desperate desire.

Some soft sound esi~aped her, and she gasped when his lips moved upon

her fi~h, when he turned his head against her, his hair teasing the

flesh of her abdomen, then his kiss and lips caressing it As he kissed

her he continued to push the gown up. The flannel raked over her

breasts, over her hardened nipples.

He rose and knelt over her again, taking each breast fully into his

mouth.

She was alabaster, as perfect as marble with the dusky, rose-tipped

peaks, so hard, so compelling, drawing his body into a tighter, harder

knot all the while, exciting him to an ungodly high with the mere

whisper of her breath, the tiny gasps that escaped her, the sultry,

sensual way her body moved against him. Such little movements, as if she

was afraid, as if she discovered the haunting rhythms of making love.

He paused, meeting her eyes. Half-closed eyes--dazed, damp, luminous and

honest--meeting his. Her gaze fell upon his naked and aroused body, and

her eyes widened again. They met his again, and the beautiful flush of

rose came to her cheeks. He reached for her gown and pulled it over her

shoulders, and they knelt facing each other. She threw her arms shyly

around him, but that served to press them together, all their nakedness,

and he felt her breasts upon his chest as thoroughly as he knew that she

felt the ripple of his muscle and the blinding heat that led him now.

He pressed her into the quilt, down, down, into the hay. He crawled over

her again, seizing hold of her lips, kissing her until her breath came

raggedly, until her breasts rose and fell heatedly in his hands, until

she trembled wherever he touched her. Then he kissed her breasts again,

fascinated by the shape and texture and by the perfect marble beauty. He

lowered himself against her, near blinded by his own need yet driven to

see that she felt no pain, that she savored this time between them as he

did, that she remember the passion; the desperation, the aching, longing

need.

He kissed her between her breasts, then strayed down the length of her

breastbone. He touched her ribs with the tip of his tongue and delved

deeply into her navel the same way. And then he dropped his head still

lower. He felt her legs quiver and a quickening within her and heard the

soft, 159 shocked protest on her lips. But he ignored her and made love

completely to her, delving into the very femininity of her. She cried

out, this time not so softly. He laced his fin gets with hers and

touched and delved ever deeper. He brought the searing, damp heat of his

kiss and earess to the very bud of her desire. Her fingers tightened

painfully around his, but he wedged himself firmly_ between her thighs

and tenderly caressed her. She whimpered, tossing her head so her hair

spread out like a burst of sunrise. And still he drank ever more deeply

of her sweet scent and taste, until he could feel the pulse of desire

rising within her.

He crawled atop her then, discovering her eyes dosed, her face ashen.

And yet her fingers dug into his shoulders, and when he carefully

lowered himself over her and pushed slowly within her, he found her damp

and welcoming. He watched her face even as he thrust past the portals of

her innocence, and she never cried out or murmured a single protest or

whimper.

He sheathed himself slowly inside her, then he held and caught hold of

her chin.

Her eyes flew open, so large and dark, then they fluttered closed again

as he took her lips and caressed her with long, slow, leisurely

kisses--taking all of her mouth, exploring, tasting, savoring. And as he

kissed her he began to move within her, strokes as soft as velvet, slow

and evoea- five, coercive.

He felt something give within her when the pain had ~ faded and the new

pleasure began. There was an easing of her arms around him, and her

long, enchanting legs wound tightly around him. Her fingertips grazed

his shoulders, the nails lightly stroking. Soft sounds of passion began

to escape her.

He thrust hard then, unleashing the passion that had grown and simmered

and become explosive 'within him. He moved like the wind and like the

earth, and he whispered to words that meant nothing, words that barely

found and yet words that meant everything. Their lips met again and

again, parted, fused and sealed together, as did their bodies. He felt

himself grow slick with the heat they ignited in the night, and he knew

that he could not hold on much longer. And still he fought the climax

that clamored in his loins, in his heart, in his mind. He fought it,

driving her ever upward, leaving her shivering in moonbeams, taking her

ever higher. Then he felt it. A wild stiffening in her body, a stark

moment in which she seemed to fight him, then she was trembling beneath

him in great shudders.

He cast back his head. He felt a groan rumbling in his throat just as

the heat and fever and excitement within him drew to a massive pitch.

The sound escaped him, the life and energy and heat of his body shot

from him, filling her.

Again and again, shudders seized him, and he filled her again and again.

Then he wrapped his arms around her and held her very tightly. He eased

to her side, taking his weight from her but keeping his arms around her

so that she fell atop him. She sighed softly. Damp tendrils of her hair

curled over him. He touched it and remembered wondering how it would

feel against him.

Like silk. it felt like silk. And it looked like the sun, so blond

against the bronze of his skin. And she felt like silk, her body so

slick with all that had been between then, covering him.

Her face lay against his chest. She didn't say a word, and she didn't

seem to want to look at him.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, softly smoothing back a tendril of

her hair.

She nodded against him.

"Did I--hurt you?"

She shook her head, but still she didn't say a word. "You're not crying,

are you?" he asked her.

"No!" she said in muffled, indignant protest. "Women do, you know."

"Women do!" she repeated, speaking at last. She sat up, and her eyes met

his.

"How many women do you--did you ... Oh, never mind!" She started to

pull away. Her breasts swung heavy and fascinating before him, and he

quickly laughed, pulling her back. His voice was husky when he spoke.

"I've never, never, been in a--er, circumstance like this one before."

"Like" -- "With a virgin," he said flatly.

She flushed crimson. He pulled her close to him. She was wiggling and

squirming, ready to retreat now that it was all over, despite the way

she had played the seductress so boldly. He didn't want to lose her.

"Tess!"

"What? Will you please" -- "I didn't go back to Eliza that night,

either.

The whole thing was a show" -- "Eliza is in love with you."

"Eliza is in love with a lot of people." She Paused, tossing her hair,

studying him with her enormous eyes.

"And what about you?" I m not in love with anyone, he said. Agam"~e felt

her pulling away. He tightened his hold around her. But I am your eyes.

And I love the way you fight until the bitter end, though I could also

strangle you for that same quality. I love the way you think, and I love

the way you take ~ of the people around you, and I even love the way

your ~Yes flash when you're jealous."

"I'm not jealous" -- "Then nosy. You were damned determined to I had

taken my bath."

"Because" -- She broke off, staring at him. i He grinned.

"Because you weren't about to come near me had been near another woman,

was that it?"

He laughed again, hugged her close and rolled her over in the hay.

"Never fear, my feisty little love. When I am near you, I will never

find the need for another."

His lips closed over hers. He stroked his hand down the length of her,

touching her openly and intimately. A sound rumbled in her throat

against his kiss. He ignored her. All the fires of hell were burning

inside him again, and this time he need not be so slow, so careful. She

had learned about tenderness. She was ready to learn about the tempest.

Later, when dawn neared, she slept. Jamie stared at the rafters as the

first pale light of day appeared, impressed by the eagerness and

complete abandon with which she had approached lovemaking. He had never

known a feeling of such relaxation, of physical bliss as her sleeping

body against his.

She had learned many things this night. She slept with her knee slightly

curved upon him, her hair tangled around his shoulders and chest. He

touched a strand lightly, and it was almost as if the gold and honey

touched him back, as if it gave him warmth. He looked at her face, so

beautiful, so perfect, her lips just slightly parted, cherry red in the

first rays of light, tempting. He stroked her shoulder and her back. She

moved against him, and he felt the warmth of her breath upon him as she

sighed softly.

She had learned so much. But he had lea rued a great deal that night,

too.