by Connie Mason
"Better1?" he asked, grinning impudently
"Ummm, much," Maggie conceded, snuggling into the curve of his body "You always seem to know exactly what I want"
"That's 'cause we want the same thing "
"Conceited oaf," Maggie teased, answering his widening grin with a giggle
"Are you laughin' at me, woman1?"
"Oh, Chase, you're so many things when we make love," Maggie sighed "Passionate, gentle, funny—sometimes you make me laugh and other times you're so tender I could cry You're savage in your need but never so rough that you hurt me "
"I'd never hurt you, darlin'," Chase murmured, her words thrilling him more than he cared to admit
Suddenly an electrifying thought that had nagged at him for weeks came back to haunt Chase Did he love Maggie1? Love was the last thing in the world he needed to feel at this time One day he'd have time for
such an all-consuming luxury, but not now Thus far he'd been able to talk himself out of falling in love with Maggie, telling himself that what he felt was mere hunger—a hunger that nagged, probed, and forced him to acknowledge it until it was appeased But his hunger for Maggie was unlike anything Chase had ever experienced before, relieved only by the sight, feel, and scent of her
"Did I ever tell you you're magnificent1?" Maggie said, her eyes shinning
"Did I ever tell you you talked too much1?" Chase growled, capturing her lips in a tender kiss
Her skin was as soft as silk against the roughness of his palms as he stroked her boldly, from the full swell of her hips to her finely boned shoulders A muted plea fell from her lips as his palms curved over the gentle rise of her breasts, brushing over their tempting peaks in a teasing caress Chase pressed his mouth to the hollow of her throat, and the touch of his tongue awakened her nerves into trembling awareness Another damp stroke between her breasts brought her arching against him, groaning his name as his mouth dragged slowly up the warm slope, so slowly that Maggie could have screamed in frustration Finally his lips reached her nipple, and she purred with pleasure
Weakly Maggie abandoned herself to Chase's tender torment as her hands wandered aimlessly over his torso and shoulders, feeling his muscles flex involuntarily as her fingertips played along his spine
"So beautiful," he muttered, his voice low and ragged as his hooded eyes swept down the curving length of her slender form
He'd thought he remembered her exquisite form perfectly, but he realized now, as she lay nude in his arms, that his memories had been woefully inadequate Her silken skin was seductively
soft and smooth Her tawny curls fell about her shoulders, spilling over the fullness of her breasts and making the lush curves of her figure even more alluring He was fascinated by her beauty, captivated by her innocent worldliness, thrilled by her bold lovemaking Maggie Afton was one of a kind, and Chase thanked God for the difference between her and every other woman he knew
"Chase, my God, do you know what you're doing to me1?" Maggie pleaded, desperate for him to finish what he had begun
"The same thin' you do to me, I reckon "
"Chase, please love me," Maggie begged shakily She was damp with perspiration and trembling with need
She swallowed hard with relief as he moved over her, spreading her legs wide to accommodate him, waiting for him to quench the agonizing emptiness inside her But instead of filling her as she expected, he lowered his head and suddenly his mouth was playing gently between her legs His hands tightened around her hips, holding her still, and a pulsing pleasure took over any other emotion she was feeling Painfully aroused, Maggie's hips began to rotate, the devouring sweetness of his delving tongue and mouth continuing until she thought she would faint
"Chase I I want you inside me I"
Shivering, she heard her incoherent pleas echoing through the darkness, her voice breaking as she begged for him to ease her torment
"No, darlin', don't struggle against it Let me take you there Let me do it " His tongue flicked maddeningly against the opening of her body, then slid inside, her tender flesh swelling and throbbing against his mouth
"Oh Chase, please stop"
"Not now, darlin', you're almost there Trust rne " Tenderly he caressed her damp silken warmth, deliberately sliding the fingers of one hand from her hip to the moist triangle, searching until he found the tiny bud of her femininity With a minimum of effort he brought her to the fine edge between pleasure and madness
Suddenly Maggie cried out, convulsed by a raging delight that crashed over her in great waves Her breath exploded in her lungs as ecstasy claimed her
"Oh, baby, that's it, let it come," Chase crooned, thrilled by her response He held her while the fire inside her subsided to quiet embers before beginning again a slow arousal
"Touch me, Maggie," Chase groaned, finding her hand and placing it on his body
Cautiously her hand grasped the bold thrust of his manhood, her cool, trembling fingers gently encircling him He was hard and throbbing as she caressed him, stroking down the length of him, then upward Moaning in a combination of agony and ecstasy, he thrust against her exquisite touch
Chase muffled Maggie's thin cry with his mouth as he entered her, taut, heavy, hard with arousal She arched upwards, focusing on the pounding force of him sheathed tightly within her, feeling him press deep inside until the burning length of him filled her completely She clung to him, her arms wrapped around his neck, her knees flexed as she pushed against him strongly Maggie felt the violent surge of his thrusts all through her body, answering his driving movements with feverish fury until she was seized by tremors frightening in their intensity
Chase murmured tender nonsense in her ear, cradling her quaking body in his arms, moving inside her in a way that prolonged her pleasure long, unbearable minutes Deliberately he denied
the fulfillment of his own climax in order to thrust into her with slow purposeful strokes
"Easy, baby," he crooned, "let it last as long as possible, don't rush it I'm with you all the way "
Feeling her suspended and nearly paralyzed beneath him brought Chase almost as much pleasure as his own release, knowing he had done all in his power to bring her to rapture Finally he allowed himself the savage delight of reaching his own reward, and Maggie felt the hot spurt of warmth inside her His muscles tightened beneath her palms and a roar left his throat before he relaxed against her, his head dropping to the warm hollow of her throat Reaching down, Maggie pulled the blanket over them
Still intimately entwined, they slipped into an exhausted slumber
Maggie awoke slowly, her body pleasantly heavy and lethargic A comfortable fullness filled her and her loins tingled and contracted with painful awareness A lazy smile tilted her lips when she realized Chase had made himself apart of her again, stroking her awake with exquisite tenderness It was very dark now, but firelight provided sufficient light to see Chase straining above her, joined to her, his hands and mouth arousing her, claiming her
"You're as responsive asleep as you are awake," Chase observed, a crooked grin hanging on the comer of his mouth "I had to have you again, darlin' It's gonna be a long winter without you "
It's going to be a long life without you, Maggie thought but did not say How in the world could she bear it1? Then all thought ceased as the dictates of her body took over She buried her face in his throat and sobbed, overcome by an ecstasy so perfect it brought tears to her eyes Her flesh tightened convulsively around his as the same tremors shook
Chase's body He found her lips with his and she swallowed his final groan, finding the same burst of fulfillment that had just contracted her flesh around his
"If your offer of a meal still stands, I believe I could eat now," Chase said when his breathing returned to normal "Greedy fellow," Maggie teased "When you're not appeasing one hunger you're complaining about another "
"I'm a man of vast appetites, darlin'," Chase twinkled, slapping her bare rump affectionately "Up, woman, before I starve to death and won't be able to
take care of you in the manner in which you're accustomed "
Stretching luxuriously, Maggie rose slowly, shivering after leaving the warmth of Chase's body and the tangle of blankets Chase watched with avid appreciation as she padded to the stove, poured some of the hot water kept in readiness at all times into a basin and washed thoroughly before dressing Then she saw to their supper while Chase followed her example, tossing the dirty water out the door and adding more wood to the fire before seating himself at the table While Chase ate the delicious stew of deer meat and dried vegetables that Maggie had prepared, he began talking about the events that prevented him from continuing on to Dawson immediately after the attack by Bandy and Zeke
"I tell you, Maggie girl, I felt so damn helpless after those bastards took you away," Chase said, chewing thoughtfully "I had no idea why, who, or what they intended to do with you I blamed myself for not protectin" you properly
"Zeke said he killed you, but I didn't believe him "
"I saw the knife comin' and turned aside at the last minute Otherwise I'd not be here talkin' to you now I lost a lot of blood before I was found the next
day and patched up It was Jack London who found me He was travelin' to Dawson to spend the winter The lakes were already startin' to freeze over I owe him my life He even spent hours searchin' Windy Arm for you when I told him what happened But it was as if you'd disappeared into thin air I wanted to leave immediately to search for you but had to abandon my plans when a ragin' fever rendered me unable to travel Zeke's knife must have been filthy to cause such a virulent infection
"I don't know what pulled me through—determination, I reckon All I could think of was findin' you and pray you were still alive "
"Scott sent men to Windy Arm, but you weren't there and it seemed no one knew a thing about you," Maggie said, puzzled "Nor of Bandy or Zeke Your boat hadn't passed any of the checkpoints between Windy Arm and Dawson "
The Mounted Police had devised an ingenious way of keeping tabs on boats and men entering the Klondike They established checkpoints on the lakes and rivers, registering boats, men, and home addresses, assigning each boat a number When a boat failed to arrive in Dawson by an appointed time, a search was initiated and next of kin notified Chase's boat had been duly registered, but had not appeared at the next checkpoint after Windy Arm
"My boat was stolen while I lay ill and shivenn' with fever," Chase explained
"Oh, no I" Maggie cried, devastated by the loss "Why didn't the Mounties find you at Windy Arm1?"
" 'Cause I wasn't there When London saw how sick I was, and stranded besides, he took pity on me and took me with him I can never repay him properly He interrupted his journey by several days when I took a turn for the worse and he had to tie up to shore to allow me time to recuperate That's why the Mounties had no record of me and my boat As
soon as the fever left me and I started to recover, we continued on to Dawson "
"All our supplies, everything lost," Maggie lamented sadly "But thank God for Jack London Where is he now1?"
"Still in Dawson, gathenn' material for a book I wouldn't be surprised to find him knockin' at the door one day Never know where he'll turn up "
"Where did these supplies come from if ours were stolen1?" Maggie asked, aware that Chase had little cash on him
"I borrowed money from London He made over three thousand dollars piloting boats through Whitehorse Rapids and insisted I take a part of it But I could ask you the same question You didn't have enough money left for horses and supplies at these prices "
"Everything I brought up to the claim belonged to Bandy and Zeke," Maggie explained "When I escaped, I stole their raft and floated downstream to Dawson Fortunately the raft didn't completely break apart when it hit a rock while shooting the rapids Much of the supplies were left, intact and Scott insisted I keep them He doubted either Zeke, or Bandy, if he still lived, would show their faces in Dawson after what they did to me Dawson isn't a lawless town like Skagway Here Mounties protect the citizens and keep crime to a minimum "
"Why did you come up here to Eleven Above, Maggie1?" Chase asked curiously
"Because of Sam Cooper I knew he was sick, and when you failed to show up in Dawson I decided to come up here and offer my help I felt I owed you that much Naturally I brought the supplies along, having little use for them in Dawson "
"And of course Gordon was happy to act as guide," Chase said with a hint of sarcasm "Would you rather I came alone1?"
"Hell no I Damnation, Maggie, I didn't know what to think when I saw that damned Mountie kissing you, his hands all over you And when I saw he was naked as a jaybird, I nearly went insane "
"Chase, it's not—we didn't—"
"I don't want to know, darlin' I don't want you to tell me you made love with him You owe me no explanations Besides, I don't reckon I could handle it if you said you shared with him the same things you shared with me I'm a selfish cuss when it comes to people I care about"
"I'm going to tell you anyway," Maggie insisted "Scott and I shared nothing except friendship, and that one kiss "
A tremulous shudder passed through Chase's body, and a heavy weight seemed to fall away Though no promises had been made between them, he regarded Maggie as his, growing angry and frustrated at the thought of another men possessing her Would everything between them end when Maggie returned to Seattle1? he wondered glumly No one would ever replace the terrible void in his heart when they parted—as surely they must A penniless cowboy had no business consorting with an educated woman who'd never give up her independence for someone like him Why couldn't he have chosen some sweet young thing without a thought in her head except pleasing him instead of an opinionated, stubborn spinster who really didn't need him1?
Chapter Eleven
That night Maggie and Chase slept in front of the fire, making love until exhaustion claimed them Sometimes Chase was like a playful puppy, exciting her with his antics Other times he was tender, serious, a lover more concerned for her pleasure than his own Sometimes Maggie played the wanton, driving him insane with need Other times she was a gentle siren, enticing him with her hands, mouth, and tongue Chase made her laugh, he made her cry out in a torment of agony He introduced her to heaven, she took him to paradise
The following day passed in a blur, too fast for Maggie's liking The following morning they were to leave for Dawson As luck would have it, no new snow fell and travel was still possible despite the cold That night they made love for the last time, and Maggie was never more aware that it might very well be the last time they were ever together like this In March, when ice began to break up on
the rivers and lakes, it was inevitable that she would return to Seattle and a mundane life without Chase McGarrett
During one of their quiet moments, Maggie revealed to Chase all that Sam had babbled about before he died "Sam said to tell you he found promising evidence that the claim will eventually produce more than either you or Rusty imagined He urged that you have the nuggets assayed "
"I noticed the mound of gravel he dug up along the creek," Chase reflected thoughtfully "Do you reckon the gold came from his diggin's?" "Sam didn't say, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did "
Together they recovered the nuggets and dust from beneath the floorboard, astounded by the size of of the cache "My God," Chase said reverently, "if these are an example of what lies beneath the ground, me and Rusty are rich beyond our wildest dreams "
He divided the gold evenly and gave half to Maggie "I'm payin' you back, darlin', for grubstakin' me You'll need that to pay for your keep in Dawson this winter Three-quarters of the starnpeders will winter in the city, and prices will soar sky high I hope you can find a vacant room "
"The room I occupied at the Dawson Arms is paid for the month," Maggie said "Scott warned me beforehand that rooms would be scarce during the winter "
"Good old Scott," Chase said tightly "Always eager to help a beautiful woman in distress "
"Forget Scott, Chase, and m
ake love to me," Maggie pleaded, aware that their time together was swiftly drawing to a end "Give me memories to last for all the empty tomorrows "
"Oh, baby, when I make love to you, there's no tomorrow There's only today—here—now, you naked in my arms and me lovin' you "
They left Eleven Above the next morning, carrying a minimum of supplies on the sled and bundled to the eyebrows in the fur-lined, hooded coats Chase had purchased in Dawson They left the packhorses behind with plenty of feed, for Chase fully expected to return within a few days He was excited about the cache of gold and intended to explore thoroughly the pile of gravel Sam had excavated, even if it meant bringing it inside the cabin and thawing it a shovelful at a time
Unfortunately, a fine blowing snow began swirling around them shortly after they left the warmth of the cabin, making travel slow Maggie suggested they turn back, but Chase knew that if he did they might not make it back to Dawson before spring thaw Chase was determined they reach Dawson before travel became all but impossible Four hours later, the snow stopped abruptly and the dogs literally flew over the expanse of pristine snow
It seemed to Maggie as if she were in another world, one all white and shimmering and beautifully innocent Around them mountains rose like majestic sentinels clothed in fairy-tale white robes But for the barking dogs, the silence was so profound that Maggie felt as if she existed in a void where no one dwelled but her and Chase The enormity of vast expanses of untouched tundra overwhelmed her, and she gasped in mute appreciation at the towering mountains standing in stark relief against a muted gray sky
"It's awesome, isn't it1?" Chase called down from his perch behind the sled
"Unbelievable," Maggie concurred, her words, muffled by the thick protection of fur and cloth, snatched away by the wind
