Eve

told her that the aftereffect would be like this.

John was pulling her close again, cuddling her in his arms. “Thank you,” he said softly. “It was good, the best, Eve.”

“Yes, it was.” She rubbed her cheek in the hollow of his shoulder. “I don’t see how it could be better. Do you?”

He was silent. “Don’t be hasty. There’s always a way to make anything better. Let me think about it.”

She nodded. “I’m willing to listen. You know best… for now.”

He chuckled. “But you think that may be temporary?” He smoothed her hair. “You may be right.” He was silent. “You’re sure that you’re protected?”

“I’m sure. I wasn’t going to go into this unless I knew I was safe.”

“And you didn’t trust me to do it. I meant it, Eve. I wasn’t going to let you run any risk.”

“It’s my body. I take care of it.” She lifted herself on one elbow and looked down at him. “This way I don’t have to trust you. Isn’t that what you really wanted? No strings. That’s what you said.”

“Yes, that’s what I said.” His finger traced the curve of her upper lip. “But I’ve been known to be unreasonable now and then. Maybe I’m hurt that you didn’t trust me.”

“I don’t think so.” She frowned. “But it’s too dark to see your face. I can’t tell if you’re- Where are you going?” she asked, startled, as he jumped to his feet and was heading back to the car. “What are you doing?”

“You don’t like it dark? Let there be light.” He flipped on the headlights.

She inhaled sharply as she was illuminated in the intensity of the headlights. She scrambled to her knees, staring at his dark shadow near the car. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Sometimes the unexpected is exciting.”

“I feel… naked. Somehow, I didn’t before.” She had only been aware of textures, scents, sensation.

“I like you naked.”

“I’m too thin.”

“You’re perfect.”

“Liar. Why did you turn on the lights?”

“I felt your burn. I wanted to see it.” He was coming toward her out of the shadow. Lord, he was beautiful. Olive skin that looked darker in contrast to the clear light. Muscular stomach and thighs. And the expression on his face… Full lips, white teeth, and glittering dark eyes that were sensuality itself. “ While I was feeling it.” He fell to his knees in front of her. His fingers tangled in her red-brown hair, and he tilted her head back. “The light is turning your skin golden as if it was sunlight.” He bent his head, and his lips enveloped her nipple. “Do you feel the heat, Eve?”

“Yes.” It was happening again. This time the sensation was so erotic that the intensity was almost painful. Her nails dug into his shoulders. “What are you going to do?”

He was kneeling there, ready, tense. Both of them caught in the brilliant spotlight. She had a sudden hazy memory of the moment in the hospital the first night she’d met him.

Ready to perform…

“It’s what you’re going to do.” He lifted his head and moved her legs on either side of his hips. Then he was raising her, bringing her to him. He whispered. “Let me feel the heat. Come burn me, Eve…”

CHAPTER 5

IT WAS ALMOST DAWN WHEN they left the reservoir.

“You’re quiet.” John shot her a glance. “Are you having second thoughts?”

“Why?” She looked at him. “It would be a little late, wouldn’t it?” She didn’t know how many times they’d come together in ways that she hadn’t even known existed. “And it was my choice.”

“I could have left you alone.”

“You said it was going to happen sometime, and it might as well be you. You were right.” She gazed out the window. “You were right about a lot of things.”

“What things?”

“Chemistry. You said it didn’t happen very often like this. I don’t see how it could. Too intense. But that’s good in a way. Because it can’t happen like this very often. I’m not going to have to worry about being pulled into another… situation like this. Once you go away, I’ll be able to go back to the way things were.”

“Will you?”

“Yes, and so will you. That’s what we both want. That way this won’t hurt us, it won’t interfere.”

He didn’t speak for a moment. “You have it all worked out.”

“You exploded into my life like an atom bomb. I had to find a way to make sure that I wouldn’t be destroyed by it. How do you expect me to behave?” She looked him in the eye. “You’re the one who was hunting me, telling me how we deserved it. Well, you convinced me. As long as we don’t hurt anyone else or ourselves, then this could be a good thing. I’m going to make sure that we don’t.”

“I guess I wasn’t sure how you’d react.”

“Did you think that I was going to give you some kind of guilt trip? That I was going to beg you to tell me you loved me?” She shook her head. “That isn’t what this is about. I don’t even know what love is all about.” She shrugged. “I don’t even know if there is such a thing. I’ve never seen it. There’s a lot of talk, but it seems to go away pretty fast; and then there’s a lot of arguing. Maybe it’s only something in the movies. What do you think?”

“I think maybe there could be a lot of different kinds of love. And there are people we’re supposed to love and people we do love. I couldn’t stand my mom and dad. I love my uncle. As for the movie kind of love…” He smiled. “I’m a guy. Sometimes we think with our dicks.” He met her gaze. “There were a few moments back there that if you’d asked me, I would have said I loved you.”

And there were a few moments that he had been the giver of a pleasure so intense that she had loved everything about him, his body, his skill, the way he had made her feel part of him. She had wanted to keep him with her forever. “But I didn’t ask you. I promise I’ll never ask you.”

“I suppose I should feel relieved. I guess I do.” He glanced back at the road leading to the reservoir. “Sure I do. You’ve just made me a little dizzy. You’re right, this is what’s going to work for us.” He paused. “As often as possible. When?”

“Tonight.” She looked at him. “Every night. Until we decide we don’t want it anymore.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“It might.” But it didn’t seem possible to Eve, either. She had thought she was satiated when they had left the reservoir, but she could feel a stirring as she gazed at him. She knew his body so well now. It was a beautiful body, sleek and tough and strong. He could lift her, move her, hold her, with no effort. Yet he didn’t make her feel helpless. She’d learned she could stop him with a touch, make him shudder just by a movement. She hadn’t realized she’d have that power. He’d always been so dominant and forceful that it had amazed her that she didn’t have to take power, it had been given.

He pulled up in front of the development. “You’ll only have a few hours to sleep. Are you going to go to school today?”

“Of course.” She got out of the car. “School is important. I told you, I can’t let this hurt me.” She started across the street. “It probably won’t be like this every night.”

“No?” She heard the car pull away from the curb. “Don’t count on it.”

She couldn’t count on anything, she thought as she unlocked the door of the apartment. Everything was new territory. She just had to keep on with her usual routine and try to keep her head straight.

Shower, first. Then set the alarm.

Even the drops of warm water falling on her body felt different. Her breasts were taut, and there was a tiny mark. A bruise? Strange. She hadn’t been aware of any roughness. But at times they’d been like two wild animals. She remembered his mouth… It could have happened then.

Don’t think about it. Her breasts were swelling, and she was feeling her body tingling, readying. All it had taken