"Ugly as sin."
"I don't find herso." But Li Sung clearly was not going to be convinced of anything hechose not to believe, and she was too tired now to continue to try. She got toher feet. "I'm going back to my tent. I still have to study that map of themountain trail and we need to get an early start tomorrow."
Her answer from Li Sung was anod and a scowl.
She had scarcely left thecampfire when Ruel fell into step with her. "You appeared to be enjoyingyourself in thebelimtent tonight."
The tension that was alwayspresent when she was with him caused her to answer tersely, "Yes."
"Did you win much?"
"I don't know. I haven'tfigured out the Cinnidan currency yet. I don't think so."
"You like theCinnidans?"
"How could I help it?They're good-natured, intelligent, and I've never seen anyone live with suchenjoyment." She looked at him. "You like them yourself. Dilam saidyou belonged here."
"I do," he saidunequivocally.
She was surprised at theadmission. "Because of the gold?"
He shook his head. "Cinnidarcaught me. I worked the mountain and dealt with the Cinnidans and thought I wasslaving only to make myself a rich man. Then one day I stopped working longenough to raise my head and look around and found I'd walked right into thetrap."
"Trap?"
"Ian would call it'home.' I'm not so at ease with the word."
"Why are you telling methis?"
"Why not?" His tonewas mocking. "Isn't it time we became reacquainted?"
"No." She stopped atthe entrance of her tent. "I don't want to know anything about you."
"How unkind. I want toknow everything about you." He met her gaze. "And I have everyintention of doing so."
He was not even touching herand her heart was beating harder, her breath coming more shallowly. Panicspurted through her as she recognized the mindless response.
His gaze centered on the pulseleaping in the hollow of her throat. "You see?" he asked softly."You do want to know me."
He was speaking of knowledgein the biblical sense, and he was right. Her bodydidwant to know him.Dear God, it was as if they'd never been parted.
She turned on her heel,entered the tent, and hurriedly closed the flap between them.
"I'll see youtomorrow," Ruel called.
"Probably not." Hervoice was uneven, and she forced herself to steady it. "I have to startwork tomorrow and I'm sure you'll be busy at the mine."
"Oh, but I have to makesure you're doing a good job. After all, it's my railroad you'rebuilding." The words trailed off as he walked away.
She had thought when theyreached the mountain she would see less of Ruel, but she was not going to befree of him yet. The knowledge was as frightening as her body's response tohim. Perhaps it would not be as bad as she feared. He would probably come tothe site only a few times and then go about his business.
He came every day for the nextmonth. Sometimes he would stay five minutes and sometimes an hour.
He would joke with Li Sung andDilam and the workers or just sit on his horse and watch her as she went abouther business.
She woke up in the morningknowing he would come, dreaded his arrival all day, and was acutely, painfully,conscious of his presence every second of his stay. It was like those days inKasanpore before they came together in the railway car. No, this was worse, shethought. Now she was always aware he not only wanted her body but to hurt her,perhaps even destroy her. The flame to her moth, she thought bitterly.
And, God help her, she wastempted to fly closer to that flame with every passing day.
