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"Plenty of love," Drew said. "Sometimes too much. Everyone likes to be in my business."
Despite his complaint, she could see the pride in his eyes when he spoke of his family.
"So, one o'clock, two?" he pressed, raising an eyebrow. "What time are you done here?"
"Two. But I'm not meeting you."
"Why not?"
"I'm not in the mood for a hook-up."
"Aren't you? I've been watching you all night, and I'm good at reading people, too, Ria. You're a bundle of nerves. Every time someone walks through the door, you tense. Why is that? Are you in some kind of trouble?"
His words bothered her on two levels, one that he'd read her so well, and, two, that she'd given so much away.
"And I suppose you think I should release some of my tension with you?" she asked, ignoring his other questions.
"I think…" He paused, lowering his voice. "That you are a beautiful woman who knows what she wants and how to get it."
"Who said I wanted you?" she challenged.
"Your beautiful eyes say it."
"You're seeing what you want to see."
"Am I?" He cocked his head to the right as he regarded her thoughtfully. "What's holding you back, Ria?"
"I don't do random hookups. And I have to get up early in the morning. In the daytime I sail boats for Sea Charters."
"So bartender, sailor—what other talents do you have?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"I would like to know," he said with a grin. "Why don't you tell me? Or better yet, show me?"
She shook her head at his charming smile. When she'd first seen him, his expression had been tense, but since they'd started talking, he'd loosened up considerably.
"You're breaking my heart," he said, putting a hand to his chest.
"I doubt that. And there are plenty of women in this bar if you want company."
"I'm only interested in your company. You intrigue me."
"I can't imagine why."
"What brought you to this small island in the middle of the sea?"
She thought for a moment, then said the only word that came to mind. "Freedom."
He met her gaze. "Have you found it?"
"I'm close," she said. "When I'm in the middle of the ocean, no land in sight, nothing but blue water and the occasional seagull, I almost feel like I've escaped."
"Escaped what?"
"Nothing I care to share." She drew in a deep breath, trying to calm the tension running through her body, that now had as much to do with her attraction to Drew as with her worries about the next day.
"I understand the desire to escape," he said.
"You do?"
"Yes. I first felt the walls closing in on me when I was a teenager. There were eight kids sharing four bedrooms and two bathrooms. It was always too crowded in my house, kids fighting, crying, yelling, so I'd leave whenever I could. And one day I ended up at the airport. I took a flying lesson, and I was hooked. There is nothing like the land falling away and nothing but blue sky in front of you to make you feel like the world just got bigger." He paused. "We're quite a pair. I need the big blue sky and you need the big blue sea."
She smiled. "Apparently, neither one of us is that good on land."
"Maybe we could be good together," he suggested.
She laughed. "You don't miss an opportunity, do you?"
He finished his drink then got to his feet. "I'm staying in the cottages. Number nine. The door will be open, Ria."
"I'm not coming." She wished her words were a little stronger, a little more forceful.
"Then I'll be disappointed. I turned down the mermaid's kiss, because I want yours."
"Another good line. You're full of them."
"I'm not a player."
"You've given me absolutely no reason to believe that."
"I know," he admitted. "You probably won't believe me, but I haven't done this in a while."
"So, why me?"
"You have a smart mouth, and you're sexy as hell. I'd love to see you with your hair down. I'd love to show you how good we could be together."
His husky tone sent another shiver down her spine. "How do you know we'd be good? You don't know me at all," she said, trying to maintain a strong defense against his charm. "We're strangers."
