Jane felt a shock go throughher body. It was the vibration of the pounding of the hammer against wood, shetold herself. She had felt it a thousand times before, so many times she hadceased to notice it.
Dear God, but she was noticingit now. Her breasts were swelling against her loose shirt, the nipples achinglysensitive as they touched the cloth.
Ruel swung the hammer again.The muscles of his arms rippled, gleamed gold in the sunlight.
The spike sank deeper.
The muscles of her stomachclenched.
The hammer exploded againstthe head of the spike.
What was happening to her? Shewas burning up, the blood pounding beneath the skin.
Heat. It had to be the strongsun that was causing this reaction.
She tore her gaze away fromRuel and strode quickly toward the water bearer.
She shook her head as heextended the dipper and cupped her hands. An instant later she was splashingthe cool water over her face and cheeks and then over her nape and throat. Thatwas better. She had been right, it had been the sun, not Ruel who had causedthe unusual heat.
Not Ruel…
He had stopped work and wasstaring at her, his legs slightly astride, the huge hammer held balanced inboth hands, his gaze on her throat. She was suddenly conscious of the drop ofwater gliding slowly down her throat, beneath her shirt and over her upperbreasts.
Cold liquid against hot flesh.
Searing blue eyes watchingher.
The drop of water reached hernipples, pooled, darkening the light-blue chambray and delineating her engorgednipple.
Ruel's tongue moistened hislower lip.
A shudder went through her.
He smiled and his gaze wentdeliberately to his lower body.
Stark, heavy arousal.
He swung the hammer again.
The spike dug deeper into thewood.
** *
"You didn't wait for meyesterday," he said softly. "How can I protect you if you run awayfrom me?"
"How many times do I haveto tell you I don't need you to protect me." She didn't look at him as shemoved quickly over the ties of Sikor Gorge. "And I wasn't runningaway."
She could feel him staring ather and her breasts tautened, responding mindlessly as they had when she hadwatched him wield the hammer.
"Why are you fighting it?It will be easier once you let me have you."
"Be quiet," she saidjerkily.
"You'll like it."His voice thickened. "And God knows we both need it. I think I'm goingcrazy."
Her pace quickened until itwas almost a run, her boots stumbling on the ties.
He muttered a curse. "Becareful, dammit," he called after her. "Do you want to stumble intothe gorge?"
