the
incoherent words of passion took over and Selena was locked with York in an embrace that sealed out the
rest of the universe. The fire on the hearth flared higher.
It was hours later that Selena awoke alone in her bed. Blinking in the darkness, she stretched out a toe,
seeking contact with York’s hard frame. He had carried her into the bedroom a long time ago and they had
slept, exhausted, in each other’s arms.
When her questing toe found the bed empty, Selena stirred and sat up, automatically holding the sheet to
her chin although it quickly became evident there was no one in the room to see her nakedness. Especially
not York, who would have found her modesty amusing.
„York?“
She listened intently to hear him moving about in the bath. There was no sound from the adjoining room,
however. Yawning sleepily, Selena slid to the edge of the rumpled bed. Perhaps he’d gone out to the
kitchen for a glass of water.
Fumbling for the light-plum-and-gold-patterned kimono she had brought along to use as a robe, Selena
padded out of the bedroom and into the short hall. At the opposite end a light burned. Still blinking against
die influence of sleep, Selena went toward it.
„What in the world…!“
She stopped short at the sight of York seated at the teak dining room table, various papers from his
briefcase spread out across its surface. Selena glanced toward the kitchen clock but couldn’t quite make
out the numbers without her contacts. She didn’t have to see it, though, to realize it was still the middle of
the night. Darkness bathed the slopes outside the window.
„No need to get up quite this early, honey,“ York said smoothly, turning in his chair at her exclamation.
He was barefoot, wearing his jeans and an unbuttoned shirt mat exposed the tanned contours of his chest.
His black hair was tousled but he looked wide awake behind the lenses of his glasses.
„Do you normally? Get up this early, I mean?“ she retorted, moving silently forward across the carpet.
She stifled another yawn and came to a halt beside his chair.
He put an arm around her waist and kissed the rounded shape of her breast beneath the satiny kimono.
„Don’t worry. Normally I keep reasonable hours. There were a couple of things I was thinking about after
you went to sleep on me, though, and I…“
„I didn’t go to sleep on you!“
„After you decided to rest your eyes for a while,“ he amended complacently. „At any rate, I decided to
get up and work on them.“
„What kinds of things?“ she asked interestedly, bending forward to peer at the papers on the table.
„Business,“ he told her a little shortly and gathered up several sheets that were covered with figures. He
stacked them together and put them in a pile just slightly out of her reach.
Instantly Selena experienced a flush of guilt „Am I making life very difficult for you by asking you to
stay here in Utah?“
„You’re making life very exciting for me here in Utah.“ He grinned wolfishly, putting his other hand
around her waist and pulling her down into his lap. „Don’t worry about the business end of things. I can
manage.“ He bent his head and touched the tip of his tongue to the corner of her mouth.
„You don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to do this,“ she said. „I’m not that demanding! I’ll let
you have some time off from sledding during the day to keep up with your work!“
He chuckled, and moved his hand to die vee of the sashed kimono. He edged one finger just inside and
slid it down to the top of her breast „On the contrary, my dear, you are a very demanding woman! But I
always knew you would be and I wouldn’t want it any other way.“
She blushed and nestled closer. „What do you mean you always knew I would be demanding?“ she
muttered a little crossly. „We hardly knew each other until you showed up here in Utah!“
„You know that isn’t true,“ he returned, his voice
incoherent words of passion took over and Selena was locked with York in an embrace that sealed out the
rest of the universe. The fire on the hearth flared higher.
It was hours later that Selena awoke alone in her bed. Blinking in the darkness, she stretched out a toe,
seeking contact with York’s hard frame. He had carried her into the bedroom a long time ago and they had
slept, exhausted, in each other’s arms.
When her questing toe found the bed empty, Selena stirred and sat up, automatically holding the sheet to
her chin although it quickly became evident there was no one in the room to see her nakedness. Especially
not York, who would have found her modesty amusing.
„York?“
She listened intently to hear him moving about in the bath. There was no sound from the adjoining room,
however. Yawning sleepily, Selena slid to the edge of the rumpled bed. Perhaps he’d gone out to the
kitchen for a glass of water.
Fumbling for the light-plum-and-gold-patterned kimono she had brought along to use as a robe, Selena
padded out of the bedroom and into the short hall. At the opposite end a light burned. Still blinking against
die influence of sleep, Selena went toward it.
„What in the world…!“
She stopped short at the sight of York seated at the teak dining room table, various papers from his
briefcase spread out across its surface. Selena glanced toward the kitchen clock but couldn’t quite make
out the numbers without her contacts. She didn’t have to see it, though, to realize it was still the middle of
the night. Darkness bathed the slopes outside the window.
„No need to get up quite this early, honey,“ York said smoothly, turning in his chair at her exclamation.
He was barefoot, wearing his jeans and an unbuttoned shirt mat exposed the tanned contours of his chest.
His black hair was tousled but he looked wide awake behind the lenses of his glasses.
„Do you normally? Get up this early, I mean?“ she retorted, moving silently forward across the carpet.
She stifled another yawn and came to a halt beside his chair.
He put an arm around her waist and kissed the rounded shape of her breast beneath the satiny kimono.
„Don’t worry. Normally I keep reasonable hours. There were a couple of things I was thinking about after
you went to sleep on me, though, and I…“
„I didn’t go to sleep on you!“
„After you decided to rest your eyes for a while,“ he amended complacently. „At any rate, I decided to
get up and work on them.“
„What kinds of things?“ she asked interestedly, bending forward to peer at the papers on the table.
„Business,“ he told her a little shortly and gathered up several sheets that were covered with figures. He
stacked them together and put them in a pile just slightly out of her reach.
Instantly Selena experienced a flush of guilt „Am I making life very difficult for you by asking you to
stay here in Utah?“
„You’re making life very exciting for me here in Utah.“ He grinned wolfishly, putting his other hand
around her waist and pulling her down into his lap. „Don’t worry about the business end of things. I can
manage.“ He bent his head and touched the tip of his tongue to the corner of her mouth.
„You don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to do this,“ she said. „I’m not that demanding! I’ll let
you have some time off from sledding during the day to keep up with your work!“
He chuckled, and moved his hand to die vee of the sashed kimono. He edged one finger just inside and
slid it down to the top of her breast „On the contrary, my dear, you are a very demanding woman! But I
always knew you would be and I wouldn’t want it any other way.“
She blushed and nestled closer. „What do you mean you always knew I would be demanding?“ she
muttered a little crossly. „We hardly knew each other until you showed up here in Utah!“
„You know that isn’t true,“ he returned, his voice
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