Rather than looking grateful, her brow creased in a frown. Then she nodded, pushing herself up to her knees and dropping the garment over her head. With her emerald gaze still focused on his face, she got shakily to her feet.
“Thank you,” she said, louder and more firmly this time, her voice silk and smoke combined. “I appreciate your help.”
Despite the plain dismissal, Colton made no move to go. He couldn’t help but notice that the simple dress, rather than disguising her lush body, enhanced her curves, making her appear even more alluring. Right. If he was young and stupid, which he wasn’t.
This kind of trouble he didn’t need or want. He shook his head, his body wanting otherwise. Damn and double damn.
He cleared his throat. “You still haven’t told me what happened to you.”
“Oh.” Dragging her long fingers through her tangled locks, she continued to watch him, her look unsettling. She eyed him the way a mistreated puppy might watch an angry stranger, as though expecting a vicious kick at any moment. This woman watched him with fear. Why? What did she have to be afraid of?
Had she been raped? Or was she high on drugs?
“I—” she began, then shook her head. Her pupils dilated, she pushed herself up, padding over to him on bare feet.
He opened his mouth to ask a question, freezing in shock when she stood up on her toes and covered his mouth with hers.
First impulse—shove her away—quickly became raging desire. His body, so long without a woman, reacted instantly, even as his mind shouted out warnings.
Obviously, the woman was under the influence of something.
“No,” he snarled, pushing her away, unable to keep his gaze from her ample chest and engorged nipples. Breathing as hard as he, she stared at him. Her green eyes were dark, the color of deep water during a storm. A second later, her face contorted as if she was in pain.
“I’m…sorry.” The words came in gasps. “Please, leave. Now, before I do something else I can’t control.”
Fighting his own urges, his own raging lust, he kept his legs firmly planted. “What did you take?”
Confusion flashed across her expression. “Take? Nothing. I…Please. I asked you to go.”
Was she fighting the drug, whatever it was? How could he leave her alone, when her life could still be in danger? If she blacked out again, how much time would pass before someone found her?
Short answer—he couldn’t leave until he was one hundred percent certain she’d be all right.
When he didn’t move, she closed her eyes, lifting her chin so that her face would be bathed in sunlight.
“I’m…burning,” she said, inexplicably. Then, as she took a step toward him, he realized she meant with need.
Sexual need.
Of course, what little control he’d been able to exert over his own arousal instantly vanished.
She eyed the front of him, gaze lingering on his conspicuous bulge. “Last chance.” The throaty purr was back. “Go or sate my body’s hunger.”
He must be insane. He actually considered taking her up on her offer. That was why they called it thinking with the wrong head. He’d gone so long without, and told himself he was used to celibacy, that he could live with that.
Now, he realized he’d been lying to himself.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked. Not wanting to, but knowing he could either retreat or capitulate, he took a step back.
At his words, horror flashed across her face. “I don’t even know you.” Spinning around, she made a move for her cabin. But her legs appeared to give out, and she went down. Hard.
Pure reflex had him moving toward her.
“No,” she yelped. “Stop. If you touch me, I’ll completely lose control.”
“And we don’t want that.” He heard himself say. Staring down at her, lithe and lovely and as sexy as hell, he couldn’t believe he was going to take a pass on what she so freely, blatantly offered. And apparently wanted, needed and couldn’t control.
What red-blooded male would? He shook his head, wondering at himself, while his throbbing body urged him to touch her. Just once. To go for it and damn the consequences.
