He enfolded her, never wanting to let her go. Her warm, sweet body was promise and memory and sanctuary. When she tilted her face up, he kissed her with desperate yearning. He wanted her so much, so intoxicatingly much.
For a moment she responded with all the warmth of her nature and the passion he remembered that had helped him endure his captivity and torture. Then she shoved herself away from him and stared at him with wide, shocked eyes. “Cade, what are youdoing?”
She was wet and muddy and dressed like a boy, and she looked enchanting. He cupped her cheek with one hand and said tenderly, “I can understand if you’d rather wait for a proper bed, but I’d be happy to make love to you right here on this wet sand.”
She jerked back from his hand. “How can you say such things?”
Confused, he said, “Is it strange that I want to make love to my wife?”
After a long, suffocating silence, she said tightly, “Cade, I’m not your wife. I’m yoursister!”
CHAPTER20
Shocked and deeply disturbed by Cade’s words, Tamsyn continued unsteadily, “Where did you get the idea that we’re married?”
Looking as disoriented as Tamsyn felt, Cade faltered. “Bastien said you were my wife and . . . it felt so right that I believed him.”
She frowned, trying to make sense of his statement. “He doesn’t seem like the sort of man who pays much attention to women. Since we were traveling together and we look nothing alike, it probably didn’t occur to him that we were brother and sister.”
“We are, Tamsyn?” He shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
He was glowing golden in her mind and she couldn’tthink! She inhaled deeply and said, “This is not the time or place to sort this out. A mile or so south along this shore, there’s an empty cottage where we can stay until everything is organized for us to go home.”
In the chaos of her mind and emotions, the clearest thought was that she had to get them away to safety. “My horse is tethered around the corner. After what you’ve been through, you should ride him.”
Cade shook his head, and dammit, he was still glowing gold. “You used much power on Bastien. You ride and I’ll walk since you say it’s not far.”
This was the protective big brother she knew, and he wasn’t wrong. “Very well. Let’s hope this fog holds for the rest of the day.”
He glanced upward. “I think it will. Your horse?”
Cade had always been good at predicting weather. Silently she led the way around the corner to the cave where Zeus was tethered.
“Nice,” Cade said as he introduced himself to the gelding. “You have a fine eye for horses.” He untethered Zeus, then turned and lifted Tamsyn into the saddle.
She felt she should complain about being treated like a child, but she realized that she was exhausted. And Cade’s hands around her waist felt warm and protective.
The walk along the water to Château la Mer was silent, with waves occasionally washing over Cade’s feet and her horse’s hooves. Cade gave a soft whistle when they reached the snug cottage nestled in the grove of trees. “How did you find this?”
“The network of gifted people.” She slid from the gelding’s back, holding the saddle for a moment until she felt strong enough to walk. “There’s a stable around the back. I’ll go into the cottage and start a fire.”
He nodded and led Zeus around the cottage. They’d always worked well as a team. Cade was her favorite brother, not that she would ever tell Bran that.
She’d laid a fire on her last visit so it didn’t take long to strike a spark and get it going, warming the cool cottage.
What next? Fighting her fatigue, she stepped into the bedroom area and sat on the edge of the bed as she pulled off her boots. She should get up and set out food, but Cade had been right about how tired she was. She’d lie down for just a moment....
* * *
Cade gave Zeus a very thorough grooming, not surprised that Tamsyn had provided all the feed and tools necessary to make a horse happy. Though there was much he couldn’t remember, his muscles knew what to do. He found the process as soothing as Zeus evidently did.
After the horse was fed and bedded down, Cade headed out into the mists and around to the front door of the cottage. He and Tam needed to talk, but not until after she’d cleared the mental block Bastien had forced on him.
The fire had taken the chill off the cottage, but it was so quiet that he wondered if Tam was there. One of the lanterns shed gentle illumination from its place on the single table. It didn’t take long to find Tamsyn sprawled on one side of the bed, dead asleep.
She was so petite, but with the heart and strength of a lioness. Ever since he was captured, she’d been working nonstop toward freeing him and maintaining steady mind contact with him. She’d also used a vast amount of energy not just on rescuing him, but doing whatever she’d done to make Bastien “less dangerous.” No wonder she was so tired.
He wasn’t much better, he realized. His captivity, the mind block, the torture, the sheer physical demands of the escape, had left him reeling.
