ane felt as if he had been scraped raw on the inside. He didn’t have to imagine what Marlie had gone through. He was a cop; he had seen too much to ever have to rely on his imagination to supply details. He knew what beatings really were. He knew what stabbings looked like. He knew how much blood there was, how it spread and spread and got all over everything, even your dreams. He knew how the little boy had sobbed and screamed, had seen in other children’s faces his terror and despair, his pain, his utter helplessness.

Marlie had endured that. And when she had had the vision of Nadine Vinick’s murder, what had it cost her to see those images again? The similarity was sickening.

At some point during the visit with Professor Ewell, his healthy cynicism had gone south. The germ of possibility had been planted. He didn’t like it, but despite himself, he accepted that Marlie had “seen” Mrs. Vinick die. Maybe it was a one-shot deal. According to the professor, after Marlie had recovered from her injuries and the emotional trauma she had suffered, she had had no extrasensory abilities at all.

For the first time in her life, she had been able to live normally. It was something she had always wanted to be able to do, but the price had been horrendous. Even after six years, she was still paying it. Now Dane knew why there were no boyfriends.

It made him all the more determined that he would change that situation.

Objectively he could be a little amused at the range of conflicts that were clouding his mind and tangling his guts. He’d always been able to hold himself a little apart, unaffected by most of the worries that gnawed at other cops. Subjectively he wasn’t enjoying it worth a damn. He didn’t believe in paranormal stuff, had always laughed at those who did. Now he found himself not only halfway believing, but trying to figure out how he could use Marlie to find Mrs. Vinick’s murderer.

That last thought tied another knot in his intestines. He wanted to protect her; he didn’t want her involved with another murderer in any capacity. But he was a cop, and his job was to use whatever source he could to solve a crime, especially one as brutal as this. The bastard didn’t need to be walking around, loose among the unsuspecting public. And despite the primal male instinct that told him to keep Marlie away from it, he knew that, if possible, he would use her. He would do everything he could to keep her safe, but the greatest need was to find this guy and put him away. Unless he was a certified wacko, the savagery of the murder was such that he was almost certain to be given the death penalty... but first he had to be caught.

Another conflict was with his own male wariness. No man he knew gladly embraced the turmoil and restrictions of an emotional relationship with a woman, and he was no exception. He liked his life; he liked not being tied down to any one woman. He didn’t want to have to account for his time to anyone, didn’t want to have to consider someone else when making plans for what he wanted to do. But now there was Marlie, and damn it if he didn’t feel as if he’d been cornered. He’d been attracted to a lot of women before, but not like this. This was a fever, a gnawing need that never left him. It had been only four days since he’d walked into Bonness’s office and seen her for the first time, and she hadn’t been out of his mind since. The more he learned about her, the more involved he became. The hell of it was, she certainly wasn’t doing anything to get him involved; he was doing it all on his own, and having to fight her every inch of the way.

She had totally avoided men, romantically and sexually speaking, since Gleen had almost destroyed her. Dane tried to tell himself to back off, to give her both time and space in order to come to trust him, but he knew it wasn’t going to happen. He’d never been the type to sit and wait. He was going to make her his, and pretty damn soon, too. She would understandably be afraid of sex. He, and no one else, was going to teach her that it could be pleasurable, too. He’d never been jealous before in his life, but now he felt almost violent with it. Not jealous of Gleen, God knows, but of every other man out there who would take one look and get lost in Marlie’s bottomless blue eyes. He wanted the right to pull her possessively against his side and glare a warning at any bastard who dared look too long at her.

Trammell would gloat at the irony of it. Dane had never had any trouble separating his love life from his work, because his work had always taken precedence. Now here he was, obsessed with a woman who was his best link with a killer.

It was nine-thirty when his plane landed. He was tired, having been up since before dawn, not to mention having flown most of the way across the country and back. He checked in with Trammell from a pay phone in the airport, told him he’d see him in the morning and tell him everything then.

After hanging up, he stood there for a minute, thinking. He was tired, his clothes were tired, he was grumpy. He should go home and get some sleep, think things over. He knew what he should do, but damn if he’d do it. He wanted to see Marlie. He might not like the complications, but he couldn’t wait to get entangled with them, like a moth rushing giddily toward a flame.

Marlie jerked the door open on his fifth knock. She stood squarely in the doorway, her posture plainly denying him admittance. “It’s ten-thirty, Detective,” she said coldly. “Unless you have that warrant, get off of my porch.”

“Sure,” Dane replied easily, and stepped forward. She wasn’t prepared for the maneuver, automatically moving back to give him room before she caught herself. She tried to recover, grabbing for the door, but it was too late; he was already over the threshold.

He didn’t take his eyes off her as he shut the door behind him. She was wearing a pair of cutoffs, droopy socks, and a flimsy old T-shirt that draped over her braless breasts as faithfully as her own skin. Very pretty breasts, he noticed, making no effort to hide the direction of his gaze. High and pointed, with small dark nipples peaking the fabric. His mouth went dry and his loins tightened, the same reaction he had every time he was in her company. He was beginning to expect it, anticipate it, enjoy it.

The casualness of her clothing jolted him, making him acutely aware of the prim facade she normally projected. Behind that facade was a woman whose natural sensuality took his breath, and made him realize how successfully she had managed to hide it. He wanted to shake his head at the waste and at the same time thank God that, evidently, no other man had seen through her defenses.

She had more layers than an onion, and she was determined to keep them hidden beneath that prickly shield she had developed. The blistering glare she was giving him should have shriveled his skin. Instinctively he knew that her hostility was because of her vulnerability; she was naturally angry at his previous suspiciousness and less than gentle questioning, but most of her dismay was caused by the fact that he was seeing her like this, without the armor of her bland disguise.

Patience wouldn’t work with her. She was too used to hiding, to protecting herself. He was going to have to break down her defenses, force her to let him get close to her. His blood surged hotly as he decided how to do it.

Deliberately he let his gaze roam over her. Her glossy dark hair was hanging loose on her shoulders. He liked that. Her bare legs... He felt another jolt of lust. Damn, her legs were great. And her breasts were so tempting that his mouth began to water, until he was all but drooling. He wasn’t going to try to hide his attraction another minute; it was time to start getting her accustomed to it.

Marlie flushed angrily as he continued to stare at her breasts. She crossed her arms over them in a half-belligerent, half-defensive gesture. “If you don’t have a good reason for this, I’m going to file a complaint about you,” she warned.

His gaze flicked upward. “I’ve been to Boulder,” he said abruptly. “I just got back an hour ago.” He paused, watching for any flicker of expression. She didn’t give much away, but he was learning to read her eyes. She hadn’t quite learned how to shield the expression in them. “I talked with Dr. Ewell.”

Her pupils dilated wildly, and there was no disguising her dismay. She stood stiffly, glaring at him. “So?”

He moved closer to her, so close that he knew she could feel his heat, close enough to intimidate her with his size. It was a deliberate tactic, one he had used before in interrogation, but there was a big difference this time in his own attitude. Talking to her was still important, but underlying it was the powerful sexual need to make her aware of him as a male. The closeness of his body shocked her; he saw her waver, saw the sudden color in her cheeks, saw the alarmed flicker of her eyes. She didn’t allow herself to retreat, but she went very still, her nostrils flaring delicately as the hot scent of his skin reached her.

Her own feminine scent wrapped subtly about him, drawing him even closer. It was a clean, soapy odor that told him she wasn’t long from her bath, mingled with the warm sweetness of woman. He wanted to lean down and nuzzle her neck, to follow that faint scent to its source, investigate all the intriguing places where it might linger.

Later. It was too soon for that.

“So the good doctor had a lot of interesting things to say,” he murmured. He began to slowly circle her, letting his body brush hers, the light touches tingling through his nerves like electricity. Stallion circling mare, getting her accustomed to his touch, his smell. Gentling her. “It seems you’re some kind of miracle of ESP, if you believe in that kind of stuff.”

Her lips tightened. She had herself under control again, not even glancing at him as he continued to circle her, ignoring the fleeting contact of his arm, or his chest, the graze of his thigh. “You don’t, of course.”

“Nope,” he said blithely. It wasn’t a complete lie, but he wasn’t about to tell her he was at least halfway convinced. He’d get a lot more reaction out of her if she was angry, and reaction was exactly what he wanted. “Unless you can prove it to me. Why don’t you give it a try? Come on, Marlie, read my mind or something.” Slowly, slowly, around and around. Never letting her completely escape his touch, his heat.

“I can’t. There has to be something in your mind.”

“Nice shot, but it doesn’t prove anything.” He kept his voice low, almost crooning. “Make me believe it.”

“I don’t do parlor tricks,” she snapped, goaded. She was drawing more and more taut, the force of his nearness wearing on her nerves.

“Not even to prove yourself innocent of murder?” He pushed her even further. “This isn’t a party, babe, in case you haven’t noticed.”

Her head whipped around, dark hair flying, and she gave him the full force of her glare, blue eyes narrowing like a cat’s. “I suppose I could change you into a toad,” she said speculatively, then shrugged. “But someone has already beaten me to it.”

He gave a bark of laughter, startling her. “You’ve seen too many of the old ‘Bewitched’ shows; that’s witchcraft, not ESP.”

The slow circling finally got to her. Abruptly she bolted, toward the kitchen. He let her go, following closely behind her. “Coffee,” he said blandly. “Good idea.”

She hadn’t planned on making coffee, of course. She had simply been fleeing. But she seized gratefully on something to do, as he had known she would. She was rattled, and fighting it every inch of the way. He was beginning to realize how important control was to her. Too bad he couldn’t let her keep it.

She opened a cabinet door and took down a canister of coffee. Her hands were visibly shaking. Then she halted, her back to him as she carefully set the canister down on the countertop. “I don’t read minds,” she blurted. “I’m not telepathic.”

“Aren’t you?” That wasn’t what Dr. Ewell had said, exactly. He felt a tinge of triumph. Finally she was starting to talk to him, rather than resisting him. He wanted to put his arms around her and hold her close, shelter her from the trauma of her own memories, but it was too soon. She was physically aware of him now, but she was still frightened, still hostile.

“Not—not a classic telepath.” She looked down at the coffee. He could see that her hands were still shaking.

“So what are you?”

So what are you? Marlie heard the question echo in her mind. Freak, some people might say. Charlatan was the word others would use. Detective Hollister hadn’t been that polite. He’d called her a fake, and possibly an accomplice to murder. It was ridiculous, of course. Even he would have had to give up on that idea by now, faced with a complete lack of evidence, opportunity, and motive. But he’d checked her out, he’d actually gone to Boulder and talked to Dr. Ewell. He knew about her now. He might not believe, but at least now he was asking instead of simply accusing. But how much did he know? Dr. Ewell could teach discretion to a diplomat, when he so chose; how much would he have told a stranger, even if that stranger was a cop? Marlie hoped desperately that he didn’t know it all, because then he would ask her about it, and she didn’t think she could bear to bring it all up now. She felt oddly vulnerable and exposed, her nerve endings raw. He had done that to her, forcing his big body so close to her that his heat had seared her skin, deliberately brushing against her, blatantly staring at her breasts.

She didn’t want to be even more aware of him than she had already been. She was safe in her solitude.

“What are you?” he repeated calmly.

She turned to face him, her movements slow and deliberate. She squared her shoulders as if bracing herself for an ordeal. “I’m a clairvoyant empath. Or I was.” Suddenly confused, she rubbed her forehead. “I suppose I still am.”

“But you have read minds before.”

“Maybe. Not exactly.” It was difficult to describe being so linked with someone that you could interpret his thoughts through his emotions. Sometimes the link was so strong that it happened.

Choosing his words carefully, he said, “According to Dr. Ewell, you were the most sensitive receptor he’s ever known.”

She gave him a harassed look. “Receptor’s as good a word as any. I pick up—I used to pick up things. Emotions, energy from actions. Thoughts, too, sometimes, but usually it was emotion rather than actual thoughts. The static was unbelievable.”

“That’s why you joined Dr. Ewell’s study, for the peace of controlled surroundings.”

She bit her lip. “Yes. I couldn’t drive down a street, shop in a mall, go to a movie. It was like a thousand voices screaming at me at once. Most people don’t make any effort to shield themselves, they just blast everything out like a shotgun, spewing their emotions in all directions.”

“You didn’t live at the Institute, though.”

“No, I had a little place outside of Boulder. It was peaceful.”

“I know about what happened six years ago.”

The brusque statement was like being hit between the eyes. She reeled from the force of the blow, staggering back against the cabinet. He moved, coming toward her with that lethal, catlike grace so unusual in such a big man. Dazed, appalled, she held out a hand to ward him off. With ludicrous ease he brushed it aside and instead pulled her into his arms.

The shock of his hard body against hers was stunning. He was incredibly hot, burning her even through their layers of clothing. His muscled arms were as unyielding as steel bands; they forced her closer, until her thighs were against his, until her breasts were flattened against the hard ridges of his stomach muscles. She felt weak, disoriented, and automatically clutched his biceps in an effort to steady herself.

“Don’t be scared,” he murmured, bending his head down to hers. His warm breath tickled her ear as he gently nuzzled the side of her neck. He licked the small hollow beneath her ear and the sensation, as tender as a mother’s kiss, made her begin to tremble. “I won’t let anything like that happen to you again. I know you’re skittish with men now, babe, but I’ll take care of you. I’m going to take real good care of you.”

She pulled her head back so she could look at him. Her eyes were huge, and edged with panic. “What are you talking about?” she cried thinly. She was afraid, scared by the way things had so suddenly gotten out of her control, afraid of the proximity of his big body. She didn’t want this, didn’t want to have to deal with the memories and unpleasantness. For whatever reason, he had decided not to ignore the wildfire of attraction that they had both been fighting, and moved with bewildering speed to change their situation. There was nothing of the detective in him now; he was purely a man, his hazel eyes glittering with sexual intent.

He pressed his mouth to her temple. “In bed, babe. When we make love.”

She stiffened, pushing against his heavy shoulders as hard as she could. He didn’t budge at all. “No, I don’t want that. Let me go!”

“Hush,” he said firmly, gathering her even closer. “I’m just holding you, Marlie. That’s all. I’ve wanted to hold you since I first set eyes on you Monday morning.”

“There has to be some sort of rule against a detective making a pass at a suspect,” she blurted, searching for any weapon at all. “If you think I won’t report you—”

“You’re not a suspect,” he interrupted. His mouth quirked. “Maybe I should have told you sooner, but the officer who saw you Friday night gave you a pretty good alibi, since you couldn’t have been in two places at once.”

She went still, her attention focusing on what he had just said. Her gaze locked on his. Uncomfortably he realized that there was something oddly compelling about her eyes. “When did you talk to him?”

The even tone of her voice didn’t fool him. He winced inwardly. “Um... Tuesday night.” He should have lied. He shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place, at least not right now. He should have—

She bit him. He had been halfway expecting her to take a swing at him. He had to admit that he might deserve one, and he was willing to absorb a shot if it would make her feel better. Besides, the way he was holding her, he knew she wouldn’t be able to put much power behind it. Evidently she realized that, too, because she simply leaned forward and sank her teeth into his chest.

“Ouch!” he bellowed, startled by the sharp pain. She hung on like a bulldog, and the pain caused by his involuntary movement quickly convinced him to stand still. “Shit! Turn loose!”

She did, and regarded him with baleful satisfaction as he hastily stepped back and rubbed his chest. A wet spot on his shirt marked where she had bitten.

Gingerly he unbuttoned his shirt and took a look, expecting to see blood. It didn’t make him feel a lot better to discover that, though the indentations of her sharp little teeth were plain in his hide, there wasn’t even much bruising. “The professor said you were testy,” he muttered. “But he didn’t mention the cannibalism.”

“Serves you right,” she said. “You’ve been hounding me for two days when you knew I’d been telling you the truth.”

He looked a little sheepish, and continued to rub his chest. “I had to have some excuse.”

“To do what?”

“See you.”

“That’s supposed to endear you to me?” she asked caustically, turning away to pick up the canister of coffee and return it to the cabinet. “I’m not making coffee. You can leave now.”

“Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?”

“No.”

He folded his arms. “Then I’m not leaving.”

She slapped the countertop in frustration and whirled to face him. “Can’t you take a hint? I don’t want this. Whatever you’re offering, I don’t want it.”

“That’s a lie.”

Those hazel eyes were glittering again, this time with stubbornness. She had already noted that trait in him. It felt as if she had a bull in her kitchen, and couldn’t budge him.

“You feel it the same way I do,” he continued relentlessly. “You’re attracted to me, and it scares the hell out of you, because of Gleen.”

Her face closed up. “I don’t want to talk about Gleen.”

“That’s understandable, but I’m not going to let you hold him between us. The bastard’s dead; he can’t ever hurt you again. There’s too much pleasure in life to turn your back on it.”

“And you’re just the man who can show me what I’m missing, right?” she asked with heavy sarcasm.

“Bet on it, babe.”

She crossed her arms and leaned back against the cabinet, holding herself away from him. “I’ve always hated being called babe or baby,” she observed.

“Fine. I’ll call you whatever you like.”

“I don’t want you to call me anything. Can’t you get it through your thick head, Detective? There can’t be anything between us, full stop, period.”

He grinned suddenly, and her heart gave a thump at the miracle it worked on his harsh features. “There already is something between us. Can you think of anyone else who makes you as angry as I do?”

“Not right offhand,” she admitted.

“See? I’ve been the same way. Since I saw you Monday morning, I’ve been in a hell of a mood, mad at you for being a suspect, mad at myself for being so attracted to you in spite of it.”

“Maybe we just intensely dislike each other,” she suggested.

“I don’t think so.” He glanced swiftly downward. “There’s evidence to the contrary.”

Marlie fiercely controlled the impulse to let her own gaze drift downward. After what she had felt yesterday morning on the porch, she was fairly certain what she would see. Despite herself, she was charmed by his air of slight bemusement at his body’s response, and it took all of her willpower not to let it show. It just wouldn’t do. He was going to be difficult enough to discourage as it was, without letting him see how very much she wished things could be different. She had always longed for a normal relationship, but she had always been set apart, first by her own talents, then by Gleen.

“It won’t work,” she said aloud.

He looked downward again. “You think so? I dunno,” he said doubtfully, “it looks like it will work pretty well to me.”

Startled, she laughed aloud, and quickly clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle the sound. He grinned at her again, making her heart do acrobatics even as she tried to control herself. He was far more dangerous than she had feared; he could make her laugh.

“I can’t,” she said, sobering quickly. Her voice was soft, with an undertone of regret that she couldn’t hide. “Gleen—”

With two long steps he reached her, closing his hands on her waist. The humor fled his face as if it had never existed. “Gleen is dead. The only way he can hurt you anymore is if you let him.”

“Do you think it’s that easy?”

“Hell, no, I don’t think it’s easy. I’m a cop, remember. I’ve seen what rape victims go through.”

“I wasn’t—”

“Technically raped? I know. But he tried, and beat the hell out of you because he couldn’t. Your reaction probably isn’t any different than if he had been able to penetrate.”

She laughed again, but this time the sound was harsh, tearing. “It’s a little different. I wish he had raped me! I lie awake at night and know that if he’d been able to get an erection, maybe if I hadn’t fought him so hard, that little boy would still be alive! But he got more and more frenzied, and I kept struggling, and all of a sudden he left me and attacked the little boy.” She was silent for a minute. “His name was Dustin,” she said. “His parents called him Dusty.”

Dane’s hands tightened convulsively on her waist, then relaxed. “It wasn’t your fault; no one can predict what a madman will do. But that’s a bad thing to have to deal with,” he said quietly. His chest was tight with suppressed emotion. Gently he smoothed her hair, then slid his fingers under the warm, silky weight to cup her head in his big hand. “Have you ever told anyone everything that happened that night?”

She shook her head. “Not everything. Not the details. It was too... ugly.”

“Have you ever told anyone else what you just told me?”

“No.” She looked up, confusion in her eyes. “I don’t know why I did.”

“Because there’s something between us, and you can’t deny it any more than I can. We aren’t comfortable with each other yet, but one day it will be okay. I can wait. And I can wait until you’re ready to make love, too.”

Frustrated at his stubbornness, at her inability to convince him, she shook her head. She didn’t know whether to laugh or scream. “You’re so damn sure of yourself.”

“Trust me,” he murmured. His hard fingers massaged her skull, relieving tension she hadn’t even been aware of. “You’ll think about it now, and the more you think about it, the more used to the idea you’ll get. Then you’ll start getting curious, wondering about how we would be together. You’ve done a good job putting your life back together, but you’re too smart not to know that until you can trust a man in bed again, you’re still letting Gleen have a hold over you. The next step is obvious. And I can promise you one thing: If anyone gets in bed with you, it’s going to be me.”

Before she could think of a response to that supremely self-confident statement, he took her by the hand and led her back into the living room. His palm was callused, his fingers hard and warm. His touch was consciously gentle, that of a man who was very aware of his own strength and was careful not to squeeze. There was something beguiling about his hand linked with hers, a subtle asking for, and reassurance of, trust. She felt oddly safe with him, though not safe from him.

“Let’s sit down,” he said, urging her toward the couch. Belatedly she tried to detour to a chair, but he tugged her to the couch and pulled her down beside him. He kept her hand folded in his as he settled back with a sigh of relief, stretching his long, muscular legs out before him. “Airplane seats aren’t made for anyone over five and a half feet tall. I still feel cramped.”

“Why don’t you go home,” she said tiredly. “It’s late.”

“Because we still need to talk.”

She shook her head and tried to tug her hand free. It was a useless effort. “We don’t have anything to talk about.”

“I’ve got some more questions about what you saw Friday night.”

She stiffened. She couldn’t help it; every time she was reminded of that evil, something inside her froze. “I’ve already told you everything. Tomorrow’s a workday, and I’d like to get some sleep.”

“Just a few minutes,” he coaxed, smiling at her. That little crook of his mouth caused another disruption in her cardiac rhythm, and she quickly looked away. Whoever would have thought that such a roughhewn face could produce such a charming smile? He shouldn’t be allowed to do anything except frown, for her own protection.

“I kept thinking about it on the plane,” he said, taking her silence for acquiescence. “You aren’t a suspect, you’re a witness. In fact, you’re the only witness we have. We have no leads, no evidence, no idea who we’re looking for. Two earlier possibilities turned out to be dead ends. I’m not saying I buy into this paranormal stuff, but I’m willing to investigate any leads you can give me. For instance, can you give me a description of the guy?”

She shook her head, ignoring the dismissive way he said “this paranormal stuff.”

“Nothing at all? C’mon. You described the murder scene down to the smallest detail.”

“But I saw it from his eyes. I saw... everything else. Not him.”

“Did you see his hands?”

A memory swam into focus, that of a hand reaching for a knife, holding the knife, slashing—

“Yes.” The word was a whisper of sound.

“Good.” Her eyes had gone slightly unfocused. Dane made his voice as soothing as he could, not wanting to startle her. “What color was his skin? Light or dark?”

“I don’t know.”

“Think, Marlie.”

“I don’t know! He was wearing gloves. Surgical gloves. And he had long sleeves.” She paused, looking inward again. “His clothes were dark.”

“He didn’t pull off the gloves even when he raped her?”

“No.”

“Okay, then let’s work on his height. We know how tall Mrs. Vinick was; how tall was he in comparison?”

Marlie silently marveled at how his cop’s brain worked; she hadn’t thought of height at all. Her head tilted in concentration as she tried to focus the mental images.

“When he first grabs her, in the kitchen, he holds her close, with one hand over her mouth and the other holding the knife.” Marlie lifted her hands into the positions she described, pantomiming the action. “The hand over her mouth is... like this. Even with his shoulder.”

“So that’s the level of her mouth. That puts him around six feet. We can’t know how long his neck is—he may be an inch shorter or taller—but at least that’s something. What about his voice? Do you remember anything about it?”

She closed her eyes. “Nothing that stands out. It was just a man’s voice, not particularly deep or high.” His actual voice hadn’t mattered; it had been overwhelmed by the raging violence, the hatred, of his emotions.

“How about an accent? Can you distinguish an accent?”

“Not southern,” she said promptly, opening her eyes. “Big deal. This is Orlando; half the population, including me, is from somewhere else.”

“Can you narrow it down any more than that? There are a lot of distinctive accents: New York, Boston, Ohio, Chicago, Minnesota, the western accents.”

She was shaking her head even as he rattled them off.

“Nothing that I can pin down. He didn’t actually say that much, or maybe I didn’t pick it up.”

“Then let’s move on to something else. Did you get an impression of his body?”

Utter revulsion crossed her face.

“I mean his weight,” Dane said hastily. “Was he thin, average, or heavy?”

She gave him a dirty look. “Average, I think. And strong. Very strong. Maybe it was anger, or the adrenaline, but she was helpless against him. He gloated about it. He loved it.”

She leaned back, suddenly very tired, and discovered that sometime during their conversation he had draped his arm behind her, so that when she sat back she was all but in his arms. She bolted forward, only to find that heavy arm around her shoulders and herself being urged back once more, and his face was very close to hers.

“Shhh, don’t panic,” he murmured in a dark, soft voice. “You’re still holding my hand, and the other one’s behind you. You’re okay.”

She glared at him. “I am not holding your hand,” she snapped. “You’re holding mine!”

“Minor detail. I’m going to kiss you, Marlie—”

“I’ll bite you again,” she swiftly warned.

He shrugged. “I always have had more guts than sense,” he said, and very gently brushed her mouth with his.

It was only a fleeting contact, lighter than a whisper, but laden with a tantalizing hint of his taste. Her pulse leaped again, but he was drawing back before the expected fear could materialize. A tiny frown drew her brows together.

He released her hand, finally, and cupped her chin in his palm. The rough pad of his thumb traced the fullness of her lower lip, his gaze focused on the movement.

“Any bad thoughts?” he asked. His voice was even darker, softer.

“No.” Her response was a whisper.

“In that case... ”

This time his mouth lingered. He wasn’t holding her; she didn’t feel constrained, but was somehow helpless to move away. His lips were firm and warm, but tender in their pressure even as they moved, and shaped her own lips to accommodate him. Marlie closed both hands around his thick wrist, and her eyes fluttered shut.

The gentle pleasure of the kiss made her dizzy. She hadn’t expected such tender consideration from him, or the flood of sensation that rushed through her. She made a little sound of confusion, and he lifted his head immediately.

“Are you okay?”

“Y-Yes,” she stammered, her eyes blinking open.

“Good.” He bent his head to her again, and resumed the kiss. His tongue slipped into her mouth, not thrusting deep but inviting her to taste him. Marlie didn’t know what to do; what was happening was so opposite to what she had expected that she couldn’t think. The most stunning fact was that she wasn’t afraid. This was nothing like—no, she wouldn’t even think his name. The shimmering pleasure she was feeling was too precious to destroy.

Hesitantly, trusting a long-unused instinct, she accepted the invitation and sucked lightly at his tongue. Instantly a shudder ran through his big body, astonishing her. She did it again, and he groaned aloud, a deep sound that reverberated through his chest. Delight in this newfound sensual power shyly bloomed inside her.

He suddenly released her mouth and sat back. His skin was flushed, and pulled taut across his cheekbones. “That’s enough. That’s almost too much. I’m going to leave now, before I try to push you too far.”

She blinked at him, her eyes languorous and dazed, as if she wasn’t quite certain what had happened. He wasn’t too sure himself. He hadn’t been that turned on by a simple kiss since he’d been fifteen, and lost his virginity under the stadium bleachers with a seventeen-year-old cheerleader.

He forced himself to stand up before he made a big mistake and changed his mind about leaving. He had kissed her; that wasn’t enough for him, but it was probably as much as she could stand. All in all, he was extremely pleased with the evening.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said as he walked to the door. She followed him, the awareness rushing back into her eyes. He winked at her. “Your sexy voice turns me on even over the telephone.”

Like a light blinking off, all of the softness vanished from her expression. “I’m glad you like it,” she said flatly. “I screamed so much when Gleen was butchering the little boy that my voice broke. It hasn’t been the same since then.”