But it wasn’t a child he was holding in his arms, and he

wasn’t accustomed to playing nursemaid to young women who

were wrapped only in diaphanous bed curtains covered by

linen shirts. His body was responding with an alacrity that

signaled an achingly uncomfortable night if he didn’t move

away from her.

Her cheek nestled and rubbed against his chest like a cat

against a satin pillow. Heat surged to his groin and he inhaled

sharply. He should move away. He had promised.

„Do you have nightmares?“ she asked.

Her warm breath caressed his flesh with every word, and

the muscles of his stomach began to knot. „Sometimes. Not

lately. I used to have them frequently.“ Her hair was clinging

to his fingers like tousled silk. She smelled of raspberries,

moss, and something more elemental that caused his head to

swim dizzily. One moment more and he’d move away from

her.

„What about? Monsters?“

„No, about being buried alive.“ He was scarcely aware of

what he was saying. She had nestled closer and he could feel

the womanly fullness of her breasts pressing against him.

„Darkness, Not being able to breathe.“

„How terrible,“ she murmured. The thatch of dark golden

hair on his chest looked invitingly springy, and Silver moved

her cheek to rest against it. The texture was gently abrasive

against the smoothness of her cheek. Her throat tightened and

her heart suddenly began to pound. Such a tiny thing to ignite

such excitement. His roughness against her softness, his

maleness against her womanliness. How would her naked

breasts feel pressed against that springy rough hair?

The thought brought a tingling emptiness between her

thighs that shocked her. This was not a yearning for comfort,

this was lust. How had her body’s needs changed so quickly?

She must slip out of his arms now, before he became aware of

her weakness. Her breasts were swelling, the nipples

hardening as they had last night when he had teased her. No,

she mustn’t think of those moments. Her heart was throbbing

so hard, she thought it would leap from her breast.

His hand tangled in her hair. „Silver…“ His voice was

thick, soft, seductive. „I shouldn’t…“

The heat of his body was enfolding her wherever flesh

touched flesh, and she was aware of the changes taking place

in his body. The tautening of the ridge of muscles beneath her

cheek and the leaping drum of his heart that echoed her own.

„What?“

He muttered a curse. For one instant he crushed her to him,

letting her feel the scorching heat of his body and an arousal

that caused her breath to stop in her lungs. Then he was gone,

his hands dropping away from her hair as he edged back away

from her to his former place by the fire. „Go to sleep,“ he said

between his teeth. „For God’s sake, go back to sleep.“

He was hurting, hungry, so aroused that she could feel the

vibrations of his desire like a great bell resonating,

summoning, enticing. It seemed impossible that she had ever

wanted him to hurt like this. Now she understood that pain

because it was throbbing in her own body. Emptiness, heat,

aching, a passionate urge to leave loneliness behind and join

with Nicholas.

„Don’t look at me like that.“ His dark eyes were blazing at

her across the few yards separating them. „I’m trying to

remember you were hurt tonight and have no defenses.“ He

closed his eyes but he could still see her gazing at him, crystal-

gray eyes shining with excitement and curiosity. The eyes of a

firebird. „I’m not used to being self-sacrificing, dammit.“

Even if he was unaccustomed to self-denial, he was still

doing it, Silver thought. Another facet of this complex man

revealed. The soul of a poet, Valentin had said, and she had

seen that tonight herself. But it was not the poet in him that

was flooding her body with heat. How beautiful he was lying

there with his rumpled golden hair and the long clean lines of

his body taut and rigid with desire. Not Apollo now, but a man,

and a man more vulnerable than she had ever seen him. A

strong wave of tenderness shimmered through her, blending

with desire until she did not know where one ended and the

other began.

„You’re still looking at me.“ Nicholas didn’t open his eyes.

„Yes.“ Excitement was building, the decision was forming.

Madness. He would not force her, would not even try to

seduce her. AH she had to do was close her eyes and go to

sleep. Yet, why should she do that? That very knowledge was a

seduction in itself. She wanted this man. It would be she who

took, not he. She could have what her body craved, and then

be the one who walked away. As for the consequences, she

would find a way to protect herself from the consequences of

giving herself to Nicholas.

A sudden thrill of fear rained through her as she realized

that one of those consequences might be that she’d be with

child… as her mother had been. But she was far stronger than

her mother, and coupling did not always result in a child.

Rising Star had been married fourteen years before she had

conceived, and Elspeth was still not with child though four

years had passed since she had wed Dominic. There was a

chance she would be fortunate and still take her pleasure

without suffering for it.

Consequences? When had she ever worried about

consequences? she wondered. She had always acted first and

thought later and she knew suddenly that was exactly what she

was going to do now. Soon she must leave Nicholas and go

back to Etaine and her own life. She could not look forward to

many pleasures in the future, why should she not satisfy this

craving that racked her body with burning need? „I don’t want

to go to sleep.“ She got to her knees and quickly unbuttoned

the shirt she was wearing and slipped it off. „What if I fell

asleep and the monster devoured me?“

„It’s not any monster you have to worry about tonight.“ His

eyes remained tightly closed. „I assure you that I – “ He broke

off and his eyes flew open. Long strands of fragrant satin-dark

hair were trailing across his chest as she leaned over him,

veiled only by the sheer tunic. „My God,“ he whispered.

A faint flush colored her cheeks as she slipped the tunic to

her waist and leaned closer. „I do not fear you.“ Her lips

touched his shoulder. „Do you fear me?“

„God, yes. I’m scared as hell you’re going to tie me in

knots and then leave me. It’s a game you’re quite adept at

playing.“

„I will not leave you.“ Her mouth moved to the golden

thatch of hair on his chest and she opened her lips to tug at a

tuft like a playful puppy. His heart gave a great leap and then

started pounding erratically. „Not until you have what you

want.“ Pressing her breasts to the thatch of hair, she rubbed

back and forth, closing her eyes to enjoy the sensation more

fully. It was even better than she had imagined. Each brush

against her sensitive nipples caused a hot tingle to rush

through her and the aching between her thighs to increase

tenfold.

„You’re hurt.“

„No longer. It was nothing. I’m strong now.“

„You’re sure?“

„I’m sure.“ She took his hand and placed his palm on her

left breast. „Touch me. I think it will give me pleasure.“

His hand slowly closed on her breast, his eyes narrowing

on her face. She was flaming. Glowing. Her excitement so

intense she was trembling as he squeezed the rounded globe.