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"For now. But what better way to learn about each other?"
"I'm not looking for trouble."
"There's a light in your eyes that says that's exactly what you're looking for."
She caught her breath, thinking he might actually be right about that.
Drew tipped his head and walked away.
She watched him all the way to the exit. When the door closed behind him, she let out a breath, wondering how she could possibly already miss him.
He was just another guy—only he wasn't, and she couldn't put her finger on why.
Maybe it was the seriousness that lurked just behind his smile. He wasn't like most of the guys who hit on her. Those she could handle. She knew they'd move on to the next woman before she could finish saying no. But Drew had left. He'd thrown down his invitation and walked out the door.
He was going to wait for her. He was pretty confident she'd show up, but he was going to be waiting a long time.
She turned her focus back on work. For the next hour, she served drinks, picked up empty glasses, and watched the minutes tick off the clock. Shortly before closing Drew's friend left with two women flanking him on either side. Apparently, he wasn't going to be alone tonight.
At two a.m., she wiped down the bar and closed out the register. She said goodnight to Martin and walked outside, the scent of flowers and sea all around her. She paused for a moment and drew in a deep breath of sweet and salty air. The heat of the night echoed the passionate need burning through her body, a need that had been lit by the sexy smile of a stranger.
She lived in a furnished rental three blocks away from the resort. The cottage where Drew was staying was only a hundred yards away.
Indecision made her hesitate for a long minute. She hadn't been lying when she told Drew she wasn't into hookups, but tonight she was feeling restless and reckless. She wasn't going to sleep anyway. She was too worried about the morning, and the reality of what she was about to do.
In six hours she could be dead.
She wasn't being a pessimist, just a realist.
Maybe she should spend those hours doing something that would make her happy, something that she never ever did. It had been a very long time since she'd thought of anything but the plan, the goal. Nothing else mattered but fulfilling the promise she'd made to her sister. But tonight, Drew had reminded her that she was a woman, and she was lonely and scared, defiant and determined—all at the same time.
It was the worst possible time to get involved with anyone.
On the other hand…
She pulled the band out of her hair and let the long waves flow loosely around her shoulders. Then she walked down the path to the cottages, her nerves tingling and tightening with each step.
She knocked on his door, turned the knob and stepped inside. The cottage was one big room, a small sitting area and a king-sized bed.
Drew sat on the couch. He was reading a book when she walked in. It looked like some sort of mystery novel. It was silly, but the sight of that book pushed her over the edge. She'd always found intelligence to be a turn-on, and this man was smart, maybe too smart. He'd read her pretty accurately so far.
But in a lot of ways, she liked his honesty. He hadn't set the scene with candles. There was no wine or champagne chilling. He wasn't trying to seduce her. He was just waiting…
After a moment he set the book down and stood up, his gaze meeting hers. Then slowly he walked over to her. He made no move to touch her or kiss her. He simply looked at her with his shadowy dark eyes, and she felt an incredible pull. All her nerve endings tingled. There was electricity between them—a dark, dangerous attraction.
"I'm glad you came, Ria. Why did you?"
Such a simple question—such a complicated answer. She settled for the basic truth. "I want you."
The fire in his eyes flared. He put his hands on her waist. "I know the feeling."
"For tonight," she added. "That's all I can give you. I need you to know exactly where I stand."
"All I care about is that you're standing here in front of me. You're beautiful, Ria. And I want you, too."
Her stomach clenched at the desire in his gaze. And then he was done looking. He pulled her in for a kiss.
He tasted as intoxicating as the vodka she'd served him, and he kissed like a man who hadn't had a woman in a long time. She met his demanding mouth with the same sense of urgency and need.
