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Beneath a Rising Moon Page 32


  than a festival of whores, and you will not let your family

  participate.”

  “Decent people do not—”

  “Decent people do and have. Half of Ripple Creek was

  up there the night I was there, and I’ll wager many of them

  are on the damn council.”

  “That’s beside the point—”

  “That’s exactly the point. You’ve always told me you

  should treat people as you find them, not as their past

  makes them out to be.”

  “Duncan Sinclair has a past longer than my arm, and

  he’s not likely to change now.” Her father’s voice was a

  mix of patience and anger. “Sinclairs don’t believe in

  commitment, Neva. Look at Zeke. A century under his belt

  and still dancing with every female that comes within

  range.”

  Neva crossed her arms, her fists clenched against her

  sides. “If we follow that theory, both Savannah and I should

  be drunken louts who run around burning houses and

  killing innocents.”

  Her mother’s gasp filled the shocked silence. “How dare

  you—”

  Neva thrust to her feet and leaned across the table.

  “How dare you! How can you look at Duncan’s past and

  judge him unworthy when you have done far worse?”

  Her father’s hand came down on her shoulder. “You

  will not talk to your mother like that—”

  Neva shook off his touch and swung around to face

  him. “And how dare you make me choose between the

  man I love and the family I love.”

  “I knew his mother,” Levon said softly. “She was a good

  friend. I know the pain she went through watching the

  man she loved dance with others time and time again. It

  killed her, Neva. I’m only trying to save you from that.”

  “I’m old enough to choose my own destiny.”

  “But not old enough to understand the heartbreak to

  come. He will never commit to you.”

  She glanced at Savannah. Saw her sister’s slight nod.

  Knew that her twin would walk when she walked. “That’s

  where you’re wrong, Father. Duncan has already

  committed. We performed the promising ceremony the

  night before he was kidnapped.”

  His face went as white as her mother’s. “Impossible.

  The magic can’t be raised except on the night of promising.”

  “Well, apparently it can, because we did.”

  “But…Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “I told you we were soul mates, and it didn’t seem to

  make one goddamn bit of difference. Why would I think

  telling you we were promised would?”

  “But…You can’t. Not to him.”

  She sighed. “You know, I’m sick of arguing. I’m sick of

  trying to make you see. I’ve chosen my path. It’s up to you

  to choose yours.”

  “And choose wisely,” Savannah intoned. “Because I’m

  walking out that door with my sister, and I won’t be back

  until you both come to your senses.”

  “This is stupid—”

  “No, Father, this is the last straw. I don’t want to live

  my life without Duncan in it, and if you can’t accept that,

  then too bad.”

  She glanced at Savannah, and as one they walked out

  of the diner and down the street to the rangers’ office.

  Neva took a deep breath and puffed it out slowly. “Well,

  that went better than I thought it would.”

  Savannah grinned. “But there were no fisticuffs.

  Where’s the fun in that?”

  Neva laughed and gave her sister a hug. “Thank you.”

  “No probs. Now stop worrying about our folks and go

  get that sexy man of yours. Either drag him home, or shag

  him senseless where he is so I can get a decent night’s

  sleep.”

  Neva kissed her cheek. “That sounds like a plan to

  me.” And was exactly what she intended to do.

  ***

  Duncan leaned a shoulder against the windowsill and

  stared at the slowly rising moon. It was hard to believe

  that exactly two months ago he’d met Neva. Hard to believe

  he hadn’t seen or heard from her for almost the same

  amount of time.

  And while he hadn’t really expected her to call, part of

  him had hoped that she might. Not that it mattered. In

  five days he was going home to Ripple Creek, whether or

  not he was given the job as head of the rescue team being

  set up over there. And he fully intended claiming what

  was his and making her parents see he was more than

  just his past.

  Footsteps echoed in the hall beyond his office. He

  glanced over his shoulder and watched Dave Richards,

  the man in charge of the Eagle County search and rescue

  team, walk in.

  “You want the good news, the bad news or the ‘not-

  again’ news?” Dave asked.

  “I’m guessing the ‘not-again’ news would be another

  hiker getting lost.” There certainly had been a rash of them

  lately. The latest influx of tourists didn’t seem able to read

  a map and often panicked when darkness set in.

  “You guessed that right.” Dave handed him a piece of

  paper with the woman’s details and last known position.

  “At least this one had a cell phone with her. She’s up near

  Paddy’s hut from the sound of it. I told her to stay put

  until you arrived.”

  “Let’s hope she does.” The last one they’d rescued

  decided to keep on walking and had almost walked off a

  damn cliff. “What’s the bad news?”

  “My spies over in Ripple Creek tell me you were passed

  over for the search and rescue post.”

  “I’m not entirely surprised.” He may have the

  experience, but his reputation was shot to hell in Ripple

  Creek, and Levon was a strong voice on the council. He

  wouldn’t willingly approve any action that would bring

  Duncan back home. “The good news?”

  “Is that the head ranger caught wind of the decision

  and confronted the council. Apparently she told them that

  if they refused to pick the best man for the job, she’d hand

  in her resignation. When the rest of her team backed her

  up, the council backed down.”

  Duncan smiled. He’d have to remember to kiss

  Savannah when he next saw her. “When will it be official?”

  “I’m told they’ll be calling tomorrow.”

  “Good.” At least he had a decent job to go back to

  when he went home. While he might own Snowflake Lodge,

  he had no intention of kicking the Harpers out to manage

  it himself. They were doing a far better job than he ever

  could.

  He pushed away from the window and grabbed his

  coat off the hook. “I’ll give you a call when I find our errant

  hiker.”

  “Do that,” Dave said. “And good luck.”

  Duncan nodded and grabbed his gear on the way out.

  The night air was crisp and the sky above so full of stars it

  almost looked silver. He let his gaze drift to the moon, still

  hanging low in the evening sky. Two full moons without

  Neva were two too many, but at least the prom
ising ritual

  had ensured neither of them suffered moon fever while

  they were apart. And yet he ached for her tonight. Ached

  with an intensity that cut through every part of him.

  He shouldered the pack and headed up the mountain.

  Trees crowded in closer the higher he went, the various

  pines still hiding drifts of snow under their green skirts.

  He was almost at Paddy’s hut when awareness surged,

  followed closely by a joy greater than anything he’d ever

  known.

  Neva was here.

  He walked on, not rushing, even though his whole body

  trembled with the need to grab her and hold her and love

  her. Through the trees ahead, flames flickered and danced.

  He smiled. His lost hiker had made herself at home.

  He came into the clearing and shucked off the pack,

  tossing it toward the hut’s door as he walked on. Neva

  was standing in front of the fire, her back to him as she

  stared out over the valley below. The warmth of the flames

  caressed her golden skin, so that she almost appeared to

  gleam like precious metal in the darkness.

  She didn’t turn around or acknowledge his presence

  in any way, and yet he felt her awareness of him through

  every fiber.

  He stopped near the fire and took off his jacket. There

  was a sleeping bag at her feet, and a bottle of champagne

  and two glasses off to one side.

  “I owe you an apology,” she said softly.

  “For what?” He pulled off his boots then stripped off

  his jeans.

  “For not having the courage to ask you to stay two

  months ago.”

  “We were only together for four days. Confusion and

  doubt is allowed, I think.” His shorts joined the pile of

  clothes. The night air caressed his skin but failed to cool

  the fever burning through him.

  “You didn’t doubt.”

  “But I have spent half my life looking for my soul mate.

  You were looking for nothing more than your sister’s

  attacker.”

  “We found her.”

  “Together.” He stopped behind her, not touching her,

  but so close that every breath held the warm citrus scent

  of her. So close that the heat radiating off her skin burned

  across his. “What of your parents?”

  “That I don’t know.”

  He ran a finger down the long line of her neck and

  across one shoulder. Her skin trembled under his touch,

  and her desire burned the air. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I have Savannah on my side, and that’s all

  that matters for now. Time will change their minds. And if

  it doesn’t...” She shrugged.

  He let his touch slide down to her waist and across

  her stomach, pressing her back against him. She felt so

  good, so right, and all he wanted to do was turn her around

  and kiss her and make love to her. But there were still

  things that had to be said. A sigh escaped her lips. It was

  a sound he felt like echoing.

  “Did you tell them we were soul mates?”

  “I told them that I loved you. I told them that I didn’t

  want to live without you. I told them that we performed

  the promising ritual.”

  “Ah.” He brushed a kiss across her neck. She tasted

  warm and tangy, and far better than he remembered. Far

  better than she had in any of his dreams. “When did you

  realize the pretense was real?”

  “Not until much later. How about you?”

  “From the minute I said the first words. And I wasn’t

  about to stop—or let you stop. I told you, you’re mine, and

  I don’t intend to share. Not ever.”

  “Good.” She turned and wrapped her arms around his

  neck, her green eyes shining wickedly despite her stern

  expression. “Because neither do I.”

  He raised a hand to her cheek, brushing his thumb

  across her ripe lips. “So where does that leave us?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Long term?”

  “Long term.” Because he knew exactly what they’d be

  doing short term.

  She considered him for a minute, her smile growing

  and love so evident in her bright eyes that it reflected

  through every fiber of his being. “I’m thinking at least six

  children.”

  He raised his eyebrows, feigning shock. “Six? Good

  grief, woman, do you want me working night and day to

  support you all?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh, okay then. Four.”

  “A nice even number,” he agreed, sliding his fingers

  down to her rump. “We’ll have to buy a bigger house,

  though. Yours isn’t big enough to house us all.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want to return to

  the mansion?”

  “You wouldn’t be comfortable living there.”

  “No,” she agreed. “I wouldn’t. But only because I don’t

  think it’s the best environment to bring up a pack of kids.”

  He cupped her rump and lifted her until he was able

  to slide deep inside. She felt so good, so wet and warm

  and ready, that he groaned. God, how he’d missed her. “A

  pack of kids? I thought we agreed on four?”

  “Oh, yeah. So we did.”

  Her grin was pure cheek as she wrapped her legs

  around him and pushed him deeper. He groaned, his whole

  body trembling with the effort to remain still. Which she

  certainly wasn’t.

  “You do realize twins run in my family,” she continued,

  rocking her body gently against his.

  “You do realize if you keep doing what you’re doing, in

  a matter of moments I’m not going to be able concentrate

  on anything you’re saying.”

  “You want me to stop?”

  “Not really.”

  “Good, because I wasn’t intending to.”

  “Wicked wench.”

  “It’s the company I keep.” Her eyes twinkled at him.

  “Such a bad, bad man.”

  “I never thought you’d be the type to fall for a bad

  man.”

  “Neither did I. But I have. Hook, line, and sinker.

  There’s no hope left for me now.”

  “None at all,” he agreed. “Because that bad man intends

  to keep teaching you wicked things for the rest of his life.”

  “That sounds like a plan.”

  He smiled and kissed her nose. “So, we’ve discussed

  long term goals—what about short term?”

  “Well, for the first hour or so, I plan to be ravished

  senseless, then I think we should drink some of that

  champagne before the ice melts. Then I think some more

  ravishing is in order.”

  “Now that sounds like a plan to me,” he said and set

  about carrying it out.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Keri Arthur is the author of six published novels

  for ImaJinn Books and is under contract for several

  more. Her first novel, Dancing with the Devil, was a

  finalist in the mainstream division of the 2002

  Woman’s Day/Romance Writers of Australia

  Romantic Book of the Year Award, and it was voted

  Best Vampire Novel in SimeGen’s 2001 Reviewers

  Choice A
wards. Her second novel, Circle of Fire, was

  nominated in the Best Contemporary Paranormal

  category of the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice

  Awards and was voted Best Fantasy Novel in

  SimeGen’s 2002 Reviewers Choice Awards. Her work

  has also made the finals of the Random House

  Australia George Turner Prize, and the Washington

  Romance Writers “Novel Beginnings” Contest.

  She is the current president of the Melbourne

  Romance Writers Guild and the current Vice

  President and Secretary of Romance Writers of

  Australia. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her

  husband and daughter.

  Don’t Miss

  Keri Arthur’s

  Acclaimed

  “Nikki and Michael”

  Series

  Dancing with the Devil

  (Book One)

  ISBN 1-893896-59-5

  Hearts in Darkness

  (Book Two)

  ISBN 1-893896-71-4

  Chasing the Shadows

  (Book Three)

  ISBN 1-893896-84-6

  Available from

  ImaJinn Books

  www.imajinnbooks.com

  or call toll free

  877-625-3592

  Don’t Miss

  Keri Arthur’s

  Acclaimed

  “Damask Circle”

  Series

  Circle of Fire

  ISBN: 1-893896-70-6

  Circle of Death

  ISBN: 1-893896-77-3

  Circle of Desire

  ISBN: 1-893896-92-7

  (Coming in July 2003)

  All Circle books are stand-alone

  romances and don’t need to be read

  in any specific order.

  Available from

  ImaJinn Books

  www.imajinnbooks.com

  or call toll free

  877-625-3592