|
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
on a dance floor, and a volleyball game kept a dozen men and a few young women laughing, running and jumping on the beach below. Claire perched herself on a bar stool, crossed her legs and bought one of those exotic rum drinks with a pineapple slice on the side of a curvy glass. The first few sips went down smooth, cold and sweet. The rock 'n' roll made her body move. The teasing conversation between the bartender and his customers made her smile. And the fact that Walker loomed a short distance to her right made her feel ridiculously safe, safer than her usual army of bodyguards had ever made her feel, despite the fact that he looked ready to kill her. She munched on pretzels, chatted with the portly, balding man beside her, and ordered another drink. Afternoon slipped into early evening; Tiki torches lit up the lounge and beach; the volleyball game played itself out. And all those strapping young men with their golden tans and athletic physiques swarmed around the bar, giving each other high fives and loudly roasting the losers. Claire soon found herself accompanied by two burly teammates who lost no time in pulling up stools beside her, introducing themselves, and making her feel thoroughly welcome. Resisting an urge to crane her neck for another peek at Walker, she was surprised to find another of those wonderful rum drinks set in front of her … compliments of Kev and Dave. The party was promising to be a great one. Conversation consisted of a few trite questions, silly jokes, and banter exchanged by the men. One of the Kev-Dave duo asked her to dance. On her way to the dance floor, she located Walker in the crowd and was pleased to see that he was still watching her. She chose a spot on the dance floor where she'd have an unimpeded view of him. And he of her. For safety reasons, she told herself. Why make his job harder than she had to? The fact that his silent gaze stirred her more profoundly than any of the other men's flattery had nothing to do with it… After the second dance, she was feeling so relaxed in the hazy blue and green lights of the dance floor that she took off the sunglasses Walker had given her, sauntered to her place at the bar and slipped them into her bag. No one would recognize her here. She wasn't the same woman she'd been before. She was new, adventurous, mysterious … a nameless stranger in a good-time crowd. Returning to the dance floor, she gave herself up to the fast, hard beat, alternating songs between Kev and Dave. As the music, the colored lights, the fragrant sea breeze and the exotic rum drink all worked together to loosen her muscles and her inhibitions, she found her gaze drifting again and again to the dark, silent man who stood at the side of the dance floor, his muscled arms crossed, his frowning eyes following the movement of her body. And when their gazes connected, an electric thrill coursed down her spine, warming every part of her. Though she danced with partners who lavished her with all the attention a woman could want, she watched Walker. And he watched her. And her body moved for him—her hips, her shoulders, her heart. She wanted him, she realized. Only him. No one else would do. When Kev broke in to replace Dave as her partner, she barely noticed. Tyce noticed. He noticed every move made by her and the men surrounding her. Whether she knew it or not—and he didn't think she did—she'd claimed the undivided attention of quite a few. Though her dancing was little more than subtle gyrations in time to the music, she was too damn sexy to move that way without inciting some form of riot. And even though swimwear seemed to be the apparel of choice for this beach crowd, she drew more than her share of attention in her bikini and loosely crocheted tunic. If the Florida summer night was usually hot, she'd raised the temperature by a few dozen degrees. He wanted her so badly he could barely breathe. And so did the other horny bastards who followed the sway of her hips, straining their eyes to see through the coarse netting of her tunic, drooling at flashes of lean, suntanned skin … and the long expanse of leg below. Tyce stood tensed, poised and hair-trigger ready for the first slobbering fool who made a move to touch her. The pressure building within him increased as she shared a smile with her dance partner. The creep was nearly bursting at the seams to get his hands on [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
Odnośniki
|