[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Rachael swept a hand through her hair. She had a normal, healthy sex drive, but ever since she'd arrived,
in spite of the terrible injury she suffered, need crawled through her body, an ever-present unrelenting
ache that refused to go away. In the middle of pain and a life or death struggle, it seemed demeaning to
her that she couldn't control such an urge. Worse than that was the edgy, violent mood swings, going
from wanting to lash out at Rio to wanting to tear his clothes off.
"Rachael? Where did you go?"
"Obviously nowhere."
"I'm going to call Kim in."
"What does that mean?"
"He's a tribesman, Rachael. He knows I'm on the bandits' hit list. He signaled to me who he was and he's
waiting for an all-clear signal before he comes on in."
"Do you have to give it to him?"
"He'll come in fighting if I don't, I told you, he's a friend."
"In case you haven't noticed, I need clothes. I don't want to sit around in your shirt and nothing else in
front of your friends." She was hastily buttoning up the front of the shirt, hiding her generous breasts from
his view.
Rio didn't comment on the quarrelsome note in her voice. He simply pulled the blanket from the bed and
tucked it around her. "Kim's father is a medicine man, very good with herbs. He taught me quite a bit, but
Kim knows far more than I. Hopefully he can help both you and Fritz."
When she didn't look up, Rio hunkered down beside her. "Rachael, look at me." When she didn't
respond he caught her chin and forced her head up. The last thing he expected to see was heat and fire
glittering in her dark eyes. Raw hunger stared back at him with an intensity that made him groan, push his
brow into hers. "Don't. I mean it, Rachael. You can't look at me like that and expect me to function
properly."
She had the craziest desire, no need, to squirm and rub herself all over him, much like a feline. It was a
heat wave rolling through her that shook her confidence. "If I could help it, do you think I'd be making
such a fool out of myself?" Scratching his eyes out seemed a better alternative than rubbing her body
against his at that moment. She let him see that too.
His face was inches from hers. He was catching fire from touching her skin, feeling the crackle of
electricity arcing between them. Her eyes held a challenge he couldn't resist. Rio caught the nape of her
neck, cupped the back of her head and dragged her mouth to his. There was no resistance at all. She
fused with him instantly. Hot. Electric. Wild for him. Climbing into his skin, wrapping herself around his
heart so tightly he felt it like a vise. Devouring him just as eagerly as he was devouring her.
It was only because they had to come up for air mat he found the strength to lift his head. Rachael buried
her face against his throat. "This time it was my fault." Her lips moved against his neck. Rio closed his
eyes against the shimmering fire the brushing of her soft mouth sent through his body in strong waves. He
had to find a way just to breathe. He doubted if air was going to get his brain functioning again.
The soft one-two note was closer this time. "You just drove Kim right out of my head, Rachael." He
rubbed his face in the mass of thick curly hair.
"It's shocking how well you know how to kiss."
He couldn't stop the silly grin that spread across his face. "Isn't it though? I shocked myself." The smile
faded and he caught her chin again. "I'm not giving you up or betraying you, Rachael. I know Kim. He
won't endanger vour life, not for any reason."
"Money talks, Rio. Almost everyone has a price."
"Kim lives simply, but more than that, he has a code of honor."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Rachael nodded. There wasn't much else she could do. Rio was right in that she couldn't very well run
away with her leg torn up. "Answer him then."
Rio didn't look away from her, but let out a singsong note that sounded to her exactly like the birds
calling to one another just outside the walls of his home. She tucked his wild, shaggy hair behind his ear,
allowing her fingertips to trail over his jaw, rub over his mouth. "I'm afraid."
"I know. I can hear your heart beating." He circled her wrist, his thumb sliding over her pulse. "There's no
need to be."
"It's a great deal of money he'll pay to get me back."
"Your husband?"
She shook her head. "My brother."
His hand went to his heart, as if she'd stabbed him. Almost at once his face closed down. He drew air
into his lungs, let it out; There was a watchfulness in his eyes, a suspicion that hadn't been there before.
"Your brother."
"You don't have to believe me." Rachael pulled away from him, leaned back in the chair and pulled the
cover closer around her. The humidity was high, even with the wind blowing. Where Rio had pulled the
covering away from the window, she could see thick mist curling around the foliage and creepers
surrounding the house. "I shouldn't have told you."
"Why would your brother want to have you killed, Rachael?"
"You make me tired. It does happen, Rio. Maybe not in your world, but certainly in mine."
Rio studied her averted face, trying to see past the mask she wore to what was going on her mind, his
brain racing with the possibilities. Had she found his home by accident, or had she been sent to
assassinate him? She'd had a couple of opportunities. He'd given her a gun. It was still there, beneath her
pillow. Maybe she hadn't taken care of it because she needed him while her leg was healing.
He straightened slowly and walked over to the stash of weapons hanging on the wall. He strapped a
sheath to his leg and pulled the leg of his pants over it. A second knife was positioned between his
shoulder blades. He pulled his shirt on and tucked a gun into his waistband.
"Are you expecting trouble? I thought you said Kim Pang was your friend."
"It's always better to be prepared. I don't like surprises."
"I noticed," she answered dryly, prepared to be angry with him over his boorish reaction to her
admission. He may as well have slapped her. She had revealed something to him she had never admitted
to another soul and he didn't believe her. She could tell by his immediate withdrawal.
Rio crouched beside the injured cat, his hands incredibly gentle as he examined the leopard. Her heart [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]