Teasing Her Seal

“Very American commando,” she said, mentally adding a fantasy about military men to her to-do list.

“I’m a man of hidden talents.” He braced a broad shoulder against a handy tree and assessed her clothing. She took the opportunity to stare at him one more time. He was definitely worth a second glance. Her shorts and sneakers must have passed muster because he nodded his head, turned and headed up the path.

But she got to follow his spectacular butt, which was no hardship. He made an effort to talk to her on their way up, too, which she appreciated. He struck her as the kind of man who powered through a hike, with the goal of making it from the bottom to the top in record time. Or at least first. She’d bet he was usually the best when it came to physical competitions, while she admittedly wasn’t the most physically-fit woman on the planet.

He didn’t seem to mind her slow chug up the hill behind him, however. He adjusted his steps to fit hers and pointed out various pieces of flora and fauna. By the time they neared the top, she’d admired a bright yellow allamanda, a flowery stalk of something flaming red and a particularly large bougainvillea snaking its way up the spiny trunk of a palm tree. A wild monkey peeked out of a palm, chattering madly. The mini-hike was...nice. Not sexy. Not daring or erotic. But nice. It was also a teensy, welcome step forward in her get to know Gray better before jumping his bones plan.

As if he’d read her mind, he looked over at her, slowing his pace so she was walking beside him on the path. “You hanging in there?”

“I am,” she said, surprised to find it was true. She wasn’t nervous anymore. Chalk one up for her.

She was ready to do this. She really was. She was going to embark on a fun, exciting adventure with this incredibly sexy man and maybe, when it was over and she was headed back home to her new life of boring, she’d be a different person. The person she wanted to be.

The view from the top of the hill was stunning, the impossibly blue water of the Caribbean spreading away from their island. A few small waves broke on the beach below. She could almost see the strip of sand where he’d surprised her the other day, and the darker shadows of the coral heads promised good snorkeling. Later. Right now, she had herself a man to tease. The resort had positioned a romantic daybed for two near the edge of the lookout. The whole place reeked of romance, and her heart gave a little pang.

“So,” she said. “We’re here.”

She dropped down onto the cushions of the seat, her butt sinking into a pillowy softness that practically demanded she drag Gray down for a kiss. Or more. After all, the daybed was definitely big enough for two. They were outdoors, but she could be talked into indulging in a little fantasy action here. Surely they could hear anyone headed up the path in time to cover up. It could totally work.

Instead of joining her in the center, however, her big, brawny masseuse hesitated. Yep. Whatever he had to say was going to be good. Or, more likely, really, really bad.

“Just say it,” she advised. “Don’t lead up to it.”

He rocked back on his heels. “Wow.”

She shrugged. “There’s no time to sugarcoat in my job.”

“That’s good.” He gave her another one of those crooked half smiles that made her melt inside. “I’m not good with pretty words.”

Funny. He’d done just fine so far. But whatever. She wanted to have her wicked way with him, possibly beginning with sex on the daybed, so she wasn’t going to quibble with his word choice.

“I’m not looking for happily-ever-after,” he continued gruffly. “I need to make that perfectly clear.”

Uh-oh. Had he misunderstood her? Did he think she was shopping for a replacement ring? “Did I ask for that?”

He shook his head. “No, but—”

She cut him off. “I don’t believe in love.” Not anymore. “It’s a chemical thing.”

“Uh-huh. You’re a doctor.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Don’t they cover the scientific theories of love in those medical textbooks of yours?” He looked genuinely curious.

She went on the offensive. “Do you believe in love?”

“I don’t not believe in it, but it’s not something that’s ever made an appearance in my life.”

He didn’t sound as if he’d missed it, either. He had to be one of the stillest people she’d ever met. He dropped down next to her in a lazy sprawl, not moving a muscle, and yet she knew he hadn’t missed a thing. A parrot landed in the tree overhead, and his eyes tracked the movement briefly before returning to her face.