breath to steady it. What was he doing to her? He hadn’t

touched her, yet her body felt heavy with an aching sensuality,

her breasts swollen and sensitive. She suddenly wanted to tear

open her shirtwaist and free her breasts. She wanted his hands

lifting and fondling her, his mouth – No, she must not, she

thought desperately. „Go away. I don’t want you here.“

He sat back on his heels and smiled. „Oh, yes, you want me

here. And you want me to carry you to that bed and drive into

you again and again and – “

„No. No, I don’t.“ She pressed back against the tufted

cushions of the chair, her cheeks singeing with color. „Why

should I? You’re nothing to me.“

„Except a man who can please you.“ His gaze narrowed on

her face. „A man who can stop you from burning. Because you

are burning, Silver.“

Her breasts were lifting and falling with every breath as she

tried to force air into her lungs. Move away, she thought

dizzily. Though not touching her, he was still too close. She

could feel the heat of his strong male body and caught the

scent of soap and musk she was learning to recognize as his

own.

„I’m not burning,“ she protested.

„Yes, you are.“ His face lit with a strange tenderness as he

smiled at her. „But don’t worry, I’m not going to let you burn

for long.“ His smile deepened to ruefulness. „I couldn’t. I

thought I wanted to punish you, but I decided last night it

would only be punishing myself. I’m much too selfish to do

anything so idiotic.“ He rose lithely to his feet and looked

down at her. „I also decided that next time I would act as a

lady’s maid when you chose to disrobe in front of me. You

shouldn’t mind my assistance.“ His dark eyes were suddenly

dancing with mischief. „After all, nudity is nothing to you, and

I’ve promised to restrain my lustful nature.“ He paused.

„Unless you issue an invitation.“

She tilted her head back to look up at him. She didn’t dare

speak, for she knew her voice would tremble, but she refused

to lower her eyes or avoid his glance.

He nodded and for a moment there was a flicker of both

admiration and pride in his expression. „Later.“ He turned and

walked toward the door. „It will be all the better if we both

think about it for a while. I just wanted you to know what I

would be thinking when I looked at you this evening.“ He

opened the door and glanced back at her. „I’ve decided that

since you seem to have such a distaste for being confined,

there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have dinner with our

guests. They may be a trifle disreputable, but a woman of your

background shouldn’t be uncomfortable in their presence.

Dinner is at eight. Valentin will escort you to the table.“

Silver breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed softly

behind him. She was tingling, trembling, and her heart was

pounding crazily. And he had been aware of his effect on her,

dammit. She should have known she wouldn’t be able to hide

her emotions from him. She had never been good at subterfuge

even as a child. When she had tried to hide her loneliness and

fear behind a wall of defiance, Rising Star had always been

able to see right through the deceit to the terrified child. Now

this golden-haired satyr was reading her just as easily as her

aunt had.

No, that was not true. He was aware only of her body’s

response, not the responses of her heart and soul. Even if her

body betrayed her, she could still keep from yielding him

anything else. He would never know the curious aching

tenderness she had experienced when he had thrown back his

head and laughed so joyously, nor her wistfulness when she

had watched him with Mikhail and Valentin. Those reactions

had both been madness and she would not acknowledge that

they had existed for more than a fleeting moment.

She rose from the chair and wandered over to the window

to gaze out at the bluffs bordering the banks of the river.

According to what Robert had revealed to her, she might not

have long to worry about Nicholas or her reactions to him. The

Mississippi Rose would proceed down a channel almost in the

middle of the river for the next twenty-four hours. Then the

boat would have to bear toward the western shore to avoid a

chain of sandbars. Even a strong swimmer would have

difficulty making it to shore now, but the distance would be

cut in half tomorrow evening when the Rose veered around the

sandbars. She must only make sure she was not locked in the

stateroom or surrounded by Nicholas’s guests when that time

came. Her hand clenched on the peach-colored velvet of the

heavy curtains. It shouldn’t be too difficult, much easier and

less dangerous than spending another day with Nicholas.

Oh, yes, far less dangerous than staying with Nicholas

Savron.

5

Valentin stood in the doorway, his gaze traveling over Silver

from the top of her dark head to the tips of her sensible patent

leather boots. He bowed gracefully. „You look as fresh as a

spring daffodil.“

„I look no different than I did this afternoon.“ Silver

touched the bodice of her white shirtwaist. „I have nothing

else to wear. Not that I would have changed for dinner

anyway. Why should I care what you all think of me?“ She

came toward him, her back very straight, her carriage majestic.

„I didn’t choose to come here.“

Valentin grimaced as he looked down at his own elegant

attire. „Ah, such confidence. I’m afraid I’ve always relied

upon my tailor to lend me boldness when facing a social

evening.“

Silver smiled. It was difficult to believe Valentin could be

anything but confident in any situation. „I have a confession to

make.“

„Wonderful, I love to hear lovely women’s confessions. I

do hope it’s shocking.“

She lowered her voice to a whisper. „I did scrub my face

and brush my hair.“

Valentin’s laugh rang out. „A touch of vanity at last.“ He

offered her his arm. „Since we’re obviously kindred spirits,

may I escort you to the grand saloon, Miss Delaney?“

She slipped her arm in his. „I’m not nervous, you

understand.“

„No, of course not,“ he said gently. „But I am. So perhaps

you’ll be persuaded to bear me company this evening. A man

always feels more confident with a pretty woman at his side.“

She tried to hide the relief that cascaded through her. „I

don’t see why not.“ She didn’t look at him as she permitted

him to escort her from the stateroom. „You’ve been very kind

to me.“

She was glad for his polite chatter as well as his silent

support as they traversed the long, glittering expanse of the

saloon. The chandeliers shimmered with color, borrowing

brilliance from the stained-glass skylights and casting a festive

glow on the scene at the opposite end of the saloon. The long

dinner table was covered with a rich lace cloth and set with

fine china and tall white candles in silver holders. Four

musicians played on a raised circular platform a few yards

away from the dinner table. They were quite skilled but no one

was paying any attention to their music, Silver noticed. The

men and women seated at the table were too involved with one

another, their laughter and conversation so loud the music

could scarcely be heard. Dinner was already in progress and

four white-coated servants were bustling around the table

filling wineglasses and serving roast chicken from a silver