teased her like hot fluttering butterflies.

She cried out. „It’s… too… much.“

He froze, his fingers stilling their excitation. „Yes, it is,“ he

said thickly. With one quick movement he fell backward and

then rolled over until he was astride her. He plunged wildly,

almost brutally, in a fever of passion. The pace was

unbearable. Silver was lost in heat and desire. Then it was

over, exploding with the same fiery force as before.

His breath was coming in gasps as he looked down at her.

„You see,“ he said, meeting her eyes. „This is what we’ll have

together, and you cannot deny you want it.“ He bent down and

gently kissed her lips. „Can you, Silver? And this is only the

beginning; it gets better and better until it’s a fever in your

blood. I intend to make sure you never recover from that

fever.“

But what of him? Silver thought with sudden jolt of pain.

She had no doubt that he could enslave her senses with this

physical pleasure, but would she have the same power over

him? What if he tired of her? Men tired easily of women’s

bodies, but she had never known lust before meeting Nicholas.

What if she were one of those foolish women who could not

know lust without love? And if she became his mistress, she

would almost certainly bear his illegitimate children. She

would bring the same shame and hurt to her child as her

mother had brought to her. The thought sent a wild thrill of

panic through her.

He moved off her and then lay down beside her, pulling her

into his arms. „You’ll come with me to Russia.“ His voice was

soft, coaxing. „Say it, Silver.“

Perhaps she was already starting to love him, she thought

frantically. The signs had been there, but she had refused to

read them. No, she must not love him.

„Say it. Silver.“ His long, graceful hand gently stroked her

hair.

She reached desperately for something, anything to break

the spell. „Will you stop looking for Dominic if I go with

you?“

He stiffened against her. „You’re bargaining? No, Silver,

that’s not negotiable.“

„Then there’s no reason for me to go to Russia.“ She tried

to keep her voice careless and unconcerned. „My life is here

and I have things to do with it.“

He was silent for a long moment. „It appears I must

increase my efforts at persuading you.“ His lips brushed her

temple. „It’s fortunate that I have time and intimacy on my

side, isn’t it? And when at last we get back to St. Louis to see

if Dominic has taken the bait, I think you may change your

mind.“

„You’re still not going to let me go?“

His arms tightened around her. „No, did you expect me

to?“

„No, I didn’t expect this to make any difference. I know

you regard the taking of a woman as unimportant.“

Then why did he feel as if he had been lifted and torn from

everything he had ever known? he wondered. Why was he

experiencing anger, tenderness, and bewilderment now, when

he had never felt these emotions toward any other woman?

„Very wise,“ he said. „Then you won’t be disappointed to

know you’re still a prisoner.“

„And you won’t be disappointed to know that I have no

intention of staying a prisoner.“ She nestled nearer, her eyes

closing. „Nothing has really changed.“

His hand stroked her hair with exquisite gentleness. „No,

nothing has really changed.“

She was nearly asleep when she remembered something.

„Your scars… I dug my fingernails in your back. I didn’t hurt

you?“

„The scars are old. They no longer bring me pain.“

No, she thought drowsily, it wasn’t the scars on the outside

that brought the lasting pain….

„Wake up, Silver.“ Nicholas was kneeling beside her,

pulling her into a sitting position. He slipped her arms into the

sleeves of his shirt and rapidly buttoned it. „Lord, you spoke

truth when you said you slept soundly.“

„Why do I have to wake up?“ she asked, yawning.

„It’s dawn and a boat has been launched from the Rose. I

believe we’re about to be rescued.“ He stood up and began

dressing quickly. „I realize you probably have no objections to

being found nude, but I find I have a distinct aversion to the

thought of any man except me seeing you unclothed.“ He

frowned. „Though that shirt is scarcely modest. It doesn’t even

cover your knees.“

She blinked sleepily. „Sorry.“

He suddenly chuckled as he finished fastening his trousers.

„I believe I may enjoy waking you from a sound sleep under

other circumstances. You’re amazingly docile on awakening.“

She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and looked

out at the river. A rowboat was drawing near to the shore and

she was able to identify Valentin and Mikhail manning the

oars of the craft.

She stood up and walked down to the bank. She waved and

called cheerfully, „Good morning. Do you have a bucket in the

boat?“

The prow of the boat bumped against the shore and

Valentin jumped out on the moss-covered bank. „Just a bailing

bucket.“

„That will do.“ She turned to Nicholas. „Will you…“

He sighed. „I should have known you’d wake up hungry.

Can’t you wait until we get back to the Rose?“

„Of course, but this is for later.“

Mikhail and Valentin gazed at Nicholas blankly as he

crossed to the boat to fetch the bucket.

„What are you going to do?“ Valentin asked.

„Raspberries,“ Nicholas answered succinctly. „Stay with

her.“ He disappeared into the shrubbery.

„Raspberries?“ Valentin repeated.

Silver nodded. „Huge, wonderful raspberries. We’ll have

them for lunch or dinner with cream. They should be even

better that way.“

Mikhail and Valentin exchanged glances and then suddenly

broke into laughter.

„Why do you laugh?“ Silver asked in puzzlement. „Truly,

they’re very, very good.“

„I’m sure they are.“ Valentin said, trying to subdue his

laughter. „Let’s just say it wasn’t what we were anticipating.

When you jumped overboard last night and forced Nicholas to

pursue you, we didn’t think we’d find him meekly picking

raspberries at your command.“

„What did you expect?“

Valentin sobered. „To find Nicholas ready to strangle you.“

Mikhail spoke gently, his gaze searching her face. „You are

well?“

Sudden color rose to her cheeks. „Of course I’m well,“ she

answered, not looking at him. „Nicholas was very kind.“ She

turned away abruptly. „And he’s not as meek at this moment

as you may believe.“ She smiled over her shoulder. „He likes

raspberries too.“

Lee Bassinger moved back into the shadows of the boiler

deck and watched with no expression as Mikhail Kuzdief leapt

onto the deck from the rowboat and then leaned down to lift

Silver Delaney up beside him. So Savron had caught his little

captive, he thought as he observed Nicholas Savron and

Marinov climb onto the deck. Perhaps she had spoken the truth

and she wasn’t a whore after all. Whatever she was, she was

important to Nicholas Savron. No man jumped into a river to

pursue a female unless she held value for him.

He felt a surge of savage satisfaction. The key. She was

going to be the key just as he had thought when he had first

seen her. His hands tightened on the rail until his knuckles

turned white as he remembered his humiliation at that bitch’s

hands. Yes, he would use her to punish Savron and then he

would break her and throw her away.

He could make no move while on the Rose, but in another