by Keri Arthur
than a festival of whores, and you will not let your family
participate.”
“Decent people do not—”
“Decent people do and have. Half of Ripple Creek was
up there the night I was there, and I’ll wager many of them
are on the damn council.”
“That’s beside the point—”
“That’s exactly the point. You’ve always told me you
should treat people as you find them, not as their past
makes them out to be.”
“Duncan Sinclair has a past longer than my arm, and
he’s not likely to change now.” Her father’s voice was a
mix of patience and anger. “Sinclairs don’t believe in
commitment, Neva. Look at Zeke. A century under his belt
and still dancing with every female that comes within
range.”
Neva crossed her arms, her fists clenched against her
sides. “If we follow that theory, both Savannah and I should
be drunken louts who run around burning houses and
killing innocents.”
Her mother’s gasp filled the shocked silence. “How dare
you—”
Neva thrust to her feet and leaned across the table.
“How dare you! How can you look at Duncan’s past and
judge him unworthy when you have done far worse?”
Her father’s hand came down on her shoulder. “You
will not talk to your mother like that—”
Neva shook off his touch and swung around to face
him. “And how dare you make me choose between the
man I love and the family I love.”
“I knew his mother,” Levon said softly. “She was a good
friend. I know the pain she went through watching the
man she loved dance with others time and time again. It
killed her, Neva. I’m only trying to save you from that.”
“I’m old enough to choose my own destiny.”
“But not old enough to understand the heartbreak to
come. He will never commit to you.”
She glanced at Savannah. Saw her sister’s slight nod.
Knew that her twin would walk when she walked. “That’s
where you’re wrong, Father. Duncan has already
committed. We performed the promising ceremony the
night before he was kidnapped.”
His face went as white as her mother’s. “Impossible.
The magic can’t be raised except on the night of promising.”
“Well, apparently it can, because we did.”
“But…Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I told you we were soul mates, and it didn’t seem to
make one goddamn bit of difference. Why would I think
telling you we were promised would?”
“But…You can’t. Not to him.”
She sighed. “You know, I’m sick of arguing. I’m sick of
trying to make you see. I’ve chosen my path. It’s up to you
to choose yours.”
“And choose wisely,” Savannah intoned. “Because I’m
walking out that door with my sister, and I won’t be back
until you both come to your senses.”
“This is stupid—”
“No, Father, this is the last straw. I don’t want to live
my life without Duncan in it, and if you can’t accept that,
then too bad.”
She glanced at Savannah, and as one they walked out
of the diner and down the street to the rangers’ office.
Neva took a deep breath and puffed it out slowly. “Well,
that went better than I thought it would.”
Savannah grinned. “But there were no fisticuffs.
Where’s the fun in that?”
Neva laughed and gave her sister a hug. “Thank you.”
“No probs. Now stop worrying about our folks and go
get that sexy man of yours. Either drag him home, or shag
him senseless where he is so I can get a decent night’s
sleep.”
Neva kissed her cheek. “That sounds like a plan to
me.” And was exactly what she intended to do.
***
Duncan leaned a shoulder against the windowsill and
stared at the slowly rising moon. It was hard to believe
that exactly two months ago he’d met Neva. Hard to believe
he hadn’t seen or heard from her for almost the same
amount of time.
And while he hadn’t really expected her to call, part of
him had hoped that she might. Not that it mattered. In
five days he was going home to Ripple Creek, whether or
not he was given the job as head of the rescue team being
set up over there. And he fully intended claiming what
was his and making her parents see he was more than
just his past.
Footsteps echoed in the hall beyond his office. He
glanced over his shoulder and watched Dave Richards,
the man in charge of the Eagle County search and rescue
team, walk in.
“You want the good news, the bad news or the ‘not-
again’ news?” Dave asked.
“I’m guessing the ‘not-again’ news would be another
hiker getting lost.” There certainly had been a rash of them
lately. The latest influx of tourists didn’t seem able to read
a map and often panicked when darkness set in.
“You guessed that right.” Dave handed him a piece of
paper with the woman’s details and last known position.
“At least this one had a cell phone with her. She’s up near
Paddy’s hut from the sound of it. I told her to stay put
until you arrived.”
“Let’s hope she does.” The last one they’d rescued
decided to keep on walking and had almost walked off a
damn cliff. “What’s the bad news?”
“My spies over in Ripple Creek tell me you were passed
over for the search and rescue post.”
“I’m not entirely surprised.” He may have the
experience, but his reputation was shot to hell in Ripple
Creek, and Levon was a strong voice on the council. He
wouldn’t willingly approve any action that would bring
Duncan back home. “The good news?”
“Is that the head ranger caught wind of the decision
and confronted the council. Apparently she told them that
if they refused to pick the best man for the job, she’d hand
in her resignation. When the rest of her team backed her
up, the council backed down.”
Duncan smiled. He’d have to remember to kiss
Savannah when he next saw her. “When will it be official?”
“I’m told they’ll be calling tomorrow.”
“Good.” At least he had a decent job to go back to
when he went home. While he might own Snowflake Lodge,
he had no intention of kicking the Harpers out to manage
it himself. They were doing a far better job than he ever
could.
He pushed away from the window and grabbed his
coat off the hook. “I’ll give you a call when I find our errant
hiker.”
“Do that,” Dave said. “And good luck.”
Duncan nodded and grabbed his gear on the way out.
The night air was crisp and the sky above so full of stars it
almost looked silver. He let his gaze drift to the moon, still
hanging low in the evening sky. Two full moons without
Neva were two too many, but at least the prom
ising ritual
had ensured neither of them suffered moon fever while
they were apart. And yet he ached for her tonight. Ached
with an intensity that cut through every part of him.
He shouldered the pack and headed up the mountain.
Trees crowded in closer the higher he went, the various
pines still hiding drifts of snow under their green skirts.
He was almost at Paddy’s hut when awareness surged,
followed closely by a joy greater than anything he’d ever
known.
Neva was here.
He walked on, not rushing, even though his whole body
trembled with the need to grab her and hold her and love
her. Through the trees ahead, flames flickered and danced.
He smiled. His lost hiker had made herself at home.
He came into the clearing and shucked off the pack,
tossing it toward the hut’s door as he walked on. Neva
was standing in front of the fire, her back to him as she
stared out over the valley below. The warmth of the flames
caressed her golden skin, so that she almost appeared to
gleam like precious metal in the darkness.
She didn’t turn around or acknowledge his presence
in any way, and yet he felt her awareness of him through
every fiber.
He stopped near the fire and took off his jacket. There
was a sleeping bag at her feet, and a bottle of champagne
and two glasses off to one side.
“I owe you an apology,” she said softly.
“For what?” He pulled off his boots then stripped off
his jeans.
“For not having the courage to ask you to stay two
months ago.”
“We were only together for four days. Confusion and
doubt is allowed, I think.” His shorts joined the pile of
clothes. The night air caressed his skin but failed to cool
the fever burning through him.
“You didn’t doubt.”
“But I have spent half my life looking for my soul mate.
You were looking for nothing more than your sister’s
attacker.”
“We found her.”
“Together.” He stopped behind her, not touching her,
but so close that every breath held the warm citrus scent
of her. So close that the heat radiating off her skin burned
across his. “What of your parents?”
“That I don’t know.”
He ran a finger down the long line of her neck and
across one shoulder. Her skin trembled under his touch,
and her desire burned the air. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I have Savannah on my side, and that’s all
that matters for now. Time will change their minds. And if
it doesn’t...” She shrugged.
He let his touch slide down to her waist and across
her stomach, pressing her back against him. She felt so
good, so right, and all he wanted to do was turn her around
and kiss her and make love to her. But there were still
things that had to be said. A sigh escaped her lips. It was
a sound he felt like echoing.
“Did you tell them we were soul mates?”
“I told them that I loved you. I told them that I didn’t
want to live without you. I told them that we performed
the promising ritual.”
“Ah.” He brushed a kiss across her neck. She tasted
warm and tangy, and far better than he remembered. Far
better than she had in any of his dreams. “When did you
realize the pretense was real?”
“Not until much later. How about you?”
“From the minute I said the first words. And I wasn’t
about to stop—or let you stop. I told you, you’re mine, and
I don’t intend to share. Not ever.”
“Good.” She turned and wrapped her arms around his
neck, her green eyes shining wickedly despite her stern
expression. “Because neither do I.”
He raised a hand to her cheek, brushing his thumb
across her ripe lips. “So where does that leave us?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Long term?”
“Long term.” Because he knew exactly what they’d be
doing short term.
She considered him for a minute, her smile growing
and love so evident in her bright eyes that it reflected
through every fiber of his being. “I’m thinking at least six
children.”
He raised his eyebrows, feigning shock. “Six? Good
grief, woman, do you want me working night and day to
support you all?”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, okay then. Four.”
“A nice even number,” he agreed, sliding his fingers
down to her rump. “We’ll have to buy a bigger house,
though. Yours isn’t big enough to house us all.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want to return to
the mansion?”
“You wouldn’t be comfortable living there.”
“No,” she agreed. “I wouldn’t. But only because I don’t
think it’s the best environment to bring up a pack of kids.”
He cupped her rump and lifted her until he was able
to slide deep inside. She felt so good, so wet and warm
and ready, that he groaned. God, how he’d missed her. “A
pack of kids? I thought we agreed on four?”
“Oh, yeah. So we did.”
Her grin was pure cheek as she wrapped her legs
around him and pushed him deeper. He groaned, his whole
body trembling with the effort to remain still. Which she
certainly wasn’t.
“You do realize twins run in my family,” she continued,
rocking her body gently against his.
“You do realize if you keep doing what you’re doing, in
a matter of moments I’m not going to be able concentrate
on anything you’re saying.”
“You want me to stop?”
“Not really.”
“Good, because I wasn’t intending to.”
“Wicked wench.”
“It’s the company I keep.” Her eyes twinkled at him.
“Such a bad, bad man.”
“I never thought you’d be the type to fall for a bad
man.”
“Neither did I. But I have. Hook, line, and sinker.
There’s no hope left for me now.”
“None at all,” he agreed. “Because that bad man intends
to keep teaching you wicked things for the rest of his life.”
“That sounds like a plan.”
He smiled and kissed her nose. “So, we’ve discussed
long term goals—what about short term?”
“Well, for the first hour or so, I plan to be ravished
senseless, then I think we should drink some of that
champagne before the ice melts. Then I think some more
ravishing is in order.”
“Now that sounds like a plan to me,” he said and set
about carrying it out.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Keri Arthur is the author of six published novels
for ImaJinn Books and is under contract for several
more. Her first novel, Dancing with the Devil, was a
finalist in the mainstream division of the 2002
Woman’s Day/Romance Writers of Australia
Romantic Book of the Year Award, and it was voted
Best Vampire Novel in SimeGen’s 2001 Reviewers
Choice A
wards. Her second novel, Circle of Fire, was
nominated in the Best Contemporary Paranormal
category of the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice
Awards and was voted Best Fantasy Novel in
SimeGen’s 2002 Reviewers Choice Awards. Her work
has also made the finals of the Random House
Australia George Turner Prize, and the Washington
Romance Writers “Novel Beginnings” Contest.
She is the current president of the Melbourne
Romance Writers Guild and the current Vice
President and Secretary of Romance Writers of
Australia. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her
husband and daughter.
Don’t Miss
Keri Arthur’s
Acclaimed
“Nikki and Michael”
Series
Dancing with the Devil
(Book One)
ISBN 1-893896-59-5
Hearts in Darkness
(Book Two)
ISBN 1-893896-71-4
Chasing the Shadows
(Book Three)
ISBN 1-893896-84-6
Available from
ImaJinn Books
www.imajinnbooks.com
or call toll free
877-625-3592
Don’t Miss
Keri Arthur’s
Acclaimed
“Damask Circle”
Series
Circle of Fire
ISBN: 1-893896-70-6
Circle of Death
ISBN: 1-893896-77-3
Circle of Desire
ISBN: 1-893896-92-7
(Coming in July 2003)
All Circle books are stand-alone
romances and don’t need to be read
in any specific order.
Available from
ImaJinn Books
www.imajinnbooks.com
or call toll free
877-625-3592