He lowered her to the bed, stretching out next to her. She shifted closer, wanting to feel all of his body. Their hands began to explore. She traced his arm, then shifted to his shoulders. Thick muscles moved under her fingers.

He rolled her onto her back and stared down at her. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Glen always told me never to believe what a man says when he has an erection.”

Rafe gave her a slow, sexy smile. “Then I’ll tell you again in the morning.”

“Maybe I’ll believe you in the morning.”

“What do you believe now?”

“That you want me.”

“It’s a good start,” he murmured, before lightly kissing his way down her jaw to her neck.

The warmth of his mouth created mini-explosions of fireworks along her sensitized skin. She felt constricted by her clothing and hungry for what would come next. She wanted more than the delicate dance of arousal. She wanted him in her, riding her, taking her hard and fast until she had no choice but to lose control. She wanted to be swept away.

Deciding that a direct, if nonverbal, message was best, she reached between them and unfastened his belt. He lifted his head and stared at her.

“You’re telling me to move it along?”

“I’m suggesting you go get condoms and return to me na**d.”

“A woman with a plan. I respect that.”

He gave her one more quick kiss and left her room. In the time it took her to pull back her covers, fluff the pillows and reach for the hem of her T-shirt, he was back.

He’d removed his boots and socks, and his shirt was open, as were his jeans.

A man who listens, she thought happily, walking toward him. A rare and precious find.

She took the small box of condoms from him and dropped it on the nightstand, then slowly drew off her T-shirt. With his gaze locked on hers, she stepped out of her jeans. A muscle twitched in his jaw. His hands curled into fists and his erection flexed against his briefs.

Heidi didn’t consider herself especially pretty or sexy. She was a fairly average woman. But at this moment, with Rafe’s breathing getting more rapid and his eyes dilating, she felt like the most sexual creature on the planet.

She reached behind herself for the hooks on her bra, but was careful to keep her arms tightly at her side, so it didn’t fall. When the hooks were undone, she grabbed the center of her bra and gave a little tug, exposing more of her breasts, but not all. His breath hissed.

She didn’t have a plan for the rest of her striptease, but it turned out not to matter. Before she could even toss the bra away, he’d reached for her. He ripped the bra from her fingers, lowered his head and drew her left nipple into his mouth. He licked and sucked like a desperate man. He teased her other breast with his fingers, and used his free hand to squeeze her butt. The sensual assault had her arching against him, an act that brought her crotch in contact with his groin.

Soft met hard. Her hunger exploded and she felt herself spiraling out of control. She put her hand on his chin to raise his head, then kissed him. As she plunged her tongue into his mouth, she pressed her hand against his belly. She moved lower, sliding under his briefs, then rubbed the impressive length of him. She circled the tip of him, feeling the soft skin sheathing the flexing strength below.

Touching him like this, intimately, aroused her. She felt her blood pounding with every heartbeat. Between her legs, she was already swollen and aching. Foreplay was all fine and good, but right now she wanted more. She wanted him.

“Rafe,” she breathed, and nipped his lower lip.

Apparently it was the signal he’d been waiting for. Without warning, he swept her up in his arms and lowered her onto the mattress. He ripped off her panties, jerked down his jeans, taking his briefs with them, and settled between her thighs on the bed.

He bent down, as if to kiss her intimately. She put her hands on his shoulders to stop him.

“I want you inside me,” she pleaded. “Just do that. Please.”

Indecision darkened his eyes. She appreciated his concern about getting her over the top. Another excellent quality in a man.

“I’m ready,” she whispered. “Trust me.”

He straightened and grabbed a condom. When he’d put it on, she reached between them and guided him inside.

He filled her with a slow, steady thrust. She arched toward him, taking all of him, feeling her body shudder with pleasure as nerve endings quivered. This was what she wanted, she thought, as she sucked in air. What she needed.

She opened her eyes and met his gaze. “Don’t hold back.” She wrapped her legs around his h*ps for emphasis. “Please.”

He braced himself on either side of her. She rested her hands on his shoulders and gave a little pulse to urge him on.

He withdrew, only to push in again. He went deep, moving a little faster than the time before. The action was repeated. She let her eyes sink closed as she lost herself in the sensations of the rhythm of their lovemaking.

With each thrust, she felt an answering throb low in her belly. Muscles tensed. She moved with him, pulling him closer, arching her back as she absorbed all he offered. In and out, their sensual dance continued. Their breathing increased. Her skin grew more sensitized. Every cell in her body focused on that point of contact, on the feel of him. Fiction and fantasy. The primal act of joining.

Faster and faster until she was gasping, straining. Her muscles began to quiver from the tension and then they released.

Her orgasm began in midthrust. Rafe pushed into her all the way, carrying her along. She clamped down on him, massaging him with her release, wanting this to never stop. She shook and cried out, and then his groan joined hers as he shuddered. He moved in her until she was still, then he turned them both and sank onto the bed, facing her.

Slowly she opened her eyes to find him watching her. She touched his face, feeling the stubble, and then ran her fingers down his arm.

“What am I going to do with you?” he asked softly.

“A question for the ages.”

He leaned in and kissed her. “Mind if I stay the night?”

“Not at all.”

His mouth curved up in a smile. “You’re my kind of girl.”

Words that should have made her happy. The problem was, when it came to Rafe, she wanted more. She wanted to be everything to him. She wanted him to love her.

All wishing after the moon got a person was a pain in the neck. She’d heard that a lot when she was growing up. So, maybe tonight she would simply dream about the possibilities and leave the future to sort itself out.

* * *

RAFE WOKE SOMETIME BEFORE dawn to the sound of trucks rumbling into the yard. He realized several things at once. He was na**d, he was in Heidi’s bed and he had an erection. The facts were equally interesting to him, especially if he could take advantage of all of them at the same time. Unfortunately, the noise from outside seemed more pressing.

Heidi sat up and rubbed her eyes. “What is that?”

“I was about to find out.”

He got out of bed and pulled on his jeans, then crossed to the window.

The faintest sliver of light glowed in the east. The night was clear and probably would have been still, except for the sound of trucks and a beep-beep-beep as one of them backed up to make room for the rest.

Heidi joined him, tightening a robe around herself. She stared at the large truck, then grinned.

“They’re here!”

“Who? Or what?”

She gave him a quick hug, then ran to collect her clothes. “The carnival!”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

HEIDI BURST OUT THE BACK DOOR of the house and down the steps, into the arms of her friends. She was literally squeezed from all sides, hugged and passed on to the next person, not exactly sure who was holding her close, but feeling safe and cared for every second.

“Look at you. Still so pretty.”

“Are you taller? Aren’t you too old to be getting taller?”

“I’ve missed you, Heidi.”

“How do you like living like a townie? Ready to come back to the carnival?”

The last question came from Glen’s friend Harvey, who held on a little longer than everyone else.

“You’re good?” she asked the old man.

He nodded. “Got a checkup just last week. The cancer’s gone.”

News that made her current troubles seem insignificant by comparison.

The back door opened again and Glen came out, trailed by a nervous-looking May.

“My friends and family,” Glen said, holding open his arms. He paused, then motioned for May to join him. “You probably won’t believe this, but I think I’ve found the one.”

“Took you long enough,” Harvey yelled.

Glen chuckled. “Everyone, this is May Stryker. May, my family.”

Heidi crossed her arms over her chest and shivered in the cool morning air. Not that she was interested in going inside. Watching the reunion was nearly as fun as being a part of it.

Madam Zoltan, otherwise known as Rita, joined her. “It’s good to see you.”

Heidi hugged her. “I’m so happy you’re here. I’ve missed you.”

“Not enough to come back and join us.”

“I like living in one place.”

Rita, formerly a natural redhead, arched her penciled, auburn brows. “You’ve become one of them.”

“Not really, but I do like the stability. I always wanted a home that didn’t have wheels.”

“Now you have it.”

Heidi hoped that was true. After all, the case hadn’t been decided yet, and the judge could rule against her. But, thanks to her increase in sales, her bank balance was steadily climbing. If the caves could be declared sacred Máa-zib land, that would help, too.

Rita linked arms with her. “So who’s the guy?”

Heidi followed her gaze and saw Rafe had come out of the house. He stood on the porch, all tall and sexy in his jeans and shirt. She found herself wanting to walk over to him and introduce him as someone important to her.

“He’s May’s son. He’s staying here for a while.” Heidi thought about the circumstances. “It’s complicated.”

“The best ones usually are.” Rita looked at her. “Is it serious?”

“Not for him,” Heidi said lightly, and forced a smile. “Wish I could say the same.”

Her friend squeezed her arm. “Want me to read his fortune and tell him he’s going to wake up as a frog one morning?”

“While I would enjoy that, I’m not sure he would believe you.”

Rita smiled at her. “Too bad. I do love the believers.”

“How long are you in town? I know the festival runs through the weekend.”

“Just four days. This is a short stop for us. We’ll be on our way Tuesday morning.”

“Then I’d better get my visiting done in a hurry,” Heidi teased.

Rita pointed to where the goats had collected by the fence. They were watching everything with interest. “Look at these wonderful girls! Are you going to introduce me?”

“Sure. I’ll even let you milk one if you want.”

“Don’t think I’m doing your chores for you, missy. I got tricked into that enough when you were young.” Rita laughed.

“Would I do that?”

“In a heartbeat.”

* * *

WHAT RAFE KNEW ABOUT the workings of a carnival could fill a teacup and still have room left over for plenty of cream. Given that, he wasn’t sure how he’d been roped into assisting with the setup. But here he was, in the middle of town, helping a bunch of guys he didn’t know unload equipment and pitch tents.

The rides of the carnival were set up in the park’s parking lot. He knew enough about building to have figured out why. The ground was level and the asphalt provided support. There were a dozen or so rides, including an impressive Ferris wheel. The booth games, or whatever they were called, were being placed along the main street of town. Food vendors were setting up on the other side, which meant plenty of foot traffic for everyone.

“Do you even know what you’re doing?”

He looked up from connecting bolts to find Heidi watching him. At the sight of her, his gut tightened and heat coiled a little farther south.

“I can tighten a bolt.”

“Just make sure you do so with the understanding you’re now working in the time-honored tradition of bringing fun to millions of people everywhere.”

He stood and moved so close that she had to lean her head back to still meet his gaze. “Is there a secret handshake or a manual I should read? A code of ethics?”

“There’s always a code of ethics. I’m not sure you’d follow them.”

“I’m a very honorable guy.”

She snorted.

“Hey,” he protested. “I am.”

“We’ll see.” She tapped the side of the stand. “Do you know what this is going to be?”

“No.”

“It’s the dart game. Balloons are pinned to a board. You throw a dart and try to puncture a balloon.”

“If I win?”

“You get a very fancy stuffed animal and bragging rights.”

“Seems like a fair trade.”

Her green eyes sparkled with laughter. He liked how she smiled, and she seemed happy and excited to have the carnival in town.

“How come you’re not introducing me to your friends?”

She took a step back. “What are you talking about? You’ve met nearly everyone.”

“Sure. Glen showed me around. Are you afraid of what people will think?”

“No. It’s not that. The carnival is made up of a very close group of people. There are no secrets. Gossip runs rampant. If I were to introduce you, there would be a lot of questions and even more assumptions. I didn’t think you’d be comfortable with that.”