swelled within her. hard and inhaled deeply as she remembered the
previous night.
She couldn't have been so brazen. Or so wanton. or so decadent. or so
searingly intimate.
But she had been. He had warned her away. He had given her every
opportunity. He had told her that she should be with a man who cared. He
implied that he didn't care. Surely that wasn't true. He liked her.
There were about her he loved.
But it didn't mean anything. That was the rub. It mean anything at all.
She was just a woman, a warming body. Just like Eliza. She had thrown
herself at him.
And one day he'd turn away from her, just as he had turned from Eliza.
She inhaled, exhaled, then forced herself to walk. She must not let it
happen again. Even if it had been more than she had ever dreamed. She'd
never imagined that making love could be so erotic, so wonderful. She'd
never imagined that it was possible to feel so excited,- so cherished,
so ~ explosive and so sated. She'd never imagined that a man's hands
could do what his had done, or that a man's kiss could awaken everything
in her body, or that a man could 'join with a woman so completely and
bring about such splendor.
It could quickly become addictive. But he didn't intend to stay. Even if
he bought her land and settled down, he had made it clear that he didn't
intend to stay with her.
She had taken care to sound independent, too. And now. Now she wanted to
lie down beside him again. She wanted ~to laugh and feel his touch and
explore his shoulders and his chest and his long, muscled legs and .
everything. Even the parts of the body that she couldn't quite bring
herself to name aloud. She had wanted him. never deny that. But now she
was afraid of the long that seemed to have escalated since she had known
his touch.
Having him hadn't quenched the desire at all.
It had set it all afire. She was in front of the lawyer's office. She
set her hand knob and twisted it and walked in. Mr. Barrymo~e finishing
copying out a second set of papers. Jamie directed him as to what he
should write.
timing,' Jamie said, applauding her.
'We need ~ ' Shouldn't I read the documents?'
'Be my guest.'
Tess took the papers from Mr. Barrymore, but she couldn't quite manage
to read. She pretended to, skimming the words. They all swam before her.
'We need a witness,' Mr. Barrymore said. 'No problem,' Jamie told him.
He stepped outside. A moment later, he was back with Doe. He signed one
set of papers, then Mr. Barrymore and Doe signed as witnesses. Then Tess
signed, not having the least idea of what was really on the papers, and
her signature was witnessed, too.
'That's that, then!' Jamie said, pleased. He counted out gold coins to
Mr. Barrymore, who seemed very pleased. So much was being done in paper
currency lately. 'Let's go, Tess,' Jamie said.
'Good day, Mr. Barrymore, Doe. Thank you,' she told the lawyer. But
Barrymore and Doe were hardly able to respond before Jamie had his hand
