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A passion that intense had to burn itself out quickly, otherwise it would have destroyed them. Mercy came first, spinning apart, unraveling with a pleasure that bordered on pain, a sensation she wished could go on forever. While she trembled beneath him, gasping and moaning, he climaxed so fiercely that his release caused the earth beneath them to tremble. Judah sank into her, his large, lean body a heavy weight that she held close, longing to capture this one perfect moment while they were one, their bodies still joined.
He lifted his head and gazed down at her. “Sweet, sweet Mercy.”
She caressed his cheek.
He rolled off her and onto the ground beside her. When she glanced at him, she noticed that he was staring up at the starry night sky. She didn’t know what to say or how to act. Had what just happened between them meant anything more to him than a sexual conquest? Now that he’d had her, would he not want her again?
“Judah?”
He didn’t respond.
She lay there on the ground for several minutes, then sat up and pulled her tattered dress together, holding it at the waist. She rose to her feet, then glanced down at Judah and saw her ripped panties lying beside him. She turned from him and walked away, not caring in which direction she went.
When she reached the waterfall, she crept down the rough pathway that led to the small cave behind it. After removing the remnants of her dress and bra, she stepped beneath the cascading water and let the cool, clean spray rinse away the scent of Judah Ansara from her body.
Loving a man should bring a woman joy, not sorrow. The aftermath of lovemaking should be a time for togetherness. How could she love Judah so completely, so desperately, when he was an Ansara? How could she yearn to be with him, to lie with him, to be his woman forever, when she meant nothing to him?
Where was her pride? Her strength? Her common sense?
Without warning, Judah intruded on her shower. Totally naked, he stood under the waterfall in front of her, tilted his head and tossed his hair back over his bare shoulders. There in the moonlight, beneath the crisp, roaring water, he reached for her. She went into his arms willingly, unable to resist. He took her mouth in a kiss that spoke more distinctly than any words could have, telling her that he wanted her again, that he was far from finished with her. The kiss deepened as their desire revived, hot and overpowering. He lifted her up, his big hands cradling her buttocks. She straddled his hips as he walked them out from under the waterfall and against the boulder behind it. Balancing her against the rock surface, he buried himself inside. She gasped with the sheer pleasure of being filled so completely. He hammered into her as she clung to him, and within moments they came simultaneously. Judah eased her down and onto her feet, her naked body grazing over his slowly, his mouth on her lips, her cheeks, in her hair, on her neck, devouring her.
“I can’t get enough of you.” He growled the words, resentment in his tone.
“I know,” she whispered, unable to move away from him. “I feel the same way. What are we going to do?”
He cupped her face with both hands. “For the rest of the night, we’re going to forget who we are. You aren’t Princess Mercy Raintree, and I’m not Judah Ansara. We’re just a man and a woman, with no past and no future.”
“And come morning?”
He didn’t respond. But she knew the answer to her question. In the morning they would be enemies again, warriors in an eternal battle, tribe against tribe, Raintree against Ansara.
Judah roused at dawn, the sound of his cousin Claude’s voice a wake-up call inside his head. He rolled over and felt the soft, naked body lying beside him, her arm draped across his waist. Mercy. His sweet Mercy. They had spent the night having sex again and again until they were spent. And yet just the sight of her aroused him, strengthening his morning hard-on.
Judah, answer me, Claude called.
What do you want?
Why aren’t you answering your phone?
His phone? Damn, where was his phone?
Give me a minute.
Judah eased out of bed, careful not to wake Mercy, and spied his slacks lying on the floor where he’d tossed his clothes when he and Mercy had returned to the cabin after their tryst at the waterfall. He walked quietly across the room, bent over, picked up his pants and delved into the pocket to check for his phone. It w
as still there, vibrating away, signaling an incoming call. After slipping into his pants, he left the bedroom and went into the living room.
He put the phone to his ear. “Claude?”
“About damn time you answered.”
“What’s going on?” Judah asked, keeping his voice low.
“I’ve been trying to reach you for the past hour, and finally gave up and used telepathy, despite the risks.”
“Do you know what time it is? It’s not even daylight here.”
“You should know I wouldn’t bother you if it wasn’t urgent. We’ve got big trouble here in Terrebonne.”
