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I found Rylee in the kitchen. She was standing at the stove, cooking oatmeal. Her back was facing me, so I took a moment to allow my eyes to roam over her. The shorts she was wearing fell mid-thigh and hugged her ass in a way that made my mouth go dry. Her dark hair was pulled up in a messy bun, exposing her long neck, and the white T-shirt she wore was thin and I could just make out the outline of her red bra beneath the fabric.
My dick stirred at that. Damn, she got me going without even trying.
“Morning,” I said, going to the coffee maker and starting it up. I would have to make do with powdered creamer, but it would be worth it to get my morning caffeine boost.
“Hey,” she replied, shooting a furtive glance my way before returning her attention to the oatmeal she was stirring.
There was something about the tone of her voice that caught my attention and I studied her for a moment, realizing that she looked tense.
I couldn’t imagine what could be bothering her after last night. I was in a great mood. But I was sure I could help her out. She was pouring the oatmeal into a bowl when I came up behind her. My hands went to her shoulders and I started to rub them.
I expected her to lean back into me, a smile on her face. Instead, she went rigid.
Confused, I leaned in and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. Something was wrong, and I wasn’t sure how else to connect with her. The kiss didn’t help things. Instead of relaxing, Rylee turned around and stepped away from me.
“We shouldn’t have done what we did last night,” she said, her voice resolute. But she couldn’t hide the conflict in her eyes. She was fighting with herself, but I didn’t know why. “It was a mistake.”
I shook my head. I couldn’t understand what had changed in just a few short hours. She had no complaints, nohesitation, when she showed up in my room last night. She’d fallen asleep in my arms afterward. Where was the regret coming from?
“No, it wasn’t,” I refuted. “In fact, I think we should take advantage of our time here on the island and go for round two.”
“Just forget it happened . . .please,” she insisted.
I took a step back, raising my hands in the air in front of me as my eyebrows popped up. There was nothing quite like feeling attacked first thing in the morning.
“What’s wrong with you?” I asked, knowing it came out harsher than I’d intended.
Her lips pursed and her eyes swirled with emotions I couldn’t decipher. “You know what? I’m going for a walk on the beach.Alone.”
Turning away, she went out the backdoor before I could stop her, leaving her breakfast behind.
What the hell?
I stood in place, looking out the window as she stalked toward the beach. Confusion gripped me, and I wished I had access to my normal resources. If we were back in New York, I’d just call up a private investigator I knew to dig up everything he could find about her. I’d done it before, and it was a good way to learn about someone before I allowed them too close. With a report from the PI, I could easily figure out what was going on with Rylee.
But that wasn’t an option, so I was just going to have to get her to open up about whatever was bothering her. I just hoped I would have time to do that because rescue could arrive any time, and once that happened I had a sinking feeling she’d cut all contact with me. There was no doubt that my brothers would make it a top priority once they learned that I was missing.
I should’ve wanted that. Getting back to my real life should have been my top priority.
But there was just something about Rylee that had me hooked. Maybe it was her openness. Or her sass. Or the way that my body roared when she was around. There was so much pulling me toward her.
Underneath that, I suspected she had an innocence that she was trying to hide. I wanted to explore that further, but if rescue came too soon, I’d miss that opportunity. If she was trying to avoid me when we left this island, it would get a hell of a lot easier for her once we were back on the mainland.
That meant I had a time limit to connect with her. I was going to have to get creative.
* * *
Sandra and Dale had the right idea, once again getting frisky in their bedroom all morning. They made an effort to keep it down this time, having realized that their sexual antics yesterday drove me and Rylee from the house, but it was pretty obvious what they were up to when the couple came down the stairs in the early afternoon with cheesy grins on their faces and mussed up hair.
“How’s the ankle?” I asked, noticing that Sandra was walking much better than the day before.
“It’s a little sore, but the swelling is gone. I can walk just fine,” Sandra said, but Dale was sticking close to her, looking ready to literally sweep her off her feet at a moment’s notice. The devotion was clear in the way he kept a close eye on her, the concern on his face.
“Good, maybe you’d be interested in checking out the north end of the island then?” I suggested. “There’s a natural pool there, surrounded by rocks, with plenty of privacy.”
I was sure they’d like it, the naturally romantic and private location being the perfect thing for a couple on their second honeymoon. But I also had a selfish reason for suggesting the adventure.
I wanted a chance to be alone with Rylee. That was going to be hard enough with her sudden icy demeanor, and I didn’t want the complication of these two hanging around.
