Wildstar

Uncertain but obedient, Jess lay down. Devlin took off his gun belt, then blew out the candle. Stretching out be­side her, he pulled her gently into his arms, arranging her so that her head rested on his shoulder. The blackness en­veloped them, but it wasn't quite the dreadful, suffocating inkiness of before. Instead it was cool and quiet, almost peaceful. Yet it wasn't in the least soothing. Jess couldn't relax. Her mind wouldn't let go of the haunting images of tombs and death.

"I never thought it would take such drastic measures to get you into my bed," Devlin murmured in the darkness.

Jess could almost see his lazy smile and knew he was still trying to cheer her. It didn't work. Devlin was holding her comfortingly, but she didn't feel comforted. Instead, she felt restless and edgy and frightened of what the morn­ing would bring—if it even came.

"Go to sleep, Jess," he said a minute later, his tone pa­tient.

"I don't want to sleep."

His hand came up to stroke her hair tenderly. Jess stirred in his arms. She didn't want tenderness from him. She wanted him to ease the terrible feeling of fear and ur­gency that was gnawing at her.

"Try to relax, sweetheart," he murmured against her hair. "You should know by now that I'm not going to at­tack you."

"I wish you would."

She felt his muscles tense perceptibly. "I beg your par­don?"

Jess felt her heart begin to beat heavily, its swift rhythm at odds with the conviction that was steadily building in­side her.

"Jess? What did you mean, you wish I would?"

She took a slow, deep breath. "It means that if this is going to be my last night on earth, I don't want to spend it sleeping. I want to know what I've been missing all my life."

She heard his sharp inhalation and knew he understood what she was asking.

"I don't want to die like this, without knowing what it's like to feel passion . . . to be a complete woman," she said softly, so there would be no doubt.

"Jess, you aren't going to die."

"Can you promise me that?"

He was silent for a long moment.

Deliberately, she shifted her head, nestling her face in the naked hollow of his throat. "Devlin, please . . ." she whispered against his warm skin. "Show me what it's like to be a woman."

Chapter 10

"You don't mean what you're saying, Jessica," Devlin replied, his tone as taut as his body.

"Yes, I do," she said quietly. "I want you to make love to me."

He lifted his head slightly, trying to look down at her, silently cursing the darkness that wouldn't let him see her face. His fingers reached up to touch her chin, curling around it with an unconscious pressure, while his thoughts raced.

A short time ago during his search of this level, he'd passed a crack in the rock and his candle flame had sud­denly flickered. Unless his imagination had been playing tricks, there seemed to be a small stream of air blowing into the tunnel where he and Jess were trapped. If it really was air, then they might be able to survive for a while. He hadn't mentioned it to Jessica because he didn't want to falsely raise her hopes. Besides, he could be wrong. The odds were greater that they wouldn't make it through the night.

Devlin grimaced at the morbid thought. "You're supposed to save your virginity for your hus­band," he finally said, his voice rough, husky.

"I may never have a husband."

"Yes, you will. We'll get out of here shortly, and sooner or later some man will come along and sweep you off your feet and give you that family you said you wanted."

Jess shook her head mutely. She didn't believe him.

And thinking about a future with some nameless man didn't help. She wanted Devlin, God help her.

But then a man like Devlin could have any woman he wanted. He could afford to be particular. Maybe he didn't want to make love to someone like her, an inexperienced virgin who had few of the feminine qualities he thought a woman should have.

She pressed her face harder against Devlin's shoulder, not knowing if she could bea