Raven's Prey

her arm again. It was a hell of a price to pay for one smile of gratitude, he thought. What was the matter with him? Why couldn’t he forget his curiosity and the strange attraction he was experiencing for Honor Knight? She would be furious if she knew that the real reason he had elected to extend his stay in the village was simply because he wanted to indulge himself, not her.
    It was stupid. There was [_no _]logical justification for his impulsive decision to give her an extra two days in Mexico. Now he was committed to four whole days in this remote village. It was an idiot thing to do. He should he getting the job over and done and returning home to New Mexico. He had other work to do.
    Well, it was too late to back out of the promise. That single smile of gratitude was probably all he was going to get by way of thanks, too. But damn it! It was infinitely more pleasant to have her smile at him than to see the anger and fear in those huge hazel eyes.
    Then Judd corrected himself. Yes, it was very pleasant to see the smile, but what really intrigued him now was the possibility of seeing passion come to life in her eyes. He had managed to arouse some spark in her this morning and his whole being longed to know what the flame would be like if he could kindle it fully.
    “That’s the third compromise you’ve gotten out of me, lady. Are you satisfied?” he asked almost whimsically as they reached her cottage.
    “Are you telling me you think you’ve been a very generous man?” she asked, throwing herself down onto the cot and folding her arms behind her head. She watched as he moved across the room to put on more hot water for coffee. Today her bird of prey had shown another side to his nature and she was still trying to assimilate it. His patience with the local people as he showed them over the Cessna and his surprising offer to grant her extra time both provided a great deal of food for thought.
    “You sound as if you don’t think I’m capable of generosity,” he remarked, not looking at her as he measured coffee into the cups. He added an extra spoonful to his own and Honor winced at the thought of how strong it would be.
    “Frankly, when I first saw you last night I wouldn’t have bet so much as a dime on the possibility of your having a generous streak in your nature. 1 decided almost at once that your name fit you very well.”
    “Raven?” That brought a faint look of satisfaction to the line of his mouth. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Ravens are good in the air, you know. There’s not another bird that can bring them down in the sky.”
    “Is flying your whole life, Judd?” Honor asked impulsively. “Have you always made your living at it?”
    “Ever since I got my license when I was sixteen. Crop dusting, charter work, ferrying, you name it.”
    “Do you often take on odd jobs like this one?” For some reason Honor chose to refrain from using the word “kidnap” to define his present employment. She found she didn’t want to break the fragile truce that was developing between them. There was no telling just how far his generosity really went, after all.
    “When I need the money.”
    “What do you need the money for this time?” she prodded.
    He brought the coffee over to her. “You’re full of questions all of a sudden.”
    “Natural under the circumstances, don’t you think?” she asked flippantly.
    “Maybe,” he said slowly. “Maybe it is. Perhaps that explains why I’ve got so many questions about you. When you’ve spent a solid week hunting a woman, you’re bound to be a little curious about your quarry.”
    She made a face. “If you don’t mind, could you find some word other than ‘quarry’? It’s not pleasant feeling like a hunted animal.”
    “Then why did you run away in the first place?” he countered too gently.
    She stiffened. “I thought we had agreed not to make accusations. Asking me that is tantamount to calling me a liar again. You don’t believe a single word of my story, do you?”
    “Let’s try another topic,” he suggested coolly.
    “Such as?”
    “Such as, will you have dinner with me in the can-tina tonight?”
    That came as a surprise and Honor blinked, appraising him from beneath her lashes. It was another small step forward on his part and she intended to seize the gesture with open arms. But that didn’t stop her from wondering exactly what was going on behind those cool, dark eyes. Until she fully understood his motives,