Too dang bad they were stuck as the only two people on this small island.
Even knowing she was a bit of a fool to wander off into the foliage alone, Lia didn’t care. She had her temper to protect her. She hadn’t seen any signs of predatory animals so far, so she was sure she was fine.
She left the bag as she made her way back down the trail they’d come in on — well, the trail that Shane had cleared. Her stomach was complaining and she was in desperate need of something sweet. She didn’t care at this point what she had, though, as long as she got something into her empty stomach.
It seemed that all her hungers were going unsatisfied at the moment.
Walking around, she didn’t know how long she’d been away from the waterfall, but she managed to stumble upon a few fruit trees. Excitement filled her as she reached for the ripe mangoes. The day was already turning around.
As she took her first bite of the fresh fruit and the juice dripped down her chin, a big smile crossed her face, and she sighed. Yes, things were certainly looking up.
At least that’s what she thought until she heard the resounding clap of thunder. And then the skies opened up on her.
Chapter Fourteen
Rachel
Rachel clutched the chilled bottom of her cognac glass as she leaned against the balcony — was her hand imparting any heat to the crystal? Probably not, and if she wasn’t careful, she’d shatter the thing.
Her eyes were frightened as she struggled with her choice. Or was she really struggling? She’d drunk a little too much, but it was giving her the courage to do what she wanted to do in the first place. She knew it was foolish, but she also knew that when the morning light hit, she would only have regrets if she were to walk away from the invitation in Ian’s eyes.
She wanted this man she’d met just that day — wanted him with a desperation that bordered on obsession. She’d never before felt such intense desire for a stranger, but as her evening with him had continued, she’d found herself enamored with his words, his accent, his beautiful obsidian eyes — everything about him.
Wanting to feel his body against hers, she gave him a look that was sure to let him know what her decision was. Thankfully, Ian wasn’t a stupid man. But then, if he were, would she be so attracted? Of course not.
Setting down his cognac, he closed the distance between them in a heartbeat.
“You are trouble, Rachel,” he said as his hand lifted and he ran a finger across her lips. Her breath rushed out in a heated sigh, and his eyes darkened even more, making her think of a starless midnight.
“I can be,” she whispered as she arched her back, pressing her br**sts against the hard contours of his chest. Yum was all she could think as her body went flush against his, her softness meeting his steel-like musculature.
“Are you sure this is what you want? I don’t think I can stop once we start,” he said, his gaze boring into her widened eyes.
Was she sure?
“Yes, this is exactly what I want,” she said with a confidence she hadn’t known she possessed.
Without a further word, Ian wrapped his arms around her and lowered his head. Rachel had been expecting heat, hunger, passion — she got all of that and more.
He was like a man possessed as his lips claimed hers, taking ownership and telling her with nothing but the whisper of his tongue that she belonged to him right now. For tonight, she was all that he was focused on, and she hoped the clocks somehow froze and this would never end.
When Rachel was about to melt at his feet, Ian pulled back, his eyes blazing. Lifting his hands, he traced a finger beneath the collar of her shirt, the soft pad of his index finger lightly tracing her collarbone and trailing across the top of her chest.
Still looking into her eyes, he lifted his hands and slowly began unbuttoning her blouse, one button at a time, as if he weren’t in the least bit of a hurry. It was torturous. She wanted his hands on her skin, not on her clothing. She reached up to assist him, but he caught her hand and shook his head with only the slightest tilting to his lips.
Not knowing why she was obeying him, Rachel dropped her hands and leaned back against the tall railing, allowing him to continue with his achingly slow removal of her clothes.
Finally, the last button was undone, and instead of instantly removing the shirt, he parted it only a couple of inches, then placed both of his hands on the shirt and ran them downward, his knuckles rasping against her skin, brushing the edges of her br**sts for only the briefest of moments.
“Please, Ian,” she begged, wanting his hands on her bare skin, his mouth tasting her flesh.
“What do you want, Rachel?”
Oh, the low timbre of his voice sent a thrill to her core, heating her body, and demanding satisfaction.
“Please touch me,” she cried as he ran his knuckles against her skin again, still not taking hold of her peaked ni**les.
“I am touching you, Rachel,” he said as he gripped the edges of the shirt and pushed it back, sliding it down her arms, and letting it drop to the deck.
“Touch me more,” she demanded, feeling the warm wind blow against the lace of her bra, making her ni**les harden even further, stretching out against the delicate material that barely covered them.
Rachel felt a woman’s power as his eyes flared while looking at her body. He wasn’t as in control as he wanted her to think.
Impatience taking hold, she quickly lifted a hand before he could stop her and unclipped the front clasp of her bra, freeing her aching br**sts, and groaning as his gaze and the wind rolled across her ni**les.
“You are unbelievably perfect,” he said in an awed voice, making her knees shake. She wasn’t ashamed of her body, but the reverent way he was gazing at her made her feel like a goddess.
“I would really like to give you my opinion on how you look, but you’re wearing far too many clothes,” she said huskily, hoping her voice was teasing, but knowing she sounded too aroused to pull it off.
Ian grabbed his shirt and ripped the material, not taking time to unbutton it. The sound of material tearing only heightened her arousal. Then, in an instant, all that was hiding him from her view was a pair of tight black underwear that he looked good enough to model in.
“Oh, yes, Ian, you are most certainly beautiful,” she gasped as she gazed at his impressive manhood straining through the material.
She reached out her hand to remove that last barrier, but he grabbed her and smiled. “Ladies first.”
Rachel wasn’t going to argue. She unzipped her skirt and slid out of it, then lifted her fingers to take down her panties, but he stopped her again.