'Oh, good.' She moved down. 'Then I can rub some right here…'
He groaned.
'You
'Let me do it to you.'
'I couldn't stand it. Not right now. But you can do something else for me.' She threw the vial aside and moved over him. 'Come in, Marrok. Let me
'GET UP,' MARROK SAID. 'WE'VE GOT to pick up the dogs and get down to the plateau.'
She didn't want to move. 'In a minute.'
'Now.' He kissed her quick, hard. 'Walt's going to be here anytime. Open your eyes and get moving.'
'I think he'd wait.'
'Yes. He'd probably enjoy waiting,' he said dryly. 'In case you haven't noticed we're naked, out in the open, and that helicopter will come in low. Great visuals.'
Her eyes flew open, and she began to laugh. 'I didn't think of that.'
'I did.' He tossed her shirt to her. 'I find I don't care for the idea of Walt gaping at you in the altogether.'
'Why not? From what Walt said, you two seem to have gone through similar experiences.'
'This is different. Get dressed.'
She didn't move. 'How is it different?'
'How the hell do I know?' He held her shirt out for her. 'Put it on.'
She slipped her arms into the sleeves. 'It wouldn't bother me. I'm not ashamed of my body, and I'm not ashamed of anything I've done.'
'I know,' he said gruffly. 'You're damn incredible. I didn't expect this kind of openness. No inhibitions. No guilt.' He started to button her shirt. 'When you make up your mind, you go to the max. It's kind of… wonderful.'
She felt a surge of tenderness. She wanted to go back into his arms and hold him.
No, not now. It had been too good, and she felt warm and languid and vulnerable. She might do something, say something to spoil it. Yet she had to tell him one thing. 'You're trying to protect me again, Marrok. You don't have to do that. I know it's only sex, and I did what I wanted to do.'
'Shut up.' His lips tightened. 'I'll do what I please.' He got to his feet. 'Now finish dressing while I go and round up Wiley and Ned.'
She watched him stride down the path before she slowly began to put on her clothes. What a strange man he was. Mature, yet he had that streak of boyishness. Reckless, and yet he was a caretaker. Volatile, and yet she felt oddly steady whenever she was with him.
Don't dwell on Marrok's character or the life that had made him what he was. It would be a mistake. When she had decided to have sex with him, she had abandoned her usual code of conduct. She had wanted him and reached out with no thought of restraint. And, by God, she wasn't sorry that she had accepted him as a ship that passed in the night. But there was a danger if she let herself enjoy anything but the sex. She had known from the moment she met him that they were worlds apart in both temperament and background. Marrok's life had made him diamond hard and incapable of being vulnerable to anyone. And you had to be vulnerable to let yourself be open to any emotional commitment.
So enjoy this brief sensual episode but don't forget that episodes always come to an end.
A ripple of pain went through her and panic followed. See, it was already happening. Veer away. Don't think about Marrok now.
Think about the dogs of summer.
CHAPTER 15
MARROK WAS STANDING IN THE entrance of the cave when Devon came down the path.
'How are they doing?'
'I don't know. They're not in the cave.'
She stiffened. 'What?'
He held up his hand. 'They're fine. Danner didn't come and scoop them up. They're just down on the plateau. They must have gotten bored in the cave.' He pointed down the slope. 'They're playing together.'
Devon watched the two dogs chase, nip, leap, and chase again. 'No permanent trauma then.'
He chuckled as he whistled for the dogs. 'Now you're the one who sounds like a dog psychiatrist. Very solemn.'
She made a face. 'Solemn goes with responsible. I told you I was a responsible person. I can't help it.'
'At least one of us is responsible. I kind of like that in you. As long as it doesn't keep you from making love to me.' He added softly, 'I'd have issues with that.'
Making love. The phrase sent a thrill of uneasiness through her. It sounded too close to commitment, and she knew that wasn't in the cards. She shook her head. 'I don't know why you make this big show of being irresponsible. You may have been that way in the past, but I don't believe anyone could be more responsible than you are now.'
His brows lifted. 'You're wrong, you know. I pick and choose my moments.'
'I don't think so.' She looked away from him. 'You were very… disturbed earlier before you dragged me up that path today.'
'Disturbed? I was hot as hell. I was going crazy.'
'But you still had to go into the cave and check on Ned. I may be responsible, but I didn't even remember the dogs existed at that moment. You remembered, Marrok.'
He frowned. 'It was my job.' He grimaced. 'And I didn't want to have to worry about them. It would have gotten in the way.'
'Then perhaps you're not as self-indulgent as you think you are.' She stepped forward as Ned came tearing up the slope. 'Hello, boy. You seem happy enough.' She stroked his black silky head. 'Bright eyes…'
Wiley was right behind him but keeping his distance. He sat down and stared warily at her. A few minutes later he got up, looked at Ned, and went into the cave.
'What next?' Devon asked.
Ned answered her. He hesitated, then followed Wiley into the cave.
'Do we go in?' Devon asked.
'No, we wait,' Marrok said. 'I think it's good-bye. If they don't come out in a few minutes, we go in and get them.'
In less than two minutes Ned and Wiley came out of the cave. Ned was subdued as he moved to Marrok and rubbed against his legs. 'It's okay, buddy,' Marrok said quietly. 'It will be better next time. Maybe you'll be able to go in alone.' He reached down and patted Wiley's head. 'Good job. What do you say we get to the ranch and see your friend, Sid?'
Wiley tilted his head and gazed up at him. Grave, knowing, patient.
'I believe he's missing you,' Marrok said. 'But you're going to have to show him how to adjust just as you did Ned. He may be a little more difficult.' Marrok turned to Devon. 'I think I hear the helicopter. We'd better get down to the plateau.'
Devon listened. 'I don't hear it.'
'It's coming.' He gestured to the dogs. 'They hear it, too.'
Apparently he was right, Devon realized, as the dogs ears pricked up, and they turned and began to run down the slope. 'I'm beginning to feel a little handicapped. Dogs have excellent hearing, but why would you-' She finally heard the rotors in the distance. 'SEAL training?'
'No, Paco training. He taught me to block out everything but what I wanted to hear.' He held out his hand to help her down the slope. 'And you're not handicapped. You see a hell of a lot more than most people.'
She took his hand. Her gaze flew to his face as she felt a sensual tingle that she hadn't expected.
