Page 122 of The Enchanted Land

“Theron,” Seth murmured. “Nice man. Not your type, though. Lovely house.” He was concentrating on his pleasant task. His teeth made little bites in the palm of her hand.

“Seth, will you stop that!”

“I don’t plan to. I may stay here all day and make love to your hand. You used to love it.”

“When did you meet Theron?” She had to think of something else or her whole body might start shivering.

“When I asked him where you were. You have the sweetest little veins in your wrist.” He nibbled at them.

“Seth! Theron told you where I was? Why would he do that?” She made one supreme effort and succeeded in jerking her hand from Seth’s grasp. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

Seth gave a disappointed sigh and sat up in the bed. The quilts fell away to his waist, exposing his massive chest. The movement caused Adam to stir. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

“Morgan, sit down, please, and I’ll tell you about Theron.” He nodded toward Adam, quietly staring from one parent to the other.

She sat carefully on the edge of the bed.

“I told Theron what a fool I’d been. He agreed. But I told him how much I loved you and that I wanted a chance to win you back.”

“Oh, yes, you loved me—afteryou found out I was pure.”

Adam watched his mother. He didn’t like her tone of voice and he began to frown, her agitation scaring him.

“That’s not really true, love.” Seth’s voice was calm. “I admitted to myself a long time before I met Jessy that I loved you.” He continued before she could protest, “I would have come to you then, begged you to let me live with you. But I didn’t think you’d want me, poor as I was, not after the way you were accustomed to living, with Theron. Did I mention that I am a rich man now?”

Her look was steely. “Twenty-five thousand dollars should make you quite comfortable.”

Seth was puzzled. “Twenty-five…? Oh, the money you offered me to marry you. I told you that never meant anything to me.”

“How am I to know what to believe? Now you tell me you always loved me, but I remember some other things you said to me, such as accusing me of selling my body. You didn’t seem to love me then. Tell me this: When am I to believe you, and when am I not?”

Seth didn’t lose his slow, even smile. “I deserve your abuse. I deserve everything you have to say about me. I was a fool. I was hurt and jealous and I struck out at you.

“I want to make it up to you, Morgan. I love you and I plan to stay near you until you love me again, even if it takes years.”

“You seem confident that everything will work just as you plan. What if I told you that I loved someone else and that I couldn’t love you?” She looked toward the bedroom door.

Seth’s smile broadened. “I’ve seen Gordon kiss you, and I’ve kissed you. If you love him and hate me, then I prefer your hatred. It has more fire.”

“You—!” She struck him on the chest with her fist, but it was the same as striking an adobe wall, for all the damage it did.

Seth enclosed her fist in one of his, then encircled the other wrist with strong fingers. He pulled her to him, crushing her helpless arms between them. He entangled his hand in her hair, cradling the back of her head. He touched his lips to hers, sweetly, and then with a demanding eagerness. He forced her mouth open. Morgan responded fully, meeting his demands with more of her own.

Adam had never seen his mother kissed before, and he wasn’t sure her moans didn’t mean Seth was hurting her. He hit Seth’s shoulder with his fists. “Mama. Mama.”

Morgan heard her son and began to return to reality, forcing herself away from Seth.

Seth extended his now-empty arms to his son, to reassure him. “I don’t know whether he’s trying to protect you or me.”

“You?”

“A little fire goddess like his mother could easily destroy a mere mortal like me.”

She raised her hand to him again, but his teasing smile reminded her of what had just happened.

Angrily, she lifted Adam into her arms. “You’re going to have a long wait if you think I’ll ever fall in love with you. I’ve made all my mistakes already.”

She heard Seth’s laughter behind her.

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