He slanted her a glance. “Which is more important? Me or finding the earrings?”
“You, naturally.” She wrapped her arms around her knees and gazed straight ahead into the forest. “But I can’t quite figure out why meeting you seemed so bound up with my finding the earrings. It’s kind of weird when you think about it.”
“It was Cache that put the idea into your head. The coincidence of the fact that I publish a treasure-hunting magazine is probably what made you connect me to the idea of hunting down the earrings. It’s logical.”
“Yes, but I don’t usually operate on logic.”
“I’ve noticed. Have some lemonade.” He poured her a cupful from the Thermos.
“Things are getting confusing, Gideon.”
“I can see your problem. It always gets confusing when you mix a fortune in gems with the great romance of the century.”
She took that seriously. “Yes, it does. I’m worried that if we do find the jewels, you’ll think I used you. How am I going to convince you that you’re more important?”
Gideon leaned over her and brushed his mouth against hers. “You are one wacky female.”
“Interesting. I’m an interesting female. Not wacky.”
“If you say so.” He kissed her again. “You taste like lemonade.”
“So do you.”
He rolled onto his back. “What do you say we take a nap?”
She shook her head automatically. “I never take naps.”
“I do. When I’m lying out in the middle of the woods on a warm afternoon, that is.”
She smiled. “Do you do that a lot?”
“No.” Gideon folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. In a moment he was sound asleep.
Sarah watched him for a while, the sweet longing deep inside making her feel unaccountably sad. She wished he belonged to her so that she could touch him; make love to him.
A few minutes later she pillowed her head on his strong shoulder and fell asleep.
When she awoke a long while later, Gideon’s fingers were on the buttons of her shirt and he was leaning over her with a compelling passion blazing in his gemlike eyes.
“You want to prove to me that I’m more important than finding the earrings?” he challenged softly. “Let me make love to you. Here. Now.”
Dazed with sleep, sunlight and a sudden, searing sense of longing, Sarah reached up to put her arms around his neck.
6
AN ALMOST UNBEARABLE SENSE of excitement washed through Gideon as he watched Sarah awaken with a smile of sensual welcome in her eyes. It suddenly occurred to him that he had been waiting all of his life to see just that look in a woman’s gaze. The feel of her arms stealing around him was more satisfying than finding hidden treasure. His hand trembled from anticipation and desire as he touched her.
“Gideon? What is it?”
“I want you. So bad I can taste it.”
He winced inwardly at the sound of his own voice. It was harsh and raspy in his throat. He wanted to murmur in her ear; he wanted to charm her; coax her into making love with him; persuade her into sensual surrender. He longed to reassure her—to tell her he would be careful with her, infinitely careful. He would do everything he could to make it good for her.
But the only words he could get out were the ones that told her he was starving for her. He wondered if he’d frightened her.
“I’m glad you want me,” Sarah said. “So glad.”
She wasn’t trying to pull away from him, he realized. She still wanted him as much as she had seemed to want him whenever he had kissed her during the past few days.
Gideon relaxed slightly. He touched her throat, inhaling the scent of her, and felt her fingers move in his hair. The gentle caress sent passionate chills down his spine.
When he finally got her shirt open he thought he would lose what remained of his self-control. He lifted his head to stare down at the curves of her small, full breasts. His whole body was tight, hot and heavy now.
“So sweet.” He bent his head to kiss the soft, inviting fullness of her. “Soft. Hot.” He caught her nipple gently between his teeth. It grew taut and firm almost instantly and his whole body clenched in response.
“Oh, Gideon.”
Her leg shifted, sliding alongside his, and Gideon was suddenly impatient with the clothing. He splayed his fingers over her warm belly and slid his hand down to the fastening of her jeans. He hesitated, waiting to see if she would resist this next step.
She didn’t. She simply lifted her hips so that he could push the jeans off entirely. When he saw the scrap of red lace she wore as panties, he thought he would go out of his mind.
“I’ve never seen anything sexier in my life,” he whispered as he slipped one finger beneath the elastic edge of the delightfully shameless undergarment.
She laughed softly and buried her flushed face in his shoulder. “Good. I wore them just for you.”
“Does that mean you intended to let me make love to you today?”
“I’ve got six other pairs just like these with me. I bought them in Seattle before I came to meet you. I’ve worn one of the pairs every day since I found you. I never knew when this was going to happen, you see. I wanted to be prepared.”
He was torn between laughter and a frustrated groan. “What about your famous intuition? Didn’t that warn you when this would happen?”
“My intuition is always at war with my common sense when I’m around you,” she complained softly. “You make it hard for me to think straight. Things aren’t always clear for some reason.”
“I’m glad. And I can’t wait to see the other six pairs.” He covered her mouth with his own, his tongue surging intimately between her lips. He knew he was seeking advance knowledge of what it would be like when he claimed her completely. The sample he got was enough to make his head whirl.
His fingers found the hot, flowing warmth of her and he almost came unraveled.
“I love the feel of you,” Sarah said, her eyes narrowing with desire. “Your hands. Yes, please, touch me, Gideon. Such wonderful hands.” She sucked in her breath. “That feels incredible.”
Gideon watched her hair spill over his arm, the soft, thick strands turning to honeyed gold in the splintered light. He was enthralled with her response, mesmerized by it. He’d never had a woman come alive like this under his touch. She was literally melting for him. He could see the heat in her cheeks and feel her racing pulse.
A glittering host of emotions rocked him as she twisted and lifted herself against his probing hand. He was at once filled with a sense of raw, masculine power and great tenderness. He wanted to bury himself in her and find his own release before the gathering pressure drove him out of his mind. But at the same time he longed to bring her such pleasure that she would never even want to look at another man.
“My jeans,” he muttered abruptly. “Give me a second, honey.” He released her to fumble with his own clothing. All his actions seemed unbelievably awkward suddenly. She was so sleek and sinuous and delicate. He felt like a great, rutting male animal next to her.
But Sarah didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she seemed to find him endlessly fascinating. Her eyes were glowing with a shimmering heat as she helped him tug off his pants. When she saw him reach into one pocket for a little plastic packet she grinned teasingly.
“Obviously I’m not the only one who’s been running around prepared for this,” she said.
He felt himself redden as he busied himself for a few seconds but he merely shook his head. “No, you’re not. But I wasn’t relying on intuition, just hope.” He took a deep breath and tugged off the red panties. For a long moment he could only stare at the tangled triangle of hair that was revealed. He was held in thrall by the promise of what awaited him.
Sarah seemed equally enchanted. She touched him, wonderingly at first and then more boldly, stroking him as if he were a big cat. Under her fingers Gideon began to feel like one. A sense of his own fluid grace and powe
r filled him, washing out the awkwardness.
She did this to him, he thought. She made him feel this way, made him glory in his own manhood.
“I don’t know if I can wait very long for you,” he warned her. “I’m going up in flames. You have a hell of an effect on me.”
“That’s only fair. Because you have the same effect on me.”
She kissed his throat and shoulder. He felt first her tongue and then her small teeth on his skin and he shuddered.
She seemed to sense when he was at the end of his tether. When he grasped the ripe curve of her thigh and pushed tentatively, she went easily onto her back, reaching up to draw him down to her.
Gideon fought for control as he watched her part her legs for him. Her silent invitation was the most compelling action he’d ever witnessed. It said without words that she was giving herself to him—that she was his.
He could no more have resisted the siren call of her in that moment than he could have flown into the sun.
With a short, muttered exclamation of need he slid between her thighs, astounded at the silky feel of them. He hesitated an instant, afraid once more that he was going too fast, that he might hurt her.
But she was beckoning him into her with that ancient summons in her hazel eyes.
He pushed slowly against her hot, damp opening, seeking an easy, gentle entry. But she was small and tight, in spite of her obvious willingness.
“Sarah?”
“It’s all right.” She stroked him gently when she felt his hesitation. “You’re just right for me.”
She lifted her hips, urging him to complete the union. Gideon groaned as the last of his control left him. He surged into her, pushing through the brief resistance of small, tight muscles and on into the clinging warmth that awaited him.
He went still for a few seconds, savoring the sensation of being inside Sarah. It was like nothing else he’d ever experienced.
“Buried treasure.” He kissed her breast.
“What?” She was breathing quickly through her parted lips, her eyes glittering as she adjusted to him.
“Nothing. Never mind.”
He began to move in her, slowly, powerfully. He got his hand down between their bodies and found the tiny nub hidden in her soft thatch of hair. She went wild when he touched her then.
“Gideon.”
Suddenly she was clutching at him, her eyes widening briefly with distinct surprise before they squeezed shut. Gideon held her as she shivered in his arms. The emotions that flooded through him in that moment were chaotic and indescribable.
Before he could even begin to sort out his feelings, the full force of his own release roared through him. The power of it drove out all other sensation.
He heard himself call Sarah’s name and then there was only a sweet, blissful exhaustion.
SARAH DRIFTED SLOWLY up out of the dreamy web of satisfaction that had held her for several minutes. She was aware of the great weight of Gideon Trace on top of her. The deliciously crushed sensation made her smile. Her hands moved slowly on his smoothly muscled back, exploring the powerful, lean contours. He felt so right.
There had never been any real doubt. Gideon was her knight in shining armor, her moody, taciturn, difficult hero whose grim facade hid a passionate, loyal heart.
She had been wrong to worry about letting the lovemaking happen too soon. There had been no reason to hold off until she was sure of him. She was already sure of him. She had been since the beginning. Her intuition had not failed her.
And even if it had, it was too late to worry about it. She was head over heels in love with the man. She had been in love with him for months.
Sarah looked up into the trees, aware that it was now midafternoon. Branches rustled overhead. The sun that filtered through the leaves was still warm. The rock digging into her back was getting very hard.
Gideon exhaled heavily and raised his head to gaze down into her eyes. Satisfaction and an amusing, rather arrogant, vaguely leonine contentment gleamed in his eyes.
“You look a little like Machu Picchu,” Sarah said.
Gideon smiled slowly. “Fair enough. You look like Ellora.” He kissed her lightly on the mouth. “Any regrets?”
“None.”
“That’s good because I don’t think I could go back to playing your courtship game.”
“It wasn’t a game. I just wanted to be sure you knew what you were doing.”
He kissed her shoulder. “How’d I do?”
“Beast. You knew what you were doing, all right.”
He raised his head again, laughing down at her with his eyes. “Thanks. I’ll assume that’s a compliment.”
“The resemblance to Machu Picchu is getting stronger by the minute.”
“How’s that?”
“Well, you’re getting quite heavy, for one thing.” She wriggled her shoulders, trying to find a more comfortable spot on the ground.
“And you’re such a delicate little thing, aren’t you? Wouldn’t want to squash you.” Gideon moved, rolling over onto his back and dragging her with him so that she sprawled on top of him. “Now about this treasure hunt we’re on… “
She shook her head, framing his hard face between her palms. Frowning with serious intent, she looked deep into his eyes. “Forget the treasure hunt. As of this afternoon, the earrings are no longer important. I’m still not sure why searching for them was so linked to finding you, but everything is much clearer now than it has been for the past few days.”
His brows rose in silent laughter. “Sex has made it clearer?”
She smiled. “I suppose so. The point is, you’re my important discovery, Gideon. I don’t need the earrings now. They can wait.” She brushed her mouth against his.
His arms closed around her, hard and tight and strong. Sarah was sure that his kiss was saying everything he did not yet seem able to say with words. He wanted her, needed her, loved her. It was enough, more than enough for the present.
When he freed her mouth, she was breathless again. She saw the look in his eyes and laughingly shook her head. “Oh, no. Not a second time on the ground. Not unless you’re on the bottom.”
“Not that comfortable, huh?”
“Like being trapped between a rock and a hard place.”
He grinned wolfishly. “So how did I compare to one of your heroes?”
“Bigger.” She kissed the tip of his nose. “Harder.” She kissed his cheek. “Stronger.” She kissed the strong line of his jaw. “Sexier.” She kissed his mouth. “Much sexier. To sum it up, the reality was much better than the fantasy version, but I like to think that creating you over and over again in my books prepared me for the real thing when you walked into my life.”
“I didn’t exactly walk into your life. You walked into mine.”
“Details, details. Same result. A happy ending.”
The wicked satisfaction in his eyes was echoed in his laughter. “Are all romance writers experts at happy endings?”
“It’s our stock and trade. You only get two fundamental choices in the world when it comes to philosophies: optimism or pessimism. Romance writers are basically optimists at heart, just like treasure hunters.”
He gave her an odd look. “I’ve never thought of myself as an optimist. God knows, I’m no Pollyanna.”
“Nonsense. Under that gruff, grouchy, bristly exterior beats the heart of a man who secretly believes in the same things I do. You’re just too macho to admit it.”
“You think you know me so well, don’t you?”
She smiled serenely. “Naturally. I’ve been studying you since I was old enough to figure out the basic differences between men and women. That’s how long you’ve been in my head.”
He touched her hand. “You were studying a fantasy creation, not a real man.”
“I know the difference between fantasy and reality,” she assured him as she sat up and reached for her shirt and jeans.
“And you’re convinced I’m real?”
> She paused in the act of buttoning her shirt, aware already of the faint soreness in her thighs. She flashed him a rueful grin. “Very real. I can still feel the effects.”
His gaze grew serious. “Did I hurt you?”
“No, of course not. I was just teasing.” She patted his cheek and began struggling into her jeans.
“Sarah?”
“Umm?”
“Never mind.” Gideon got slowly to his feet, pulling on his own clothing with quick, efficient movements.
She watched him out of the corner of her eye as she began to pack up the picnic basket. Something important was going through that inscrutable mind of his but she couldn’t begin to guess what it was. Perhaps he was searching for a way to tell her he loved her, she thought happily.
Gideon leaned over to catch hold of one corner of the red-checked cloth. He pulled it back slowly, as if not sure how to refold it.
“Here, I’ll do that,” Sarah offered, taking the corner of the cloth out of his hand. She shook out the old tablecloth as Gideon walked around, kicking at pine needles. “What are you doing?” she asked finally.
“Just making sure we don’t leave any sandwich wrappers behind.” He used the toe of his boot to sweep back another layer of needles.
Sarah glanced down and saw the tip of moss covered rock thrusting up out of the earth. “That’s what was digging into my back when you were making love to me. No wonder I felt as if I were trapped between a rock and a—” She broke off. “Oh, my God. A rock. Gideon, it’s a white rock. Look at it.”
He glanced down. “It looks like a green rock to me.”
“Rocks aren’t green. It’s just got a lot of moss growing on it.” Sarah dropped the red cloth and knelt on the ground for a closer look. Experimentally she scraped off some of the moss with her fingernail. “It is white.”
Gideon crouched beside her. “Think so?”
“I’m sure of it.” She looked up at him with growing delight. “Gideon, this is so exciting. Maybe we’ve found the jewels after all. Help me dig away some of the dirt.”
Obediently he reached out and pulled away a few clods of dirt. More of the white boulder was revealed. “If this is your famous rock, it’s no wonder we didn’t see it when we went looking for it. It got covered up long ago in a mud slide.”