The Pirate & The Adventurer & The Cowboy

changes myself during the past year."

    "Such as?" Rafe asked, lion's eyes watchful.

    "I never touch red meat." Margaret walked on into the cool house, paying no attention to her father's bellow of astonishment.

    S hortly after one o'clock in the morning, Margaret eased open the patio door of her bedroom and slipped out into the silent courtyard. She had changed into her bathing suit a few minutes earlier, finally admitting that she was not going to be able to sleep.

    The balmy desert air was still amazingly warm. It carried a myriad of soft scents from the gardens. Overhead, the star-studded sky stretched into a dark infinity. Margaret had the feeling that if she listened closely she might actually be able to hear a coyote howl from some nearby hilltop.

    The underwater lights of the swimming pool glowed invitingly. Margaret slipped off her sandals and slid into the water. She hovered weightlessly for a long moment and then began to swim the length of the pool. The tension in her muscles slowly dissolved.

    It had been a difficult evening.

    If she had any sense she would leave tomorrow, she told herself as she reached the far end of the pool and started back. It was the only thing to do. Her father was happy. It was obvious he was not being bamboozled out of Lark Engineering. He truly wanted to sell out to Rafe so there was nothing she could say or do. It was his business, after all.

    Yes, she should definitely leave tomorrow. But every time she felt Rafe's eyes on her she found herself looking for an excuse to stay. The excuse of doing battle with him was the only one she had.

    There was no sound behind her on the flagstone but something made Margaret pause in the water and look back toward the far side of the pool. Rafe stood there in the shadows clad in only a snug-fitting pair of swim trunks. Moonlight gleamed on his broad shoulders and in the darkness his eyes were watchful and mysterious.

    "Couldn't sleep?" he asked softly.

    "No." She treaded water wondering if she should flee back to the safety of her bedroom. But she seemed to lack the strength of will to get out of the pool.

    "Neither could I. I've been lying in bed wondering what kind of reception I'd get if I went to your bedroom."

    "A very cold reception."

    "You think so? I'm not so sure. That's what was keeping me awake, you know. The uncertainty." He lowered himself silently into the water and stroked quietly toward her.

    Margaret instinctively edged back until her shoulders were against the side of the pool. She gripped the tiled edge with one hand as Rafe came to a halt in front of her. "Rafe, I don't think this is a good idea. I came out here to swim alone."

    "You're not alone any longer." He put his hands on either side of her, gripping the tile and effectively caging her against the side of the pool. But he made no move to bring his body against hers.

    "Are you trying to intimidate me?" Margaret asked, shockingly aware of the brush of his leg against hers under water. Old memories, never far from the surface, welled up swiftly, bringing with them the jolt of desire.

    "My goal isn't to intimidate you, honey, it's to remind you of a few things," Rafe said gently. "A few very good things." He came closer, causing the water to lap softly at her throat and shoulders. "Maggie, I've wanted you back in my bed every night since you left. Every damned night. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

    She shivered, although the water was warm. "Did you mean what you said last Thursday? There hasn't been anyone else since you and I… since we've been apart?"

    "I meant it. The only thing that kept me sane was knowing you weren't sleeping with anyone else, either."

    She scowled. "How did you know that, anyway?"

    His mouth thinned. "It's not important."

    "You aren't just guessing about my lovelife during the past year, are you? You know for a fact I haven't been serious about anyone else. Damn it, Rafe, there's only one way you could be so certain. You hired someone to spy on me, didn't you?"

    "Maggie, honey, I told you, it's not important."

    "Well, it's very important to me. Rafe, how could you?"

    "Hush, love." His hand wrapped around her nape and he kissed her lightly. "I said it's not important. Not any longer."

    "You should be ashamed of yourself."

    "Have pity on me, love. I was a desperate man."

    "Rafe, the last thing I will ever have for you is pity. Just what did you think you were going to do if I got involved with someone else?" she