The whimper that came from Jessicaas throat as her eyes closed wasnat an answer, but the secret rain of her response was.

It took his breath away.

aJessi, my sweet elfaa Shaking, Wolfe threaded his fingers through her unbound hair until his hands were wholly tangled within the long strands. He wanted nothing more on earth than to flex his hips and bury himself in her sleek, yielding warmth.

What was making sweat break all over his body was the knowledge that Jessica wanted it as violently as he did.

aLook at me,a Wolfe said heavily. aI want to see you while weare joined even in this small way. Christ knows itas not enough, not nearly enough, but itas all that can be. Look at me, Jessi. Let me see the pa.s.sion in you.a Slowly, Jessicaas eyes opened. She looked at the hard lines of Wolfeas face, at his body drawn with restraint and glistening with sweat. His eyes were dilated with the same pa.s.sion that was sending tongues of fire licking up from between her thighs.

Then he moved slightly, retreating and returning with exquisite care.

A burst of fire drenched Jessica in golden heat. Wolfe felt it, shared it, and moved again, caressing her with his whole body. She gasped and tightened her legs around his hips, instinctively trying to deepen the tantalizing union.

Wolfeas fists clenched in Jessicaas long hair as he felt his self-control dissolving in the hot, secret rain of her body. He knew he should withdraw completely from her heat, but he couldnat force himself to. She was everything he had ever wanted, and he had wanted her much too long.

Telling himself it would be the last time, he moved again, tormenting both of them with the incomplete union.

aDoes this hurt you?a he asked through his teeth.

Jessica shook her head even as she wondered at the harshness in his voice. Heat shimmered through her, making her gasp.

Breath hissed out of Wolfe as he felt pa.s.sion ripple through Jessica to his own flesh just within her. Sweat gathered and ran down his spine. He knew he must draw back before the sweet violence overcame what was left of his restraint.

aYou have nothing to fear from a man inside your body,a Wolfe said through clenched teeth. His own need knotted and twisted within him, wrenching him until he wanted to cry out with anguish. aDo you hear me, elf? You have nothing to fear.a Jessicaas breath unraveled. Her hips moved rhythmically as pleasure peaked and ebbed and peaked once more.

aStop,a Wolfe said. Tremors jerked through him at each melting of her body around him. aJessia"stop!a aIam sorry. I canat. Ia"Wolfe.a He saw her teeth sink into her lower lip as she fought the fulfillment that was taking her. He brushed his open mouth over hers as he moved very slowly within her.

aNever mind, elf,a he breathed into her mouth. aItas all right. Donat fight it. Let me feel your pleasure.a Wolfeas hand moved between their bodies, capturing the silky bud. He felt the splintering, shivering heat that washed through Jessica to him. The abandon of her response took him to the breaking edge of his control, and he hung there, shaking, while she clung hotly to him, silently begging for more of him with each sultry pulse of her pleasure.

aThereas such fire in you,a Wolfe whispered.

aYouare killing me, Jessi. You could take every bit of me without pain and you must know it as well as I.a Heavy-lidded eyes opened and watched Wolfe as he teased the sensitive flower that had opened for him. Pa.s.sion burned as deeply in her glance as it did in her body.

aAll I know is that you are not the same as other men,a Jessica said.

aIn this,a he moved his hips, aI am no different.a aDear G.o.d,a she whispered. aAgain.a aWhat?a aDo that again. Please, Wolfe. Again.a With a whispered curse that was also a prayer for strength, Wolfe moved within Jessica once more and at the same time caressed her with his fingers.

She made a low sound as a network of sensation raced through her, leaving ecstasy shimmering in its wake. She gave herself to the tender ravishment and to the man who had called pa.s.sion from her depths. With each sensual peak shivering through her, she kissed him, whispering to him, telling him the only truth that mattered.

aYou areamy Lord Wolfe.a Her words became part of the blood hammering through Wolfeas veins. Feeling and hearing the silky climax unravel Jessica was burning him so softly, so completely, that he didnat know he was wholly afire. A shudder went through him at each touch of her mouth, but her words were even more seductive, telling him what he had always known and never wanted to face.

aI will takeano other manainto my body.a Jessicaas hands slid down Wolfeas hot back to the rigid muscles of his hips, seeking his very different flesh, finding it. With exquisite care, she drew her nails over him.

aMake me yours, Wolfeaonly yours.a Jessicaas name was an anguished cry against her throat as Wolfeas control broke. He drove completely into her, changing her body in a sweeping, irrevocable instant.

Her breath tore as she was filled to overflowing. He was so deeply inside her that she felt the pulses of his release as clearly as she felt her own heartbeat. She put her arms around his shaking body and held him, kissing his eyes and cheeks and the corners of his mouth until he had the breath to speak once more.

aNow you are mine, Jessi. Only mine.a As Wolfe lowered his mouth to hers, he whispered, aMay G.o.d have mercy on my soul.a aWolfe?a Her arms tightened around him. aWhatas wrong?a aIt doesnat matter anymore. Iave burned for you so long that h.e.l.l has nothing new to teach me. But I have new things to teach you, Jessi. Heaven and h.e.l.l combined.a Before Jessica could say anything more, Wolfe sealed her lips with a kiss that claimed her mouth as completely as he had claimed her body. Then his hips moved powerfully and she forgot everything but his heavy presence within her.

Pleasure coursed through Jessica with each thrusting motion Wolfe made. Her body tightened and tightened until she couldnat breathe, yet still Wolfe moved in sensual rhythms over her, against her, within her, setting fire to every bit of her, burning her alive.

She tried to speak but could think of no words, much less shape her tongue to form them. All she could say was his name, and she said it again and again as he ripped the world away, leaving her nothing to hang onto but him.

Forerunners of savage ecstasy clawed through Jessica, drawing her body into a shivering arch. She gasped at the unexpected sensations. They were more acute than anything she had ever known, almost frightening in their intensity.

aWolfe?a aYouare feeling it now, arenat you?a Wolfeas voice was as dark as his eyes watching her. aYou wanted this, Jessi. Youave wanted it since you were fifteen. And since you were fifteen, Iave wanted to give it to you.a Jessica gasped and her eyes widened with surprise as sensual lightning transfixed her, arching her into Wolfeas driving body. He laughed and bit her neck hard enough to leave pa.s.sionate marks.

aHeaven and h.e.l.l combined, Jessi. Iam going to burn you all the way to your soul.a The restrained savagery of Wolfeas teeth against her hot skin dragged a moan from Jessica. When she made a sharp, rising sound, he sealed her mouth with his own. He took her cries into himself and dragged more of them from her, wanting all that she had to give.

Nails scored Wolfeas skin, drawing a primitive sound of need from him. The small pain simply served to focus the seething violence of pleasure. When he shifted his mouth to the pulse beating wildly in Jessicaas neck, she responded to the barely veiled savagery of the caress by arching like a drawn bow.

Wolfe held her there, stretched and quivering on a rack of pleasure, and then he began moving again, driving her higher and higher with each powerful motion of his body. Her breath became as broken as his, her skin as hot, as slick, until she was wild with need for the consummation that he kept just beyond her reach.

aI canat bear it,a Jessica said raggedly, dragging her teeth across Wolfeas chest in sensual punishment, twisting beneath him, seeking relief.

Wolfe laughed and bit her shoulder as he pinned her with his hips. aIave burned like this for five years. Surely you can stand five minutes?a When Jessicaas hands slid down Wolfeas body, he shuddered, caught her wrists, and held them in one hand above her head.

aNone of your sweet tricks, elf.a aYou area"torturing me.a aIam torturing me. Iam teaching you. Wrap those beautiful legs around my waist. Yes, like that. Now lift your hips,a Wolfe whispered against Jessicaas mouth, biting her between each word, aand you will find what youave been seeking so hotly.a Jessica lifted toward him as he drove into her. The ecstasy was so intense, she would have screamed if she could have, but Wolfe had taken her breath even as he had claimed her mouth. He slid his arm beneath her hips, dragging her so tightly against his body that he could feel her very bones. Then he thrust into her hard and deep, wanting to find the point beyond which she would refuse him.

What he found was more sleek yielding to him, heat surrounding him, burning him, Heaven and h.e.l.l combined as he hurtled headlong with her into the sun.

LATER, much later, Wolfe held Jessica while she slept and he counted the cost of what he had done.

18.

W HEN Jessica awoke the next morning, Wolfe was standing by the window, as naked and magnificent as the mountains rising to meet the dawn. He was looking out over the rugged land with an expression of loss and yearning that made her heart turn over. She wondered what he was seeing in the wild sunrise.

And why it made him so sad.

aWolfe?a As he walked toward Jessica, his expression changed. The gentle smile he gave her made tears burn behind her eyelids. Indigo eyes swept over her, lingering on the banked fire twisting through her hair and the crystalline perfection of her light eyes. Long, lean fingers traced her eyebrows, her cheekbones, the curves of her mouth. He sat on the bed beside her and kissed her tenderly.

aGood morning, Mrs. Lonetree.a Wolfe had not called her that before. The words pierced Jessica as deeply as the sorrow beneath her husbandas smile. Trembling, she smiled up at him in return; and then her heart caught and her smile threatened to turn upside down.

She had never seen anything as poignant as Wolfeas haunted eyes and tender smile.

aDid I remember to tell you last night how beautiful you are?a Wolfe asked.

aYou made me feel beautiful.a aYou are.a His eyes closed for an instant as though in pain. aAnd so fragile.a aWhatas wrong?a she whispered.

aNothing. Save thisaand thisaand this.a As Wolfe touched each small mark he had left on Jessicaas skin, he pulled down the bedcovers. The silence became thick with emotions and unspoken words.

aIall be more careful of you next time, elf.a He looked into her clear, pale blue eyes. aIf you want a next time.a Jessica caught one of Wolfeas hands between hers, kissed his palm, and pressed it to her cheek.

aI loved joining with you,a she said in a low voice. aI want there to be times without number.a Black eyelashes swept down, concealing the haunted indigo depths of Wolfeas eyes. aIall try not to get you pregnant, butayou burn through my control.a aDonat you want a child?a aIave caused you enough fear and hurt. I wonat tear you apart bearing children who have neither t.i.tles nor estates to inherit.a aWolfe,a she said brokenly, aI want your children!a aHush, elf,a he murmured, touching her lips with his thumb. aItas not necessary. I wonat cry annulment for lack of heirs. Youare safe with me. Youall never have to fear for your life again.a Jessicaas hands tightened on Wolfeas. The grief in him was as real and yet as impossible to touch as night itself. It tore at her in ways she couldnat name.

aI love you, my Lord Wolfe,a she said, lifting up to his lips. aIave always loved you. I always will.a aYes. Iave always known that.a Jessica waited, but Wolfe said no more. Pain twisted through her as she finally understood the source of Wolfeas unhappiness.

Tree That Stands Alone.

aYou donat love me,a she whispered, realizing too late what she had done to the man she loved.

aI want you, Jessi. Iave always wanted you. I always will.a Wolfe fitted his mouth to Jessicaas with exquisite care before he took her with a single, slow penetration if his tongue. The kiss deepened and changed until she was breathing quickly and moving hungrily against him.

aWolfe,a she said raggedly.

aLie with me, Jessi. Let me worship your body with mine.a Jessica couldnat withhold herself from the naked hunger in Wolfeas eyes and in his body. She let him come to her, let him take her in burning silence, let him unravel her so gently that she never knew she was undone until the world turned to gold around her and she wept Wolfeas name and her love against his chest. Then he held her, letting her tears scald him in the long minutes before she took a shuddering breath and lay quietly once more.

Slowly, Wolfe eased from the bed and pulled on his clothes. The bedroom door opened and closed soundlessly behind him. Moments later, Jessicaas eyes opened bright with tears. Impatiently, she wiped them away and reached for her clothes.

Wolfe found Reno in the kitchen. The empty mugs and plates on the table showed that Caleb and Rafe had already eaten and gone out to work. From the other bedroom came the sound of Willow singing softly to her baby as she nursed him. The gentle music burned Wolfe like acid, reminding him of what he had done to the delicate girl who had always trusted him to protect her.

But he had taken her instead.

aIs Jessi all right?a Reno asked.

Wolfe gave him a slicing, sideways glance, wondering if the other man had somehow guessed that Jessica had finally become a wife in fact as well as in name.

aSheas fine,a Wolfe said curtly. aI told her to sleep late. Why?a aWillow said she looked real ragged last night.a aSo did I.a aThatas the G.o.das truth,a Reno said.

aThree days of a h.e.l.l-wind like that would take the starch out of the Devil himself.a Reno smiled and resettled his hat on hair that was thick, black, and shiny. The light green of his eyes was like cut crystal. Looking at him, Wolfe wondered how Jessica had avoided succ.u.mbing to Reno Moranas dark charm and physical grace. Or to Rafe, who had the smile of a fallen angel and eyes that had seen h.e.l.l. Wolfe couldnat help thinking that either Moran would have been better for Jessica than a halfbreed who had nothing to speak of but an uncanny skill with mustangs and long guns.

Yet Wolfe knew he would have killed anyone who tried to take away the beautiful, sensual elf who came to him so perfectly, exploring the shimmering reaches of pa.s.sion with him as no other woman had.

aThatas a brave girl you have,a Reno said. aNot many women would have gone out in that storm for love or money, much less for a mean steeldust mustang that most men would shoot on sight.a Wolfeas eyes narrowed against the darkness and pain streaking through him. aMy fault. Jessi was trying to prove I shouldnat send her back to England.a Reno gave Wolfe a questioning look.

aJessi told me how you stood over more than one foal, holding off wolves with your six-gun,a Wolfe said, changing the subject as he poured a mug of coffee. aI owe you.a aLike h.e.l.l you do. If it hadnat been for your skill with a rifle, Jed Slater would have killed Willow, Caleb, and me.a aYou get the pick of my foals,a Wolfe said as though Reno hadnat spoken.

aLonetree, sometimes you can be a bullheaded son of a b.i.t.c.h.a aThank you.a Reno shot him a disbelieving look, then laughed out loud.

Wolfe smiled, but it faded quickly. The shadow of a bird flying beyond the window caught his eye. For long, aching moments, he looked past the gra.s.s and trees to the unbridled glory of the San Juans. He hadnat truly known how much a part of his soul the mountains were until he looked at them and knew he must leave their wildness behind. The pain of it drew deep brackets around his mouth.

But it had to be done.

aRemember that blue roan you fancied?a Wolfe asked quietly.

aThe wild one you caught a few summers back?a Wolfe nodded.

aI remember. h.e.l.l of a good desert horse. Best Iave ever seen.a aSheas yours.a aNow look here,a Reno began.

aYouall earn her,a Wolfe said, cutting across Renoas objections. aIt will cost you most of a summer of gold hunting.a Renoas eyes narrowed as he measured the man sitting across from him.

aI want you to ride with Jessi and me as far as the Mississippi,a Wolfe continued. aBetween the Indians, the gold hunters, and the dregs of the soldiers on both sides of the waraa He shrugged.

aIt gets real lively,a Reno agreed.

aIf it were just me, it wouldnat matter. But Jessi will be along. Iad feel better knowing you were at my back.a Renoas expression became intent as he sensed the turmoil behind Wolfeas calm words.

aIad gladly ride to h.e.l.l with you,a Reno said calmly, aand you know it.a aIam not going to h.e.l.l. Not quite.a Wolfeas smile thinned.

aEngland?a guessed Reno.

aItas Jessias home.a aYouall have a hard time hunting mustangs for a living in England.a aLord Stewart has wanted me to work for him for years. Heall get his wish.a Reno said something under his breath in Spanish about Wolfe having the heart of an oxa"and the brains.

aGracias,a Wolfe said sardonically.

There was silence, followed by the sound of Renoas work gloves snapping against his palm.

aWhen do you want to leave?a Reno asked finally.

aSoon. Jessi isnat cut out for the West.a aI havenat heard Red complain. Have you?a The question was ignored by Wolfe. After a moment, Reno stood with the lazy grace that had fooled more than one man into thinking he was slow.

aAmigo, I think youare making a mistake.a aNo. Iam merely paying for one.a aWhat mistake is that?a Jessica asked from the doorway.

aHeas got some d.a.m.n fool idea abouta"a Reno began, then broke off abruptly. The look Wolfe was giving him would have frozen lightning.

Cursing under his breath, Reno snapped his gloves against his hand again and went out the back door without another word.

Jessica looked at Wolfe curiously.

aIam giving Reno the pick of the foals,a Wolfe said.

aThatas hardly a mistake. He earned it. Without him, we would have lost more than one foal.a aThatas what I told him.a As though pulled against his will, Wolfe turned again and stared out the window. Jessica saw deep emotion kindle in Wolfeas eyes, then fade into the haunted shadows she had first noticed that morning when he watched the sunrise. She went and stood beside him. She saw nothing beyond the window but the beauty of the vast land.

aWolfe? Is something wrong?a He turned and looked at her with haunted eyes.

aWolfe,a she whispered, reaching toward him.

aKiss me, Jessi,a he said, bending down to her. aKiss me hard and deep. When you kiss me, I donat think about what must be.a With a small sound, she went up on tiptoe even as he lifted her in his arms, letting the wildness inside him focus in the pa.s.sion only Jessica had ever been able to summon from the depths of his soul.

aDoes this mean youave forgiven Jessi for going out in the blizzard?a Willow asked from the doorway.

Reluctantly, Wolfe ended the kiss and tucked Jessicaas scarlet face against his neck. He smiled at Willow despite the bittersweet combination of sadness and desire twisting through him.

aWeare negotiating,a Wolfe said.

aHer surrender or yours?a retorted Willow.

aMine, of course. Elves are too fragile. They either win or die.a aIn that case,a Willow said dryly, aIall get Ethanas bathwater and leave you to your, er, negotiations.a As Wolfe lowered Jessicaas feet to the floor, a cool premonition slid down her spine, the echo of Wolfeas words.

Elves are too fragile. They either win or die.