even closer.
'What is this?' he demanded.
She moistened her lips, staring at his eyes, then at his mouth.
'What is--what?' she asked.
'Miss. Stuart, I gave you a chance last night. Hell, I gave you several
chances last night. You wanted to stay.'
'You wanted to make love.'
'I ... yes,' she whispered.
'And now you're running. Why?'
'I'm' not!' she protested.
'It's just that' -- 'I can't do it, Tess. I can't live with it if you
think you can blow hot and cold in a matter of hours.'
'Then what?'
'I'm just trying to give you ... space!'
She lowered her head. She desperately wanted to put her~ shoulder
against his shirt. She breathed in, smelling clean male scent of him,
and she felt a furious pulse flight at her throat, in her heart, in her
veins. He slid fingers into her hair at the sides of her head and lifted
face. He stared, and she tried to return his gaze tering. But then his
hand came to her breast. She muted something softly, then she did lean
against him.
sky seemed dazzling, but not so dazzling as the man. 'Tess, Tess!' he
whispered to her, holding her close.
frightening, it's damned terrifying. You're coming so much to me.'
His arms were around her. She parted her lips and moistened them with
her tongue again. His parted and moved upon hers, and they melded and
tasted until finally he drew his lips away. Then they sank down together
upon a bed of leaves, with the river just beyond them. Their arms locked
together and they kept kissing, tasting one another, and it ~ ~eemed
that the sound of the rushing water grew louder and louder.
Tess found that she was pressed into the leaves. His hands were upon
her.
She set her palms against his cheek, and desire took flight within her
as she felt the planes and textures , of his face. She thought
confusedly that she loved the way he looked with his smoke-dark eyes and
sandy, disheveled hair, with the rough touch and the rugged angles and
lines of his face, the twist of his jaw. She wrapped her arms around
him, sliding her fingers through the hair at his nape, drawing him to
her for another kiss. The earth beneath her began to heat. She ran her
fingers over the opening of his ~ahirt. She felt the ripple of muscle
with her fingertips. She teased at his buttons until his shirt opened,
until she could reach her hands inside and slide her nails over his
naked ~t~h and feel the trembling that she evoked.
him groan and she felt his touch upon the tiny of her dress, then she
felt herself being freed from Her slip and her chemise remained, but
they were the feel of his searing kiss upon her body and Soon her slip
was wound beneath her, and she felt earth with her bare flesh. His hard
and driving man teased her for a split second, then drove within her a
startling, shattering thrust that swept her breath The sun was above
him. She heard curious cries, then re- they came from her and that she
