Lori Foster - UP In Flames

With her hands fisted in her ruined skirts, she forced a calm tone and said, “I was trying to be cordial, Adam, considering you played the gallant and rescued me.”

He scowled. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You dove in after me,” she reminded him. “You didn’t have to do that, all things considered. The least I can do now is try to be nice.”

He stared, his expression stunned. “Nice?” Then he laughed and dropped his head onto the sand with a groan. He was silent a moment before muttering, “Well, what do you know. You owe me.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Didn’t you? It’s appropriate, don’t you think? My clothes are ruined, and it’s for certain I’ve missed my damned meeting.” He cocked an eye open to look at her. “All because I jumped in to save you.”

“Don’t curse.”

Coming up on one elbow, he growled, “I’ll damn well curse if I want to! You have no idea what missing that meeting means.”

She leaned back, away from the force of his anger. Subdued just a bit, she said, “So tell me.”

He glared at her, then turned his head away. After a second, he plopped back on the sand. “Forget it.”

She shrugged, but since he wasn’t watching her, he didn’t see it. Guilt gnawed at her. “I suppose I do owe you. A little.”

“A lot.”

She sighed. “Very well. I owe you a lot. How much money will you be out because of our...misfortune?”

His gaze turned lethal, and the words were little more than a whisper. “You’re not going to offer me money, are you, sweetheart?”

“But you said I owed you.”

“You owe me gratitude, that’s all. I don’t want your damn money.”

“Oh.” The money would have been so much easier.

He shifted, putting one arm behind his head, watching her, a half smile on his sensuous mouth. “Okay, Mel, since we’re agreed, have at it.”

“Excuse me?”

“Go ahead and make me comfortable. That was your original intent, right? I await your efforts.”

He said it like a dare, and her temper pricked. She would not let him, or any other man, intimidate her ever again. So what that he was more muscled now, that maturity made him even more masculine, more sexy? His blond hair was streaked from hours in the sun; his eyes were dark gold. He looked incredible, while she knew she looked a wreck.

It was bad enough that he’d spotted her in the casual outfit she’d chosen for the boat. Her halter and loose, lingerie-style shorts were made of the same silky material, and covered by the long, thin skirts, but she’d still felt too physically exposed to face him. The cabin had been too crowded to hide in, and then she’d realized she didn’t want to hide from him. Not ever again. But she thought he’d be too involved with the women swarming him to notice her.

She’d obviously been wrong.

Now, after her ordeal, she looked wretched. She could feel her eye makeup smeared on her cheeks, knew her short hair stuck out at all angles. She’d lost even more weight over the years; while he was thick with muscle, she was lacking the lush curves men seemed to admire, and in her outfit, there was no way to disguise her figure.

But she couldn’t change any of that, so she’d simply have to make the best of an awkward, unimaginable situation.

Mustering her courage, she again reached for his bag. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be unlatched at the handle; it had to be undone at his belt. The front of his belt. Without looking, she could sense Adam’s smirk. He didn’t think she’d do it; she intended to prove him wrong.

To distract herself from his body, she said, “It’s finally stopped raining.” She slid her fingers under his belt and tried to work the latch.

“It’s going to get hot as hell, you know.”

She felt the heat already. Adam’s stomach was solid rock against the backs of her fingers. And warm. Very warm in comparison to his clammy clothes.

“Humid, too,” he added more softly, his voice a rough growl. “Downright steamy.”

“Will you stop that!”

He gave her an innocent, surprised look. “Stop what?”

“Stop...talking like that. All sexy and low.”

He quirked a brow.

“Oh, forget it. You probably don’t even know when you do it.” The latch came free, and she pulled the strap away, then immediately started on his tie, giving it a good jerk first, making his head bounce in the sand. Before he could reprimand her, she said, “Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve done that. You’re nothing more than walking testosterone, and while some women might like it, I do not.”

She gave the tie another vicious jerk, loosening the knot, and he grabbed her hands. “Will you stop before you strangle me! Damn, woman, I was discussing the weather, and somehow you got on the topic of my hormones!”

Melanie jerked away and came awkwardly to her feet. She shoved her tangled hair out of her face and tried again to untwist her long, wet skirts. After a moment of futile effort, she gave up. Propping her hands on her hips, she said, “I brought it up because that’s all you are! Male hormones waiting to burst.” She threw her arms wide in apt description.

Adam slowly sat up and had his elbows resting on his bent knees, his head cocked to stare directly at her. “Is that right? Well, I’d say that puts you in something of a predicament then, doesn’t it.”

Warily, she asked, “What do you mean?”

“I hate to break it to you. No, actually I’m glad to break it to you. This little island appears to be deserted. We’re all alone—just you, me, and my bursting hormones.” He grinned wickedly. “For who knows how long?”

Frozen for three heartbeats, Melanie stared at him. Then she scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“It’s true.” Adam stood, brushed off his muscled backside and looked around. “You weren’t paying any attention, but when I first spotted the island we were still pretty far out. I could damn near see it from end to end, and not once did I see any sign of life. Not a kid, not a dog, not a single soul.”

“You’re just trying to scare me.”

“Nope. The last thing I want is a hysterical woman on my hands.” He peeled off his suit coat and shook it out, then tossed it onto a clump of dry, prickly-looking grass. He did the same with his shoes and socks. “I’m only hoping we’ll be able to find some kind of food and water.”

“Adam, stop it.” She glared at him from under lowered brows. Her heart raced; her stomach felt queasy. “There are no deserted islands in Florida anymore. It’s a tourist mecca. This is just your way of being mean again.”

He took two quick steps to her and caught her chin in his hand. “I’m a grown man, damn it. I don’t run around trying to frighten women or be mean. Do you honestly think anyone on that boat will notice us missing? Do you think they’ll even know where to look for us? How long do you think it’ll be before we’re missed?”

The second he touched her, her tongue became useless. She couldn’t muster up a single word or protest. Her heartbeat slowed; her breath caught.

Damn, she felt vulnerable! She’d so wanted to make an impression on him after she saw him on the boat. She’d been planning and plotting on when she’d introduce herself, what she’d say, how she’d say it to let him know without a single doubt that she would no longer be bothered by him, that she was a woman now, totally immune to him.

But then she’d gone overboard, and he’d done the unexpected and dove in after her. She thought of how she’d acted in the water and wanted to dig a hole in the sand to hide. Now here she was, insulting him, baiting him, reacting to him.

She jerked her chin away. “I’m sorry.”