Deep Waters by Jayne Ann Krentz Page B

had knocked on her door earlier that evening.
    Again she stiffened, instinctively searching for the smallest sign of the heightened anxiety that presaged a panic episode. But all she felt was the rush of sensual anticipation.
    Elias was definitely the right size.
    He kept one foot on the lowest rung of the fence railing as he drew her forward. A delicious shock went through her when she found herself standing in the intimate space created between his thighs.
    The background murmur of the light cove surf and Gwendolyn Pitt’s exhortations to her followers faded into the distance. Charity dimly realized that her senses simply could not focus on all the normal stimuli that surrounded her. They were fully engaged with the feel of Elias’s hard, lean body against hers. She could feel the heat of him. It drew her with the power of a magic spell.
    She reminded herself that just because Elias had confided in her didn’t mean that she could trust him. She couldn’t even be certain that he had told her the truth. He was a subtle, clever man. Moreover, there was no doubt but that he was a little weird.
    Davis’s warnings echoed in her brain.
Watch your step with Winters. Rumor has it he’s not just a player, he’s a winner. Every time.
    But Elias’s touch did not trigger any warnings from her nervous system. On the contrary, the closer she got, the closer she wanted to be.
    When he lowered his head to take her mouth, she learned in one shattering second that everything she had suspected was true. Kissing Elias was definitely a different experience. Hot, sexy, and incredibly satisfying.
    A spectacular flower that had been dormant within her all of her life suddenly blossomed. Elias’s muscled thigh tightened against her hip, trapping her between his legs. She put her arms around his neck and parted her lips.
    Elias groaned. A shudder went through him.
    Charity was enthralled by the sensations that poured through her. Elias’s kiss was darker and more mysterious than the fall of night. It was full of arcane secrets and layers of unfathomable meanings. It would take a lifetime to explore this kiss. Joy and excitement soared within her as she sank into the unplumbed depths.
    â€œDamn.” Elias tore his mouth from hers with an abrupt, wrenching movement of his head. He sucked in a deep breath.
    Charity gazed up at him, astonished. His eyes glittered in the shadows. His expression was grim. His breathing was harsh and ragged, as if he had just run a marathon.
    â€œSorry,” he muttered. “This is happening too fast. I didn’t intend it to be like this. Not so soon. Didn’t want to rush you.”
    â€œIt’s okay, really.” She touched the side of his cheek and felt his jaw clench in response. An invigoratingsense of her own feminine power rose within her. “I don’t mind in the least.”
    Elias looked bemused, almost dazed. He stared down at her for a long time and then, with another smothered groan, he covered her mouth once more.
    He did what Charity would have sworn was impossible: He deepened the kiss. His arms tightened around her in an urgent move that settled her hips more snugly against his fierce erection. He slid one hand to her ribs and moved it slowly upward until his thumb rested just beneath the weight of one breast.
    It was Charity’s turn to shudder.
    Somewhere in the distance, she heard the chanting resume down on the beach, but she paid no attention. The only thing that mattered in that moment was Elias. His palm moved again, closing over her breast. She could feel the heat of his hand through the fabric
of
her shirt.
    The first muffled shouts barely registered on her awareness. She tuned them out without realizing it until Elias suddenly broke off the drugging kiss.
    â€œWhat the hell?” He raised his head, listening.
    Charity blinked, trying to clear her mind. She felt the sexual tension in Elias transmute into another, equally