Beatrice didn’t think water had ever felt so good. About midafternoon, Joe had left the road to follow a shallow stream that wove its way down the mountain. “We need fresh water,” he’d told her. “And I could use a bath.”
An hour’s hike had brought them to a waterfall with a small but deep pool at its base. The water was icy cold and Joe had stripped and dived in. Beatrice had hesitated for a moment, then, reminding herself that he’d seen her in the nude before, had followed his example. She did, however, choose a position as far away from him as possible. But not far enough, she admitted.
Even with her back toward him, she found herself watching him out of the corner of her eye. The sun glistened on his raven hair and she recalled how much she’d enjoyed running her fingers through it. The remembered feel of his lips returned to taunt her.
She’d expected him to relax in the water, let the swirling current wash away the weariness of their trek. Instead, his behavior was businesslike and brisk. After diving beneath the surface a couple of times, he reached for his clothes, dragged them in with him and began rinsing them out. When he’d finished, he tossed them back onto the rock, climbed out and hung them over a bush to dry. And never once did he look her way.
Ordering her mind elsewhere, she pulled her own clothes into the water and rinsed them. Behind her she heard him returning to the pool. While she climbed out and spread her things to dry, she could hear him diving under the water several more times. The urge to look over her shoulder was strong. She fought it, but lost the battle. Catching a glimpse of firm buttocks, she felt the embers of a long-ago fire threaten to spark to life.
Slipping back into the water, again she ordered herself to ignore him. Instead, she remained acutely aware of his movements. When he climbed out and stood on the rock, allowing the sun to dry him, covertly her gaze traveled upward along the sturdy columns of his legs. In spite of the frigid water, her temperature rose. He looked as good as ever, she thought, forcing her attention beyond his manhood to his flat abdomen and muscular chest.
As if sensing her attention, he turned until his back was toward her.
She’d never known him to be shy. I suppose he’s worried I’ll start lusting after him and try to take advantage of him, she mused sarcastically. Uninvited, the memory of being in his arms overpowered the anger she was attempting to direct toward him. Smoldering embers burst into flame. Traitor, she silently grumbled at her body. Glancing back, she discovered he’d taken his still-damp clothing off the bush and was putting it on.
She waited until he’d dressed and had begun setting up the tent before she climbed out and pulled on her clothes. As added insult, he behaved with indifference to her presence.
Clearly he wanted to be certain she understood that he had no intention of ever returning to the intimacy they’d once shared. And that was fine with her, she asserted. “I’ll hunt some wood,” she said, heading into the forest.
He made no response other than a quick cool glance and a nod.
When she returned he had cleared a circle for a fire. Lying on the ground nearby was a large black snake, its head smashed.
“He came calling while you were away. I invited him to stay for dinner,” Joe said with a wry smile.
This display of dry humor was the first glimpse she’d had of the Joe she’d fallen in love with. But when she grinned back and looked from the snake to him, his expression abruptly became cold and shuttered. The message couldn’t have been clearer if he’d had a No Trespassing sign stapled to the front of his shirt.
Building the fire while he cleaned the snake, she couldn’t help wondering if her “talent” was another reason he was acting so coolly. The stunned expression on his face came back to haunt her and she recalled that when Ryder had begun to show signs of telekinesis, their mother had become uneasy. Although Edie Gerard had loved her son, she’d been intimidated and frightened by his ability. It had caused a distance between mother and son that had never been fully breached. And that distance was another reason Beatrice had kept her own counsel.
She frowned at Joe’s back. So what if her “gift” bothered him! Curtly she admonished herself for the curl of disappointment that wove through her. She hadn’t come here seeking to start a new life with him.
While the snake roasted, she turned her mind to their current situation. Piecing together puzzles had always been an effective diversion, especially when their lives were on the line. And she had no doubt that they were.
“You said the men holding you prisoner suddenly began to desert the fort two days before Elena and I arrived?” she asked, breaking the silence between them.
He nodded. “One moment they were lazily going about their usual business, the next they were packing up trucks as quickly as possible and pulling out.”
“As if they knew we were on our way and didn’t want to present any obstacles to your escape.” She paused and corrected herself. “Yours and Manuel’s escape.”
He met her gaze. “I suppose so. If they’d wanted to keep Manuel they could have taken him with them or, if they considered him of no further use, they would have killed him. They had to know that if they left him behind, I’d take him with me.”
“They set you up to believe I was the traitor. I wonder how Manuel discovered Juan was his traitor.”
Realizing where her train of thought was leading, interest sparked in his eyes. “You think Manuel might have been set up the same way I was?”
“That seems reasonable.”
“Assuming they were setting us up to go back, expose those we thought were traitors, thus taking the heat off the real traitors, would explain why they began to treat us better, feeding us, letting us come outside so that we could get an idea of the layout of the place, seeing that Manuel’s wounds were taken care of.”
“Their unexpected exit has to have been because they learned Elena and I were on our way and they wanted to clear the path for the rescue. But how did they know we were coming? I could have sworn, we weren’t followed.” Her frown deepened. “I suppose her house could have been bugged. We did discuss our destination there.”
Something nagged at her. She toyed with the fire, going over her actions for the past days in careful detail. Abruptly, a thought struck her. “I reached Elena’s house three days before she and I arrived at the estate. Why did they wait until the day before we got there so that they had to rush to evacuate? And was it luck they left in a different direction so that they didn’t pass us, or did they know which roads we would be taking?”
Joe regarded her thoughtfully. “I get the feeling you think you know the answer to those questions.”
“We stopped at Rafael Ortagea’s home on our way here. Elena said Manuel trusted him implicitly and that he knew the exact location of the place plus the layout. He was one of the federates sent there in search of Palma. We’d only meant to stop for lunch but ended up spending the night. Some wiring on the Jeep suddenly came loose.” A speculative glimmer caused the blue of her eyes to deepen. “While Rafael kept us occupied at the table, his niece could have seen that we were delayed. Rafael recognized me immediately. He could have given the woman some sort of signal that he wanted our departure to be postponed.”
Joe regarded her skeptically. “You think Rafael is in with Sanchez?”
“The timing is right. And he was the one who mapped out the roads—if you could call them that—we should take. It was a roundabout route and took hours longer than a more direct route would have taken. He was very insistent we follow it. He said it would be the safest. It would allow us to arrive unnoticed. And we did want to arrive unnoticed. Now I’m wondering if he wasn’t thinking more about Sanchez’s men getting out unnoticed and giving them a few extra hours for their evacuation so they could set up the rescue.”
“Or maybe the timing was just a coincidence,” Joe suggested.
A bitter taste filled her mouth. “I find it very insulting that you’re willing to give Rafael more benefit of the doubt than you were willing to give me.”
His gaze darkened. “You’re right. I did judge you more harshly. In your case, I was worried I would let our past re lationship cause me to ignore the truth. However, I did give you a chance to prove yourself.”
As she again recalled how deadly Joe could be when it was necessary, a chill ran along her spine. At any time, he could have killed her before she’d realized what was happening and had a chance to react.
He handed her one of the sticks with a piece of roasted snake skewered on it. “You could be right about Rafael. Manuel trusted him and confided in him. I suspect there are others who did the same. Rafael was well liked and a father figure to many of the younger men. I know he continues to keep in close contact with all the people he worked with, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were taking his word that the mountain retreat was not being used. If not that, most would have stopped by to see him, as you did, on their way here. That would have given him the opportunity to warn Sanchez’s men of anyone checking out the place.”
“Of course there is the bullet he took,” she said, not wanting to jump to any wrong conclusions without thinking them out thoroughly.
Joe’s expression became grimmer. “The bullet came from his partner’s gun.”
Beatrice stared at him in surprise. “It did?”
“After Palma was captured, it was Rafael and his partner who were designated to escort him to jail. The rest of the squad had stayed behind to clean up after the shoot-out with Palma’s men. According to Rafael, Palma insisted he had to stop to urinate. They were on a side road, so they pulled off. One minute Palma was behaving docilely, even jovially, then suddenly he became violent. He got hold of Rafael’s partner’s gun and shot both Rafael and the partner. Rafael managed to shoot and kill Palma as the man was running away.”
“But it could have happened differently?”
“There were no witnesses. Rafael was the only survivor.”
Beatrice could almost see Joe’s mind working as his expression grew darker.
“Rafael claimed they were on the side road because his partner felt it would be safer to stay off the main roads. It’s possible the route was Rafael’s choice. He could have tried to help Palma escape and his partner tried to stop him. When the partner turned on Rafael, Palma could have used that opportunity to attack the partner, get his gun and kill, him.”
Beatrice shook her head. “But if Rafael was working for Palma, why kill him?”
“Maybe he wasn’t working for Palma any longer. Maybe he’d made a more profitable alliance with Sanchez. And if Sanchez wanted to take over the business, he’d have wanted Palma dead. Alive, even in prison, Palma would still have been in control. Maybe the stop was a setup by Rafael to let Palma attempt an escape so he could kill him. The partner caught on and shot Rafael or Palma caught on and shot Rafael and his partner before Rafael could do away with him.”
“I think we should warn Manuel.” Recalling they had no immediate way of doing that, she frowned. “I suppose the reason you refused to keep the radio was because you didn’t want me to have a way to contact my evil cohorts.”
He shrugged and took a bite of the snake.
Tossing him a haughty glance, she turned her attention to her dinner. Around her the sounds and smells of the forest again brought forth memories of other nights spent in this wilderness with him. Angrily she shoved them out of her mind. All she’d ever been to him was a warm body in bed and a nuisance out of it. He’d even thought she might be a traitor. That stung the worst.
“You can’t leave this forest alive.” Joe’s voice broke into her thoughts.
Startled, she looked up to meet his gaze over the campfire. Had he changed his mind about her innocence? Her muscles tensed in preparation for defense.
He read her body language and frowned impatiently. “I didn’t mean that literally. If whoever set this up learns you’re alive, they’ll know I didn’t buy the setup. They’ll be on their guard again and you’ll be in danger. I had them convinced that I’d gone out into the cold on my own, pursuing a personal vendetta. When you showed up, our mole probably assumed that you’ve been working with me, or, at least, knew something of my activities, especially when you contacted Tobias, then headed this way. He or she grabbed the opportunity to try to turn me against you. I want him or her to think they succeeded. Even Manuel must believe you are the traitor and that I killed you.”
Beatrice turned her gaze to the fire. “I can’t go back home. If you’re right about there being a traitor in The Unit, by resurfacing, I might have put my identity at risk.”
“Tobias was too careful for that. When he left, he made sure all of his retired operatives were protected.”
She knew he was right. But she also knew that whoever he was after was dangerous and she could not make herself walk away, leaving him again with no one to guard his back. Using her family as an excuse, she said, “You’re probably right, but I won’t take a chance of putting my family at risk. Looks like we’re partners again until your traitor is unmasked.” She was prepared to hate this turn of events. Instead, excitement brewed within her. How much she’d missed having adventure in her life surprised her.
He stared at her in a stony silence, then said, “You can stay with my grandfather. The two of you are even more of a matched pair than I originally thought.”
“I refuse to climb into a rabbit hole and wait this out. This experience should have made it obvious that you need someone to guard your back.”
“I thought I’d made it clear we can’t leave this forest together.”
“We’ll leave separately and meet at your grandfather’s place. If you don’t show up within a day after I arrive there, I’ll come looking for you.”
For a long moment he regarded her grimly. Then, with a resigned air, he said, “You’d be in more danger running around on your own than by my side. I may be more than a day behind you, but I will come. Before I do, I need to contact Tobias and check into a couple of things. I was convinced the person I was seeking was a woman. Now I’m not so sure. That could have been another diversionary tactic to throw suspicion away from the real culprit. Tobias isn’t going to like it, but maybe my first suspicion was correct. Whoever I am after has organized a nationwide network. They know where all our munitions are stored. They pick and choose as the market demands. They choreograph the robberies using fake personnel with legitimate-looking IDs and distribute the goods through high-ranking criminal elements in other countries.”
“Like Sanchez?”
“Like Sanchez. Even more, this person has enough sway to ask for favors. My capture was because I got too close to Sanchez and his operation, but my escape had to be orchestrated by our traitor. I’m certain of that. Sanchez would not have known about you. However, being a clever man, he saw the opportunity to guide Manuel away from his spy as well, and took it.”
“Who did you first suspect as your traitor?” Beatrice asked.
“Harold.”
Her eyes rounded in surprise. “Harold? He’s Tobias’s protégé. Tobias thinks of him as the son he never had and I could have sworn Harold is unwaveringly loyal to the Old Man.”
“The person I’m looking for has to have a high level of security clearance, one that would gain him or her access to sensitive files in all branches of the service. And they have to know who our people are and where they’re being sent. They also have to be familiar with the higher echelons of the criminal hierarchy around the world, and those men don’t deal with just anyone.”
She tried to picture Harold as the traitor. It was nearly impossible. But then…“I didn’t know Tobias had retired. When I contacted The Unit, it was Harold who responded. So he knew I’d resurfaced. But he didn’t know I was looking for you. I made it clear I believed you were dead.”
“And how did he respond to that?”
She thought hard, trying to picture Harold’s face in every detail. “He spoke as if he believed you to be dead, as well. But then, I’ve never been able to read Harold.”
“Is Raven still with Tobias?”
Beatrice recalled a mission they’d gone on with Raven. He’d risked his life for theirs without hesitation. “Raven is another of your suspects?”
Joe stirred the fire, his gaze hardening as he watched the flames dancing. “The problem with this business is that eventually you find yourself unable to trust anyone.”
She’d never seen him this cynical. “You trust Tobias, don’t you?”
His gaze met hers. “Did he know you were coming here?”
“Yes, but several days before Sanchez evacuated the stronghold.”
“Then, yes, I trust Tobias.”
“And you can trust me.” Her head began to swim and she realized she was holding her breath, waiting for his response. He would never love her; she’d accepted that fact. But his trust was important to her.
“Yes, I trust you.”
She drew a breath and dropped her gaze to the fire, fearful he would guess how much his answer meant to her.
“We’d better finish eating and get some sleep,” he said, returning his attention to his food.
Beatrice did the same. She tried hard not to think of other nights spent with Joe, but that wasn’t easy—not with him sitting across the fire from her. She caught a glimpse of his hands and recalled how good they could make her feel. Stop that! she ordered herself. Had she no pride? He’d faked his death to be rid of her. Abruptly, she rose. “I’m going to bed.”
As she walked toward the tent, she noticed that her clothes were still damp. “And I’ll want some privacy for a couple of minutes while I slip out of these clothes and into my sleeping bag.”
Continuing to eat, he did not even look her way as he nodded his consent.
“I could probably parade around in the nude and he’d never notice,” she muttered under her breath. The image of him naked suddenly filled her mind and a heat began to build within her. Angrily she shoved it out. Quickly, discarding her clothing, she climbed inside the lightweight bedding and tried to go to sleep before Joe entered. She wasn’t successful.
Keeping her back to him, she heard him shifting around and realized that he, too, was stripping out of his damp clothing. She edged farther away.
“I’m not going to take advantage of you,” he assured her with a touch of impatience. “Like you, I simply didn’t want to sleep in damp clothing.”
He made her feel like a hag he was being forced to share quarters with. She turned to glare at him and assure him that she was merely trying to find a comfortable position, but her words stuck in her throat. He was not as immune to her as he’d made her believe.
He quickly covered himself. “I gave you some privacy. I expected the same in return.”
“I was under the impression that if I was the last woman on earth, you’d choose to live out your days in celibacy.”
“What I choose is not to be married, and you deserve a man who can make that commitment and keep it.”
“Yes, I do,” she replied. The problem was, she hadn’t met anyone she wanted to marry besides Joe. Furious with herself, she searched for a way to break the bond she still felt with him. “I suppose my ‘talent’ makes you uneasy and doubly glad we’re not together any longer.”
“Your ‘talent’ is a little unnerving. On the other hand, I can see where it could prove useful.”
She studied him. He hadn’t sounded intimidated or repulsed, and there was no hint of evasiveness on his face.
“What I can’t handle,” he continued, “is having a wife to worry about.”
She told herself she should be grateful for his honesty. But she didn’t feel grateful. She felt frustrated. “Your code name should have been Lone Wolf all spelled out in capital letters,” she muttered. Turning onto her back, she closed her eyes and ordered herself to sleep. Instead, her body refused to relax. She heard his breathing and recalled the soothing feel of lying with her head on his shoulder while the steady rise and fall of his chest lulled her to sleep.
He didn’t love her, she reminded herself. Well, she didn’t love him, either, she affirmed. However, she couldn’t deny that she did lust after him. And he clearly still harbored lustful thoughts about her.
Stop thinking about him! she commanded herself and turned onto her side with her back toward him. Making love with him probably wouldn’t be all that exciting, anyway, she reasoned. Her memories of the nights they’d spent together had been, no doubt, exaggerated by time.
A thought struck her. She’d never wanted to admit it before, but it was those memories of times spent with Joe that had ruined her chances to find someone else. If she proved to herself that the excitement was gone, then she could get on with her life. She turned over and lay looking at him. Night had fallen and in the dark he was no more than a shadowy form, but in her mind she could see his hard, muscular chest with the knife scar running jaggedly along the ribs of his left side.
Mentally Joe cursed his ability to know when he was being watched. At other times he’d been grateful for it. It had saved his life on numerous occasions. But tonight it served no purpose other than to torment him. And to make matters worse, it wasn’t the usual simple prickling on the neck. The sensation had started there, then moved through his body like an enticing caress. “Was there something you wanted to say?” he asked in irritated tones.
Beatrice had thought he was asleep. Abruptly, she turned onto her back. “No.”
“Then let’s get some sleep.” It was an order.
She closed her eyes but his presence was like a physical force, taunting her with an imaginary touch. Shifting onto her side once again, she frowned in his direction. “I need to put an end to us, once and for all.”
“I thought we had.”
“You have. But I haven’t. I’m sure my memories of being with you are more fanciful than real. After all, I was inexperienced. However, they’re interfering with my getting on with my life.”
“And what is it you expect me to do about that?”
“It has occurred to me that one final tryst could be the cure.” Silently, she congratulated herself. She’d managed to get that out in a coolly businesslike tone.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
His rejection hurt. Apparently, any lustful thoughts he had about her weren’t very strong and were easily forgotten. But that wasn’t unexpected, she chided herself. After all, he’d had no trouble walking away from her before. He’d probably become bored with her in bed a long time before he left. “I’m sure you’re right,” she said frostily.
Silence descended over the interior of the tent. Again she closed her eyes and ordered herself to sleep. Instead, anger brewed within her. She wasn’t sure who it was directed at the most—herself or him. She now had her proof that he’d never honestly cared for her; that it had been only guilt and a sense of duty that had led him to the altar. Tears burned at the back of her eyes and she was forced to admit that all these years she’d harbored the hope that he’d cared for her, maybe even loved her a little.
Joe told himself he’d handled the situation well. He’d done the right thing. But Tess was not like any other woman he’d ever known. She wasn’t the kind a man could forget. Memories of her tormented him. Several times during the past years, he’d considered going to Smytheshire—secretly, without her knowledge—to see if she’d remarried and gotten on with her life. A part of him had argued that seeing her with another man would be the cure he needed. Another part hadn’t wanted to see her making a life with anyone but him.
He frowned at her shadowy form. Maybe she was right. Maybe their memories were more fanciful than real. Maybe a tryst was the answer. “Damn it, Tess, you shouldn’t make offers like that!” he said in a low grumble.
The husky edge in his voice told her he was reconsidering. Well, she was having second thoughts—all of them hostile. “Consider it withdrawn.” She told herself to say no more, but the bitterness she was feeling was too strong. “I was never more than a warm body to you, was I?”
For a long moment there was only silence. Then, sounding like a man who’d been struggling with himself and had grown tired of the battle, he said, “No. You were a great deal more than a warm body to me. That was the problem.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “I was?”
“From the first, I found myself caring about you more than I wanted to. When we went into the field, we were both risking our lives. That was part of the job. But I found it more and more difficult to place you in a position of danger. After we were married, my anxiousness for your safety became acute…so acute I was afraid I’d make a mistake and get you killed. I tried to talk you into quitting but you refused.”
Her tears of anger turned to those of joy. “I thought you were trying to get rid of me because you were bored with me and I’d become a nuisance in your eyes.”
“You never bored me, Tess,” he assured her.
“If you’d told me the truth, we could have worked something out.”
“No.” His voice held no compromise. “That night in Colorado when you talked about having a family, that was when I knew for certain our marriage was a mistake. I couldn’t turn away from the vow I’d made beside by brother’s grave. The only way we could have led the life you described would have been for you to leave the service and spend most of your time alone. There would have been months when I couldn’t even contact you and always we would’ve had to be careful that no one in the business ever connected you to me. You deserved a more normal life…a husband who was home more than a few days a year and who could be there to help raise your children. And one who could not bring the threat of danger to your doorstep.”
Happiness flowed through her. “Don’t you think you should have asked me what I wanted?”
“Even if you’d chosen the kind of life I could give you, I’d have felt as if I was cheating you. Besides, I know you. You wouldn’t have quit the service. You’re as stubborn as a mule. You’d have insisted on staying with me.”
She couldn’t deny that he was right about that. “But I could have made you understand that my choice was the best for me. Living out my life in a safe, dull environment isn’t living, it’s merely existing. It’s like being in a void. There’s no zest.” As she spoke, she realized that described the past few years perfectly.
Joe felt himself weakening. He quickly recalled those times when they’d faced death—and his resolve returned. He would not ask her to risk her life for him. “I can’t do my job with you by my side. You’re too much of a distraction.”
She heard the determination in his voice. But she wasn’t willing to give up without a fight. “I’m also very useful in the field. You said so yourself several times.” Pushing her covering aside, she smiled when she saw he hadn’t zipped his bag closed. Easier access, she thought, playfully easing herself into his sleeping bag as she ran her palm over his chest. “And we both agreed that together we had a very good way of relieving stress.”
Her touch ignited a fire. Attempting to remain in control of the situation, he caught her wrist and lifted her hand away. “I can’t take you back, Tess. It was hard enough letting you go the first time. But I know it was the right choice.”
He was going to be difficult, she mused. She would have been a fool to expect otherwise. However, she would prove to him that he was better off with her than without her. “All right. You win. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy each other right now…seize the opportunity to relive a few old memories,” she coaxed, moving closer so that the entire length of their bodies touched. She felt his maleness growing, hardening. A satisfied smile spread over her face.
“You’re a strain on a man’s control,” he growled, his hold on her wrist tightening.
“I promise, I won’t hold tonight against you,” she purred. “But it has been a long time since I’ve been in a man’s arms and I have missed it. You wouldn’t want to leave me feeling so frustrated, I pick up the first gigolo I see when I get back to civilization.”
He drew a harsh breath as she laid her leg over his hip, then wrapped herself more tightly to him. “As long as you understand there is no future for us, I suppose once for old times’ sake couldn’t do any harm,” he said harshly.
“No harm at all,” she agreed, kissing the hollow of his neck. She felt the tremor of surrender run through him, then her wrist was released and she knew she’d won this battle.
His hand freed, he ran it along the curves of her body. “You feel as good as ever,” he murmured against her shoulder.
“So do you.” She sought his mouth. He tasted as good as ever, as well. She’d been wrong, she admitted, as his hand cupped her breast and a thrill so intense it made her want to cry out, shot through her. Being with him was exciting. Even more than she remembered.
With light kisses, he bade her mouth goodbye, then gently eased her off him. “I don’t have as much control as I thought,” he said huskily.
She’d wanted to play with him more—touching him, kissing him and having him play with her. But she, too, was feeling much too ready. “Me, too,” she confessed, wrapping her leg around him and drawing him to her.
Without hesitation, he accepted the unspoken offer. Rolling her onto her back, he mounted and entered her. For the first time in years, she felt complete.
At first he moved slowly as if getting reacquainted, then his thrusts became more forceful. The fullness of his possession invigorated her. Sensations swirled within her and she joined him, adding her own strength to the age-old rhythm of man and woman uniting.
She would have liked for this to go on forever, but her body could hold back no longer. A gasp of pure delight escaped as she reached her zenith.
Joe joined her at the climax. A low male groan of pleasure issued from deep within him. This was no cure, he admitted. No other woman would ever be as exciting to him as Tess. He held her firmly against him until both their bodies went limp, then ordered himself to release her. The problem was he didn’t want to. He wanted to hold her close forever. That was not an option, he told himself. Leaning forward he kissed her stomach, then eased off her and stretched out beside her.
“You are enjoyable,” he said gruffly.
“You, too,” she replied.
They both fell silent, allowing their breathing to return to normal. She expected to feel relaxed and ready to sleep. Instead, she felt stimulated. Her legs tingled and the embers of desire, instead of slowly dying, began to glow once again.
She turned her head toward him. “Once was not enough.”
He grinned wryly. “I always did like that wanton side of you.” The desire to accept her invitation was strong, but even he had his limitations. Apology entered his voice. “However, the past couple of weeks have worn me down. I don’t have the energy.”
She told herself to forget it, but her body was too stimulated. “Why don’t I just see if I can revitalize you?” she suggested. “I’ll do all the work.”
Refuse, he ordered himself. This was playing with fire. But the flame was too enticing. “That’s an offer no man in his right mind could turn down,” he admitted.
Grinning mischievously, she sat up and began massaging his shoulders, then worked her way lower.
“That tickles,” he protested when her ministrations became more intimate.
She nipped his shoulder, then, stretching out beside him, moved against him much like a cat seeking to be petted.
“You are a temptress,” he murmured, capturing her face in his hands and seeking out her mouth for a hungry, possessive kiss.
She eased herself more fully on top of him and his breathing became ragged once again. As his maleness began to respond, she accepted him, using her velvetness to massage him to the fullest of his potency.
“You do know how to get a rise out of a man,” he said huskily.
“And more,” she replied, beginning to move with firmer purpose.
He let her continue for a while on her own. Then, with a sigh of regret, he joined her, increasing the rhythm of their joining until she wanted to scream from sheer ecstasy.
“Now!” he growled suddenly and pulled her hard against him, holding her there.
Currents of pleasure again racked her body as it pulsed with his, and nothing but the two of them existed in her mind.
When the world again began to impinge on her senses, she dropped a light kiss on his face, then slipped off and stretched out beside him. “Now I feel sated,” she admitted around a yawn.
“I’m relieved to hear that,” he replied, “because we do need to get some sleep.”
Smiling to herself, she closed her eyes.
Beside her, Joe frowned. This was a one-night stand and it wasn’t going to happen again, he vowed. She was much’ too dangerous to his resolve.
Awakening alone, Beatrice ran her hand over the place where Joe had lain. She’d been in love with him when she’d married him, and she was still in love with him. That, she could no longer deny. Now all she had to do was to convince him that they belonged together.
Hearing water splashing, she left the tent and headed to the spring. He was there. Diving in, she joined him. “Morning,” she said, kissing him lightly.
He frowned at her smiling face. “I meant what I said last night. We have no future together. I thought you’d agreed to that.”
Mentally she frowned. He had to be the most hardheaded man on the face of the earth. Well, he was going to find out just how tenacious she could be. Outwardly, her smile softened into a flirtatious grin. “I thought we could still be friends.”
“And I think it will be wise for us to keep our distance from now on,” he replied, easing away from her.
She regarded him speculatively. “A person could get the impression you were afraid of me.”
“And they’d be right,” he admitted. Climbing out of the water, he added over his shoulder, “I’m going to start a fire and get our breakfast cooking. I want to break camp as soon as possible.”
As he walked away her chin firmed with purpose. He could run, but eventually she would catch him.