Jack was touching her. She should be frightened but she wasn't.

"Yes," she whispered, Yes, I am."

He released her.

"Why?"

"Why? Becauseif you and Hank share a single, common thought, you'd belike him--a cold-blooded bastard, self-serving, greedy, treacherous" sheswallowed before adding the final and most important description"--unbalanced." Ellen brushed the tips of her fingers across his cheek.

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say to you, Jack? Hank wouldn't care.

He would lie, clxmt or steal to get what be wanted. The only thingsabout you which remind me of him are physical attributes. And that's toovague a connection to worry about."

hat do you call the other things? Coincidences? I'm left-handed, I havehazel eyes"Killer Smile " I could go to Denver and find a thousand othermen who are left-handed, have hazel eyes and"--" And who can build abomb from scratch?"

" Yes," she lied.

"And build a bomb from saatchi" Another sudden sound interrupted them.They both listened to the rafters groan as a layer of snow slid down thefire-warmed roof. Their gazes locked for a moment and stayed that wayuntil Jack broke away, tearing off jacket.

"Why are you willing to put so much faith in me, Ellen?"

She waited for divine inspiration, having no real logic to back herreasoning. Where was the thunderbolt that would arrive from the 'heavenswith a message of revelation pinned to its side?

All Ellen could see was the reflection of the fire in Jack's eyes.

Warm, honest, caring eyes. Eyes that were moro brown than green. At themoment.

The thunder was no louder than an extra "Because I like you, Jack.Whoever you are ... I like you? Ellen returned to the cold sleepingbag, pointedly turning her back to him. By deherately placing vulnerablepositions she hoped to prove her faith in decision.

To Jack. , And herself.

She dosed her eyes and listened to every sound. made little noise as heshuffled across the wooden floor the bed. The box springs made ametallic pro teat as down. He shifted several times, releasing onehushed before he grew quiet.

Ellen fell asleep listening for the next sound.

Killer Smile A VAOTM, BUT INTERFTINO, aroma filled the air. Groggy,Ellen sat up in the bedroll, trying to focus both her brain and her eyes.

"Good morning." Jack stood by the stove, gesturing with a spatula.

"I hope you don't mind that I made myself at home. I looked through yoursupply area and found a new toothbrush, which I stole. And then I gothungry. Want some breakfast?"

"Uh ... yeah. Sure." She tugged at the zipper of the bag, trying tofree herself. Sliding her feet into the slippers warming by the fire,she adjusted the red flannel gown and joined him at the table. Bdore,she hadn't thought once about her mode of dress. But now, in the faintmorning light, she felt serf-conscious: He grinned.

"Hope you don't mind. You tossed and turned so much last night, Idecided not to wake you. I figured it wouldn't bother you if ! got myown breakfast. I made plenty," he offered between mouthfuls.

"Plenty ..." She surveyed the mess On the counter: three mixing bowls,two skillets, four wooden spoons, a spatula and a measuring cup, all ofit splattered with batter and dusted liberally with flour. Ellen sighed,then joined him at the table, sitting at the chair he held out for her.

"May I suggest the spedalty of the house? Pancakes?" He brought fingersto his lips like a proper French maitre d'.

"They are trs magnifique." He paused to lick a bit of batter from hisforefinger.

"Very trs. And unusually magnifique. Right, Monsieur Hermitt?"

Ellen looked down at her dog, who had a streak of flour across his black snout.

Jack heaped a daunting amount of food onto her plate. "Hermitt was my

official taste tester. Right, boy?" The dog wagged his tail and looked

ready to volunteer for more duty.

A Killer Smile A Killer Smile Ellen dribbled maple syrup over her stack, mindful that half her month's rations of butter, 'flour and syrup had likely disappeared into that morning's meal. If the snow kept up, they'd have to plan their food consumption more carefully. She watched Jack resist one of Hermitt's finer begging ploys.

"Looks like you got your appetite back. I'm glad you're doing better."

He stabbed his fork at a pancake, his expression growing a bit more solemn.

"I'd feel better if I could get back more memories. Only new thing I

remembered was how to cook."

"It's a start." She didn't mind savoring his newfound talent; he was,

indeed, a good cook. Yet she couldn't help. but wonder if his memories about cooking included a few basic instructions on how to clean up.

He gave her a grin over his next fork load "And before you say anything,

I'll admit I do remember something vaguely about placing dirty dishes in

a sink full of soapy water."

"And scrubbing, rinsing and drying them, too, She wondered if his good humor and returning appetite signaled some physical recover.

"Has your headache gono away?"

He nodded.

"For the most part. Oh, by the way, you're almost out of firewood. I can

go out and chop some, afteri finish breakfast."

"That's not necessary. There's plenty of wood out thero, already cut.

All I have to do is carry it in."

He swabbed the final morsel of pancake around his plate, soaking up the

last drops of syrup.

"I can handle it." Ellen pushed back her chair and stood.

"No."

A flash of disappointment crossed his face.

"Why I'm feeling much better now."

"And you're going to stay that way. You can play doorman for me if you

like, but I'm getting the wood." She reached up to the coatrack, grabbed her jacket and started putting it on.

"In your nightgown?"

Ellen looked down at the red flannel material that extended beyond theend of the jacket and sighed. She grabbed the clothes from the back ofthe rocking chair and slipped through the bathroom Curtain.

Emerging minutes later, she made a point of ignoring the glint ofamusement in his eyes, as he held out her gloves and hat.

The wind had blown a heavy drift against the side of the house, and shestruggled to shoulder the storm door open. The lean-to shed shelteredthe wood from the worst of the snow, allowing the split logs to stayrelatively dry. After four trips, the inside bin was nearly full, andshe headed out for one last load. Jack held the door open for her,giving her a stiff doorman's Salute every time she passed by.

Ellen tried to pick up one particular log, but fod it frozen to severalother pieces of wood. Wedging her hands between the two largest pieces,she attnpted to pry them apart. When the ice f'many broke, it took herby surprise, and she lost her balance. Her arm hit the house with a dullthud.

Making a face, she rubbed her smarting wrist, then bent to retrieve thefallen wood. Suddenly she heard a scraping noise and looked up in timeto receive a faceful of snow falling from the eaves.

Jack laughed when she turnel toward the window, her face covered in snow.

Wiping it away like a character in a silent movie, she collected a chunkof snow from her shoulder and formed a good-size snowball. He read herlips.

"Laugh, will you?"

The snowball splattered against the glass pane of the door. Jack smiled.

Missed me," he taunted. She was A Killer Smile She shivered again, andhe knew it wasn't because she was cold. A delicate feminine perfume roseup, riding the waves of sudden heat that passed between them. Glancingat him for one quick, veiled moment, she managed a small nile which cutthrough his reservations like a razor--neat, exact and with surprisinglylittle pain.

"Warmer?" A flame began to burn in the center of his body, matching theintensity of the real fire before them. The allure of the heatcaptivated his imagination and Wansformed half: formed thoughts intofull-fledged des/ "Yes. Thank you," she whispa, turning in his arms: Her bottom lipquivered, and he could feel the racing rhythm of her heart. Eroticimages danced through his head, moving to an age-old tempo. Pulse becameimpulse, and he acted on the desires of the heart.

Jack bent toward her, aware of how her lips trembled:' beneath his.

Slowly, gently, he searched for a sense of ogn/zable intimacy in herresponse. He brushed her gently with his fingertips in an unassuming gesture millarity. Pulling her closer, he touched his lips to hersagain, generating an electricity between them him by surprise. Hisinitial reaction was to hide his hardened response to thoughts ofpassion.

Jack couldn't remember ever feeling like this before. newness of thesensation ripped through. him, sense of desire he didn't know himselfcapable But he was a man, and there had to be things a couldn't forget .He kissed her.

Ellen accepted his initial passion, magnified it and turned it.

Encouraged, he allowed himself the freedom act and react. Like a youngman experiencing his hood for the first time, Jack explored. He A KillerSmile flesh that reacted to his touch, the sensation thrilling him asmuch as it seemed to please her. Her simple actions elicited complicatedresponses in him, and his deal're mounted.

They ascended to the next level of sensuality, searching for ways toplease each other. Then, using his instinctive skills in the basics oflovemaking, Jack proceeded to the next plateau. He led her to the bed,where they fell back on the quilt. He pulled at the neck of herundershirt to reveal one smooth shoulder. When his lips brushed herexposed skin, she arched toward him. Her hands seared his bare chest,teasing him with both their innocence and their experience.

She togged at his shirt and he obliged, removing and tossing it to thefloor.

Growing bolder, she used both hands to draw a broad trail down the hardmuscles of his chest to his waist. Her fingers taunted him, tracing apath around the waistband of his jeans. When he reached to unfasten thebrass stud at his waist, Ellen captured his hand, twining her fingers inhis.

"No ... not yet ." ' He groaned in spite of himself, allowingself-doubt to surface for a minute. But instinct used an erotic flood of sensations to wash away his momentary flare of guilty ignorance.

Ellen lifted his hand to her lips for a gentle kiss on each fingertip.Then she leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

"That's my job ... " Slowly, provocatively, he worked down his zipper.He closed his eyes and rested against the pillow, waiting with tremblinganticipation for her to finish. She pulled at the denim, sliding it fromhis hips.

"This is the second time I've undressed you."

Killer Smile He open his eyes and stared at her. Overwhelming desirerobbed him of any response.

She positioned herself on her knees at the end of 'the bed, drext in herjeans and the thin undershirt.

"Now it's your turn." She beckoned him with a gesture and seduche movedto his knees in front of her, then lowered his head to kiss her. Thetaste was intoxicating. Caught up in a sudden surge of emotion, he beganto remove her clothes. At the same time, he succeeded in strippinghimself of all doubts, releasing him. elf to act on the pent-up urges that were fighting to control him. His body shook when he discovered thetantalizing sensation of flesh against flesh.

Instinct.

Insight.

Intuition.