The Right Path Part 4

"That's yet to be decided." He studied her, thinking again. It might be that he could employ her talents and position for his own uses. The package was good, very good. And so, more important at the moment, was the mind.

"You're enjoying your stay on Lesbos?"

Morgan stared at him, then slowly shook her head. No, he wasn't a ruffian or a rapist. That much she was sure of. If he were a thief, which she stil reserved judgment on, he was no ordinary one. He spoke too wel , moved too wel . What he had was a certain amount of odd charm, a flair that was hard to resist, and an amazing amount of arrogance. Under different circ.u.mstances, she might even have liked him. "You have incredible gal ," she decided.

"You continue to flatter me."

"Al right." Tight-lipped, Morgan strode over to the open balcony doors and gestured meaningful y. "I gave you my word I wouldn't scream, and I didn't. But I have no intention of standing here making idle conversation with a lunatic. Out!"

With his lips stil curved in a smile, he sat on the edge of the bed and studied her.

"I admire a woman of her word." He stretched out jean-clad legs and crossed his feet. "I find a great deal to admire about you, Morgan. Last night you showed good sense and courage-rare traits to find together."

"Forgive me if I'm not overwhelmed."

He caught the sarcasm, but more important, noted the change in her eyes. She wasn't as angry as she tried to be. "I did apologize," he reminded her and smiled.

Her breath came out in a long-suffering sigh. She could detest him for making her want to laugh when she should be furious. Just who the devil was he?

He wasn't the mad rapist she had first thought-he wasn't a common thief. So just what was he? Morgan stopped herself before she asked-she was better off in ignorance.

"It didn't seem like much of an apology to me."

"If I make a more ... honest attempt," he began with a bland sincerity that made her lips twitch, "would you accept?" Firmly, she banked down on the urge to return his smile. "If I accept it, wil you go away?"

"But I find your company so pleasant."

An irrepressible light of humor flickered in her eyes. "The hel you do."

"Aphrodite, you wound me."

"I'd like to draw and quarter you. Are you going to go away?"

"Soon." Smiling, he rose again. What was that scent that drifted from her? he wondered. It was not quite sweet, not quite tame. Jasmine-wild jasmine. It suited her. He moved to the dresser to toy with her hand mirror. "You'l meet Dorian Zoulas and Iona Theoharis tomorrow," he said casual y. This time Morgan's mouth did drop. "There's little on the island I'm not aware of," he said mildly.

"Apparently," she agreed. Now he noted a hint of curiosity in her tone. It was what he had hoped for.

"Perhaps, another time, you'l give me your impression of them." Morgan shook her head more from bafflement than offense. "I have no intention of there being another time, or of gossiping with you. I hardly see why-"

"Why not?" he countered.

"I don't knowyou," she said in frustration. "I don't know this Dorian or Iona either.

And I don't understand how you could possibly-" "True," he agreed with a slight nod. "How wel do you know Alex?"

Morgan ran a hand through her hair. Here I am, wearing little more than my dignity, exchanging smal talk with a maniac who climbed in the third- story window. "Look, I'm not discussing Alex with you. I'm not discussing anyone or anything with you. Go away."

"We'l leave that for later too, then," he said mildly as he crossed back to her. "I have something for you." He reached into his pocket, then opened his hand and dangled a smal silver medal by its chain.

"Oh, you did have it!" Morgan grabbed, only to have him whip it out of her reach.

His eyes hardened with fury.

"I told you once, I'm no thief." The change in his voice and face had been swift and potent. Involuntarily, she took a step away. His mouth tightened at the movement before he went on in a more control ed tone. "I went back and found it in the grove. The chain had to be repaired, I'm afraid."

With his eyes on hers, he held it out again. Taking it, Morgan began to fasten it around her neck. "You're a very considerate a.s.sailant." "Do you think I enjoyed hurting you?"

Her hands froze at the nape of her neck. There was no teasing banter in his tone now, no insolent light of amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes. This was the man she recognized from the shadows. Waves of temper came from him, hardening his voice, burning in his jet eyes. With her hands stil lifted, Morgan stared at him.

"Do you think I enjoyed frightening you into fainting, having you think I would murder you? Do you think it gives me pleasure to see there are bruises on you and know that I put them there?" He whirled away, stalking the room. "I'm not a man who makes a habit of misusing women." "I wouldn't know about that," she said steadily.

He stopped, and his eyes came back to hers. d.a.m.n, she was cool, he thought. And beautiful. Beautiful enough to be a distraction when he couldn't afford one.

"I don't know who you are or what you're mixed up in," she continued. Her fingers trembled a bit as she finished fastening the chain, but her voice was calm and unhurried.

"Frankly, I don't care as long as you leave me alone. Under different circ.u.mstances, I'd thank you for the return of my property, but I don't feel it applies in this case. You can leave the same way you came in."

He had to bank down on an urge to throttle her. It wasn't often he was in the position of having a half-naked woman order him from her bedroom three times in one evening. He might have found it amusing if he hadn't been fighting an overwhelming flood of pure and simple desire.

The hel with fighting it, he thought. A woman who kept her chin lifted in chal enge deserved to be taken up on it.

"Courage becomes you, Morgan," he said cool y. "We might do very wel together." Reaching out, he fingered the medal at her throat and frowned at it.

With a silent oath, he tightened his grip on the chain and brought his eyes back to hers.

There was no fear in those clear blue pools now, but a light, maddening disdain. A woman like this, he thought, could make a man mad, make him suffer and ache.

And by G.o.d, a woman like this would be worth it.

"I told you to go," she said icily, ignoring the sudden quick thud of her pulse. It wasn't fear-Morgan told herself she was through with fear. But neither was it the anger she falsely named it.

"And so I wil ," he murmured and let the chain drop. "In the meantime, since you don't offer, I take."

Once again she found herself in his arms. It wasn't the teasing, seductive kiss of the night before. Now he devoured her. No one had kissed her like this before- as if he knew every secret she h.o.a.rded. He would know, somehow, where she needed to be touched.

The hot, insistent flow of desire that ran through her left her too stunned to struggle, too hungry to reason. How could she want him? her mind demanded.

How could she want a man like this to touch her? But her mouth was moving under his, she couldn't deny it. Her tongue met his. Her hands gripped his shoulders, but didn't push him away.

"There's honey on your lips, Morgan," he murmured. "Enough to drive a man mad for another taste."

He took his hand on a slow journey down her back, pressing silk against her skin before he came to the hem. His fingers were strong, cal used, and as clever as a musician's. Without knowing, without caring what she did, Morgan framed his face with her hands for a moment before they dove into his hair.

The muttered Greek she heard from him wasn't a love word but an oath as he dragged her closer.

How wel she knew that body now. Long and lean and wiry with muscle. She could smel the sea on it, almost taste it beneath that hot demand as his mouth continued to savage hers.

The kiss grew deeper, until she moaned, half in fear of the unexplored, half in delight of the exploration. She'd forgotten who she was, who he was. There was only pleasure, a dark, heavy pleasure. Through her dazed senses she felt a struggle-a storm, a fury. Then he drew her away to study her face.

He wasn't pleased that his heartbeat was unsteady. Or that the thoughts whirling in his head were clouded with pa.s.sion. This was no time for complications. And this was no woman to take risks with. With an effort, he slid his hands gently down her arms. "More satisfying than a thank you," he said lightly, then glanced with a grin toward the bed. "Are you going to ask me to stay?"

Morgan pul ed herself back with a jolt. He must have hypnotized her, she decided.

There was no other rational explanation. "Some other time, perhaps,"

she managed, as carelessly as he.

Amus.e.m.e.nt lightened his features. Capturing her hand, he kissed it formal y. "I'l look forward to it, Aphrodite."

He moved to the balcony, throwing her a quick grin before he started his descent.

Unable to prevent herself, Morgan ran over to watch him climb down.