He felt a sudden surge of power flood him. He could do this to

her. He could make her flame and tremble. He reached out

with the other hand and cupped her right breast and began to

squeeze rhythmically, watching with pleasure the hardening of

her nipples, the swelling of her breasts in the palms of his

hands. „I think it does give you pleasure, love. Come here.“

He moved her up so that her full breasts hung over his mouth

like ripe golden apples. He licked delicately at one rosy nipple.

„And I think this gives you pleasure too, doesn’t it?“

Pleasure. It was too tame a word for the emotion tearing

through her. She was burning. She couldn’t breathe. She bent

closer, nudging at his mouth with her breast. „More. Please.“

He opened his lips and enveloped her with his mouth,

sucking strongly. She cried out, throwing back her head as the

wild, unbearably exciting sensations tore through her. Her

hands went to his cheeks, stroking, helping him take….

The tears brimmed and then rolled down her cheeks. She

was panting. „Nicholas, I want – “

He pulled away, his mouth releasing her. „Shhh. I know.“

His hands continued to squeeze her, watching the expressions

on her face. „My God, your breasts are sensitive. I wonder…“

He removed his hands and gently pushed her away. „Let me

up, I have to get out of these clothes before I – “ He was

tearing at his clothes, his gaze still on her face. Her hunger

was naked and so arousing to behold that when his manhood

finally sprang free, it was with a power greater than he had

ever experienced.

She was staring at him, her pink tongue absently

moistening her berry-stained lips. He felt a thrust of heat so

intense, he made a guttural sound deep in his throat.

„I want to touch you.“ Silver’s gaze never left him. She got

to her knees, her fingers running delicately, curiously, over the

thatch of hair surrounding his manhood. „Your hair is golden

all over your body. It’s darker gold here but…“ She forgot

what she was going to say as her hand grasped him. He jerked,

a great shudder racking his body. It was like holding a great

stallion with only a satin hair ribbon, she thought. All that

force and power held helpless by the pleasure of her hand.

She slowly raised herself so that her breasts were touching

him and gently brushed against him, letting him feel her

softness against his manhood. His chest was moving in and out

with the harshness of his breathing as he looked down at her

dark head. „Silver…“ His voice was choked. „I can’t bear

much more. I’m…“ He groaned through his teeth as her

tongue touched him. His nostrils flared. „No! Not now!“

He jerked away from her and sank to his knees. His ebony

eyes were glazed as he pushed her down on the moss and

opened her thighs. He was wild, savage, as he tore the sheer

veiling from her body. „I have to…“ He trailed off, his hands

searching.

She knew what he had to do, what she wanted him to do.

The desire she felt was as wild and primitive as what he was

feeling. Her palms slid up his chest, savoring the heat, the

textures of him. She was making tiny frantic sounds as she felt

his fingers probe and then enter her before beginning a gentle

thrusting motion.

„More!“ she gasped. „Nicholas, more!“

„Shh. Soon.“ He moved between her thighs, his manhood

nudging against her. „It’s just that you’re so tight. I want to

make sure I don’t hurt you.“

Her nails dug into his shoulders. „I don’t care if you hurt

me,“ she said fiercely. „More.“

„Yes, yes!“ A groan came with the same explosive power

as his action as he suddenly plunged deep inside her.

Pain. Silver inhaled sharply as the expected wave of pain

rolled over her. Then it was gone and there was only the hot,

sweet fullness of joining.

„Silver.“ Nicholas was looking down at her, stunned.

„It was nothing,“ she said impatiently. „I expected much

more pain. Go on. Is it always this good?“

„No.“ He was still frozen, gazing at her blankly. She was so

damn hot, tight, enveloping him. He was quivering, flexing,

his manhood fighting to take more. More! My God, hadn’t he

taken enough from her?

It appeared he hadn’t, for she was glaring up at him. „Don’t

you dare stop. I won’t be cheated after I’ve gone this far.“

His laugh was a half sob in his throat. Only Silver would

react to her deflowering in this fashion. Well, he would not

cheat her or himself either. It was too late to stop now anyway.

He plunged again and began a wild rhythm that started the

tension throbbing, rising, within them both.

Silver’s head was thrashing back and forth, her eyes

gleaming like crystals as she gazed up at him. She was

panting, moaning, ablaze. A firebird rising, fiery wings

outstretched, soaring toward the sun. He rode the firebird into

the dazzling radiance waiting for them beyond the horizon.

Burning away the wind, the earth, the stars. Then in a wild and

shimmering burst of flame, they burned away the sun itself.

And were left only with the velvet darkness of eternity…

and each other.

Silver lay in hazy contentment, lost in a dreamy lethargy of

sensual pleasure she had never known before. Where was

Nicholas? She had been vaguely conscious of him leaving her,

but she had been too breathless and happy to protest.

Then he was beside her, kneeling and parting her thighs.

„What are you doing?“ A cool dampness soothed her flesh.

„Where did you get the cloth?“ she asked lazily.

„That bed curtain is quite versatile in its uses.“ He didn’t

look at her as he threw the cloth aside. „It would have been of

no use to you as a gown after I ripped it off you.“ He reached

for his white shirt. „Sit up.“

She obediently sat up and put her arms in the sleeves as he

held his shirt for her. „Why do I have to put on clothes when

you don’t?“

„Because I don’t pose the same temptation.“ He rapidly

buttoned the shirt. „I haven’t the slightest doubt I’ll be taking

this off you very soon, but there are a few questions I want to

put to you first.“

He was wrong, she thought dreamily, he posed a temptation

that was almost irresistible now that she knew what pleasure

he could give her. „I’ve made a decision.“

„Indeed?“

„I’ve decided I like doing what we just did better than

smelling woodsmoke or eating raspberries or tasting

honeysuckle.“ She smiled. „Better than anything.“

His lips tightened. „You seem to have no apprehensions

about yielding your virginity.“

„I didn’t yield it. I gave it. I chose to do so, and you gave

me much pleasure.“ She smiled. „Thank you.“

He stared at her incredulously. „You’re speaking as if I’d

just given you a handful of those raspberries. I deflowered you,

dammit!“

„I told you I liked it far better than raspberries,“ she said,

her eyes twinkling. „I regret I’m not duly dismayed.“

„Why should I expect anything else?“ he asked caustically.

„Perhaps Apaches are as casual about discarding their virginity

as they are their clothing.“

„No, virginity is just as revered among the Apaches as it is

among the whites. Why do you think my mother was forced to

leave her tribe when she lay with Boyd Delaney? There was

shame upon her head.“ She gazed at him curiously. „Why are

you so angry? You told me this was what you wanted from me

from the very first moment we met. Now you have what you