Jumping away from him and out of the tub, she grabbed a towel. One more step created an unbreakable barrier between them, a chasm too wide to breech.
“I didn’t mean for this to happen. Really.”
“I know,” she said.
“Could you hand me a towel?” For Nyssa’s sake, Solo wanted to cover himself.
Nyssa backed out of the bathroom. “I’ll get dressed.”
“Good--fine.”
“Ok. Are we still going to work tonight?”
“Yes. Wear something warm--and rainproof.”
“Fine.” With that Nyssa fled the room.
Chapter Seven
The rain no longer poured, having changed to a steady drizzle two hours earlier. Solo and Nyssa were huddled together inside the make-shift shelter he’d built weeks before. Nyssa held the binoculars and he snapped rapid-fire shots of the wolves. She was so close to him, he could smell the scent of peaches from her shampoo every time she turned her head and her hair brushed across his cheek.
“Look, Solo, they’re mating.”
“No,” he said, his voice raspy.
Against his chest, Nyssa’s lush, soft curves generated hot, liquid heat that penetrated straight through the down vest he wore direct to his heart.
He let out a low groan. Pure male agony.
“But Solo?”
“Leave it be, Nyssa.”
He moved the binoculars from her hands and when she looked at him again, her eyes were deep pools of innocence.
“Don’t you want pictures?”
“No,” he told her between gritted teeth. “Not this time.”
She shook her head but thankfully she’d also turned back to the scene, watching as if mesmerized.
“This isn’t at all like you, Solo St. John. I don’t understand.”
“Nyssa.”
He heard her breath, a soft sigh, and he knew the intent behind it as well. To ignore the wolf pack wasn’t like him, but he was determined. It was too much to ask of this poor male creature who didn’t know up from down or friend from lover.
A moment later, Nyssa had the binoculars back to her eyes and had somehow managed to settle against him. He responded hotly and just as completely as the male animal in front of them. He closed his eyes but he couldn’t get the suggestive pictures his mind conjured out of his head. He began to think he didn’t want to get the images out of his head so he worked twice as hard.
He’d no more than managed to push the images to a smaller corner of his brain than he heard Nyssa repeat his name.
“Solo? Solo? Look.”
“Let’s go back to the tent.” But he opened one eye and noticed it was lighter outside as well the night should be. They’d been here for hours and his legs had a decidedly numb feel to them. He’d chosen to overlook the numbness because Nyssa sat between his legs, intimately.
“You’re acting childish,” she said.
“I know.”
“Solo, it’s one of the pups. He’s playing with that old stick.”
Her hand rested on his thigh, lightly, but her touch generated more seductive images--and lust-filled hormones. He didn’t need provocation from her.
The pup would have to go. He could think of no reason to court danger with the wolf pack. There was enough danger in this scenario with only Nyssa by his side--too much danger for him to deal with.
Nyssa shooed the pup away with her hands, rocking back and forth between his legs. She was on her hands and knees, her arms and shoulders sliding across his chest while she sent pebbles in opposite directions to divert the little wolf. Playfully, the pup galloped after one of the pebbles and sniffed, curiously.
The diversion worked for the pup but not for him. If anything, he was in a worse state now than a few short minutes ago when all he had to contend with was the soft scent of a female in his arms.
When she sat back, she turned far enough for him to see her face and the twinkle in her eyes. She brushed the dirt from her hands and grinned--a silly grin--a cute grin.
This has been one hell of a night.
“He’s adorable,” she said.
“Who?”
Nyssa tried to wriggle around into a different position but wasn’t successful.
“The pup of course.”
“For a minute I’d hoped--” Solo put his hands on her waist to help her maneuver, although he wasn’t sure where she tried to go so their movements were at odds with each other. Touching her was a mistake, a huge mistake. When he adjusted his hands, he lost his own balance--teetered a moment and suddenly he was on top of her.
“Don’t you think we should go back?”
But he didn’t want to think of that right now. Her small slender body pressed against his, all the warm feminine curves there just for him. Besides she didn’t act as if she wanted to go back to the cabin any more than he did.
Forgotten were the wolves and the research and forgotten was the fact that they were in a small cramped shelter. With her curved into him so intimately, so damn close, he no longer wanted to think, only to feel. He wasn’t about to be honorable a second time.
It didn’t take thought on his part to lower his head and kiss her. His lips moved over hers, greedily, hungrily as if he was a man long-starved. He needed to taste her, explore all of her.
All he’d given up the night before when he so respectfully backed off penetrated his brain. He’d let her run from him when they both knew she’d responded wildly to his kiss. To hell with the natural order of the universe and the maintenance of their solid relationship. If some things were meant to be changed, this was definitely one of them. He kissed her harder now, his tongue met hers, dueled, retreated, and he searched for all he’d missed for so many years.
She wore a sweatshirt beneath baggy overalls. The straps slipped from her shoulders and the material of her shirt twisted between them, riding up. His hands, as if by magic, found their way beneath her shirt, encountered soft, hot, naked flesh. She wore nothing at all, not even that lacy black camisole he’d seen her in once before.
His breath caught in the back of his throat and her leg rode higher on his thigh. He let his other hand slip beneath the overalls, touched an expanse of soft woman. She wore a thong bikini, silky, almost non-existent.
He pressed his fingers against her round, soft bottom, brought her closer. His mouth foraged deeper into hers, and he reveled in the hot moist taste of her.
Why had he waited so long for this? She felt so right. Perfect. He touched her everywhere, her skin, soft and sweet with the heat of her own response and she melted beneath him, for him. He could not wait a moment longer to have her.
“Nyssa?” He pulled far enough away so he could see her, be sure she wanted what he did. Her eyes appeared dazed, her mouth swollen from his kisses. “Positive?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
Then they both heard a low furious growl, the sound of the wolf pack, the leader. The wolves yipped and raced from the glade, and the leader let out a slow mournful howl before Solo heard him leave also.
“Solo.”
It was his grandfather. He sprang into action, pulling the straps of her overalls over her shoulders. Quickly, he brushed back her hair in an attempt to smooth the long strands that had come loose from the pony tail she wore.
There was little he could do. She looked as if she’d been ravished. And she had.
“Solo? Nyssa? Where the devil are you?”
“Are you ready?” Solo asked.
“The wolves?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll find them again.”
Nyssa nodded but she didn’t look ready to meet the Colonel. Her eyes were dazed, and he wanted to send his grandfather away so he could finish what they had started.
Aside from the fact he was a man of the world, Solo understood his grandfather would draw all the right conclusions. He’d never realized what the term compromising position meant until now. If he wasn’t already engaged to her, he’d have to pop the question. Now that wa
s a ludicrous thought.
“We’re over here but there’s no room in the shelter for anyone else. We’ll be out in a minute.”
He heard his grandfather give a loud hrmph, an informed hrmph. It wasn’t as if he could know yet what they’d been up to. He couldn’t have heard them.
Or could he?
Solo moved from the shelter, his shirt unbuttoned and flapping in the breeze. A cold wind whipped across his chest, and he hadn’t realized until now that Nyssa had undone every button. When he looked back, Nyssa sat on her knees, her hair a wild tangle despite his attempts to finger-comb the strands into place.
“Stay here until you’re ready,” he said. Although he didn’t think she’d be able to make herself presentable enough to fool his grandfather. And heaven forbid if his grandmother was out there too. After what he’d told her about his plans for the wedding night--
He hesitated another minute before he backed from the shelter so he could drink in the sight of Nyssa--a beautiful sight. She was still on her knees, her eyes huge and luminous, her breasts rising and falling with each inhalation. Disheveled. Gorgeous. Even an idiot would know what he’d done to her.
“How’s the shooting?”
He wished he was wide enough to hide Nyssa from his grandfather’s view. The Colonel peered in, “Hello, Nyssa,” didn’t blush for a second then stepped back and gave him a long even smile that penetrated his defenses.
“It looks like the shooting was pleasurable indeed. I’d say the two of you work together just as if you were one.”
***
“I didn’t plan it. You can’t think.”
“Of course I don’t think you planned it.”
“Then why are you so angry?”
“Don’t you know?”
“If I knew, I wouldn’t ask,” he said ferociously.
She turned her back on him and glared out the window. “You’re not stupid.”
She heard Sarah putter around in the kitchen, and although she’d kept her voice low, she didn’t doubt that Sarah and the Colonel heard every word of her conversation with Solo.
This was a complete and utter embarrassment. The engagement ring Solo had tried to give her last night was around her finger and she played with it nervously. Every time she thought of the position the Colonel found her in, she felt the hot sting of her own guilt. There was nothing she wanted more than to vanish.
She was so furious with herself, she couldn’t think straight. Never in a lifetime would she have imagined herself such a bimbo that she would throw herself at Solo. But she had. Only a few short hours ago--twice--and now he expected her to sit with his grandparents and discuss nonsense over breakfast.
Her stomach rolled. Damn the man. Last night she’d succumbed to every romantic fantasy she’d ever had about him and this morning--
He wanted me as much as I wanted him. No, he didn’t. There had to be some reason, some misconception on her part. Her romantic fantasies must be taking over.
More than anything she’d wanted him to make love to her. Even though she’d been in love with Solo for more years than she cared to remember, he didn’t love her, at least not in that way. Good heavens, she wasn’t any better than the job applicants she’d just rescued him from.
She wasn’t like that. Her motto had always been control. For the first few years of their ‘pal’ relationship she’d reminded herself of that every minute she was awake. Control being the key word for her, but even back then she’d acknowledged she was like a kid sister to him.
Now she had to remind herself again, control. Control. She had a fiancé that waited for her in Bend. A real one, not just one who needed her for a few weeks every now and then. Not one who wanted a favor then discarded her when she was no longer of use.
“What’s the matter with you two?” Sarah asked. Solo’s grandmother stood beside her with a hot cup of coffee in one hand and an all-knowing expression on her face.
“Nothing.”
“Come on dear. Come sit down then you can tell me all about it.”
Nyssa cast a helpless look to Solo, and wished he’d either come to her rescue or she would drop through the floor to China.
“Why do I get the idea you already know?”
“Well, the Colonel did give me his version.” Sarah smiled again. “Don’t worry, Nyssa. I think it’s a good sign for your marriage. I’m just glad the Colonel arrived in time.”
Nyssa felt the guilt and the betrayal sweep through her.
“He did, didn’t he? Arrive in time?”
“Yes,” Nyssa choked.
“Solo did tell me he’d wait for the wedding night.”
Nyssa no longer wanted to drop through to China, she wanted to send Solo there. How dare he insinuate such nonsense and embarrass her so.
“What this means is that we were right in planning a quick marriage. The sooner the better.”
“Sooner?” She was speechless. How could they get any sooner? But when Sarah arrived so promptly, she’d known it was only a matter of days. And she was right.
This had to stop. This wasn’t right and it wasn’t fair to anyone, least of all Sarah.
“Of course dear. You must have heard that Reverend Thomas arrived with us yesterday, and we did tell him he wouldn’t have to stay long. We could have the wedding on the front porch. I ordered flowers, and the florist promised me they should arrive by this time tomorrow. You do like orchids don’t you?”
“Orchids?” In Alaska. That was interesting. How on earth would she keep them fresh? And if they arrived tomorrow, did that mean what she thought it meant?
“I will not get married tomorrow,” Nyssa turned from Sarah. “I don’t want to hurt you but Solo and I have a lot of problems that need a solution before I can marry him. You’ve got to understand.”
“Oh, I do dear. I went through them too, just before my wedding to the Colonel. Prenuptial jitters, that’s all they are. You’ll get over them after the wedding, on your honeymoon night. I’m sure of it. You’ve nothing to be afraid of, and we really must hurry or the wedding night will come before the wedding.”
Solo snickered. It had to be her imagination because Solo would never snicker. This wasn’t funny, nothing was funny. The arrangement was a nightmare and the worst thing was that she wanted to marry him. If he only loved her.
“Tomorrow will be fine,” he said. “Won’t it darling?”
He stood beside her now, her hand held tightly in his. At least he didn’t call me pumpkin. She felt tension slide from her.
“Fine.” The situation wouldn’t change. There would be a wedding night but they’d lie in separate beds. Nothing would change. But a wedding wasn’t an engagement and what on earth would Robert say to all this if he knew?
“We have our hearts set. The sooner the better,” Solo fixed a determined smile on his face.
“We’ve invited your friends from the bike shop,” Sarah said. “I hope that’s all right. Michael and David from the study group too.”
Safari Moon Page 12
