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She’d left her hair loose, the way she’d worn it on the day she’d arrived on the island.
Feeling the tension spread across his shoulders, he lifted the bottle of beer to his lips, thinking about the kiss. He hadn’t intended to kiss her but the temptation had been too great, and now he couldn’t get it out of his mind.
He wondered why this woman in particular should have such a powerful effect on him. Not for one moment did he think it was anything to do with her gorgeous curves—he’d met plenty of women with good bodies and none of them had tempted him past the superficial. But Jenna…
Maybe it was her generous smile. Or her air of vulnerability—the way she was so painfully honest about the things that had gone wrong in her life when most people just pu
t up a front. Or the way she put herself last. Either way, she was sneaking under his skin in a way that should have set off warning bells.
If his aim was to protect himself, then lusting after a recently divorced single mother with a teenage daughter was probably the stupidest thing he’d ever done.
She was clearly desperately hurt after her divorce, and any relationship she entered into now would be on the rebound.
But his body wasn’t listening to reason and he felt himself harden as he watched her approach. She’d dressed modestly, her summery skirt falling to her ankles, her tee shirt high at the neck. But the Glenmore breeze was designed to mock modesty and it flattened the skirt to her legs, found the slit and blew it gaily until the soft fabric flew into the air, revealing long slim legs and a hint of turquoise that looked like a swimming costume.
Ryan saw her clutch at the skirt and drag it back into position, her face pink as she pinned it down with her hand, defying the wind.
For a girl who was fresh out of the city, there was nothing city-slick about her. She was carrying a large flowery bag over one shoulder and she looked slightly uncertain—as if she wasn’t used to large gatherings.
He was fully aware that she’d avoided him the day before at the surgery, going to great lengths to make sure they didn’t bump into one another. Seeing her now, the emotion he felt was like a punch in the gut. He was attracted to her in a way he hadn’t been attracted to a woman in years.
‘She’d be perfect for you.’ Evanna’s voice came from behind him and he turned, keeping his expression neutral.
‘You never give up, do you?’
‘Not when I think something is worth the effort.’ Evanna replied. ‘Don’t be angry with me.’
‘Then don’t interfere.’
‘I’m helping.’
‘Do you think I need help?’
‘When you first came here, yes. You were so angry,’ she said softly. ‘I used to hear you sawing wood and banging nails. You swung that hammer as if you hoped someone’s head was underneath it.’
Ryan breathed out slowly. ‘I hadn’t realised anyone witnessed that—’
‘I came down to the lighthouse from time to time, trying to pluck up courage to ask you to join us for supper, but whenever I saw you your expression was so black and you were so dark and scary I lost my nerve.’
‘I didn’t know.’ He’d been aware of nothing, he realised, but his own pain. ‘So, have you become braver or am I less scary?’
Her smile was wise and gentle. ‘You banged in a lot of nails.’
‘I guess I did.’ He respected the fact that she hadn’t pushed him for the reason. She’d never pushed him. Just offered unconditional friendship. Humbled once again by the generosity of the islanders, he frowned. ‘Evanna—’
‘Just promise me that if I back off you won’t let her slip through your fingers.’
‘Life doesn’t always come as neatly wrapped as you seem to think.’
‘It takes work to wrap something neatly.’ She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. ‘You’ve been here for two years. It’s enough. Don’t let the past mess up the future, Ryan.’
‘Is that what I’m doing?’
‘I don’t know. Are you?’
Ryan thought about the kiss on the beach and the way he felt about Jenna. ‘No,’ he said. ‘I’m not.’
He knew Jenna was nothing like Connie. And maybe that was one of the reasons he was so attracted to her.
