The Gunfighter and the Heiress

chapter Eight



Natalie managed to get only a smidgeon of sleep that night. But having Crow’s inviting warmth beside her and fretting about the circulating report of her so-called abduction made her anxious. There was no telling what scheme Marsh had hatched in his attempt to track her down.

Obviously, her stepfather had left no stone unturned and spared no expense. The far-reaching report would make it difficult to travel any direction without concern for her safety. She presumed Marsh had offered a reward for information.

Money he planned to pay from my inheritance if he manages to get his greedy hands on it, she thought bitterly.

The next morning, preoccupied with thoughts of Marsh and Kimball, Natalie nodded a greeting to the Rangers, who had bedded down at the camp site. She scurried around, building a campfire according to Crow’s specifications and preparing breakfast—also as Crow had taught her. At least she had mastered a few skills, she congratulated herself. Now, if she could cease depending on Crow in times of danger she might make real headway.

“Where did you say you called home?” Montgomery, the hazel-eyed, dark-haired Ranger, asked when she approached him.

Natalie thought fast. “Natchez, Mississippi.” It was where Marsh had sent her to a private college and where she had taught school for a time. “I came west to visit my aunt in San Antonio, then I met Crow,” she lied convincingly. “It was love at first sight.”

Montgomery arched a thick brow, then shrugged. “Whatever you say, ma’am. With Crow’s legendary reputation, you shouldn’t have to fret about your safety. Not too many people dare to cross him.”

Those were her thoughts exactly.

Bristow, the Ranger with curly red hair, green eyes and an engaging smile said, “When Rangers descend on outlaws, we bring hell with us. Crows brings his own special brand of hell, I’m told. Which is why the soldiers who are cheating the Comanche and Kiowa have reason to fear him.”

“Crow cares very deeply about his clan and the tribes who raised him.” She glanced into the distance to see Crow diligently brushing down Durango before tossing a saddle on his back. “This Suggs character will answer for his corruption. Indeed, I will do all within my power to see him court-martialed and tossed in jail.”

And she would, too. There were advantages to being a Robedeaux and Blair. She would pull a few political strings to stop the fraud and abuse against the Indians who raised Crow.

Montgomery chuckled. “Did you become an advocate for Indians after you married Crow?”

“No, I strongly support any group of people subjected to domination and abuse,” she clarified. “Women also fall into that category, Mr. Montgomery. I don’t want to see anyone restrained or cheated.”

The Rangers lifted their cups for refills. Natalie poured coffee then stared questioningly at them. “Have any of you heard news about the Harper Gang that escaped jail recently?

Phelps shrugged a thick shoulder. “Nothing conclusive. I assume you’re asking because they swore vengeance against Crow.”

“I care a great deal about my husband,” she assured them. “I intend to protect him from harm by all means necessary.”

The Rangers stared skeptically at her. They didn’t seem to think that, being a woman, she could protect anyone from anything. But they also didn’t consider a man in Crow’s line of work valued marriage material. Well, they were wrong. She meant it when she said Crow was perfect for her.

An hour later, the Comanche braves and the Rangers rode north. Natalie hurried off to dismantle the improvised tent and gather her belongings. Crow smiled approvingly when she strapped the supplies and luggage behind her saddle.

“Very efficient, sunshine. You receive high marks for preparing breakfast and packing up to move out.”

She smiled in response to his praise—which he offered sparingly. “I had an excellent instructor.” She swung into the saddle to head toward Nine Mile Station and on to Taloga Springs. “As much as I relish living as one with nature, I’ll admit I’m yearning for the comfort of a soft bed and relaxing in a real bathtub that isn’t filled with fish and the occasional snake.”

She glanced over to see those silver-blue eyes fixed on her. The intensity of his gaze startled her.

“I appreciate your kind words about me to Monty and the other Rangers and your support for my people. And your intent to protect me from harm. Bart is the only one who thinks I’m worth the effort.”

“I know you’re worth the effort,” she said before she trotted through the trees.

“Wrong way, sunshine,” he called to her, grinning. “Remind me to purchase a compass the first chance I get. You’ve picked up several survival skills very quickly. But you have no sense of direction whatsoever.”

Apparently not, she thought to herself. She was headed in the direction of heartache because Crow’s presence in her life and his endearing grin were getting to her in more ways than she could count.



Avery Marsh, followed by Kimball and the two hired henchmen, stepped down from the train in Wolf Ridge. He was tired, irritable and annoyed that Natalie, dressed in her widow’s digs, had reportedly took the train west from Fort Worth to this godforsaken outpost where the railroad tracks finally ran out.

Kimball surveyed the community with distaste. “They call this a town? What do people do with themselves here?”

“Raise cattle, plow the ground and run shops,” Fred Jenson, the tall, lean henchman, replied. “For entertainment they play billiards and cards in the saloons.”

Kimball perked up. “Maybe this whistle stop has possibilities after all.” He glanced back at Avery. “While you check on Natalie I’ll wet my whistle at a saloon and see if I can make extra traveling money.”

Avery glared at Kimball’s departing back. The man was self-absorbed and as useless as an extra toe. However, having him out from underfoot for an hour had its rewards. The cocky dandy bragged about his sexual exploits constantly and droned incessantly about how clever and intelligent he was. There had been times during the journey that Avery contemplated losing Kimball permanently—after he’d served his purpose, of course.

Glancing this way and that, Avery determined which hotel accommodations would suffice then hiked down the street to the Simon House. While Jenson and Green posed questions at the restaurants, in hopes of locating Natalie, Avery approached the hotel clerk.

“I was hoping to meet my daughter here,” Avery said pleasantly. “She dressed as a young widow for her protection but she has dark eyes and auburn hair.”

The clerk nodded enthusiastically. “You are talking about Anna Jones, aren’t you? So you must be Mr. Jones.”

“I must be,” Avery said, flashing his most charming smile. “Can you tell me which room she’s in?”

The clerk looked at him oddly. “She didn’t inform you that she left town after she married Donovan Crow?

Married? To Donovan Crow? The Donovan Crow? Hell’s bells! Avery had not seen that coming. Now he would have to alter his well-laid plans. Damn that wily little bitch. He’d make her sorry she’d pitted herself against him. Avery had spent a lifetime planning golden opportunities for himself and he was damn good at it. Natalie would not outsmart him.

“I thought she was going to wait for me to show up,” Avery said, masking his irritation behind a troubled frown. “I was hopelessly delayed and she is hopelessly impetuous. Now I’ll have to trail after her.”

The blond-haired, round-faced clerk swiveled the hotel registry toward Avery. “You’ll need a room because I heard they are headed to Taloga Springs and the next stage doesn’t leave until tomorrow morning.”



Two days after the Rangers and Comanches headed north, Van saw Natalie gathering inedible vegetation on the riverbank. “Don’t touch that!” Van snapped abruptly.

She snatched her hand away from the green plant as if she’d been snakebit. When she flashed him an injured look, he regretted his sharp tone.

“I only wanted to gather wild carrots for supper,” she explained as she rose from a crouch, then sidestepped from the marshy area near the water.

“Those aren’t wild carrots.” Van examined the handful of herbs she had picked. He tossed out two other plants. “The plants you nearly pulled from the marsh were poison hemlock.”

Wide-eyed, she gaped at him. “They looked like carrots.”

He nodded. “Yes, they do. Which is why people unfamiliar with these plants suffer accidental poisoning.”

“What are the other plants I thought were herbs?”

“Nightshade,” he informed her. “The hemlock is worse. Make sure your horse doesn’t ingest that stuff, because it can be fatal to him as well as to you. As children in the village, one of our duties was to herd our horses away from the marshy creek banks to avoid poisonous plants.”

Natalie’s shoulders slumped dejectedly and she blew out her breath. “I’ll never figure all this out,” she mumbled. “I wanted to prepare a special meal because you said we’ll reach Taloga Springs tomorrow and we’ll part company.”

The thought didn’t set well with him. He could escort Natalie only as far as Taloga Springs. Then he needed to follow up at the reservation and investigate the army officer accused of stealing food and supplies from his people. He was torn between his hungry desire for Natalie and his loyalty to the tribe that raised him.

“Here,” he said, refusing to dwell on the moment when they went their separate ways. “These wild carrots and mushrooms are edible.”

“Thank you,” she murmured. “I didn’t intend to repay you for all your trouble by poisoning you.” She glanced up quickly and frowned. “What are the symptoms of poisoning? I suppose I should know, in case I accidentally pick the wrong plants in the future.”

“Nervousness, trembling, convulsions, dilated eyes,” he told her. “It’s best to empty the stomach as quickly as possible. Otherwise…” His voice trailed off, allowing her to draw her own grim conclusions. “Other poisons have different symptoms such as muscle weakness, dizziness, severe headache and confusion.”

He noticed the ponderous frown that claimed her lovely features. “Something wrong, sunshine?”

“Dear God!” she erupted abruptly. “I never gave that a thought!”

“Never gave what a thought?”

“That bastard!” Muttering and scowling, she stamped back and forth on the sandy ridge above the river. “Why didn’t I suspect that? I should have.”

“Would you mind telling me what you’re talking about?”

“That’s how he did it.”

“Who did what?” Van demanded impatiently.

She wheeled around, her dark eyes burning with fury. “My stepfather. I swear he slowly but surely poisoned my mother. She began complaining of headaches and weariness a year after their marriage. I was too young and ignorant to question Mama’s failing health. I thought she’d become unhappy and lost the will to live when she realized Marsh was a poor substitute for my father, even if theirs hadn’t been a love match.”

Natalie lurched around to pace in the opposite direction. “Hell and damnation, I should have questioned her illness instead of accepting it as easily as she did. My stepfather claimed he had consulted several doctors in town, but I’m willing to bet he didn’t. In addition, he bustled me off to boarding school, claiming my mother wouldn’t take time to rest if she thought I needed her attention.”

“I’m sorry, Nat,” he commiserated. “If you want me to investigate I will…. Where do you call home?”

She shook her head vehemently then wiped the tears dribbling down her cheeks with the back of her had. “No. It’s too late for Mama. I just want to put the past to rest.”

Van was suspicious of her refusal to tell him she hailed from New Orleans like she did the night she was drunk. He didn’t understand why she wouldn’t want him to investigate if she suspected foul play. There was far more to her story than she let on and he was beginning to wonder how much was truth and how much was fiction she invented to protect her mysterious identity and her past.

Natalie drew herself up and inhaled a deep breath. “I’ll start a fire and clean the wild vegetables that aren’t poisonous,” she insisted before she hiked uphill.

Van watched her walk away, curious whether the report of abduction related to her, wondering what it would take to gain her confidence. He asked himself what his life would be like when she rode away, now that he’d become accustomed to having her with him constantly. By tomorrow, she would exit his life as quickly as she had arrived.

Emotions he didn’t want to confront kept playing tugof-war inside him. Not to mention the unappeased desire he’d kept on a short leash. Sleeping beside Natalie night after tormenting night, without yielding to nearly overwhelming temptation, was wearing him out.

Frustrated, Van stamped off to find wild game for supper. And afterward, he considered resorting to peyote to numb his senses and put himself into a deep sleep without those arousing fantasies hounding him. However, that would leave Natalie vulnerable if trouble came calling—as it had a nasty habit of doing in the badlands of Texas.

“Why did I agree to this marriage?” he asked himself. “Oh yeah, now I remember. This was supposed to be the easiest money I ever made. Now there’s a laugh.”

Van didn’t see a damn thing easy about wanting Natalie Whoever-She-Was with a burning need that refused to go away, even while he was taking nightly cold baths in the creeks and streams. His willpower was fading and it was difficult to keep his distance from her. Worse yet, the biggest threat he had to face was protecting her against himself.

“Easy money?” he grumbled. “Like hell it is!”



The disturbing suspicion that Avery Marsh might have poisoned her mother tormented Natalie to no end. Preparing the campfire and the evening meal wasn’t enough to take her mind off the infuriating thought. She’d told Crow that she didn’t want him to investigate—because she didn’t want him to know who she really was. However, she intended to find out if her suspicions were true. Avery Marsh was not getting away with murder! She’d like to poison him and see how he liked it.

Emotions roiled inside her as she ate her evening meal, then walked down to the river to clean the dishes. It was bad enough that she was upset over Marsh’s possible cruelty. That, combined with the tormenting thought of bidding farewell to Crow the following day, tortured her beyond measure.

She glanced downstream where Crow bathed. The impulsive urge to join him and end the suspense of wondering what it would be like to share his passion overwhelmed her.

Natalie turned away, but the tantalizing prospect of seeing Crow naked and touching him intimately leaped to mind once more. “Well, he is your husband,” she muttered at herself. “You are entitled to other benefits besides seeing his name on the marriage license.”

Her thoughts circled back to Marsh’s betrayal and roiling anger assailed her again. Her mother had wasted away, thanks to Marsh’s cruelty. Her father had died in an accident at the wharf at a young age. It seemed that living in the moment was the best policy because who knew what tomorrow held? And what she wanted at the moment was to be with Crow in ways she had never experienced.

She lurched around to make a beeline for the river. She lost her nerve momentarily when she saw Crow standing hip-deep in the river, staring directly at her. His raven hair dripped water and his bare chest sparkled with droplets that reflected the colorful rays of sunset. He reminded her of a mythical god, luring her ever closer to impossible temptation.

When she began unbuttoning her shirt, his hand—clamped around a bar of soap—stalled in midair. “What are you doing?”

“Undressing to bathe. I’ve reached a decision.”

“That’s nice. Let’s discuss it in camp in about fifteen minutes. Now go find your own place to bathe.”

She removed her cap and shook out her hair. With her shirt hanging open, she heel-and-toed out of her boots. Then she unfastened her breeches.

Crow thrust up his hand to forestall her. “This is not a good idea, sunshine.”

“Yes, it is,” she retorted. “I hired you to teach me to survive in the wilds. Now I want to hire you to teach me about passion.”

Crow’s striking silver-blue eyes bugged out and his clean-shaven jaw scraped his chest. She hadn’t seen him that shocked since she breezed into the Road To Ruin Saloon to announce she was his fiancée.

Natalie was in no mood to be rejected again. It would be the crowning blow to a lousy evening. Already, her emotions were churning like a cyclone. Although she wasn’t sure how to entice a man past his ability to resist, she intended to try because Crow was the only man she had ever desired.

“You better rethink this reckless decision,” he told her gruffly. “I’m—”

His voice halted when her breeches pooled around her feet. Her boyish shirt barely covered her upper thighs and she was pleased to note that he was all eyes. Well, at least I have his undivided attention, she thought. That’s a start.

“I might not be your first choice, but I have certain wifely rights, you know, Crow.”

“Wh—” He tried to speak but no words came out.

Natalie gathered her nerve and did something she had never done in front of a man. She peeled off her shirt and walked naked into the water. Although she felt extremely self-conscious and her face pulsed with heat, she vowed Crow wouldn’t dismiss her easily.

She wanted him and she meant to have him—just this once before he rode out of her life for good.

And who knew? Her first and only night with Crow might turn out to be the greatest adventure of all. He was not going to distract her or talk her out of it, either. Anyway, this was no different from a man visiting a brothel to appease his needs. Why would Crow turn down free sex with a wife he wouldn’t have to bother with after tomorrow?

“You are absolutely certain this is what you want?” Crow chirped as she walked boldly toward him.

“I’m certain or I wouldn’t be here,” she said, amazed that she could still speak.

She was pleased when his unique-colored gaze roamed hungrily over her. She decided he liked what he saw well enough. His rapt attention bolstered her confidence and she even managed to toss him a flirtatious smile.

“I suppose I should negotiate with you first. Just how much extra is this lesson in love going to cost?” she asked.

She nearly melted into a puddle of mush when Crow flashed a rakish grin that encompassed every bronzed feature of his face.

“A thousand is my going rate.”

“A thousand?” she smirked, delighting in the playful side of his nature—one he didn’t expose very often. “How many women have hired you for lessons in passion?”

“Counting you?”

She nodded as she drew close enough to glide her hands over his broad shoulder and link her fingers behind his neck. “Yes, counting me.”

He hooked his arm around her waist and drew her intimately against him. She knew without a doubt that she had aroused him. The intimate knowledge filled her with even more self-confidence. It emboldened and empowered her.

“Just you, sunshine,” he growled huskily as his head came steadily toward hers. “Only you…”

His mouth came down on hers in a devouring kiss. Natalie gave herself up to the ravenous need sizzling through her body and whispering in her soul. She had made the right choice when she selected Donovan Crow as her lawfully wedded husband. Furthermore, she wanted to go on kissing him until the end of time because he had the power to scatter every thought from her mind. That’s what she wanted right now. Not to think at all. To explore the fierce sensations she’d discovered when she was with the one man who tempted her beyond bearing.



Van knew he shouldn’t succumb to the mercy of his ravenous desire for Natalie. Unfortunately, she had stunned him to the bone and destroyed his thought processes when she undressed and walked naked into the water to join him.

His imagination hadn’t done her justice because she was flawless perfection. He wanted to make a feast of her, but he wasn’t sure how long he would be satisfied tasting the honeyed nectar of her dewy-soft lips and gliding his hands over the lush curves and swells of her body.

“So this is what desire feels like,” she rasped as he lifted his head to drag in much-needed air.

His restless hands continued to caress her. He only hoped he could arouse her to the same fervent degree that she had aroused him. “How far do you want this to go, sunshine?” he asked, his voice rough with unappeased need.

Curly lashes swept up and she smiled impishly at him. The intriguing sparkle in her eyes caused a chunk of his heart to break loose and tumble down his rib cage.

“How much passion will a thousand dollars buy me?”

He smiled roguishly. “All you want and then some.”

He scooped her into his arms so that her body bobbed on the water’s surface, glowing like gold in the shimmering light of sunset.

“And then some is what I want with you, Crow.”

Her smile faded as she stared intently at him. Her hand lifted to trace the line of his jaw, and then his lips. Van felt a jolt of pleasure rivet his body. He brought his head to hers for a tender kiss. He wanted to make this experience with Natalie a moment to remember because he knew it would be his first and last. She would be gone tomorrow. He would have served his purpose for her and she would no longer need him for whatever her secretive venture required.

He also knew the suspicion of losing her mother to deliberate poisoning had upset her and had sent her running to him for comfort and compassion. He shouldn’t take advantage of her vulnerability, but when he touched her his noble intentions went up in smoke.

“I’ll ask once more. Are you sure this is what you want?” he repeated huskily, knowing he’d burn into a pile of molten coals if she changed her mind.

“It’s exactly what I desire.” She traced the bridge of his nose and his high cheekbones. “And keep in mind that I do nothing halfway or halfheartedly, Crow.”

He grinned. He adored that about her, especially right now. She had made up her mind she wanted him and he couldn’t talk her out of it, even if he wanted to, which he didn’t.

For his part, Van wanted her in a way that he’d never realized it was possible to want anyone or anything in his life. She mattered to him. He desired her past the point of his resistance. Come hell or high water—or both—he was going to discover what paradise on Earth felt like. And she was it.

If Natalie asked for the moon and a few stars, he’d find a way to fetch them for her. He was that far gone. He was at the complete mercy of his throbbing desire to claim her as his own for this one magical night before she followed her dreams and schemes and walked out of his life forever.

Van vowed to make their passionate tryst an adventure unto itself. No matter how much it cost him in self-restraint, he would find a way to pleasure and satisfy her.

To that dedicated end, Van skimmed his lips over the tips of her breasts while she floated in his arms. Her soft moan of pleasure encouraged him to draw more satisfied sounds from her lips. He devoted several languid moments to flicking his tongue against her pebbled nipples, then cupped one full breast in his hand. When he suckled her gently, she arched toward him. Another breathless sigh tumbled from her lips—with his name attached to it.

He adored the raspy sound of her voice. He delighted in knowing he aroused her. He smiled against her nipple when she squirmed restlessly against him. Her hand drifted across his chest but he grabbed her fingertips and redirected them to her breast. Then he nibbled at them before he suckled her again.

“Don’t distract me. I’ve been harboring this fantasy of discovering the taste and feel of every inch of your gorgeous body since the night I put you in my bed after you passed out. That evening didn’t turn out the way I wanted.”

Her thick lashes fluttered up and she stared straight at him. “You find me desirable?”

He chuckled at the absurd question. “One look in the mirror should answer the question about how lovely you are.”

“But there have been times when I’ve wondered if I appeal to men or if…”

Her voice trailed off and he wondered if she was about to mention instances with other men. The image of her with anyone but him tormented him, though he kept telling himself he had no right to be possessive or jealous of her past affairs. After all, he had been intimate with other women. Of course, no one had intrigued him as she had, but still…

“You have no idea how much it has cost me in self-control to sleep beside you every night and restrain myself,” he admitted. “Which is why I couldn’t turn you down tonight. I have no willpower left when it comes to you.”

“None whatsoever?” She grinned so provocatively that another corner of his heart caved in. “Are you just saying that because I’m paying you?”

“Sure, sunshine. I want you to get your money’s worth,” he whispered as his hand drifted down her ribs to encircle her navel.

Her playful amusement turned to a quiet moan when his hand drifted lower to trace the curve of her inner thigh. Fire blazed through Van’s bloodstream when he skimmed his hand over the tender flesh between her legs and felt the heat of her desire burning for him.

He bent his head to glide his tongue between her lips at the same moment that he dipped his finger into her heated core. A tidal wave of need crashed over him as he stroked her gently—and simultaneously aroused himself to aching extremes. He vowed to leave Natalie as hot and hungry for him as he was for her…but at what cost to his ravenous body!

Van had never dedicated so much time to pleasuring a woman. He’d never wanted to because the women who came and went from his bed in the past only satisfied a physical craving. But this mystical moment with Natalie, while the blazing sunset turned the world to flames, was nothing like his previous encounters. He couldn’t take his pleasure with her unless she wanted him beyond bearing.

The thought challenged him to be more creative, to be gentler and more patient in his seduction than he’d ever been. He was rewarded with the sound of her breathless moans drifting across the rippling water.

“Come here,” she panted while he stroked her with thumb and fingertip.

“I told you not to rush me,” he murmured against the swell of her breast. “I’m living a fantasy.”

“You’re driving me crazy is what you’re doing,” she whimpered as her body involuntarily arched toward his gliding fingertips and lips.

“Really? Then let’s see how you react to this….” He lifted her hips to him, flicked at her with his tongue, then kissed her intimately.

She came apart in his arms, trembled beneath his lips and fingertips. She cried out his name as her body shuddered around his hands and mouth. Gasping for breath, she twisted to hook her legs around his hips.

Van was smiling at her in supreme satisfaction, for he knew he had pleasured her immensely. But when she curled her hand around his aroused flesh and guided him to her, he forgot to breathe—and couldn’t remember why he needed to.

He arched instinctively toward her as his hands settled on her hips. He drove into her without restraint and watched her eyes fly wide open. He stilled when he breached the fragile barrier that assured him that he was her first experiment with intimate passion. For certain, Natalie was his first time with a woman’s first time.

The knowledge brought him to his senses long enough to call upon his nearly depleted reservoir of restraint. Despite the ardent need that demanded that he drive relentlessly into her until he found wild release, he withdrew—and it nearly killed him.

“Crow…” she murmured as she held his gaze and hooked her hands behind his head. “Don’t stop doing what you’re doing.”

“Don’t really want to, sunshine,” he replied, barely recognizing his voice, for it was hoarse with need. “Just trying to give you time to adjust to…well…to me.”

She nuzzled her forehead against his, then brushed his lips lightly with hers. “You’re sweet, but—”

Her voice dried up when he drove himself to the hilt, then retreated to plunge into her silken body again and again. He wanted to tell her that he wasn’t the least bit sweet and there was nothing gentle about the ardent needs pounding through him in that desperate moment. His body had taken command and he was hopelessly out of control.

With each frantic thrust, he felt passion’s flames scorching him inside and out. Then the fires of overwhelming desire consumed him. He clutched her so tightly in his arms that he feared he’d suffocate her when he shuddered in all-consuming release.

Sweet mercy! Van thought as he gasped for breath—and found none forthcoming. But then, if he stopped breathing altogether and died in the circle of Natalie’s arms while he was buried deep inside her, he couldn’t think of a better way to go.

The realization that nothing in his vast experiences in life remotely compared to sharing Natalie’s innocent passion nearly brought him to his knees. It was unsettling, considering this was the last night they would be together. He could never recapture the incredible sensations and the previously untapped emotions she had unleashed inside him.

He’d found the passion of a lifetime, even if it could only last one night. He smiled ruefully as he rubbed his chin against the elegant curve of her neck. He remembered how Bart had questioned his rash decision to marry Natalie when he knew so little about her and hadn’t had time to confirm her story. But being this close to her, holding her possessively in his arms and knowing that nothing else compared to this moment with her seemed worth whatever repercussions he might face.

“Crow?” she murmured against his chest.

“Yes, sunshine?”

“How much will it cost me to do this again tonight?”

He chuckled as he brushed a feathery kiss against her satiny cheek. “As it happens, I’m running a two-for-the-price-of-one special this evening.”

“Well, in that case…”

When she reached down to cup him in her hand and stroke him intimately, desire exploded inside him in the blink of an eye. Van scanned the area near the riverbank to make sure they were still alone then he forgot everything he ever knew because she led him ashore to make a thorough study of him. She was careful to veer away from the marshy area where hemlock grew before she urged him onto a makeshift pallet of her discarded clothing.

It didn’t take her long to discover that every experimental touch of her hands and lips drove him one step closer to crazy. His last thought, as he drew her down on top of him then buried himself deeply in her honeyed warmth, was that his bewitching wife might still be a novice at surviving in the wilds but she excelled in passion.

And there, beneath a canopy of twinkling stars and the whisper of the breeze rustling in the leaves of overhanging trees, Donovan Crow discovered defeat for the first time in years. He had surrendered to Natalie Whoever-She-Was without putting up a fight…and he loved every erotic moment of it.