Diana refused to let him bait her. “I don’t know if he would have fit in or not. I told you, I never got a chance to meet him.“
“Be grateful. You might have wound up pregnant at eighteen, the way Cynthia Fulbrook did.“
Diana hesitated a moment, absorbing that information. “You got Margaret Fulbrook’s daughter pregnant?“
“Yeah.“
Diana became irritated. “Well? Don’t just stop there. How did it happen?“
He gave her an odd look. “The usual way.“
“Colby, stop it. You know perfectly well what I mean.“
He exhaled slowly. “Cynthia Fulbrook was the princess of Fulbrook Corners. She was the richest kid in town, the prettiest girl and the best-dressed student at Fulbrook Corners High. She got a brand-new red convertible from her parents the day she turned sixteen, and she had her choice of any boy in school. She was a year younger than me and I’d been as dazzled by her as every other male in town.“
“How did she feel about you?“
“She found me
interesting.
But her parents kept a close watch on her.“
“Ah, the old forbidden fruit syndrome.“
“On both sides,“ Colby admitted. “But nothing happened between us until after I went into the service. I saw the army as a way out of Fulbrook Corners, and I took it the day I got out of high school. Eddy Spooner went with me. The summer of my nineteenth year I came home on leave and there was Cynthia, just graduated and getting ready to go off to college. She took one look at me and decided to find out what forbidden fruit tasted like.“
“And you took one look at her and decided to see what it was like to go to bed with a genuine princess?“
“That’s about it. But neither one of us were quite as grown up as we thought we were. I thought I knew all about taking precautions, and Cynthia thought she knew all about safe times of the month and other mythical means of avoiding pregnancy. The net result was that we took some chances we shouldn’t have taken.“
“And Cynthia got pregnant.“
Colby nodded grimly. “There was hell to pay. Cynthia was scared to death. Her mother was screaming at her, and her father was threatening to have me put in jail or shot. They both agreed the pregnancy should be taken care of as quickly and quietly as possible. The last option anyone considered was allowing Cynthia to marry me and have the baby.“
“So you ran off with her,“ Diana concluded.
“We thought we were in love. Or at least, I did. I also thought I had to protect her from her parents. I don’t think poor Cynthia was thinking at all. She was a nervous wreck, torn between angry parents and the guy from the wrong side of the falls. I took charge, packed her up and drove her out of town before she had a chance to reconsider. We got married in Reno, and then I took her to the army base where I was stationed. She had Brandon seven months later.“
“Brandon?“
“My son.“
Diana smiled at the quiet pride in his voice. “What happened to Cynthia?“
Colby tossed a handful of pebbles out over the falls. “Cynthia’s parents decided they could force her to come home if they threatened to cut off her inheritance. They never let up the pressure. And Cynthia did not take well to motherhood. She hadn’t wanted Brandon in the first place. The whole thing had been a stupid accident, and she decided she shouldn’t have to pay for it the rest of her life. Maybe she was right. Hell, I don’t know.“
“Who does at that age?“
“Yeah. Who knows? Cynthia and I fought a lot, and one day I came home to find her gone. She’d left a note for me telling me Brandon was at a neighbor’s and that she couldn’t take it any more. Her life had been ruined. She was going home to her parents. She wanted to start over. I never saw her again. She was killed in a freeway smashup on the interstate. Her parents never forgave me. At the funeral they told me they never wanted to see me or Brandon again. I was happy to grant them their wish.“
“And you never married again?“
Colby shook his head. “I figured I’d seen enough of marriage to last me a lifetime. Besides, I was busy with my son.
I raised Brandon by myself. Made a lot of mistakes along the way, but the kid turned out okay.“ Colby’s eyes warmed with paternal satisfaction. “He just finished his first year in college in Eugene. Did great, too. Thinks he wants to be an engineer.“
“Congratulations,“ Diana said softly. She folded her elbows on her drawn-up knees and rested her chin on her forearms. “It must have been rough at times.“
Colby grimaced. “You don’t know the half of it. Like I said, I made a lot of mistakes. Sure as hell wouldn’t want to go through it again. But Brandon and I both survived.“
“And that’s the great saga of Colby Savagar and the town of Fulbrook Corners?“
He looked at her. “That’s it.“
“I think I understand why you haven’t bothered to return before now.“
Colby’s intent gaze never left her face. “I answered your questions.“
Diana felt the warmth in her face. She glanced away. “Yes, you did.“
“I’ve got a few for you, too,“ Colby said quietly.
Pleased that he was finally showing some real interest in her background, she glanced at him. “You do?“
“Most of them can wait.“
“Oh.“ She was strangely disappointed.
“All except one.“ Colby reached out and gently tumbled her down across his chest. “And that one is a very straightforward question. All it takes is a simple yes or no to answer it.“
Instinctively Diana struggled to find her balance, but she didn’t pull away once she had braced herself. She sprawled on top of him, her face very close to his.
“Yes or no, Diana?“
The roar of the falls filled her ears and the warm fragrance of the sun-heated woods enveloped her. Gossamer plumes of mist, creatures of light and magic soared overhead. One of her jeaned legs slid between Colby’s thighs and got caught there. His body was strong and hard and infinitely inviting. His eyes were pools of gray fire waiting to blaze.
Diana realized with blinding clarity that she was falling in love.
“Yes,“
she whispered and lowered her head to kiss him.
He had never felt so pulsatingly alive in his life. He was going to go up in flames at any moment. The blood beat heavily in his veins, and the ache in his loins was almost painful.
Colby held on to the woman in his arms with all his strength, afraid she would try to slip away from him again the way she had slipped away every other time he’d tried to make her his.
But this time she wasn’t fighting him. This time she wasn’t trying to edge out of reach. She was giving herself to him and his head spun with the wonder of it. All the hot, fierce questions his body had been asking would finally have answers.
“Diana.
Honey, I’ve wanted you like this for so long. I’ve been going out of my mind.“
She opened her mouth for him and he tasted her, whetting his own appetite even further. He cradled her legs between his own, anchoring her firmly against him. Then he slipped his hands under her shirt and traced the graceful line of her spine. She was supple and warm and very, very feminine. Colby groaned as desire raked him across hot coals.
He tugged the buttons of her shirt, pushing the garment off her shoulders with quick, impatient hands. Then he found the fastener of her bra and undid it. Her soft, gently curving breasts filled his palms and he lifted his hips, deliberately arching into her softness. Her skin was sleek and silky to the touch. He would never get enough of the feel of her.
“Colby, Colby, please. Yes, oh, please, just like that. You make me feel so good.“
Captivated by her response, Colby grazed his palms again across her nipples. Tight, firm pebbles of desire formed beneath his hands. Touching was no longer enough. He lifted her higher along his chest until he could take the peak of one breast into his mouth.
“Yes,“ she breathed. A shiver went through her.
Colby tightened his hold on her and used his tongue to elicit another of the tantalizing little shudders of desire.
The fact that he could make her react so fiercely only served to better fuel the fire that was burning within him.
She was scrabbling at his clothes now, unfastening buttons and pushing the denim shirt out of her way. Her fingers were as unsteady as his own. Her hands splayed across his chest, tangling in the rough hair there. When she lowered her head and touched the tip of her tongue to one of his own flat nipples, Colby groaned heavily.
He found the snap of her jeans and yanked at it. Then he fumbled with the zipper until he could slide his hand inside her flimsy panties. He snagged his fingers in the silky fabric that hid her secrets.
Diana writhed against him, crying out softly. He explored further and sucked in his breath when he felt the warm dew between her legs.
“Sweetheart,“ he muttered. “You want me. Say it. Tell me all about it.“ He probed gently with the tip of his thumb and her fingers clutched at his shoulders.
“I want you.“
“Took at me,“ he urged, pushing carefully into her once more. “Open your eyes and say it.“
Her long lashes swept up, revealing the gold and green and blue of her eyes. “I want you so much, Colby. I’ve never felt like this before in my life.“
Her honesty almost shattered him. “It’s the same for me,“ he admitted harshly. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in this world.“
He pushed the jeans down over her hips and rolled her onto her back. Then he knelt, unbuckled his belt, and kicked himself free of his own denims. He hesitated a moment as she looked at him. An unfamiliar uncertainty flared briefly. He desperately wanted her to be satisfied. He wanted to please her. Then he saw the deep, feminine admiration in her eyes, and a sense of exultant relief rolled through his veins.
She was pleased with what she saw.
“You’re magnificent.“ Her eyes were glowing with soft, tremulous wonder.
“So are you.“ He drew his hand down the length of her from breast to thigh. “So are you,“ he repeated. “Oh, God, honey, you’re perfect. Soft, sweet, beautiful. Perfect.“
He parted her legs with his own and started to lower himself onto her. At the last instant a flicker of rationality went through his dazzled brain. He remembered the little foil packet he had optimistically put in his pocket before leaving the house.
“Just a second,“ he said hoarsely.
She nodded her understanding. He leaned down to give her a quick, hard kiss and then he reached for his jeans.
He took care of the small, crucial task with quick, efficient movements. Then he reached out to gather Diana back into his arms.
“Colby? I want you to know that I…“
He touched her mouth with his fingertips. “The last thing I want to do now is talk. I want you so much that unless we hurry this up, I’m going to explode before I ever get inside you. My self-control is shot to hell.“
“Good,“ she said simply, mischief in her beautiful eyes. “I’m not in the mood for self-control either. Not now. Make love to me, Colby. Make it the way you said it would be the first time for us. Hot and wild and frantic.“
He was enraptured by the siren song of her demand. And he was shaking with the effort it took to hold himself in check long enough to get himself into position. Then he was poised at the hot, damp core of her and he didn’t have to wait any longer.
With a harsh exclamation of need, Colby drove himself into her soft, receptive core. He felt her quick, indrawn breath and the shudder that went through her. She was hot and tight. For an instant he feared his swift possession had hurt her. Her nails scored his shoulders.
Then she was clinging to him as if he were a lifeline, lifting herself to meet his demanding thrusts.
“Colby.“
And the first time with her was just as he had known it would be. Hot, wild, frantic.
Perfect.
“You’re a screamer.“
Diana raised her lashes halfway, aware of the hot sunlight filtering down through the trees and the heavy weight of Colby’s leg as it lay across her bare thigh. “I did scream, didn’t I?“ she said, half-amused, half-bemused.
Colby raised himself on one elbow and grinned down at her. “Louder than Chained Lady Falls.“
“Don’t exaggerate. And don’t look so damned pleased with yourself. Under certain circumstances, it could be highly embarrassing.“
“It wouldn’t ever embarrass me.“
“Uh-huh. What if we’d been in a motel room or something?“
“What have you done in the past?“
“About the screaming?“ She frowned slightly. “It’s never been a problem.“
“You don’t spend a lot of time in motel rooms?“ he asked innocently.
“I’ve never screamed before,“ she said quite seriously. She was not altogether certain she liked remembering that unmistakable evidence of sensual surrender. She was accustomed to being in control.
“Better get used to it,“ Colby advised. His eyes were brilliant with masculine satisfaction and anticipation. “You’re going to be doing a lot of screaming in the near future.“
“lam?“
He stroked a hand across her breasts and then bent over her. “Yes,“ he said softly. “You are.“
“Colby?“
“Hmmm?“ His arm tightened around her shoulders as he emitted a huge yawn.
“It’s getting late. Won’t be long until the sun sets. Maybe we should start back.“
“We’ll wait a little while longer. I want to show you something.“
“The falls at sunset?“ Diana sat up and picked up her shirt. The heat of the day was fading rapidly. “You said something about the water turning the color of blood. To be perfectly truthful, it doesn’t sound all that terrific.“
“You’ll see. Where’s that damned dog of yours?“ Colby sat up and reached for his jeans.
Diana’s glance got caught for a moment as she watched the smooth play of muscles under his skin. The strength in him was captivating. She had responded to it with more passion than she’d ever experienced. Colby saw her lingering look, and started to grin with lazy, come-hither sensuality. Diana quickly shifted her gaze to the woods, searching for her dog.