They lowered to the floor, kneeling, wrapped close.

Swayed there.

He drew her shirt away, then brought her hands to his lips, pressed them to her palms. Everything, he thought, she held everything he was in her hands. How could she not know?

Then he laid her palm on his heart, looked into her eyes. “It’s yours. When you’re ready to take it, to take me for what I am, it’s yours.”

He pulled her close so her hands were caught between them, and this time his mouth wasn’t gentle, wasn’t patient.

Need leaped inside her, alive and fierce, while his heart kicked its wild beat against her palms. He tugged her jeans open, and drove her roughly up and up, drove her higher even when she cried out.

When she went limp, when it seemed she melted to the floor, he covered her with his body. Took more.

His hands and mouth stripped her, left her raw and open, weak and dazzled. Her breath sobbed out, caught on a fresh cry when he thrust into her. He gripped her hands, held tight as her fingers curled with his.

“Look at me. Look at me. Lil.”

She opened her eyes, saw his face washed in the reds and golds of firelight. Fierce and feral as that heartbeat. He plunged inside her until her vision blurred, until the slap of flesh to flesh was like music.

Until she’d given him everything.

She didn’t object when he carried her upstairs. She didn’t protest when he lay down with her and drew her close, his arms wrapped tight around her.

When he kissed her again it was like the first in the dance. Soft, sweet, seductive.

She closed her eyes and let herself dream.

IN THE MORNING, she rolled out of bed as he came out of the bath, hair still dripping.

“I thought you might sleep longer,” he said.

“Can’t. Full day.”

“Yeah, me too. Some of your people should be here in about thirty minutes, right?”

“About. That’s assuming they all remember how to work the new gate.”

He crossed to her, skimmed a thumb down her cheek. “I can wait until some of them get here.”

“I think I can handle myself alone for a half hour.”

“I’ll wait.”

“Because you’re worried about me or because you’re hoping I’ll use the time to fix you breakfast.”

“Both.” Now that thumb traced the line of her jaw. “I picked up bacon and eggs since you were out.”

“Do you ever give a passing thought to cholesterol?”

“Not when I’ve got you talked into fixing me bacon and eggs.”

“All right. I’ll slap a couple biscuits together.”

“I’ll toss a couple steaks on the grill tonight. A trade-off.”

“Sure, eggs, bacon, red meat. Screw the arteries.”

He caught her hips, levered her up for a hard good-morning kiss. “So speaks the beef farmer’s daughter.”

She headed downstairs thinking it seemed almost normal, this talk of breakfast, of dinner plans, of full days. But it wasn’t normal. Nothing was quite within that safe, normal zone.

She didn’t need the scattered clothes on her living room floor to remind her.

She swept in there first, gathered them up to shove the whole armload into her laundry room.

Once the coffee got going she heated up a pan. Leaving the bacon sizzling, she opened the back door, stepped onto the porch to breathe in the morning air.

Dawn broke in the east, bringing the hills into soft silhouettes against the first light. Higher, higher still, the last stars were going out like candles.

She scented rain. Yes, she was a farmer’s daughter, she thought. The rain would bring more wildflowers out, unfurl more leaves, and let her think about buying some plants for the compound.

Normal things.

She watched the sunrise and wondered how long he would wait. How long would he watch and wait and dream of death?

She stepped back in, closed the door. At the stove she drained bacon and broke eggs in the pan.

Normal things.

Tansy wasn’t wearing the ring. Lil actually felt her spirits plummet; she’d been counting on some happy news. But when Tansy rushed over to where Lil and Baby were having their morning conversation, the ring finger of her left hand was bare.

Her eyes shining with distress, Tansy threw her arms around Lil and hugged hard.

Lil said, “Um.”

“I started to call you last night. I was so upset. But then I thought you had enough to do and didn’t need me adding to it.”

“Upset? Oh, Tans.” As the plummet became a dive, all Lil could do was return Tansy’s crushing hug. “I know you can only feel what you feel, and you have to follow those feelings, but I hate that it upset you.”

“Of course it upset me.” Tansy pulled back, gave Lil a little shake. “Upset isn’t even close to the mark when my best friend’s being threatened. We’re going to start screening your e-mail as of now. In fact, we screen all e-mails.”

“E-mails?”

“Honey, did you take drugs this morning?”

“What? No! E-mails. The e-mail. Sorry, I saw you just drive up, so I didn’t think you knew about it yet.”

“Then what the hell did you think I was talking about?”

“Ah…” Flustered, Lil managed a weak laugh. “Got me there. I’m a little turned-around yet this morning. How did you find out so fast?”

“Farley and I ran into the sheriff last night after you called him about it. He-Willy-knew you were concerned about your parents, and wanted Farley to know what was going on. He went right home.”

“Farley went right home?”

“Of course, Farley. Lil, maybe you should lie down awhile.”

He didn’t ask her, Lil realized as Tansy checked her brow for fever. Never had the chance to ask her. “No, I’m okay. Just a lot on my mind, and I’m trying to stick to routine. I think it’ll help.”

“What did it say? No.” Tansy shook her head. “I’ll read it for myself. I should’ve told you right away everyone’s fine at your parents’. Farley called before I left this morning just to let me know.”

“I’ve talked to them, but thanks. It’s nice, you and Farley.”

“It’s weird, me and Farley. Nice and weird, I guess.” She watched as Lil picked up the bright blue ball and winged it high over the fence, into the enclosure. Baby and his companions screamed in happy competition as they gave chase. “They’re going to find him, Lil. They’ll find him soon, and this will be over.”

“I’m counting on it. Tansy, he mentioned Carolyn in the e-mail.”

“Oh.” Tansy’s dark eyes sheened. “Oh, God.”

“It sticks, right here, when I think about it.” Lil fisted a hand at her sternum. “So, routine.” She looked over to where Baby and his friends rolled and wrestled for the ball. “And comfort.”

“There’s always plenty of routine.”

“You know what I’d like, Tansy? You know what would bring that comfort?”

“A hot fudge sundae?”

“That’s a never-fail, but no. I’d like to be up there, hunting him down. I’d be comforted if I could be in the hills, tracking him.”

“No.”

“Can’t do it.” Lil shrugged, but her gaze stayed on the hills. “It would put others at risk. But it’s something else that sticks right here. That I have to wait, just wait while others go after the person responsible for all this.” She heaved out a breath. “I’m going around to check on Delilah and Boris.”

“Lil,” Tansy called after her. “You won’t do anything stupid?”

“Me? And risk losing my smart-girl status? No. Routine,” she repeated. “Just routine.”

HE HAD A PLAN, and it was sweet. He believed it had come to him in a trance vision, and convinced himself his great ancestor in the form of a cougar guided him. He’d claimed Crazy Horse as his own for so long that the connection had become truth to him. The longer he remained in the hills, the truer it became.

This plan would take care and precision, but he was not a careless hunter.

He knew his ground, had his stand. He would lay the trail. He would gather the bait.