Reluctantly Reno released the sweet, captive flesh and stood up, holding Eve, for she was barely able to stand. He tucked her head against his chest and rocked her slowly while she came back to herself.
After a long time Eve gave a shivering sigh and looked up at Reno with dazed golden eyes.
«That’s what it’s all about between men and women,» Reno said, kissing Eve gently. «The kind of pleasure you would kill or die for. Not a childish notion of love.»
A painful shudder went through Eve.
«You’re saying I’d feel that with any man?» she asked, her voice strained.
The violent denial that leaped to Reno’s lips made him uneasy. He had never been a possessive kind of man, yet even the thought of Eve allowing another man the freedom of her silky body enraged Reno.
«Reno?» Eve asked, her lips trembling and her eyes steady.
«Some people are better together than others,» he said finally. «You make me hotter than any woman ever has. I make you hotter than any man ever has.»
Reno looked down into Eve’s clear golden eyes. «That’s why you gave yourself to me. Not the poker bet. Not love. Just passion, pure and simple and hot as hell.»
«That’s why men and women marry?» Eve persisted. «Passion, pure and simple?»
Again, Reno hesitated.
«It’s why men marry,» he said after a moment. «Damn few women have enough passion in them to burn.»
«But —»
«Otherwise they wouldn’t be able to hold out long enough to get a man to the preacher,» Reno continued, ignoring Eve’s interruption. «But the little dears do somehow manage, don’t they?»
Reno saw the pain in Eve’s expression, and winced. He hadn’t meant to hurt her with his blunt declarations about the nature of men and women and the illusion called love. But he had hurt her.
Again.
«Sugar child,» he said, kissing her temple softly. «Would you feel better if I told you sweet lies about love?»
«Yes.»
Then Eve laughed sadly and shook her head.
«No,» she amended. «Because I’d want to believe you so much, I’d do it, and then I’d wake up one day and find you saddled up and ready to leave, and I’d know the words for the lies they were.»
«I’m not saddling any horses.»
«We haven’t found the mine yet, have we?»
Gently Eve pushed away and looked up at Reno with steady eyes and a smile that threatened to turn upside down. She stood on tiptoe to brush her lips over his.
«Thanks for the teaching, sugar man. Now maybe we better get to work finding that mine. I’ve had about all the learning I can bear in one day.»
16
The next day Reno and Eve followed the shaman’s directions, heading for an old, nearly forgotten way down the plateau. Late in the afternoon, Reno turned to Eve, breaking the companionable silence that had grown between them as they rode through the wild land.
«The shaman said I had to be sure to take you to a special place up ahead,» Reno said.
«Where?» Eve asked, surprised.
«About a mile from here. You stay put while I check it out. I don’t want you getting caught in some old shaman’s revenge.»
It didn’t take Reno long to reconnoiter. No more than ten minutes went by before he was back. He reined in next to Eve, saw the unasked questions in her eyes, and reached for her. He leaned over and wrapped his hand around her nape, pulling her to meet the quick, fierce claiming of his mouth. When he released her, she gave him a look that was both startled and…hungry.
He smiled. «Did you think that, once satisfied, it would go away?»
Bright color rose in Eve’s cheeks.
«I don’t think thinking had much to do with it,» she said, remembering her headlong abandon yesterday, when Reno had bathed her in the hidden pool.
Reno laughed and nibbled lightly at her mouth.
«You’re so sweet to tease,» he said. «It’s a burning wonder I didn’t wake you up this morning the way I wanted to.»
«How was that?»
«From the inside out.»
The color deepened in Eve’s cheeks, but she couldn’t help laughing.
Reno had been so different with her today, almost as though he were courting her. Then Eve remembered what he once had said about courting, and her laughter faded.
Courting is for a woman you want to make your wife. That was a little rolling around before breakfast with a saloon girl.
«But I decided it was too soon,» Reno continued. «You’re such a tender little bud. I don’t want to bruise you.»
Though Reno’s words were teasing, his eyes weren’t. Eve knew that he still blamed himself for hurting her the one time he had taken her.
«I’m fine,» she said.
And it was true. She had awakened this morning determined to enjoy what she had rather than crying after what she didn’t have. Life had taught her that tomorrow would come soon enough, and with it all the regrets for yesterdays that were forever beyond her reach — her dead mother, her gentle and helpless father, the offhanded cruelty of life to the very children who were least able to defend themselves.
Whatever comes with Reno, I won’t regret it. Whether he believes it or not, love exists. I know. I feel it.
For him.
And maybe, just maybe, he can feel it for me. He loved once, foolishly. He can love again, wisely. He can love me.
Maybe…
«You certain?» Reno asked.
Eve looked startled, then realized he hadn’t somehow guessed her thoughts. He was simply pursuing the subject of how she felt today.
«Yes,» she said. «I’m fine.»
«Even after all these hours in the saddle?» he pressed.
She looked away from the crystal clarity of Reno’s eyes, trying to conceal the depth of her feelings at his concern. He didn’t love her, but he did care if he hurt her. That was something.
It was the world. No one who was stronger than Eve was had ever cared about her like that.
After a moment Eve touched Reno’s cheek with her fingertips and tried to reassure him that he hadn’t hurt her yesterday, when he had torn the veil of her innocence and replaced it with a sensual knowledge that permeated her blood like champagne.
«The only thing wrong with me,» she said, «is that I get all shivery and have trouble breathing when I think about what we…about what you…about what I…»
Eve made an exasperated sound and wished her hat were big enough to cover her flaming face. It didn’t help that she sensed Reno’s silent amusement as clearly as if he had thrown back his head and laughed to the clouds.
«You’re laughing at me,» she muttered.
The back of Reno’s fingers smoothed down Eve’s cheek in a gentle caress.
«No, sugar girl. I’m laughing because you go to my head like straight whiskey,» he said. «I like knowing you’re as aware of me as I am of you. It makes me want to pull you off your horse and take you right here, right now, sitting up and watching you.»
«Sitting up on a horse?» Eve asked, too startled to be embarrassed. «Is it possible?»
«Damned if I know. I’m real tempted to find out, though. I’ve been aching for you since about ten minutes after I first had you.»
Reno pulled lightly on the reins. Darlin’ backed up quickly, removing her rider from temptation.
«Come on,» he said to Eve. «The shaman and I have a surprise for you.»
«What?»
«If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?»
Smiling, Eve reined the dun around to follow Reno. His new ease with her made her happy. He hadn’t been so quick to smile since his sister’s ranch, where he had been able to let down his guard among friends and family.
That was how he was treating Eve now. As though he trusted her. The heady combination of teasing and frank sensuality kept her senses fully alert, her body quickened in anticipation of the next caress, the next instant of laughter. She couldn’t remember ever having smiled so much in her life.