page7 (1/2)

“Oh God!” The words were a whisper, but they became louder and louder as she repeated them “Oh God,” she said, “oh God, oh God…”

She began to tre like an aspen leaf in a windstorm Jesse shook her Hard

“Stop it!”

“I’m on the mountain Blackwolf Mountain In Blackwolf Canyon” She h “And this—this is the sacred stone!”

“Surprise, surprise,” he said coldly

She swung toward him, eyes wide, face still devoid of color

“I was in the canyon In it, do you understand? I was looking up at the e At these stones and the sun and then—and then there was lightning and then I was here and no, it’s impossible, impossible, impossible…”

If it was an act, it was a good one Da into shock? No color Sentences that made no sense

He caught her wrist

“Take it easy”

She laughed It was the kind of laugh he’d heard wounded ave it all up and went into shocked insanity A knot foro there He had enough blood on his hands to last a lifetime

“Take it easy,” he said again Her teeth were chattering, and he had nothing to warry curse, he wrapped his arms around her “Calm down”

“D-did you h-hear what I said? I as down there At the bottom of this—this pile of rock And then I wasn’t I wasn’t d-down there, I was—I was here And you—and you—”

“Coainst hiave a little sob; he felt the warainst his naked flesh, the hot kiss of her tears She felt delicate, alile in his arms

How on earth could she have had the strength to get up here?

It didn’t make sense

Yes, she’d ignored his No Trespassing signs She’d come here to steal artifacts He was certain of that But how had she clie? He kne much muscle power it took, and he knew, too, that she didn’t have it

Not that her body was soft Well, yes, it was Soft, as only a woman could be soft But she was fit Toned Her arms Her belly, pressed to his

Her breasts

Rounded Full Ripe And ht hi hard while he held a woman he didn’t know, and had every reason to dislike, in his arms