Each Time We Love (53 page)

His blue eyes glittering dangerously, Adam crossed the room in
two swift strides and jerking her next to his hard warmth, he crushed
her lips under his. Savanna shuddered at the savagery of his kiss, her
body surging into life, her blood singing in her veins, and hungrily
she met his plundering mouth, the long weeks since they had last made
love intensifying her craving for his touch.

She was melting into him, her fingers already reaching to
caress the dark head bent to hers, when, just as unexpectedly as he had
pulled her into his arms, Adam tore his lips from hers and set her
roughly from him. His expression shuttered, he growled, "From the
moment I laid eyes on you,
friendship
never
entered my head! For such as you and I, we can either be enemies or
lovers, but never something as tame as friends!"

He spat out the last word as if it fouled his mouth and
Savanna stared dazedly at him, her body still tingling and clamoring
for his touch even as she sought to clear her befuddled senses. She
took a step away and with her back to him, she confessed unhappily,
"Adam, I don't want to fight with you! I cannot be your lover, and we
have shared too much to be enemies. Friendship is the only thing I can
offer you. Please take it."

Quietly Adam said, "I'm afraid that I don't understand why you
think you cannot be my lover. We
are
lovers—we
have been almost from the second we met. I know that the marriage was
not what you wanted, but do not insult me by trying to end it because
you claim that you cannot be my lover."

Oh, God, he was making it so difficult for her! How to put in
words all the insecurities that ate at her, how to tell him how
vulnerable she felt, how to explain how
very
uncertain she was in her position as his wife—his
un
loved
wife? It was an impossible situation.

Thickly she said, "Very well, then—even you will admit that
ours was
not
a love match! The b-b-baby forced
the situation upon us and without the baby…" The pain of her recent
loss swept over her and she added dully, "Without the baby there is no
reason for us to remain married. Please do not make this any harder for
me—divorce is the only option open to us. I
beg
you to allow us to end this unfortunate affair with dignity."

Adam stared impotently at her rigid shoulders, his emotions
torn and raw, and yet… and yet underneath all the hurt and fury, he was
aware of the faintest flicker of hope. He had felt her warm response
when he had kissed her, and only a blind man could not see that she was
obviously suffering— she was finding this conversation no less painful
than he, and if he meant absolutely nothing to her, such would not be
the case… He realized suddenly that while he might have agreed to the
divorce, he was not going to let Savanna go without a fight. He loved
her! And he was going to make her love him!

Gently he spun her around to face him and looking down into
those lovely aquamarine eyes, he felt his heart knot in his chest. He
could not give her up! But too often he had brutally overridden her
objections, arrogantly brushed aside her wishes, and he wasn't, if he
could help it, going to do that again. But he also wasn't just going to
tamely admit defeat either!

Softly he said.. "Savanna, if you want a divorce, I swear I'll
give you one… but—" He hesitated, not certain of his way. He cursed
under his breath and muttered angrily. "We have done everything wrong!
The baby, the marriage! Everything!" He took a deep breath, and staring
intently at her upturned face, he said quietly, "Perhaps you're right.
Perhaps we
should
attempt to become friends." He
smiled twistedly. "I've never been a woman's
friend
before—I don't know how well the role of gelding will suit me—I have
been a stallion too long!"

It wasn't precisely what Savanna wanted to hear, but she was
so grateful that he wasn't making immediate plans to implement her
muddleheaded demand for a divorce that she was more than happy to
accept the opportunity presented. Hiding the turbulent emotions that
churned in her breast, she fixed a smile on her lips and said with a
lame attempt at gaiety, "I'm positive that you will make a magnificent
gelding!"

He shot her a dark look. "I've said I will try to be your
friend—just don't test my patience—some geldings never lose their
stallionlike tendencies'"

Savanna smiled wryly. "It's difficult for me, too, Adam, I did
not mean to be insulting."

Adam grimaced, his withers still badly wrung from the entire
situation. Determined to change the painful subject, he walked over to
his desk, picked up Bodene's note and handed it to her. "Bodene sent
this to me. It would seem that our old friend Micajah has been in New
Orleans, asking questions about you. He also apparently is not best
pleased to discover my real identity or the fact that I am married to
you."

Savanna fairly snatched the letter from Adam's grasp, their
present difficulties fading in the face of a possible threat from
Micajah. She read Bodene's words swiftly, an unaccountable dread
spreading through her. She knew Micajah too well, knew how he would
feel at being made a fool of—even if it was his own fault! And Bodene's
scrawl only confirmed her worst suspicions. She glanced across at Adam,
an anxious expression on her face. "It's clear that Bodene feels that
Micajah means you harm. What are we going to do?"

Adam shrugged. "Until Micajah makes his presence known, I'm
afraid that there is very little that we can do! As his letter states,
Bodene sent two of his best men with this message and will soon be here
himself, for which I am grateful. The more eyes we have, the better
chance we stand of not being surprised. Other than being on our guard
and keeping our wits about us, there really is nothing we can do! The
next move is up to Micajah." He sent her a thoughtful look. "You know
him—what is he likely to do?"

Agitated, Savanna took a step forward. "From Bodene's
description of his reaction to learning your name, I fear that he will
try to kill you!" She came up to him, her hands beseechingly clasping
the crisp lapels of his jacket. Her eyes bright with fear, she said
huskily, "Bodene and I grew up around him—he is a deadly, unpredictable
man. He
likes
to hurt people. He always has, and
his reputation as a killer is well deserved. When I was a small girl I
once saw him shoot a man simply because he did not like the poor
fellow's hat!" When Adam appeared unmoved by her words, she shook him
slightly. "You must believe me! You were inordinately lucky that he
didn't kill you when you were his captive—and the only reason that
prevented him from doing such a thing was because he thought you were
Jason Savage and that you had information that he wanted. It was
convenient
for him to keep you alive… and it isn't anymore." Her expression of
anxiety increasing with every word she spoke, Savanna took a deep
breath and said harshly, "You must leave! He knows where you are and it
isn't safe for you here now. You are too vulnerable here—we are too
isolated and there's no use making it easy for him!"

Adam shook his dark head. "No, I'm not leaving you! And I have
no intention of running like a dog with my tail between my legs!
Besides, have you forgotten that he also has a very definite interest
in
you?"
His face hardened. "I'll not leave you
to face him alone!"

"Oh, Adam, don't be a fool! I have been fending off Micajah's
persistent attentions for years, but I swear he means to
kill
you!"

"And do you think that I could live with myself if he were to
succeed
in his attempts to possess you?" Adam demanded angrily. "Do you think
that I could ever be at peace with myself if I let him harm you?"

Savanna silently cursed Adam's misplaced concern. It was true
that Micajah had managed to kidnap her, but that had been because she
had, for once, underestimated him—and she wasn't likely to do so again!
While she could not totally dismiss the prospect of further attempts on
her person by Micajah, she was so confident of her ability to thwart
him that she viewed her own peril as negligible, whereas the danger to
Adam was enormous. His life was at stake!

A steely glint in her eyes, she said coolly, "At least I would
still be alive.
You
would be dead!"

Adam smiled crookedly. "Then you wouldn't have to worry about
a divorce, would you, my dear?"

Pain and fear and fury twined in Savanna's breast at his
words, and before she could stop herself, her temper erupted and she
stuck him across the face with all her strength. "Don't mock me!" she
spat, an angry flush staining her cheeks as she glared at him.

She had lashed out at him too swiftly for Adam to react, and
almost with astonishment he touched his stinging face where the imprint
of her hand was clearly delineated. He had been like a wounded, caged
tiger for weeks now, and Savanna's slap suddenly was like the cage door
bursting open and all the hurt, frustration and violence within him
boiled to the surface. Dangerous emotions darkened his blue eyes, and
with a menacing silkiness he drawled, "I believe I warned you about
that nasty habit of yours once before…"

Fear and excitement nearly choked Savanna as she stared at
Adam, watching the fiercely carnal expression that crossed his handsome
face, knowing that whatever restraints he had placed on himself had
been unleashed by her violent action. Had she done it deliberately? she
wondered, horrified. She didn't like the answer that occurred to her,
especially not when he jerked her into his arms, and with a moan of
half entreaty, half delight, she met his plundering mouth.

It was madness! Sheer insanity! This was the very thing that
she had sworn she didn't want! To escape from his loveless power over
her own treacherous flesh had been the reason behind today's
confrontation, and yet, when his lips crushed against hers and his
hands tightened on her arms and he held her pressed closely to his long
length, coherent thought, logic, sane reasoning fled and Savanna was
left with only the hungry clamoring of her own yearning body.

Hating herself, she tried not to respond, tried desperately to
remember all the reasons why this shouldn't happen, tried despairingly
to remember that he was only using her… but
she loved him
and the instinctive craving for his touch was too powerful, too strong,
to be overcome. Her senses reeling, every nerve in her body suddenly,
gloriously alive, with a shiver of anticipation, she parted her lips
for him. Right or wrong, sane or mad, as he deepened the kiss, his
tongue boldly taking what she offered, Savanna knew that she was not
going to deny him… that she
could
not deny him.
All that mattered was his warm mouth upon hers, his strong arms around
her and his hard body pressed demandingly next to hers.

Adam had made her love him, but he had also awakened her to
desire, her young, vibrant body discovering in his arms its own
sensuality. And now, having been denied the sweet succor that only he
could give, at the first touch of his mouth on hers, Savanna gave up
fighting against the elemental needs that racked her. United together,
her love for him and the natural demands of her own flesh ultimately
defeated her and helplessly she moved deeper into his embrace, her arms
closing impetuously around his neck.

Locked passionately together, they kissed each other with a
feverish intensity for several long, mindless moments, all the love
suppressed deep inside them only deepening their need for closer
contact. Not even the sound of her gown tearing as Adam's impatient
hands ripped it open, baring her body to the waist, impeded the frantic
desire that scalded through each of them. His buttocks braced against
the front of his desk, Adam pulled her between his legs, his ravenous
mouth finding her hard-peaked, aching breasts, his teeth and tongue
wreaking havoc wherever they touched. Savanna gasped with pleasure as
his dark head moved against her breasts, the aching fire centered deep
in her belly flaring higher and hotter with every kiss, every wicked
flick of his knowing tongue.

Adam might have been furious and retribution might have been
in his mind when he had first reached for her, but the moment his hands
had closed around her arms, the instant his mouth had found hers, he
had forgotten everything but the infinite pleasure of having his wife
in his arms once more. Drowning in his need for her, a need that had
been suppressed for so long, he was powerless to stop himself,
powerless to step aside, to put her from him, all the love he felt, all
his despair and anguish, his fear and fury, destroying his fine
intentions, obliterating everything but his fierce need to possess her
one more time. He loved her! And if he could not say the words aloud,
his body would say it for him!

He never remembered ripping her gown, he only knew that the
fabric was an impediment that could not be borne, and at the sight of
the full, milky-white breasts and the stiff coral nipples as they
sprang free of the gown, a shudder of pure animal hunger had gone
through him. Blindly his lips had sought those tempting peaks, and as
the taste and scent of her soft flesh filled his nostrils and mouth,
the driving urge to bind them together, to bury himself deeply within
her, became almost unbearable.

Trapped in his arms, her lower body held tautly against the
hard promise of his manhood, her lips and breasts at the sweet mercy of
his marauding lips, Savanna arched up against him, dizzy with the
desire that spun out of control within her. His clothing prevented her
from touching him the way she wanted to, and moaning aloud her
frustration, she plucked and tore at the offending garments, wanting to
feel his warm, naked skin against her hands.