Holiday Heat

So I need to keep my head clear and my fucking legs locked.

Nodding my head, I wash off quickly and stand, grabbing a towel and drying off. Then I slip his shirt over my head, the soft green flannel skating over my curves and hitting about my knees.

I close my eyes when I smell that scent. His. Musky and manly, mixed with a forest of pine trees and something else. Something dark and spicy.

I jerk myself up and groan. I need to get the hell out of here and it’s gonna take awhile for my clothes to dry.

“You decent yet?” he calls.

I open the door and step out, tugging at the bottom of the soft fabric. “Yeah. Basically.”

His eyes widen and he gulps, his eyes running the length of me, boring under my skin and heating my body immediately.

“I don’t think my shirt’s ever looked so damn good,” he mutters and I smile at him, stupidly charmed by the banked fire in his eyes.

“Thanks. It’s very comfortable. But I need to get back as soon as possible. If my clothes are even partially dry I can go ahead and get dressed. Get on my way.”

I glance out the window and breathe a big sigh of relief when I see the sun’s watery light bathing everything. “Looks like the storms have passed.”

He nods his dark head. “Yep. But I can’t possibly send you out of here with wet clothes. You might catch your death of cold. And then I couldn’t forgive myself.”

“Don’t be silly. It’s probably back up to about eighty degrees again. There’s no way in hell I’m gonna catch a cold.”

He steps closer, his big, muscular body towering over me. I bristle and back away, glaring at him when he continues stalking me across the room until I’m backed into a wall. Holding out a hand I stop him in his tracks, feeling my belly clench when he lifts an eyebrow at me. Dammit, why does he look so good when he does that!

“Why exactly are you playing with me, Ryker? We both know that I’m here on vacation and no matter what my idiot friends want me to do, I’m not having a fling. I’m not a casual kind of girl. So if you’ve got some half-baked idea of screwing around with me to pass the time and get your rocks off, forget it! I’m way too old to fall for a pretty face and a sexy body.”

I groan to myself as soon as I say those words. Dammit!

He leans closer and his minty breath washes over my flaming cheeks when he whispers in my ear, “you think I’m sexy, huh? I think you’re fucking sexy as hell too. And believe me when I say, I’m not a casual kind of guy either. If I want something…I want it all.”

I snort at him, turning my head to glare right into his eyes. His beautiful, clear-as-an emerald eyes. My belly flops and I have to suck in a startled breath. “Well, it’s a good thing we got that out of the way then. I’ll just go on my merry way and you can go find someone else to scratch that itch.”

I start to move away from him and he slams his hand down on the wall beside my head.

“What the hell!” I squeal.

“I think you misunderstand me, Jane. I wasn’t saying that I’m not interested. I’m absolutely interested. So interested that I’m about to rip my own damn shirt off that sexy-ass body of yours and see where things go.” My jaw drops and I stare at him like he’s grown two heads.

“But I don’t think you’re ready for that yet.” His fierce eyes rove up and down my body and I feel a treacherous, light-headed feeling rolling over me. Fire stalks my veins everywhere his eyes touch and then his hand drifts along my arm, pushing the flannel sleeve up and up until his fingers are dancing along my shoulder. He leans closer and his eyes are dancing with lust and I see the tiny flecks of deep green amongst the lighter emerald.

I’ve never seen eyes that color before. So clear, so perfectly green and tempting. Not even a splash of hazel to lighten the deep, gemstone depths. My eyes wander down his face, catching on his firm, sculpted lips. They look so soft and his eyes look so determined.

My eyes close and I lean in closer, wanting him to kiss me desperately. I need his touch. Need to taste him, draw him closer until I can wrap myself around him. Become one with him.

“Or maybe you are,” he whispers and his lips close over mine gently, softly, for just a second, before a fiery heat roars up between us and his lips move on mine deliberately, his hand closing on the back of my neck, tugging me closer until his heat envelops me. The scent of him fills my nose, making my head swim with desire.

Moaning, I sink into his touch, letting him control me. Letting him control the wild, insane hunger flaming up between us.

Until I manage to regain some semblance of sanity and push him away, gasping and struggling to breathe.

He laughs and my eyes fly to his. Hurt fills me. It’s all a damn joke to him. I’m a joke to him. Some old woman that hasn’t had a man in so long that she’s pathetically eager to climb the first man that claims to want her.

My cheeks flame and I grit my teeth. “I want my clothes now. Get them or I’ll walk out of here naked.”

He sobers up quickly and nods his head. “I’ll get them but I’m walking you back since I can’t trust that you won’t get yourself lost again. But this isn’t over, Jane. You may think you can control everything around you. But you can’t control me and I’m used to winning. Getting what I want when I want it. And I’ve never wanted anything as much as I fucking want you. So run if you want to. But I’ll track you down every time. I’ll get what I want in the end. And it’s not one night.” His predatory gaze rakes my body and I shiver. “I want it all. I want you heart, body and soul. Get those defenses up because I’m gonna slam them down to the ground until you’ve got nothing left to protect you. Except me. I’ll always protect you.”

The soft, intense look in his eyes is more frightening than the lust I saw before.

I’ve always been the one in control. The one who takes care of everyone and everything.

But Ryker has me floundering, wondering what I’m doing. Wondering if he is serious and if there’s something more going on here than just a quick fling.

That can’t be. Because I will be leaving at the end of the week. And he is not going to pick up and follow me. So this can’t be anything more than a fleeting aberration.

Can it?