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Authors: Patricia Hagan

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Page forward for an excerpt from

Patricia Hagan's award-winning

Simply Heaven

Excerpt from

Simply Heaven

Patricia Hagan

Steve angrily shoved his way back through the bushes.

Raven heard him but pretended not to, quickly buttoning her shirt. She was almost done when she felt his hands fasten on her shoulders to spin her about. Adrenaline surged as she prepared to defend herself, for this was the moment she had been waiting for—to make him want her beyond all reason and then humiliate him by overpowering him.

Now, however, as she stared up at him, caught in his burning gaze, she trembled not from fear that he could harm her physically but rather the betrayal of her own body. His eyes had captured hers to imprison them in a building fever of shared desire, and she was powerless to pull away.

Steve could see how unnerved she was and found himself wondering whether she had deliberately made him want her or if she actually was so naive as not to comprehend the effect she had upon him now that she no longer had to pretend to be anything other than what she was.

He could see her pulse beating in her throat, heard the quick, ragged breaths she drew, and saw how her breasts rose and fell as he held her tight against him. He fought against smiling to realize that she was shaken by his nearness, and the angry clutching of his fingers melted into a gentle caress.

"Damn you," he whispered huskily, hoarsely, as he drew her against him. "Damn you for making me do this, Raven." His mouth closed over hers.

The kiss ran passionate and deep, and, despite herself, Raven could not fight it. Her lips parted beneath his gentle assault, and she could only yield to the delicious wonder of his exploring tongue. His hands moved to her back, trailing up and down her curves, pressing her yet closer, until they seemed molded together. Through the haze of desire that had entrapped her, she was startled to feel his hardness against her. It was the clarity of desire she had sought to create, but in so doing she had unwittingly caused her own. And now she melted against him in submission as his touch fed the flames within, making them leap higher and higher till she was consumed, devoured, and ready to yield to his every wish.

His hands moved to her breasts, to cup and squeeze, and his hardness against her began to throb, ever so gently, and she thrilled to it and unconsciously leaned into it, but at the same time knew she had to pull away lest there be no turning back. It was madness, weakness, and she had prided herself on never being weak.

Her hands had been clutching his shoulders, and it was all she could do to move, for they seemed to have become leaden, refusing to budge.

With all her strength, she was finally able to place them against his chest and make ready to push him away.

But at that precise instant, Steve released her.

She blinked in stunned disbelief to see his mouth spread into a slow, taunting grin and his eyes no longer glazed with rapture but mocking, instead. "This isn't what you had in mind, is it, sweetheart? You weren't supposed to want it too, were you?"

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered and began backing away from him.

He made no move to stop her. "Sure you do. You've been teasing me so you could laugh in my face, only you didn't figure on catching the fever yourself."

As the distance between them widened, her bravado returned. "You're crazy. I didn't know you were going to spy on me when I took a bath, and I didn't enjoy what you were doing just now. You took me by surprise for a minute, that's all."

"You wanted me to see you bathing."

She shook her head wildly. "That's not true."

"And last night you wanted to make me crazy thinking about you lying there half naked, hoping I'd try to crawl in bed with you so you could scream rape, bring the Hannibals running, and tell them how I forced you to pretend we were married. That would have made me look like a prize fool in front of everybody. Only it didn't work, sweetheart, not there and not here, where you were probably hoping to catch me in a weak moment, bust my head with a rock, and take off. You're quite a little actress, you know that? You pretend to be so shy and innocent, but actually you're a scheming little witch."

Raven could have told him he was wrong. It wasn't to make him look foolish that she had tried to make him want her, it was to get back at him for all those nights she had lain awake wanting
him.
Only now it didn't matter, because desire had turned to loathing.

"You started all this. You came into my world, I didn't go to yours. And you forced me to come with you, and I told you when you did you'd be sorry. And you will.

"But hear this," she continued furiously. "I didn't want you just now. I could never want a stubborn oaf like you." She finished with a curt nod.

Steve cocked his head to one side. "Now is that a fact? Because I'd have sworn you wanted me just now as bad as I wanted you. Let's find out."

He took a step toward her, but Raven threw up her hands and made ready for combat. She was weak no longer, and anything she had felt for him had dissolved amid humiliation and indignity. "Don't come any closer," she warned.

Steve paused and bit down on his lower lip as it came to him what she had actually been planning. The little vixen probably knew every Indian trick there was and could fight like a warrior. She had no doubt hoped to get him in a vulnerable position and then beat the tar out of him before he knew what happened.

And suddenly it all seemed hilarious, and he threw back his head and laughed long and loud.

"You'll regret treating me this way," Raven warned.

"Well, if kissing me like you just did is a sample of revenge, I'll be looking forward to it. Meanwhile, I suggest a truce so we can get to where we're going." He walked away to leave her standing there glaring after him.