Two Little Secrets

“Look behind you,” Ginna said, spinning around. “It’s as if we’re suddenly the only people on earth. You can’t see the lights from the hotel or even hear the music from the lounge. Our music is the sound of the waves, and the only light comes from the moon.” She waved an arm to encompass their surroundings.

“I couldn’t be stranded with a better companion. Just think of all the tutoring you could do.”

Her hand reached for his and lightly squeezed it. “You’d be a real Romeo by the time I finished.”

Zach kept hold of her hand and turned her to face him.

“We’re alone now,” he murmured, caressing the delicate planes of her face with his fingertips. He lowered his head and easily found her mouth. She moved closer, sliding one hand up his arm until it reached his neck. Her fingers curved around his nape, keeping him there.

Zach had known he was going to kiss Ginna. He’d known that since dinner as he listened to her instruct him in the fine art of being romantic. He’d sat there watching the varied expressions cross her face as she spoke and the animation that lit up her eyes.

He couldn’t remember ever before meeting a woman who was so self-assured and comfortable with herself. One of the few times he’d dated, he spent time with a woman who obsessed over every bite of food, worried about drafts when they attended a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. But what killed the date for him was her open disdain for some children who were attending the concert with their parents. When he took her home, she bluntly asked him when they could get together again. That was when he told her he had four-year-old twins. The woman didn’t bother saying good-night and he wasn’t invited in for a cup of coffee.

He didn’t think that would happen with Ginna. She came from a large loving family and had her share of nieces and nephews. And he felt guilty not telling her about the kids right away. He was proud of them. Loved them dearly.

If he thought she was perfect before, kissing her sealed the deal. She was more than he could have imagined.

Her mouth was soft and inviting. Her skin like warm silk under his touch.

He traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, silently asking admission, which was instantly granted. Her tongue wasn’t shy as she entered into the play, daring him to follow. A dare he was very happy to accept.

She draped herself around him the way a piece of silk caresses the body. If she was a perfect fit for a kiss, what would she be like if there was more? What if he lay her down on the sand and they—

He stopped his line of thinking.

They may be alone now, but there was no guarantee someone wouldn’t come along.

“Lady, you pack quite a wallop,” he said once he could catch his breath.

She tipped her head back, eyes closed and lips slightly parted. “Thank you,” she said huskily. She swayed in his direction.

Just as he feared, he could hear voices on the wind.

“I think we’re going to have company soon.” He took several deep breaths, but all he seemed to smell was her perfume. It wasn’t helping his peace of mind at all.

Ginna moved to his side and slid her arm around his waist. “Then I guess this would be as good a time as any to go back.” Her hip bumped gently against his.

The sexual tension between them heightened with every step. When they were alone in the elevator, Zach took advantage and stole a kiss.

Their steps slowed as they walked down the hallway to her room. When they reached her door, Ginna turned to face him. He planted his hands on either side of her shoulders, effectively trapping her against the wall. His head dipped and he kissed her again.

“I’m going to be a gentleman and not ask to come in,” Zach murmured against her mouth.

Her eyes were hazy with desire. But it was her lips he noticed that were curving upward.

“And what if I invite you in?” she said in a throaty whisper.

He already felt the mental kick to his backside. A kick he’d have physically done to himself if it were possible.

“As much as I’d like to accept, I’d have to be a gentleman and regretfully decline.” His mouth slid along the curve of her cheek until it reached her ear. His tongue toyed with her gold hoop earring. “Or at least take a rain check.”

“Damn.” Her curse came out on a soft breath. “And here I was going to lure you inside and drive you insane with passion.”

“I like your plan.” He was too engrossed in exploring her ear. He kept his hands planted firmly on either side of her shoulders, because he knew if he touched her elsewhere, he’d never leave. And he should. He wanted to prove to her, and to himself, this was more than just mindless lust. But he knew if he didn’t get out of there soon, he’d never leave. “I’m still trying to be a gentleman here. How about tomorrow?”

She pulled back as far as she could, the desire in her eyes starting to dissipate.

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe we are going too fast,” she said, sensing the truth in his words. “I think it might be better if I did something by myself tomorrow. Then we could get together the next day.”

Zach felt the blow. “Twenty-four hours?”

She reached up and kissed him lightly. “More like thirty-six hours. You’re proving too addictive, Mr. Stone,” she murmured. “I need to catch my breath and I’m already finding out I can’t do it when I’m with you. I’ll meet you for breakfast the day after tomorrow.”

“How about a drink two minutes after midnight? Or if you want to stick with breakfast, we have it at dawn?”

“Dawn? I don’t think so. You’re not dealing with a morning person here,” she explained. “The best I can give you is seven-thirty.”

“Seven-thirty, day after tomorrow. If I have to wait that long, I may as well have something that will hold me that long.” He pulled her back into his arms, and this time he didn’t hold back. He demanded everything of her.

Ginna moaned softly as she melted in his embrace. By the time they parted, they were both breathing heavily.

“Go now.” She pushed him away from her.

“A day away from you isn’t going to make any difference,” he warned her.

“It will if you happen to meet someone else who rings your chimes,” she said.

Zach reached out and traced the lush contours of her lips with his fingertip. “You ring my chimes just fine, sweetheart. I’ll see you at breakfast, day after tomorrow.”

As he walked back to the elevator, he realized that he was already counting down the hours until he saw her again.

It couldn’t come soon enough.

Chapter Four

“What in the world can he talk to her about? She has to be all of twelve.”

Ginna stretched out on the lounge chair set out on the sand. She had the headphones to her CD player covering her ears, her sunglasses perched on her nose and her hat shading her face. Her skin glistened with sunscreen lotion that smelled strongly of coconut. Since it was only late morning, the colada she held was a virgin.

At the moment, her drink was forgotten as she covertly watched Zach and a young woman standing down by the hut where sailboards were signed out by the guests. Her dark glasses hid her narrowed gaze.

“Honestly, Zach, I thought you had more sense than to fall for a pair of perky breasts,” she muttered. “Can you spell much too young? But then, how could your brain work when you’re facing a girl wearing nothing more than a few strands of colored dental floss? I’m sure she’s illegal in more than one state.”

The focus of Ginna’s attention was the kind of sexy young woman that caused any red-blooded man to salivate. Petite with curves in all the places, she wore a bright red thong bikini that left very little to the imagination. Glossy black curly hair tumbled down around her deeply tanned shoulders. She looked up at Zach as if he was he was the answer to all her prayers.

Ginna had no idea what Zach said, but apparently the young woman found it humorous, because she laughed and tossed her hair back. And managed to lift her chest at the same time.

Ginna curled her lip.