Exposed (Tropical Nights) by Emma Barron

her skin against his.
    “What I want right now,” Leo said as stood from the table and offered his hand to Rachel, “is to dance with you.”
    Rachel seemed surprised by his request, and for a moment Leo thought she would decline it. Then she placed her hand in his and rose from her chair. Leo led her out among the couples on the impromptu dance floor, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her close to him. She was slightly rigid at first but after a few steps she relaxed against him. Leo closed his eyes and breathed her in, the floral scent of her hair, the slight saltiness of her skin, the smell of coconut rum that still clung to her lips. She was perfect in his arms, her body molded to his as they swayed together to the tropical rhythm.
    “I knew you’d be an amazing dancer,” Leo said huskily against her ear.
    “You’re quite good yourself,” Rachel said. “I wouldn’t have guessed a man of your size would move as well as you do.”
    “I’ve studied martial arts since I was five. It helps with movement and agility.”
    “Impressive.” Rachel ran her hand down Leo’s arm, the feel of her fingers through his thin cotton shirt driving him wild. He tried to resist the urge to flex the muscles of his arm, knowing how ridiculous it was to want to show off for her like that, but he couldn’t help himself. She was bringing out the caveman in him again. “You’ll have to teach me sometime.”
    Leo thought of Rachel in his dojo, clad in tight-fitting workout clothes, her shirt and hair sticking to her as her skin became slick with sweat. He imagined grappling with her, feeling her flex and move beneath him as he showed her a take down move. He gulped. “Yeah,” he said, his voice strained. “I’ll definitely do that.”
    He began to think this hadn’t been such a good idea. Bringing her to the island with him was supposed to be no big thing. They would get some sun, see the sights, and then return home and go their separate ways. But spending time with her in such a romantic setting, watching the fading sunlight play across her gorgeous face, asking her to dance so he could hold her—it was becoming clear just how much Rachel was throwing him off balance.
    He didn’t like becoming too attached to anyone . He always told himself it was because he didn’t want to take focus away from his company, didn’t want the complications and the drain on his energy a serious relationship would bring. But none of that seemed very convincing any more, and he was beginning to think the reasons he had always clung to were nothing more than flimsy excuses. He felt unsettled and unsure, and that in itself was confusing. William August Leonid III, CEO of a billion-dollar corporation, was never anything less than fully confident in himself and his actions. Now it was like his whole world had been turned upside down and he didn’t know what to think anymore.
    As he danced in the tropical breeze with the last golden rays of the setting sun sinking below the ocean, the only thing he did know for sure was this: now that he had Rachel in his arms, he never wanted to let her go.
     
     
     
     
    Rachel dug her bare toes into the beach and watched as the ocean waves lapped at her ankles. The sun had completely sunk below the horizon, its warm light replaced by the cool silver glow of a full moon. The temperature had dropped with the sun and the air coming off the ocean was almost cold, but Rachel still had the warmth of several mai tais heating her skin and she felt no discomfort.
    She stopped walking and stood still, filling her senses. She wanted to just take it all in: the feel of the immense power of the rolling ocean, the sight of shimmering moonlight bouncing off the waves, the sounds of laughter and the faint strains of calypso music drifting down from the hotel. It all gave her a feeling of calm and contentment she hadn’t known in years. Rachel had discovered the secret of the tropics: how the warmth and sun and