Green Fire by Stephanie James Page A

of his cocoa and sat cradling the mug between his large hands. "I think the setting might, at least, be original," he said slowly.
    "Why do you say that?"
    "Because the damn thing seems to be working on me." He lifted his gaze to her suddenly wary face. "Perhaps there's a little magic left in the ring, even though the stone itself has been replaced. What do you think, Rani?"
    "I think," she said very carefully, "that's a strange thing for a man who doesn't believe in legends to say. I also think that it's time for both of us to get some sleep. It's almost one o'clock, Flint."
    "I know." He got to his feet when she did, but he made no move to go to the door.
    "Flint." She should exercise whatever small power she did possess to order him out of her kitchen. This business of feeding strays at midnight was very dangerous. The tension that was suddenly filling the room was rapidly replacing the cozy warmth. She felt it thrumming along her nerves, urging her to take a step or two forward. Steps that would bring her very close to Flint. He was a vibrant, masculine presence in her kitchen, filling the room with his particular brand of strength.
    "I'm the one under the spell, Rani," he whispered huskily. "You're in control, remember? I can't take any more than you want to give."
    She clutched the lapels of the trench coat. "What do you want from me, Flint?"
    "A little warmth. A little gentleness. I've been restless a long time. I want some peace and comfort." He moved toward her, a soft, gliding step that closed the distance between them. "I need it. I've never needed anything this badly."
    Rani felt his arms going around her, drawing her against him until her palms flattened on his shoulders. She couldn't seem to tear her own eyes from the banked, emerald fires in his. She should stay in control, she reminded herself. It was her nature to avoid risks. Now here she was suddenly on the verge of being drawn into a green vortex of excitement. She mustn't let that happen. She must stay on the edge of the storm and not let herself be whirled into its heart.
    But a part of her was longing to sample a bit of the green fire. Her face lifted as Flint brought his mouth down on hers. The arms wrapped around her were heavy and strong and made her feel unexpectedly secure. Her palms moved up over his shoulders and around his neck.
    The heat and the need in Flint beat at Rani in waves. She could feel it in every inch of his hard body. As his mouth moved hungrily against hers, she realized just how much self-control he was calling upon, and the knowledge that he was doing so reassured her somehow. When Flint's tongue probed at the edge of her lips, seeking entrance, she opened her mouth to him.
    He groaned as the kiss became hot, damp and intimate. Rani felt Flint's hands kneading the small of her back, his fingers sliding down to find the shape of her buttocks. She shivered beneath the onslaught of powerful, sensual sensations that were startlingly new to her, even though she was far from being a naive teenager. He felt the tremor that rippled through her and pulled her deeper into the heat of his thighs.
    When Rani murmured his name far back in her throat, Flint shifted her so that she was cradled in one of his arms. He didn't break the fierce kiss as he used his free hand to find the belt of the trench coat. Rani felt the edges of the coat part, and before she could decide how to deal with the new level of initimacy, Flint's hand was on her breast.
    "Rani, I want you. I'm beginning to think I've always wanted you."
    She heard the rough urgency in his words and couldn't tell if he were pleading or stating some irrefutable fact of life. Either way it wreaked havoc with her senses. Her fingertips curled in the fine hair at the base of his neck, scoring him very gently with her nails. She could feel the strength in his shoulders, and it tantalized her. When his thumb moved across one of her nipples, coaxing it forth beneath the fabric of her