but it will have to do.”
He gave her a quick kiss, then suddenly he lunged forward, sending them both into space.
F OUR
T HE JAR AS they hit the earth was bone shaking even though O’Brien managed to land on his feet before rolling over. He attempted to absorb most of the impact with his own body. As quickly as he could, he released the snap link. The orange parachute enveloped them, and it was a moment before O’Brien could rid himself of the harness and thrust the layers of cloth impatiently away from them.
“Okay?” he asked quietly.
She nodded a trifle breathlessly and sat up. “I’ll have a few bruises tomorrow,” she said, asshe rubbed the small of her back gingerly. “But nothing that I can’t handle.”
“I’m beginning to believe that there’s very little you can’t handle, Kelly McKenna.” Nick stood up and helped her to her feet. “I just may decide to take you on all my skydiving jaunts.”
“Please don’t,” she said, running a hand through her tumbled golden curls. “Once was enough, thank you.” She peered around her anxiously. The terrain around them was rough and rocky, and they seemed to be on an incline. “You wouldn’t know where we are by any chance?”
He shrugged. “Not exactly. Somewhere in the hill country near the base of the Sierra Madre I would guess.” He bent down and began to gather up and fold the chute. “Far from any sign of civilization at any rate.”
Kelly automatically began to help him with the chute, her eyes fixed on his calm face. “Charming,” she said. “And how are we to make our way back to said civilization?”
“We’ll manage,” he said carelessly. “But after I get this chute repacked, I think we’d betterworry about finding some sort of shelter for the night. The temperature can drop pretty sharply in the hills at night.”
“Perhaps you can give me a crash course on body temperature control,” Kelly said flippantly, buttoning the tab collar at the throat of her jacket. It was already quite cool.
“Sorry, sweetheart, it doesn’t work that way.” He chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm.”
She had no doubt that he could at that, she thought. She could not deny the strong sexual chemistry that existed between them, but it didn’t change her reasons for not wanting any kind of relationship with O’Brien. She’d be a fool to let herself become involved in an affair that would only mean pain. She would just have to guard carefully against any further sexual encounters with Nick O’Brien. Which might not be all that easy, she thought. Nick had been just as lost in that haze of wild passion as she, and he was obviously used to getting exactly what he wanted from women. It was extremely unlikely that he would give up any plans he might have for seducing her now that he’d had a taste ofhow wildly they could please each other. She would just have to think of some way to discourage him and still hold on to her own control. It would be a task, she thought, that just might prove more dangerous than that jump out of the balloon.
Once the chute was repacked, Nick slung it over his shoulder. “Let’s go,” he said. Taking her small hand in his, he propelled her briskly down the incline toward the foothills.
Kelly found it oddly companionable walking hand in hand down the rock-strewn hill through the gathering darkness. Strange that she experienced this total unconcern regarding the dilemma that they were in. She felt almost lighthearted, as if she were starting out on a brave new adventure, and she knew that her serenity was due to the man beside her. It was difficult to be frightened or worried when he was so assured and competent. Perhaps that comparison that she had drawn with Superman wasn’t so far off the mark, she thought.
They had reached the bottom of the hill, and Nick’s pace quickened as he moved purposefullytoward a clearing sheltered by a sparse growth of surrounding cottonwoods. Darkness had fallen
He gave her a quick kiss, then suddenly he lunged forward, sending them both into space.
F OUR
T HE JAR AS they hit the earth was bone shaking even though O’Brien managed to land on his feet before rolling over. He attempted to absorb most of the impact with his own body. As quickly as he could, he released the snap link. The orange parachute enveloped them, and it was a moment before O’Brien could rid himself of the harness and thrust the layers of cloth impatiently away from them.
“Okay?” he asked quietly.
She nodded a trifle breathlessly and sat up. “I’ll have a few bruises tomorrow,” she said, asshe rubbed the small of her back gingerly. “But nothing that I can’t handle.”
“I’m beginning to believe that there’s very little you can’t handle, Kelly McKenna.” Nick stood up and helped her to her feet. “I just may decide to take you on all my skydiving jaunts.”
“Please don’t,” she said, running a hand through her tumbled golden curls. “Once was enough, thank you.” She peered around her anxiously. The terrain around them was rough and rocky, and they seemed to be on an incline. “You wouldn’t know where we are by any chance?”
He shrugged. “Not exactly. Somewhere in the hill country near the base of the Sierra Madre I would guess.” He bent down and began to gather up and fold the chute. “Far from any sign of civilization at any rate.”
Kelly automatically began to help him with the chute, her eyes fixed on his calm face. “Charming,” she said. “And how are we to make our way back to said civilization?”
“We’ll manage,” he said carelessly. “But after I get this chute repacked, I think we’d betterworry about finding some sort of shelter for the night. The temperature can drop pretty sharply in the hills at night.”
“Perhaps you can give me a crash course on body temperature control,” Kelly said flippantly, buttoning the tab collar at the throat of her jacket. It was already quite cool.
“Sorry, sweetheart, it doesn’t work that way.” He chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm.”
She had no doubt that he could at that, she thought. She could not deny the strong sexual chemistry that existed between them, but it didn’t change her reasons for not wanting any kind of relationship with O’Brien. She’d be a fool to let herself become involved in an affair that would only mean pain. She would just have to guard carefully against any further sexual encounters with Nick O’Brien. Which might not be all that easy, she thought. Nick had been just as lost in that haze of wild passion as she, and he was obviously used to getting exactly what he wanted from women. It was extremely unlikely that he would give up any plans he might have for seducing her now that he’d had a taste ofhow wildly they could please each other. She would just have to think of some way to discourage him and still hold on to her own control. It would be a task, she thought, that just might prove more dangerous than that jump out of the balloon.
Once the chute was repacked, Nick slung it over his shoulder. “Let’s go,” he said. Taking her small hand in his, he propelled her briskly down the incline toward the foothills.
Kelly found it oddly companionable walking hand in hand down the rock-strewn hill through the gathering darkness. Strange that she experienced this total unconcern regarding the dilemma that they were in. She felt almost lighthearted, as if she were starting out on a brave new adventure, and she knew that her serenity was due to the man beside her. It was difficult to be frightened or worried when he was so assured and competent. Perhaps that comparison that she had drawn with Superman wasn’t so far off the mark, she thought.
They had reached the bottom of the hill, and Nick’s pace quickened as he moved purposefullytoward a clearing sheltered by a sparse growth of surrounding cottonwoods. Darkness had fallen
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