She climaxed again a few minutes later.
“Again?” he whispered. “You’re such a delight, and I can tell how much I pleased you. Let me do it once more…”
It wasn’t just once more. She didn’t know how many times they came together in a sexual frenzy. It seemed to go on and on, and she couldn’t get enough.
But, at last, Caleb moved away from her. She felt terribly alone and instinctively tried to pull him back.
“Shh, it’s time to sleep now. It was all right to have your mind active while the rest of the blood in your body was in motion, but you need to go dormant for a while.” He bent back over her and kissed her. “But wasn’t that spectacular?”
She didn’t know what he was talking about. Spectacular, yes … Everything else was beginning to blur. The garden, the scent of roses, the sun …
All had faded into nothingness.
And darkness.
* * *
“ENOUGH.” CALEB’S VOICE WAS SOFT in her ear. “You should be ready now.”
Ready? Ready for him to come over her and again begin that mad, sexual marathon that had driven her—
Wrong. Something was wrong. How could that have happened? How could she have let it happen?
And then she realized just how wrong it had been.
Her eyes flew open. “No!” She bolted upright in bed. “You son of a bitch.” She glared at him. “Your damn tricks.”
He chuckled as he rolled over and raised himself on one elbow. “You enjoyed those tricks enormously.” His smile faded. “And so did I. I had no idea you were that responsive. I had to force myself to stop.”
“Responsive? It wasn’t real. It was a hallucination. You were playing mind games with me.”
“And what games they were…” His eyes wandered slowly from her breasts down her body. “You’re beautiful, you know. Even more beautiful than you were in that garden. That’s one of the disadvantages of having to concentrate on maintaining a fantasy. I have to build the entire picture when I’d prefer to enjoy the reality of you.”
“Bastard.” She was jerking on her clothes. “It was all fantasy. I had nothing to do with it.”
He shook his head. “I’m sure that would be comforting, but it’s not true. All I did was lull you into a responsive state and give you a pleasant setting. Every one of those emotional reactions were your own. That’s the way it works, Jane.”
“Then it was a physical response to what you were doing to the flow of my blood.”
“Perhaps a little. Most of it was—”
“I’m not going to listen to this.” She glared at him as she finished buttoning her blouse. “It was deceit. I’m not going to forgive this, Caleb.”
“Someday. Just another hurdle to overcome.”
“The hell it is.” She got to her feet and strode toward the bathroom. “That was an … invasion.”
“Only mentally. Just imagine what it would have been like if I’d actually been in you.”
“You imagine. You’re so damn good at it.” She splashed water in her face. “And my mind is as important as my body. You make me—”
“Forget your outrage for a moment. I did nothing to hurt you physically. I was careful and didn’t let it interfere with getting you well. Do you realize how strong you’re feeling? Stop a minute and gauge the difference from when you walked into this room. I don’t want you to leave me until I’m certain that I’ve done my job.”
“Done your job?” She wiped her face on the hand towel and threw it on the vanity. “Oh, you’ve done more than your job, Caleb.” She strode back into the bedroom. “I want to strangle you.”
“No pain? No exhaustion?” He was ignoring her rage. “You feel entirely normal? Think. That’s why you came here. Let’s get that right.”
She drew a deep breath. It was hard to think through this emotional turmoil. “I feel normal physically. I believe that part came out okay. Other than that I feel … used.”
“Really? Then that makes two of us.” He sat up and leaned back against the headboard. He was still naked, and he looked arrogant, beautifully indolent, and an entirely sexual being. Yet she was suddenly aware that that indolence was false, beneath it a storm was brewing. He was angry. “So don’t expect me to feel too badly about returning the favor.” He smiled. “It’s not my nature.”
“You’re angry.” Caleb had disguised it behind his usual enigmatic, cynical facade, but Jane was now realizing something else. “And you’ve been angry since the moment I walked into this room.”
“Why not? Trevor gave me orders, and you graciously but reluctantly agreed to do what he wanted. No one asked me to help you. It was all between the two of you. I was merely the go-between, a tool.” His smile vanished entirely. “I didn’t like the role I was assigned to play. I’ve been an outsider all my life, but I’ve never felt it quite this deeply. I made it clear to you that all you had to do was come to me, and I’d help you. If you’d just come to me, it could have gone differently. Who knows? I might have even been able to go against nature and shown you a little of Trevor’s magnificent selflessness.”
“You’re saying it’s my fault?”
“I’m saying that there’s blame enough for everyone.” He shrugged. “And that I could have been far worse than I was tonight.”
“If you were that resentful, why didn’t you refuse? Why didn’t you turn your back and walk away from me?”
He didn’t speak for a moment. “I find I’m not capable of doing that.” He shrugged. “So I made the best of it. You got what you wanted. I didn’t entirely get what I wanted, but you’re not going to be able to forget that little preview of what’s to come. We’ll be even more fantastic when we finally come together.”
“We’re not ever going to come together. I hate to be weak, and you took advantage of that weakness. Do you think I’d ever trust you again?” She drew a long, shaky breath. “You’re right, Trevor and I did use you. It was wrong. I should have shown you gratitude and not taken anything for granted.”
“Screw your gratitude,” Caleb said roughly. “And I never expected trust from you. You’ve been wary of me from the moment we met. I accept that since the fringe benefits will be extraordinary. As for being weak, you’re not weak. You’re strong, and I love that strength. You just wanted what I gave you. If you feel a little overwhelmed, you’ll rally and find a way to control anything I do to you.”
She shook her head adamantly. “No, Caleb.”
“Yes, Jane,” he said softly. “Now go on out to Trevor and tell him all is well and that I’ve done as ordered. He’s probably ready to have a breakdown by now. Not that I’d mind. But you’d be all teary and emotional, and it would be another step back for me.”
“Not just a step. Trevor is miles ahead of you,” she said quietly. “What happened tonight proved that to me.”
“But the game’s not over. It’s scarcely begun.”
“It’s over, Caleb.” She opened the door and saw Trevor standing at the door of the balcony gazing out at the city. She felt a sudden rush of relief and joy. “You just can’t see it. It couldn’t be more clear to me.”
* * *
TREVOR MUST HAVE HEARD HER because he turned to look at her as she shut the door behind her. “You were a long time.”
“Yes.”
“Three hours and thirty-five minutes.”
“You kept track?”
“Oh, yes. Every minute. Every second. Are you okay?” He gazed at her searchingly. “It did what it was supposed to do?”
She nodded. “I feel the same way that I did after Caleb did his voodoo the last time. It should last me long enough. I only need a few days.”
“Yes.” He was silent a moment. “And was everything else about it the same?”