looked at him, she knew he remembered, too.
"What should we do?" she asked in a whisper.
"We should run in opposite directions."
She laid a hand on his bare forearm and allowed herself to enjoy the feel of muscle and skin beneath her palm. She marveled at how natural the gesture felt, how natural and how momentous in its simplicity. As simply as a man and a woman coming together, or enemies making peace on a warm summer afternoon, they'd breached the distance separating them.
"Let's not."
Warmth and pleasure lit his eyes, igniting the tentative flame that had flickered deep within her like a candle fighting the wind, too delicate to burn brightly, too stubborn to die. His smile sent molten rivulets through her veins, and heated the places she'd so recently rediscovered. An inner glow lit the cold, dark recesses of mind and body where ghosts of the past had hovered.
"My God, Red," he whispered. He pulled her closer. "You look . . . I don't know what I'm seeing in your eyes."
"Exactly what's there. " She leaned against him and kissed his mouth. "Let's not lose this moment. Let's find a place and make it last a little longer."
He turned toward the house. "What if my grandmother comes home?"
"And my RV's too close to Mike."
He helped her to her feet and led her down the steps and around the corner of the house to the barn. The last slanting rays of the sun warmed her back and she welcomed its touch like that of an old friend.
Once inside the weathered but sturdy building, Zan waited for her eyes to adjust to the dim interior. A horse snuffled; another whinnied. Stormwalker went to the stalls, murmuring to the animals, then turned to her and waited for her to make the first move.
It had to be that way, she knew. She knew, also, that once she took the first step, there would be no turning back. She took it as he stood like a powerful magnet pulling her closer until she was in his arms and his lips claimed hers.
The hunger was mutual, as well as the passion. What each offered was received gladly by the other and returned until they pulled apart, weak and trembling with the feelings they had aroused in each other. Zan buried her face in his shoulder.
He pulled back and looked at her. "I don't think I can let you go this time, Red."
"I don't want you to."
"Have you considered the consequences?"
"Every one," she whispered.
"And...?"
She returned to his arms and slipped her hands around his narrow waist. "Make love with me."
Chapter 8
Stormwalker took Zan's hand and led her to a ladder at the rear of the barn. "That's a loft," he explained. "I spent last night up there."
"Why?"
He shrugged and gave her a shy, boyish smile. "I couldn't sleep with you so close by, so I came out here."
Zan kissed him lightly. "I'm sorry to have put you out of your bed."
They climbed the ladder and in a crouch, moved to the small window. The late afternoon sun swathed the blankets and pillow just beneath with a golden glow. She imagined she could make out the indentations where his head and his body had rested and felt her legs go weak again. She sank to her knees on the sweet-smelling straw that covered the wooden planks.
Stormwalker knelt beside her and searched her face. "Why are you here?" he asked, as he had once before.
"Because it's where I want to be."
She leaned forward, molding her body to his and letting him feel her firm breasts against his muscular chest. His breath caught in his throat as her lips caressed his. She slipped her arms around his waist and waited, but he held back.
She smiled against his mouth and whispered, "I won't break."
He drew away and took her face in his hands, his heated gaze boring into hers. "I could hurt you. I've been alone a long time, and the feelings are strong."
She drew her mouth back to his. "I've been alone, too."
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Her lips parted and welcomed his tongue as it drove inside to seek the moist warmth of her
"What should we do?" she asked in a whisper.
"We should run in opposite directions."
She laid a hand on his bare forearm and allowed herself to enjoy the feel of muscle and skin beneath her palm. She marveled at how natural the gesture felt, how natural and how momentous in its simplicity. As simply as a man and a woman coming together, or enemies making peace on a warm summer afternoon, they'd breached the distance separating them.
"Let's not."
Warmth and pleasure lit his eyes, igniting the tentative flame that had flickered deep within her like a candle fighting the wind, too delicate to burn brightly, too stubborn to die. His smile sent molten rivulets through her veins, and heated the places she'd so recently rediscovered. An inner glow lit the cold, dark recesses of mind and body where ghosts of the past had hovered.
"My God, Red," he whispered. He pulled her closer. "You look . . . I don't know what I'm seeing in your eyes."
"Exactly what's there. " She leaned against him and kissed his mouth. "Let's not lose this moment. Let's find a place and make it last a little longer."
He turned toward the house. "What if my grandmother comes home?"
"And my RV's too close to Mike."
He helped her to her feet and led her down the steps and around the corner of the house to the barn. The last slanting rays of the sun warmed her back and she welcomed its touch like that of an old friend.
Once inside the weathered but sturdy building, Zan waited for her eyes to adjust to the dim interior. A horse snuffled; another whinnied. Stormwalker went to the stalls, murmuring to the animals, then turned to her and waited for her to make the first move.
It had to be that way, she knew. She knew, also, that once she took the first step, there would be no turning back. She took it as he stood like a powerful magnet pulling her closer until she was in his arms and his lips claimed hers.
The hunger was mutual, as well as the passion. What each offered was received gladly by the other and returned until they pulled apart, weak and trembling with the feelings they had aroused in each other. Zan buried her face in his shoulder.
He pulled back and looked at her. "I don't think I can let you go this time, Red."
"I don't want you to."
"Have you considered the consequences?"
"Every one," she whispered.
"And...?"
She returned to his arms and slipped her hands around his narrow waist. "Make love with me."
Chapter 8
Stormwalker took Zan's hand and led her to a ladder at the rear of the barn. "That's a loft," he explained. "I spent last night up there."
"Why?"
He shrugged and gave her a shy, boyish smile. "I couldn't sleep with you so close by, so I came out here."
Zan kissed him lightly. "I'm sorry to have put you out of your bed."
They climbed the ladder and in a crouch, moved to the small window. The late afternoon sun swathed the blankets and pillow just beneath with a golden glow. She imagined she could make out the indentations where his head and his body had rested and felt her legs go weak again. She sank to her knees on the sweet-smelling straw that covered the wooden planks.
Stormwalker knelt beside her and searched her face. "Why are you here?" he asked, as he had once before.
"Because it's where I want to be."
She leaned forward, molding her body to his and letting him feel her firm breasts against his muscular chest. His breath caught in his throat as her lips caressed his. She slipped her arms around his waist and waited, but he held back.
She smiled against his mouth and whispered, "I won't break."
He drew away and took her face in his hands, his heated gaze boring into hers. "I could hurt you. I've been alone a long time, and the feelings are strong."
She drew her mouth back to his. "I've been alone, too."
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Her lips parted and welcomed his tongue as it drove inside to seek the moist warmth of her
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