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fell over her shoulders practically to her waist. She looked more fragile this morning, dressed in his oversize clothes. The feeling of protectiveness arose even stronger than before. He ignored it and focused on the coffee cup she held in her hands. “I see you figured out how to work the stove.”
    She grinned. “It sure beats gathering kindling for a fire. The coffeepot was on a back burner, and I found the coffee grounds by opening cupboards and sniffing. Would you like this cup? I can get myself another.”
    “That’s all right. I can get a cup for myself.”
    Before he could stand, she laid a hand on his bare chest. “Don’t get up.”
    Dallas couldn’t have moved if his life depended on it. Even though she was barely touching him, he was distinctly aware of her fingertips on his flesh.
    Angel was amazed at how hot his skin felt. She was intimately aware of the crisp hair under herfingers, of the firm muscle that tensed beneath her touch. She withdrew her hand ever so slowly, as though she were escaping a trap that might spring closed if she weren’t extremely careful.
    She set the coffee cup on the low wooden table beside the sofa, said “I’ll be right back” and turned to go.
    Dallas stood and caught her wrist before she had gone two steps. “Don’t leave.”
    Angel glanced over her shoulder and froze at the sight of him. The hair on his chest arrowed toward his belly. Her eyes followed the dark line down until it was cut off by his jeans. The top button was undone, and they had slid down his hips. Beneath the worn blue denim was the unmistakable proof that he was as aware of her as she was of him.
    Angel didn’t resist his hold on her wrist, merely poised herself to flee or fight, whichever alternative should offer her the best chance of survival.
    Only, to her surprise, Dallas released her.
    “I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said.
    “You didn’t,” Angel lied. She saw him wince as she rubbed her wrist where he had held her.
    “Did I hurt you?”
    “No.” He hadn’t, she realized. But she could still feel his flesh on hers. The sensation had been stunning.
    They weren’t touching now, but an invisible bond seemed to hold them in thrall. Neither moved, neither broke the spell until finally Angel realized that she was waiting for him to make the first move, to touch her again. That wasn’t fair to him…or to her. She had gone her whole life without being touched by a man as much as Dallas had touched her in the past twenty-four hours. It was foolish to get embroiled in something she wouldn’t be around to finish.
    “Can I—” She had to stop and clear her throat before she could continue. “Can I make you some breakfast?”
    Dallas smiled. Trust a woman to think of a man’s stomach at a time like this. “A couple of fried eggs and some bacon would be fine,” he said. “I’ll come along and show you where things are.”
    Angel hesitated and then nodded.
    Once they had something to do, it wasn’t so hard being in the same room with each other. The tension was always there, but they could channel it into action and thus defuse it.
    Angel found the contents of the refrigerator a marvel. Imagine the convenience of a dozen eggs in a plastic carton and bacon already sliced and ready to fry! She laughed when Dallas showedher the pre-made biscuits in a cardboard cylinder. They weren’t half-bad.
    Dallas didn’t say much while they ate, but it wasn’t a peaceful silence. Angel knew he was agitated. He opened his mouth several times to speak, then snapped it shut again. She didn’t press him. In her experience it was best to let a man do his thinking without interruption. When he was ready, he would talk.
    Only, when Dallas finally spoke she wasn’t at all pleased with what he had to say.
    “I made a mistake bringing you here, Angel. I should have taken you to San Antonio, to a hospital or somewhere they can take care of you.”
    “You don’t believe me,” she said flatly. “I