she'd heard any of his thoughts since he'd woken up, and he'd had some pretty heated ones.
I want to strip you naked, he projected, still watching her.
No reaction. Her fingers remained steady.
I want to crawl over your body, lick every inch of you, and savor your taste. Still no reaction.
I'll start with your lips, then work my way down, and I won't stop until you're writhing in pleasure and screaming for God to deliver you from my tongue.
Again, nothing.
Interesting, he thought again. Very interesting. Could she no longer read his mind? During their escape from the demon palace, she'd mentioned that there were times she was unable to get inside his head. What prevented her from doing so? Less and less, he liked the idea of this woman knowing his every thought.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked. "Your body has gone stiff."
"Can't you read my mind?" His gaze probed her.
She paused. She drew back and stared down at him. "You sound upset by the very idea. I can't help what I am, Gray. You were thankful for my ability only a few days ago."
On a sigh of regret, he anchored one of his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. "I know."
"If it makes you feel any better," she said grudgingly, "I'm having trouble getting into your head. It's like your mind built up an immunity to me when - " She stopped abruptly.
"When?" he prompted, then his eyelids popped open as her words confirmed his suspicions. "You can't read my mind anymore? Not at all?"
"No." She sounded both annoyed and shocked. "And believe me, I've tried."
He decided to test her one more time. I won't rest until I've had you in every position possible. And when I'm done with you, your naked, sweaty body will be so sated you'll never again be able to think of sex without picturing my face.
Nope. Nothing.
"Finally." He sighed with pleasure. "We're on equal footing."
"Then why do I always feel off balance with you?" she asked, resuming her doctoring. When she finished bandaging his wound, she sat back and eyed the results. "You'll be sore and weak for several more days, and I'm sorry for that but there's no help for it. The important thing is that you will heal." As she spoke, her stomach growled.
His grin spread as quickly as the color in her cheeks. "Hungry?" "Yes." She nodded, rubbing her belly. "Very."
"I have energy bars in my pack."
"Energy bars?"
"Tasteless morsels packed with everything our bodies need to survive."
"Sounds... delicious." Her nose wrinkled, but she leaned over him, meshing her breasts into his chest.
His blood heated as desire rushed through him.
She rooted through the backpack. "I have bread in my satchel."
"Grab that, too. The bars will help us keep up our strength, but they won't do much to fill us up."
"Is this what I'm looking for?" she asked, holding up a brown-packaged rectangle.
"Yes," he said, his voice more hoarse than he would have liked. She started to pull away.
"Maybe you should dig one out for me, too."
"Of course."
"Just make sure you dig real deep." He wriggled his eyebrows at her.
Her lips twitched, a smile clinging to the edges. She reached deep inside the bag and withdrew another energy bar.
"Oh, yeah. Just like that."
"I suppose this is where I demand payment?" She slid away from him, leaving a trail of heat, and grabbed two pieces of hard, slightly crumbling bread. "I did warn you that I planned to start charging you for your naughty invitations."
He allowed his gaze to sweep over her. The hem of her robe was noticeably shorter where she'd torn the strips for his wounds, revealing the peaches-and-cream perfection of her calves. Smooth and lean, slightly muscled. All traces of amusement abandoned him. Though she'd moved away, he felt the imprint of her nipples all the way to the marrow of his bones.
"I did warn you that I planned to pay with kisses," he said, willing her to close the rest of the distance between them. He needed her tongue in his mouth. Weakened body be damned.
She lost her amusement, too. Her smile disappeared. Desire lit her features, swirling in her eyes. "Yes, you did warn me," she said, breathless.
"Com'ere."
Slowly she moved her face toward his, so close the sweetness of her breath fanned his chin. "I shouldn't." "You should."
"You're hurt."
"Not too hurt. Kiss me."
"Yes, I - no." She blinked and straightened her back, widening the distance between them. "No. We need to eat," she said, giving no other