The Bronzed Hawk by Iris Johansen

gave an amused chuckle. “And what would you have done if he’d called your bluff?”
    His lids flickered open, and his eyes were glacier hard. “I would have done it,” he said simply, and Kelly knew that he meant it.
    She gave a little shiver. “Well, then it’s a good thing he backed down,” she said with forced lightness. “In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re slightly outnumbered.”
    “I noticed,” he said laconically. He stood up and picked up her cup, plate, and spoon. “I’ll see if I can’t trade these for another blanket. It may not be as warm here as it would be closer to the campfire, but I’d just as soon keep you out of view in case Pedro has second thoughts.”
    Kelly watched him as he strode quickly over to the campfire and disposed of the plate, cup, and spoon. He spoke briefly to the bandit leader, who was almost asleep, and then picked up a gray- and black-striped blanket. He turned and strolled toward her, tossing a casual
“buenas noches”
over his shoulder.
    Nick threw the striped blanket on her lap and dropped down beside her on the nylon chute.“We’d better get some shut-eye,” he said, yawning. He stretched lazily, his muscles rippling beneath the black cotton shirt. He had half unbuttoned the shirt earlier in the heat of the day, and Kelly found she was having problems keeping her eyes off his powerful bronzed chest with its thatch of springy dark hair. “The trip to the village will be quite a walk, and I doubt if Pedro will put a horse at our disposal.”
    “You could always play cards for it,” Kelly suggested, grinning.
    He stripped off his shirt and folded it in a roll, then picked up his jacket and duplicated the action. He put both under his head and stretched out, sighing wearily. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to watch Nick as he prepared for the night, Kelly mused. Who would have dreamed that she could feel so intimate with any man after such a short time, much less someone as complicated and sophisticated as Nick? Yet, it wasn’t so strange when she really thought about it. They had experienced more emotions and trying times together in the past forty-eight hours than another couple might in a year of courtship.Courtship? What an old-fashioned term for the passionate affair that Nick wanted to initiate, Kelly thought wryly. He wanted none of the graceful rituals that led to a permanent relationship, and she must accept that.
    “You won’t need your jacket with this blanket for cover,” Nick said. “Take it off and use it for a pillow.” He watched her as she unzipped the jacket, took it off, and folded it carefully. Then as she would have placed it on the other side of their nylon ground cover, he reached out and dragged it a few inches from his own. “I thought we’d settled that last night.” He held out his arms imperiously. “Come here.”
    For a moment she was tempted to defy him on general principles. Then, noticing the weariness in his face, she felt a strange tenderness. He had earned his rest tonight, she thought, and she wasn’t about to argue with him on such a trivial matter. She quietly curled up beside him with her back to him as she had the previous night. She felt his arms slide around her, drawing her closer to his warmth. He pulled the gray-striped blanket over both of them, tucking it under her chin,and then nuzzled his face in the soft curls at her nape. “Your hair smells like wood smoke and lemon,” he said softly. “It’s delicious. You should patent it.”
    She could feel the tempo of her heart increase as his lips brushed gently at the sensitive hollow beneath the silky ringlets.
    “I don’t think it would sell,” she said faintly. “Not everyone is as discriminating as you. Most people prefer Chanel or Dior.”
    “Philistines,” he said, his lips nibbling gently at her ear. “Your scent is much more erotic. It brings back tribal memories of cavemen seducing their women in front of a primitive