Only 06 - Winter Fire

little heat. So much cold .
    â€œSarah?”
    The soft voice made her jump, but she didn’t reach for the shotgun.
    â€œCome in,” she said quietly.
    The door opened and closed. Case loomed out of the darkness. As he walked toward the fire, light and shadow slid across his body like a lover’s hands.
    â€œI smelled smoke,” he said, “so I knew you were awake.”
    â€œThe fire…comforts me.”
    â€œMorgan just came back.”
    Sarah’s heart turned over. She looked at Case as though will alone could bring the answer she wanted.
    â€œYour brother is alive,” Case said quickly. “Chewed up some, but otherwise fine.”
    The relief was so great that she slumped toward the fire.
    With a swift motion he lifted her and carried her to her bed. Gently he put her on the pallet and began rubbing her cold hands.
    â€œI’m all right,” she said.
    â€œUh huh,” he said, not convinced.
    â€œTruly.”
    She gave a deep, shuddering sigh. Color slowly returned to her face.
    â€œStop worrying about dawn,” he said.
    A fragmented laugh was her only answer.
    He whispered her name and pulled her into his arms again. He held her, comforting both of them.
    â€œConner will come back to you alive,” Case said. “I swear it.”
    â€œB-but—”
    â€œHush,” he whispered. “Morgan is already headed back to Spring Canyon. He thinks he can get in close enough to protect Conner.”
    Or try to , Case thought grimly, but it wasn’t something he wanted to say aloud.
    From what Morgan had said, Conner was staked out like a goat waiting for a hungry tiger.
    Sarah took a broken breath, then another.
    â€œThey won’t expect us to be up on the rim with the sun behind us,” he said calmly. “Lola and Ute are working on the reales like you asked, though I’m damned if I know why you want them polished.”
    She nodded, but she didn’t look directly at Case.
    â€œIf you don’t sleep, you won’t be any good to us tomorrow,” he said. “We’re counting on you and Lola to cover our retreat.”
    At least, that’s what we want you to think , he added silently. What we really care about is having you out of the line of fire .
    Again, Sarah nodded.
    Again, she didn’t meet his eyes.
    â€œSay something,” Case coaxed. “Lord knows you were talkative enough earlier.”
    â€œWhat is there to say?” she whispered.
    He looked at her pale lips and knew she was right. Talking about tomorrow would only make the wait longer.
    â€œIf you get pregnant, go to the Ruby Mountains,” he said. “Hunter will see that you and the baby have a good home.”
    She didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Before she even absorbed the fact that he didn’t expect to survive past dawn, his mouth was over hers, sealing in any words or arguments she might have.
    After the first taste of him, she didn’t fight the sensual oblivion he was offering. She reached for him with an urgency that equaled his. Even as he struggled with her clothes, she was removing his.
    For every kiss she gave, she received two. For every caress, a greater intimacy. When his fingers probed between her thighs, he found her hot, soft, honeyed with passion. He entered her in a single thrust that made her cry out with a pleasure so great it was nearly pain.
    â€œSarah?”
    â€œDon’t stop.” Her nails dug into his hips. “Don’t ever stop.”
    He groaned and began measuring the depths of their mutual passion with each thrust of his body. Hunger consumed his control with a thousand licking fires.
    â€œNext time,” he said huskily, thrusting into her. “Next time—I’ll be slow. So damned— slow .”
    A sound clawed free from her throat. Her back archedand her hands clenched on his hips as she convulsed beneath him. He swallowed her cry and his own husky shout as he poured himself into her, giving himself to her in the only way he could.
    It wasn’t enough. He didn’t know if anything could ever be enough.
    He had to have her.
    He had to become her.
    â€œSarah?” he whispered.
    And then he moved deeply.
    â€œYes,” she whispered brokenly.
    Each time he moved she called his name. He answered with all the hunger in him until she was shivering again, burning again, consumed again.
    He drank her ecstasy and kept rocking against her, driving her