aI didnat teach you that,a he said huskily.

aNo, you taught me something much more important.a aDid I?a aYes,a she whispered. aI saw the awe and the hunger in you for a child of your own. Let me give you that child.a He became utterly still.

aLove me, Wolfe. Let me love you. Let me give back to you just a part of the beauty youave given to me.a aJessi,a he whispered, stopping her words with a gentle pressure of his thumb. aItas all right. You donat have to repay me that way.a aI want to.a He smiled sadly. aYou woke up terrified by old dreams.a aNot old dreams. A new one.a aDo you remember it?a aDear G.o.d, all too clearly. You were gone and I was alone and the wind was taunting me with my worthlessness as a wife, as a womanaa Wolfeas arms tightened. aYou arenat worthless.a aThen why wonat you make our marriage a valid one?a aJessiaelfaa She waited, watching him with hope burning in her eyes like dawn.

aSweet girl,a Wolfe whispered, kissing Jessica between words, ait has nothing to do with worth or lack of it. There is no future for a Scots aristocrat and a halfbreed b.a.s.t.a.r.d. You were not born for the Western wilderness. I was. I was not born for the elegant drawing rooms of London. You were. You need a husband more civilized than I am. And Iaa His voice died. aSomeday youall admit our mismatch and ask for an annulment.a When Jessica opened her mouth to object, Wolfe took it in a deep kiss that made her moan.

aBut until that day,a he whispered when he finally lifted his head, awe can enjoy each other in ways that will leave your virginity intact for the lord whom you will finally accept as your husband in every sense of the word.a aIall never accept any man but you.a aYes, you will,a Wolfe countered softly. aYou have too much pa.s.sion in you to live a nunas life, and you know it now. G.o.d help me, so do I. Iall die remembering your scent, your taste, the sounds you made when you burned beneath my mouth.a Before Jessica could speak, Wolfe kissed her deeply, seducing her with hot movements of his tongue. When he cupped her b.r.e.a.s.t.s in his hands and drew out the velvet peaks with his circling thumbs, she made a broken sound at the back of her throat. Reluctantly, Wolfe lifted his head, afraid that he had frightened Jessica with his ardor.

aFear or pleasure?a he asked huskily.

aWhat?a she asked, dazed by the heat splintering through her.

His hands moved, and the heat became a sweet burning that made her arch toward him. Small sounds rippled from her lips. One of those sounds was his name.

aWolfe?a aNever mind,a he breathed. His fingers caressed the hardened tips of Jessicaas b.r.e.a.s.t.s, drawing her nipples into proud, hungry crowns. aYour body is telling me everything I need to know just now.a Her thoughts came unraveled as a golden incandescence splintered through her. She felt the warm wash of Wolfeas breath over her nipple and knew in another instant he would draw her into his mouth and she would be lost.

aWait,a she said breathlessly. aI wantaa When she tried to speak, she couldnat find the words for what she wanted to say.

aItas all right,a Wolfe murmured, rubbing his lips over the velvet hardness of her nipple. aI know what you want. I want it, too.a aDo you?a The real question in Jessicaas voice stopped Wolfe. Slowly, reluctantly, he lifted his head from the sensuous temptation of her nipple.

aDidnat you know?a he whispered. aI like this as much as you do.a aNot quite.a aYou sound positive,a Wolfe said, amused.

Jessicaas cheeks were flushed with more than dawn, but she spoke anyway, for a need greater than the pleasures of the moment was driving her.

aIf you keep caressing me, youall give me the sun,a she said.

The sensual promise in Wolfeas eyes was as dark and hot as his smile. aI hope so, Jessi. I love watching you burn.a aBut I donat know how to give the sun back to you.a For a moment, Wolfe said nothing. He couldnat. His heart was threatening to close his throat.

aDo you want to know how?a he asked finally.

aIs it possible? Can I give you the sun?a aItas not only possible, it would be so d.a.m.ned easy. Just the thought of your handsaa A primal tremor of response raked through Wolfe.

aMy hands? Where, Wolfe? How? Teach me.a The temptation was almost overwhelming. He had spent too much time on fire for Jessica. He didnat think he could feel her hands on him without losing control. Yet he couldnat bear the thought of repulsing her at the very instant he was feeling the greatest pleasure.

aMy response mightadisgust you,a Wolfe said simply. aYou donat have to, elf. Despite our complaints, no man has ever died of s.e.xual frustration.a aDid my response disgust you?a Jessica asked curiously.

His smile was slow and lazy, yet his eyes smoldered with memories. aIave never seen anything more beautiful than you burning.a Jessicaas hands slid into Wolfeas hair, pulling his head down for the kind of kiss he had taught her both to enjoy and to need. He responded with a searching hunger that aroused her as much as his hands on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

aTeach me how to make you burn,a she breathed.

Wolfe drew her hands from his hair, kissed her palms, closed his teeth over the edge of her hand almost fiercely, and let out a harsh breath.

aI think we had better go slowly. That way you may stop any time you want.a Wolfe looked up, pinning her with eyes that were clear and dark. aI mean it, Jessi. The thought of disgusting you is unbearable to me.a Tears burned in Jessicaas eyes as she understood once again how badly she had wounded him by saying that his touch disgusted her.

aNever, Wolfe. You could never disgust me.a aIall bet I can shock you,a he said dryly.

She smiled with lips that trembled. aMy dearest Wolfe, you have already shocked me to my soul.a Black eyebrows lifted in silent query.

aEvery time you touch me, it gives me the most shocking pleasure,a she said simply.

Wolfeas breath came in with a sharp sound. aDo I really, Jessi?a She held out her hand so that he could see its fine trembling. aThis isnat fear or disgust. This is what happens when you touch me or when I remember how you have touched me.a Gently Wolfe lifted Jessicaas hand to his mouth, kissed her, then let her fingers slide away.

aWhy donat you start by touching me everywhere you like being touched?a he suggested.

Jessica tilted her head to one side as she looked at Wolfe. Though the sheet covered him from the waist down, he was unmistakably and aggressively male. When she looked back up to his intent eyes, the smile she gave him was both sensual and mischievous.

aI fear I must point out a small problem.a She flushed slightly and cleared her throat of its sudden huskiness. aWell, not small. Actually itas quiteaextensive.a aWhat is it?a Wolfeas teasing, lazy smile made Jessica feel as though he were stroking her. The sensation was both delicious and somewhat unnerving.

aFor a man who is reputed to have the eyes of an eagle when looking over a rifle barrel,a she muttered, aI fear you are somewhat blind at close range.a aHow so?a he asked, measuring the heightened color in her cheeks.

aAnd you call me innocent. Have you not yet noticed, my Wolfe? Weare not quite the same everywhere, which will make it difficult for me to carry out your suggestion of touching you where it pleases me to be touched.a aWe both have ears,a Wolfe pointed out blandly.

aDoes this mean I finally get to bite yours?a Before Wolfe could answer, he felt the warmth of Jessicaas breath on his ear, the heat of her tongue, the delicate edge of her teeth. He made a low sound of pleasure as her tongue spiraled down and in, sending sweet chills over his spine. She lifted her head and saw the dark glittering of his eyes in the dawn.

aYou liked that,a she said.

He smiled rather fiercely. aYes.a aLovely,a she murmured, bending to him once more. aSo did I.a Jessica tested the difference between ear and lobe with her tongue, her teeth, her lips. When she had managed to draw another low sound from Wolfe, she kissed him gently behind one ear.

aWe both have necks,a she said against his.

aWhat?a aNecks,a Jessica repeated. aWe both have them. I liked the feel of your mouth on my neck. Does that mean youalla"a aYes,a he interrupted swiftly. aPlease.a Smiling, she shifted, not noticing that the front of her gown had come half undone beneath Wolfeas fingers. White lace fell open, revealing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s just as she discovered the strong tendons and resilient muscles of Wolfeas neck. He was as hard as polished wood, yet much more supple. Life coursed through him tangibly.

aYour neck is so much stronger than mine.a aI havenat your petal softness,a Wolfe agreed. aBite me, elf. Let me feel your teeth and your warm little tongue. You wonat hurt me.a An instant later he felt the edge of Jessicaas teeth testing him. Her willingness to please him was as arousing as the caress itself. Knowing he shouldnat trust himself to touch her at all, Wolfe drew her gown away from one breast and looked at her. His index finger circled the creamy skin just at the point where it began to gather into the rosy velvet of her nipple.

Jessica shivered and her teeth closed a bit savagely on the corded muscles of Wolfeas neck. Heat shot through him. He caught the responsive tip of her breast in his fingers and twisted with exquisite care. She made a ragged sound and drew her fingernails down his chest. When she felt the tiny, hard rise of his nipples, she hesitated, then circled back to test the nubs she had drawn so unexpectedly from his muscular chest.

aYes, we both have b.r.e.a.s.t.s,a Wolfe said, smiling despite the hot wires of need that were drawing his muscles into knots. aBut yours are wonderfully soft and silky.a aI like yours better.a Slender fingers moved over Wolfeas chest, kneading the pads of muscle, praising his strength in silence, enjoying the midnight swirls of hair, circling without touching the sensitive nipples. Then her head bent, sending a wave of rose-scented hair over him. Just before her lips touched him, he saw the tip of her tongue. With the delicate curiosity of a kitten, she tasted his nipple. His fingers speared through her hair, holding her close. Her tongue flicked over him again.

aRemember how I kissed you?a he asked almost roughly.

aYes.a aDid you like it?a Her laugh was as sensual as the heat of her tongue. aAre you saying you would like to be kissed that way?a aOnly if you want.a Jessicaas answer was a change in the caress, her lips opening over him, teasing and pleasing him with the shifting pressures of her mouth. Her teeth closed gently on him. The tightening of his body was both a reward and a lure. She covered his nipple with her mouth and sucked gently. He made a sound that was as much felt as heard, a breaking of breath, a speeding of his heartbeat, and a flush of warmth spreading beneath his skin that told her she had pleased him.

An answering thrill coursed through Jessica. She would never have guessed that her touch could have such an effect on Wolfeas powerful body. Nor would she have guessed that touching him would both please and excite her. But it did. She found herself wanting to touch him everywhere, all at once, to fill her senses with him until there was nothing except Wolfe in her whole world.

Murmuring sounds that had no meaning, Jessica drew first one cheek and then the other over Wolfeas chest, caressing him, tasting him, savoring his warmth and strength, losing herself in his male textures, realizing finally that this was what she had wanted to do for so long she could not remember when the wanting had first begun.

Now he was lying beneath her hand, and she was dizzy with the power of him.

When Jessicaas hand slid down the sheet to stroke Wolfeas clenched thighs, his hips moved hungrily. Remembering how she had caught fire when his hand moved between her legs, she eased her fingers beneath the sheet, wanting to give him the same intense pleasure she had known at his touch. Yet when she tried to slide her fingers from knee to thigh, his legs were too closely held to permit it.

aDonat you want me to touch you?a Jessica asked.

Wolfe didnat trust his voice. He simply shifted his legs and prayed that his self-control was as good as he had always believed it to be.

The male flesh Jessica found was utterly foreign, twin weights resting on her palm and all of him drawn tight and hard, so sensitive that Wolfeas breath was torn from his mouth when she touched him experimentally. Instantly, she tried to retreat. His hand closed over hers, tangling her in the sheet, holding her palm cupped closely against him while fire burned through his body.

Then Wolfe realized what he had done.

aForgive me,a he said raggedly. aI didnat mean to force something you didnat want.a Gently Jessica kissed the taut skin of Wolfeas waist just above the line of the sheet. aI want to touch you. I just donat know how. And from what you taught me my fifteenth summer, for all your hardness, a man is vulnerable there.a aWhat? Oh,a Wolfe said, remembering. aThat savage little gutter trick.a aThat little gutter trick saved me from Lord Gore.a aWhat do you mean?a aHe threw me against the wall so hard I hadnat the breath to groan, much less to scream the house down around his ears as I wanted. If I hadnat used my knee as you taught, Iad have been raped on the hall floor just like my mother.a aJessi.a Wolfe half lifted himself so that he could see her face. What he saw was creamy, half-covered b.r.e.a.s.t.s, hair on fire with the dawn, and a sweet mouth so close to his aching flesh that he could feel each of her breaths as a current of warmth soaking through the sheet. He stroked a strand of the long, mahogany hair that fanned across his chest.

aYour hand is trembling,a she whispered.

aYes,a he said huskily. aYou keep surprising me. You have little reason to trust men, yet you are more generous in your sensuality than any woman Iave ever known.a aOnly with you. You have never been as other men to me. You are my Lord Wolfe, Tree That Stands Alone, the man who Talks Back To Thunder on behalf of a frightened elf.a Jessica kissed him softly where sheet and skin met. The brush of his fingertips over her lips made her shiver with memories.

aYou have another name, as well,a she said.

aI know. The viscountas savage.a aNo.a She bit the taut skin of Wolfeas belly in sensuous punishment. aNever a savage. To me your true name is Takes Me To The Sun.a Wolfe wondered distantly how many more times Jessica would surprise him; and then she astonished him by drawing down the sheet and kissing the very different flesh that she had aroused.

The kiss was as delicate as the brush of a b.u.t.terflyas wing and it burned as nothing Wolfe had ever felt in his lifeauntil Jessica lifted her hair and let it settle over him. He felt each silky strand as a separate sliding caress, concealing and then revealing him in the same endless, searing instant.

aTeach me how to touch you,a Jessica whispered, stroking Wolfe very lightly with her hands. aTell me where you are most sensitive.a Her name shivered from Wolfeas lips. It was all he could say as he fought to control the primal pulses that were dragging him to the brink of ecstasy. For the s.p.a.ce of several breaths he struggled, not realizing that Jessica was watching him with eyes made smoky by pa.s.sion. Finally, he let out a long, shuddering sigh.

aYou take the breath from me,a Wolfe said.

aThen Iall give you mine.a Jessica lifted her face to his, breathing his name into his mouth as they shared a kiss that burned with leashed hunger. Slowly, his hands closed over hers, drawing them across his aching body. With a soft, ragged sound of antic.i.p.ation, she kissed the corner of his mouth, the pulse beating so strongly in his neck, the muscular swell of his chest. And all the while her hands hovered just above his fiercely aroused flesh, touching him only with her warmth.

When Wolfe finally could speak, his voice was a rasp that told Jessica how tightly drawn he was.

aTouch me here, where I ache for you,a he said, pressing one small hand between his legs.

Jessica cupped and caressed him very gently, sensing the wildness quivering in him. Slowly he drew her hand higher, wrapping it around his potent flesh, urging her to measure him from base to blunt satin tip.

aThere,a Wolfe said hoa.r.s.ely. aThere I am very sensitive. It is there I would feel the shivering of your ecstasy most clearly.a Jessica made an odd sound and ran her fingers over his different textures with both curiosity and gentle care. Wolfe felt the trembling of her hands beneath his and smiled darkly.

aIs there anything else you want to know?a he asked.

aYes,a she whispered.

aWhat is it?a aI want to know how it would feel to have you inside me.a aThat canat be. But thisayesaI need your hands, Jessi. Iave never needed like this.a Her hands moved and pleasure coursed heavily through Wolfe. She kissed the muscular curve of his thigh, the sleek warmth of his abdomen, the intriguing hollow of his navel.

Eyes glittering, half-closed, Wolfe watched her loving him in the only way he would allow. The hushed silence of the room expanded until it became as taut as the instant before lightning arced between sky and earth.

The clear pleasure Jessica took in Wolfeas body and her utter lack of fear almost undid him. It took a fierce effort of will for him not to grab her and return the intimate caresses. But he knew if he touched her, he wouldnat stop until he was buried in her, feeling her ecstasy shivering around him, hurling him into the sun.

Wolfeas fingers clenched in the ends of Jessicaas long hair as he felt her warm mouth caressing his skin. Then he could watch her no longer. He could only close his eyes and fight the violent need that threatened to overpower him. Of all the sensual things he had dreamed about his elf, the possibility of her taking such open, heated pleasure in his body hadnat been one of them. Never had he been more aroused or felt more his own power as a man.

Then Jessicaas tongue skimmed his blunt arousal. He made the sound of a man in torment. Her head turned swiftly toward him, sending her hair over him in silky fire. As lightly as a sigh, as hot as flame, her hair settled between his thighs. A visible shudder ripped through him.

aWolfe? Did I hurt you?a He smiled despite talons of need drawing his body on a rack. aDid I ever make you ache?a She nodded. The movement sent sensual fire coursing over his erect flesh. He barely suppressed a groan.

aSweet Jessi, it hurts only when you stop.a aBut how do I touch you now? We are so different.a aIave never asked that from a woman.a Wolfe looked at Jessica with eyes that were dark blue gems burning. aThat kind of intimacy is too much to ask of an innocent elf.a aIs it shameful of me to admit Iad rather be wanton than innocent? I find Iam quiteacurious.a aAnd I find Iave never been more aroused. I wonder how much more I can take?a Wolfe drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. aWeall learn together.a aThis canat be new to you.a He smiled ruefully. aBut it is.a aYour d.u.c.h.essesa"a aHammer the d.u.c.h.esses,a Wolfe said roughly. aThey werenat mine, nor was I theirs. I was a savage trophy for them. Not one of them gave tinkeras d.a.m.n for anything but cold-hearted rutting. Not one of them ever gave me half the sweet pleasure you have.a aI have?a Jessica whispered. aBy touching you where youare most different?a Wolfe smiled and stroked his thumb over her lips, the only way he would permit himself to touch her.

aThat, and earlier, when you went down my body as though I were a warm spring and you were bathing in me.a aBut you are.a Jessica drew her cheek against the hard masculine flesh that defined Wolfeas hunger. aAnd I am.a aBathing in me?a aYes.a She turned her head and caressed him with her other cheek.

aKeep that up,a he said in a thick voice, aand there will be as much fact as metaphor in what you say.a Jessica paused, then smiled secretly as she understood. aThat would be only fair.a aNo.a aYes.a Her head moved again, but this time it was her mouth that caressed him rather than her cheek. aDid you not bathe in me?a Wolfe groaned something in Cheyenne as his whole body clenched.

aYou are very hard, my Wolfe.a The sound he made wasnat recognizable as a word, which was just as well. He was certain the word would have shocked her.

aYouare very warm,a she whispered, testing his heat with the tip of her tongue.

aYou are a tease,a he said in a thick voice.

aAm I? Your blood is running heavily. I can feel it.a Jessica trembled with the answering rush of her own blood. aIt beats more fiercely here than in your neck.a Wolfe didnat answer. He couldnat. He had never imagined how violently exciting it might be to experience his body through Jessicaas eyes, her hands, her words.

Then the gentle, curious, incendiary heat of her mouth discovered him. With a murmuring sound of pleasure and surprise, she surrounded him. Wolfeas fingers clenched deeply in the covers as a wave of unspeakable pleasure exploded through him. He fought to control the wild pulses of his release, but even as he fought he knew he would quickly lose.

Wolfe barely had enough strength to drag Jessica back up his body and bury his tongue in her mouth. Then he tasted himself and her and groaned as though he were being torn apart.

The leap and shudder of his flesh beneath her hand awed Jessica. She felt the spreading, silky heat of Wolfeas fulfillment and knew that she was touching the beginning of life itself. She returned his kiss fiercely, wishing that life within her.

aI didnat mean to shock you like that,a he said when he could draw a whole breath again. aWhen you kissed me so intimately, I all but lost control.a aYou didnat shock me.a ab.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l I didnat. You tasted me.a aYes,a Jessica whispered. aThat was the best of all. You taste like tears, only more silky and mysterious.a Her words went through Wolfe like dawn through night, transforming and renewing him in the s.p.a.ce of a single rushing breath.

aYouare going to be the death of me, elf,a Wolfe said huskily, rolling over until he had Jessica caged between his body and the bed. aBut first, Iam going to be the death of you.a Jessica didnat understand until she felt Wolfeas mouth on her breast and his hand sliding down her body to seek the scented petals of the flower that opened only for him. She was already sleek, sultry, hungry, for pleasuring him had aroused her. The first brush of his fingers made her gasp. The second made her cry out. The third sent a silky heat spreading between them.

The fourth sent her to the sun.

16.

A LTHOUGH Wolfeas expression had been rather grim when he came in from outdoors, the sight of his wife spooning chili into a big serving bowl made him pause. The slow, very male smile he gave her as he peeled off his leather work gloves told Jessica that he was remembering what had happened between them in the hushed silence of dawn three days agoa"and every night since.

As Wolfe took the big bowl from Jessica, he slid the palms of his hands over the back of her fingers. Because there were other people nearby, he didnat bend to take her soft mouth in a kiss. But he wanted to, and the catch in her breathing when his palms touched her skin told Wolfe that Jessica wanted the kiss as much as he did.

aHowas the little man doing?a Wolfe asked Willow, turning away from the temptation of Jessicaas mouth.

Willow looked up from the shallow basin where she was carefully bathing the baby, who seemed to be enjoying the warm water and his motheras touch.

aEthan Caleb Black is doing wonderfully well,a Willow said, smiling.

aEthan, huh? You finally decided.a aIt was Calebas fatheras name.a aBig shoes for the little one to fill,a Wolfe said. He looked appraisingly at Willow. aAre you sure you should be up and working so soon?a aLying in bed is for people who are sick. Iam not.a Frowning, Jessica looked up from the pan of cornbread that was staying warm near the stove.

aIn England, the women stay in confinement for several weeks after giving birth,a Jessica pointed out.

aFigures,a Wolfe said. His voice was rich with disgust for the aristocrats of Great Britain. aThe whole lot of them is as useless as teats on a boar hog.a All Willow said was, aThe longer you stay in bed, the weaker you are when you get up.a aYou look tired,a Jessica persisted.

aIave been a lot more tired. Ask Caleb.a She picked up Ethan and wrapped his bottom in a soft cotton diaper as she continued talking. aEthan and I had a nice long nap this morning, didnat we, b.u.t.ton? And after lunch, weare going to have another one.a Wolfe shook his head, but it was in admiration rather than disagreement. aAnd here I thought that Cheyenne women were tough. Caleb must have been standing under a whole sky full of lucky stars the day he found you.a Jessica bent over the pan of cornbread, rearranging the clean cotton towel so that no warmth could escape. The fussing wasnat necessary, but it gave her an excuse to hide her face until she was certain that none of the hurt she felt at Wolfeas comments would show in her expression. Even knowing that he hadnat meant his words as a backhanded slap didnat remove the sting of them.

She had begun to hope that he was accepting their marriage. Since the night when Wolfe had discovered the source of her fear of men, marriage, and childbirth, he had been the affectionate companion of old. He had also been a restrained, generous teacher of the ancient arts of sensuality.

But now Jessica realized Wolfe hadnat accepted her as his wife. Nor was he likely to do so. His contempt for the aristocracy was as deep in him as his blood.