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‘Unfortunately, we can’t do that.’
‘Yes, we can.’ Control was slipping through her fingers. ‘You sailed here, you can sail back again.’
‘No, I can’t.’ His tone was suddenly serious. ‘You and I have a real problem, Lindsay.’
She lifted her fingers to her forehead, anger fading to despair. ‘I know we have a problem.’ Her body was still humming with sexual awareness, but she took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. ‘It will be fine if we just ignore it. We’re both adults and we’re perfectly capable of resisting temptation if we choose to do so.’
‘We’re at cross purposes. I wasn’t talking about the chemistry between us. I don’t see that as a problem.’ He turned, a sardonic smile on his face. ‘And just so that we’re both clear, I have no intention of resisting temptation, so, if that’s the route you plan to take, you’re on your own. You’ll be resisting without my help.’
Still trying to cope with his cool admission that he had no intention of resisting temptation, Lindsay bit her lip. ‘Well, if that’s not the problem—’
‘When did you last look at the sea or the sky, Lindsay?’ His tone deceptively gentle, his eyes flickered behind her. ‘Do you remember that storm I mentioned?’
Storm? For a moment she stared at him, her mind refusing to go further back than the kiss.
And then she turned her head and looked at the ocean.
Somehow, at some point during their picnic—and afterwards—the sea had turned from glasslike smooth stillness, to an angry, boiling furnace. Waves lashed the shore and the sky had turned from perfect blue to ominous grey. ‘Oh, my goodness—I didn’t notice—’
‘I think we were both rather distracted,’ he drawled, irony in his gaze as he sprang to his feet.
Lindsay felt a flash of panic. ‘Call someone. Use your mobile phone.’
‘I didn’t bring it. There’s no signal here. And anyway, no boats will come out in this and the wind is too strong for the seaplane. We’ll have to wait it out.’
Lindsay’s insides lurched. ‘Is it the hurricane?’
‘No, but I suspect it must have changed course or we wouldn’t be experiencing this weather.’ His gaze lingered on the sky for a moment and then he bent down and gathered up their things. ‘I’ll just secure the boat and then we’ll go and find shelter. There’s an old abandoned cottage on the other side of the island. It will be more protected there. We’ll shelter until the storm passes.’
Horrified, she stared at him. ‘And how long will that be?’
‘I have absolutely no idea.’
‘You’re suggesting that we stay here alone?’ She licked her lips and her eyes slid to the angry sea. ‘You did this on purpose.’
‘I’m flattered by your assessment of my powers,’ he said dryly, ‘but even I can’t change the course of a hurricane. With luck it will just graze the island and lose power over the sea. Come on. If it doesn’t blow itself out, you’ll have plenty of time to blame me for the sins of the world over the next few days. Pick up the picnic blanket and the rest of the food. I need to see to the boat.’
‘But it’s already on the beach—’
‘Trust me, in a few hours, this won’t be beach.’
And they were going to be trapped together. She looked at him in horror, expecting to see signs of worry on his face, but his eyes gleamed with something that looked like anticipation. ‘You’re actually enjoying this, aren’t you?’
‘It’s something out of the ordinary and, yes, that’s exciting in its own way. Unlike you, I don’t like life to be too predictable. Where’s the challenge in that? Come on. We need to find ourselves some shelter.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘YOU’RE shivering. Are you cold?’ His tone sharp, Alessio hauled the rest of their things into the single-storey cottage and immediately the sound of the building wind was muffled.
‘I’m not cold,’ Lindsay lied, resisting the temptation to rub her hands down her bare arms. Why, oh, why was fate so cruel? Why couldn’t she at least have had something with her that could have covered her up? She wished now that she’d returned to the boat to pick up more provisions, but Alessio had insisted that they move as fast as possible.
And it had been the right decision. By the time they’d walked for twenty minutes along the beach, the wind had risen dramaticall
y.
She’d been relieved when she’d spotted the cottage on the far side of the tiny island. It was slightly protected by the curve of the land and Lindsay could see that they’d be safer there than in the little bay where they’d landed.
‘What is this place?’ The cottage was obviously old and she hesitated on the doorstep, wary of trespassing. ‘Who owns it?’
