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“DES? Can you hear me?”

That voice crying softly to him … A woman’s voice … An American, he realized, since every once in a while he could hear her speaking English to him. Who in the hell was she?

Slowly his senses picked up other things. The warmth of two feminine hands closed around his, the subtle fragrance of wildflowers found in the highest meadows.

“Please wake up and talk to me,” the sweet voice called to him.

With that urgent entreaty, he made the effort and opened his eyes to discover an enchanting face bent over him, wet with tears. She’d been crying. He didn’t understand why.

The tips of her light brown hair, streaked with gold highlights, brushed against his jaw. Those liquid-filled eyes of amber brown … He’d seen them before. But where? Right now they were full of anxiety and a plea for him to stay with her.

“I’m Ally. Do you remember me?”

He was trying to think, but the pain at the side of his forehead kept interfering with his concentration. “Ally who?” he whispered.

“Ally Bonner. Miguel asked if you would take me ice climbing.”

Something clicked in his brain. “You’re the Teton girl who wears the cowboy boots!”

“Yes!”

Her smile of relief radiated a universe of sunshine. It seeped into those dark places where he’d been living for such a long time. “Thank heavens you’re going to be all right.”

He took a deep breath. “I remember reaching you and handing you the ax. Then I was overwhelmed by dizziness and couldn’t hold on.”

She squeezed his hand before letting go. “So that’s what happened! I watched you fall. I’ve never felt so helpless in my life.”

“I’ve never felt that sick in my life. I was supposed to be protecting you. Where am I?”

“At the clinic here in Puerto d’Ara.”

“Why are you crying?”

He heard her take a shuddering breath. “Because you’re alive… . My … fiancé wasn’t as lucky.”

Fiancé? “What happened to him?”

“We were doing a float trip together down the Snake River with a group of tourists from the dude ranch I help my family run. Like you, he said he’d put his helmet on in a minute. When we hit the rapids at the wrong angle, it tipped and Rex was thrown. He hit his head on a boulder. We managed to rescue him from the water but he was unconscious… . He never came out of the coma,” she said on a whisper.

Des’s stomach clenched, imagining the horror of it. He’d heard her anguish.

“When I saw you lying there, I couldn’t bear it.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Ally.”

She drew herself up and wiped her eyes. “It’s in the past now. What’s important is that you’re awake and will live to climb another day.”

“Thanks to you. How did I get here?”

“I brought you.”

He frowned, but even that hurt. “How?”

The corner of her mouth lifted. Though she wasn’t conscious of it, he found her smile seductive. “The old-fashioned way.”

What? He stared hard at her. “You mean you dragged me off the ice by yourself?”

She nodded, causing her wavy hair to dance along her shoulders. He remembered she’d been wearing it in a ponytail before. Either way, she was a knockout. “Those harnesses come in handy for a lot of reasons. The hardest part was getting you in the back of your truck.”

“But you managed it. And got me here.” A swell of gratitude and admiration took over, shocking the hell out of him. Only then did he realize there was an IV in his other arm. “What time is it now?”

“Five in the evening.”

“How long have I been asleep?”

“On and off since yesterday afternoon.”

He’d lost a whole twenty-four hours? “But that’s impossible!”

“Your body needed the rest. Besides having a slight concussion, the doctor says you have the flu. It hit you hard, that’s why you’ve been sleeping so long.”

Des was incredulous. He passed a hand over his jaw and felt his growth of beard with disgust. “I remember feeling nauseous for the last few days, but figured it was a bug and would pass. Instead of obeying the warning signs, I endangered your life.”

“No, you didn’t,” she insisted. “You did such an expert job of preparing me that I was able to respond. But next time, take your own advice and put your helmet on before you do anything else, okay?”

Des was in awe of this woman. She’d endured heartbreak and grief. Des’s experience with his fiancée couldn’t compare. Now he could truly see it for what it was—a blow to his pride, nothing more. He felt the fool for having allowed it to affect him so much. He’d wasted the past year of his life. On a trifle.

“What’s put that fierce look on your face?” she asked.

“I was also engaged once … this time last year, in fact. But I broke it off and am happy to say that by now she has probably found herself someone greedier than she is.” At her surprised expression, he explained his words. “When I took her ice climbing for the first and only time, she bruised her ankle, then sued my company to make money off an injury that was so minimal she could walk on it within a day.”

“Oh, dear. Are you very rich?” she teased.

“Extremely,” he said in total honesty, unafraid to admit it to her.

“Is she very beautiful, the way I imagine Bizet’s Carmen? Long black hair? Fiery dark eyes, passionate to her very soul with a figure to die for?”

“I’ll admit her beauty was extraordinary.” But her soul …

“Then you’re probably right, and she has the kind of marriage she’s been waiting for all her life, where both grasping parties have their needs completely met.”

After that comment Des broke into full-bodied laughter, delighted by her intelligence and the fact that she didn’t take herself seriously.

“Señor Pastrana,” the doctor said as he walked into the room. “I’m happy to hear you laugh like that. It is the best of signs. And I’m glad that you’re now fully awake and talking to Señorita Bonner. She’s been at your bedside since yesterday, waiting for you to open your eyes. Welcome back. How are you feeling?”

“Good.” It was the truth … since he’d awakened to an angel staring down at him.

The doctor checked Des’s vital signs while Ally kept watch. “Can you give me a few more details, por favor?”

“My head hurts, but it’s not that bad and I’m no longer feeling sick to my stomach.”

“Muy bien. We’ve been giving you antinausea medication in your IV. Keep this up and tomorrow you’ll be able to go home—provided you take care of yourself.”

Ally’s face lit up. “That’s wonderful news.”

For several reasons, Des agreed.

The doctor smiled at him. “You were fortunate your lovely climbing companion here got you off the ice quickly. Otherwise we would have had to treat you for hypothermia. But I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t warn you of the dangers of pushing yourself too hard. You may be the head of a successful business empire and famous throughout Spain, but you are still human.”

“I’ve had a lot of work to accomplish,” he admitted.

“Don’t we all, but that’s the reason why this particular flu hit you especially hard. Follow my advice and take it easy for a while.” He smiled. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Gracias, doctor.”

“De nada.”

As Des looked at Ally again he considered the doctor’s words. Perhaps he should take some time off from work and find more … pleasurable ways to fill his life.