enough to follow us on foot. He'll have to walk back to the highway for help."
She drew a deep breath, gaining strength from his calm belief in their imminent safety. "But will you keep winning? He could have killed us then!"
"You betcha I'll keep winning. I'll blast his career and torch his life, and make sure the woman he wants is free of him for good. Tess, you'll hit something if you don't slow down. Don't look at me. Drive! We'll laugh about this whole crazy adventure in five minutes. Let's go. There's the side path."
She tore her wondering gaze from him, and turned right down an even smaller path than the first, narrow and winding.
"Stop the car, Tess. I'll take over here. There's six exits, so time's on our side. Could you get a stronger elastic bandage for my wrist while I check the chassis—"
But Tessa unlocked her belt and threw herself on him, covering his face with little frenzied kisses, seeking his mouth with a desperation for human touch she hadn't felt in too many years to count. Because this was Jirrah—the man she'd never been able to leave behind—and he'd just saved her life.
He proved more than happy to oblige her need. With a half-smothered groan he pulled her close, opening his mouth under hers, giving her the same frantic passion she unleashed on him.
After so many years of revulsion at a man's touch, Tessa never imagined she could become lost, drown so deep in the unbridled eroticism of a simple kiss, or revel in the feel of an aroused male body against hers. She couldn't remember the past, couldn't envision Cameron's hot, eager, repulsive sexuality. Her mind and body was full of Jirrah, and the warm, dark magic of his kiss.
Hungry for more, she pulled him hard against her, moving sinuously. Little gasps entered his mouth from hers; his groans filled her throat. Her hands moved beneath his T-shirt, her hands caressing his skin like wildfire. His warm, dark skin, with its superb muscle tone, filled her with an arousal made stronger for being laced with sweet trust—for Jirrah would always leash his strength with her. He was man enough to follow her lead, to give her control. His hands caressed her back, hair and face, awaiting permission for more intimate touch. His tongue twined with hers when she wanted it. And oh, how she wanted it. A raging storm of desire filled her—
"Tess." A hoarse whisper against her mouth. "We have to stop. There's six exits, but he might find the right one. We've got to outrun Beller before he can get to help."
Like a cold dousing, the mention of Cameron's name froze her veins. She jumped out of the car to get the bandages, waiting in silence by the door as he checked the axle and chassis. She couldn't look him in the face as she strapped his wrist—but she could feel him watching her with unnerving depth. Seeing more than she wanted him to see
He said nothing until he'd negotiated the van out of the forest. "We can't risk staying somewhere overnight. We're too obvious here in the country—a Koori man with a white woman—not to be remembered. You make a bed up in here. I'll use the tent."
"All right." She looked to where the slow-setting sun turned a field of growing sorghum to a waving sea of rich golden-brown.
"Tess. I wanted that kiss, too."
She looked around, arrested, hoping. Terrified.
Watching the road, he touched her cheek with his damaged hand in gentle reassurance. "It was a natural thing. We were in a life-and-death situation. We wanted to celebrate getting away from that jerk. And because we were lovers before, it lowered the scare factor. You knew I'd want to kiss you back."
She closed her eyes. After all these years, he still knew her, still understood her needs, her motivations.
"I've been wanting to touch you since I first saw you again, and even more since last night. But I won't," he added, as she jerked away. "I know, Tess. Being unable to control your life is the most humiliating experience anyone can go through." Another fleeting
She drew a deep breath, gaining strength from his calm belief in their imminent safety. "But will you keep winning? He could have killed us then!"
"You betcha I'll keep winning. I'll blast his career and torch his life, and make sure the woman he wants is free of him for good. Tess, you'll hit something if you don't slow down. Don't look at me. Drive! We'll laugh about this whole crazy adventure in five minutes. Let's go. There's the side path."
She tore her wondering gaze from him, and turned right down an even smaller path than the first, narrow and winding.
"Stop the car, Tess. I'll take over here. There's six exits, so time's on our side. Could you get a stronger elastic bandage for my wrist while I check the chassis—"
But Tessa unlocked her belt and threw herself on him, covering his face with little frenzied kisses, seeking his mouth with a desperation for human touch she hadn't felt in too many years to count. Because this was Jirrah—the man she'd never been able to leave behind—and he'd just saved her life.
He proved more than happy to oblige her need. With a half-smothered groan he pulled her close, opening his mouth under hers, giving her the same frantic passion she unleashed on him.
After so many years of revulsion at a man's touch, Tessa never imagined she could become lost, drown so deep in the unbridled eroticism of a simple kiss, or revel in the feel of an aroused male body against hers. She couldn't remember the past, couldn't envision Cameron's hot, eager, repulsive sexuality. Her mind and body was full of Jirrah, and the warm, dark magic of his kiss.
Hungry for more, she pulled him hard against her, moving sinuously. Little gasps entered his mouth from hers; his groans filled her throat. Her hands moved beneath his T-shirt, her hands caressing his skin like wildfire. His warm, dark skin, with its superb muscle tone, filled her with an arousal made stronger for being laced with sweet trust—for Jirrah would always leash his strength with her. He was man enough to follow her lead, to give her control. His hands caressed her back, hair and face, awaiting permission for more intimate touch. His tongue twined with hers when she wanted it. And oh, how she wanted it. A raging storm of desire filled her—
"Tess." A hoarse whisper against her mouth. "We have to stop. There's six exits, but he might find the right one. We've got to outrun Beller before he can get to help."
Like a cold dousing, the mention of Cameron's name froze her veins. She jumped out of the car to get the bandages, waiting in silence by the door as he checked the axle and chassis. She couldn't look him in the face as she strapped his wrist—but she could feel him watching her with unnerving depth. Seeing more than she wanted him to see
He said nothing until he'd negotiated the van out of the forest. "We can't risk staying somewhere overnight. We're too obvious here in the country—a Koori man with a white woman—not to be remembered. You make a bed up in here. I'll use the tent."
"All right." She looked to where the slow-setting sun turned a field of growing sorghum to a waving sea of rich golden-brown.
"Tess. I wanted that kiss, too."
She looked around, arrested, hoping. Terrified.
Watching the road, he touched her cheek with his damaged hand in gentle reassurance. "It was a natural thing. We were in a life-and-death situation. We wanted to celebrate getting away from that jerk. And because we were lovers before, it lowered the scare factor. You knew I'd want to kiss you back."
She closed her eyes. After all these years, he still knew her, still understood her needs, her motivations.
"I've been wanting to touch you since I first saw you again, and even more since last night. But I won't," he added, as she jerked away. "I know, Tess. Being unable to control your life is the most humiliating experience anyone can go through." Another fleeting
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