“I guess I’ll just have to go about it the old-fashioned way then.”Ryland made a show of clearing his throat and slicking back his short hair with his hands.Plastering an ear-to-ear smile on his face, he walked over to me and took one of my hands in his.Bowing low, he addressed me in that amazingly sexy tone of voice that sent shivers dancing down my spine.“Good evening, miss.I know you barely know me, but I have been admiring your gorgeous presence for most of the day and simply have to know if you are impressed by me in the slightest.Might I have the pleasure of this dance?”
I laughed.He sure knew how to turn on the charm, and I had the unsettling feeling he was more than halfway serious with his silly request.I moistened my lips with the tip of my tongue, playing for time.
Oh, what the heck.
I sighed theatrically.“I love to dance, but alas, I’m afraid I don’t hear any music.”
“Not to worry.I am known to be a problem-solving kind of guy.”He turned the wattage up on the smile.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Diego finish the last of his dinner and turn to sit at attention, watching us.His tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think he was laughing.
I took Ryland’s hand and let him draw me into the circle of his arms.True to his word, he provided the missing music, humming “The Blue Danube.”The guy definitely had some musical ability.I was starting to think there was no end to his talents.
I rested my head on his shoulder, breathing in.He smelled like sunlight and pine trees, a truly amazing feat considering we’d been blundering around the island for the better part of the day.By rights he should smell like a sweaty guy needing a shower.
His wounded arm didn’t stop him from cradling me against him.I closed my eyes and let him lead me around the clearing, my feet skimming across the uneven ground as I followed his lead.
What would it have been like to meet this man under different circumstances?If we’d both attended a charity fundraiser, or a gala at some arts thing in Vancouver or Victoria, would he even have given me a second glance?He was so gorgeous, so suave, so very much a man women would be falling all over themselves just to get an introduction to.There was no way a non-descript wallflower such as myself would have even been on his radar.
I gave my head a mental shake.We weren’t at some high-brow social in the capital.We were on an island off the Pacific Coast, and we were alone.Just the two of us for the night.
I intended to make the most of the opportunity.
I’d never done this before, never instigated a one-night stand with a guy I’d just met, but somehow it felt right.He and I together,wefelt right.It might just be the circumstances, the shared danger, but I didn’t care.It had been a long time since something had felt this good.
I snuggled in closer against him.He stiffened, and I wondered if he was going to draw away, if I’d mistaken the signals, but then he relaxed and tightened his arms around me.
Magical.It felt magical.An owl hooted in the distance, and the insects set up a chorus of background music to complement Ryland’s rendition of the classic waltz.A full moon shone through the tops of the trees, sending shafts of light showering down on us.We glided around the clearing in perfect harmony, the cushion of pine needles and debris soft underfoot.
I hadn’t felt this connected to another person -- ever.Even during my ill-fated engagement, I hadn’t felt so safe, so content in a man’s arms.
It wasn’t entirely my ex’s fault.In hindsight, I’d been more in love with the idea of not being alone than I had been with him, and maybe he’d sensed that.He’d just come along at the right time, flashing a toothy smile and saying all the right things to make me think he was the one.If there had been warning signs of his infidelity, I hadn’t wanted to see them.
“Your hair smells so good.”Ryland stopped humming, but he didn’t let me go.
I could feel the strength in his arms and in the bulge of muscles under my cheek.I lifted my head, opening my eyes.
He stared down at me.With the moonlight streaming down on his head, his hair shone with an almost mystical glow.As I watched, he lowered his head until his lips brushed across mine in a gentle kiss that sent darts of desire racing from my head to my toes.
I closed my eyes and parted my lips, silently inviting him to do more.
His lips seared a path across mine, his tongue sliding inside to exploring, tasting and claiming.He cradled the back of my head, tangling his fingers in my hair.
I tilted my head back, allowing him better access.“Ryland.”His name came out in an intimate whisper.
Sliding my hands up under his shirt, I leaned into him.His muscles felt solid beneath my questing fingers, hinting at a strength capable of protecting me.
I closed my eyes and nibbled light kisses down his neck, deliberately seducing him.I wanted this, wanted him, and I didn’t care what the consequences might be.I’d worry about that later.Tomorrow.When reality returned.This was a one-night stand -- nothing more.
He responded immediately, kissing me thoroughly, and every fiber of my being came to life, quivering in anticipation.A tiny, sane corner of my mind registered outrage that I could be actively seeking sex from a stranger, but I quickly squelched it.
All thoughts of poachers and being shot and danger fled as my focus narrowed to the current moment, to the feel of being in Ryland’s arms.My body was in meltdown, heat racing across every inch of my skin.
I broke contact first, leaning my head back to meet his gaze.His eyes were no longer the cold chips of ice I’d dubbed them when we first met.They’d transformed into blue flames, matching the heat flowing through my veins.
He scooped me up and strode to the makeshift sleeping platform he’d constructed.Crouching down, he laid me on the soft surface with infinite tenderness.
I watched as he shrugged out of his shirt, before his hands dropped to the waistband of his jeans.I drew in a deep breath as he skimmed the material down over his hips.
