The Wedding Bargain

“Are you sad?” he returned pointedly.

She held his gaze, her determined chin lifting a little, as if in defiance. “Not sad, exactly.”

And then her eyes grew shuttered again. She gathered up her plate and cutlery.

“Leave that,” Raif instructed. “I’ll take care of it.”

“I’m not a fragile ornament about to shatter apart,” Shanal protested as he took the things from her and stacked them in the dishwasher.

“Go, get an early night, and then maybe you’ll look less like one,” he said firmly, even a little harshly.

There was a flash of hurt in her eyes, which made him realize he’d gone too far. But then he saw her spine stiffen, and a bit of the fire she’d shown earlier returned.

“Fine, then. Since you put it so nicely. I’ll go to bed. Did you have a preference as to which room you want to use?”

“I put the bag of clothes in the end room for you. It’s the biggest.”

“But won’t you need clothes now, too?”

“We can stop somewhere along the river and I’ll get a few extra things. But I don’t need anything else for tonight.”

He slept in the nude, always, no matter the weather. Just because he’d rescued a runaway bride wouldn’t change that, no matter how her cheeks suddenly flamed with color as she also came to the realization he’d be sleeping naked.

“G-good night, then, Raif.”

She turned to go. He put out a hand to stop her, catching her slender fingers in his own. He felt her tremble at his touch, and silently cursed himself for being a boorish idiot.

“I’m sorry I was rude to you.”

“No, you weren’t,” she protested.

“Yes, I was. And I apologize. I shouldn’t have taken my frustration out on you. You’ve had a tough day and it’s not you I’m mad at.”

To his surprise, Shanal went up on tiptoes and lightly kissed his lips. “Thank you,” she whispered.

She pulled her fingers free of his hold and went down the passage to the bedrooms. He remained rooted to the spot until she closed her door. Half his life he’d waited for that kiss. Fifteen long and often painful years filled with the crazy adolescent yearnings of a first crush. As he grew older and more in control of his emotions, there had even been the occasional dream fantasy that always left him wondering whether they’d be as good together as he’d always imagined. This was the first faint taste he’d gotten in real life of what he’d imagined in such feverish detail.

Her touch had been as delicate as a butterfly’s, yet he still felt the imprint on his lips. Still felt the surge of fire through his veins at her closeness. Still wanted her with an ache that put his teenage self to shame. This was going to be one hell of a week; he knew it right down to his bones. Just as he knew that the word good couldn’t come anywhere near to describing what they’d be like together, should it come to that. In fact, even incendiary didn’t come close.

In an effort to distract himself, Raif continued to tidy their things away, then poured himself another glass of wine. Maybe the alcohol would dull the allure of imagining Shanal asleep, in something of his, just down the hall. She was a tiny thing and would swim in his stuff. He groaned. This wasn’t helping. Even so, the picture of her dainty figure swamped in one of his T-shirts wouldn’t budge from his mind.

He went out onto the rear deck and into the cool night air. He stared, unseeing, into the ribbon of river, barely noticeable beyond the lights of the boat, as a cloudy sky obscured all possible star and moonlight. Had he done the right thing in agreeing to come along on this ride with Shanal? Probably not, he had to admit. He’d thought he had this unrelenting attraction he bore for her under control, and yet tonight all that restraint had melted under the merest touch of her lips.

It wasn’t as if she’d been the only woman to occupy his mind through these past years. In fact, the reverse was more accurate. He’d had plenty of other relationships, even loved one woman enough to consider asking her to be his wife. But something had always held him back. His reluctance to commit to Laurel had seen her finding solace in Burton Roger’s willing arms. And in the end, her life had been snatched away by one careless act.

Careless? Or deliberate? Only one man knew for certain—possibly two, as they’d had a guide on that trip. All Raif knew for certain was that there’d been three people alive at the top of the waterfall that day, and one hadn’t survived. It was supposed to have been a controlled descent, but somehow Laurel’s rope had failed and she’d fallen horribly before drowning in the water hole at the base of the falls.