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She only smiled, coaxed the lighter from his lean fingers, flicked on the flame and held it to the
cigarette.
"Proud of yourself?" he asked coldly. He smiled, but not happily.
"Proud of what I can do to you, yes," she confessed gently. "You seem so reserved at times, so
unapproachable. It's nice to know you're human."
"You almost found out exactly how human," he muttered.
Her eyes searched his, and she sighed softly. "I tingle all over. That was so sweet."
"Not for me," he said through his teeth.
She watched his face, frowning a little. "I don't understand."
"I know." He took a deep draw from the cigarette and turned away, walking down the beach.
She followed, puzzled. "Can't you talk about it?"
He reached out, drawing her gently against his hips.
His voice at her temple was slow and thick with discomfort. "I ache for you," he whispered. "Badly.
Have you forgotten what we talked about, how after a certain point it's difficult to pull back?"
"I wasn't going to stop you," she reminded him.
"We couldn't very well make love on the beach in full view of my family!" he burst out. "Where's
your mind tonight?"
"I don't know," she sighed. "I ache in places I never knew I had, I'm burning up with desire, and here
you are, fully capable of putting out every fire I've got, and you're complaining that you're in pain."
He couldn't help it; he burst out laughing. "Oh, my God," he moaned.
She threw up her hands. "I offer you myself, no strings attached, and you walk off in a snit."
"Your parents would be ashamed of you," he pointed out.
"My parents don't expect me to be superhuman," she shot back. "God made bodies, you know, so I
guess He expected that people would want to enjoy them occasionally."
"Although you'd rather do so with a ring on your finger," he prodded.
She shrugged. "Yes. But that doesn't cool me off any."
"Cool, the devil." He flung the cigarette away and lifted her suddenly, carrying her into the surf. "I'll
cool you off."
He dumped her into the next wave. She spluttered and struggled to her feet, her dress plastered to her
body, her hair in strings down her back.
"Wild animal!" she raged.
"Sexy baggage," he returned. "Want to hit me? Come on. Try it."
She took a swing at him. He sidestepped, and she went down again, and before she could get up he
was in the water beside her, holding her down.
There was a look in his eyes that she'd never seen, and the sheer strength of his hands excited her.
"You can't very well wear it like that, can you?" He laughed softly as he felt her bedraggled dress. "Let
me help you out of it."
"You can't! Not here!" she gasped, looking around wildly.
"Yes I can," he shot back, and he began unfastening the soaking dress.
The surf crashed around them while he undressed her, and she reveled in the contrast between the
cool water and her heated flesh, in the lazy contact of his hands, in the look on his dark face as he
uncovered and savored every soft inch of her, his eyes lingering on her full breasts.
"God, what a beauty you are," he whispered. "I ought to strangle you for doing this to me."
"I'd like to point out that you're undressing me, not vice versa," she choked.
"You've seen me without my clothes," he said softly, searching her eyes.
"Yes." Her lips parted as she looked at him. "I wish we were alone. Totally alone."
"Stop tempting me," he whispered. After a minute, he reluctantly fastened the dress again and, with a
heavy sigh, picked her up. His arms were strong and comforting against the night breezes. She
snuggled closer, feeling unutterably cared for, and he bent to kiss her gently as he carried her up the
beach. "You need to change and get some sleep. And in case you want to know, I'm leaving you at the
door."
"Why?" she moaned against his lips.
"Sex makes babies," he whispered back. "I don't have anything to protect you."
She moaned again. "I don't care," she wailed.
"You would in the morning." He carried her to the door and set her slowly on her feet, taking a
minute to run his hands over her and make her tremble with wanting.
"Sexy," he murmured. "Sexy and sweet, and I want to bury myself in you. Now you'd better get inside
and try to sleep."
"Don't go," she whispered. "You're soaking wet, too."
"I can't very well walk home without my clothes." He chuckled. "Go to bed."
She shivered. "I can't."
"Why not?"
"My house key is in my pocketbook. Inside," she added with a faint flush. "Well, I forgot when I
locked the door..."
He looked heavenward. "Women!" He searched until he found the spare key she hid under the hibiscus
bush. "Here. I remembered, even if you didn't."
She looked up at him, her heart shaking her. He was so much man. So big and capable and strong, and
just for once she liked being dependent, letting him take care of her. She thought about how it would
be, having him beside her in the darkness, holding him through the night. Just holding him would be
enough, she realized suddenly.
What she felt was overpowering but not entirely physical. It was so tender, so sweet and new. If only
he could feel it for her.
He unlocked the door and opened it, glancing down at her expression curiously. "What's wrong?" he
asked, pressing the key into her palm.
"Nothing, really."
He reached in and switched on the light, then looked at her, drinking in the contours of her body now
clearly visible through the dress plastered wetly to her skin. He shook his head. "You'll be the death of
me one day.
I'll have a heart attack trying to be noble."
"I won't take the blame," she said pertly.
"I won't take you" he whispered, bending to brush a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Now go to bed,
siren.
We've got an early flight."
"All right."
He handed her a shawl from the hat rack, watching her wrap herself in it. "Why do you want me all of
a sudden?" he asked gently. "You've spent two years keeping me at arm's length. What's changed?"
"I never knew how devastating it could be," she said shyly.
"It shocks me a little, too," he said honestly. "You're not exactly my usual kind of woman."
"Maybe that's why you want me," she essayed.
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