nothing of until now, while her heart drummed out a rhythm urging her against his heated body.
Did Jack feel the same beat swelling inside him, as unstoppable as the swiftest current? How splendid he was, so warm and solid, all carved muscle. Not stifling in any way, but tender and protective, as though he were shielding her from the world. And she knew he would.
Had there ever been such a man?
A flood of new sensations charged through every fiber of her being in response to his closeness. What stark emptiness would overwhelm her if they must part. And yet, this lovemaking couldn’t go on, for that’s what this was, wasn’t it?
Good heavens. She must behave properly. But she had no will to comply, no heart for the refusal slammed at them from her grandfather and bizarre man-bear father. Only Jack understood. Only he could support her in this strangest of all possible worlds.
“Jack.” She whispered his name against his mouth. “You’re so grand. Far more than any man I know.”
“You don’t really know me, sweetheart.”
She looked up into his face, each rugged line strong and perfect in the golden glow of the fire. “Oh, but I do. Before you first came, I heard you in the wind.”
“And what did I say?”
“Not words actually, but you sounded so inviting.”
Smiling, he kissed her again in an arousing flow of lips, and then asked, “Like that?”
“Very,” she managed, winded with the most thrilling sort of breathlessness. “Jack...I love you.”
He paused. “I think perhaps you’ve had a drop too much.”
That might account for the instability of the room. “Maybe so, but I meant every word.”
He pressed his mouth down over her neck. “But will you still tomorrow in the bold light of day?”
She shivered with the exquisite tingles he elicited. “You look especially good in the day. A noble knight.”
He chuckled. “Now I know you are intoxicated.”
“Not too much to know my heart.”
She searched his eyes. His green gaze caressed her. “And what does your heart say, my lovely?”
“Not to let anyone part us. Not Grandpa, not Shequenor.”
A groan escaped him at their names. He seemed to battle some debilitating emotion. She wondered if it were the same pounding sensation rendering her nearly witless.
He rolled over, wincing slightly as his injured shoulder brushed the floor, and lay on his back on the fur. He cradled her against him with his good arm. “Ah, Karin. Yesterday, you declared me too bold. True enough. Yet now you want me to claim you?”
“In the most honorable sense.”
Breath escaping him like a winded runner, he buried his face in her hair. “What are you asking?”
“Marry me.” Where the sudden invitation came from, she didn’t know, but meant it from her soul.
He lay perfectly still apart from the rising and falling of his chest. Then lifted his head and targeted her with the full force of his eyes. The effect was dizzying.
“Are you proposing?” he asked in plain disbelief.
Dazed at her daring, she said, “I suppose I am.”
He smoothed tendrils from her cheek with slow, wondering fingers. “You realize no one will approve?”
“Not so. Neeley and your mother might.”
“They’re not the folks I’m concerned about. Not that I wouldn’t gladly take you to wife, mind.”
She closed her hand around his warm grasp. “Are you accepting, then?”
Eyeing her in a mix of amusement and perplexity, he pressed a kiss to her shivery palm. “I suppose I am, though forgive me if I’ve not yet schemed a means to this end.”
She put her audacity to constructive use. “If we can reach Reverend McCue before they catch us, we could be wed before anyone interferes.”
Jack stared at her, then threw back his head and laughed. “Hats off to you for sheer nerve.”
“Don’t you see? Once we’re wed they will have to accept us.”
He weighed her as he might an unwitting child. “Ever heard of annulment, or better yet, murder? You could
Did Jack feel the same beat swelling inside him, as unstoppable as the swiftest current? How splendid he was, so warm and solid, all carved muscle. Not stifling in any way, but tender and protective, as though he were shielding her from the world. And she knew he would.
Had there ever been such a man?
A flood of new sensations charged through every fiber of her being in response to his closeness. What stark emptiness would overwhelm her if they must part. And yet, this lovemaking couldn’t go on, for that’s what this was, wasn’t it?
Good heavens. She must behave properly. But she had no will to comply, no heart for the refusal slammed at them from her grandfather and bizarre man-bear father. Only Jack understood. Only he could support her in this strangest of all possible worlds.
“Jack.” She whispered his name against his mouth. “You’re so grand. Far more than any man I know.”
“You don’t really know me, sweetheart.”
She looked up into his face, each rugged line strong and perfect in the golden glow of the fire. “Oh, but I do. Before you first came, I heard you in the wind.”
“And what did I say?”
“Not words actually, but you sounded so inviting.”
Smiling, he kissed her again in an arousing flow of lips, and then asked, “Like that?”
“Very,” she managed, winded with the most thrilling sort of breathlessness. “Jack...I love you.”
He paused. “I think perhaps you’ve had a drop too much.”
That might account for the instability of the room. “Maybe so, but I meant every word.”
He pressed his mouth down over her neck. “But will you still tomorrow in the bold light of day?”
She shivered with the exquisite tingles he elicited. “You look especially good in the day. A noble knight.”
He chuckled. “Now I know you are intoxicated.”
“Not too much to know my heart.”
She searched his eyes. His green gaze caressed her. “And what does your heart say, my lovely?”
“Not to let anyone part us. Not Grandpa, not Shequenor.”
A groan escaped him at their names. He seemed to battle some debilitating emotion. She wondered if it were the same pounding sensation rendering her nearly witless.
He rolled over, wincing slightly as his injured shoulder brushed the floor, and lay on his back on the fur. He cradled her against him with his good arm. “Ah, Karin. Yesterday, you declared me too bold. True enough. Yet now you want me to claim you?”
“In the most honorable sense.”
Breath escaping him like a winded runner, he buried his face in her hair. “What are you asking?”
“Marry me.” Where the sudden invitation came from, she didn’t know, but meant it from her soul.
He lay perfectly still apart from the rising and falling of his chest. Then lifted his head and targeted her with the full force of his eyes. The effect was dizzying.
“Are you proposing?” he asked in plain disbelief.
Dazed at her daring, she said, “I suppose I am.”
He smoothed tendrils from her cheek with slow, wondering fingers. “You realize no one will approve?”
“Not so. Neeley and your mother might.”
“They’re not the folks I’m concerned about. Not that I wouldn’t gladly take you to wife, mind.”
She closed her hand around his warm grasp. “Are you accepting, then?”
Eyeing her in a mix of amusement and perplexity, he pressed a kiss to her shivery palm. “I suppose I am, though forgive me if I’ve not yet schemed a means to this end.”
She put her audacity to constructive use. “If we can reach Reverend McCue before they catch us, we could be wed before anyone interferes.”
Jack stared at her, then threw back his head and laughed. “Hats off to you for sheer nerve.”
“Don’t you see? Once we’re wed they will have to accept us.”
He weighed her as he might an unwitting child. “Ever heard of annulment, or better yet, murder? You could
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