Again that word. A remark so many disliked, but she found extremely erotic coming from his lips. The four-letter word held the ability of an incantation; she felt the power of it roaring straight down to her loins.

She turned on her left side and propped up on her elbow. Looking down at his face, she saw he'd recovered his color; the bruise had almost faded to nonexistence. "You're feeling better, right?"

"A big change in subject, don't you think?"

"No. I was worried about you."

He grinned and cupped her face again, running his fingers down through the length of her hair with a smooth and caressing motion. "You know what it does to me to realize that? I don't want you to worry about me ever, but at the same time it feels damned good to think you might have some feelings for me."

Yes.She wanted to scream at him.I have feelings for you.

He went silent. She sensed a change, subtle but certain. While confidence and masculine clout held him, she saw an unusual tenderness.

"What happens now?" she asked.

"Whatever you want to happen."

Serenity and maybe a trickle of exhaustion remained in his expression. Staring at his chocolate sinful eyes made a trembling renew in her belly as potent as anything she'd felt with him before. Though he appeared calm and collected, she knew he wanted her with a ferociousness that hummed right below the surface.

She couldn't move forward with this relationship if she didn't understand all she could about what she'd gotten into.

"There's so much we need to know about each other," she said in defense.

"Of course. I can already guess your favorite color."

She lifted one eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Citrine. You love the color both in your clothes and jewelry."

She glanced at the checkerboard-cut east-west oval citrine ring on her right hand, the small princess-cut diamonds along the shank on the ring adding to the sparkle. It was true she wore greens and copper-toned hues most often because they went well with her penny-red hair. She shifted and the tumble of curls that almost reached her waist shifted around her shoulders.

"The ring is a part of what you really are," he said. "Softness wrapped around sparkle and brilliance."

She couldn't admit to that without sounding arrogant. "What else do you know about me?"

His eyes lost a little of their warmth and faded to an icy assurance. "Who gave you the ring? A man?"

She laughed softly. "Is that jealousy I hear?"

"You're feckin' right it is."

Wow. She'd never imagined in all her days a man would be jealous over her and admit it to her face. Oh, yeah. He was annoyed.

"Tell me. Did a man give you this ring?"

While she could bask in the raging green monster a little longer, she didn't feel it was fair. "I bought it two years ago with my own money. I gave up long ago waiting for a man to buy me jewelry."

Tension eased from his handsome face, replaced seconds later by gentleness. "You sound lonely."

"No. Alone, but not lonely. There's a difference."

She lay back again, and he studied her with those fabulous eyes. She felt his gaze travel over her jeans and thick wool sweater. Every gaze from him smoldered with a continual arousing fire. Despite what had happened to them since she arrived in town, her attraction to Ronan refused to diminish.

"You left Pine Forest because of Jim Leggett?" This time his voice held a little anger, but not jealousy.

"Yes. I didn't mention it earlier to you and your friends, but I thought I really loved Jim.

I told my parents about the strange things I'd seen and experienced here in Pine Forest, and they didn't believe me. Neither did Jim. I can't say I blamed them, but it devastated me. I left town because of that." She shrugged. "I was young. Maybe if I'd been older, things would have been different."

His frown increased. "You thought if a man truly loved you, he'd believe you."

She nodded. "Yes."

"Your heart can't trust a man because of Leggett."

A little astounded that a rough-and-tumble man like Ronan gave credence to heartbreak, she found his concern touching. "Perhaps. I know all men aren't alike, but I guess I haven't found any man I could have that deep of a connection with."

A pause between them lasted for several seconds before he turned to another subject.

"You love all things Celtic," he said. "And before you ask how I know, I noticed the Celtic knot earrings and necklace you wore yesterday. They're silver."

"Does being around silver bother you?"

He smiled. "Not at all. Being shot with it is a different story."

"But shooting the ancient one with silver should have killed him."

"Should have, but it didn't because he's too old and powerful. That's why you and I-"

He cut himself off, as if she might balk if he spoke of what they must do. "Never mind that for the moment." He paused and allowed his ravenous gaze to tour over her body again. "You think your body is too lush, but it's rounded and gorgeous and every man with half a brain would appreciate it."

She flushed and the heat crawled down her neck. "Well, most men prefer a slim body."

He rolled his gaze to the ceiling and sighed in apparent exasperation. "Colleen, darlin', any thinner and you'd blow away in a strong breeze." He cupped her waist with his big hand, then his fingers trailed down her thigh. "Your legs are long and curved to perfection." He caressed back toward her waist, and his attention riveted to her breasts.

"Your breasts are deliciously round and taste like a special kind of honey."

She shivered under his praise, a new heat invading her body like an army. "You are so full of it, Ronan Kieran."

He frowned. "I'm not lying to you."

Once more his touch ventured, smoothing over the side of her breast so that she quivered. Then he touched her neck, feeling the pulse at the base. He closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath. When he opened his eyes, a conflagration invaded once again, a blazing red and yellow combination that reminded her of a fire burning out of control.

"There are things I can detect in a woman, sweet colleen. Things you can't hide from me even if you want."

"Such as?" she asked breathlessly.

"Your breath is coming fast and your pulse is, too. Your body aches with need for sexual fulfillment. Your pussy is hot. Wet."

"Ronan," she said with a gasp.

An ache centered high inside her, and she wanted his possession with a staggering desire she could no longer deny.