He threw back his head and laughed. “Not now, I think it best if we rest for a while.” He lifted off her and to the side before bringing her into his arms. His lips brushed her temple as he settled her head on his shoulder. “We have time.”

She settled her cheek on his shoulder, running the tips of her fingers down the muscles of his chest in a loving caress. Drowsiness was already tugging at her as she murmured, “I hope your wound did not get hurt. You were very… vigorous.”

He chuckled and bent down to kiss each of her lids with a touch as light as the breath of a butterfly. “You didn’t hurt me,” he teasingly mimicked her Scottish brogue. “And I’d far rather be considered vigorous than adequate.”

The corners of her lips turned up, and she went to sleep… smiling.

Dominic’s arms tightened around her with yearning tenderness. He shouldn’t have done this. He shouldn’t have taken what she offered, but he couldn’t have stopped himself. The discovery of what she meant to him had shattered his control and torn aside the veil he had used to mask the truth. And now that he had taken her, he knew that he was not going to let her go again. The love she offered was even more precious than the irresistible draw of her body.

Perhaps he could make it right. He couldn’t promise her permanency or even stability, but if he tried to make her happy in the moments they had… No, he had to do more than that. He had to find a way to protect her if anything happened to him. He had to keep her secure, and security meant money.

The Kantalan treasure.

He stared unseeingly into the darkness, turning over in his mind the possibilities the legendary treasure offered. Not for Killara, but for the woman in his arms. The woman he loved.

21

“Elspeth. Come, love, wake up.”

It was Dominic’s voice, but somehow different, vibrating with eagerness and laughter. She drowsily opened her eyes. His face was different too. He was laughing down at her, his eyes alight with the joy of life, and in the moment between sleeping and waking she knew that something in him had come right; a gift taken away from him had been returned.

“Is it morning?” she asked.

“No. But it’s time.”

“Time for what?” Her gaze ran over him lovingly. The fire had burned low, bathing him in a shadowy glow that glinted in the darkness of his hair and turned the bronze of his skin to copper.

“Time to further your education as a hetaera.” His eyes were dancing. “I believe you expressed a willingness to learn new skills.” He pulled her to a sitting position. “Well, one of the first things you must learn is to adapt yourself to your lord and master’s whims.”

“Indeed?”

He nodded as he carefully wrapped her in her plaid. “Oh, yes, that’s most important.”

“And what whim is this?”

“One I’ve been thinking about since the night I brought you back to Hell’s Bluff from Jim’s cabin.” He gathered her up in his arms, ducked from beneath the shelter of the lean-to, and stood up. “We’re going for a little ride.”

Her eyes widened. “In the middle of the night?”

“Why not?” He strode toward Blanco, standing saddled and waiting a few yards away. “The rain has stopped and there’s moonlight.”

“We’re not dressed,” she protested in bewilderment. She was wrapped only in the plaid and he was as gloriously naked as he had been when he had made love to her earlier in the evening.

He chuckled. “I’ll have no problem and you have your fine MacGregor plaid to keep you warm.” He stopped, leaned down, and kissed her with infinite sweetness. “And I promise I’ll do everything possible to help. You’re not going to refuse me?”

How could she refuse him when he looked so endearingly boyish? “No,” she said softly. “It’s daft, but if it’s what you want-”

“It’s definitely what I want.” He kissed her again, quick and hard, and lifted her onto the saddle. “Among other things.” With one spring he was behind her, kicking the horse into a trot.

The moon cast a silver half light on the hard rocky trail once they had left the shadowy grove, and Elspeth found herself in a strange, mystical world. A warm gray mist was rising from the earth to wreathe around them and veil the spiky tops of the tall pine trees on either side of the trail. She felt as if they were alone in a wild secret garden at the beginning of time, when anything was possible and nothing was forbidden.

Dominic’s warm breath was brushing her ear and his arms formed a deliciously secure haven around her. The breeze touching her cheeks and tugging at her hair was cool but not chill, bringing with it the heady scent of pine and rich damp earth. She suddenly found herself filled with wild exhilaration. “Do these whims strike you often? This is completely mad, you know.”

“Is it?” His teeth gently nibbled on the lobe of her ear.

A tingle of heat ran through her. “Yes.”

“I admit this is the first time this particular whim has occurred to me.” His hands were parting the tartan, slipping beneath the wool to cup her bare breasts. “But I won’t promise it will be the last.” His thumb and forefinger plucked at the sensitive nipples. “Does this please you?”

Fire, an aching throbbing between her thighs. “Yes, I… think so.”

He laughed softly as he enveloped her breasts in his hands and lifted them high. “Only think?”

“It makes me feel odd… almost hurting. I suppose that’s natural though.”

“Where do you hurt?” One hand left her breasts and moved down to her taut stomach to rub gently. “Here?”

The muscles went rigid beneath his fingertips. “Yes.”

His hand shifted lower and tangled in her soft curls. “Here?”

“Yes.”

He tilted her back against him and his fingers wandered down to delicately circle and rub, his thumb pressing skillfully. “Here?”