wondered
fleetingly. He must have seen her leave the house and been worried about her
out here alone. Politely she stopped and waited for him to catch up with her.
“You couldn’t sleep?” he asked distantly as he came to a
halt in front of her. The wind feathered the dark mahogany of his hair. His
face was an unreadable mask to Samantha, who peered up at him questioningly.
“No. I had a lot on my mind, and I thought it might help to
walk it off.”
His mouth crooked. “Didn’t you get enough exercise today at
the spa?”
“Oh, my body is worn out. It’s my mind that’s all tied up in
knots.”
He fell into step beside her, not touching her as they continued
slowly along the beach. He forced himself to think about her real business with
him. “If all your facts are correct and you’ve got the guts to go up against Buchanan
when he turns nasty, there’s no real reason why your plan s-s-shouldn’t work, I
suppose,” he began hesitantly.
“With your help,” she amended pointedly, eyes straight
ahead. When he said nothing more, she clenched her teeth and absorbed the sense
of him striding along beside her. His close proximity out here on the lonely windswept
beach generated conflicting emotions deep within her. In one way he made her
feel secure. His solid presence made her feel protected, she realized. But in
another way, he ruffled some atavistic, feminine sense of wariness which she
didn’t understand.
A faint tingling warning came alive in her head. It was
ridiculous, of course. The man was no threat to her. Still, Samantha found
herself moving a little way from him as they walked. He was a little too close.
“Samantha?”
“Hmmm?”
“I think we s-s-should start back toward the house.” Damn it
to hell, Gabriel thought bitterly. Could she hear the extra hard way he was
stumbling over the “ sh ” sound tonight? He never had
been able to say it properly, but here on the beach it sounded worse than
usual. It was the tension. He would have to select his words carefully. Soon
she would be wondering why he was so damn hot and bothered.
“You can go back if you like,” she told him in a remote
tone, her gaze focusing on the blackness of the endless sea. “I think I’ll walk
a little longer. It was very kind of you to come out to keep me company.”
She had the notion he was gritting his teeth and counting
slowly to ten before he said in a very neutral voice, “I’ve already explained
that I am not a kind man.”
“Then why are you out here?”
He put out a hand, catching her wrist and pulling her around
to face him in a swift, striking movement that caught her unawares. It was
rather like hitting the end of a chain which was securely anchored at the other
end in rock, Samantha thought in a flash as she was halted immediately in her
tracks. He was so incredibly solid !
The hazel eyes blazed down at her with an intensity that
took away her breath. “You know why I followed you. You’re bright enough to
figure out something as elementary as that, Samantha Maitland. Please don’t play
games with me. The one thing I demand from you is honesty!”
“Is that really all you want from me?” What on earth was she
doing? Even she could hear the provoking challenge in her words. Stupid fool!
“No,” he muttered huskily, dragging her close. “It’s not all
I want from you, but it’s a start.”
Samantha knew an instant of sheer panic as she realized he
was going to take her mouth. He had been right. On some level at least she had
known why he had followed her down onto the beach. She should have run when she’d
seen him crossing the sand toward her.
Yes, she should have run. As far and as fast as she was
able. Samantha had never been so certain of anything before in her life. But it
was too late now. His mouth closed over hers.
It wasn’t at all like being pinned against a rock wall, Samantha
had time to realize in vague wonder as Gabriel gathered her close. It was more
as if she
fleetingly. He must have seen her leave the house and been worried about her
out here alone. Politely she stopped and waited for him to catch up with her.
“You couldn’t sleep?” he asked distantly as he came to a
halt in front of her. The wind feathered the dark mahogany of his hair. His
face was an unreadable mask to Samantha, who peered up at him questioningly.
“No. I had a lot on my mind, and I thought it might help to
walk it off.”
His mouth crooked. “Didn’t you get enough exercise today at
the spa?”
“Oh, my body is worn out. It’s my mind that’s all tied up in
knots.”
He fell into step beside her, not touching her as they continued
slowly along the beach. He forced himself to think about her real business with
him. “If all your facts are correct and you’ve got the guts to go up against Buchanan
when he turns nasty, there’s no real reason why your plan s-s-shouldn’t work, I
suppose,” he began hesitantly.
“With your help,” she amended pointedly, eyes straight
ahead. When he said nothing more, she clenched her teeth and absorbed the sense
of him striding along beside her. His close proximity out here on the lonely windswept
beach generated conflicting emotions deep within her. In one way he made her
feel secure. His solid presence made her feel protected, she realized. But in
another way, he ruffled some atavistic, feminine sense of wariness which she
didn’t understand.
A faint tingling warning came alive in her head. It was
ridiculous, of course. The man was no threat to her. Still, Samantha found
herself moving a little way from him as they walked. He was a little too close.
“Samantha?”
“Hmmm?”
“I think we s-s-should start back toward the house.” Damn it
to hell, Gabriel thought bitterly. Could she hear the extra hard way he was
stumbling over the “ sh ” sound tonight? He never had
been able to say it properly, but here on the beach it sounded worse than
usual. It was the tension. He would have to select his words carefully. Soon
she would be wondering why he was so damn hot and bothered.
“You can go back if you like,” she told him in a remote
tone, her gaze focusing on the blackness of the endless sea. “I think I’ll walk
a little longer. It was very kind of you to come out to keep me company.”
She had the notion he was gritting his teeth and counting
slowly to ten before he said in a very neutral voice, “I’ve already explained
that I am not a kind man.”
“Then why are you out here?”
He put out a hand, catching her wrist and pulling her around
to face him in a swift, striking movement that caught her unawares. It was
rather like hitting the end of a chain which was securely anchored at the other
end in rock, Samantha thought in a flash as she was halted immediately in her
tracks. He was so incredibly solid !
The hazel eyes blazed down at her with an intensity that
took away her breath. “You know why I followed you. You’re bright enough to
figure out something as elementary as that, Samantha Maitland. Please don’t play
games with me. The one thing I demand from you is honesty!”
“Is that really all you want from me?” What on earth was she
doing? Even she could hear the provoking challenge in her words. Stupid fool!
“No,” he muttered huskily, dragging her close. “It’s not all
I want from you, but it’s a start.”
Samantha knew an instant of sheer panic as she realized he
was going to take her mouth. He had been right. On some level at least she had
known why he had followed her down onto the beach. She should have run when she’d
seen him crossing the sand toward her.
Yes, she should have run. As far and as fast as she was
able. Samantha had never been so certain of anything before in her life. But it
was too late now. His mouth closed over hers.
It wasn’t at all like being pinned against a rock wall, Samantha
had time to realize in vague wonder as Gabriel gathered her close. It was more
as if she
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