Page 13 (2/2)

Madelaine shifted her position so that she could lift herself up enough to look into his face "I will miss you Tecumseh"

"I will miss you, too, and be daone out of his features, er than he was The hand in her hair htly, and he stared into her eyes, wanting to pierce ht "I should never have let ly

She gave herself over to hisback as he made his way down her body as if by passion alone he could take the whole of her into hih, then lowered his head Madelaine caught her fingers in his fine red hair "What’s thethe return of his ah toto do with you," he told her, touching the soft, hidden folds of flesh and relishing the shiver that went through her

"If it i to do with ently as she could

"Later," he muttered

"Now," she insisted, concernher inflection

"Very well," he said, and brought his elbows under his chest so that he couldfrorasp the enor that this is one--one of hts I will lose with you If I could contain myself, I would do this for hours, to have the pleasure of your transports" He laughed once, chagrined "But I ah for that, and so I have to make the most of our desires and be content with memories"

Madelaine reached down and stroked his shoulder "You are a generous lover, Tecumseh, more than you know, and you have learned…"

’To be less precipitous?" he ventured ’To increase our gratification by postponing its fulfill pulse there "It grieves e as we are together"

To his acute discomfort, he blushed "Not all wos" He rested one hand on her thigh, caressing her with delicious languor "And many who claim to are suspect, since it is their profession to please men" He s, saying, "If I had been less infatuated, less off guard, I would have kept away fros with one of the whorehouses for discreet…"

"Servicing," Madelaine supplied for hiratified your infatuation was--"

He stopped her "It isn’t infatuation," he said in a flat tone "And you know it"

She looked at him, deep into his steel-colored eyes "I know"

This ti up at the foot of the bed, naked and cross-legged, with a mess of sheets in his lap "I should not have perht to be better ordered than that But what proof aht, and all the sweet delirium of the world in your body No wonder I could not reason myself out of my fascination It is mad of me to love you"

They were both silent for a short while, then Madelaine shivered and sat up, facing hith of the bed "I cannot help but love you, madness or not"

"Because it is your nature," he said, repeating what she had told him so often "Because you have tastednot to fear his response

"Yes," he echoed, wanting it to be an accusation and hearing hile word a vow

"And you accept it" She felt a surge of rapture go through her as no physical act would bring That he finally recognized the bond between thehed with utter joy had she not understood that would offend him

"How can I not?" he asked in , she went to hi the sheets and comforter aside; she would not let hihts to come that ill not share, Tecu our separation e ether for a few hours more?"