, smoothing back her damp hair.
His hand slid down to her waist and caressed it gently, while he whispered to her, tender little
encouragementstorelax,toliestill,tobequiet.

By the time she stopped shaking and could feel his taut body relaxing and losing its frightening
hardness,herfacewasdrenchedintears.

Herolledbesideherthen,stillholdingher,andontohisback.Hepillowedherheadonhisshoulder,
his arms betraying a fine tremor, while he stared blankly up at the sky, where sea gulls dived and
calledtoeachotheragainstthegrayclouds.

"Ihavetoleave,"hesaidafteraminute,hisvoiceharsh."Wecan'tgoonlikethisanylonger."

She knew that instinctively. He'd gone almost too far to stop, and so had she. She wasn't thinking
anymore.

Herbodyhadawillofitsown,toostrongtofight.Sheclosedhereyesandfeltthatshe'ddieifshe
couldn'thavehimjustonce.

"Iknow,"shewhispered.Shesatup,herbreastsswollenandslightlyredfromthepressureofhislips.

"Oh,baby,"hebreathed,lookingasshecoveredthem,hiseyesblazing."Icouldlookatyouforever."

"Don't." She closed her eyes, and he sat up, too, fastening the straps for her with hands that were a
littleunsteady.

"Idon'tknowwhat'swrongwithmelately,"heconfessed,forcinghertolookathim."Iwantyouto
the point of madness. You, Elissa. Not Bess." He looked down at her shoulders, delighting in their
creamyperfection."Idon'tunderstandwhyIfeelthisway,butifIdon'thaveyou,IthinkI'lldie."

Sheunderstoodthat,becauseshefeltthesameway."Iwantyoujustasmuch,"shesaidquietly."But
afterward, I'll hate you," she added, looking up at him. "All those years of conditioning don't just
vanish. I'll hate you, and myself, and I don't know how I'll live with it. But," she confessed shyly,
lookingathischest,"Idon'tknowhowI'lllivewithoutit."

Hegottohisfeet,pullingherupwithhim.Hisfacewasseriousnow,intent."ComebacktoOklahoma
withme."

Shemovedrestlessly,frightenedofwhattheywerediscussing.

"Come with me," he repeated gently. He tilted her eyes up to his. "I promise I won't make you
pregnant.Ican'tstopwhat'sgoingtohappen,butI'llmakesureyou'reprotected."

"No,I...I'lldothat,"shefaltered.Shelookedtowardthesea."Buthowwillweexplaintomyparents
thatI'mgoingbackwithyou?"

Hesighedwearilyandtouchedherhair."Ifit'sanyconsolation,itbothersme,too."Hisfingerstrailed
down her cheek to her mouth, and he stared at it until her lips parted. "We'll tell them we may be
gettingengaged,andyou'retostaywithmyfamily."Shelookedupathimwithstunneddelightinher
eyes,andthesightofitmadehimsuddenlypossessive.Hejerkedheragainsthim.

"Thehellwithit-let'sgetmarried,"hesaidsuddenly."Ican'thaveBess,andI'vegottohaveyou.Let's
doitbythebook."

Shealmostscreamed"Yes!"athim,butsheheldback,soberedbythecertaintythatBesswouldsurely
findsomewaytogettohimeventually.Itwouldn'tdoforElissatomarryhimandcreateevenmore
problems. No matter how much it hurt, she was going to have to sink her pride and principles and
givehimthephysicaleasetheybothachedfor.Shelovedhim.Ifshehadnothingelse,shecouldhave
this. She could belong to him for a few ecstatic days, and then she would have to pay the piper.

Somehowshe'dsurvivethefuture.Sheandhermemoriesofhim.

"Iwon'tmarryyou,"shewhisperedgently."ButI'llgowithyou."

Hefrowned."Idon'tmind-"

Sheputherfingersagainsthismouth."Youwould,someday.Marriageshouldbeatotalcommitment,
asacredthing,notjustalegalizationofdesire.IhatewhatIfeelforyou,IhatewhatI'mgoingtodo,
butIthinkwe'dregretmarriagealotmore."

"Itwouldeaseyourconscienceafterward,"hesaidtersely.

"And destroy yours," she countered. "Bess may... may be free someday. How would you feel if you
weretiedtomebythen?"

Hisgrimacegavehertheanswer."Itisn'tfair,askingthisofyou."

"Lifeisn'tfairsometimes,"shesaidwithasigh,fightingtears.Shelookedupathimwiththeanguish
ofloveineverylineofherface."Oh,King,"shewhisperedsoftly,"Iwantyou,too."

Hishandstightenedonherarms."Cometoseetheranch,"hesaid,feelingguiltybutunabletostop
himself.

"Justthat.Maybewecanfightit."

Thatgaveheralittlehope.Itwouldmakeiteasiertoexplaintoherparentsifshewasn'tdefiniteabout
things.Shesmiled."Okay."

He loved the way she smiled. Her eyes brightened, her face relaxed, she looked...beautiful. She was
beautiful, inside and out. His body made an emphatic statement about its feelings for her, and he
laughedinspiteofhimself.

"I'dbettergetdressed,"hemurmureddryly,turningaway.Hehadn'tevenbeeninthewater,buthewas
drenchedwithsweatanyway.

She found her patio skirt and put it on, watching him pull on his jeans. It didn't embarrass her
anymorewhensheknewhewantedher.Itwassonatural,asifshewerealreadyanextensionofhim,a
physicalpartofhim.

Shelovedhimtodistraction.

He glanced at her, frowning at that rapt expression. She didn't seem to be afraid of him or nervous
about giving herself to him. Why? Did she care for him? That made him tingle, and he turned to
scoopuphisshirtwithafeelinghedidn'tunderstand.Whenhewasdressedagain,hetookherhand,
claspingitcloseinhiswithoutasingletwingeaboutBess.

"Ifithappens,"hesaidwithoutlookingather,"I'llmakesureyouneverwanttoforgetwhatwedo
together."

"Ineverwould,whateverhappened,"shesaidsolemnly.

He drew in a steadying breath and linked his fingers with hers. She made him feel ten feet tall. He
couldn'tunderstandthiscompulsiontomakelovetoher;itwasn'tonlysex,buthecouldn'tpuzzleout
what else it was. He glanced down at her slender body, already picturing the very fluid way it was
goingtobecomepartofhim.Hefeltaflushofwarmthfromheadtotoe,anditgotworsewhenhe
happenedtodrophisgazetoherflatstomachandinvoluntarilywonderedwhatshe'dlooklikewitha
babyinthere.Hisfingersclaspedhersuntiltheyhurt,andshecaughtatthemwithcuriouslaughter.

"Whatisit?"sheaskedbreathlessly,wonderingifhewasthinkingaboutBess.

Hesearchedhereyes."Elissa...doyoulikechildren?"heaskedslowly.

Inexplicably,shefeltdeliriouslyhappy.He'dneveraskedaquestionlikethatItgaveheralittlehope.
Shesmiled,turningbacktowardthehouse."Yes,ofcourse.I'dlikeatleasttwosomeday.Why?"

Hedidn'tanswerher.Hiseyesweredarkandtroubledtherestofthewayhome.Besssaidshedidn't
wantchildren.Andhewasshockedtodiscoverthathedid.ButhewantedthemwithElissa.

He was totally withdrawn while he waited for the women to get supper together, electing to watch
television with Mr. Dean. A telephone call he made a little later gave Tina the chance to ask Elissa
whatwaswrong.

"He's asked me to his ranch," Elissa said with a smile. "I think he's worried about telling you and
Dad."

Tinasearchedherdaughter'sface."You'reverymuchinlovewithhim,aren'tyou,darling?"

Elissasighed."Yes.Buthe...I'mnotsurehefeelsthatwayaboutme."

"Hewantsyou."Tinasmiled,buthereyesweresolemn."Besure,honey.It'salltooeasyforamanto
bephysicallyinfatuated,withnolastingemotiontoholdhimtoawoman.Ilikeyouryoungmanvery
much,butthen,he'snothreattome."

Elissaputherheadinherhandsandleanedoverhercoffeecup,feelinglostandmiserable."Idon't
knowwhattodo,"sheconfessed."Idon'tknowifIcanlivewithouthimnow."

"Mypoordarling,"Tinasaidquietly.Sheleanedoverandkissedherdaughter'sforehead."Youhave
tofindyourownway,youknow.Iloveyou,andnothingyoudowilleverchangethat.Iknowyour
fatherandImustseemveryold-fashionedtoyou,butwebelieveinwhatwedo,andthewaywelive
has to reflect that. Earthly pleasures are fleeting. Love is immortal, and it goes beyond satisfying
some fleeting physical hunger. In other words, sweetheart," she explained with a grin, "sex won't
makeupforthelackoflove,nomatterhowgooditis."

"Youhussy,talkinglikethat,"Elissateased.

"That'sme,"Tinaagreed.Hereyestwinkled."Youdon'trealizehowmuchtheworldhaschangedin
recentyears.WhenIwasinhighschool,girlscouldgetexpelledforwearingaskirtaninchabovethe
knee.Thatwasconsideredvulgar."Shepursedherlipswithasmile."Lifeissoviolentthesedaysthat
IsometimeswishwewerebackintheAmazon,"shemuttered."Ifeltsafethere."

"Icanhelpyouout,"Elissasaid."I'llbringWarchiefoverheretolivewithusandhecanmakeyou
feelyou'rebackinthejungle."

Tina,who'dheardvolumesaboutthebigparrot,frowned."Wehaveneighborswithsensitiveears."

"Ournearestneighborisamiledownthebeach,"Elissapointedout.

"That's what I mean. Sound carries. Besides," she groaned, "parrots fly. I have enough trouble with
littlebittymosquitoes;imaginesomethingthathaswingsandbitesandweighsapound."

Elissahadneverthoughtofhimasagiantgreenmosquito.Shelaughed.She'dhavetorememberto
tellKing.King.Hergazesoftened.Whatwasshegoingtodo?

Tinapattedherhand."Lifegenerallygoeson,"sheremindedherdaughter."AndGodlovesus.Even
whenwe'renaughtylittlegirlsandboys."

Thatwasacomfortingthought.Elissagotupandbegantosetthetable.

ChapterEight

Elissa'sfirstsightoftheOklahomaplainsdrewahelplesssighfromher.OklahomaCity,whereKing
hadclaimedhisbiggrayLincolnattheairportparkinglot,wasbeautifulandintriguingforitsrising
oilderrickswithinthehugecityitself.Buttherollingplains,sweepingtowardthehorizonasfaras
theeyecouldsee,broughttearstohereyes.

"I'venever,everseenanythinglikeit,"shebreathed,herexpressionmirroringtotaldelight.

Kingswervedthecarashedartedaglanceather,fascinated."Ithoughtyou'dhateit,"hereplied."You
liveonthecoast."

She wasn't even listening. "The Plains Indians-did they come down this far? The Sioux and
Cheyenne?"

"Well,honey,OklahomawaswheretheysenttheFiveCivilizedTribesbackduringtheTrailofTears,
duringthelate1830sand1840s.SomeofthemfoughtfortheConfederacyduringtheCivilWar-afew
were slaveholders, you see-and because of that, the government forced them to sell their western
landsatasacrifice.WehaveChickasaws,Choctaws,Chero-kees,Creek-andSeminole,"headdedafter
apause.

Her face brightened. "No wonder it seems like home. Don't they say something about an ancestral
memory?

Perhapssomeofmyancestorscamehere."

"TheSeminoleswerefiercewarriors,"heagreedeasily."Theyfoughtthegovernmenttoastandstill."

"The Apache were pretty fierce, too, I hear," she murmured. She smiled at him and then turned her
attentionbacktotheundulatinghills."Howbeautiful.There'ssomuchspace,King."

"That'swhatIlikeaboutit.NocrowdingyetPlentyofroom.Oilandgasandcattle."

"Theoilindustryhasbeenhardhit,though."

"Bobby and I had to diversify," he agreed. "But good business management will spare us too much
grief.

Thereitis."Heindicatedadirtroadleadingtoagroveoftreesandasprawlingwhiteframehouse
with huge porches. There were outbuildings and endless fences and herds of white-and-red cattle
everywhere.

"Theranch?"sheasked,excited.

"Theranch."Hechuckledatherexpressionashepulledoffthemainhighwayontothewindingdirt
road.

"Likeit?"

"Oh, I love it," she said softly, drinking in the lush greens and the wildflowers that seemed to be
everywhere."Thosearesunflowers!"sheexclaimed.

"You'llfindalotofunfamiliarvegetation,"hesaid."Wedon'thaveseagrapesandpalmsouthere.We
havewateroaksandhickorytrees....Ofcourse,wehavesomefascinatinganimalshere,too.Idoubt
you'veeverseenamoose."

"Icanhardlywait."

"Youshouldn'tbethisenthusiastic,"hemurmureddryly,rememberinghowmuchBesshadhatedthe
ranchwhensheandBobbymarried.Ofcourse,Besshadgrownupindirt-poorsurroundings,andhe
supposedshe'dhadherfillofroughingit.She'dprobablylongedforsomethingcompletelydifferent,
more refined. But Bobby, like King, had loved the plains, loved walking the hills in search of
arrowheads-oneofKing'sfavoritechildhoodpastimes."You'reacitygirl,remember?"

"I'macountrygirl,"sheargued."JustbecauseIworknearMiamidoesn'tmakemecitified.Ilikewide
openspaces,likethebeachandhills.CanIgowalkingwhenIfeellikeit,orarethere..."

"WildIndians?"hesuggestedwithawickedgrin.

Shehithim."Wolves,"shereplied.

"Onlythisone,"hemurmured,winkingather.

She gave up, shaking her head. She didn't remember the reason he'd brought her here. The real
reason.Hestillwantedher.Itwasinhiseyes,inthewayhesmiledather.AndBesswassomewhere
nearby....

"WheredoesBobbylive?"sheaskedsuddenly.

Thesmilelefthisface."There."Heindicatedamodernsplit-levelhouseinthedistance."Almostin
Jack'sCorner.BessusedtospendalotoftimeinOklahomaCity,butBobbysaidshe'sstartedgetting
interestedinlocalsociety."Hefrowned."Toobadit'sonlyteapartiesandsuch.Shesurecoulddoa
lotofsocialworkifshehadamindto."

HedrovetheLincolnuptothefrontsteps,andElissasighedoverthebiggreenrockingchairsandthe
porchswing."Iloveit!"Shegrinned."Canwesitintheswing?"

"Presently,"hepromised,climbingouttoopenherdoorandhelpher,withold-worldcourtesy,tothe
ground.

Thescreendoorswungopen,andamiddle-agedwomanstompedontotheporch.MargaretFloyd,the
housekeeper, was a big, buxom woman in her sixties with white hair and dark eyes and a mean-
lookingexpression.

"Well,it'sabouttime,"shesaid,parkingherhandsonherbroadhips.Shewaswearingapale-yellow
printhousedresswithpurplebedroomshoes,andasplatteredwhiteapronhuggedheramplemiddle.
"You'reanhourlate.

Whatdidyoudo,gethijackedonthewayback?I'veruineddinner,you'llbegladtoknow,andwho's
that?"

Elissawasbeingdraggedupthestepsandpushedforwardlikeashieldbeforeshehadtimetocatch
herbreath.

"ThisisElissaDean,"Kingsaid,holdinghertherefirmly,eventhoughshewasn'tstruggling.

"Well,glorybe!"Margaret'sbroadfacebrightenedlikeasunflower."Finally!"

Sherushedforward,andElissafoundherselfengulfedinthesmellofflourandapples.

"I thought he'd never get enough sense to bring you home," Margaret gushed. "Idiot, chasing after
themstupidcitywomen."SheglaredatKingbeforeturningbacktoElissa."Youlooklikeanicegirl.
Hesaysyoustillliveathome,"sheaddedwithunashamedcuriosity.

"Well,yes,"Elissastammered."Myfolkswouldn'thaveitanyotherway."

Margaretlookedasifallherprayershadbeenanswered."Lordy,child,docomeinandletmefeed
you.

I'vegotadeliciouspotroast,evenifIdosaysomyself,andapanofhomemaderolls,andIbaked
himanapplepie."

Kingwentbacktogettheluggage,mutteringthingsitwasjustaswellMargaretdidn'tactuallyhear.

Margaret was a wonderful cook, had a mind like a steel trap and didn't feel the least bashful about
askingthemostintimatekindofquestions.

Kingfinallyranheroffsotheycouldeattheirmealinpeace.Elissa'sfacewasbeetredbythen,and
he looked a bit put out himself. Elissa couldn't know that over the years, only Bess had ever been
affordedsuchcourteoustreatmentbythehousekeeper.Margarethadalwaysfoundnotsosubtleways
ofshowingherdisapprovalforthetypeofwomanKinghadentertainedsofrequentlyinhisyounger
days.Besshadbeendifferent,becauseMargaretknewherbackgroundandwasfranklysorryforher.

"It'salovelymeal,"Elissasaidfinally.

"Lovely,"hemuttered.

She didn't attempt conversation again. She finished the food and allowed Margaret to whisk her
upstairstounpack.

Kingwascalledouttheminuteheleftthesuppertabletoattendtosixtythingstheforeman-BenFloyd,
Margaret'shusband-hadn'tbeenableto,despiteneighborBlakeDonavan'shelp.

ElissafoundherselfaloneafterMargaretwenttoherownsmallhousebelowthestables,andwhen
King didn't come back by midnight, she went to bed. Her first day on the ranch had been an
experience.

Thenextmorning,sheawoketostrangenoises.Cattlelowing.Aroostercrowing.Thebarkingofa
dog.

Clatterfromdownstairs.Shesatupinbedwithalazyyawnanddrankinthesweet,cleancountryair.
Itwasn'tsofarremovedfromtheFloridacoast,afterall.Countrywascountry,exceptforthenoises.

Shegotupanddressedinjeansandashort-sleevedblouse,feelingassummeryastheweather.She
leftherhairdownandherfaceclearofmakeup.

Downstairs,Kingwassittingatthebreakfasttablewithabroodinglook.Butitwasn'ttheKingshe'd
becomeaccustomedto.ThiswasaWesternerwithacapitalW.Shestoodstock-stillinthedoorway,
juststaring.

Fromhisfadedjeansanddustybootsupoverablue-and-whiteWesternshirttohisdarkhair,hewasa
differentman.Itwasn'tonlytheclothing;itwassomethinginhisface.Adifferentlook.Anaturalness.
Amaninhisnativesetting.

Helookedupfromhisnewspaperandcockedaneyebrow."Well?Aren'tyouhungry?"

"Ofcourse."Shesatdownbesidehim,hereyescurious.

"You'veseenmeinjeansbefore,"heremindedher,amusedatherexpression.

"Youneverlookedlikethisbefore,"shefaltered.Hereyessearchedhis.

Hewinkedather."Didyousleepwell?"

"Beautifully,"shesighed."Howaboutyou?"

"WhenIfinallygottosleep,"hemuttereddarkly,"itwassoundly.Benhadfivehours'workwaiting."

"Wasn'tsomeneighborsupposedtobewatchingthingsforyou?"

"He was, and he did," came a deep, amused voice from the doorway, "but only Kingston can sign
Kingston'snametohischecks."

Elissaturnedtofindthevoice.Themanshesawmadehershiver.Helookeddangerous,awildman
withunrulyblackhairandpale-greeneyessetinlashesasthickandblackashiseyebrows.Hewas
litheandleanandsportedascardownonecheekandanosethatlookedtohavebeenbrokenoncetoo
often. Somehow he didn't look like the kind of man King would call a friend, and Elissa wondered
howmuchelsetherewastolearnabouttheenigmaticmanshe'dfalleninlovewith.

"BlakeDonavan,"Kingintroducedhim."Thisismyhouseguest,ElissaDean."

"I'mgladtomeetyou,Mr.Donavan,"shesaidhesitantly.

He gave her an indifferent appraisal and nodded. "Same here." He turned his attention to King. "If
you'vegoteverythingyouneed,I'llheadbackhome.I'vegotthosedamnedlawyerswaiting.Atleast
thistimeit'sforsomethingproductive.Mysignaturegoesonadocument,andthesuit'ssettledonce
andforall."

Kingliftedhiscoffeecup."IhearMeredithCalhounjustwonanawardforherlatestbook."

Thegreeneyeskindled,andtheleanfaceseemedtocloseup.Obviouslythiswriter,whoevershewas,
wasatouchysubjectforBlakeDonavan,Elissanoted.

HadKingbroughtupthenamedeliberately?shewondered.

"I'vegotworktodo,"Donavansaidtersely."Seeyou,Roper.MissDean,"headded,touchingthebrim
ofhishat,andwasgone.

"Who'sMeredithCalhoun?"Elissawhispered,mindfuloftheopendoor.

Kingsighed."That'salongstory,"hereplied,apparentlyunwillingtodelveintoit.

"He'sahard-lookingman,"sheventured.

"Purediamond,"heagreed,"anditgoesstraightthrough.Ifhelookshard,it'sbecauselifemadehim
hard.

He was illegitimate, and his mother died in childbirth. He was taken in by a crusty old uncle who
adoptedhimandgavehimhisname.Theunclediedlastyear,andDonavan'sbeeninahellofacourt
battleforthepropertyeversince."

"I can see why he won," she remarked, shivering slightly and wondering anew at King's ready
compassionforlife'sunfortunates.Ofcourse,thatcompassionwaswhathadmadehimsovulnerable
to Bess.... "He's younger than you, isn't he?" she said weakly, dragging her thoughts back to the
present.

Hisdarkeyesnarrowedonherface."Yes.Eightyears.He'salmostthirty-two.Why?Doesheappeal
toyou?"

Sheblinked.Thatsoundedamazinglylikejealousy.Whyonearthshouldhefeelpossessiveabouther
whenitwasBessheloved?

Without waiting for her reply-besides, she was too stunned and confused to offer one-he got to his
feet.

"I'vegotafullday'sworkaheadofme."

"Notinyouroffice,Igather?"shefished.

"Onmyranch,"hesaid,leaningdowntopressahard,warmkissonherpartedlips."ThisishowI
relax,tidbit-bykeepingbusy.Manuallaborbuiltthisranch."

"Youlooklikeacowboy,"shemused,surprisedbytheardentkiss.

"I am a cowboy," he replied, searching her blue eyes. "I can travel first-class and buy damned near
anythingIwant,butwhatIlikebestisahorseundermeandopenlandaroundmeandanightskyto
sleepunder."

"Do you?" She reached up to him, and amazingly, he came to her, letting her have his mouth. She
kissedhimwarmlyandwasstunnedbythesoftnessofhislips,byhiseagerparticipationinacaress
thathadnothingtodowithsex.

"Wanttocomeseethecalveslater?"heaskedasheliftedhishead."Ifyou'regood,I'llevenletyoupet
one."

"Yes,I'dliketo,"shesaid,smilinglazily.

Hedrewinaslow,pleasedbreathashiseyesdrankinherlovelyface."Fairyface,"hewhispered.He
bentagain,brushinghermouthwithhis."I'llseeyouatlunch.Don'tletMargarettalkyoutodeath."

"IlikeMargaret,"shemurmured.

"Margaretlikes you, too,baby doll," Margaretsaid from the doorwaywith a platterof eggs in her
hand.

ShegrinnedtoothilyatKing."Youluckyman,you."

Kingactuallyflushed."I'vegotworktodo,"hemumbled,andheleftthemboththere,pullinghishat
downoverhiseyeswithajerkashestrodenoisilyfromtheroom.

"OnlywalksthatwaywhenI'veannoyedhim,"Margaretassuredher,grinningevenwider."Butyou're
thefirstgirlhe'sbroughthometometovisitinalong,longtime,soIreckonhe'sinprettydeep.But
youwatchhim;he'snochoirboy.Hecanberightdangerousinfullpursuit."

Elissaburstoutlaughing."Oh,Margaret,you'reajewel,"shesaid,andmeantit."Hedoesn'tloveme,
youknow.I'mjusthisfriend,that'sall."

Margaret nodded as she sat down. "That's right, and I'm a Halloween pumpkin," she agreed. She
helped herself to a cup of coffee and folded her hefty forearms on the table. She stared straight at
Elissa."Now,tellmeaboutyourself.Ihearyoudesignclothes."

ItwasliketheSpanishInquisition.BythetimeElissawasallowedtoescapeandgoexploringaround
the house, Margaret knew her favorite perfume, her entire family history-she'd hooted with delight
uponlearningKinghadbroughthomeaminister'sdaughter-andasmuchaspossibleofherpotential
future.

The ranch itself was a new experience. There were well-kept stables housing beautiful Appaloosas,
cattleeverywhereandabullwhoseemedtohavehisownbuildingandafull-timecaretaker.Hewas
redandwhite,likemostofthecattle,andasbigasahouse.WhenKingcamehomeatlunchtime,he
foundheratthebarn,staringatthecreature.

"His name is King's Pride 4120," he informed her smugly, hands in his pockets. "He's out of the
foundation herd of Herefords Bobby's grandfather began here, but I've improved the strain with
selectivebreeding."

"Whydoeshehaveanumber?"sheasked."Hashebeenarrestedorsomething?"

"Thatgetscomplicated."Hethrewanaffectionatearmaroundhershouldersandledherbacktothe
house,explainingthingslikeembryotransplantsanddailyweight-gainratiosandalltheintricaciesof
breedingsuperiorbeefcattle.ThetechnicalinformationrattledaroundinElissa'sheadlikemarbles,
butitwasfascinatingallthesame.

"Margaret'smakingbeef-saladsandwichesforlunch,"shetoldhimonthefrontporch,wherethebig
greenswingandseveralrockingchairsfacedtheopenplains.

"Howmuchhasshedraggedoutofyousofar?"heaskedwitharaisedeyebrowandadrysmile.

"Beforeoraftershegottothecolorofmyunderwear?"Shelaughed.

Hejustshookhishead.

Lunchwasquiet.Margaretwentofftolistentothenewswhilesheworkedinthekitchen,andKing
didn'tseeminclinedtotalk.Afterward,hesaddledahorseforherwiththeeaseoflongpracticeand
helpedherintothesaddle.This,atleast,wasfamiliar;they'dgoneridingtogetherinJamaicaseveral
timesoverthepasttwoyears.Sheglancedathimunderthebrimofherborrowedstrawhat,thinking
howeverythingabouthimwasfamiliartoherandyetsubtlydifferentthesedays.

Hecaughtherglanceandgrinned."Rememberthedaywerodedownthebeachhell-for-leather,and
youfelloffinthesurf?"

"I'mholdingontightthistime,"sheretorted,wrappingthereinsaroundherhand."Leadon,cowboy;
youwon'tloseme."

"Let'ssee."

He took off, nudging his Appaloosa gelding to a quick lead. She followed on her mare, laughing
delightedlyattheopenlandandhiscompanyandthesunnyafternoon.

The calves were Herefords, and not newborn as she'd expected. The calves started coming in
FebruaryandMarch,hetoldher,tocoincidewithhisbreedingprogram.Theywerefattenedupand
thensoldwhentheyreachedthedesiredweight.

"It's so sad to think of eating them," she mused while she scratched a white-topknotted head above

soulfulbrowneyes."Isn'thecute?"

Heleanedagainstthefencepost,hishatpushedback,hiseyeswatchful."Theytellstoriesaboutthe
cattledrivesintheolddaysandhowclosethecattlegottotheirdrovers.Theysaythatsometimesthe
cowboys had to actually go with the cattle into the ab-batoirs, to keep them from stampeding. They
bawledwhenthedroversstartedtoleavethem."

Tears sprang to her eyes. She was vaguely embarrassed at her sentimentality and tried to hide her
reaction,buthesawhertears.Hecaughthergentlybytheshoulders,turningher.Hebent,liftingher
intohisarms,andcarriedherbacktothehorses.

"I'msorry,"shewhispered.

"Yousoft-heartedlittlegreenhorn,"hewhisperedback,andhesmiledashebroughthismouthwith
exquisitetendernesstohers.

He'd meant it to be a sweet, comforting gesture, but her mouth opened beneath his, and his breath
stoppedinhisthroat.Hehesitated,butonlyforasecond.Thenhecarriedherawayfromthehorses
andlaidherdowninthetallbuffalograss,hisleanbodysettlingcompletelyoverher.

"King!"shegasped.

"Elissa,"hebreathedhuskily.Hekissedherhungrily,givingintotheachingneed,thelongnightsof
wantingher.Hereachedunderhertocatchherhipsanddragthemlazilyagainsthis,lettingherfeel
theevidenceofhisneed.Andforlong,exquisitemoments,theyenjoyedthetouchandtasteandfeel
foreachother.

Then,whenitwasalmosttoomuch,hegroanedandrolledontohisback.Notsincehisteenshadhe
feltsodamnedhelplesstocontrolhimself.Andshecouldseehowmuchshearousedhim.

Shesatup,hereyeslikesaucers,andheheldherraptgaze.

"Thisneverhappenstome,"hewhispered,hisvoicedeepandhuskyandgruff."Neverthisquickor
thiscompletelywithanywomanbutyou,damnit."

Herlipspartedonasmileasshelookedathim,notwithtriumphbutwithlove."Doyoumindifthat
makesmeproud?"sheaskedsoftly.

He drew in an unsteady breath. "I guess not." He sat up, bending over his upraised knees. "I can't
imaginehowI'velastedthislong."

She touched his hand where it rested on his knee. "I'm sorry," she said softly, searching the dark,
tormentedeyesthatmethers."Butitpleasesmethatevenifyoudon'tloveme,atleastyouwantme."

Hebroughtherhandtohismouth."Doyouwantmetoloveyou?"heaskedquietly."Becausethatmay
comeintime.Marryme,Elissa."

She lowered her eyes to his hand. "I'll have to think about it," she said finally, biting her tongue to
keepfromscreamingyes.Shehadtobereasonable.

Shecouldn'tletherloveforhiminfluenceher;shehadtothinkofwhatwasbestforhim,too,since
obviouslyhewasn'tthinkingatall.

Hisfingerstightened.Hestartedtospeakandthenseemedtodecideagainstit."Allright."

Shelookedup."DoesBobbyknowwe'rehere?"

"Yes," he said finally. "I called him a few hours ago. Bess is in Oklahoma City until tomorrow
morning.Heinvitedustogoridingwiththem."

"When?"

"Tomorrowafternoon."Hetiltedherfaceup."Don'tdecidenow.You'vegotonehellofabigdecision
toworkuptobybedtime,"

Herlipstrembled."I...Icareforyou,"shewhispered.

Hishandtouchedhercheek,andhewishedhecouldreadhermind.Hefeltguiltyanduncertain,buthe
cared for her, too, in his way. "Then marry me," he said, feeling oddly certain that it would be the
rightthingforthemboth."Sayyes."

Shemanagedaquietsigh.Logicwentoutthewindow."Yes."

Hestaredintohereyesforalongtime,feelingelectricityarcbetweenthem.Hewantedher.Hewas
fond of her. She cared for him. It would be enough. And it would be a final, permanent barrier
betweenhimandBess.

He bent to her mouth and kissed her very gently before he helped her to her feet and back into the
saddle.

Hedidn'tsayanotherwordallthewayhome.

ChapterNine

ElissaspenttheafternoonhelpingMargaretinthekitchen.Kinghadgoneoutagain,presumablyto
finishhisranchwork.Margaretkeptthrowingtheyoungerwomanspeakingglances,andElissaknew
shemustlooktroubled.

"Outwithit,"Margaretsaidfinally."What'swrong?"

"Hewantstomarryme,"Elissareplied,scouringapanthey'dusedtofrysteakforlunch.

"Halleluja!"

"Itisn'tthatsimple,"shesaidwitharuefulsmile.Sheturnedbacktothepan."Hedoesn'tloveme."

"Mendon'tknowwhatloveisuntilthey'reintoodeeptoclimbout,"Margaretobserved,chuckling.
"I'veseenhowhelooksatyou.There'senoughtheretobuildon-youmarkmywords."

Elissatingled.Yes,hedidlookatherasifshewereasumptuousdessert.ButtherewasstillBessto
consider.Shesighed.

"Don'tworryaboutit,"theolderwomancoaxed."Justsayyes,andI'lltakecareofeverything.Let's
see,invitationsandthereception,andchampagneandhorsd'oeuvres,"shemurmured.

Elissadidn'tsayanythingelse.Shewastooworried.

They sat down to supper alone, and after cleaning up, Margaret finally went home, bubbling with
happiness.ElissaarrangedaplateforKingandcoveredit,andshewasjustwipingupaspillonthe
floorwhenKingwalkedinthebackdoor.

Helookedatlittledustyandverytired.HestudiedherfromunderthewidebrimofhisStetson,taking
in the picture she made in a loose gold-and-white caftan, kneeling there against the spotless cream
linoleum.

"You'reapicture,doyouknowit?"hemused."Allthatlong,sexyhairandbigblueeyes,andyourtan
looksprettygoodwithwhiteandgold."

Shestoodup,smiling."Youlooklikeacowboy,"shereplied.

Hiseyebrowsarched."Isthatacomplimentoracriticism?"

Sheloweredhereyesshyly."Ilikecowboys.""Where'sMargaret?"

"Gonehome.I'vefixedyouaplate,ifyou'rehungry."

Helookedfaintlysheepishforaminute,steadyinghisdustyboots."Well,Jimwasupatthecowcamp
withus,"hebegan."Jim'sthecookwhenwe'reworking.Herustledupapotofchiliandsometortillas

andapuddingthatIexpecttodreamaboutfordays."Hecockedhisheadather."Don'ttellMargaret,
willyou?I'llgetburnedbiscuitsforaweekifshefindsout.Couldyoudisposeofthatplatefulofstuff
withoutherknowing?"

Shelaugheddelightfully."Ofcourse."

"I'llbedowndirectly,onceIcleanup,andI'llthankyouproperly,"hemurmured,loweringhisvoice
anoctave.

Shefeltherheartskipatthelookinhisdarkeyesashewentbyher.Hewinkedonhiswayintothe
hall,andshewatchedhimgo,feelingstrangelyquietandcontentedyetdeliriouswithanticipation.

Hepausedonthemiddlestepandlookeddownather."Howaboutmakingsomecoffee?"heasked.
"I'llcomebackdownandwe'llshareapotwhilewetalk."

Hiseyesfelltoherbodyandlingered.Shefeltweakintheknees.Hewantedmorethanjusttalk,and
sheknewit.Theyweresomuchonthesamewavelengththatshecouldalmostfeelhimbreathing.

"I'lldothat,"shesaid,hervoicehusky.

Henodded.Hiseyessmiled."AndIcoulddowithapieceofcake,ifthere'sanyleft,"headded.

"There'senough.I'llsliceit.Don'tdrownintheshower,"sheteased.

"Icanswim."Hegrinnedandcontinuedupthestairs.

Elissamadecoffeeandcarriedthesilverserviceintothelivingroom,curlinguponthesofatowait
forhim.Minuteslaterhejoinedher,dressedincleandenimsandahalf-unbuttonedblue-checkshirt.
Hishairwasdamp,andhesmelledofsoapandspicycologne.Elissacouldhardlytakehereyesoff
himasheeasedhistall,powerfulframedownonthesofabesideher.

"I'llpour,"shesaid.Shesounded,andwas,flustered.Todisguiseit,shemovedtothefloorinfrontof
thecoffeetablesothatshewasjustinfrontofhim.Itwasallshecoulddotogetthecoffeeoutofthe
heavysilverpotintothewhitechinacups.

"You'renervous.Why?"heaskedquietly.

Shelaughed."Idon'tknow."

He reached down, turning her so that she was kneeling between his legs. His fingers traced her
flushed cheeks, and his eyes were steady on hers. Everything she felt was in her face-it was like
readingabook-andhisreactiontothatblatantadorationshockedhim.Hefeltasurgeofpossession
strongenoughtoknockthebreathoutofhim,andhisbodywassuddenly,achinglyhungryforhers.
Notforsexalonebutforsomethingmore.Hefrowned.

He'dneverfeltthatneedbefore,notwithanywoman.Hewantedto...tojoinwithElissa.Toknowher
ineverywaytherewas.

Hefeltoddlyyoungashebenttowardher,andthefirsttouchofhismouthagainsthersoftonewas
tentative.Hedrankinthefloralscentofher,drownedinhershy,eagerresponse.Itwasalwayslike
this with her, like flying, like bubbles in champagne. She was his from the moment he touched her.
Butnowitfeltasifhebelongedtoher,aswell.

Withalong,achingsigh,hebroughtherupagainsthim,easingherontohislapashedeepenedthe
slow,tenderkiss.Shefelthiskisswithwonder,becauseithadneverbeenlikethisbefore.Sherelaxed
intohim,loopingherarmsaroundhisneck,hermouthparting,openingunderthesweetardorofhis.

Shefelthishandsatherwaist,tracingherribcage,thendelicatelytouchingthesoftcontoursofher
breasts.

Under the caftan she wore only pale-yellow briefs, and when he felt her skin so close, his breath
caught.

Herbodybegantotrembleashestrokedit,hisfingersdeftandsureandfaintlyinsistent.Hismouth
hardenedonhers,andherearswerefilledwiththeharshquicknessofhisbreathingandherownfaint
gaspswhenhetouchedhermoreintimately.

Hersoftblueeyeslookedupintohiswhenheliftedhishead,andshesawastrangeexpressionthere.

"Whatisit?"shewhisperedunsteadily.

He watched his fingers tracing her breasts, watched the involuntarily movement of her body at the
pleasurehegaveher."Iwantyou,"hebreathed."Butnot...likeI'veeverwantedanyoneelse."Hisdark
eyeswentbacktohers."Iwanttojoinyourbodytomine.Iwantoneness...."

Herlipsparted."Yes."Evenasshethoughttheword,shesaidit,becausethismightbetheonlytime.
She might lose him, but this once she could belong to him. He knew she was a virgin. It would be
special.Itwouldbeeverything.

Sheslidthezipperofthecaftandowntoherwaist,andhischestrosesharply.Hesearchedhereyes
foralongmomentbeforeheeasedthefabricoutofthewayandlookedather.Afteramoment,he
bent,andhislipsbegantotouchherinreverentadoration.Herbreasts,herbellyandherhipsburned
underhismouth.Shemovedhelplesslyashetouchedherinwaysheneverhad,andlongbeforehe
easedheroutofhercaftanandbriefs,shewaslost.

She moaned when he moved away long enough to strip off his own clothing, his eyes dark and
sensualandfullofdesire.Therewasafainttremorinhispowerfulbodyashesatbackdownonthe
sofaandeasedhergentlyoverhim,sothatshewassittingfacinghim.Shegaspedatthefirsttouchof
skinagainstskin,lightagainstdark,hardmuscleagainstsoftness.

"There'snothingtobeafraidof,"hewhispered,brushingherbodyinagonizinglyslowmovements
againsthis,herbreastsjustbarelytouchinghim,herhipstremblingagainsthisblatantmasculinity.

Herhandsgrippedhishardarms,andsheleanedherforeheadagainsthischestsothathewouldn'tsee
thefear."Isitgoingtohurt?"shewhispered.

"It'sgoingtobebeautiful,"hewhisperedback,hishandsonherhips."Givemeyourmouth."

Sheliftedherfaceandsawthesoftaffectioninhiseyes.Herheartwashis.Shelovedhimso.Itwas
magic,thewayitfelt,tobethiswaywithhim,tobeintimatewithhim.Hermindwasbeyondrightand
wrong,inthralltothebuddingdemandsofherownwomanhood.

Hishandsexploredherwaistandhips,gentlycaressing,softlyarousing.Hemovedherhipsagainst
his,andshebitbackamoan.Sheclungtohim,astoundedbywhatwashappening.

"Oh,King,"shewhisperedachingly,liftinghereyes.

Heeasedherupwardthen,holdinghergazewhilehepositionedherhipsagainsthis.Hisfacewasthat
ofastranger,utterlysensual,slightlythreatening,buttherewassomethinginhisdarkeyesthatheld
her spellbound. He bent, his breath mingling with hers as he brushed his mouth over hers in lazy,
comfortingsweepsthateasedherfear.

Whilehislipstoyedwithhers,hishandswerelearningthesilkencontoursofherbody.Heteasedher
breasts, nudging their hardened tips, making her tremble with the sensations he aroused. He nipped
herlowerlipandtrailedhismouthoverherthroat,hershouldersand,finally,thesoftswellofher
breasts.

Shecouldhardlybreathe.Sheheldhisarmsforsupport,hereyesclosed,theaircoolatherback.He
moved then, and she felt the sudden contact with his thighs, the ripple of muscles as he probed her
softly.Shegasped,lookingup,herbreathstoppedinherthroat.

Hemovedagainsther,veryslowly,holdinghereyes.Hishandsmadetheirwaytoherhips,moving
her against him in a slow, lazy, arousing rhythm. She didn't understand what was happening to her.
Shefeltherbodybegintotremble,andshegaspedwhenheincreasedthegentleriseandfallofhis
hipsagainsther.Sheclutchedathim,overwhelmedbytheintimacyofthegesture.

"King...sittingup?"shegasped,hervoicescarcelyrecognizabletoherownears.

"Shh,"hewhispered,loweringhismouthoverhersindeliciousteasingmotions."Justrelax,littleone.
Iwouldn'thurtahaironyoursweetheadforallthecowsinTexas."

"But...likethis?"

Helaughedgently,eventhoughhisbodywasshudderingwithhisneedofher.Helookeddownather
tautbreastsanddeliberatelypressedhishard,hair-roughenedchestagainstthem.Shemoaned,andthe
soundfiredhisblood.

"Are you going to get noisy?" he whispered into her mouth. "I won't mind." He bit her lower lip
delicatelywhileonehandteasedherswollenbreastandmoveddownslowlytoherhips,herthighs,
andintoasudden,wildlyshockingintimacythatsheinstinctivelyprotested.Butafteraminute,when
herbodydemandedthatshelethimdoit,shegaveinandheldon,cryingoutsoftlyatthedelicious
pleasurehewasgivingher.Shefelttearsstinghereyesandrandownintohermouth.

Hetastedthemandliftedhisheadtowatchherfeveredeyes,herflushedface,whilehesavoredher
sweetbody."Itwon'tbehardforyou,"hewhispered,andheshifted,justalittle,holdingherhips."It
won'tbehardatall.

Don'ttenseup.I'mgoingtoshowyouthemystery,Elissa.I'mgoingtomakeawomanofyounow."

Shefelthimarchslightly,andherlipspartedonasoftgasp.Shelookedintohiseyes,frightenedat
thefirstburningstabofsensation.

His hands framed her face as he moved again, and she jerked a little. "Another few seconds," he
whispered,hisvoicesoftandslowandintimate.Hesmiled."Relaxforme.Itwon'teverhurtagain,I
promise,"hebreathedbrokenly,hishandsbringingherdowntohim.

Hekissedhersoftlyashetookhercompletely,andhernailsbitintohim.Shestartedtostiffen,butshe
bit her lip and laid her forehead against his broad, damp chest and forced her body to admit him.
Therewasonlyasmallstabofpain,andthenshesighedinrelief.

Hishandsmovedonher,strokingher,doingimpossiblethings,movingher,shiftingher.Hebentto
her mouth again, probing it with his tongue. He took it, and his hips began to move, and she felt a
savagerippleofpleasurethattookherbysurprise.Surely,shethoughtdazedly,she'donlyimagined
it.Buthemoved,anditcameagain.Andagain.Shebithisshoulder,shuddering.Heshuddered,too,
andshefelthisbodysurgepowerfully.

He lifted his mouth just enough to look at her. "Exquisite," he whispered, studying her. "That
expression,wildandtortured,asifIwerehurtingyou.ButI'mnot,amI?"

"No,"shewhispered.Hishandmoved,andshecriedout,bitingherlip.

"Don't stop yourself," he gasped as he increased his rhythm, his eyes stormy and dark. "There's no
onetohearyou.Letitout.Makenoise,"hewhispered."Makeasmuchnoiseasyouwant."

Hishandsbitintoherthighs,holdingherdowntohim.Hereyesdilated,becauseshe'dneverexpected
thatitwouldbelikethis.Herheadfellback,andshegaspedashearchedunderher.Hisfacewasa
maskofpassion,tightandflushed,hiseyesblackasnightandglittering,exultant.

She cried out, and her fingers bit into his shoulders as she shuddered with unexpected, total
completion,hisnameahoarsesoundtornfromherthroat

Hefeltherconvulse,stunnedthatitshouldhappenforherthefirsttime.Andthenhefeltthefamiliar
staboffulfillmentrackinghim,andhecriedouthernameoverandover.

A long time later she wafted back to earth. Under her, his body was damp and shuddering in the
aftermath,hishandsprotectivenow,soothing,tender.Heliftedhisfacetohersandbegantokissher,
hishardmouthsotenderandcherishingthatshewantedtocry.Hewhisperedhernameoverandover
again,hisvoiceawed.He'dneverexperiencedanythinglikethisinhislife.WithElissa,he'dattained
heightshehadn'ttouchedbefore.Whateverthiswas,itwasn'tsimplysex.

Hisbodystilltrembling,hekissedherclosedeyeswarmlyandthenherfaceagain,insoft,searching
caresses.Shefeltloved,cherished,andshesmiledagainsthisdampthroat.

Henippedherear."Ifeltithappentoyou,"hemurmured."Italmostneverdoesthefirsttime."

"Mybodydidn'tknow.I'llmakesureItellit"

"Imp," he drawled. He looked into her eyes and shifted his hips, his eyes hot and wicked when she
gasped.

"Shocking,isn'tit?"hewhispered.Andthenhisgazesoftened,andhissmilefaded."Ihopeyouaren't
havingsecondthoughts,"hesaidquietly.

Sheopenedhermouthtotellhimthatshewasn'tprotected,buthisopenedagainstit,andhishipsrose
andfell,andthepleasurecamestabbingbackinarhythmthatwasalreadyfamiliar.

"Angelface,"hewhisperedsoftly."I'vedreamedaboutthisforsolong,abouthowitwouldbewith
you.Itwasbeyondmywildestdreams.Itwasperfection,"hebreathed,touchingherfacereverently.
"MyGod,it'sneverbeenlikethatforme.Never."

Shestaredathishair-roughenedchestandtouchedittentatively,likingthefeelunderherfingers.He
stiffened a little, and she smiled at him. "You're very good at this," she said shyly, wondering how
many women there had been before her. The thought disturbed her a little, and her conscience was
twinging. He didn't love her, she knew, but she loved him. Was that reason enough to covet this
onenesswithhim?Thisonenightoutofalifetime,whenshecouldlieinhisarmsandpretendthathe
lovedher?Sherefusedtothink.Sheleanedforwardandkissedhischestsoftly."You'llhavetoshow
mewhattodotomakeitgoodforyou,"shewhispered.

"Themindboggles,"hewhisperedback,slidinghismouthsoftlyoverhers."Comeon.We'llhavea
shower,andthenwe'llgotobed."Heliftedhishead,searchinghereyes."Ifyoustillwantto."

Shereturnedthatintentlook."Iwantto,"sheassuredhim.

Hecarriedtheirthingsupstairstohisbedroomandledherintotheshower.Forthenextfewminutes
theysoapedandexploredeachotherandkisseduntilhermouthwasswollenandhisbodywasmaking
newandurgentdemands.

"I'mnotprotected,"shewhisperedashelaidherdownonthebed."Ishouldhavetoldyoubefore."

"I don't give a damn," he breathed. He was on fire for her, burning. Consequences didn't seem to
matteranymore,andtheywereengaged,sowhatthehell."Ababywouldn'tbetheendofmyworldor
yours."

"Howwouldyoumakelovetomeifyouwantedababy?"shewhispered,hereyessoftwithlove.

Hesmiledashebrushedhermouthwithhis."VerymuchasIdiddownstairs,"hemurmuredagainst
herlips."Asifyouwereinnocentalloveragain.We'dbeexquisitelytenderwitheachother,liketwo

peopledesperatelyinlove.Like...this."

Itwastender.Andprofound.Hedrewitout,exploringherbodylikesomedelicatetreasurethatmight
break with a harsh breath. Even when he began to take her, it was still gentle, their eyes openly
cherishingeachother,theirvoiceshushed.Whenthetidecameandwashedthemintotheblindingheat
of fulfillment, they were still looking into each other's eyes, and it was a gentle violence, rocking
themwithexquisitelytendershuddersandwarmconvulsionsthatwereevenmorebeautifulthanthose
of wild passion. When it was over, she cried helplessly, and he held her, kissing away the tears,
cradlingheragainsthisdampbody.

"Youmakeitsoprofound,"hewhisperedshakily."Itisn'tevenphysicalwithyou,it'sathingsomuch
ofthespiritthatitmakesmetremble.Ineverdreamedofsuchfulfillment"

"Youmakelovebeautifully,"shebreathed.

"Sodoyou,baby."Hecurledherintohisbodywithawearysigh."Iwanttosleepwithyou,Elissa.I
neverwanttoletgoofyou."

Shecuddledclosetohim,savoringhisstrength,feelingsecureandadoredandtotallyfulfilled.Atthe
backofhermind,atinyvoicenaggedthatitwasn'trightorproper,butshewastootiredtolisten.

"Don'thateme,"hebreathed.

"HowcouldI?"

"Itookyououtofwedlock."

"Iofferedmyself."

"Didyou?OrdidIsimplybackyouintoacornerandtakethechoiceawayfromyou?"Heliftedhis
headtosearchhereyes."WillyoumindifImadeyoupregnant?"

"Thereprobablywasn'tmuchrisk,"shemurmuredshyly.

"Thewaywemadelovethatlasttime,therewasmostdefinitelyarisk,"hesaid.

Shenuzzledherfaceagainsthim."Willyouhatemeifthathappens?"

"Never!"

"Babiescancreateproblems."

His arms tightened. "Babies are little tiny breathing miracles. Now shut up and go to sleep. I'm so
tired,it'sallIcandotobreathe,youinsatiablelittlewitch."

"I'minsatiable?"sheburstout.

Heonlygrinnedandfoldedhercloser."Gotosleep.Ifyou'reable,I'llmakelovetoyouagainwhen

wewakeup."

Shesighed."Whatadeliciousincentivetosleep."

"Ithoughtso,too."

It seemed like no time at all before the sounds of farm equipment outside the window brought her
eyesopen.ShelookeddownatKing,smilingathisnudity,atthevulnerabilityofhispowerfulbodyin
sleep.

"It'smorning,"shewhisperedinhisear.

"Isit?"hewhisperedback,smiling.Heopenedhiseyesandreachedforher,hisintentionsobvious.
"Areyouuptothis?"heaskedsolicitously.

Shepresseddownagainsthim."Iwantyou,"shewhisperedbeforebringinghermouthtohis.

Hetookalongtimewithher,despitehisoverpoweringhunger,anditwaslatemorningbeforehewas
satisfied enough to get up. He stretched grandly and looked down at her sprawled facedown on the
bed.

"Youmiracle,you,"hebreathed."Rollover.IwanttolookatyouwhileIdress."

Shedid,smilingathim,watchinghimopendrawersandtheclosetandgetintojeansandachambray
shirt.

"It'sevenexcitingtowatchyouputclotheson,"sheconfessed,laughing.

"I'd rather watch you with yours off, angel," he murmured, bending to brash hungry kisses on her
breasts."Iwantyouallthetime,lately.It'sallIcandotostop."Heliftedhishead,searchinghereyes.
"Youflinchedalittlethatlasttime,"hesaidgently."Itwasn'tcomfortable,andyoushouldhavetold
meintime.I'llleaveyoualoneuntilyou'resureitwon'tbeanordealinsteadofapleasure."

"You'reveryperceptive,"shemurmured

"You're very generous," he whispered. "So eager to please me, to put my desire first. But that isn't
whatIwant.Itgivesmenopleasureunlessyoushareit"

"Oh,butIwanttogiveyoueverything,tomakeitsweetforyou,"shesaidfervently."Idon'tcarewhat
Ifeel-"

He stopped her tirade with his mouth, smiling against it. "I care. Come on downstairs when you're
dressed,andI'lltakeyouforanice,comfortablerideintheLincoln.Nohorsebackridingjustyet."He
grinned,andsheflushed.

"Okay."

Heliftedherhandtohislips,studyingheroverit.Aninnocent,andwithallherinhibitions,andyet
she'd given herself to him with wild abandon. She cared more than a little; he was almost sure she
lovedhim.Thatthoughtwassweetlydisturbing.Couldshe?Helookedatherhungrily.Allnight,and
still he wanted her. She was under his skin, driving him mad. Bess and his problems with her had
faded to insignificance. Whatever he and Elissa had, it was something far removed from lust or
infatuation.Hewantedtotakecareofher,tobetherewhenshecried.Hesighedsoftly.Whatwashe
goingtodoaboutBess?Ordidheneedtodoanything,nowthathewasmarryingElissa?Hethought
aboutmarryingElissaandsmiledslowly.She'dbeinhisbedeverynight,makingmagicwithhim.His
chestbegantoswell.

Shesawthatlookandsmiledathim."Don'tfeelguilty,"shewhispered."Idon't."

"Don'tyou?"heaskedquietly.

"Notintheleast,"shesaid,ignoringherconscience.

"Anyway,Iwasn'tthinkingaboutguilt,"heconfessed."Iwaswonderingifyoulovedme,"headded
bluntly,watchingherflush."Somehow,Idon'tthinkyou'dbeabletogiveyourselftoamanyoudidn't
love. You're not the type." He touched her cheek, teasing her face up to his. "Don't hide it," he
whispered,findingtheevidenceofloveinherfacewildlypleasing,exciting.Hisbreathcaughtinhis
throat, and he wondered why it should suddenly matter so much that she loved him. "That was why
youweresouninhibited,wasn'tit?"heaskedslowly."ThatwaswhyIgaveyoupleasurethefirsttime.
Andyoudidenjoyit."

"Morethanyou'lleverknow,"sheconfessed."Doyoumind?"

Heshookhishead."You'reveryspecialtome."

"Evenwhenwearen'tloversanymore,"shebegan,hereyeswideandworried,"willyoustillbemy
friend?"

Thathurt.Hesatdownandliftedheracrosshisknees,cuddlingherclose."MyGod,"hegroundout,
hisarmswrappedtightlyaroundher."Youlittlefool.Youdon'thavesomecrazyideathatIwasjust
satisfyingawhimlastnight,doyou?"

"Ihopeditwasn'tthat."

"I'mgoingtomarryyou,"hewhispered."Thisisn'taone-nightstand.ForGod'ssake,Elissa,you're
partofmenow."

She trembled a little at the urgency in his voice, at his warmth and fervency. She turned her mouth
againsthisthroatandkissedhim."Thankyou,"shesaid.

"I don't want thanks." He lifted his head and looked into her eyes, his expression both thrilling and
puzzling.Hisdarkgazewentoverherslowly,lingeringonherbreasts."I'mmoreold-fashionedthan
Irealized,"hesaidunexpectedly."IfyoueverletanothermantouchyoulikeIdid,I'dbreakhisneck!"

"Well!"shegasped,buthismouthcoveredhersfiercely,blottingouttheworld.

"You'remywoman,"hewhisperedagainstherresponsivelips."Youbelongtome.We'regoingtoget
marriedandenjoyeachotherforthenexteightyyearsorso."

Her arms linked around his neck, and she savored the pressure of his mouth for a long, spinning
minuteuntilhefinallysatisfiedhishungerandliftedhishead.

"Getdressed,"hewhispered."Ican'ttakemuchmoreofthatwithoutlayingyoudownandravishing
youagain."

Shesmiledsoftly."Iadoreyou."

"Iadoreyou,"hewhispered.Hesmiledather,newtopossession,newtothatlookinhereyes,that
totalfulfillmenthislovinghadgivenher.Itmadehimproudthathecouldfulfillher,thathe'ddoneit
herfirsttime.

"Youlooksmug,"shementioned.

Hedumpedherontothebed,loomingoverhertopressahardkissonhermouth."Ifeelsmug.Now
getup."

"Yes,yourworship."

Heglancedatheronhiswayoutthedoorandsmiledagainashecloseditbehindhim.Hecouldn't
rememberatimeinhislifewhenhe'dfeltsopleasedwithhimself,sosatiatedwithhappinessthathe
feltasifhecoulddoanything.

Shedressedquickly,takingtimetosneakdownthehalltoherroomandmessupherbed-onlytofind
thathe'dalreadydoneit.Shesmiledtoherselfasshewentdownstairs,wrappedinthesweetillusion
oflovingandbeingloved.

Hewassippingcoffeewhenshegottothekitchen,andhiseyeswhentheymethersweredarkwith
acquisition.Hischinrose,allmalearroganceinthesmilehegaveher.Hiseyesrandownherbody
withrememberedpossession,andtheykindledlikeduskyfires.

Shetingledalloverasshejoinedhim,hermouthsofteningathiswelcomingkiss.

"Here,"hewhispered.

Sheopenedhereyestofindhimslidingasolitaryemeraldontoherringfinger.Itwasinadelicate
antiquefiligreesetting,andaperfectfit.Shecaughtherbreath,hereyessearching,questioninghis.

"Itbelongedtomygrandmother,"hesaid,hisfacesolemn."Youcangiveittooureldestson...."

"King." Tears fell like rain from her eyes. She went into his arms, trembling all over. If only she
couldstopwonderingifitmightbeguiltandasenseofresponsibilitythathadledtothis.Sheknewhe

didn'tloveher,althoughhewasfondofherandhedidenjoyherbody.Butmaybeintimehemight
learntoloveher.Sheclungtohim."Iloveyousomuch,"shesaidshakily,hereyesclosedsothatshe
missedthedelightonhisdarkface."Somuch."

He held her, his expression one of contentment, rocking her softly against him. God, she was soft.
Sweet.

Deliciouslyfemale.Shesmelledofflowers,andhewantedtoholdherallday.Shefeltjustrightinhis
arms.Hesmiled,closinghiseyes.

"Now,ain'tthatpretty?"Margaretsighedfromthedoorway,smilingbenevolentlyatbothofthem.

"Look,"Elissasaidtearfully,sittingonKing'slaptoextendherslenderfingerwiththeemeraldring
onit

"Glorybe!"Margaretexclaimed."Wereallyarehavingawedding!"

"Lookslikeit,doesn'tit?"Kingsaidaffectionately.

"I'llgotellBen."Margaretgrinnedandwalkedaway.

Elissawasjuststartingtospeakwhenthephonerang.

"I'll get it," he said as he set her on her feet. He walked into the hall and picked up the receiver,
listenedforaminuteandtookasharpbreath."Whatthehellwashedoingonitinthefirstplace?"he
demanded."No,honey,don't,don't.I'msorry.God,I'msorry.Listen,sweetheart,youjustsittight,you
hear?I'llberightthere.Everythingwillbeallright.I'monmyway."

He hung up and dug into his pocket for his car keys. "Bobby's been thrown from a horse," he said
tersely.

"Bess came in last night, and they went riding together this morning. He's got a concussion and a
brokenleg,atleast.I'llhavetogotothehospital,honey.Besswasprettyupset.Sheneedsme."

Elissajustsatthere,stunned,asheturnedawaywithoutanotherword.Shewatchedhimrushoutthe
door,onhiswaytoBess,withoutabackwardglancetowardthewomanhe'djustaskedtomarryhim.
She closed her eyes, feeling the tears start. If this was a glimpse of the future, she'd just looked
straightintohell.

ChapterTen

Margaret came back minutes later to find Elissa cupping her hands around a cup of cold coffee, a
lookofutterdefeatonherface.

"Where'shegone?"theolderwomanaskedcurtly.

"Bobby was thrown from a horse," Elissa said quickly, looking up. "He's got a broken leg and a
concussion.

King'sgonetothehospital."

Margaretwhistled."Iknewitwouldhappenoneday."Sheshookherhead."Bobbyisn'tarider,forall
hekeepstrying.Willhebeallright?"

"Bessdidn'tsay,apparently,"shefaltered.

The older woman sat down, staring at Elissa. "That young madam has too much time on her hands
andnotenoughhusband,"shesaidbluntly."I'veknownboththemboysforalongtime-watchedthem
fussandfightandgrowintomen.Bobby'stooeatenuptryingtocompetewithhishalfbrothertobe
themanhecouldbe.Allbusiness,evenwhenhecomestodinneroverhere.Besssitstherewatching
himsosadly,andhedoesn'tseeheratall.Iunderstandwhyhe'sdoingit,mindyou,butBessisn'tthe
kind of woman a man should treat that way. God knows she had a hard enough life, what with her
family."

Margaretwasgoodforhalfanhouronthatsubject.Bythetimeshegotthroughthealcoholicfather
andeternallypregnantmotherandtheabjectpovertyBesshadgrownupin,Elissafeltsorrierforthe
blonde than she'd ever dreamed she could. But King had gone running when Bess needed him, and
that fact stood out above all the rest. Was he simply sorry for Bess and protective of her, or was it
somethingmore?

"Youdon'tmindthathewenttoseeaboutBobby?"Margaretaskedsuddenly.

"Oh,heavens,no!"Elissasaid."Iwouldhavegone,too,ifhe'daskedme."Sheshrugged,bitingback
tears.

"IguesshewasthinkingthatBesswouldneedsomesupport."

Margaret'seyesnarrowed."BesslovesBobby,"shesaidquietly."Sometimesshemayflirtwithother
men,butthat'salliteveris.AndKingstonaskedyoutomarryhim,didn'the?"

"Yes,butthatwasbecausewe-"Elissalookedupwildlyandbitherlip.Herfacegrewsuddenlyhotas
Margaretpursedherlipsandliftedaneyebrow.

"BecauseheknowsI'minlovewithhim,"sheamendedquickly."Hefeelsguilty."

"Good.Iraisedhimtohaveaconscience,"shesaidcurtly."That'sright,Iwaswithhismamasincehe
wasjustaboy.Whatmoralshe'sgot,Iputthere,nothankstoher.Itookoverwherehisdadleftoff.
Pooroldfellow,hecouldn'ttakehereverlastingrovingeye.Hewasagoodman."

Elissastudiedhersilently."Ishisfatherstillalive?"

Margaret smiled gently. "Very much alive. He's in a nursing home in Phoenix-a good one. We
correspond,andItellhimallthenewsaboutonceamonth."

"Oh,shouldn'tyoutellKing?"sheaskedworriedly.

"Honey,Kingstonwouldgocrazy.Hethinkshisfatherdesertedhim,andhe'sneverwantedanything
todowithhim.Iwouldn'tdareconfesswhatI'vebeendoing."

"Buthisfatherwilldieoneday,"Elissaargued.

"It'snotmyplacetosayanything,"Margaretreplied.ShesearchedElissa'spainedeyes."Youcould,
though.Hemightlistentoyou."

Elissalaughedweakly."Iwonder."Shestaredattheemeraldringonherfinger.Itfeltcold,anempty
gesturetoappeasehisguilt,tosatisfyhissenseofresponsibility.Hereyesclosed.Lastnightithadall
seemed worth it. In the cold light of reality, with her mind back in control of her body, it seemed
wrong.Howcouldshehavedoneit?

Ithadbeenalastdesperategamble,shethoughtmiserably.Tomakehimsoenslavedthathe'dgetover
Bess.Butithadn'tworked.Besswasstillnumberoneinhisthoughts.Itseemedthatshealwayswould
be.

"Ifyouwanthim,fightforhim,"Margaretsaidgruffly."You'vegotanadvantageshedoesn't.Helikes
you.

All he really feels for her is pity and some leftover affection. She was like a child when she and
Bobbygotmarried.

Kingstonhelpedheroverthosefirstfewquarrels."

Elissastudiedherslenderfingers."Likingisn'tenough."

"Neither is pity," Margaret said, and got up. "Now, you eat a good breakfast. We've got to build up
yourstrength.IfBobbystaysinthehospitalforanylengthoftime,we'llprobablyhaveourselvesa
houseguest"

With a sinking feeling, Elissa watched Margaret's broad back disappear. She hadn't considered that
King might bring Bess here. But on second thought, of course he would. And what a perfect
opportunity for Bess to get through his defenses. And what in the world was Elissa going to do to
preventit?

Sureenough,afewhourslater,Kingcameinwithaweeping,paleBessintow.Besswasstillinjod-
phurs,gloriouslysexyintheexpensivesilkblousesheworeopenedtothedeepcleavagebetweenher
breasts. Her honey-blond hair in a delicious tangle around her shoulders, and she was clinging to
Kingasifhewerealifeline.

"I'lltakeherupstairs,"Kingsaid,glancingatElissa."CallMargarettohelpherundress,wouldyou?
Haveyougotanightgownshecanborrow?"

"Yes,ofcourse,"Elissasaiddully,followingthem."How'sBobby?"

"He'llbeallright,"hesaid,hisarmprotectivearoundhissister-in-law."Hisleg'sbroken,andhe'sgot
ahellofaheadache,buthe'llbeoutinafewdays."

"ThankGod,"Elissasighed.Butnobodysecondedthat,leastofallthetwopeopleinfrontofher.

Shehadonlytwonightgownswithher,butshesparedtheblueonefortheopposition.Margaretgave
itasinisterlookasshecarrieditintothesecondguestbedroomtothetearfulblonde.

Elissaslowlywanderedbackdownstairs.MargaretwasgettingBesssomesoup,andKing,forgoing
all the pressing business he'd been attending to without a thought to Elissa's lack of company, was
provinghehadallthetimeintheworldforBess.Andwhynot?Elissathoughtmiserably.Heloved
Bess.

KingatehissupperonatrayinBess'sroom,toMargaret'sblatantfury,leavingElissatoeataloneor
withthehousekeeper.

"Idiot!"MargaretflaredassheputabowlofstewinfrontofElissa."Blindman!"

"Don't start feeling sorry for me," Elissa murmured. "I went into this with my eyes open. Nobody
dragged me here. On the other hand," she added quietly, staring at the empty symbol on her ring
finger,"IthinkImightseeaboutaflightbacktoMiami.I'monlygoingtobeinthewayhere."

"You can't go," Margaret huffed. "If you do, they'll be here alone, and I won't have that kind of
gossip."SheglaredatElissa."Yourparentswouldn'tappreciateyourdoingthatkindofthing,either.
No, ma'am, you're stuck. I'm sorry, but there isn't a thing you can do and still live with your
conscience."

Ah,Elissathought,butyoudon'tknowwhatI'malreadylivingwith.Youhaven'taclue.Butshedidn't
sayit.Conventionsornoconventions,shewasgettingoutofthere.Ifshedidn't,seeingKingandBess
togetherwasgoingtokillher.Shewasbravebutnotsuicidal.Herheartwasalreadybreaking.

Kingstillhadn'tcomeoutofBess'sbedroomwhenElissawentupstairs.Grittingherteeth,shelooked
inthedoor,whichMargarethadapparentlyleftopen.

Kingwassittingbesidethebed,holdinghandswitharadiantBess,andtheyweretalkingaboutBobby.

Elissafeltsickallthewaytohertoesjustlooking,andthensheheardwhattheyweresaying.

"Ifeelsoguilty,"Besswassaying."ButIcouldn'thelpit,Kingston.Youknowhowhetreatsme.I'm
soalone.He'snevergoingtochange;webothknowthat."

"Thehorsewasastallion.I'vewarnedhimnottotrytorideit,"hetoldher.

"ButitwasbecauseItoldhimIwantedadivorce,"Bessburstout,andElissafeltherbloodruncold.
"Oh,Kingston,Ican'tgoonlivingwithamanwhodoesn'tlovemeanymore.It'ssomuchworsenow,
andwhenI'mwithyou-"

Elissaknockedabruptlyonthedoor;shecouldn'tbeartohearanymore,anditwouldlookasifshe
were eavesdropping if she waited any longer. They both jerked around, looking stunned by her
unexpectedappearance.

"How are you feeling?" she asked Bess, schooling her voice and face to show nothing but polite
interestandfriendliness.

BessmovedrestlesslyandpulledherhandfromKing's."Oh,I-I'mfeelingmuchbetter,thankyou,"
shestammered.Herfacecolored."I'dforgottenyouwerestayinghere."

"Underthecircumstances,that'squiteunderstandable,"Elissasaidgently,forcingasmile."I'msorry
aboutBobby,butI'msurehe'llbefine."

"They'lllethimgohomeinafewdays,theysaid."Besssighed,thengrimaced."Backtohispapers
andbusinesscalls.Hewasalreadyravingbecausetheywouldn'tlethimhaveatelephone."

Elissahesitated,unabletolookatKing."Well,takecare.I'llsaygood-night."

She went out, feeling her heart breaking inside, and stiffened when she heard King murmur
somethingtoBessandfollowher.Shestoodinfrontofherdoor,waitingforhim,herbackcarefully
straight

"I'mgladshe'sgoingtobeallright,"shesaid,smiling,butshewouldn'tmeethiseyes.Itwasjustas
she'd predicted when she'd said back in Florida that she wouldn't marry him. She'd said that Bess
might be free one day, and now it was going to happen. Elissa had represented an urge he couldn't
control, but now she was an embarrassment, an obstacle. She stared down at the ring on her finger
andknewhowhefeltandwhathewasthinking.Ifonlyhe'dwaitedafewhours....

"Shewasn'thurt,"hesaidcurtly."Justupset.ButIhadtogotoher."

Her,nothisbrother.Shenoticedthewordingevenifhedidn't."Ofcourse."

Hehesitated,whichwasunusual."Elissa..."

Sheturned,forcingasmile."Yes?"

"Aboutlastnight..."hebeganslowly.

"Oh,yes.Lastnight"Shepulledofftheemeraldringand,takingoneofhishands,presseditintothe
palm.

Shestaredathisclosedfingers,feelingtheirstrengthandwarmthandrememberingalltoowellhow
they felt on her bare skin. She closed her eyes and wanted to die of the shame. "This is what you
wanted,isn'tit?"

Hetookasharpbreath.Whatdidshemean,whathewanted?ForGod'ssake,they'dmadelove.She'd
toldhimshelovedhim.Theyweregoingtobemarried.Sohe'dbroughtBesshome-whatelsecould
hedo?Surely,afterwhatthey'dsharedthenightbefore,Elissadidn'tthinkhewasstillstrugglingwith
ahopelesspassionforhissister-in-law?

"WhatIwanted?"heshotatherangrily."DidIaskforthedamnedringback?"

"Don'ttellmethethoughthasn'tcrossedyourmind,"shereturned,staringathimaccusingly."Iheard
what Bess said, King," she confessed. "About divorcing Bobby. And maybe it's for the best. If they
can'tgetalong,andthetwoofyouare...Well,I'msureitwillallworkout,"sheadded,loweringher
eyes to his broad chest. The first few buttons were open, and involuntarily she wondered if Bess
enjoyedtouchinghimthereasmuchasshedid.

Sheturnedaway.Shewasabouttoburstintotears,andthatwouldneverdo.

Hestaredatherasifshe'dlosthersenses.She'dagreedtomarryhim,andnowshewasbackingout.
Of course, he'd thought he wanted Bess, and now Bess was talking divorce. The obstacles to their
unionwouldberemoved.Andyes,he'doncethoughthewantedthat.Butnotnow.Notanymore.He
wanted Elissa, desperately, and here she was, throwing his ring back in his face. He felt suddenly,
unreasonablyangry.

"Andwhataboutyou?"hedemanded,handsonhiships.

Herchinliftedassheopenedthedoortoherroom."Whataboutme?"sheaskedcurtly.

"Youcouldbepregnant,"hesaidbluntly.Hesoundedasifhewantedtothrowthings,startingwithher.

"IfIam,it'smyproblem,notyours."

"Tohellwiththat!"heburstout."It'smyproblem,aswell,anddon'tyouforgetit."

His sense of responsibility, she thought miserably. "All right," she said quietly. "But there probably
won'tbeaproblem.I'dliketoleavetomorrow."

He had to take deep breaths. His eyes flashed at her. "So that's it, is it? A quick one-night stand and
you'reoff?Youagreedtomarryme,remember."

"Thatwasbefore,"shethrewback."Idon'twanttomarryyouanymore.Idon'twanttobecomelike
Bess,tiedtoamanwhodoesn'tloveher,whobarelynoticessheexists!No,sir,notme.Thatisn'twhat
I want to do with my life. What kind of marriage would it be if every time Bess calls, you go

running?"

"Bobbywasinjured,"heremindedher."Ihadtogo."

"Toher,"sheagreed,liftingherhead."Youdidn'tevenaskifIwantedtocome.Bessneededyou,so
youwent."

"OfcourseIwent,"hegroundoutwithfailingpatience.Hisdarkeyesflashedather."Bessfallsapart
in a crisis. And if my little brother can't take care of her, I feel responsible for her," he added,
recognizing without quite realizing it that he was articulating what had been his own feelings all
along."Anyway,damnit,youaren'tmakingsense."

"Onthecontrary,I'mfinallymakingperfectsense.I'vefinallyopenedmyeyes,"shesnapped."Ican
seewhat'sahead,andIwantnopartofit.Bessisfrailandhelplessandneedsprotecting,isthatright?
AndI'mtoughandinsensitiveandIdon'tneedanybody?"

"That'showitseemstome,lady,"hebitoff,totallyconfusednowandlosinghistemper."Youhandle
yourselfjustfinewithouthelp.Youalwayshave.You'retoodamnedindependent."

Itwounded,butshesmiledsothathewouldn'tsee."Itbeatsbeggingpeopletonoticeyou,"shesaid
withapoisonoussmile.

"Whendidyoueverhaveto?"hedemanded.

"TheminuteBessgotwithinthirtymilesofyou,"sheshotback."Andifyou'rebotheredthatImight
dieofloveforyou,youcanforgetthat,too.I'mun-infatuated!Whydon'tyougoandletBesscryon
yousomemore?I'vegotpackingtodo."

Elissa's blind stubbornness was making him see red. "What will you tell your parents?" he asked
coldly.

Shetookadeepbreath."ThatIgothomesick.Whatelse?"Sheclosedthedoorbehindherand,asan
afterthought,lockedit.Whensheheardhimstompoffdownthehall,sheblushedatherownconceit.
Asifhe'dtrytocometoher,withBesssohandy.Shecrawledontoherbed,stilldressed,andcried
untiltherewerenotearsleft.

Bymorning,she'dsalvagedabitofherpride.Shedressedinoneofherownflamboyantcreations,a
stunningwhitepantsuitwitharedsilkblouse.Sheworeheels,aswell-red,tomatchtheblouse-and
carriedastylishwhitepurse.Herlonghairwaspulledbackintoabun,hermakeupcarefullyapplied.
Shelookedsleekandsophisticated,awomanoftheworld.Thefantasywasfinallyreal,butnowthat
shehadit,shenolongerwantedit.

Sheworerose-tintedsunglassestocamouflagetheravagesoftears.

Butshewasatrouper.She'dlearnedfromherparentsthatitalwaysgotdarkestjustbeforethedawn,
sosheglitteredlikesunlightasshejoinedBessandKingatthebreakfasttable.

"Well,goodmorning,glories,"shebubbled,glancingfromKing'sdark,shockedfacetoBess'spale
one.

"Isn'titgorgeoustravelingweather?Margaret,I'lljusthavetoastandcoffee,thanks.Idon'tmanage
airplanesverywellonafullstomach."

Margaretsighed."You'restillgoing,then?"sheasked,revealingthatsheknewwhatwasgoingon.

"Ofcourse,"Elissasaidbrightly."Imadereservationsahalfhourago.I'vegottwohourstogettothe
airport, and I've ordered a taxi to take me there. Fortunately Jack's Corner is large enough to have
one."

"I'lldriveyoutotheairport,"Kingsaidcurtly.

"Youwillnot,"Elissatoldhim.Sheevensmiled."Don'tbesilly.You'llhavetogotothehospitaland
seeyourbrother."

"I'mgettingadivorce,"BesssaidquicklytoElissa.

"Yes,Iheard,"Elissasaid,asifitdidn'tbotherherintheleast."It'sprobablythebestthingforbothof
you,too.I'msureyou'llfindsomeonemuchmoreattentivethanyourhusband.Hedidseemrathertoo
busyforyou."

"Heworksveryhard,"Besssaiddefensively,andKingglancedathercuriously.

Elissaonlysmiled.ShethankedMargaret,whohaddepositedacupofblackcoffeeandtwohoney-
brownpiecesofbutteredtoastatherelbow.

"Doyouhaveaheadache?"KingaskedElissa.

"Yes,"shereplied,touchingthesunglasses."Butnothingbadenoughtopreventmefromleaving,if
that'swhat'sbotheringyou."

"ForGod'ssake!"Hehitthetablewithhisfist,andBessjumped."Ihaven'taskedyoutoleave!"

"Likehellyouhaven't!"Elissagaveasgoodasshegot,glaringacrossthetableathim."I'mnotblind!
I'mnothingmorethananembarrassmenttoyounow.Youcan'twaittogetridofme!"

"Iaskedyoutomanyme!"hesaidshortly.

Bess'seyeswidened,andhermouthflewopen.

"Marryyou?I'dsoonerhave-haveBlakeDonavan!"

"Thengogethim,honey.He'savailable!"

Shegotup,shakingallover,wantingnothingmorethantopickupachairandhithimoverthehead
withit.

Black-eyeddevil,sittingthereasarrogantasanIndianchief,burstingwithbadtemper.Well,herswas
justasbad,andhewasn'tbulldozingoverhereveragain.

"Thanks,I might justdo that," shesaid, her voice shaking.She turned andstormed back upstairs to
finishpacking.She'dleftthecoffeeandtoastuntouched,unabletobearseeingKingandBesstogether
again.

Margaretcameuptogetherwhenthetaxiarrived."Iwishyouwouldn'tgo,"shegrumbled.

"Ican'tfighther,"Elissasaidsimply."Hecaresaboutherinawayhe'llnevercareaboutme.Itisn't
somethinghecanhelp."

"But,honey,whataboutyou?"Margaretaskedgently,hereyessocaringthatElissaburstintotears
andwasgathereduplikeachildtobecomforted."There,there,"Margaretcooed."He'llcometohis
sensesoneday.

Mengetalittleblindsometimes,andBesshasalwaysbeenspecialtoallofus.He'salittlesidetracked
rightnow,butoncehe'shadtimetomissyoualittle,he'llbealong-youmarkmywords."

"Thinkso?Idon't."Elissawipedhereyesandnoseonahandkerchiefandcrumpleditbackintoher
pursebeforeshereadjustedherdarkglasses."There.DoIlookterrible?"

"Notatall.Keepyourchinup,"Margaretadvised."Don'tletthemseeyoubreakdown,evenifyou
havetobiteyourtonguethrough.PoorBobby,helplessinthehospital..."

"PoorBobbymayseethelightifhecan'tgettohisbusinessforonce,"Elissamuttered."Whatapity
hedidn'tlooksooner;hemighthavesavedhimselfsomeheartache."

"Isupposeso.Well,youhaveasafetrip."

"Iwill.Thankyouforbeingsogoodtome."

Margaretstudiedherquietly."It'seasytobegoodtonicepeople.Ihopewemeetagainsomeday."

"Weprobablywon't,"Elissasaid,"butthankyouforthewish."

She grabbed up her carryall and started downstairs. When she reached the hall, she heard voices in
King's study. They stopped, quite suddenly, as she started past the open door, and a moan drew her
attention.SheglancedintotheroomandsawBessinKing'sarms,smilingupathim.

Ithurt,ifpossibleevenmorethanwhathadalreadyhappened,andshehurriedpasttheroomtothe
frontdoor.

"Whowasthat?"Kingsaid,frowningasheheardthefrontdoorslam.

He moved away from Bess to open the curtain and look out, just in time to see Elissa dive into the
waitingcabandslamthedoorbeforeitroaredoffdownthedriveway.

"Oh,forGod'ssake,"hegrumbled."I'vegottogo."

"Must you?" Bess asked, uncertainty in the soft eyes that looked up at him. "We were just going to
talk."

"Andwewill.Later,"hereplied.Heletoutaslowbreath,sensingthatshe'dalreadycometothesame
conclusion that he had; that his near involvement with Bess had been a sense of responsibility and
tender affection on his part and desperate loneliness on hers. They'd work it out later, he was sure,
without any hard words being spoken. He touched her blond hair lightly. "You're a lovely woman,
Bess,"hesaidgently,"butI'vegotabadcaseonthewomanwhojustwalkedoutthedoor."

Bess sighed. "I guess I knew that already." She looked up at him. "It's just...well, I..." She faltered,
tryingtoexplainherownconfusedintentions.

"Don'tfret,"hesaid,smilingather."WhenIgetback,we'llhavethatnice,longtalk,andthenwe'llgo
seeBobby.Okay?"

Shesmiledwanly."Okay."

HegotintotheLincolnandproceededtosetnewspeedrecordsdrivingtotheairport.Damn.Elissa
hadprobablyseenhimwithBessanddrawnallthewrongconclusions.Hewasgoingtohavetodo
some fast talking to smooth over this misunderstanding. He could only imagine how much her
consciencewassmartingoverwhatthey'ddonetogether.Vividlyremembering,hewenthotallover.

AlmosttwohourslaterhecaughtupwithElissawhileshewaswaitingtoboardherflight.

Shelookedup,herbrokenheartcrackingalloveragainatthesightofhim,ruggedlyjeancladand
visibly impatient. The image almost shocked her into smiling, but the pain was still too sharp. She
didn'tgetup.Shesatthere,herdarkglassesinplace,andlookedathimasifheweresomeinsect.

He sat down beside her, glancing at the flight attendants who were just entering the walkway to the
plane.

"Ihavetotalktoyou,"hesaidcurtly.

"We'vetalked,"shesaidcalmly.

"Whatyousawwasn'twhatyouthink,"hebegan.

"Yourprivatelifeisnoneofmybusiness,"shesaidsimply."I'mnotinterested."

"Willyoulisten,"hegritted."We'veonlygotafewseconds."

"Thenyou'dbettermakeyourspeechshort,"shereplied.

Hedrewinasteadyingbreath,grippinghistempertightlytokeepitfromexplodingalloveragain.
Allinall,hispatiencewasbeingsorelytried.Heseizeduponthefirstthingthatcametomind."Ifyou

won't marry me, fine. But if you find yourself pregnant, I want to know immediately," he told her.
"Promisemethisminutethatyou'llgetintouchwithme,orsohelpme,I'llphoneyourparentsand
tellthemthewholesordidmess."

Sordid.Sothat'showhethoughtofit.Perhapsitwassordid.Alittleback-alleyovernightaffairthat
he'dforgetsoonenoughwhenheandBessweremarried.Herheartwasbreaking.Shehadonlyalittle
prideleft,anditwasintatters.Heknewthatshelovedhim,andthathurtmostofall.

"I'll get in touch if anything happens," she said finally, the words dragged from her. "And in case
you'reafraidI'llbeeatingmyheartoutoveryou,saveyourpity.WhateverIfeltforyou,itcertainly
wasn'tlove."

Hestiffenedandfelthimselfgoingcold."That'salie,"hesaid,hisvoicequietanddeep.

"Love isn't part of sordid affairs," she said, her voice starting to break. "That's all it was, just a...a
cheaplittlerollinthehay!"

"No,"hesaidsoftly,hiseyesfierce."Neverthat."

Sheturnedaway,clutchingherbag.Theywerecallingthefirst-classpassengersaboard.Shewasnext.
Shegottoherfeet."Ihavetogo."

Hecaughtherarm,butshemovedawayandwouldn'tlookathim."Elissa,damnit..."

"Ihavetogo,"sherepeated."Solong,cowboy."

"For God's sake, will you listen to me?" he demanded, oblivious to the curious stares they were
gettingastheyfacedeachother.

"No." She laced the single word with mocking contempt, and her blue eyes dared him to make her
changehermind.

Heletgoofhistemperwithawordthatturnedherearsred,andshewalkedawaywithoutlooking
back. He took off his hat and slammed it to the floor, damned it to hell, damned her with it and
stompedbackdowntheconcourse.Lethergo.Whatdidhecare?Shedidn'tlovehim-she'dsaidso.It
wasjusta"cheaplittlerollinthehay."

Hisdark eyes gotdarker, and hispride felt lacerated ather careless referenceto the most beautiful
experienceofhisentirelife.

Still cursing, he came home hatless and ran head-on into Margaret, who looked like an entire
invading army about to launch an attack. "So you ran her off, did you?" Margaret glared at him.
"Congratulations.Thefirstwomanwhoevercaredanythingaboutyouandnotyourmoney,andyou
getridofher.Idon'tknowwhat'scomeoveryou.Andhere'sBobby'swife,and-"

"Shutup!"Kingthrewather,hiseyesdangerous.

"Jackass!"shetossedoff."Youdon'tcowme!MaybeBessisscaredstiffofyou,butIain't!"

Heglaredbackather."Whatdoyoumean,scaredstiffofme?"

"Shetookoffupstairstheminuteshesawyouwalkinthedoor.Andsheneveronceopenedhermouth
atthebreakfasttablewhenyouandElissagotintoit."Sheharrumphed."Thatpoorlittlething'sgotno
spiritatall.NotlikeElissa.You'dhaveBesscrawlinginamonth'stime,ifshedidn'tcutandrunfirst.
Ordon'tyourememberwhatahellofameantemperherfatherhadwhenhedrank?Ofcourse,you
cancontrolyours,mostofthetime,butthatchildiscarryingdeepscars.Amanlikeyouisthelast
thingsheneeds!"

Asifhehadn'trealizedthatalready,hethoughtfuriously.Elissawasgone,andhefeltsick,andhere
wasMargaret,givinghimhell.Heglaredathishousekeeperwithblackfrustration.

"Andwhere'syourhat?"shedemanded.

"Attheairport,"heretorted."Catchingmice."

"Yourhatprobablycould,"shemuttered."Itwouldhavetobeprettydamnedmeantositonyou!"

Hesatdownwithacupofblackcoffee,whichhewishedwerewhiskey.Hefeltemptyandhollowand
cold.Besswasstillupstairs,andhethoughtaboutwhatMargarethadsaid.PerhapsBesswasafraidof
histemper,hethoughtidly.ButElissawasn't,herecalledwithafaintsmile.Shewasmorethanequal
tohisangryoutbursts,mostofthetime.Shewasequaltohiminotherways,too.Heclosedhiseyes
and saw her, felt her, as she was that night, her body lifting to his, her eyes wild and passionate,
moaningasheheldhertohim,cryingouthisnameinachingfulfillment.

Hegotup,hisbodyonfire.Besspausedatthedoorway,hesitating.Heglancedather.Shewasblond
andbeautiful,butwhenhelookedather,hesawonlyElissa'slaughingblueeyesandblackhair.

"Well?"heaskedcurtly.

Shehesitated."Areyouangrywithme?"sheasked.

The harshness left his face. She was a child, after all, in so many ways. He went to her, taking her
gentlybytheshoulders,smiling.

"No,ofcourseI'mnot,"hesaidgently."Icouldn'tstopElissa.ShethinksI'moutofmymindoveryou
andthatyou'releavingBobbytomarryme.Icouldn'tmakeherlisten,andI'mfrustrated,that'sall."

"It's my fault, isn't it?" she asked, searching his eyes. "I'm sorry. I was so lonely. And you took me
places and talked to me and even listened," she added with a wistful smile. "I guess I got drunk on
attention.ButI'msorryifI'vemessedupyourlife."

"Don'tworry.I'llsortitalloutsomehow,"hesaid.

Shestaredathisshirtfront."Elissalovesyou,doesn'tshe?"

"Ithoughtshedid,"herepliedquietly."NowI'mnotsure."

Shelookedupagain,smilingathim."Ilikedher.Sheisn'ttheleastbitafraidofyou.Shebitesback."

He laughed. "Yes. She gives as good as she gets. That's one of the things I like best about her." He
searchedherface."Doyoureallywantadivorce?"

She sighed. "No," she said finally. "I love the stupid man to distraction. If only he'd wake up and
realizethatInevermarriedhimformoney.Iwantedhim-Istilldo-andhe'stoobusymakingmoneyto
notice."

"Thenwhy,"heaskedslowly,"don'tyoutellhim?"

Sheblinked."Tellhim...that?"

"Ofcourse."

Sheshiftedrestlessly."Well..."

"Chicken,"hetaunted,hisdarkeyessparkling.

Sheburstoutlaughing."Allright.Whynot?Thingscan'tgetanyworse,canthey?"

Hetookherarm."Wherethere'slife,there'shope,"hemuttered.Hewasstillwonderinghowtodeal
withElissa'sdefection.She'dtriedtoreducewhattheydidtogethertosomethingsordidandwrong,
andhewishedhe'dgoneaboutthingsinamoreconventionalway.Heshouldhavepickedherupand
carriedherofftoaminister.Nowshewasdeterminednottocareabouthimanymore,wasdetermined
toputhimoutofherlife.DidshestillthinkhewantedBess?Howcouldshebesocrazy?

HefollowedBessoutthedoor,frowningfiercely.

He'dhavetogivehersometimetocooloff,tofigureoutthattheycouldn'tlivewithouteachother,
that they needed each other. And knowing Elissa, she'd have to come to those conclusions her own
wayinherownsweettime.

ChapterEleven

Elissadidn'tgohometoherparents.Shewasn'tquitereadytofacethemjustyet.Instead,sheboarded
thenextflighttoJamaica.SinceKingwasgoingtobebusywithBessnow,itlookedlikethebesttime
totieupafewlooseends.

She went to his villa first and got Warchief, then left without a backward glance. She wasn't ever
goingtoseethevillaagain.She'dmadeplans.

Warchief made eyes at her and flapped his wings while she packed. She couldn't accomplish
everythinginoneday,soshetookhertime.TherewereformstofillouttoallowhertotakeWarchief
backtotheStates,andtherewasthereal-estateagenttosee.Shewasgoingtoputthecottageupfor
sale.Afterwhathadhappened,sheneverwantedtocometoJamaicaagain.

Itwaslikeleavinghome,becauseshe'dgrowntoloveit,butshe'dhavetofindsomeplaceelsefora
second home. Especially since pregnancy was a real possibility. She still hadn't decided what to tell
herparents.Shejustcouldn'tbeartellingthemthetruth.

ShestayedinJamaicaforthreedays.Then,withthenecessaryformsfilledout,shetookWarchiefto
theairportinasturdypetcarrierandlefttheislandbehind.Warchiefwastheonereminderofthepast
thatshecouldn'tbeartogiveup.

Hourslater,shepulledupinfrontofherparents'home.Herfatherwasbusyinhisstudy,workingon
hissermon,whichhealwaysstartedonFridays.Hermotherwasinthekitchen,andherheadjerked
upwhenshesawwhatElissawascarrying.

"Oh,no!"Tinawailed."It'sthegreenmosquito!"

"Now,now,"Elissasaidgently."Hegrowsonyou."

"That'swhatI'mafraidof,"Tinamuttered,nibblingherlipandfrowning.

Elissa set his carrier on a chair. Warchief took one look at Tina and began to whoop and blaze his
eyesandmakecutelittleparrotnoises.

"I love you!" he cried. "Cute, you're cute!" He gave a wolf whistle, and Tina, who'd never seen a
parrotexceptinexoticpetshops,wascharmed.

She dropped to her knees and peeked into the carrier. Warchief wolf-whistled again and blazed his
eyes,andTinalaughed.

"Yougorgeousbird,"sheenthused."I'dlovetohugyou."

"I wouldn't," Elissa murmured dryly. "He gets excited when he's close to people. You could lose an
ear,anose-"

"Igettheidea,"Tinachuckledandrose."Whatabouthiscage?"

"It'soutside,inthecar."

Tinalookedoutthewindow."Howdidyousqueezeitintothatsubcompactrental?"sheasked.

"Withgreatdifficulty,"camethereply."ButIdid."

TinacockedherheadandstaredatElissa."Waitaminute.HewasinJamaica,wasn'the?"sheasked,
noddingtowardtheparrot."Sohowisitthathe'swithyou,whenyouwereinOklahoma?Andwhere's
Kingston?"

"Thisisgoingtobeaninterestingstory,"Elissasaid."SodoyoumindifIgetthethingsoutofthecar
andchangeclothes?Youcanmakecoffee,andthenwe'lltalk."

Tinasighed."Uh-oh."

Elissanodded."That'sonewayofputtingit."

"I'msorry,darling."

"It'sjustaswellIfoundoutnow,"Elissareplied,lookingandsoundingworldsmorematurethanshe
hadwhenshe'dleft."Imighthavemarriedhimandendedupruininghislife."

"Heaskedyoutomarryhim?"Tinaasked.

Elissanodded."Hegavemearing,"shesaid,smilingatthememoryofthefragilething.Thenshe
burst into tears. "Oh, Mama, I had to give it back," she wailed, going into the taller woman's
outstretchedarms."He'sinlovewithhissister-in-law,andshe'sgettingadivorce,andheonlyfound
outafterhe'dgivenmethering.Ihadtolethimgo-don'tyousee?He'dhavehatedmefortyinghim
down!"

Throughallthatmuddledspeechonethingwasclear:thatElissalovedhermandesperatelyandhad
givenhimupforloveofhim.Mrs.Deansmiled."There,there,darling,"shecooed,"youdidtheright
thing.Lovingisn'tlovingunlessyouhavethestrengthtoletgowhenyouhaveto."

"I'm so miserable," she said brokenly. "I went to Jamaica and arranged to sell the cottage and got
Warchief.IsitallrightifIstayhereforawhile?"

"Honey,ofcourse,"Tinasaid,shocked."Whywouldn'titbe?Thisisyourhome."

Elissa lifted her tear-stained face to her mother's. She wanted to tell all, but she didn't know if she
couldbearto.Hereyesfilledwithnewtears.

TinaDeanbrushedthedamphairfromherdaughter'seyes."Ithinkthiswouldbeaverygoodtime
foryoutohaveatalkwithyourfather,"shesaidwithasmile."Doyouknowtheoldsayingthatyou
never really know people until you're in trouble? Well, you're about to get an education in human

frailty.Comeon."

Elissapuzzledoverthatonthewaytothestudy,whereherfatherwassittingbehindadesk,glaringat
alegalpadandfrowning.

"Lookwho'shome,"Tinasaidbrightly,exchangingapointedlookwithherhusband.

"Hello,mydarling."Herfatherbeamed."Homeforavisit?"

"Maybetostayawhile,"shesaid.Andthensheburstintotearsagain.

"Uh-oh."Mr.Deansighedandglancedathiswife."Troubleinparadise,Iguess?"

Tina nodded. "I thought it might help if you told her about that young minister and the unmarried
couple.

Youknowtheone?"

Hesmiled,reminiscing."Oh,Idoindeed.Makesomecoffee,willyou,dear?"

"I'lldothatlittlething."Shewentoutandclosedthedoor.

Mr. Dean came around the desk to hug his daughter and deposit her in an easy chair. He perched
himselfontheedgeofhisdeskandstudiedherwan,tear-stainedface.Andthenhesmiledwarmly.

"Elissa,IwanttotellyouaboutayoungmanIknew,oh,abouttwenty-fiveyearsago,"hebegan."He
was a cocky young brute, just twenty-three at the time. He was good with his fists and not very
concernedwiththeworldorevenhisownfuture.HecamebackfromVietnamhalfoutofhismindon
alcohol,andherobbedagrocerystoreandhadthebadfortunetogetcaught."

Hestudiedhisneatlyshinedblackshoes."Well,tomakealongstoryshort,hewenttojail.Andwhile
he was there, sure that God and mankind had given up on him, a young visiting minister took an
interestinhim.Nowthisyounghoodlum,"headdedbrightly,"hadaneyeforbeauty,andhelikedthe
ladies. And there was a lovely young girl with whom he was deeply in love. They'd gone, as the
saying goes, a bit too far of an evening, and she'd gotten into a family way. So there she was, all
alone,herloverinjailandababyontheway."

He sighed. "The young minister found a capable lawyer to defend the young man. He got him off,
sinceitwasafirstoffense,thenproceeded,inturn,tofindtheyoungmanajob,gethimmarriedas
quicklyaswasfeasibletotheyoungladyandmovethemintoasmallapartment."

Elissasmiled,hertearsdrying,surethattheyoungministerhadbeenherfather."Whatanicefellow,"
shemurmured.

"Yes,Ithoughtso,too,"hesighed,returningthesmile."Tofinish,theyoungmanwassogratefulfor
whattheministerhaddonethatheenteredaseminaryandundertooktorepaythemanbycarryingon
hisgoodwork."

"Andtheminister,Idaresay,wasdelightedwithhishandiwork."

Her father had a sad, faraway look in his eyes. "Well, not exactly. You see, the minister was in a
reserveunit,anditwascalledupfordutyinVietnam.TheyounghoodlumImentionedcameoutof
combat without a scratch, but the minister stepped on a land mine the very first day he was in Da
Nang."Hesighed,asoundresonantwithregret."Hewaskilledbeforethatyoungmanhe'drescued
couldgetintouchandtellhimthathe'ddecidedtotakethecloth."

Elissafeltachilldownherspine."Itwasyou,"shewhispered.

Henodded."Meandyourmother.Iwastwenty-three;shewastwenty."Heleanedoverandtookher
hand,holdingittightly."Andnowyouknowwhywe'veshelteredyou,don'tyou,mygirl?Howwell
weunderstandthepassionsofyouth.Alltoowell,I'mafraid."Hesmiledathergently."Nowtellme
allaboutit,andmaybeIcanhelp."

Sheburstintotears.Inallherlife,she'dneverbeensoproudtobehisdaughter."Ididn'tknow,"she
whispered.

"Sometimes,"hereplied,"wehavetofallintoaholetotouchthesky.Theimportantthingistorealize
thatwe'reneveroutofGod'sheart,nomatterwhatwedo.Andveryoftenitisn'tuntilwehitbottom
thatwereachoutforahelpinghand."

Shehuggedhimwarmlyandsighed,feelingatpeaceforthefirsttimeindays."Icoulduseahelping
hand."

"Here'smine.Leanallyoulike."

Aftershetoldhimwhathadhappened,hetookherintothekitchen,wheretheyjoinedhermotherfor
acozysupperofcoldcutsandicedtea.Notonewordofcensurewasspoken.

Hermotherseemedtoknowitallwithoutawordfromherhusband.ShesmiledatElissawithloving
warmth."Don'tworry,"shesaidgently."There'snothingtobeafraidof."

Elissacuppedherhandsaroundherglass."Icouldbepregnant,"shesaid,puttinghermostdelicate
fearintowords.

"Doesheknow?"Tinaasked.

"Oh,yes,"shesaid,lookingup."Hemademepromisetogetintouchwithhimifthathappened.ButI
can'tseethatitwouldhelp,tobackhimintoacorner.HelovesBess.Ican'ttiehimtomeforallthe
wrongreasons."

"A wise decision," her father remarked. "But I think you underestimate the gentleman's feelings.
Infatuation dies a natural death without anything to feed it; he'll get over Bess soon enough-if he's
evenstillinterestedinher,thatis."

"Buthe'sgothernow.She'sgoingtodivorceherhusband,"Elissaprotested.

"Isshe?"Mr.Deanlookedatheroverhisglassesandgrinned."Well,we'llsee,won'twe?Eatyour
ham,darling."

Sheglancedfromonetotheother."Aren'tyouupset?"shebeganhesitantly.

Tinaliftedherthineyebrows."Aboutwhat,dear?"

"Thebaby,ifthereisone!"

"Ilikebabies,"Tinasaid.

"SodoI,"herfatherseconded.

"Butitwillbe..."Elissahesitated.

"Ababy,"Tinafinishedforher."Darling,incaseit'sescapedyournotice,I'vebroughtquiteanumber
ofunwedmothersintothecongregationinyearspast,andthechildrenhavebeenraisedinthechurch.
Littlebabiesaren'tresponsibleforthecircumstancesoftheirbirth.They'rejustbabies,andwelove
them.Nowdoeatyourham,Elissa.Forallweknowyoumayalreadybeeatingfortwo."

Elissa sighed. She'd never understand them, but she certainly did love them. "What's your sermon
goingtobeon?"sheaskedherfather.

Helookedathergently."Onlearningtoforgiveourselves,afterGodhas.SometimesHepunishesus
muchlessthanwepunishourselves,youknow."

She flushed, wondering how he'd learned to read her mind so accurately. "I imagine we'll all learn
fromit,then,"shemurmured.

Hewinkedathiswife."Yes,Ihopewewill,"hereplied,andthenheconcentratedonhismeal.

Warchiefwasbackinhiscagesoonafterward,makingenoughnoisetowakethedead.Elissacarried
himintoherroom,sayingaquickgood-nightbeforesheclosedthedoor.

"Bequiet,oryou'llgetusthrownout!"sheragedathim.

"Hellllp!"hescreamed."Letmeout!"

"Go to sleep," she muttered, pulling his beak toward her to kiss his green head. He made a parroty
soundandwolf-whistledsoftly.Shekissedhimagain,puttingthecoveroverhiscage.

Assheslidintobed,minuteslater,shewonderedhowKingwasandifhewashappynow.Shehoped
hewas.Shehoped,too,thatshewouldn'tbepregnant.Despitethefactthatshewantedhischildvery
much,itwouldn'tbefairtotearhimbetweenBessandherownbaby.Forhisownhappiness,shehad
tolethimgo.Sheturnedherfaceintothepillow,thankingGodforlovingparentsandthehopeofa
newbeginning.

Buthopewasn'tagoodenoughprecaution.Sixweekslater,afterhorribleboutsofmorningsickness
and fatigue, she went to her family doctor to have the necessary tests. And he confirmed her
pregnancy.

Shedidn'ttellherparents.Despitetheirsupport,whichsheknewshecouldcounton,shehadtocome
togripswithhersituationalone.Shewentdowntowntoaquietrestaurantanddrankcoffeefortwo
hours,untilsherememberedthatcoffeewasn'tgoodforpregnantwomen.Sheswitchedtodietdrinks
andthenworriedabouttheadditivesinthem.Teaandcoffeeandmostcarbonateddrinkshadcaffeine,
herbal tea nauseated her, and she hated plain water. Finally she decided that her choices had to be
decaffeinatedcoffee,milkandPerrier.Thoseshouldcarryherthroughthenextseveralmonths.

Thethoughtofthebabywasnewanddelicate,andshesatponderingitthroughafogofconfusion.
Woulditbeaboyoragirl?WouldithavehercoloringorKing's?Shesmiled,thinkingaboutdark
eyesinadarkcomplexionandholdingthetinylifeinherarmsandrockingitonsoftsummernights.

Themoresheconsideredthefuture,themoreappealingitbecame.Shewouldn'thaveKing,butshe'd
haveatinypartofhim.Someonetoholdandloveandbelovedby.Maybethatwashercompensation
forabrokenheart.

Shesmiled,overwhelmedbytenderness.Shecouldstillwork;pregnancywouldn'thamperdesigning
clothes.Andherparentsweren'tgoingtothrowheroutinthestreet,althoughsheworriedaboutthe
impact her unwed-mother status was going to have on her father's congregation. She might get a
cottagefartherupordownthecoasttopreventanygossipfromharminghiscareer.He'dfindithard
togetanotherjobathisage,despitehisprotests.Helovedher,butshelovedhim,too,andshewasn't
goingtobethecauseofanygrieftoherparents.Well,she'dthinkaboutthatlater.

Rightnow,thethingwastogetbackonherfeet.

She'dgrievedsoforKingthatshecouldhardlyfunction.Shehadtolearntolivewiththefactthathe
wasn'tcomingafterher.She'dspentthepastfewweeksgazinghopefullyatthetelephoneandjumping
everytimeitrang.

Cars slowing down near the house threw her into a tizzy. She checked the mailbox every day with
wide,hopefuleyes.

But there were no phone calls from Oklahoma. No visitors. And no letters. Eventually even her
stubborn pride gave up. King finally had Bess, and Elissa was well and truly out of his life. So she
begantomakeplansofherown.Shewasgoingtomovesomeplacefaraway,andshewasn'tgoingto
tellanyonewhereshewasgoing,notevenherparents.She'dwritetothem,butshe'dfindoneofthose
forwarding-addressplacesthatwouldconfusethepostmarks.Yes,shehadtodothisonherown.She
andthechildwouldgrowcloseovertheyears,andsomedayshe'dtellhimabouthisfather.

That was when she remembered that King didn't know where his own father was and had always
blamedthemanforrunningoutonhim.She'ddecidedwhenMargarettoldheraboutitthatoneday
she'dtellKingwherehisfatherwasandmakesurethathegottositdownandtalkwithhim,tohear
hissideofit.Butfornow,shedidn'thavetherighttodenyKingatleasttheknowledgeofthischild.

She'dpromised.

She went home, resigned to do the right thing, no matter how much it hurt. Bess would be there,
surely,whetherornotthedivorcewasfinal.Maybetheywerepreparingfortheweddingalready.She
hesitated,butintheendshereachedforthephoneandcalledthenumberKinghadoncegivenherin
casesheneededtoreachhimattheranch.

Herparentswerevisitingasickmemberofthecongregation,soitwasagoodtimetomakethecall.
Shedidn'twantthemtoseehergotopieceswhenshetriedtotellKingwhathadhappened.

Itrangonce,twice,threetimes,four.Shewasabouttohangupwhenabreathless,familiarvoicecame
overtheline.

"Hello?"

"Bess?"Elissafaltered.

"Oh,it'sElissa,isn'tit?"cametheenthusiasticreply."Kingstonisn'thererightnow,I'mafraid,but..."

Elissapaused."Doyouknowwhereheis?"

"Notoffhand,butIcantakeamessage."

"No.Thankyou."Shehesitated,desperatetoaskifthedivorcehadgonethrough.Shesettledfor,"Is
Bobbydoingallright?"

"He'salreadybackatwork,"Besssaid,hervoiceoddlysoft,"cast,crutchesandall.I...areyousureI
can'ttakeamessageforKingston?I'mnotsurehe'llbehometonight,butIcould-"

"No.I'mgladyour...I'mgladBobbyisdoingwell.Goodbye."

"Wait!"

Butshehungup,tremblingallover.Sonowsheknew.BesswaslivingwithKing.

Shealmostletitgoatthatandmadeherplanswithouttryingagain.Butthatwasthecoward'swayout.
Shephonedhisoffice,onlytobetoldthathewasn'tinandtheydidn'tknowwhentoexpecthim.She
leftword,butthesecretarydidn'tsoundreliable.Assoonasshehungup,shewroteatersenoteand
droppeditinthemail,addressedtohisOklahomaCityoffice.Perhapshecouldfindtimetoreadit,
shethoughtunreasonably,andwentbacktoherdesigns.

She'dfinishedhercollection,mailedthecompleteddesignstoAngelMahoneyandpickedoutanice
town near St. Augustine to move to. She packed her things, careful not to let her parents see the
baggage.She'dleaveinthemorning.Ithadbeenoveraweeksinceshe'dmailedthatnotetoKing,and
shewassurehe'dseenitbynow.

Perhapshedidn'twantanycomplicationsandwasgoingtoignoreit.Thatwasn'tlikehim,butmenin
loveweren'talwaysrational,sheguessed.He'dwantedBessforalongtime,andnowhehadher.It

wasn'thisfaultthathewantedtolookaheadandnotbehindhim.

Warchief was quiet these days, almost as if he knew he'd lose his home if he kept being noisy. He
purred at Elissa and talked to her, but he'd stopped making such wild noises at dawn and dusk. She
wonderedifhewassick.

Heavenknew,shewas.Themorningsicknesshadn'tletup,andshewasbeginningtofeelpregnant.
Herslacksweretight,andherbreastsweresensitive.Shegrinnedatallthelittledisadvantages.None
of them mattered, because she was going to have a baby and love it so much that it would feel as
wantedasshealwayshad.

Shesettleddowntobedthatnight,leavingherparentssittinguptotalk.Therewasafullmoonanda
scattering of stars, and she closed her eyes with a sigh. King would be seeing that moon out his
window in Oklahoma, probably with Bess lying beside him. She hoped Bess would be kind to him.
Tearsstunghereyes.

Instead of getting easier, bearing the knowledge that she'd never see King again was getting harder
everyday.Butshe'dbettergetusedtoit,shechidedherself.Foreverwasalongtime.

ChapterTwelve

Abouttwoo'clockinthemorning,sheandWarchiefwereawakenedbyathunderousknockingonthe
frontdoor.Withawhitechenillebathrobethrownhastilyoverhernightgown,sherubbedhersleepy
eyesandstumbledtothedoor,calling,"Who'sthere?"

"KingstonRoper,"camethegruffreply.

Shefumbledthedooropen.Withhisjacketslungcarelesslyoverhisarm,histiehanginghaphazardly
aroundhisneck,andhisfacehardanddrawnandinneedofashave,helookedhaggardandweary
butdevastatinglyhandsome.AndElissawouldn'thavecaredifhe'dbeencoveredinmud.

"Comein,"shesaid,fightingdowntheimpulsetothrowherselfathim,tryingtoappearcalmwhen
herheartwasbeatinghertodeathandherbreathwasstucksomewherebelowhercollarbone.

Hestoodlookingatherassheshutthedooragain,hiseyesdarkandtroubledandoddlyhungry.He
didn'tmove,asifrivetedtothespot,staring.

"Whatwasthatnoise?Oh,hello,Mr.Roper,"Tinasaid,smilingathimfromthedooroftheirroom
off the living room. "You look exhausted. Elissa, there's some decaffeinated coffee you can reheat,
andsomeofthatcakeImade.YoucanputMr.Roperinthespareroomifhe'sstaying.Goodnight,
dear."

Sheclosedthedooragain,andKingturnedbacktoElissa.

"I'llheatthecoffeeifyou'dlikeacup,"shesaidquietly.

He searched her face, looking for any sign of welcome, but there was none. His eyes dulled. He'd
hopedsodesperatelythatshemighthavemissedhimevenafractionasmuchashe'dmissedher.He'd
stayed away deliberately, denying himself the sight and sound and feel of her all this time to try to
makehermisshim,tomakeherseethelight.Andheknewthatithadn'tworked.Helookedatherand
thoughthe'ddieofemptinessifshesenthimaway.Hefollowedherintothekitchenwithoutanother
word,ascoldinsideasanemptytomb.

KingsatdowninthechairElissaindicatedandwatchedhermovearoundthekitchen,slicingcakeand
heatingcupsofcoffeeinthesmallmicrowaveoven.Shelookeddelicious.Glowing.Waitaminute-
didn'ttheysaythatpregnantwomenglowed?Hetookaslowbreath,feelingwarmalloverwiththe
possibilityofit,withpossessioninhiseyesastheyfollowedher.He'dwinherbacksomehow.Hehad
to.

"Ididn'texpectyou,"shesaid.

"I went back to the office tonight to check some figures," he said as she placed mugs of steaming
coffeeonthetable,alongwithsaucersandforksandslicesofcake."I'vebeeninJamaica,"headded,
glancingup.

"Haveyou?"Shenibbledathercake.

"Yourcottagehadayoungredheadinit,"heremarked."Shesaidherparentshadboughtthecottage
fromyou.Warchiefwasgone,too."

"Ihavehimhere,"shesaid.Shetookanotherbiteofthecake,stillwithoutlookingathim."Youfound
mylettertonight,Iguess?"

"Buriedinastackofbids,"heconfirmed.Helefthalfhiscakeuneatenandleanedbackinthechair
withhiscoffeecupinhishand,studyingher."Wasthatnotethebestyoucoulddo?"headded."Aterse
'Needtotalktoyouwhenyouhavetime.Bestwishes,Elissa'?"

Sheflushed."I'dalreadytriedyourranchandyouroffice.Nobodyseemedtoknowwhereyouwere."

"Nobodydid,forawhile,"hesaid.Hedidn'tmentionthatthepastfewweekshadbeenpurehell.His
temperhadbecomesovilethatithadalreadycosthimtwoofhisbestjuniorexecutives.Somuchfor
testing that absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder business, he thought angrily. She didn't look any
the worse for wear, but he sure as hell did. He stared at her coolly. "Are you having any morning
sickness?"

Shealmostdroppedthecoffeecup.

"Well,whyelsewouldyoubothertocontactme?"hechanced."Itwasn'toutoflove.Youtoldmehow
you felt when you left," he said curtly, his dark eyes glittering at her across the table. "The only
possiblereasonwasthatI'dmadeyoupregnant.SohereIam."Hedidn'tmentionthathe'dpractically
boughtanairlinetogetherethatfast.

"Therewasnorush,"shesaid."I'vegoteverythingworkedout.Myparentsknow,"sheaddedsoftly.
"Theydidn'tmakeaccusationsorrageatmeoreventrytoshameme.Theysaid..."Shebitbacktears.
"Theysaidpeoplearehuman."

"Oh, God," he whispered roughly. Though he himself was delighted-surely she'd reconsider and
marryhimnow-hehadn'tthoughtabouthowherparentswouldtakethenews.Hewasn'tsurprisedthat
they'dstandbyher,though.Theyweregoodpeople,andtheylovedher.

"It'sallright.Imakemorethanenoughmoneytotakecareofmyselfandthebaby.Andyoucanvisit
ifyoulike,"shetoldhim."ButI'dratheryouwaitedawhile,"shesaid,liftingtiredeyestohis."Idon't
wantpeoplegossiping,andit'sthelastkindofcomplicationyouneedrightnow."

He stared at her blankly. Bess said Elissa had called, so didn't she know that Bobby and Bess were
backtogether?"It'smybaby,"hesaidsimply."Iwanttotakecareofyouboth."

"I don't need taking care of, thank you," she said with forced calm, remembering that he hadn't
botheredtomakeamovetowardherinsevenweeksandthatBesswasnowlivingwithhim.

Heexhaledangrily,leaningforwardtopinherwithhisdark,quieteyes."I'mresponsibleforyou,"he
said.

"Thisisallmyfault."

"I'mnotblamingyou,"shereplied."Thatisn'twhyIcontactedyou.IgavemywordthatIwould,ifit
happened."

Hestoppedbreathingforaninstant."That'stheonlyreasonyougotintouchwithme?"

Hereyebrowsarchedwithpracticedcarelessness."WhatotherreasonwouldIhavehad?"

Hewantedtothrowsomething."Youlovedmeonce,"hegrowled.

"Oh,I'vegottenoverthat,"sheassuredhim,risingtoputtheemptycupsintothesinkandprayingthat
hewouldn'tseethroughthefictionofwhatshewassayingtotheagonyunderneath.Sheswallowed
downtears."Itwasjustinfatuation.Iwasprettynaive,youknow,andyouwereveryexperienced.Any
girlcanloseherheadwithasexyman.Ijusthappenedtobealittletoonaive.Yousee-"Sheturnedto
tell him a few more choice lies, but he wasn't there. Seconds later, she heard the front door open
softlyandclose.Thenacarengineroaredonce,andsheheardthevehicledriveaway.

Ithadnosoonerpulledawaythanthephonerang.Whatanight,shethoughtmiserably.Atleast,thank
God, she'd kept her composure. King hadn't guessed how she'd grieved for him, and that was
something. He'd leave her alone now, and she and the baby would be each other's world. King
wouldn'thavetosacrificehishappinesswithBessonElissa'saccount.

She lifted the receiver on the second ring, hoping her parents hadn't been disturbed again. "Hello?"
shesaid,wipingawayatear.

"Elissa?"

It was Bess. Elissa glared at the telephone. "If you're looking for King, you're too late. He's on his
waybacktoyou-Imadesureofthat-andyoudon'thavetoworry.Iwon'tbotherhimagain.Thebaby
andIwillmanagejustfine."

"Baby?"Besssoundedshocked.

"Kingwilltellyouallaboutit,I'msure.It'snoconcernofhisanymore."

"Pleasedon'thangup,"Besssaidsuddenly.

"Icanimaginewhatyouhavetosaytome,but-''Elissabeganquietly.

"No, you can't," Bess interrupted softly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I've loused things up for you and
Kingston, and I almost destroyed my own marriage, all because I couldn't tell Bobby the truth,
couldn't tell him what I really wanted. Elissa, Bobby and I aren't getting a divorce. I finally got up
enough nerve to swallow my pride and say what I felt, and now we're staying together. I was sure
Kingston would have told you by now. He was the one who convinced me to talk to Bobby," she
added,stunningElissaintosilence."Itriedtotellyouwhenyouphonedthattime,butyouhungup.
BobbyandIwerevisitinghim."

Elissacouldhardlybreathe.''Visiting?"sheechoedhoarsely.

"Iguessyouhadaprettygoodideawhatwasgoingonallalong,butmostofitwasjustinmymind
PoorKingstonwastrulycaughtinthemiddle,allbecausehefeltsorryforme.Well,he'sbigbrother
again, and I do adore him. But if you'd seen him these past weeks, you'd know that he didn't give a
hang about me-not the way you thought. He's nearly worked himself to death, taken crazy chances
withthelivestockandthatnewsportscarofhis-he'sgonehog-wild,Margaretsays.Margarettriedto
get him to go see you, but he wouldn't. He said he couldn't go until you asked him to, because that
wouldmeanyoustilllovedhim.Margaretsayshelovedyouallalong,onlyhedidn'tknowit.Ithink
heknowsitnow.IjusthopeIhaven'tdoneanythingtotakehislastchanceawayfromhim.Ithinkhe'll
gocrazywithoutyou,andthat'sthetruth."

Elissawasstilltryingtofindhervoice."Isenthimaway,"shewhisperedtearfully."Ithoughtyouand
heweregettingmarried.Icouldn'tlethimsacrificehisownhappiness...justbecauseIwaspregnant."

"Oh,Lord,Ihatemyself!"Bessgroaned."Listen,can'tyougoafterhim?"

"Idon'tknowwherehe'sgone,"Elissawept.

"Well, if he comes here, I'll send him back," Bess promised. "Now you go get some sleep. Don't
worry too much; it isn't healthy for the baby. My gosh, Bobby and I will be uncle and aunt. That
soundssonice.Getsomesleep,honey.Everythingwillbeokay-Ipromise."

Elissa'sheartwarmedatthecompassioninthatsoftvoice."I'llbeallright,"shesaid."You'llletme
knowifheshowsupthere?"

"OfcourseIwill.Andgoodluck."

"Thanks."Elissahungupwithasigh.Lately,allherluckseemedtobebad.Shewenttothesinkand
bathed her flushed face. It didn't help a whole lot, so she went out the back door and onto the quiet
beach.Maybeawalkwouldhelpclearhermind.

She wandered along in her robe, hardly seeing where she was going for the pain. What irony, she
thoughtmiserably.She'dsenthimaway,andforwhat?

Shedidn'tnoticethesilentfigureneartheduneuntilhespoke."You'llcatchcold,"hesaid,hisvoice
deepandlazy.

Elissawhirled,catchingherbreath,tofindKingsittingthere,smokingacigarette.Hewasinhisshirt
sleeves,hischestbarewherethewhiteshirtwasunbuttoned,hisdarkhairuntidy.

"Whatareyousittingtherefor?"sheaskedshakily."Ithoughtyou'dgone."

"Oh,Istartedto,"heagreedpleasantly."AndthenIrealizedIhadnoplacetogo."

"TherearehotelsinMiami,"shefaltered,wrappingherarmsaroundherselfasshedrankinthesight
ofhim,hereyesadoringeveryhard,powerfullineofhisbodyinthedarkness.

"Youdon'tunderstand."Heputoutthecigarette."You'retheonlyhomeIhave,Elissa,"hesaidquietly.
"Idon'thaveanyotherplacetogo."

Tearsstunghereyes.She'dneverdreamed,evenwhenBesswastellingherthosethings,thathecared
thatmuch.Tremblingalittlewithmingledexcitementandfear,shewenttohimanddroppedtoher
kneesinfrontofhim.

"IthoughtitwasBess,"shesaidsimply.

Helookedupather,hiseyesdarkwithpossession."SodidI,atfirst,"hereturned."Untilyoustarted
takingmeover,thatis.Firstmybody,thenmyheart.Intheend,allIfeltforBesswascompassionand
responsibility. I could have told you that when you left, but you wouldn't listen," he said gruffly.
"SevenweeksI'vestayedaway,hopingagainsthopethatyou'dmissme.Ibrokespeedrecordsgetting
heretonight,andforwhat?Tobetoldyoudidn'tgiveadamn!"

Shestoppedthetiradewithhermouth.Poorwoundedman,shethought.Sheslidherarmsaroundhis
neckandfelthimtrembleasshepushed,gentlyunbalancinghim.Hefellagainstthedune,andshefell
withhim,hersoftnessmeltingoverhim,hereyesredfromcrying,hermouthtastingofsaltytears.

"Will you listen?" he ground out against her lips. Then he groaned and captured her, enfolding her
againstthewarmstrengthofhisbody.Hismouthopenedunderhers.Shefeltthedeeppenetrationof
histongue,thethrobofhisheart.Hewashers.

Shenibbledhislowerlip,liftingherheadtostaredownathim,hereyesadoring,sureofhim.Her
handssmoothedbackhishair,andshesmiledasshetouchedhimwithconfidentpossession.

"Areyou,byanychance,tryingtoseduceme?"hewhispered.Hisheartwaspounding,andhisbody
was making insistent statements about what it wanted. He tried to shift her so that she wouldn't feel
howvulnerablehewas,buthecouldn'tbudgeher.

"Justliestill,"shechided."Iknowyouwantme,sothere'snousetryingtohideit."

Heglaredupather."Rubitin,"hemuttered.

Shebentandkissedhiseyelidswithachingtenderness."Wereyougoingtosleeponthebeach?"she
whispered.

"IfthatwasasclosetoyouasIcouldget,yes,"hesaidangrily.

Hewasahardman,shethoughtlovingly,liftingherheadtolookathim.Arealhandful.Butshecould
manage him. They'd been friends a lot longer than they'd been lovers, and now she knew how to
throwhimoffbalance,aswell.

Shesatup,openingherrobe."Iwanttoshowyousomething,"shesaidwithouttheleastbitofself-
consciousness, although she peeked down the beach, knowing her parents were eventually going to
comelookingforher.Undertherobe,shewasassheslept,bareexceptforatinypairofbluebriefs.

Hestaredather,stunned,asifhecouldn'tbelievewhathewasseeing.

"This is what you did to me," she whispered tenderly. She took his hands and held them to her
minutely swollen waistline, watching the incredible expression that tautened his face as he touched
her.

"Mychild..."Hisvoicewassoft,deep,reverent.

Shegatheredhisheadagainsthersensitivebreasts,tearsstinginghereyesassherockedhim,cradled
him, feeling his lips touch her, though not in a sexual way. His hands smoothed over her under the
robeashebroughtheragainsthisbody,holdinghersoclosethatshecouldbarelybreathe.Andshe
cried,becausehecaredandbecauseshelovedhim.

"You little imp," he whispered, nuzzling her warm throat. "I'm so crazy about you. I would have
carriedyouhometoOklahomainmyarms,walking."

Herlipstouchedhisface,herbreathcatchingasheturnedandputhismouthwithachingtendernessto
herbreasts.

Hishandscameuptotouchthem,tocupthem.Hemoved,layingherdowngentlyontherobesothat
hecouldlook,couldexplorethenewcontoursofherbodywithhischildtuckedunderherheart.

"Our baby," he whispered, his fingers trembling as he lay beside her in the darkness with the surf
crashingbehindthem.

Shetrembledwiththeprofundityofthemoment."Iknowexactlywhenwemadehim,"shewhispered.

He met her eyes. "So do I, to the very second. I meant to, even though I was temporarily confused
aboutBess.DoyouknowthattheminuteIgothomefromputtingyouonthatplane,Ipatchedupher
marriage? She admitted that she loved Bobby, that she was just lonely. She'd never stopped loving
him,butshewasafraidtotellhimhowshereallyfelt.Shedid,though,andnowthey'recloserthan
ever.They'reeventalkingabouthavingbabies."

Shelaughed."Shecalledmeafewminutesago.Shewantedtocleartheair."

"Nicewoman.I'mgladsheandBobbyhavefinallygottentheiracttogether."Helookeddownintoher
eyes,searching."DoyouknowhowIfeel,ordoyouwantthewords?"heaskedgently.

"Haveyoueversaidthembefore?"shecountered.

Hesmiledruefully."No.ButIneverwantedtobefore,either."

"Whendidyouknow?"sheasked.

"IknewhowyoufeltwhenyouwerewillingtogiveyourselftomeinJamaica."Helaughedather
startledexpression."That'sright,tidbit,Iknewbeforeyoudid.ButtherewasBess,andIdidn'tthinkI
wantedthatkindofinvolvement.ButwhenIsawyoulyinginbedinthatsexynightgown,andIgothot

andbotheredlikeIneverhadbefore..."Hebentandbrushedhismouthoverhers,revelinginitssoft,
tremblingresponse."Afterthat,badwenttoworse.Ididn'treallywanttoseduceyouattheranch,but
mybodygotthebestofme."

"Yes,sodidmine,"shesighed,nuzzlinghischeek.Sheclosedhereyes."It'sbeenhardlivingwithit,
King,"shewhispered.

"How do you feel about starting over again?" He touched her abdomen. "And decide quick, would
you?Ithinkhe'salreadygrowing."

She grinned at him, drunk with happiness. "As if I could have stopped loving you." She laughed.
"Sevenweeks,damnyou!"Shehithim.

He crushed his mouth down on hers, suddenly all man, all domination, burning her with his ardor.
"Damn you, too," he growled, his lips hard against her mouth. "Calling it a 'cheap little roll in the
hay,'whenI'dneverlovedawomanthatwayinmylife.Stickingaknifeinmypride,myheart.Iwent
off like a wounded animal to lick my wounds, then went to Jamaica with my heart in my hands to
offertoyou...andyou'dgone.You'dsoldthecottageandtakenWarchief,andthereal-estateagentsaid
youhatedthecottageandeverythingconnectedwithit."Hiseyesnarrowed."Iguessedthatmeantme,
too. So I went back to Oklahoma and drank myself into a stupor, then set about working myself to
death."

"WhileIwassureyouweregoingtomarryBess,"shemurmured."Iknewhowyoufelt...."

"How you thought I felt," he corrected. He kissed her softly. "I slept with you for one night, and it
ruinedmeforanyotherwoman.You'vehauntedmydreamseversince.Aninnocent,andyougaveme
thefirsttotalfulfillmentI'veeverhad."

Shesmiledagainsthismouth,bristlingwithpride."Sittingup,too,"shemurmured,andsheblushed
wildly.

"Don'tsmileaboutit,youbrazenhussy,"hetaunted."Ineededmyheadexamined.Iprayedeverynight
thatyou'denduppregnant,"heconfessed,"becauseIknewyou'dsendforme.Yoursenseofhonor
wouldforceyouto.AndthenI'dcometoyouandtakecareofyouandfindsomewaytomakeyou
lovemeagain."Hetracedherbreasts,watchingthemtauteninthemoonlight.

"Don'tforget,"shewhispered,lovingthesensation,"thatmyparentsarejustdownthebeach."

Hekissedhersoftly."Ihadn'tforgotten,"hesaidwitharuefulsmile."I'mnotabouttogivethemany
morecausetoresentme."

Hehelpedherbackintoherrobeandpulledherontohisknees,cradlingher.

"Howcouldtheyresentthefatheroftheirveryowngrandchild?"shewhispered,hermouthbrushing
warmlyoverhis."He'sgoingtobejustlikehisdaddy."Shesmiled."Tallanddarkandhandsomeand
gentle."

"Blue-eyed,"hewhispered,tiltingherwarmmouthuptohis.

"Brown-eyed,"shewhisperedback,anddrewhislipsoverhers.

Alongtimelater,heliftedhishead."Elissa?"

"What?"shemurmureddreamily.

"Ithinkwehavecompany."

She looked up. Her father was sitting on one side of them, his knees drawn up under his bathrobe,
watchingthesurf.Hermotherwasontheotherside,similarlyclad,humming.

"Lovelynight,"Mr.Deanremarked.

"Lovely,"hiswifeagreed.

King and Elissa burst out laughing. "The marriage license and the rings are in my jacket pocket,"
Kingtoldthem."Allweneedisaquickbloodtestandaquietlittleceremony,whichwehopeyou'll
perform. You, uh, might have noticed that we've rather jumped the gun," he added with a sheepish
smile.

"She likes kosher pickles in her corn flakes, and he wonders if we've noticed that they've rather
jumpedthegun,"Mr.Deanaddressedhiswife.

"Yes,dear,Iheard."Mrs.Deangrinned.

"Andincaseitcrossedyourmind,"Kingmurmured,glancingwickedlydownatElissa,"we'vebeen
controllingthoseinterestingimpulsesthatledustothisdeliciouscomplication.We'vejustbeentrying
todecidewhatcolorhiseyeswillbe."

"Ilikegirls,"Mr.Deansuggested.

"What'swrongwithaboy?"Tinaaskedinnocently.

"Maybeitwillbeboth,"Mr.Deanremarked."Herappetitehasbeenextraordinary."

"I'dliketwins,"Kingmurmured,hiseyesshiningwitheverythinghefeltashelookedattheslender,
beautiful woman in his arms. He glanced up at her parents, who were on their feet now. "I'm sure
you'd rather things had worked out a little more conventionally, but I guess I had to learn how to
love."

"Youseemtohavethehangofitnow,son,"Mr.Deansaiddryly.

"It'snotallhisfault,"Elissamuttered"Isortofforcedhimintoit."

"Youdidnot,"Kingflashed.

"Ithoughtyoutoldherthefactsoflife,"Mr.Deanmurmuredtohiswife.

"Ithoughtyoudid,"camethedryreply.

"Well,wemighttryagain.Comeon,children,we'llhavecoffeeanddiscusssomedetails,"Mr.Dean
said,slidinganarmaroundhiswife'swaist."Niceboy."

"Ithinkso,too."Mrs.Deanstopped,glancingbehindasKinggentlyhelpedElissatoherfeet"There's
justonething,Kingston,"shemurmured,frowning."Ishouldn'treallyask,butcanyousupporther,
workinginagarage?Ifyouneedanyhelp,we'lldowhatwecan."

Kingburstoutlaughing.HedrewElissaclosetohissideandfellintostepbesideherparents."While
wehavethatcoffee,"hetoldthemdryly,"we'llhavealittletalkabouttheoilbusiness."

Twoweekslater,KingandElissawerebackinJamaicaathisvilla,Warchiefhappilyinstalledinhis
cagewhilehisownerssetoutforanewanddeliciousexperienceonthebeach.Ithadbeenalearning
periodforthemboth,gettingtoknoweachotherwithoutthebarriersofuncertaintyandmistrust.

Just before they'd left for Jamaica again, Elissa had even found a way to tell King about his father,
stillaliveandinanursinghome.Kinghadlistenedtoher,thensatstaringintospaceforalongtime.
Minuteslater,he'dgoneofftousethephone.Whenhecameback,he'dlookedthoughtfulandpleased.
She'dlaterlearnedthathe'dspokentotheoldmanandhadpromisedtogoandhavealongvisitwith
himafterthehoneymoon.Itwasamilestone,Elissahadthought.

Andspeakingofmilestones...Shehesitatedastheywalkedoutontothedampsand.

"Someonewillseeus,"shesquealedasKingstrippedheroutofherrobeandnightgown,leavingher
bareandbeautifulonthewhitebeach.

"The only person who might lives in the cottage, and she's away for a week. I checked," he said,
chucklingandpausingtostripoutofhisownrobe."Comeon.You'lllovethis."

He led her into the warm, rippling water, and she felt it swallow her up like a satin embrace. She
gaspedattheexquisitefreedomofitwhilesheswamandfloatedandfinallywoundupcloseagainsta
smilingKing.

"NowIseewhyyoulikeit,"shewhispered."It's...incredible."

"Yes,isn'tit?"Buthewasn'tlookingatthewater.Hishandswerebusyunderitssurface,doingthings
toherbodythatmadehergaspandclingtohimandcryout.

He took her cry into his mouth, taking full advantage of its position to explore it in a silence that
quicklygrewhotandhungry.Heliftedherintohisarmsandcarriedheroutontothebeach,putting
herdowngentlyinthecenterofahugebeachtowel.Hestoodoverher,hisbodyfullyaroused,his
eyes,darkandwild,devouringherasshelaythere."Iwantyou,"hewhisperedhoarsely.

"Thenwhydon'tyoucomedownhereanddosomethingaboutit?"shewhisperedhuskily,stretching

inawaythatmadehertremble.

Heeaseddowncompletelyoverher,hishandsgentlytanglingwithhers,lettingherhavemostofhis
weight,feelingthebaresaltinessofhisskinovereveryinchofhers.

"Youlooklikeyoudidthefirsttime,"shesaidsoftly.

"Iwashungrythen,too,"hemurmured,findinghermouth."Starvingforyou,bythen.Istillam.But
it's...hard to describe." He lifted his head, shifting his hips to make her gasp. "Patience," he teased
softly."Iwanttotalkfirst."

"Talkfast,"shepleaded.

He nipped her lower lip and teased it with his tongue. His hands were on her waist now, her hips,
movingherbodyagainstthehair-roughenedcontoursofhisinakindofloveplayhe'dneverused
withherbefore.Shecaughtherbreath,clutchingatthebroadshouldersaboveher,thefireskindling
deepinherbody.

Helookeddownthelengthofthem,smilingatthetremorsclaimingherlong,slenderlegs,shudders
thathecouldfeelalongwithherchangedbreathing."Therearehundredsofpathstofulfillment,"he
whispered, moving his eyes slowly back up to catch hers. "This is a new one." He bent, putting his
mouthtoherbreasts.

"Ithought...youwanted...totalk,"shegaspedwhenhetookahardnippleintohismouth.

He laughed huskily. "I'm not sure I can just now. Oh, baby," he breathed, positioning her, hungrily
assaulting her mouth, dragging his body against her until she was on the verge of tears with the
sensationshewasarousing.

Hernailsscoredhim,andshemoaned."I'msorry,"shewhisperedshakily."Ididn'tmeanto..."

"Bite,claw,scream,"hegroundoutagainsthermouth."Whateveryouneed,whateveryouwant,I'll
giveyou.Tellme."

Shedid,astonishingherselfwithherownshamelesswhispers.Shelookedupathimthen,seeinghis
eyesblazingwithlove,hisfacetautwithpassionbuttenderness,aswell.Shethrewbackherheadand
nearlywailedasthefirstwavehitherandshewentintospasmsofhot,almostunbearablepleasure.

Somewhereinitsmidst,shefelthimmove,felthimstill,heardhimcryoutaboveherandthenshared
thedeliciousechoofherownshudders.

Itwasalongtimebeforeshecouldbreatheagain.Thestarscamebackintofocusoverhisshoulder,
andshefeltthewarmwindofftheoceanonherdamp,bareskin.

"Thefirstmanandwoman-itmusthavebeenlikethisforthem,"shewhisperedinhisear."Alonein
theworld,underthesky,joining."

"Joining,"hewhispered."Cherishing.Becomingone."Heliftedhisdampheadandsearchedherrapt
eyes.

He kissed her softly, touching her belly. "Is he all right?" he whispered. "I didn't mean to get so
rough."

"He'sfine,"shewhisperedback,smiling.

"It excites me," he said quietly, "having my child inside you, knowing I helped create him." He
breatheddeeply."WhatIwantedtosaytoyou,"hemurmured,restinghalfhisweightonhisforearms
withoutmovingawayfromher,"isthatwhenwemakelove,itisn'tjustsex."

She smiled. "Yes, I know." She adored him with her eyes, the excitement growing again. "It's an
expressionoflove,isn'tit,King?Italwayswas,eventhefirsttime."

"Readingmymindagain,"hemurmuredcontentedly."I'venoticedthatevenyourparentsseemtodo
that."

"Ithinkthey'reprettysuper,"shesaid.

"SodoI.Thatbeingthecase,itmightnotbeabadideaifweadoptedthem."Hetoyedwithherlower
lip.

"Whatwithhislizardsandhercrimebusting,theyneedlookingafter."

"MotheralmostweptwithreliefwhenshefoundoutwewerebringingWarchiefbackwithus,didyou
notice?"Shegrinned."Shethinkshe'sagiantgreenmosquito."

Hegrinned,too."Hebites,allright.Buthe'slearningtosinglullabies-haveyounoticed?"headded
onafrown.

"I'm teaching him," she confessed. "I expect to have more than one child, you know. He can sing
babiestosleepwhileIrockthem."

Hispowerfulframetrembledalittle."Ilikebabies."

She shifted her hips very slowly, her lips parting, her eyes come-hitherish, feeling him begin to
tauten."SodoI,"shewhispered."Andthistime,"sheadded,pushingathisshouldersuntilshegothim
ontohisbackandmovedoverhim,"I'mgoingtoshowyousomethingnew."

"Elissa..."Heheldherhips,hesitating.

"Justrelax,"shewhispered,lookinglikeanimp,hereyessparkling."Iwon'thurtyou."

Shemoved,andhegroanedharshly.Andthenitwastoolatetoprotest.Hefelthisbodybeingflung
upagainstthesky,hearinghersoftlaughter,dyinginthethroesofafeverishstruggleforcontrolthat
evenashefought,helost.

Whenhiseyesopened,herfacewasthere,smilingathim,lovinghim.Hesighed."Well,Iguessthere
hadtobeafirsttime,"heteased,exhausted."Andwearemarried,andit'sanewworld."

"Prude,"shewhispered,puttinghermouthsoftlyonhis."You'rejustafraidyou'llgetpregnantinthis
position."

Heburstoutlaughing,holdinghertohim."Youenchantme,"hewhispered."Teaseme,tormentme,
burnmeup.Iloveyousodamnedmuch,Icanhardlybreatheforit."

Thatwasthefirsttimehe'dactuallysaiditTearsburnedhereyes,andsheburiedherfaceagainsthis
chest,hugginghimtoher."Iloveyou,too,"shewhispered.Hereyesclosed."Ialwayswill."

His arms closed around her, and he sighed. "Have you ever noticed how close heaven seems when
youlookupatthestars?"

She smiled against the rough hair over warm, pulsating muscles. "I know how close it feels," she
murmured,nuzzlinghischest.

"Yes,"hesaidgently,pressinghishandtoherstomachashefoldedheragainsthisside."SodoI."He
kissedherforeheadwithachingtenderness."SodoI,mydarling."

Abovethem,asilverydriftofcloudspassedoverthewaningmoon.Andbackinthevilla,agravelly
parrotvoicewascrooningtheopeningbarsof"Brahms'Lullaby."

End

TableofContents

ChapterOne
ChapterTwo
ChapterThree
ChapterFour
ChapterFive
ChapterSix
ChapterSeven
ChapterEight
ChapterNine
ChapterTen
ChapterEleven
ChapterTwelve