Pleasurable aftershocks rocked her, leaving rivers of delight in their path. She felt completely boneless and totally relaxed.
Strong arms lifted her. It was a sign of how much she was getting used to the Hunter brothers that it didn’t even seem strange anymore to have one of them carrying her.
“Can you swim?”
She opened her eyes and stared at Darian through a haze of post-orgasm lethargy. Could she what? Swim? “Yeah.” What an odd question to ask her at a time like this.
“Good.” He grinned at her and then she was falling. Sam gasped and managed a half scream before her naked body hit the water. She had the presence of mind to close her mouth before the water enveloped her. The freezing lake cooled her heated body and snapped her senses back. He’d pay for that.
She broke the surface just in time to get soaked again from a large splash alongside her. Sam tread water and watched Darian surface. The moment his head rose above the water, she jumped at him, shoving it back down again.
But he didn’t go down alone. At the last second, he caught her around the waist and dragged her down with him. She opened her eyes, surprised at how well she could see beneath the water. Darian grinned and kissed her, stealing the last of her oxygen just before they surfaced.
Gasping for breath, Sam held onto him, letting Darian do all the work to keep them afloat. “You’re crazy, you know that?”
He shook his head, sending droplets of water spraying everywhere. “No, I’m happy. Thank you, Sam.”
The teasing was gone and she felt the import, the weight of his words. “You’re welcome.”
Sam glanced back at the shore. Jace was standing there, arms crossed and a slight smile on his face. He looked far too alone for her liking. “Come and play.”
He hesitated and looked around. She realized he was scouting for hidden dangers. “Is it safe?” She shivered and the water seemed suddenly colder.
“It is safe,” Darian assured her. “We are deep in Hunter territory. No one will bother us here.”
“Then join us.” Sam issued another invitation to Jace. She hated seeing him so aloof, so alone.
Jace hesitated and Sam was sure he was going to decline. Suddenly he gave a huge war whoop and jumped. Water sprayed over her and Darian in a huge wave. Sam laughed and then yelled as she was playfully pulled underwater. Jace’s strong arms wrapped around her and yanked her back to the surface. Then his lips were on hers, driving back the cold.
Darian sprawled across a bed of wildflowers enjoying the heat of the sun as it seeped into his bare skin. The day was wasting, but he felt no urge to move. Sam lay sprawled between Jace and him, the three of them naked and exhausted. After making love to Sam in the water, they’d all crawled out of the lake and collapsed. It was well past lunch and he was hungry, but not enough to end this interlude with Sam.
She stirred and shivered slightly. Darian sighed, knowing it was time to get dressed and head back. The last thing he wanted was for her to catch a chill. She was accustomed to a much warmer environment. He put his arm around her and pulled her into the cradle of his body.
“You’re always so warm. Both of you.” Her words were sleepy and content. His heart ached at the thought of losing her. She fit perfectly in his arms.
Jace sat up and began to haul on his pants and boots. “It’s time to get dressed and go back.” His brother stood and strapped on his sword, which was lying on the ground beside him.
Sam sat up and stretched, giving another shiver as she reached for her pants. “What time is it anyway?”
Resigned to leaving, Darian stood and dragged on his pants. He looked up, squinting at the sun as he noted its position. “About midafternoon.”
Sam stood and shook out her tunic before slipping it on and tugging it down around her hips. Her hair was damp and slightly tangled. Anyone who saw her would have no doubt as to how she’d spent the past few hours.
Darian smiled and motioned her to come to him. She ambled toward him, stopping when she was in front of him. “What?” she asked.
He shook his head, leaned down and kissed her. “It was too long since I last kissed you.” He took hold of a length of her hair and tugged. “And you need help with this.”
Her cheeks turned a delightful shade of pink, making him laugh. Darian spun her around and raked his fingers through her hair, smoothing it as best he could before he braided it. He’d braided many a horse’s mane and made swift work of the task. It was only when he was done he realized he had nothing to tie it with. The holder she’d used in her head was lost somewhere among the wildflowers, never to be found again.
Jace had anticipated that and held out a short strip he’d sliced off one end of the ties of his pants. Darian wrapped the small piece of thin leather around her hair and tied it off. It would do.
“Come.” Darian held out his hand and waited until Sam took it. Jace was pulling back from them again and Darian knew his brother’s actions were confusing Sam.
“So who’s the older of the two of you?” Sam asked.
When it was obvious Jace wasn’t going to answer, Darian did. “Jace is the older by three years.” He motioned to the thin braids on either side of his brother’s face. “The braids show that he is the eldest. It is the same with every family.”
“What kind of crops do you grow?” When Darian gave her a questioning look, she shrugged. “What can I say, I’m a farmer.”
Darian launched into a brief overview of Hunter Keep, including the crops they grew, the herbs and flowers they harvested from the mountain and the animals they kept. He wanted her to understand exactly what they were offering her and was pleased by her interest. That had to mean she was considering staying. Didn’t it?
He refused to believe otherwise and wanted to kick his brother’s ass for being so silent and withdrawn. Now was the time to engage Sam, to let her learn more about them.
“Wow, that’s quite the operation you have here.” Sam glanced over at Jace. “So you’re in charge of it all?”
Jace nodded. “I am the head of the family, the firstborn. It is the way it is done.”
Sam nodded. “My brother would have inherited the farm if he’d lived.”
As though a curtain had been drawn, sadness descended on Sam. Darian felt it like a living, breathing entity. “I am sorry for your loss, Sam.” He stopped and pulled her into his arms. “You could have a new start here. With us.”
Maybe he shouldn’t be pushing her, but Darian was willing to do whatever it took to get Sam to stay in Javara.
Jace shook his head. “Sam doesn’t want a new start. She just wants to go home. Isn’t that right?”
Anger hit Darian like a lightning bolt and for the first time in his life he wanted to punch his brother. Was Jace out of his mind? He was practically telling Sam he didn’t want her to stay.
Sam faced Jace and frowned. “What’s wrong with my wanting to go home?” She waved her hands at the surrounding woods. “I hear lots about women coming here, having to leave their homes. What do you give up? What do the men here sacrifice? Nothing. It’s easy to judge me when you’re not giving up anything.”
Darian stood back, wondering how Jace would answer her accusation. He didn’t have long to wait.
“We don’t give up anything?” Jace marched straight to Sam, grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her up until she was balancing on her toes. He leaned down until they were nose to nose. “If you don’t stay, we give up the chance at ever having a family of our own, children to pass our legacy on to. After having you under my body, after being inside you and tasting your uniqueness, we give up the chance of ever having you again. We give up the chance of happiness and love.”