Only 06 - Winter Fire

was a short silence.
    â€œOh,” Conner said. “Uh…”
    â€œYes. Uh…” Sarah repeated sardonically. “Now, would you mind letting us wake up in peace?”
    â€œWell, shoot, how was I supposed to know?”
    â€œBy using your head for more than a hatrack,” she shot back.
    â€œAre you, uh, all right?”
    When she heard the combination of love and protectiveness and embarrassment in her brother’s voice, herirritation evaporated into affectionate laughter.
    â€œI’ve never been better,” she said.
    â€œAren’t you going to ask after me?” Case said blandly. “Your sister is a mighty fierce woman.”
    â€œCase Maxwell, if you weren’t too big to paddle, I’d—” she began.
    â€œBut I am,” he said across her words. “So you won’t. Go on in, Conner. We’ll be along shortly.”
    The boy’s laughter came back through the thicket like a second dawn. He was still laughing when the cabin door finally closed behind him.
    There was no laughter in Case’s eyes.
    â€œSarah,” he began.
    â€œNo,” she interrupted.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œNo. Just plain no. Don’t ruin it by telling me how you don’t love me. I know you don’t. I don’t need to hear the words.”
    He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the pain in hers.
    And in his own.
    â€œWe can’t do this again,” he said, his voice tight.
    â€œCan’t?” She laughed raggedly. “You’re as hard and full of life as ever. Don’t talk to me about can’t.”
    He could hardly argue the point. He was pulsing against her hip as though he hadn’t had a woman in years.
    â€œAll right,” he said through his teeth. “We must not do this again.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œI could make you pregnant!”
    She shivered and shifted her hips slightly, measuring his readiness.
    â€œNo doubt about it,” she agreed.
    â€œThen I would have to marry you, and—”
    â€œWhy?” she interrupted.
    He stared at her as though she had gone mad.
    â€œI’m a rich widow, not a poor virgin,” she said matter-of-factly. “Besides, next time I’ll use what Lola gave me.”
    â€œThere won’t be a next time.”
    â€œThen it’s not pregnancy you’re really worried about, is it? What’s wrong? Didn’t you enjoy what we did?”
    Case’s mouth shut with an audible clicking of teeth.
    Even beneath his beard Sarah could see that his jaw muscles were clenched.
    â€œYou know damned good and well I liked it,” he said through his teeth. “Hell, I more than liked it. It’s the best I ever had.”
    Or ever will have , he acknowledged bitterly to himself.
    â€œThen there’s no problem.” She smiled brightly at him. “Come on, lazy man. Let’s go see what kind of cook Morgan is. Unless you’d rather see if we get better with practice…?”
    With a muttered curse Case shot out of bed. He dressed quickly in the cold air. His speed was helped by the fact that admiring gray eyes were memorizing every inch of him.
    â€œGet dressed,” he said.
    â€œI can’t find my drawers or chemise. What did you do with them?”
    He looked around with something close to desperation. Her chemise peeked out from the foot of the bedroll. Her drawers were dangling from a low branch of sage, flung there by a hand that had had better things to do than worry about tomorrow.
    While he gathered her underwear, he remembered peeling off soft, warm muslin and finding ever softer, hotter flesh beneath. Hastily he tossed the garments in the general direction of the top of the bedroll.
    A naked, elegantly feminine arm came out from under the covers and dragged the underwear beneath, where it was warm.
    Warm, hell , Case thought. She’s a fire in winter. I’ll die remembering what it was like to sink into her .
    Salt and sweet, all woman, hot honey on my tongue, on my body. Winter fire burning just for me .
    A shudder of raw hunger went through Case. It was all he could do to stuff his unruly flesh into his pants.
    â€œNeed some help?” Sarah asked.
    Humor and admiration and memories ran through her husky voice like heat through flames.
    â€œI’ve been dressing myself for some years now,” he said roughly.
    â€œHow about helping me? I’m just a beginner.”
    The sensual teasing in her