Separate Cabins

“I can’t think of anything.” She held the glass in both hands, the ice cubes transmitting some coolness to her moist palms.

That impatience became more pronounced as he stopped abruptly and swung around to face her. “It’s no good, Rachel. I’m not interested in eating anything—unless it’s you.” The probing intensity of his dark gaze searched her face, hotly disturbing her. “You know why I asked you to my cabin. Now I want to know why you came.”

The weighty silence didn’t last long, but when Rachel finally spoke, her voice throbbed on a husky pitch, too emotionally charged to sound calm.

“For the same reason you asked me—because I wanted to pick up where we left off at the rock pool.” But something went wrong with her certainty when she saw the unmasked flare of dark desire in his expression. As Gard took a step toward her a rus

h of anxiety made her half-turn away from him.

He immediately came to a halt. “What’s wrong, Rachel?” It was a low, insistent demand.

Her throat worked convulsively, trying to give voice to her fears. She turned her head to look at him and forced out a nervous laugh. “I’m afraid,” she admitted while trying to make light of it.

“Afraid of what?” His forehead became creased with a puzzled frown while his narrowed gaze continued to search out her face.

“I guess I’m afraid that it won’t be as wonderful as I think it will,” Rachel explained with a wry smile.

“Of all the—!” His stunned reaction was blatant evidence that he had expected some other explanation. The tension went out of him like an uncoiling spring. “My God, I thought it was something serious,” he muttered under an expelling breath.

“I know it sounds silly—” she began.

“No, it isn’t silly.” In two long strides Gard was at her side, taking the glass out of her hands and setting it on a table. Then he lifted Rachel off her feet and cradled her against his chest. “It’s beautiful,” he said huskily as he looked down at her.

When he carried her to the bedroom door, he was so much the image of the conquering male that Rachel couldn’t help smiling a little. Yet the thought was soon lost in the thrilling rush of anticipation sweeping through her veins.

Once inside the room Gard let her feet settle onto the floor, his gaze never leaving her face, locking with her eyes in a disturbing fashion. Conscious of the tripping rhythm of her pulse, she slowly dragged her gaze from his face to glance at the double bed that occupied the room.

“As soon as I saw that,” Gard murmured, following her glance, “I knew I’d much rather share this cabin with you than the one we were both assigned to originally.”

A comment wasn’t required. Any thought of one flew away at the touch of his fingers on the front zipper of her dress. While he opened it, Rachel unfastened the belt around her waist and let it fall somewhere to the side. Gard undressed her slowly, taking her in with his eyes.

Moments later they were lying naked on the soft comfort of the double bed, facing each other. His hand made a leisurely trace of the soft, flowing lines of her breast, stomach, and hips while her fingertips made their own intimate search of his hard male contours as they loved with their eyes.

As his hand shifted to the small of her back, he applied slight pressure to gently arch her toward him. With a beginning point on her shoulder he trailed a rough pattern of nibbling kisses to the base of her throat. Rachel quivered with the wondrous sensations dancing over her skin.

“It doesn’t bother me, Rachel, that I’m not the first man to love you,” Gard murmured thickly into the curve of her neck. “But I’m damned well going to be the last.”

Her heart seemed to leap into her throat, releasing the admission that she’d been telling him in everything but words. “I love you, Gard,” she whispered achingly and turned her head to meet the lips seeking hers.

In a relatively short period of time it became apparent to Rachel that she had not underestimated how wonderful it would be in his arms. His hands and his mouth searched out every pleasure point on her body, discovering everything that excited her.

The union of their flesh came after they had become intimately familiar with each other. Nothing existed but pleasing the other, moving in rhythmic harmony, the tempo gradually increasing. It was a glorious spiraling ascent that exploded in a golden shower of sensation, unequaled in its blazing brilliance.

Chapter Nine

With her head pillowed comfortably in the hollow of Gard’s shoulder, Rachel dreamily watched the lazy trail of smoke rising from his cigarette. The bedsheet was drawn up around their hips, cool against their skin. The contentment she felt was almost a feline purring. She had no desire to move for a thousand years.

“Well?” His voice rumbled under her ear. “No comment?”

Reluctant to move, she finally tipped her head back to send him a vaguely confused glance. “About what?”

His hooded eyes looked down at her. “Did you worry for nothing?”

A sudden smile touched the corners of her mouth as Rachel realized what he was talking about. She had long ago abandoned the conern that her expectations were too high. Her head came down again.

“You know I enjoyed it,” she murmured, being deliberately casual.

“Enjoyed it?” Gard taunted her mockingly. “You only enjoyed it? I must be losing my touch.”