UP In Flames: Body Heat / Caught in the Act

CHAPTER TWO

When she realized Adam was standing, she almost cried with relief. She wanted to slide off the raft to make it easier for him, but the rain had let up and she could see more clearly. The land they approached looked ominous with an abundance of skinny, mangled palm trees, some practically hanging in the water, and spreading, spidery mangrove trees, making the island look more like a scraggly forest. The ocean floor was visible, and what she saw scared her to death. Shells, small fish, water weeds. She curled a little more tightly on the raft.

“Do you think there’s...anything in the water?”

At first Adam didn’t answer, just kept trudging forward, dragging her along. Finally, with weariness evident in every word, he said, “Nothing’s bit me yet.”

Just the thought made her squeamish. A few more feet, and Adam walked past her, going the rest of the way to shore and collapsing onto his back.

Alarmed, Mel realized the raft couldn’t very well be dragged in with her on it, and if she didn’t move, she’d float right back out to sea. Not that he seemed to care.

Mustering her courage, she jumped off the raft—and sank as deep as mid-shins. The water was so shallow, Adam couldn’t have pulled her any farther along.

Disregarding her blatant cowardice even as she carefully surveyed the shallow water, she attempted to act blasé, to hide her fear. She grabbed the raft and pulled it behind her as she waded out of the water.

Her strappy little sandals were long gone, and her toes sank into the white sand. Her skirts, made to wrap twice around her waist, were sadly tangled, sticking wetly to her thighs, hindering her every movement. She stopped to shake them loose, to squeeze out some of the water, but it was useless. They clung to her like a second skin. She plopped down on the fine sand beside Adam. He didn’t move.

His eyes were closed against the now gentle rain, his clothes every bit as ruined as hers, his mouth tight. And still he looked incredibly gorgeous.

All the old feelings of inadequacy swamped her. For as long as she could remember, Adam had been vital, outgoing, easily the center of attention whenever he entered a room. And she’d been a fading wallflower, crippled by her vulnerability and shyness. When she’d seen him on the boat, she’d begun reviving plans to show him how she’d changed, to prove she wasn’t the little girl he probably remembered with pity. She’d thought to wait until they’d docked, change into something more sophisticated and then approach him.

Instead, he’d approached her, taking her totally off guard, and she’d behaved like an idiot. “Adam?”

“Hmm?” He looked a little pale, his mouth pinched.

“Are you all right?”

“Just dandy. I always take an hour-long swim to get the old blood pumping.”

Her eyes narrowed. Just like him to be so sarcastic at a moment like this.

But then she realized he had to be worn out. To her shame, she hadn’t helped him a bit. She looked at him again and considered apologizing, but couldn’t decide how. He was still her high-school nemesis, yet now he was her hero, as well. The circumstances had her grinding her teeth.

She looked around, up and down the shoreline, and saw nothing but bent and twisted trees, sand, a few pelicans. The island wasn’t large by any stretch, and she wondered how it would fare if the storm returned. “Adam...”

He groaned and reached up to rub at his head. “Talk softly, okay? I’ve got a ringing headache.”

She lowered her voice appropriately. “Do you have any idea where we are?”

“Not a clue.”

She looked around again. It was a safe bet they weren’t on Marco Island, so it had to be one of the smaller islands. She started to stand, her intent to locate people, houses, anything that looked even remotely domestic or civilized. But Adam caught at her arm.

“No, don’t wander off. I don’t want to take the chance we’ll get separated. Just give me a few minutes and we’ll start exploring together.” He said it all with his eyes closed, and her concern for him doubled despite her resentment of the situation.

Sinking into the sand, she looked him over. He lay on the shore like a starfish, arms and legs spread, his posture one of complete exhaustion. His tie remained tight around his throat, his bag still attached to his belt. Melanie figured the least she could do was try to make him comfortable, to prove he no longer cowed her. And he had jumped in after her, had kept her safe. If it hadn’t been for him, the sharks—she gulped—probably would have had her for lunch. Though she hadn’t actually seen any sharks, she was still certain they were there. And if nothing else, his presence had given her immeasurable comfort.

She reached for the strap on his bag, but before she could get a good grip on it, his fingers bit into her wrist.

His eyes opened and they pinned her, hot and intense. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Uh-oh. Melanie remembered those eyes from high school, so compelling, so sexy. Adam Stone had always had the ability to turn females into mush. Though he’d been poor and oftentimes dangerous, women had gravitated to him in hordes. But she’d resisted. She’d had little choice. His only interest in her had been spite.

“I was going to move your bag and undo your tie.”

“Why?” The visible signs of exhaustion momentarily left his body, and he looked ready to attack.

She made a sound of disgust. “You look miserable, that’s why.”

“Like you care?” He snorted. “Aren’t you the same woman who just a while ago was ready to bite off my face?”

She blushed, annoyed that he’d point that out. Damn him, how did he constantly do this to her? They’d only been reunited a very short time, and already she was on the defensive! Since she’d first met him, it had been that way. Right before she’d left for college, he tried to pretend an interest in her, but she’d been wise to him by then. She knew he was only setting her up so he could humiliate her. She’d refused him as quietly and with as little confrontation as possible.

But she’d come home from college a changed woman. Away from her parents’ smothering influence, she’d grown into her own, able to stand up to anyone when the situation warranted. She’d anxiously looked forward to her next meeting with Adam Stone, anxiously practiced all the things she’d say to him, how she’d put him in his place.

How she’d make him see her as more than a pawn.

Only he was gone by then, moved away after his father’s death. And she’d forever felt cheated of her big moment.

She’d never forgotten him; she doubted she ever would. Other than her parents, he’d had more influence in her life than any other person.

Damn him, she would not let him do this to her again! She was a mature businesswoman, and she’d behave as such, no matter his provocation.

With her hands fisted in her ruined skirts, she forced a calm tone and said, “I was trying to be cordial, Adam, considering you played the gallant and rescued me.”

He scowled. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You dove in after me,” she reminded him. “You didn’t have to do that, all things considered. The least I can do now is try to be nice.”

He stared, his expression stunned. “Nice?” Then he laughed and dropped his head onto the sand with a groan. He was silent a moment before muttering, “Well, what do you know. You owe me.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Didn’t you? It’s appropriate, don’t you think? My clothes are ruined, and it’s for certain I’ve missed my damned meeting.” He cocked an eye open to look at her. “All because I jumped in to save you.”

“Don’t curse.”

Coming up on one elbow, he growled, “I’ll damn well curse if I want to! You have no idea what missing that meeting means.”

She leaned back, away from the force of his anger. Subdued just a bit, she said, “So tell me.”

He glared at her, then turned his head away. After a second, he plopped back on the sand. “Forget it.”

She shrugged, but since he wasn’t watching her, he didn’t see it. Guilt gnawed at her. “I suppose I do owe you. A little.”

“A lot.”

She sighed. “Very well. I owe you a lot. How much money will you be out because of our...misfortune?”

His gaze turned lethal, and the words were little more than a whisper. “You’re not going to offer me money, are you, sweetheart?”

“But you said I owed you.”

“You owe me gratitude, that’s all. I don’t want your damn money.”

“Oh.” The money would have been so much easier.

He shifted, putting one arm behind his head, watching her, a half smile on his sensuous mouth. “Okay, Mel, since we’re agreed, have at it.”

“Excuse me?”

“Go ahead and make me comfortable. That was your original intent, right? I await your efforts.”

He said it like a dare, and her temper pricked. She would not let him, or any other man, intimidate her ever again. So what that he was more muscled now, that maturity made him even more masculine, more sexy? His blond hair was streaked from hours in the sun; his eyes were dark gold. He looked incredible, while she knew she looked a wreck.

It was bad enough that he’d spotted her in the casual outfit she’d chosen for the boat. Her halter and loose, lingerie-style shorts were made of the same silky material, and covered by the long, thin skirts, but she’d still felt too physically exposed to face him. The cabin had been too crowded to hide in, and then she’d realized she didn’t want to hide from him. Not ever again. But she thought he’d be too involved with the women swarming him to notice her.

She’d obviously been wrong.

Now, after her ordeal, she looked wretched. She could feel her eye makeup smeared on her cheeks, knew her short hair stuck out at all angles. She’d lost even more weight over the years; while he was thick with muscle, she was lacking the lush curves men seemed to admire, and in her outfit, there was no way to disguise her figure.

But she couldn’t change any of that, so she’d simply have to make the best of an awkward, unimaginable situation.

Mustering her courage, she again reached for his bag. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be unlatched at the handle; it had to be undone at his belt. The front of his belt. Without looking, she could sense Adam’s smirk. He didn’t think she’d do it; she intended to prove him wrong.

To distract herself from his body, she said, “It’s finally stopped raining.” She slid her fingers under his belt and tried to work the latch.

“It’s going to get hot as hell, you know.”

She felt the heat already. Adam’s stomach was solid rock against the backs of her fingers. And warm. Very warm in comparison to his clammy clothes.

“Humid, too,” he added more softly, his voice a rough growl. “Downright steamy.”

“Will you stop that!”

He gave her an innocent, surprised look. “Stop what?”

“Stop...talking like that. All sexy and low.”

He quirked a brow.

“Oh, forget it. You probably don’t even know when you do it.” The latch came free, and she pulled the strap away, then immediately started on his tie, giving it a good jerk first, making his head bounce in the sand. Before he could reprimand her, she said, “Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve done that. You’re nothing more than walking testosterone, and while some women might like it, I do not.”

She gave the tie another vicious jerk, loosening the knot, and he grabbed her hands. “Will you stop before you strangle me! Damn, woman, I was discussing the weather, and somehow you got on the topic of my hormones!”

Melanie jerked away and came awkwardly to her feet. She shoved her tangled hair out of her face and tried again to untwist her long, wet skirts. After a moment of futile effort, she gave up. Propping her hands on her hips, she said, “I brought it up because that’s all you are! Male hormones waiting to burst.” She threw her arms wide in apt description.

Adam slowly sat up and had his elbows resting on his bent knees, his head cocked to stare directly at her. “Is that right? Well, I’d say that puts you in something of a predicament then, doesn’t it.”

Warily, she asked, “What do you mean?”

“I hate to break it to you. No, actually I’m glad to break it to you. This little island appears to be deserted. We’re all alone—just you, me, and my bursting hormones.” He grinned wickedly. “For who knows how long?”

Frozen for three heartbeats, Melanie stared at him. Then she scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“It’s true.” Adam stood, brushed off his muscled backside and looked around. “You weren’t paying any attention, but when I first spotted the island we were still pretty far out. I could damn near see it from end to end, and not once did I see any sign of life. Not a kid, not a dog, not a single soul.”

“You’re just trying to scare me.”

“Nope. The last thing I want is a hysterical woman on my hands.” He peeled off his suit coat and shook it out, then tossed it onto a clump of dry, prickly-looking grass. He did the same with his shoes and socks. “I’m only hoping we’ll be able to find some kind of food and water.”

“Adam, stop it.” She glared at him from under lowered brows. Her heart raced; her stomach felt queasy. “There are no deserted islands in Florida anymore. It’s a tourist mecca. This is just your way of being mean again.”

He took two quick steps to her and caught her chin in his hand. “I’m a grown man, damn it. I don’t run around trying to frighten women or be mean. Do you honestly think anyone on that boat will notice us missing? Do you think they’ll even know where to look for us? How long do you think it’ll be before we’re missed?”

The second he touched her, her tongue became useless. She couldn’t muster up a single word or protest. Her heartbeat slowed; her breath caught.

Damn, she felt vulnerable! She’d so wanted to make an impression on him after she saw him on the boat. She’d been planning and plotting on when she’d introduce herself, what she’d say, how she’d say it to let him know without a single doubt that she would no longer be bothered by him, that she was a woman now, totally immune to him.

But then she’d gone overboard, and he’d done the unexpected and dove in after her. She thought of how she’d acted in the water and wanted to dig a hole in the sand to hide. Now here she was, insulting him, baiting him, reacting to him.

She jerked her chin away. “I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I... No one will notice me missing. I came alone and I wasn’t exactly friendly to anyone on the boat.”

“You came alone?”

Oh, why did he have to focus on that one small tidbit? She hadn’t even meant to admit that much. She put her chin in the air and said, “Yes. Alone.”

He looked her over slowly from head to toe, made a grunting sound, then turned away and started unbuttoning his shirt. “I figured you’d be married to some young yuppie executive type by now.”

If all had gone as planned, she would have been. Thank God she’d called it off in time.

When Adam shrugged out of his shirt, at first all she could do was stare at his chest. Hard, lean, covered with a light dusting of hair a shade or two darker than his golden head, it was the type of chest female fantasies were made of. When his hands went to the buttons on his slacks, her mouth fell open, then snapped shut. In a croak, she asked, “What do you think you’re doing?”

Without looking at her, he said, “You don’t expect me to go exploring our little island in suit pants, do you?”

He didn’t wait for an answer. The pants were shoved down, and she whirled around so fast her head swam. But she hadn’t been quite quick enough. She saw snug cotton boxer briefs—wet briefs—molded closely to his lower body. The man was a total fiend.

“Adam,” she said, doing her best to keep her tone calm and reasonable, “put your pants back on.”

“No way. If you had any sense, you’d lose that skirt.”

She clutched her skirts protectively to her body. “I will do no such thing!”

“Suit yourself. But I don’t think it’ll hold up long if you don’t wash the salt water out of it and let it air dry.”

He had a point, not that she intended to disrobe in front of him. It didn’t matter that she wore matching shorts beneath the skirt and underwear under that. Her ex-fiancé had told her numerous times that she needed to put on weight, to gain some curves. And toward the end, she’d finally realized he didn’t find her attractive at all. Oh, he put up a good front, and he tried. Jerry was always pleasant, mannerly, proper. That was one of the reasons she’d broken things off with him; he seemed more emotionless every day, like he had no depth, at least not where she was concerned.

She’d come here to rest, to get control of her emotions after the painful breakup. Ha! Controlling her emotions around Adam had always been impossible.

It was imperative she carry her own weight, that she prove to him her little display in the water was an aberration. She could and would fend for herself.

She was still figuring ways to do that when his warm breath touched the back of her neck. She hadn’t even noticed him approaching!

“One thing hasn’t changed, I see.”

Melanie froze, not daring to move in case his mouth actually touched her skin—in which case she knew she’d likely faint. Her every nerve ending felt stretched tight with him so close. Even her fingertips tingled. “What?”

“You’re still a shy little thing.”

But she wasn’t shy. She was just...affected by him. She’d always been affected by him. He made her nervous and tongue-tied and loopy. From the first day she’d seen him, he’d look at her and her stomach would do flips. Forcing herself to turn, she had her mouth open with a scathing retort when she remembered his state of undress.

Oh, my. Her lips wouldn’t move. As to that, neither would her eyes; they stayed glued on the bare, very male body he presented. Her imagination hadn’t done him justice.

Adam chucked her chin. “Come on. We’ll walk along the shore a bit and see if we can find any signs of habitation.”

He moved away from her, and she stared, heart racing, as he sauntered to his bag and picked it up. He left his discarded clothes lying amid the long, dry grass. As he went past her again, he whistled a jaunty tune.

If she’d found a rock, she’d have thrown it at his head. Frustrated, annoyed and somewhat intrigued, Melanie hurried to catch up.

As Adam had said, many things had changed. But one thing that hadn’t was his appeal. The man still had it in spades. And though she hated to admit it, she’d never been immune.

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