Sharon Sala - Rider on Fire & When You Call My Name - Rider on Fire / When You Call My Name

Adam had no sense of self. He’d lost it the moment he’d covered her mouth with his. He’d known it would be like this. She was sweet as wild honey, but the kiss was no longer enough. He rose up on his knees without breaking their kiss, then pulled her up to meet him. Now they were body to body, clinging to each other in quiet desperation.

The kiss lengthened—deepened.

Sonora lost focus when he took down her hair and ran his fingers through the length. She swayed weakly, then grabbed his shoulders to steady herself, but it was too little, too late.

Adam took her in his arms and laid her down, cradling the back of her head with his hand as he leaned over her, and as he did, saw a moment of panic on her face. Regretfully, he leaned down and rubbed his cheek against her face. Her skin was warm against his lips, and he could feel the rocket of her pulse against his fingers.

“I will never hurt you,” he whispered.

A tear rolled out of Sonora’s eye.

“You will break my heart.”

The poignancy in her words was a red light to what had been about to happen. Adam didn’t know what to say to make her believe it wasn’t true. But he couldn’t—wouldn’t—make love to her without her complete faith and trust.

“Never,” he said softly, then wrapped his arms around her and rolled them both until she was the one on top. They lay without moving or talking while the passion cooled.

Sonora didn’t know what to think. She’d thought they were going to make love and she’d wanted it. God knew how badly she’d wanted it. She still ached for the weight of him—for that promise in his eyes of things to come. And she still couldn’t believe what she’d said—that he would break her heart. It was as good as admitting that she already cared for him, which seemed ridiculous. They’d spent less than twenty-four hours together, but she felt as if she’d known him forever. He was a healer. Maybe he was a wizard, as well.

“Adam?”

He shifted to allow the weight of her head against his shoulder.

“Hmm?”

“Did you really make magic to get me here?”

He sighed. How did you explain the Native American way to someone who had not been raised in the culture?

“It’s not magic…exactly.”

“Did you put a spell on me, too?”

He grinned. “Honey, I didn’t even know you were you until I saw you at the gas station with the fire of a setting sun behind your back. How could I put a spell on someone I’d never met?”

“I don’t know…maybe the same way you sent for me. What did you call those…those…?”

“The Old Ones?”

“Yes, the Old Ones.”

“Do you believe in them?” he asked.

Sonora rose up on her elbows to look down at his face.

“I don’t know what to believe, but I’m here, and that in itself is a miracle. So if I accept your truth of how I got here, then it’s not reaching much further to assume you’ve put a spell on me.” She looked embarrassed, but she kept talking, intent on making her point. “It’s the only explanation for this…this…thing that’s between us.”

Adam’s eyes narrowed. “It’s called sexual attraction.”

Her eyes widened. She almost smiled.

“Is that what you call it?”

“Well, woman…it’s what we Indians call it. Is there another name for hot and heavy in the white man’s world?”

She grinned, then lightly punched his shoulder. “You’re teasing me.”

He grinned back. “Not about the sex part.”

“Okay, so there’s something between us.”

He arched an eyebrow and rocked his pelvis against her belly. “Yeah, but don’t worry. Eventually, it will go away.”

This time she laughed out loud then rolled off him and grabbed her fishing pole. “Shut up, Two Eagles. I have fish to catch.”

“Can I watch?”

She eyed him cautiously. “Are you capable of keeping your hands to yourself?”

“Oh, yes,” he said, and then proceeded to kiss her one more time.

“Hey,” Sonora said. “I thought you said—”

“You asked me if I was capable of keeping my hands to myself. I told you the truth. I am capable. But I didn’t promise I would.”

Sonora cast the line in the water, then propped the pole against a rock. Without saying a word, she turned around, grabbed Adam by the collar with both hands and yanked him forward.

They’d kissed before, but never like this. Sonora set him on fire. He’d thought about dying plenty of times, but never thought it would be like this.

“Sonora… God…let me—”

She turned him loose as fast as she grabbed him.

“I’ve got a bite,” she said calmly, bent down and picked up her fishing pole and landed a fish.

Adam was still shaking when she took it off the hook and put it on the stringer.

“You’ll stay for lunch, won’t you?”

Adam took a deep breath and jammed his hands through his hair, but wouldn’t answer.

That didn’t stop the conversation.

“Good,” Sonora said. “How hungry are you…one fish or two?”

“Starving,” he muttered, and pulled his T-shirt over his head.

When he sat down and pulled off his boots, then got up and started unbuckling his belt, Sonora’s lips went slack.

“Um…uh…”

He glared. “What? Don’t tell me you’ve never seen a naked man before?”

Sonora’s mouth went dry. She’d seen naked men before, but never one so remarkably built or so remarkably aroused.

She glared back. “I’ve seen plenty,” she snapped.

“So what’s your problem, then?” he asked.

She kept trying to look at his face, or at the trees under which they were standing—at anything and everything but the obvious.

“Uh…you’re…you’re…”

“I’m what?” he said, and then turned his back on her and dived into the water.

She watched the perfect dive with undue appreciation, both for his form and his perfect backside.

He came up with a whoosh, sending a shower of water into the air. The frustration and anger were gone from his face. To add insult to injury, he was treading water and grinning.

Sonora wanted to scream.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I think I was in the water when you answered. You were saying I was…?”

Sonora hadn’t grown up alone and tough for nothing.

“I was about to say…you’re scaring the fish.”

Sonora made Adam clean the fish. He considered it only fair since he’d come to the meal uninvited. Franklin woke up just as Sonora was taking the last fish from the skillet and followed the scent of his favorite food into the kitchen.

His delight in knowing there was fish for lunch doubled when he realized they would be having company.

“Adam! It’s good to see you. I was beginning to think you’d found something better to do than visit a sick old man.”

“You’re not old,” Adam said.

“Maybe not, but today I am not so sick that I can’t eat some of this wonderful fish. Daughter! It seems you have been busy while I was sleeping.”

“You have no idea,” Sonora muttered, then made herself smile.

She was still shocked at herself for letting Adam push all her buttons. Her lack of self-control was so out of character she felt off-center with the world.

Franklin paused. There was something different in her tone of voice, and now that he was looking, there was something different about her appearance, as well. This morning her hair had been up. Now it was down, and her face was flushed. The flush on her cheeks could have been from the heat of the kitchen, but the fact that she was studiously avoiding looking at Adam seemed more likely. And there was no explanation forthcoming as to why Adam’s hair was damp.