jonas contemplated that for a time and then nodded soberly. "you're right. as usual." he stretched out his unban-daged arm and pulled her down onto his chest. his lashes lifted and he looked deeply into her eyes. for a moment the gold in his gaze was so hot it could have melted steel. then jonas grinned slowly and wickedly. "you saved my ass, sweetheart. i wouldn't have made it without you. i owe you."

"you don't owe me, your ass needed saving because you were busy saving mine at the time."

his grin broadened and he gave her derriere a proprietary pat. "having saved two such valuable portions of our respective anatomies, we should probably celebrate in an appropriate fashion."

"your arm..."

"it was not my arm i was proposing to employ in the endeavor."

she felt his manhood stirring against her thigh. "not yet, jonas. we have some more talking to do."

"about what?" he ran a finger along the upper curve of her breast.

"about what might have happened if the forces in that corridor had overwhelmed you, for one thing!"

"they didn't, so let's not talk about it."

"we can't ignore that kind of power, jonas," she said fretfully.

"i've been living with the threat a long time. i've survived so far. and now i've got you. i'm in better shape than ever."

"do you think you're the only person on the face of the earth who's faced with dealing with whatever comes through that corridor?"

"i don't know. there were other people being tested at vincent college. maybe one of them had some talent. right now i don't know and i don't particularly care. all i want to do at this moment is make love to you."

"does this mean you've decided not to beat me after all for leaving the party to follow kincaid?"

jonas squeezed her bare buttock. "let's just say i'm feeling indulgent and will probably let you go unscathed this time. also, with one arm in bandages, it would be hard to administer the kind of spanking you need. too much like work. maybe later."

"don't hold your breath." reluctantly verity let herself be drawn into his sexy, teasing mood. there were still a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but she sensed that he would only stonewall her if she tried to get answers now. jonas was making it clear that he did not want to discuss his frightening talent or the future. and this morning she was too glad to have him alive to want to push him.

"i'm not planning on holding my breath. i much prefer holding you. but in view of my somewhat incapacitated position, you're going to have to do all the work," jonas told her.

verity smiled with a feeling of sudden triumph. "i get to do the work? you've finally decided i'm not such an innocent after all?"

"lady," he announced in grave tones, "this is your chance to prove to me that you have the makings of a siren, a scarlet woman, and a seducer of men. show me what a heartless temptress you can be."

"you're on," she agreed and yanked the sheet down past his hips. for an instant she stared at the aroused, aggressive fullness she found there. "no, i take that back. you're up."

"you could say that."

she reached out to touch him intimately, loving the contrast between the rock-hardness of his shaft and the velvety skin that covered it. some of the teasing light left jonas's eyes and was replaced by a familiar male hunger.

"oh, yes, sweetheart," he breathed, "that's it. your hands always feel so good. so damn good."

verity slipped her fingers down to cup the swelling mounds at the base of his shaft. she leaned forward and dropped a tiny kiss on one male nipple. jonas's groan of pleasure came from deep in his chest. his legs shifted under the sheet and his fingers tangled in her hair.

verity gave herself up to the joy of making love to him. she moved over him with growing delight, tasting him with the tip of her tongue, exploring him with fingers that were sensitive to every reaction they elicited.

she slid down the length of him, dropping warm, damp kisses in her wake until she reached the rough, curly hair that framed his manhood. her own red hair spilled across his flat stomach as she boldly brushed her mouth against the pulsing hardness of him. jonas's whole body seemed to clench in reaction. his hips lifted, silently pleading for more of the erotic attention.

verity obliged willingly, thrilled by his response. it was unbelievably exciting to be able to excite this man. it gave her a heady feeling of feminine power that was unlike anything she had known.

"jonas?" she whispered softly.

he grunted and used his palm against the back of her head to hold her where he wanted her. she took him into her mouth and jonas sucked in his breath.

"that's it, babe," he gasped. "that's it."

he tasted hot and male and musky. verity sampled him carefully and then bravely experimented with her teeth.

"verity!"

she freed him and scrambled up to sit astride his thighs. her fingers splayed across his chest as she gripped him firmly with her legs. "how am i doing?" she asked throatily as she eased herself down until he was at the entrance of her small passage.

jonas opened his eyes, his expression taut with desire. "don't worry," he muttered, "you have my vote for the most wicked woman of the year award. stop tormenting me and get on with the job."

verity laughed down at him and then gasped as he tightened his fingers around her legs and pushed her bent knees farther apart. the action forced her to sink quickly, more quickly than she had planned, and he rose to meet her. he thrust himself swiftly and deeply into her.

"talk about wicked seducers," she complained in a thick, husky tone as she tried to adjust to the sudden intrusion.

"show me how much you want me, sweetheart."

she obeyed, glorying in the excitement they created between them, loving the feel of him deep inside her and the sense of possession she felt.

when their tightly wound spring of passion came apart in a shattering release, verity collapsed across jonas, clinging to him as if he were a lifeline in a storm. his body shuddered heavily again and again as he poured himself into her, then he held her fiercely against his damp chest.

when it was all over verity opened her eyes and accepted the fact that she was in love with jonas quarrel. she was contemplating that when she happened to glance at the clock beside the bed.

"jonas, the auction! i almost forgot." verity lifted herself quickly, slithering to the side of the bed.

"hurry. it's due to start in an hour."

"what the hell are you talking about?"