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At first, he’d had trouble believing his eyes. Maybe it wasn’t her. Maybe it was a lookalike. But the closer he’d come, the more he knew that the sweet curves under the water-drenched clothing could belong only to one woman. He hadn’t really seen her naked that night on the beach, but the feel of her against him was stamped on his memory.
Finding her dancing in the rain had only been his first surprise.
The second?
She’d flung herself into his arms.
All during the flight here, he’d tried to imagine how she’d react to seeing him. This—Bianca in his embrace—hadn’t even made the list.
Telling him to take a long hike on a short bridge kept emerging as a logical winner.
That was why he hadn’t called to tell her he was coming. Well, that and the fact that he didn’t have her number. Okay. That and the fact that six weeks had gone by, six very long weeks, and he’d have bet not even Miss Manners or Emily Post could tell a man what to say if he phoned a woman he’d made love with and never seen again.
Hi, how’ve you been and, by the way, I need to ask you a question…
“Inadequate” didn’t come close.
She was shaking. Why? The rain was pouring down, but it was a warm rain. Maybe not warm enough for her, he decided, and he started to step back so he could peel off his jacket and wrap her in it.
But she clung to him.
He liked it. A lot. Enough to keep holding her a little longer. But the rain was relentless and finally he clasped her shoulders and eased her away.
“Wait,” he said. “Let me take off my jacket.”
He got the jacket off. It was denim, too heavy for a hot summer day but right for tossing into his carry-on, and he’d been glad he had it when the skies opened up just as he’d reached his hotel. The outside of the jacket was wet but the rain hadn’t penetrated the fabr
ic. He wrapped her in the jacket, helped get her arms into the sleeves, then closed all the buttons right up to the collar even as she protested.
“You’ll get soaked.”
“Heck, no problem. I can skip showering tonight.” She laughed, but she was still shaking so he gathered her into his arms again. It took a couple of minutes, but finally she stopped trembling. “Better now?”
She nodded. “Much. Thank you.”
He hesitated. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel awkward about that little rain dance.
“When I came along,” he said, “you looked as if you were thinking about joining my people.”
She tilted her head back and stared up at him. “What?”
“That rain dance.” He smiled. “Not that the Sioux are much into rain dances. That’s pretty much a southwestern Indian thing, but you were doing a good job. In fact, now I’m wondering—does Manhattan have you to thank for this downpour?”
She blushed, but that was okay because she also gave a quick little laugh.
“I was celebrating. The power went off in my building and I was the only one left.”
“In the entire building?”
“Uh-huh. As far as I know, yes. I was stuck there, alone in the dark on the ninth floor and—and—” She paused. He could see a question forming in her eyes. “What are you doing here?”
Half a dozen answers ran through his mind. In the end, he decided the honest one was best.
“I came to see you.”
Now she looked surprised. Well, why wouldn’t she? They’d had sex six weeks ago and hadn’t exchanged a word since.
“You came to see me?”
