Why had he sat there in a torment of lust while she teased him

to this unbearable pitch? She had challenged him with her

body and those damn cool words that incited anger and desire

and jealousy until he thought he would go mad.

„Enough?“ she asked, lifting one winged brow. „I’m

getting chilly.“

„No, not enough.“ He wasn’t sure at that moment that he’d

ever get enough of looking at her. Lord, she was beautiful.

Golden rose-tipped breasts flowing to a narrow waist and then

to sweetly curving hips and 6rm buttocks. Shining ebony hair

streamed straight and silky to the middle of her back, and her

eyes were brilliantly alive, challenging his mind almost as

much as his body.

His gaze traveled down to linger on the soft thatch of hair

protecting her womanhood. The palms of his hands on the

arms of the chair began to tingle as he thought of rubbing them

against that soft nest and then parting her thighs and – „Come

here.“

„Why?“

He looked up impatiently. „My dear Silver, the reason

couldn’t be more obvious.“ He glanced down at his lower

body and made a face. „Oh, yes, very obvious.“

„Why?“ she repeated.

A muscle jerked in his cheek. „To consummate the fire

you’ve built so skillfully. I want to touch you.“

„But you can’t touch me.“ Her gray eyes met his with

absolutely no expression. „That wasn’t what I intended at all.“

His gaze narrowed on her face. „And just what did you

intend?“

„I wanted you to hurt.“ Her voice was suddenly fierce. „I

wanted you to want me as men always want women and not be

able to touch me.“

„The hell I won’t!“ His eyes were blazing with fury. „I’m

going to – “ He stopped. His promise to Mikhail. Dammit to

hell, his promise to Mikhail!

She nodded slowly, the faintest smile touching her lips.

„You will not do it because you promised your friend you

would not. You value your friend, and I think you’re a man

who also values your word. You were very foolish to tell me of

your promise.“

„You little she-cat,“ he said through clenche,d teeth. „I told

you that to make you feel more secure. I didn’t want you

frightened of me.“

„I wasn’t frightened.“ Her eyes blazed back at him. „I was

angry. You forced me to come here against my will. Did you

care that I have my own life to live? There are things I must

do. The circus is leaving soon and I – “

He stiffened. „How unfortunate that you’ll have to live

without the embrace of your lover.“

„My lover?“ She shrugged impatiently. „All you can think

of is…“ Her gaze moved significantly down his body and

rested with satisfaction on the hard column outlined beneath

his tight trousers. „But that’s what I want you to think of

tonight and every night we are together.“ She whirled on her

heel, her hair flying wildly about her silken nudity, and

crossed the few paces to the bed. She brushed the sheer batiste

bed curtains aside, jerked the peach-colored spread down, and

slipped into bed. She glared at him across the room. „I told

you I would punish you.“

He could feel the fury surging through him, blinding, hot,

breathtaking. Anger almost as intense as the desire that was a

jagged torment in his body. He slowly stood up and moved

deliberately across the room. „What a vengeful little bitch you

are,“ he said softly. „I thought I had learned all the wicked

little tricks a woman could find to torture a man. I was

wrong.“ He stood over her, his gaze meeting her own. „I

supposed I should have expected that you would be especially

well versed in such arts. I’ve heard that savages were skillful

in the ways of torture.“

She flinched. „We are, but we acquired most of our

knowledge from the white man. We never flaunted killing until

they taught us how to scalp and count coup. How many scalps

have you hung at your belt, Nicholas?“

„I’ve never counted.“ His hand suddenly tangled in her hair

and jerked her head back. „But I believe I’m about to start.“

She stared back at him fearlessly. „No, you won’t. You’re

like most men who have honor toward men and not toward

women. You won’t break your promise.“

He gazed down at her for a long moment, his chest moving

harshly with the force of his breathing. Then, slowly, finger by

finger, he, released her hair. He straightened, moving jerkily,

as if his every muscle was atrophied by age. He closed his

eyes. „No, I’ll not break my promise, damn you!“

His hair was tousled gold in the lamplight, his nostrils

flaring with each breath, his bronze skin pulled tight over the

broad bones of his cheeks. She had a fleeting memory of the

first moment she had seen him, when she had thought he

looked like a sensual Apollo, that resemblance was even more

pronounced now. He was a deity burning, Apollo in a fever of

passion. A woman would have had to be made of ice not to be

stirred by Nicholas Savron in that moment. Ice, Silver prayed

desperately. She must be ice.

His eyes flicked open and he smiled down at her. Surprise

rippled through her. His smile was almost… loving. „A

challenge?“ His voice was velvet soft.

„No!“ she protested.

„I think you lie. Silver.“ One finger gently touched her

cheek. „I think you’re a woman who must always have a

challenge. Well, I intend to accommodate you. I won’t force

you. I won’t even touch you without your permission.“ His

finger trailed lazily down her cheek to the corner of her mouth.

„Until you ask me to sheath myself in you and give you what

you want,“ I won t –

„You will.“ His lids half veiled the gleaming darkness of

his eyes. „Because you didn’t count on one thing. Your body.

That very lovely body that wants me just as much as I want it.

I knew the first moment I saw you that you were a very

sensual lady. If I’m in pain, then you’ll be in pain too.“ His

finger slid down to the hollow of her throat. His smile

deepened as he felt the sudden leap of her heart. „You see?“

„I see nothing.“ In spite of her effort, the words held a

slight quaver.

His hand dropped away from her throat. „And to think I

believed you were an honest woman,“ he said mockingly. He

turned and strolled to the door he had told her led to the grand

saloon. He paused with a hand on the doorknob to look back at

her. „And I have one other advantage not available to you.

There are any number of women on this boat who will allow

me the relief you deny me, and I have no intention of allowing

you to receive a similiar satisfaction from any other man. If

you burn, you must appeal to me for relief.“ He gazed at her a

moment longer, his expression a mixture of desire, anger, and

pain. Then he was gone and she heard the door lock behind

him.

The room was suddenly larger, less threatening, yet…

empty. Silver drew a deep, quivering breath, her taut muscles

wilting like wildflowers at the fir^st frost. She was shaking,

she realized, surprised and indignant at her body’s betrayal.

There was no reason for her to respond in this fashion.

Nicholas was only a man, and she had been the victor in this

encounter. This sudden weakness must be due to the strain of

the evening. After she had rested she would be better able to

face the challenge Nicholas offered.

Challenge. It had been he, not she, who had issued the

challenge. It had been ridiculous of him to claim anything else.

She had wanted only to punish him for doing this to her. No