by Diana Bold
He should have known she’d expect promises and sweet words after their lovemaking. Women could never let passion just be passion. They always had to complicate it.
Rigging the blanket to his satisfaction, he paced the cave with restless boredom, stopping at the far end when his gaze fell upon the second tunnel. He hadn’t given it more than a cursory examination the first day and had been too busy with surviving since then to give it a second thought.
Dropping to his knees, he took the matches out of his pocket and lit one, poking his head through the hole and peering into the gloom to see the passageway stretching at least a dozen feet back. Like the entrance, it widened toward another room.
He glanced back over his shoulder at Bethany, but she was huddled in her blankets by the fire, still doing her best to ignore him. Shrugging, he pushed himself through the hole, and found he could crawl down the passageway on his hands and knees quite easily.
Within moments, he found himself in a room even larger than the first. His match had almost burned away, so he lit another, illuminating a deep pool. Warmth from the hot water surrounded him, making the air sultry and steamy. Striding forward, he leaned down and dipped his fingers in the water, finding it as warm as any hot bath he’d ever taken.
Elated, he went back to the passageway. “Bethany,” he called. “Come here and see what I found. Bring some wood.”
She poked her head through the hole, a mule-headed, irritated look on her face. “What are you doing?”
“There’s a hot spring in here. You can take a bath, if you’d like, and this second cavern is much warmer. Warm enough we’ll only need the fire for light.”
Her angry expression slipped, her natural exuberance bursting out in a tentative smile. “Really? A hot bath?”
He nodded. “I saw some soap in your trunk. Why don’t you grab it and get started while I move all our stuff?”
“I’ll be right back,” she promised, disappearing from view.
He started after her, filled with sudden optimism. Perhaps once she’d had a nice, relaxing soak in the hot water, she’d forgive him. God knew the prospect put him in a good mood. In fact, the mere thought of watching her bathe, watching her run that sweet-smelling bar of soap over her soft, pale skin, aroused him to a fever pitch.
Once back in the main cave, he set about gathering all the things he’d organized so carefully less than an hour ago. He made three trips, stopping after the first one to help Bethany light a fire in the second cave.
By the time he finished, Bethany had already slipped naked beneath the steaming depths of the pool. “How deep is it?” he asked, coming to stand at the edge. “Can you touch the bottom?”
She nodded, giving him a look of rapturous pleasure. “It’s about three feet deep,” she answered. “And it feels heavenly.”
Holding her gaze, he peeled away his damp clothing and sat down on the stone ledge, dangling his feet in the warm water. He drew in a sharp breath as the heat seeped into his frozen toes.
“Don’t be a chicken,” she teased, her good humor obviously restored. “Come all the way in.”
Grimacing, he did as she’d commanded, sinking down until everything but his head was submerged. “Mmm. You’re right. It feels wonderful.”
“I was starting to think I’d never be warm again.” She glided toward him until less than a foot separated them. “Too bad we didn’t discover this earlier.”
He nodded, staring at her with unconcealed hunger. She’d dunked her head, and now her golden hair hung in heavy, wet spirals across her bare shoulders; droplets of water glistened on her long lashes. He wanted to lick it off her, inch by lovely inch.
“Turn around,” she whispered. “I’ll wash your back.”
He did as she asked, rising up a bit so she could soap his back, trembling with arousal as her soft hands moved over his skin. God, it felt good to be pampered. Once she’d finished with his back, she moved around him, soaping his shoulders, arms and chest.
He held still, closing his eyes, more relaxed than he’d been in years. It could be like this always, a little voice in the back of his mind whispered. All he had to do was let her follow through with her plan. He could bury Zach Price forever and become someone new—someone who had the right to ask a woman like Bethany to be his wife.
“My turn,” she said after she’d washed everything above the water line.
She pressed the soap into his hand, and he opened his eyes and looked at her, taking in the arousal shimmering in her lovely green eyes. Despite their earlier argument, despite everything she knew of him, she still wanted him.
He took the soap without a word, feeling behind him until he found a ledge in the rocks. Sitting down, he pulled her into his arms, shuddering at the delicious silkiness of her wet skin against his own.
She leaned against his shoulder, allowing her beautiful breasts to break free of the water. He soaped them first, loving the way her slick, smooth skin felt beneath his hands, loving the way her nipples puckered into hard little points, stabbing his palms with each pass of the soap.
After a long while she turned in his arms, straddling his thighs as she caught his mouth in a searching kiss. He dropped the soap on the rocks behind him, buried his hands in her hair, and returned her kiss in full measure, drowning in the sweet taste of her.
All the anger and frustration of the last few hours fell away, and he knew he’d been lying to her—lying to himself—when he’d said he couldn’t love her after only two days. In truth, he thought he’d loved her since the first moment he’d set eyes upon her, or at least since she’d freed him from his shackles.
Groaning, he broke the kiss and slid his hands down her sides, clasping her hips and driving deep within her, burying himself to the hilt in her tight, welcoming warmth. She gasped and met his gaze, biting her lip as he began to thrust in a smooth, languid rhythm, determined to make this last a very long time.
Dipping his head, he caught one of her nipples between his lips, biting gently and then drawing her into his mouth, suckling as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Oh, Zach,” she murmured, her voice husky and strained. “That feels so good.”
The sound of his name on her lips broke his control. His thrusts became wild and hard, erratic, as the pleasure tore through him, making him grit his teeth and struggle to keep from exploding before she did.
Reaching between them, he found the sweet little bud of arousal and rubbed it, desperate to give her as much pleasure as she’d given him. She cried out, stiffening against him, the contractions of her orgasm milking him into his own.
“Bethany,” he moaned and let himself go, holding her tightly as his vision blurred and his world disintegrated around him.
Chapter Eight
They stayed in the pool until their skin was water logged and wrinkled, locked in each other’s embrace. Unwilling to ruin the magic of the moment with promises or recriminations, Bethany rested her head against Zach’s shoulder, her earlier fears receding in the wake of his tender lovemaking.
He might not be willing to say the words, perhaps he hadn’t even admitted it to himself, but she knew he loved her. He’d shown it in his every word and action. She realized now he’d been telling the truth when he’d said he’d rejected her plan because he didn’t want to see her risk her own freedom for the sake of his.
But how could she make him see she was more than willing to take the risk? After the passion and tenderness she’d found in his arms, consigning her to a life without it would be worse than any prison sentence. In fact, the mere thought of going without this—without him—for the rest of her life, was more tragedy than she thought she could bear.
How could she live the rest of her life, knowing he was out there somewhere, either jailed or on the run, worrying about his safety and missing him with every passing second?
The answer was simple—she couldn’t. Somehow, she had to make him agree to her plan.
With a sigh, he lifted her off hi
s lap, waiting until she found her footing before he released her. Then he pulled himself out of the water. “I’ve got to get out before I turn into a prune.”
She glided to the edge of the pool and handed him one of the towels she’d retrieved from her trunk. “What luxury. Steaming hot baths and feather pillows. I think I’d be happy to stay here forever.”
Zach frowned and wrapped the towel around his lean waist. “We’ll run out of food and wood in a few days. I doubt you’ll be quite so comfortable here then.”
Men, she thought with a disgruntled sigh. They were always so literal. Couldn’t he just let himself pretend for a while?
She lifted herself from the pool and toweled herself dry, then slipped into the warm flannel nightgown and thick socks she’d found in her trunk. She passed another pair of socks to Zach and then started making a bed near the fire. It was warm enough in this cave she used the majority of the blankets as padding beneath them, figuring the two heavy quilts from her trunk would be enough to cover them.
“I’m going to sleep,” she informed Zach, still a little miffed with him. She slid beneath the blankets and rested her head upon one of the soft, feather pillows, warm and comfortable for the first time since the wreck.
Zach dropped the towel and slid into bed beside her, wearing nothing but the socks. “I made you mad again, didn’t I?” He nuzzled her neck with his lips, pulling her into the warmth of his embrace. “I’m sorry, darlin’. I guess I’ve just forgotten how to talk to people. Spending five years in a room by yourself tends to make a man a poor conversationalist.”
The thought of all he’d been through stemmed her irritation, and she snuggled against him, feeling stupid and petty. “It’s all right. I’m sorry I keep trying to force you into turning our association into something more permanent.”
He hugged her tight. “I’m honored you care enough about me to consider a future together. I really am. I just don’t think you’ve thought it all through. Even if we succeeded in making the law believe I died in the wreck, how would we live? I’ve got nothing, Bethany. I know you’re used to a hell of a lot more than I could ever give you.”
She pulled back a little, staring up at him through the flickering light. “Oh, Zach. Is that all that’s bothering you?” She laughed a bit self-consciously. “Money is the least of my worries. I’m rich. David left me more money than I could ever spend. We could go anywhere, do anything we wanted.”
“You’re rich?” He shook his head, a strange smile lingering on his lips. “I don’t believe it. Every time I come up with an obstacle, you find a way to shove it out of our path.”
“Why are you trying so hard to find obstacles?” she asked. “Why can’t you just accept what I’m trying to offer you and never look back?”
“Because I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve a woman like you or your husband’s money or a second chance at life. Don’t you understand? I once had everything I could want, and I lost it. I let it slip right through my hands.”
“It didn’t slip away,” she reminded him. “It was stolen from you in the most vicious, violent way imaginable. You’ve been dealt far too many bad hands, Zach. I think it’s past time for your luck to change.”
“Maybe,” he whispered, gathering her close. “Maybe you’re right.”
* * * * *
Zach headed for the cave with a spring in his step, despite the deep snow, which made walking so difficult. The clouds had cleared, the sun was shining, and he was certain the two gifts he carried would make Bethany’s eyes light up with delight.
He figured nine days had passed since the accident. Which, unless he was mistaken, made today Christmas Eve. Bethany hadn’t said a word about it; he wasn’t even sure she’d been keeping track. But he wanted to do something to make tonight special for her.
“Hey, darlin’, I’m home,” he called as he entered the passageway. “And I’ve brought presents.”
Home. It had been a slip of the tongue, but he didn’t regret it. The cave did feel like home. He imagined any place on earth would feel that way to him now, as long as Bethany was there.
“Zach! Are you all right? I heard a gunshot, and I was so worried…” Bethany’s voice trailed off as he entered the first cavern dragging the small pine tree he’d cut down in one hand, and the pheasant he’d shot in the other.
“Merry Christmas, Bethany.”
She clapped her hands together, smiling in delight. “A Christmas tree? How beautiful! And you’ve been hunting!”
Her obvious happiness made the hours spent trudging through the snow worthwhile. God, he’d do anything to keep her smiling. “I thought maybe you could find something in your trunk to decorate the tree with, and our food supplies are getting pretty low, so I figured we deserved something special for Christmas.”
“Thank you.” She rushed forward and enveloped him in a crushing hug. “I didn’t even realize it was Christmas.”
“You’re welcome.” He bent to give her a sweet, lingering kiss. When he pulled away, he smiled. “I can’t believe I get to share the day with my own personal angel.”
She blushed and hit him playfully in the shoulder. “I’m not an angel. Didn’t I prove that to you last night?”
He laughed, thinking of the wild lovemaking they’d shared. “You proved you are an angel because I’m quite certain I died and went to heaven.”
Grinning, she took the tree out of his hands and dragged it toward the second chamber. “You’ll have to show me how to cook that bird. I’m afraid I’ve never prepared one.”
“I’ll do it,” he told her. “You just decorate the tree.”
The next hour passed quickly as Bethany decorated the tree, using small bits of ribbon and lace, and he roasted the bird over the fire. She hummed Christmas carols beneath her breath as she worked, and a bone deep contentment seeped into him as he watched her.
She said she’d be happy living here forever, and he could almost believe her. Lord knew he could. To him, this cave with its bubbling hot spring and the few luxuries from Bethany’s trunk was paradise. He’d lived five years with much less.
At last she stepped back, surveying her work with unmistakable pride. “There. I think it looks beautiful. Don’t you?”
The crooked little tree leaned against the cave wall, bits of ribbon and lace hanging over its drooping branches. He smiled and met her hopeful gaze with complete honesty. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, crossing the cave to his side. “Thank you for bringing it. It means more to me than you can ever imagine.”
“I’m glad you like it. I wish I could offer you more. I’d drape you in diamonds and pearls if I could.”
“I’d rather have your kisses than all the diamonds in the world.” Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his, showing him without words exactly what she meant.
After a long while he drew back, knowing if he didn’t put a stop to the kiss they’d end up burning the bird. “I made you a present. Would you like it tonight or would you like to wait until morning?”
“Oh, Zach.” She bent forward and gave him another swift kiss. “Tonight, please. I’ve never been good at waiting until Christmas morning.”
Reaching into his pocket, he drew out his gift, which he’d haphazardly wrapped in a small scrap of red cloth, which had once been a handkerchief. He’d spent the last few nights whittling it for her after she’d fallen asleep, feeling the need to give her something tangible to remember him by.
With a look of awe, she unwrapped the tiny wooden angel. An unfamiliar sense of pride shimmered through him as tears welled in her wide, green eyes. He’d always been good at making things with his hands, and this was one of his best.
“It’s wonderful,” she whispered. “So much detail... When did you ever find the time?”
“I made it while you slept. I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it.” She threw herself into his arms with another one of those shows of exu
berant affection he loved so much. “It’s the best present anyone has ever given me.”
He hugged her, pressing his lips against the fragrant softness of her hair. “Being here with you for Christmas is best present I’ve ever gotten, so I guess we’re even.”
She pulled away, cupping his chin in her hand, and gazed into his eyes. “I love you, Zach. I love you more than I ever thought possible.”
His heart stalled for an instant before he started to give her the response he knew she wanted to hear, but she pressed her fingertips against his lips, shaking her head. “No,” she whispered. “Don’t say it until you mean it. My love is my present to you. I don’t expect you to return it. No matter where you go, or what happens to you, I’ll always be thinking about you.”
Her sweet words made him want to profess his own love, but he didn’t think she’d believe him now. So he simply nodded and brushed his lips against her fingertips. “I’ll always remember you, too. No matter what happens.”
Chapter Nine
The next few days passed with breathtaking swiftness. Bethany basked in Zach’s company, trying to enjoy each moment, unwilling to mention the future or the decisions, which had to be made. But behind every new conversation, beneath each night she lay sated in his arms, lurked the knowledge that their time together was short.
Their supplies were dwindling. All the food was gone. They’d eaten the last can of beans for supper last night. Zach had made several hunting trips during the last few days, but he’d had no luck. Though he’d brought back an armful of wood with each trip, they’d been forced to spend the better part of the day in darkness, lighting a fire only at mealtimes to conserve what little they had.
Late in the afternoon of their thirteenth day in the cave, Bethany sat in the first chamber, bundled in blankets as she waited for Zach to return from hunting, when she heard several deep voices shouting. She couldn’t make out the words, but she knew it wasn’t Zach, and there was more than one man.