Midnight Jewels

use meditation to calm myself down, but it doesn't seem to work for me."
    "It takes practice. Years of it."
    "Well, I haven't got years. I need something
now
." She sprang to her feet, her eyes glittering. "This is all your fault."
    "I know."
    "Don't you dare sit there and assume full responsibility for everything."
    He blinked. "Mercy, you just said it was all my fault and I agree."
    She threw up her hands in outrage. "Don't try to humor me. I am not a child. It's true you used me to get to Gladstone, but there's no point apologizing. We both know you'd do it again given the same set of circumstances. It's your nature to do what you feel you have to do. You don't let anything get in your way, especially not a woman who..."
    "A woman who what, Mercy?" he asked curiously.
    "A woman who loves you, damn it!"
    Croft went very still, absorbing her words. He had never seen Mercy like this. She was flushed with a heat that, under other conditions, he would have assumed was a sign of sexual arousal. Her eyes were glittering, green pools of fierce, feminine energy. She was riding a wave of residual tension that burned like fire in her, feeding on her nerves.
    She didn't know what she was saying.
    "Mercy, be still," he said firmly. "Sit quietly. I'll help you meditate. I'll help you get into the calm part of yourself. Just listen to me. I'll give you the words—"
    Without any warning except an enraged yelp, Mercy exploded across the room. She launched herself across the bed, sprawling on top of Croft before he fully realized what was happening. The force of her impact pushed him back against the pillow. Her legs tangled with his and her nails dug into his shoulders as her eyes burned into his.
    "Listen to me and listen good, you arrogant bastard. You've used me and manipulated me right from the start. You've even had the nerve to admit what you were doing while you did it You've given all the orders and made all the decisions. You've had the unmitigated gall to make love to me because you drought you could control me more effectively if you turned me into some sort of sexual slave."
    "A sexual slave? I think mat's overstating me situation a little, Mercy."
    Her nails tightened on his shoulders. He was going to . have marks on his skin, Croft drought.
    "Shut up. I am not interested in your fine points of logic or philosophy. I'm doing the talking and I'm not finished with you yet. I've never met anyone as arrogant as you, Croft Falconer, but tilings are going to change. Until now everything has gone your way, but this morning I'm going to have tilings my way."
    "Mercy, honey, you're upset. You need to clear your mind. You need to calm down."
    "The only reason I'm in this condition is because of you. So you're going to do something about it."
    "I will," he promised. "I'll help you."
    "Damn right, you're going to help me," she muttered as she yanked at the buttons of his shirt. "But I'm not in the mood for any more meditation. And I don't want to listen to any more of your noble talk about assuming responsibility for this mess we're in. We already know it's all your fault. I need more than words. I need something to help me get to sleep. I am, as they say in California, stressed to the max. I need to work off all (his nervous tension. That means I need a physical release. You know what? I'm going to use you to get it. It's about time I got to use you for something."
    "Mercy, honey, calm down," he urged softly, realizing at last what was happening. She didn't know what she was doing. He tried to clasp her wrists but she ignored him, yanked her hands free and went back to unbuttoning his shirt.
    "I'm not going to calm down, so you might as well save your breath. I figure I can either use you for a punching bag or a stud. Take your pick, but you'd better choose fast."
    "If you won't calm down, then slow down," he ordered gently. "Mercy, I need a shower." She was squirming on him as she worked her way down his chest. She got the shirt unbuttoned and began plucking furiously at his belt buckle. He could feel her heat as she slid down over his lower body.
    "I don't want to slow down and you can take your shower later. For once we're going to do something my way."
    She unzipped his jeans so quickly Croft sucked in his breath. "Mercy, be careful."
    "Why should I start being careful now? I haven't been careful since I met you." She wriggled further down his legs, tugging furiously at the jeans. She got them past his hips and then lifted