frightened.'
He felt a sudden fierce anger at the thought of Kate alone and afraid. It was so intense it caught him off guard. He couldn't remember ever before experiencing that sense of outrage. He had to draw a deep breath and consciously force his tense muscles to relax. 'They must have been very faint- hearted types,' he said gruffly. 'I guarantee I wouldn't have been so easy to get rid of even if I'd believed you.'
Her eyes widened. 'You wouldn't?'
He grasped her by the shoulders and tumbled her back into his arms. 'Nope. Not with a very special lady like you.' He brushed a butterfly kiss on the tip of her nose. 'First, I'd have sent you to the best doctor available to start your cure. Then I'd have whisked you away and spent your entire convalescent period showing you how many wonderful ways we could pleasure each other with no danger at all to either of us.'
'What ways?' Her eyes were bright with curiosity-
'I'll demonstrate later. It loses something in the telling.'
'Well, I don't see how it could have been any better than what we've just had.' She raised her head to gaze at him mistily. 'It was so beautiful.'
'Was it, Kate?' His voice was husky. She was so dear, like a happy little girl. 'I'm glad it was like that for you.'
'Oh, it was.' Her blue eyes were full of dreams. 'You made it that way, Beau. I wish I could give you something just as valuable.' She brushed her lips lovingly over the pulse beat in the hollow of his throat. 'I'd like to give you rare spices, precious stones, and one hundred twenty talents of gold.'
'One hundred twenty talents?' Beau asked, puzzled.
She nodded. 'That's what the Queen of Sheba brought as gifts to Solomon.'
The creases in the corners of his eyes deepened as he laughed up at her. 'I should have known.' He shook his head ruefully. 'That brain of yours is filled with the most amazing trivia.' He kissed her quickly to banish the troubled frown that was beginning to form. 'Fascinating trivia from a fascinating lady. And for your information, my services are not to be bought with one hundred twenty talents of gold. They're considered absolutely priceless in some circles. So you may keep your gifts, Kate.'
'Really?' Her eyes were suddenly dancing with mischief. 'I bet I know one gift you'll accept.' She pulled away from him and jumped to her feet.' 'You, being such a very tactile gentleman.' Ignoring his growl of protest, she picked up the white caftan and pulled it over her head. She ran to the far corner of the room and began turning a crank high up on the wall. 'This took an entire week for Julio and me to set up, but I think it was worth it. It's rigged with a pulley outside.'
She heard an exclamation of surprise behind her and looked up at the ceiling that was rolling neatly back to reveal leafy branches and moonlit sky. 'I wanted to lie under the stars.' She glanced over her shoulder and made a face. 'Unfortunately, I can't do this very often. Birds seem to find my flowers too attractive. I woke up one morning and found a parrot trying to build a nest in my orchids.' The roof was completely rolled back now and she released the crank and strolled back to him. 'I thought it was very inconsiderate of her since she had millions of other orchids in the forest to choose from.' She dropped to her knees beside him. 'I don't see why she had to…' She trailed off. 'Why are you looking at me so strangely?'
'Was I?' he asked absently. The lamplight was touching her sun-streaked curls with an aureole of radiance. The same radiance that was in her eyes. He pulled her down into his arms cradling her and pressing her head once more into the hollow of his shoulder. 'I didn't realize I was doing it. Perhaps I'm not used to women who live in tree houses with roofs that roll back so they can see the stars.'
'Well, then they've missed something really special,' she said staunchly, nestling closer. 'Look at that night sky. It seems close enough so you can reach out and touch it.' She chuckled. 'That should appeal to you. Midnight blue velvet for you to stroke. Do you like your gift, Beau?'
'Oh yes, I like my gift.' The soft warm breeze stirred the branches above them and the scent of rich earth, wild flowers, and wet grass were all around them now. The sky was midnight blue velvet and the stars were as clear and beautiful as Kate's eyes. His hand began to stroke her curls once again as he fought against the most unmanly lump that persisted in forming in his throat. 'My lovely, silken Kate and a blue velvet sky. How could I help but like it?'
Six
The first gray light of dawn was filtering through the glossy green of the leaves above her and she shivered unconsciously and drew closer to Beau's comforting warmth. And he
She opened her eyes to see his face only inches from her own and felt a queer tugging at her heart. He looked so vulnerable with all the cynicism and mockery banished by sleep. His long lashes were tipped with gold at the ends. She hadn't realized that, and his bronze hair had those same golden streaks woven through its darkness. He was so beautiful. She reached up with a careful finger to touch one of those lashes casting shadows on the hard plane of his cheek. The lash fluttered and she jerked her finger away quickly. She didn't want to wake him. When he was awake he would assume once more all the armor he used to guard himself from the world. When he was asleep, she could pretend that he belonged to her; awake such fantasizing about him was hard to sustain. The sadness of the thought served to jolt her out of her lovely dreamy euphoria.
Of course, he didn't belong to her. A night of passion meant nothing to a man. She should know that by now. Julio and Jeffrey had been prime examples of that philosophy and the other men she'd been exposed to over the years had been just the same. However special last night had been to her, she mustn't expect the same response from Beau. They were almost strangers and he might be equally tender and loving to any woman who'd given him sexual pleasure. How did she know? How did she know anything about the way he thought or felt?
She began to edge away, careful not to wake him. She felt a sudden desire to put up a few defenses of her own. She was the vulnerable one, not Beau. Not only by the nature of their bargain, but by her love for him. Last night, try as she might, she'd been unable to keep that knowledge at bay. She loved him and for her that emotion was synonymous with commitment. A commitment with Beau was very dangerous but she had no choice now. She only knew one way to love and the affection she felt for Jeffrey and Julio seemed minute in comparison.
With the utmost care she slid off the mattress and stood up. She gathered a few towels from the chest and snatched her white caftan from the floor beside the mattress. Then she let herself quietly out the door.
Thirty minutes later she'd bathed in the pool and was stretched out on her towel on the mossy bank basking in the early morning sunshine. Even this early the tropical rays were direct and hot on her naked flesh but she wasn't tempted to take shelter under the overhanging trees or in the cold clear pool. It was pure sensual bliss to feel that marvelous heat soaking into her bones. She'd always loved the sun. How did people exist in frigid climates where ice and snow were the norm?
Ice. Beau had spent years on the ice as a vocation. Strange to think of that. Beau seemed to be meant for the sun just as she was. Golden eyes, golden skin, and that easy golden charm. Well, maybe not so easy, she thought drowsily, there had been moments when he'd displayed a complexity and harshness that had surprised and bewildered her. In fact, those moments had been quite frequent in their short acquaintance. It was just difficult to remember them when his half-tender, half-savage lovemaking was still so fresh in her memory. A golden memory too…
The deft hands parting her thighs were strong and gentle and very familiar. Beau. A happy smile curved her lips, though she didn't bother to open her eyes. It seemed far too much trouble and it was so pleasant just lying here, letting the powerful sun pour down upon her and Beau flow into her with one slow easy stroke. Once joined he seemed content and was still. She could feel his hands slowly stroking her curls before moving down to caress with gossamer gentleness her shoulders and breasts and the soft flesh of her belly. The sun was hot upon her, his hands gently caressing her and his manhood both hotly passionate and warmly affectionate within her. She'd never imagined the two could exist side by side and she opened her eyes to tell him so.
