It was wide and sturdy, and I didn’t have any trouble balancing on it. I looked at him and grinned happily.

“Hey! I’m almost even with you now.” And I was. Almost. My eyes came about to his chin. I looped my arms around his shoulders and leaned into him, kissing the cleft in that chin.

He responded by wrapping his arms around my waist, finding my lips with his, and beginning a slow, sensuous kiss that seemed to have no end. I parted my lips and let him devour me, losing myself in the heat of him. I was glad he had his arms around me, because my knees began to feel decidedly weak. He pulled me against him. His lips began a hot trail down the side of my neck. I leaned into him, letting my hands travel over the hard muscles of his shoulders and back.

Without pausing in his exploration, I felt him untying the laces of my leather top, which he deftly pulled off me. His head lowered to my breasts as he began alternating erotically between nibbling, sucking and kissing. Then I felt his hand untying the laces of my pants. I held tightly to him and stepped out of them, so that now all I was wearing was one of my tiny thongs. I whispered, more than a little breathlessly, “I thought it wasn’t smart for you to shape-shift right now.”

His hands cupped my ass and he pulled me roughly against him again, whispering back into my mouth, “I am not going to shape-shift.” He playfully took my bottom lip between his teeth.

“Oh,” I said when he released my lip. “Then what—”

“That is the surprise.”

Staying in the safety of his arms, I leaned back a little bit so I could see his eyes.

“I don’t understand.”

He kept one arm around me as he talked; the other was busy with my body. First he caressed my breasts gently.

“I had a talk with Carolan—” His voice was low and seductive, and what his hand was doing was making my head feel dizzy. “About human female anatomy.”

I blinked, not sure if I’d heard him correctly.

“What? I still don’t understand.”

His hand traveled from my breasts to my waist and stomach. “Relax, you will.” His hand dipped down, slipping inside my thong and sliding easily over the hot moistness he found there.

I sucked in my breath and leaned my head against his shoulder, letting my own hand roam under his open vest.

“I asked him how I could pleasure you when I was not able to shape-shift.” His fingers moved back and forth. “He explained several things to me.” He bent and captured my mouth again, while his fingers kept up their erotic dance.

Slowly, he broke the kiss, and whispered to me. “And our talk gave me an idea. Trust me, and I think you will enjoy yourself.”

“I’m already enjoying myself,” I said breathlessly.

He smiled. “There is more.”

“Oh, God,” I moaned.

He smiled again and explained, “I am going to put you on my back. I want you to scoot forward, press your body against me, and wrap your arms tightly around me. Then move with my rhythm.” He kissed me again.

I made a mewing sound when his fingers stilled, then retreated. He held me with one hand, and with the other he quickly stripped off his vest, leaving his torso bare. Then I felt his strong hands encircle my waist, and he lifted me, placing me firmly on his back.

He turned his head and spoke over his shoulder. “Hold me tightly.”

I moved myself as far forward as I could, loving the feel of my naked breasts against the heat of his back. I wrapped my arms tightly around him, stroking my hands from his chest down to his hard stomach, while I kissed and nibbled on the line of his shoulder blades.

“Now press yourself against me as I move.” His voice was thick with desire, and I felt chills travel down my inner thighs in response.

He started out, moving in a rolling canter. I felt my pelvis rock with him, back and forth, back and forth, as if his hand was still caressing me. I moaned and buried my face between his shoulder blades. His arms covered my arms. Then, slowly, his gait increased, and the rhythmic rocking increased…and increased…and increased…until suddenly I found myself exploding and dissolving into him.

It was so good it made my back teeth ache—I swear.

His gallop decreased in speed as he circled back to our log. By the time we were back where we started, I felt as if I had no bones left in my body. Not that I minded.

“Rhea, I’m going to set you on the log.”

I nodded sleepily against his back, and he gently lifted me to the log.

“Open your eyes so I know you will not fall when I let go of you.”

I opened my eyes and stretched like a cat.

He watched me for a moment with a pleased expression on his face. Then he asked, “Did you like your surprise?”

“Absolutely.” (Note to self: thank Carolan.) I looked at him dreamily. “But what about you?”

“Me?” He was putting his vest back on and searching around for my shirt and pants.

“Yeah. You know, is there something I can do to, um, pleasure you?” I held my breath waiting for his answer.

It came in the form of a horse-size belly laugh.

“I think not, love,” he said when he was able to control himself.

He handed me my clothes, still chuckling to himself.

I was feeling a little disgruntled and slightly embarrassed as I jerked my clothes back on, trying to tie the intricate laces myself.

“Let me do that.” His fingers took over for mine as I swept my hair out of the way.

When he was finished he noticed my (unusual) silence. I didn’t meet his eyes, but I felt him study me, and when I did allow myself to glance up at him I saw his eyes widened in sudden understanding. He took my chin in his hand and tilted my face so that I had to meet his gaze.

“I did not mean to belittle or embarrass you. I am pleased that you offered, but—” his smile lit up the night, and I felt my lips turning up in response “—you are such a small human.” He chuckled again and kissed me gently.

I let my arms slide around his shoulders, and he put one arm around my back and one arm under my legs, carrying me close to him as we headed back to the camp. I rested my head on his shoulder.

“But it doesn’t seem fair. I want to please you, too.” Although I did really enjoy the fact that he thought of me as “small.”

“Your pleasure is my own,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice and kissed the top of my head. “Do you not understand that I was born to love you?”

You belong to one another, Beloved.

The Goddess’s words filled my mind. “Yes, I understand.” My voice was choked with emotion. I watched his strong profile in the moonlight, and saw his lips turn up in a contented smile.

It was at that moment that I vowed to myself, I will never be parted from him.

12

The sounds of horses’ hooves rustling through dried leaves called me from my deep, dreamless sleep. Then I smelled something that reminded me of scrambled eggs…and frying meat. I rolled over, trying to find a comfortable spot on the hard ground so that I could drift back to sleep, but deep voices shouting orders made me crack open my eyes. It was still dark, but I could see that a pale hint of dawn was beginning to push night away.

“Good morning, Lady Rhea!” Sila’s cheerful voice assaulted me.

“Morning,” I muttered in reply, rubbing my eyes.

“Victoria found a nest of partridge eggs, do they not smell delicious?” She beamed at me as she reached down and stirred the contents of an iron pot that was perched between two rocks so that it hung above the campfire.

“Yeah, they smell great.” They did, but the aches and soreness in my slowly awakening muscles sucked the life out of the pleasure I took in the yummy smell.

I’d forgotten how horrible traveling centaurback for a protracted period of time was. Every muscle in my body screamed for my mineral pool and a nice massage. I stood slowly, feeling each second of my thirty-five-plus years, multiplied by ten. My hair was a nest. My back hurt. And my breath probably smelled like someone’s dirty toes.

I really hated camping.

I tried to return Sila’s perky smile (great—another morning centaur). “I’m going to, uh, freshen up.”

“Wonderful! The eggs should be ready when you return.”

How could anyone be so happy before the sun had risen?

“Okay,” I mumbled and began limping toward the riverbank. On the way centaurs kept calling me by name and wishing me a good morning. I did my best to be polite, especially when several of them commented graciously on the Phantom of the Temple story. I found a receptive bush, and managed to scale my way to the river, wash my hands, face and scrub my teeth with my finger, then scramble my way back up the bank.

Ah, the Wonderful World of Camping—may it rot in hell.

A huge amount of scrambled eggs mixed with reheated Bambi was hot off the grill as I grumbled my way back into camp. ClanFintan, Dougal and two more young centaurs I recognized from the night before were already eating. I wondered where Vic was, but common sense told me Ms. Huntress was probably already scouting around, looking for something tender to kill.

“Good morning, my Lady.” ClanFintan gave me a quick smile and handed me a wide leaf filled with steaming egg and meat.

“Morning.” I tried to smile back. I sat on the log and carefully scooped the hot mixture into my mouth with my fingers, and noticed my bedding was already packed away somewhere. Everyone looked eager to hit the road.

“Will we reach the temple today?” I asked ClanFintan as I chewed the surprisingly scrumptious egg mixture.

“Yes, we should arrive just before dusk.”

“They do know we’re coming, don’t they?” I asked.

“Runners were sent, as well as carrier-pigeon messages. They know our plan.”

“Any word on the condition of the ladies?”

“None. The centaur runners were directed to stay there and prepare for our arrival, and nothing was mentioned through pigeon messages.”

“Rats with wings,” I muttered around a piece of egg а la Bambi.

ClanFintan gave me a questioning look.

“Just ignore me—I’m grumpy in the morning.” I looked around at the lack of light. “And especially grumpy in the premorning.”

ClanFintan laughed good-naturedly. “You just need to get going. Once we have started you can go right back to sleep.” He lowered his voice and brushed a curl away from my face. “If I remember correctly, you are quite comfortable astride me.”