Such simple things like a flower for her hair, a hand to hold as she walked along the beach.
âMaybe we shouldnât leave here, ever.â With a laugh in her voice, she turned. âMaybe we should just stay and . . .â
She trailed off, her throat closing at the look in his eyes. They were so dark, so intense, so suddenly focused on her. Only her.
She didnât think, didnât hesitate, but walked to him. Her hands slid up his chest, linked behind his head. His eyes stayed on hers, a dozen frantic pulse beats, then he dragged her against him and flashed fire in her blood.
Yes, sheâd been kissed before. But she knew the difference between boy and man. It was a man who held her, drew from her. It was a man she wanted. Eager and quick, she pressed against him, racing her lips over his face in frenzied kisses until they found his again on a sob of pleasure.
She was so slim, so willing, so avid to accept any demand. She flowed like water under each pass of his hands, and her mouth clung greedily to his. Each hum and whimper of desire that sounded in her throat cut through him, a blade of fire that ruptured new needs.
âTate.â His voice was rough, nearly desperate. âWe canât do this.â
âWe can. We are.â God, she couldnât breathe. âKiss me again. Hurry.â
His mouth crushed down on hers. The taste of her seemed to explode inside him. Everything about it was painful, nearly agonizing, as heat would be after cold.
âThis is crazy,â he murmured against her mouth. âIâm out of my mind.â
âMe, too. Oh, I want you, Matthew. I want you.â
And that struck him hard. He jerked back, gripped unsteady hands on her shoulders. âListen, Tate . . . What the hell are you smiling at?â
âYou want me, too.â She lifted a hand, laid it gently against his cheek and almost unmanned him. âFor a while I thought you didnât. And it hurt because I want you somuch. I didnât even like you at first, and wanted you anyway.â
âJesus.â To gain control of himself, he let his brow rest on hers. âI thought you said you were the careful one.â
âNot about you.â Full of love and trust, she nuzzled into him. Heart to heart. âNever about you. When you kissed me the first time, I knew you were what Iâd been waiting for.â
He had no compass, no direction, but he knew it was essential to reverse course. âTate, we have to take this slow. Youâre not ready for what Iâm thinking of. Believe me.â
âYou want to make love with me.â Her chin came up. Her eyes, all at once, were a womanâs, and just as mysterious. âIâm not a child, Matthew.â
âThen Iâm not ready. And Iâm not willing to do something that would hurt your parents. Theyâve been straight with me and Buck.â
Pride, she thought. Pride, loyalty and integrity. Was it any wonder she loved him? Her lips curved. âAll right. Weâll take it slow. But itâs between us, Matthew. What we decide, and what we want.â She leaned forward, touched her lips to his. âI can wait.â
C HAPTER 5
S TORMS SWEPT IN and made diving impossible for the next two days. When the first wave of impatience passed, Tate settled down on the boat deck of the Adventure to clean and catalogue the pieces of the Santa Marguerite her father and Buck had brought up on the last dive.
Rain drummed on the tarp stretched overhead. The islands had vanished in the mist, leaving only restless seas and angry skies. Their world had whittled down to water, and each other.
In the deckhouse, a marathon poker game was in progress. Voices, a laugh, a curse, drifted out to her over the monotonous patter of rain. Tate cleaned the corrosion from a crudely made silver cross, and knew sheâd never been happier in her life.
With a mug of coffee in each hand, Matthew