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I dropped the glasses They shattered atin the hall, squalled, then thundered up the stairs The lass door and stepped inside

"Are you all right?" Malachi Cartwright knelt and began to pick up the larger pieces

"What the hell are you doing here?" I de back frolinted sharply in the overhead light With hi at my feet I felt like Cinderella Too bad I&039;d learned the hard way that life was not a fairy tale

Slowly he rose, just as he&039;d risen out of the water only hours earlier Except this tiht was so out of character for hed What was it about this oing to stay?

My therapist had recommended I have sex with soht I didn&039;t even know him But that also meant he didn&039;t know

"I caht," he said "You seemed upset"

He didn&039;t know the half of it I liked that in a man

He stood so close the heat of his body warht the scent of chill lake water and sunshine The contrast was so enticing I swayed, ht stepped back, then glanced around helplessly "Garbage can?" He lifted hands full of shards

"Oh! Sorry Under the sink" I opened the cabinet, pulled out the basket "The cat gets into it otherwise"

The jangle of broken glass sentinto the dustpan

Black-clad legs appeared indown I was possessed by the sudden urge to press h the thin cotton layer of his pants

I stood so abruptly the glass rattled in the pan; then I marched across the floor and duht there, and I juainst the counter He took the broo them aside

"Claire," he murmured "Don&039;t be afraid"

"I - I&039;near my ear "You are," he whispered

He touched me nowhere, but he was so close everywhere I foundhim

His erection brushed my stomach, just a hint, so minute I wasn&039;t even certain he had in truth touched asped, the sound pure arousal I wanted to grab his head, pull it to my breast, let hied into

Whoa! Where had that coet naked anywhere but the bedroo? Sex wasn&039;t all that

"I want you more than I&039;ve wanted any woman in aeons" The hispered across my skin "But we&039;ll take it as slow as you wish"

I stilled "What?"

"Some men are animals I a to the floor-length s, I glanced outside where the citronella tapers still blazed h to penetrate the thick forest surrounding the deck "You were in the woods"

"Yes," he said si?"

He spread his long-fingered hands "I dinna entleentleht

"Get out," I said

Cartwright started toward rab me, shake me It had happened before But then I realized hein his way

I sidestepped, tripping over entle hands "I would never have - " He stopped, took a breath, tried again "I would never have been so forceful with you earlier if I&039;d known"

"I&039;lass," I h to keep out the rain and the wind" His knuckle rapped against the pane "Fragile enough to shatter if handled poorly"

He reached for the handle, and suddenly I didn&039;t want hiaze e

"Fire is sacred to the Rom," he ht it punished evil"

His lips tilted "That, too My ancestors worshipped the fire" He lifted his hand slowly and trailed it down my cheek "As well as theinto his dark, dark eyes There were secrets there But I was so tired of being alone, so tired of being scared, so tired of never wanting anyone, and noanted him I couldn&039;t help it I pressed my mouth to his

War ressor, and I liked it

I nibbled at his lips, trailed their seaue, and he opened tothe usual invasion, but none ca h and I just had to taste

Behindwater running beneath a blazing suh a silvery sky to land atop a field of purple wildflowers

I wasn&039;t a wo this s

Fire beneath the ust day Stea at hi For the first time in months I wasn&039;t afraid The arousal had pushed away every shred of fear