verity gasped and pushed at his shoulders. unprepared for the surprise move, jonas found himself on his back. before he could reassert himself, verity scrambled on top of him, straddling him the way she would a stallion. he realized she was going to take matters into her own hands and he laughed triumphantly at her overwhelming excitement.

"okay, honey, i get the message. just let me get these jeans off and i'll take care of everything."

but verity ignored him. she reached down to where his shaft sprang eagerly from the unbuttoned denims and grasped him. then she lowered herself, trying to force him into her.

jonas groaned in frustration as she fumbled awkwardly. his desperate manhood collided with her thigh.

"i'll help you," he growled, reaching down between her legs. he found her damp, tight opening with one hand and guided himself quickly to the entrance with the other. "now," he ordered, his voice thick.

'take me into you now. show me what you want to do to me."

verity's fingers splayed wide on his chest and her head tipped back as she slowly started to ease herself down onto him. he barely survived the torture. he knew he wouldn't last more than a few seconds once he was inside her.

he dug his fingers into her round derriere and forced her to complete the union. she gasped as he invaded her fully. she rose and fell twice, three times, and then her nails sank deep into his skin as she cried out and convulsed around him.

"sweet hell," jonas whispered, and then he exploded with white-hot violence.

the questions came later. much later. jonas lay with one arm around a drowsing verity and stared at the shadow pattern on the ceiling.

a wise man did not look a gift horse in the mouth, he told himself. he was fortunate to find himself in the middle of a torrid affair with a woman who wanted him so much she had practically raped him tonight.

he had made love to her on only three occasions but she seemed to have become addicted to it.

theoretically, he should be thanking his lucky stars that he was the man who had awakened the sleeping tigress, and who was now in a position to enjoy the pleasures of tiger taming.

but jonas was experiencing an inexplicable uneasiness. he had never trusted much in luck. he was a believer in the iceberg theory of the universe: never take anything at face value. regardless of what showed on the surface, you could bet there remained a lot of unexplained territory underneath.

now as he lay physically satiated beside verity he found himself questioning what had not been evident during the passionate interlude that had just taken place. he was grateful for the experience, but he had to wonder just what had prompted it.

she had responded to him as if she had just taken a potent aphrodisiac. she had come out of that psychic corridor this time as aroused and ready for sex as he was. possibly even more so.

"mmm." verity shifted against him, stretching like a contented cat. she opened her eyes and smiled dreamily up at him. "hello."

he turned on his side and propped himself on one elbow, trying to read her expression. "how do you feel?"

"wonderful. how about you?"

"drained," he admitted wryly. "you take a lot out of a man, boss."

"don't worry about it." she patted his shoulder and yawned hugely. "you've got a lot of resources to call upon in emergencies." she glanced at the clock. "good grief. look at the time."

"if you're getting ready to kick me out again, forget it. i want to talk to you tonight, verity."

she raised her eyebrows. "about what?"

"let's start with sex," he suggested, feeling mildly aggressive.

"i thought we just finished with it."

"save the cute remarks. i want to know what turned you on so completely tonight."

she smiled slyly and tapped one finger against his lower lip. "that should be obvious. feel free to take full credit."

"i'd like to, but something tells me there was a little more involved than just my great charm and large muscles."

her smile slipped and her eyes turned speculative. "i know what you mean. i had the same impression the last two times you made love to me. there is a pattern here, isn't there?"

he frowned at her, confused. "what are you talking about?"

she shrugged, the action causing her ni**les to push against the sheet. "i'm talking about the fact that the only times you've ever made love to me were after a trip into that damn corridor. it seems to have a distinct effect on your libido. you haven't shown any interest in me outside of those two occasions, unless you count that kiss in the spa."

jonas was stunned. "are you telling me that your libido got overcharged tonight due to that test we ran?"

she shifted her gaze toward the ceiling and pretended to yawn. "this is going to be one unusual affair if it turns out the only time we get sexually excited is after a trip into the corridor."

rage flared in jonas. "i told you i wanted you that first night down in mexico. i wanted you that night we kissed in the spa. and i've wanted you every night in between."

"really? then how come we only wind up in bed on the nights you play psychic time voyager?" she asked quietly.

"probably because those are the times when my self-control is at its weakest," jonas grated. "the rest of the time i've tried to take things easy and not push you. don't you understand? going into the corridor doesn't by itself make me horny. i never got a hard-on during all those tests at vincent. my physical reaction is connected with you, not the psychometry."

"is that right?" she looked dubious.

"damn right. what about you? what was it that got you so excited tonight?"

"relief, i suppose," she said with a sigh.

"relief at getting through the test?"

she shook her head on the pillow. "no. relief that you didn't get shot inside that corridor." the wary, teasing tone was gone from her voice. verity's expression was very serious as she stared up at the ceiling. "i thought you were going to get killed in there. when we got out, all i wanted to do was throw myself on top of you and reassure myself that we were both all right."

jonas pondered her answer. "i told you, i wasn't in any danger."

"i know what you told me."

he drummed his fingers impatiently on her sheet-covered thigh. "you're saying you jumped on me out of a sense of relief after what we'd gone through in the tunnel?"

"something like that. i'm not sure i can explain it completely."

"and you've been assuming i get turned on enough to take you to bed only after i've been into the corridor?" he persisted, wanting to get the facts straight before he decided what to do next. "you think this affair of ours is dependent on frequent use of my psychometry?"