Hearing that, Chrissy had wasted no time traipsing out to the wind-stripped wooden shed to grab the fishing equipment stored there.
She needed to think. Needed to understand why last night, when she’d found herself caught in a storm of anguish over the things she’d seen,Wolfhad been the shelter she ran to.
“Thought I might find you out here.” His deep voice with that Oklahoma twang sounded behind her.
Speak of an angel and he’ll flap his wings, she thought. Then she quickly decided Wolf was far more devilish than he was divine.
Turning slowly, she watched him heading closer. He was barefoot and wearing fresh swim trunks. His chest was smooth and hairless. Black tribal tattoos wrapped around his biceps.
Feeling like she was getting a sugar rush from so much man-candy, she forced her gaze to his chin. But she quickly decided that was cowardly, and so firmly met his eyes. Those black, fathomless eyes that, when focused on her, were so warm and liquid they made her heart want to melt.
It wasn’t really a smile he gave her, more a subtle deepening of the lines on either side of his mouth. But it was enough to have the corners of her own mouth curling down in response.
It’d been easy to resist his advances when all she’d had was the memory of That Night to go on. But now she had so much more.
She had the memory oflastnight. Of how he’d sweetly kept a hand on her shoulder for hours so she could enjoy a deep, dreamless sleep. Of how he’d looked this morning, all warm and lazy as he got out of bed and stretched like a cat. Of how he’d given her the first cup of coffee from the little hotel coffeemaker after adding cream and one sugar. Just as she liked it.
Plus, she had the memory of his bravery on the catamaran. Of his selflessness. His heroism.
“Figured I’d come out here so I didn’t inadvertently get cut by the dagger eyes Alex keeps sending Mason’s way.” She hoped her expression revealed none of the confusion in her head.
Wolf stopped beside her, his face pained. “On a scale of one to smotherin’ him in his sleep, how much do you think Alex hates him right now?”
Chrissy shook her head. “She doesn’t hate him. She loves him.”
A startled look contorted Wolf’s face. “Did she tell you that?”
“She didn’t have to. If you’d seen her when he got stabbed, if you’d heard the noise she made, you’d know.”
“Shit.” He ran a hand through his short hair. It made his bicep bunch which, in turn, made Chrissy’s stomach bunch.
She sighed. “And it gets worse.”
He looked at her expectantly.
“Apparently, last night, Alex made a deal with him to be friends. But that was onlyaftershe kissed him.”
“Shekissedhim?” He blinked, and shook his head in wonder. “That woman has a set of balls on her to do Wesley Warren Jr. proud.”
“That’s what I told her.” Chrissy agreed, then frowned. “Wait, who’s Wesley Warren Jr.?”
He shuddered dramatically. “A tragic guy with scrotal elephantiasis.”
She decided she’d rather not picture that. “Then Mason went and showed up this morning with Donna.”
Wolf’s brow wrinkled. “So? I thought you just said Alex and Mason agreed to be friends?”
Chrissy stared at her fishing rod and then stared at his head.
“Don’t even think about it.” His mouth curved around a knowing smile.
“Areallmen clueless?” she demanded. “Or is it just those of you who live on an island in the middle of nowhere? HekissedAlex and then went andsleptwith someone else.”
“Mason didn’t have sex with Donna.”
She felt her forehead wrinkle. “And how do you know that?”
“He told Doc. Doc told me.”
