“What makes me afraid?” She repeated the question breathlessly, trying to keep her mind from spinning beneath the onslaught of his dark gaze and the hot caress of his fingers that still remained on her neck.
Oh, she was afraid of how he made her feel, was afraid of the secrets in his eyes, scared he wouldn’t kiss her and terrified he might. “I…I…”
Whatever she’d been about to say was stifled as he dipped his head to press his mouth to hers. His lips moved softly, like a warm breeze, against hers. Someplace in the back of her mind, Colette knew she should break away, stop the kiss, but it would be like trying to rein in the wind, capture the light of a star.
As he deepened the kiss, she forgot any impulse to make him stop. Instead she wound her arms around his neck, tangled her fingers in the thick hair at his nape and pressed her body fully against his. As his tongue plummeted the depths of her mouth, dizzying sensations swept through her.
She felt more alive than she’d felt since waking up in the motel room in Las Vegas. His kiss stoked an ember of desire into a roaring inferno and she invited the flames in response.
“Ah, sweet coquette, you do stir a man’s blood,” he murmured in her ear.
She stiffened, something about his words pulling her away from the fire into the arctic cold of fear. What was it? Coquette. Yes, that was it. The word echoed in her head, a familiar endearment in a black fog of lost memories. Where desire had been, confusion stepped in and she pulled away from Hank. She touched her lips, which felt swollen from his kiss. “Why? Why did you kiss me?”
A lazy grin curved his lips. “Why did you kiss me?” he countered.
A blush warmed her face. “I have amnesia, I’m probably nuts and not responsible for my actions. What’s your excuse?” Irritation winged through her as she heard the slight breathlessness in her voice.
He laughed, a deep rumble that again stirred something in the dark recesses of Colette’s memory. “I didn’t know one needed an excuse to kiss an attractive woman in the moonlight.”
“Then I don’t need an excuse to tell you to go away. I’d like to be alone.” Colette knew she sounded petulant, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted to be alone, needed time to think about Hank, and his kiss, and why his use of the wordcoquettesent a shiver racing up her spine. “Please,” she added when he didn’t move.
“Just don’t be gone from the group for long. I was serious about there being dangers out here.” He turned and walked back toward the group huddled around the fire.
Colette breathed a sigh of relief as he moved away.Again she touched her lips, remembering the taste of him, the feel of his lips against hers.
Walking away from the tree, she headed for the far side of the huge butte, grateful for the spill of moonlight that made walking unfamiliar terrain easier. As she walked, she thought again of Hank, wondering why it was her lips seemed to know his, her body had fit into his with a familiar comfort.
Had he lied to her when he’d told her they hadn’t met before? Why would he lie? Did the secrets that darkened his eyes have something to do with her, her past?
She was surprised to discover that on the distant side of the butte was a gentle rise, making it relatively easy to climb to the top. She climbed, glad for the physical activity that kept thoughts of Hank momentarily at bay.
Once at the peak of the butte, she caught her breath at the panoramic view that stretched out before her. The full moon cast luminous light across the valley, making it look like a quaint, impressionistic painting. She took a step forward, careful not to get too close to the edge where a sheer-face cliff seemed to drop into black space.
She raised her face to the moonlight and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath of the sweet night air overlaid with the scent of wood smoke. From someplace below her, she could hear the distant laughter and murmurs of the people around the campfire.
Whatever made me decide to leave this place?She sank onto her haunches and drew in another cleansing breath. The sweet night wind whispered “home.” The peaceful valley below said the same. The soundof Abby’s and Belinda’s laughter drifting upward caused a warmth to explode in her heart, the warmth of family, of belonging, of love.
Hank. She frowned as his face filled her mind and she thought of the dizzying, tumultuous kiss they’d shared. With the mere meeting of lips, he’d made her body sing with want. She once again looked into the valley, wondering what force pulled her to Hank.
She stood, realizing she should join the others before anyone worried about her. At that moment something hit her in the back with enough force to drive her forward. In horror, she fought for balance, her feet sliding precariously close to the butte’s deadly edge. She didn’t scream until she realized she’d lost the battle and her feet left the butte as she plunged downward.
