A Promise of Thunder

grew more frenzied, freeing her in a bursting of raw sensation. Before the last cries left her throat, hisown climax sent him spinning after her. It was several minutes before Storm could move or speak. Her words brought Grady abruptly from a state of euphoria to a rude awakening.
    “You bastard!”
    “What!”
    “You heard me. Let me go!” She tried to slide off him, but Grady held her so tightly his male appendage was still wedged deeply inside her.
    “Why are you so angry?”
    “Because you took unfair advantage of me. I can’t think straight when you—you—”
    “—Make love to you?”
    Her chin rose several notches in the air. “Seduce me.”
    “What’s wrong with that? It’s what we both wanted.”
    “It’s what
you
wanted. I had no choice in the matter.” She began pounding her fists against his chest, making no impression at all.
    “Dammit, Storm, stop that. Do you intend to beat me every time we make love?”
    “There won’t be another time. I can’t think straight when you—when you’re—”
    “—Making love to you?”
    “Forcing yourself on me.”
    He laughed harshly. “Are you trying to say you didn’t enjoy what we just did?”
    “Yes.” Her lids fluttered downward to conceal the blatant untruth of her statement.
    “You’re a terrible liar. Do you think I’m so inexperienced that I don’t recognize real pleasure?”
    “That’s the trouble,” Storm said sullenly. “You’re
too
experienced. You know just where to touch me to make me feel things I never felt with Buddy. It’s not right. Buddy was my legal husband. I loved him.”
    “Is that why you’re angry with me? Because you resent how I make you feel when we make love?”
    “That’s part of it.”
    Abruptly he lifted her off of him, setting her down beside him. She scrambled for a blanket to cover her nakedness. “You’re a coward, Storm Kennedy. You’re afraid of your own sexuality. It’s too powerful to cope with so you compensate by accusing me of seducing you. If it salves your conscience, then by all means think of me as a ravisher of innocent women.”
    Storm flushed, realizing Grady had come too close to the truth for comfort. “It isn’t right to feel so—so—”
    “—Wonderful?”
    “Shameful,” she contradicted. “It shouldn’t happen like this. Buddy hasn’t been dead very long. What kind of woman am I to allow myself to be seduced so easily?”
    “A passionate woman who has never been fulfilled until now. I’m not tarnishing your husband’s memory. He was obviously young and inexperienced, but dammit, Storm, he’s dead. You’re a true pioneer. Not many women could accomplish what you did on your own. You can remain stubborn and lose everythingyou’ve won or accept my proposal of marriage and lose nothing.”
    “Except my soul.” Grady recognized the pain in her voice and was puzzled by it.
    “I don’t want your soul, Storm Kennedy. What I want from you is much simpler.” Even as he spoke the words he realized he wasn’t being truthful. Was it really pity or responsibility he felt for the young widow? Or was it another, more complicated reason that had nothing to do with her husband’s death? “I want my son with me. He’s still young and impressionable and needs a woman’s influence. That’s where you come in.”
    Storm’s thoughts raced in every direction, finally returning to one inescapable fact. Grady didn’t want her for herself and she damn sure didn’t want a man who had no room in his barren heart for love. He gave her too much of everything but himself. Yet, what choice did she have? Losing her homestead would devastate her. But being a wife to Grady in every sense of the word would be even more devastating. He’d proved his mastery over her twice and was likely to do so again, stripping her of her pride, her identity—her soul. Was there no way to keep their relationship less intense without surrendering everything to him? she wondered dismally. When it came the answer was a stroke of genius, and she smiled at the simple solution.
    “You want me to make a home for your son,” Storm repeated, making certain she knewexactly where she stood with Grady. “And at the same time you’ll be giving me a home and salving your conscience where I’m concerned.”
    “Yes,” Grady said.
    “Then I see no reason to share a bed if we marry.”
    “What!”
    “I said—”
    “I heard what you said, dammit! Are you crazy? How can you ask that of me after