demurely on the couch with her towel and new clothes lying across her lap. She didn't say a word as he went into the bedroom to dispose of the chest
"We can go bathe in just a minute, my pet," he said cheerfully. He came back into the main room and removed a small bundle from the corner cabinet. "Is something the matter, my sweet?" Philip inquired, hoping her silence didn't mean she was still angry with him.
But she just turned away from him and shook her head. Well, he wouldn't press her to answer him. Without another word, Philip pulled her to her feet and took her up the hillside to bathe.
Christina had not yet lost her shyness at disrobing in his presence. She turned her back to Philip and slowly removed her blouse and skirt. He controlled his desire with great effort as he watched her wade into the water.
But turning his attentions to the bundle he had brought with him, Philip unwrapped a finely honed razor and proceeded to shave his week's growth of beard.
After he was satisfied with the results, he took a new bar of soap from the bundle and joined Christina in the water.
It was dark when they finally returned to camp. The newly kindled fire illuminated the tent brightly, making dancing shadows in the corners.
Philip pondered Christina's sullenness as they finished the evening meal. This attitude of hers couldn't continue, for he was aching to take her to bed. But she would succumb to his advances after her usual resistance, he knew.
Reclining on the couch behind her, Philip played with the loose curls dangling at the nape of Christina's neck. He leaned forward and grazed the soft flesh behind her ear with his lips, and watched the gooseflesh run down her arms.
Downing the rest of his wine, Philip stood up and took Christina's hand in his.
"Come, Tina," he murmured, and led her into the bedroom, surprised that she didn't resist him.
While taking off his clothes, he watched Christina move to the opposite side of the bed and unbind her hair. It fell gloriously about her body. He was astonished as she slowly, seductively removed her garments. She sat naked on the bed, as if inviting him to join her. But as he came to her, she put up her hands to stop him.
"Philip, I must talk to you," Christina said, searching his eyes with her dark, sapphire ones.
"Later, my pet," Philip replied huskily and silenced her words with his kiss. But, with an effort, she pushed him away.
"Please, Philip! There's something I must know."
He looked down at her and saw her trembling lips and deepening blue eyes.
"What is it, Tina?"
"What do you intend to do with me?"
"I'm going to make love to you. Did you think otherwise?" He smiled beguilingly and toyed with the curls dangling over her breasts.
"I mean in the future—when you no longer want me, What will you do with me then?"
"I haven't really thought about it," he lied, for there was nothing to think about. He'd never let her go.
"Would you let me return to my brother?" she ventured timidly.
Philip knew now what was troubling Christina. Did she actually think he would do away with her? Of course she did, for she thought the worst of him.
"When I tire of you, Tina—then, yes, you may go back to your brother."
"Will you give me your word, Philip?"
"You have my word. I swear it."
He could see relief flood her features as she relaxed into the pillow. She smiled up at him invitingly.
"Are all your fears forgotten now, my sweet?" he whispered, branding her throat with his fiery lips.
"Most of them," she breathed. She pulled his face to hers and accepted his passionate kiss willingly.
Philip wondered fleetingly what else could cause Christina to fear him. But she wasn't fighting him right now, and it both puzzled and excited him. He didn't ponder long, for he was not about to waste this moment on trivial questions.
As dawn crept over the horizon, Christina slowly awakened to the sweet song of a nightingale. A grimace crossed her pretty features when she remembered the
"We can go bathe in just a minute, my pet," he said cheerfully. He came back into the main room and removed a small bundle from the corner cabinet. "Is something the matter, my sweet?" Philip inquired, hoping her silence didn't mean she was still angry with him.
But she just turned away from him and shook her head. Well, he wouldn't press her to answer him. Without another word, Philip pulled her to her feet and took her up the hillside to bathe.
Christina had not yet lost her shyness at disrobing in his presence. She turned her back to Philip and slowly removed her blouse and skirt. He controlled his desire with great effort as he watched her wade into the water.
But turning his attentions to the bundle he had brought with him, Philip unwrapped a finely honed razor and proceeded to shave his week's growth of beard.
After he was satisfied with the results, he took a new bar of soap from the bundle and joined Christina in the water.
It was dark when they finally returned to camp. The newly kindled fire illuminated the tent brightly, making dancing shadows in the corners.
Philip pondered Christina's sullenness as they finished the evening meal. This attitude of hers couldn't continue, for he was aching to take her to bed. But she would succumb to his advances after her usual resistance, he knew.
Reclining on the couch behind her, Philip played with the loose curls dangling at the nape of Christina's neck. He leaned forward and grazed the soft flesh behind her ear with his lips, and watched the gooseflesh run down her arms.
Downing the rest of his wine, Philip stood up and took Christina's hand in his.
"Come, Tina," he murmured, and led her into the bedroom, surprised that she didn't resist him.
While taking off his clothes, he watched Christina move to the opposite side of the bed and unbind her hair. It fell gloriously about her body. He was astonished as she slowly, seductively removed her garments. She sat naked on the bed, as if inviting him to join her. But as he came to her, she put up her hands to stop him.
"Philip, I must talk to you," Christina said, searching his eyes with her dark, sapphire ones.
"Later, my pet," Philip replied huskily and silenced her words with his kiss. But, with an effort, she pushed him away.
"Please, Philip! There's something I must know."
He looked down at her and saw her trembling lips and deepening blue eyes.
"What is it, Tina?"
"What do you intend to do with me?"
"I'm going to make love to you. Did you think otherwise?" He smiled beguilingly and toyed with the curls dangling over her breasts.
"I mean in the future—when you no longer want me, What will you do with me then?"
"I haven't really thought about it," he lied, for there was nothing to think about. He'd never let her go.
"Would you let me return to my brother?" she ventured timidly.
Philip knew now what was troubling Christina. Did she actually think he would do away with her? Of course she did, for she thought the worst of him.
"When I tire of you, Tina—then, yes, you may go back to your brother."
"Will you give me your word, Philip?"
"You have my word. I swear it."
He could see relief flood her features as she relaxed into the pillow. She smiled up at him invitingly.
"Are all your fears forgotten now, my sweet?" he whispered, branding her throat with his fiery lips.
"Most of them," she breathed. She pulled his face to hers and accepted his passionate kiss willingly.
Philip wondered fleetingly what else could cause Christina to fear him. But she wasn't fighting him right now, and it both puzzled and excited him. He didn't ponder long, for he was not about to waste this moment on trivial questions.
As dawn crept over the horizon, Christina slowly awakened to the sweet song of a nightingale. A grimace crossed her pretty features when she remembered the
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