No matter what he'd told her – what she'd teased him with – he knew they were good together. He'd given her the ring to prove it. And then, damn her treacherous hide, she'd tried to give it back to him. He'd only shown her sister attention to make Nell jealous. Susan was pretty, but kind of cold like she had an icicle for a spine. But Nell, God, she was like one of those hot springs out West. She knew how to heat a man up.Eventually he'd made her keep the ring.It was meant to bind them together, to seal their confidences. Nell enjoyed confidences, secrets, little games.She liked to taunt him with word play, to say one thing and gaze at him over a cup and saucer, her eyes sparkling, to see if he got her little joke. His mind always scurried to find the double meaning in her words.But where was the damn ring now? Nell knew all kinds of things about him. And she enjoyed the power that knowledge gave her. At first, he hadn't minded. She was so pliable and soft-spoken, she'd hardly seemed a problem.
