Caleb walked away, going in the opposite direction from Owen, but it was still time for Owen to gather his men.

He had some planning to do and not much time left to do it before Mr. Lark sent someone else. Someone competent this time.

The time for patience was over. It was time to take the girl.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Noelle was still embarrassed by having mistaken David's friends for the bad guys, so while they ate dinner, she sat off to the side, trying to be invisible. David and his buddies talked about strategies and perimeter defense and a bunch of other things that made her eyes glaze over. She tuned them out and let her mind focus on her work until they all fell silent and looked expectantly at her as if someone had just asked her a question and was waiting for a response.

"What?" she asked.

"Do you want any more to eat?" asked David, but something in his tone led her to believe that wasn't his original question.

"No, thanks."

Caleb looked from David to Noelle and spoke in a low, even voice. "Grant and I will clean up. Why don't you two go for a walk?"

Noelle went soft at the thought of being alone with David again, and when he stood and reached his hand out toward her, she found she wasn't able to refuse. She wanted to touch, him too much.

Silently, he helped her strap herself inside her vest and coat and led the way outside into the remaining light of sunset.

David led her down the steps toward a small footpath she'd seen him use several times before. The windj smelled like fallen leaves and frost and it swept warmth and moisture from her face and hands as it blew by. Her steps seemed loud compared to David's though she had no idea how a man nearly twice her weight could make, half as much noise over dry leaves and sticks.

He led her a short way into the concealing cover of then surrounding forest before he stopped. "We have to talk," he said, his voice grim and determined.

Noelle dreaded what he might have to say. She just wished she could finish her work and be on her way. Her poor heart was in jeopardy of being lost more with every passing minute she spent with David.

"Go ahead and talk, then," she told him.

"Someone has to stay with you tonight. I know, things... got out of hand between us. I won't say I'm sorry, because I'd be lying." He pulled his hand away and, took several steps, putting distance between them.

"I'm not sorry either, David. I said no regrets, and I meant it." It was a startling realization to know it was true. She didn't regret sleeping with him, regardless of the consequences. Life was too short and precious to waste even a minute of it.

His back was to her, and she could see the tension flowing down his arms and spine. "I don't know exactly what this thing between us is, but I wanted to make sure you knew how I felt. About last night, I mean. I felt..." He trailed off with a string of low curses. "I'm not sorry, that's all."

Noelle went to him, knowing she was playing with fire. She laid a cold hand on his sleeve and he flinched. "We don't have to talk about this now. Things are still crazy, und we'd be foolish to make any decision based on our current situation. Let's just try not to think about it and get through this."

He whirled around so fast she jumped back in shock. His blue eyes blazed with anger and something more intense.

"Try not to think about it? It's all I can think about! Every time I look at you, all I can think about is how it felt to slip hot and hard into your sweet body over und over again. I see your mouth and remember the way you moaned, the way you tasted. I see your hands and remember how they felt moving over my back, your fingernails clawing at me as you came."

His words lashed over her like a whip of flame—hot and bright and way too intense. Her body trembled, remembering all too well how it had felt as he'd taken her over the edge again and again. She wanted more. Now, here in the forest in the cold wind. She didn't care that there were people not far away. She didn't care that there might be spiders or poison ivy. All she wanted was to feel him inside her again—to feel the pleasure only he knew how to coax from her body.

She reached for him, but he took a step back. "You'd better be sure before you touch me," he demanded. "I don't have much control left, and if you touch me, it will all be gone."

Noelle was sure. She wanted him regardless of the consequences. Maybe it was self-destructive. Maybe it was even wrong. She simply didn't care anymore. Her attraction to David was too strong to fight.

With slow, deliberate movements, she reached out and touched his cheek. The muscles in David's jaw bunched as he gritted his teeth. She could see a fine sheen of sweat break out over his brow.

And then all his control vanished. She could see it in his eyes, the way his expression changed from one of pain to acceptance. Victory.

He reached for her and pulled her in for a kiss. It was hard, demanding. She welcomed the thrust of his tongue into her mouth and returned his passion in kind. He gripped her hips, lifting her until she could feel his erection between her thighs. Noelle's world collapsed in on itself until it included only the space between them, the sounds of pleasure and the scent of David's skin and her own arousal.

She felt his hands squeeze her bottom, sending tremors of electric current along her limbs. She ripped her mouth away from his to find the salty heat of his throat. She loved the way he tasted. She licked and bit gently, right below his ear, where she knew it would make him growl in pleasure. She loved the feel of his body, the way his hands clenched on her bottom as she neared his favorite spot with her tongue.

He pressed her up against a thick tree to support her weight, freeing his hands to explore. His body held her tight, his hips pivoting slowly, grinding against her in a way that made her blood catch fire. "Need you inside me," she panted against his neck. "Now."

His long fingers made quick work of his jeans, then hers, stripping them off only one leg. In seconds, he had her legs wrapped around his waist so she was open to him vulnerable. The cold wind chilled her overheated flesh and she whimpered, needing him to keep her warm.

David lifted her up to position his erection at her entrance and slid her down slowly, filling her inch by inch. She was slick and ready for him, and there was nothing to bar his path.

Noelle could only groan as gravity carried her down to the inevitable conclusion of her ride. David stretched her body, stroking against every delicate nerve ending. Open as she was, she couldn't keep the grinding pressure of his body from stroking against her. Inside and out, he was setting fire to the most sensitive spots on her body without even moving.

David was breathing hard, his head thrown back to give her space to nibble and kiss the thick column of his throat.

"So damn good," he panted. "Being inside you."

Noelle made a rough sound of acknowledgment at his compliment and tried to wiggle her hips to release the pressure that was swiftly building inside her.

David grabbed her hair to lever her mouth into position for a deep, wet kiss. She tasted his desperation, his urgency, and it made her own swell. "I need you to move," she demanded against his mouth.

And he did. He lifted her until he was just barely inside her, then lowered her until she thought she'd die from the sensation of being filled. Over and over he moved her body, taking cues from her sighs and moans. She was getting close, and she couldn't slow it down.

Wind carried away the sounds of their lovemaking as Noelle's voice rose to a more demanding pitch. She wasn't going to be able to stop herself. Not now. Not while his hard arms were holding her, carrying her toward the heights of pleasure.

With one final thrust, she let go. Her orgasm swept through her system in a firestorm of pleasure so fierce it made her cry out. Her body convulsed around him, making her feel even more full, causing another wave of joy to streak through her nerves.

As the waves began to slow, she felt David tense and drive her down fully upon himself. He let out a guttural noise and she felt him fill her with pulse after hot pulse of semen.

Their breathing sounded harsh in the quiet night, but Noelle didn't care. Her bones had gone to Jell-O and her brain to pudding. She draped her arms over David's shoulders, trusting him to hold her.

Once their hearts had slowed, he disengaged their bodies and helped her slide the leg of her jeans and panties back on so she could sink to the ground to finish recovering. Already, she could feel the wetness of their release soaking through her jeans, cooling in the frigid air.

David adjusted his clothing, watching her with a guarded expression. She wondered if men felt insecure after sex the way she did. Or at least the way she used to. Right now, she didn't feel anything but powerful and sensual. She liked this part of being a woman—knowing she'd pleased her man, and if given the chance, she'd do it again.

"You okay?" he asked. "I, uh, had you pressed pretty hard against that tree."

Noelle felt her mouth curve in a smile. She could still feel the impression of the rough bark along her spine, and she loved it. "I know."

He ran a wide hand over his short, dark hair as if to straighten it, which was silly, considering it was too short to be easily mussed. "I had intended to bring you out here to ask you if you'd rather Caleb stay in the cabin with you tonight."

Suddenly, Noelle felt a little of that postcoital insecurity return. "Caleb?"

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind. After that"—he motioned vaguely at the tree they'd just used shamelessly—"I just don't think I could let that happen. At least without wanting to kill someone. I'm not typically a jealous man, but I find myself unwilling to share right now."

"Good," said Noelle. "I have some code to write, and I don't think the idea of Caleb watching me with those black eyes of his is very comforting."

"Damn right," agreed David.

Noelle straightened her coat. She kept expecting David to head back toward the cabin, but he was hesitating and she didn't know why.

Finally, he pulled in a breath and let go. "We did it again," he said. "Sex without protection."

"I know."

"Are you okay with that?"

"In a perfect situation, we'd have condoms and birth control pills. And a real bed. But this situation is far from perfect." She reached up and laid her hand against his face. His eyes shut, and she willed him to understand all the rioting emotions that were going on inside her. She couldn't bring herself to regret making love with David. She just couldn't. "We'll deal with things when there's something to deal with. Right now, I have to focus on my job. I'm close, David."

He nodded and took her hand in his. The look on his face was so serious it worried her. "I just want you to know that if there is a baby, I'll take care of him. Adopt him. Or her. I won't stick you with that responsibility if you don't want it. Okay?"

Noelle blinked. The man was really thinking ahead, but then she guessed it was part of his profession to do so. It was the only way to be prepared.

He was waiting for her agreement, she could see the anxious light in his eyes. She couldn't leave him hanging.

"Okay," she said carefully. "If there is a baby, we can talk about how to handle it. I won't make any decisions without talking to you first." She didn't know if she could give her child up for adoption, even to that child's father, but it was almost as if he was excited about the possibility of becoming a father.