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"You’re deter their stalemate

Miranda eyed him wearily His question was odd in its tone "Yes"

Father rubbed his chin thoughtfully "Then Martin needs a proper job A clerk’s salary is not enough to support a wife"

Martin’s head jerked up The hopeful light in his eyes, and the cunning look in her father’s, had Miranda’s stoood with nu you ship’s accountant?"

Martin stepped away from her She felt the break as if a physical tether had been cut "I’d say I’ll make you proud, sir"

It suddenly occurred to Miranda that Martin would be going away For months And he had not hesitated to accept Father’s offer She cut Martin a look, and he avoided her gaze

Father’s smile was oil and honey "Of course you will"

He held out a hand, beckoning "Come, let us discuss this in the parlor" Said the spider to the fly

Cold fear touched Miranda’s spine Surely Father wouldn’t deliberately try to hurt Martin?

"We will o," she said sharply and distinctly, so there would be no confusion If Father thought he would rid her of Martin by sending hireatly mistaken

Both men paused, alave her a shtened his spine and addressed her father "I insist"

The corners of Father’s eyes twitched just a moment but he did not blink "Very well If you insist"

His compliance orse than resistance, for Miranda could not fatho She wanted to shout a warning to Martin, wanted to run away froht reminded her of the man upstairs He needed her now She could not discuss this sudden change in plans with Martin when another was suffering

Even so, she almost called out to Martin, but he and Father were already halfway out of the kitchen and deep in conversation Martin’s cheek di her father said The smile was full of warmth and so very intimate, as if the receiver of it was the th of that smile, for she had been on the other end of it ht she was the one person he gave it to

Soain, and of the night sky now above hione? Leland and the others? Below the shi sickle ainst an indigo sky By God, was he in Egypt? That could not be right He’d been in Mexico Hadn’t he? Yet the sand beneath him was softer than the hard-pack sand of the Chihuahuan desert, and the sultry air held the ypt…

Hell, he was still trapped Trapped in his h broke from his mouth Absently, he rubbed his chest and was surprised to find it bare He smoothed his hand back and forth, a slow rhythm

Yes, bare A curl of pleasure unfurled within his belly Rather nice to lie in the dry desert air with not a stitch on His sex stirred Well, all right then…

"Mmm…"

He stilled That was not his voice Most definitely not

"Archer" The honey and cream voice drifted up from the area around his knees

Shock rendered hi definitely lide slowly up his thighs

Feminine hands

Uncertain terror and virulent hope made his pulse leap

With a jerk of his head, he looked down the length of his body Satin ribbons of red-gold hair spread over his legs, and the pale, perfect heart of a woman’s buocks jutted up in the air

She turned her head, and the curtain of her hair slipped back to reveal her face His breath left in a gasp

"Miranda?" he croaked Ah, God He went froht of her smooth skin, her deep rose niles His mouth went dry He needed to touch her He went up on his elbows to get a better view of her swaying brsts and pluh The touch of her lips burned like a brand, hot yet insanely good

"Gorgeous eous? Did she not see what he was? She did not appear to care The very idea of her looking upon hi made his chest ache

God, she was lovely Her sculpted face was even more defined then when last he saw her She appeared older, ht he not see her as unchanged in a dreareen eyes stared up at hi a path toward his cock Being an accoue snaked out, tracing the sensitive crease where his thigh joined his hip Archer’s head went light

"I’ve been drea the hair around his sex Jesus "So much that you haunt ht Every day," he rasped

She paused and sot-the-creaue "You do things to me in my dreas?" He had a good idea of what he’d like to do now

Her silken hair slid over his knees "You kiss ave his hip a kiss "Lick them" She licked her way across his belly So close Not close enough

His hps lifted a fraction, encouraging her "Suckle theood dream "And then?"

A ss," she whispered on a deep blush

Ah, God His eyes fluttered closed, but he forced the Begging

With a slorious hairhis cock

Her soft brsts pillowed on his thigh "No I want to kiss you"

"Kiss s" The words were out before he could stop the down his torso and h lowered lashes A flush worked across her cheeks, and he feared he’d gone too far, but she smiled Every muscle tensed as she moved, and then her sweet ht kiss but enough to have hi