CHAPTER 5
SHE WANTED HIM. She honestly wanted him, and that made Tony feel like the tallest, strongest man on the planet.
Of course, she didn’t actually know who he was. Not really. She’d fallen for an illusion, his secret identity, the man out to protect the island guests from boogeymen and the pitfalls of nature. But the real Tony? Well, his white knight days were long over.
Still, the thought of Kyra in his arms, in his bed, whatever the terms…well, the image was enticing, and not one he intended to turn away. He’d told the truth—in a lot of ways, she was his fantasy. A woman who looked at him like he was the whole world. A woman who wanted him and wasn’t afraid to show it. A woman who could make him forget, even if only for the night, just who he really was.
Alan was right. He did need a woman. A woman like Krya who didn’t know—wouldn’t ever know—his secrets.
“Your place or mine?” she said. Despite the flirtatious tone, he heard a quiver of nerves, and her hesitancyonly increased his desire. Somehow, she’d fallen for him. In some small way, she belonged to him.
The realization humbled him. She was sharing so much with him, trusting so much to him. He held out his hand for her to take, squeezing her fingers lightly as he curled his hand around hers.
“Yours,” he said, taking care to remember to keep his voice pitched low. “It’s closer.” And since he shared his place with his alter ego, it was out of the question.
He pulled her closer, automatically moving to her left side so that he could see her out of his uncovered eye.
“We’ll miss the party,” she said, looking back over her shoulder.
He felt like a heel. Of course she’d probably come to Intimate Fantasy expecting to meet some man who’d sweep her off her feet. A man who’d take her out dancing and for long walks along the beach. A man who knew his way around a classy menu. The last thing in the world she’d probably expected was to be paired with some mysterious man in black who came and went with the night, keeping to the shadows and as far away from crowds as possible.
“Do you want to go back?” he asked, unsure what he’d do if she said yes. He could always wait in her cabana. Joining the festivities was simply out of the question.
“No!” Her response was quick and adamant, and relief surged through him. “I mean, not unless you do.”
“I’m not interested in anyone at the party. I’m only interested in you.”
She met his eyes. “Naked and in candlelight, right?” she asked boldly.
He grinned, enjoying her playfulness. “Well, we can always blow out the candle.”
“Just so long as we’re clear on the naked part.”
“Oh, I think we’re clear.” As fabulous as she looked in the sarong-style skirt and flower-print bikini top, he would be even happier to see her out of it.
They were almost to her cabana when she stopped, turning around to face him. The lights from her cabin lit her hair in silhouette, giving her an ethereal appearance. “That goes for you, too,” his angel said.
“What’s that?”
“Naked.”
He let his gaze roam up her body. “Sweetheart, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Except…” She swallowed, her hands balled into fists.
“What?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”
She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. “Except for the patch.” She licked her lips, then dropped her gaze. “I don’t want you to take off the patch. And no lights. Nothing but candlelight, anyway.”
“All right.” Since he had no intention of letting her get a good look at him, her condition was an easy one.
She looked up, her head cocked. “That’s okay? You don’t mind?”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said.
He could tell the moment understanding struck her.
“You want me,” she said, “but you don’t want me to know who you are.”
