Twin of Ice (Montgomery/Taggert 6)

“Or any woman?” she asked, her lips against his.

“Yes,” was all he could manage to say before he began to tear the big shirt off her.

Before, Houston had felt that Kane was withholding something in his lovemaking, that part of him was remaining aloof, not with her but somewhere else. But now he was different, no more reserve of coolness, no more holding back and watching.

With all the passion of a charging bull, Kane swept her into his arms and carried her into the opening of the abandoned mine shaft. As Houston glanced at his impassioned face, she thought, this is the man who has made millions in a few short years. This is the Kane Taggert I knew was inside. This is the man that I love—the man whom I want to love me.

Kane seemed to have no thoughts as he lowered her to the ground, his lips reclaiming hers while his hands clawed the rest of her clothes from her body, exposing her soft skin to his touch. He was ravenous as his mouth tore its way down her body.

No more was he the ki

nd, patient, considerate lover, but in his place was a man starving with want of her. Houston thought she’d responded to him previously, but now her mind left her and she became one mass of raw, pulsating feeling.

Kane’s mouth on her flesh was like a fire travelling up and down, seeping into her very bones until she was sure she’d be consumed by him.

His strong fingers clutched at her waist and pulled her close to his skin, so hot it felt as if the fire in her were searing him also. He rolled to his back, holding her and moving her body as if she were of no more weight than a child.

In one swift, fluid motion, he lifted her and set her down on his manhood. Houston gave such a half-scream, half-moan of pleasure that it echoed off the back walls of the mine and swirled about them.

Her head was thrown back, there was sweat on her neck that dampened the tendrils of her hair about her shoulders and, as she put her hands on his shoulders, she let the emotion of their lovemaking take over. She had no thoughts; at that moment she only felt—as she’d never felt anything in her life before.

Kane’s hands dug, into her skin as he lifted her, as she lifted herself to the frenzy of movement that their passion inspired.

Once, she opened her eyes and saw him, saw the expression on his face, his mouth partly open, his eyes closed and the deep, consuming pleasure she saw there refired her own feelings.

The pace increased.

“Kane.” She thought she had whispered, but again the sound reverberated about them, swirling in the cool air, wrapping around them.

Kane didn’t answer but lifted her up and down with lightning speed, and when he brought her down for that last, blinding thrust, Houston felt her body tighten as her back arched and her thighs gripped Kane’s hips.

An earthshaking shudder passed through her and when it was done, she fell forward against his sweaty chest. Kane’s arms held her so tightly that her ribs threatened to break, but she curled her arms against his chest, kept her legs inside his and tried her best to be even closer to him.

They lay together, the only movement being Kane’s hand gently stroking her hair.

“Did you know it’s started to rain?” he said softly after a while.

Houston was oblivious to anything but his body next to hers and the extraordinary experience she’d just been through. She managed to shake her head but didn’t look up.

“Did you know that it’s about forty degrees out there, and that I’m layin’ on hundreds of those sharp little pieces of coal that you find so fascinatin’, and that my left leg died ’bout an hour ago?”

Smiling, her face buried in his warm skin, Houston shook her head.

“I don’t guess you have any plans of movin’ within the next week or so, do you?”

Laughter was building inside Houston as she kept her face hidden and shook her head.

“And it doesn’t matter to you that my toes are so cold that if I knocked ’em against somethin’ they’d probably fall right off?”

Her negative response only made him hold her closer. “Could I bribe you?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“How ’bout if we get our clothes on, and then we stay in here and watch it rain, and I let you ask me questions? That seems to please you the most, as far as I can tell.”

She raised her head to look at him. “Will you answer them?”

“Probably not,” he said as be gently pushed her off him, but stopped midway to kiss her lingeringly, softly, and caress her cheek. “Witch,” he murmured before turning away and reaching for his pants.