The Rebel King

at the back of his throat as if he'd tasted something unbearably sweet. 'There,' she whispered against his lips, 'that's the best painkiller there is…'

An easing breath poured silently from him as he took her head between his two hands. Holding it like a priceless treasure, he closed his eyes and let his mouth find its way to hers again…sank into it. and felt it begin to heal his wounded soul.

But even without touching her body he could feel her shivering. She was cold. hurt, possibly in shock, and his muscles ached to hold her close, to warm, protect and nourish her. make her all right again. The fact that he couldn't do any of those things brought the rage simmering inside him to a boil again. He'd been a believer in nonviolence all his life; it astonished him that he could feel such a powerful urge to kill.

He left the sweet solace of her mouth reluctantly, pressed his lips to her forehead instead. 'My love, you're shivering. There's a blanket in my car, I think. Not much of a heater, though. You 're better off staying here while I go and see what I can find. Here-sit down. Maybe see if you can raise Elliot on your cell phone.' He pressed his lips to her forehead. 'Back in a flash.'

He let go of her and strode jerkily from the room, only then discovering how badly shaken he was.

Outside, he retrieved the blanket from the car's boot- dusty and smelling damp-and confirmed his suspicion that the tires were indeed casualties of war. He shook out the blanket as best he could, then wadded it up and headed back to the kitchen. 'Here, luv-not terribly clean, but at least it's warm. I'm going to see if there's anything in the garage to patch a tire-' He halted. Rhia wasn't sitting where he'd left her, but was standing beside the window, frowning at the cell phone in her hand. 'What is it? No signal?'

She shook her head and made a little grimace of annoyance. 'Not even a smidgen.'

Nikolas pulled in a careful breath and tried to make his tone light. 'Then I'm afraid we're-pardon the expression-royally screwed. This place has been shut down for years-no power, no telephone…I suppose I might try building a fire, perhaps send up a few smoke signals…'

'You can…' Rhia paused, biting her lower lip in concentration as she tugged at something on the back of her belt'… I guess, if you have a really strong desire to practice your Boy Scout merit-badge skills. Or, we can use this.' She held up a little black box about the size of a deck of playing cards.

'Don't-' he did a double take and stared at the thing sideways '-tell me that's a-'

'Yep-emergency radio beacon. All we have to do is open it like this-' she was demonstrating as she spoke '- and hit this little button right here…and we're in business.' Her valiant efforts to hold back a gleeful smile produced a dimple he'd never seen before, and her eyes had the glow of aged brandy.

He could only gaze at her and slowly shake his head. 'A man could easily develop one hell of an inferiority complex hanging around you-you know that, don't you?'

'Donovan, I doubt you're in danger of ever having an inferior anything.' The sultry look she gave him from under her eyelashes quickened his pulse and reminded him graphically of the fact that she was naked from the waist up-something she'd apparently forgotten. 'Anyway,' she said with a shrug, 'I can't take the credit. It's standard issue for all Lazlo's agents. First time I've ever used mine-I've always considered it kind of a nuisance, to tell you the truth. Just one more thing to carry.'

She looked around at the thick stone walls. 'I suppose we ought to take it outside. I don't know exactly what the range is, but I'm sure the less interference the better.'

She was on her way to the door, looking like an artist's rendition of Athena off to the hunt, when Nikolas cleared his throat and said. 'Uh…sweetheart…aren't you forgetting something?'

She paused to throw him a questioning look over one bare shoulder, saw the direction of his gaze and glanced down at herself. 'Oh,' she said. 'That. So what? There's nobody around for miles.'

'I'm around.' he pointed out as he picked up her jacket and draped it carefully over her shoulders. He stroked a strand of damp hair away from her ear and with his lips almost touching its delicate shell, murmured. 'Have a little pity, love. You have no idea how rotten it makes me feel, having lusty thoughts about you when you're injured and in pain.' It wasn't the time, he knew, to tell her how far beyond lust-light-years beyond-his thoughts about her had gone.

She leaned against him. her head bumping onto his shoulder, her body's curves seeking his. 'But I told you-a little lust is like an all-over shot of morphine.'

'Rhee, I adore you,' he said, laughing weakly, his lips in her hair and her scent, lightly flavored with tea, filling his senses. 'But…forgive me, sweetheart. I don't know where to put my hands.'

She groped for and found the windowsill, set the transmitter box on it and reached for his hands. She placed them on her hips and covered them with hers, her fingers warmly stroking the backs of his as she turned her face to his neck and whispered. 'Anywhere below the waist seems to be fine…'

He groaned. Her warm, firm flesh taunted him. safely protected from his lascivious touch beneath layers of fabric and a belt like something medieval knights put on their women when they went off to war. 'My love, you're killing me, you know. You can't possibly-oh…g-' His breath hissed between his teeth as her hands reached behind her. slipped between her backside and his front side to stroke the growing bulge behind his zipper.

'Tell me you don't just want me for my medicinal qualities.' he said in a grating voice. Holding himself rigidly still, aware that she was trembling, now. Not the tight shivers that meant she was cold, or breathless ripples of passion, but shudders of overwhelming emotion that racked her body from head to toe.

'I don't…just want you…for your medicinal qualities. I want you…for all your qualities.'

'So, you do want me, then…'

'Yes…oh. yes…more than want. I think…I need you. I need-' She broke off with a dry sob. Nikolas caught her tightly to him with one arm across her waist, and with the other pressed her head into the curve of his neck and shoulder.

'It's okay.' he crooned as he rocked her. 'it's okay…'

'Dammit. Nik. Dammit, dammit, dammit…'

'I know…I know.'

'I want to kill him. Seriously. I…want…to…kill…him. If I'd had a gun…'

'It's probably a good thing you didn't.' He kissed her temple. 'Have you ever killed anyone, my love?'

She shook her head. Sniffed. 'No. Have you?'

'No.' He rocked her silently for a moment. 'But I have an idea it's not an easy thing for a good person to do.'

She sniffed again, a longer one this time, more an indrawn breath. 'No. I suppose not.'

She stirred in his arms, and when he let her go she pulled away from him, raking the fastenings from her hair, combing it with her fingers-carefully, because of her scalded scalp. 'I'm okay now-really.' she said, sounding breathless. 'I'm sorry, Nik. I hope I didn't-I mean…' She made an embarrassed little gesture. Avoiding his eyes.

'I may be crippled for life.' he said somberly. Her eyes flashed at him. bright with dismay. He smiled and brushed her cheek with the back of his finger. 'I'm kidding, my dearest. Contrary to what most adolescent males would have you believe. I don't know of any documented evidence of permanent damage caused by unfulfilled lust.' He nodded toward the window. 'Let's get our little Mayday box outside where someone might actually hear it, shall we?'

'I think somebody has.' Rhia said in an odd voice, going motionless with her head cocked at a listening angle.

Then Nikolas heard it, too-the steady thump of a helicopter's rotors. 'Well, well. I suppose that's Elliot?' He lifted one eyebrow. 'Lazio does take good care of his people, doesn't he? I must say, though. I'm rather glad the cavalry didn't arrive a few minutes earlier, aren't you?'

'Sorry I didn't get here sooner.' Elliot shouted as Rhia took the hand he offered. 'I was outside taking a-uh… sorry-taking care of…uh. personal business-didn't catch the signal.' He glanced at but didn't comment on the way she held her jacket together loosely with one hand when she let him help her into the chopper. As she settled into the jump seat, he yelled over one shoulder. 'Don't tell Lazio, okay? He'll have my head. I had strict orders not to take my eyes off your six.'

She reassured him with a smile, the best one she could manage with her teeth clamped together. The pain raking down the front of her body no longer made her nauseated, at least. Now, it just stung like bloody hell.

Nikolas's tall form filled the doorway of the chopper. She watched him toss in Elliot's duffel bag and the other