Free On Wings of Magic by Kay Hooper Page B

was impressed with the feat, but a little puzzled.
    Linking her fingers together at the back of his neck, she asked mildly, “Why are you carrying me? You always carry me.”
    “Romance,” he said, carrying her through the interested crowd in the bar.
    Kendall didn’t return the crowd’s interest; hers was focused entirely on Hawke’s face. She nodded wisely. “Storybook romance.”
    “That’s right. Although I have to admit, honey—you couldn’t make it up to your room alone. Not tonight.”
    “Am I drunk?” she asked curiously.
    “Slightly.”
    “Oh. I don’t feel drunk.” Thinking about that, Kendall was slightly surprised to find that they had reached the elevator. This time the ride up was shared with an older woman whose face Kendall recognized vaguely but couldn’t put a name to.
    Pushing the problem aside, she smiled brightly at the woman. “Hi. I’m Kendall. And this is Hawke.” She unlinked her fingers long enough to pat Hawke on the top of his head.
    “Hi.” The woman’s lips twitched strangely. “I’m Amanda.” She glanced at Hawke and added severely, “Shame on you!”
    Kendall felt Hawke’s shoulder shaking with silent laughter, and realized that Amanda had said something funny. She didn’t know what it was, but she smiled anyway.
    Amanda got off the elevator, apparently on her floor, and then Hawke and Kendall rode the rest of the way to the top floor alone. By the time they reached the door to Kendall’s suite, she Was staring in utter fascination at Hawke’s face. It seemed, oddly, that she had never really looked at him before.
    Halting in front of Kendall’s door, he met her intense gaze and seemed to have trouble speaking. His voice sounded hoarse. “I don’t suppose you can get your key out.”
    Abruptly, the intensity melted from Kendall’s expression. “I couldn’t find an elephant if it poked me with its trunk,” she told him solemnly, then dissolved into giggles.
    Sighing, Hawke set her carefully on her feet, grabbing the purse before it could drop to the floor. He had to lean Kendall against the doorjamb while he unlocked the door, and even then she showed a tendency to slide toward the floor. She was still giggling.
    The door opened at last, Hawke picked her up again and strode inside, kicking it shut behind them. He carried her through the sitting room, and Kendall only dimly noticed Gypsy curled up on the sofa. She became aware of her surroundings only when Hawke set her carefully on the bed and turned on a lamp on the nightstand.
    He stared down at her for a moment, then said roughly, “I know damn well you can’t get undressed by yourself. The thing is—I
don’t
know if I can undress you and then leave.”
    Quite sanely, Kendall realized that she wanted him to stay with her. Always. Forever. Artlessly, she held out her arms to him. “You don’t have to leave.”
    “Kendall—”
    “Please don’t leave.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t like to be alone in the dark, Hawke. Stay with me….”
    He groaned softly, abruptly reaching to pull her up from the bed and into his arms. Kendall could feel his fingers at the back of her neck, unfastening the single clasp that held up her dress, even as his mouth took hers with hungry intensity.
    Not even in the back of her mind was there a token protest. She wanted him desperately, her slender body flaming with a desire so powerful that it felt as if it scorched her. Her trembling fingers pushedthe jacket from his shoulders, and she felt her dress slide to the floor with only a whisper of sound.
    Hawke raised his head to look down at her, silver flames in his eyes. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered raggedly, his gaze devouring her body.
    Kendall felt herself lifted, and then she was aware of the softness of the bed beneath her back. Dimly, she realized that the maid must have turned down the covers, but it was only a fleeting thought. She lay silently and watched with dazed eyes as Hawke