UP In Flames: Body Heat / Caught in the Act

“Charity?”

“I don’t live on the riverbank anymore. I can damn well take care of myself, without your interference.”

His attitude stunned her. “You’re being unreasonable, Adam. I can afford to do this—”

“And I can’t. Just like old times, huh?”

They stared at each other in heavy silence. He was so distant, so sarcastic, it was as if the delicious kiss had never happened. Melanie bit her lip to keep her emotions in check. His feelings were plain, but then, so were hers. She knew what she needed to do, she just didn’t know how Adam would react. “You’re a bullheaded jerk, Adam Stone.”

He turned away to observe the shoreline. After several more seconds, he said, “It’s going to be dark soon. We should finish checking out the house to see if there’s anything in there we can use.”

The setting sun cast everything in shadow, lending an eerie quality to the island. Adam disappeared behind the house, and she didn’t bother to follow him. How had everything changed so suddenly?

“I’ve found us some food.”

She stared at him, carefully hiding her hurt. He held out two withered oranges.

“Behind the house.” He watched her as he spoke, and she had the feeling he was trying to gauge her mood. “The orange tree isn’t much to brag on, but next to that is a palm tree loaded with coconuts. We won’t starve.”

Fighting with him wouldn’t solve anything, so she tried for a look of enthusiasm. “I can live with fruit.”

He looked relieved, and even smiled at her. “They were probably planted by whoever used to live here. According to the guidebook, citrus trees are usually only on the mainland. There’s even a wild strawberry patch here, though it looks like the bugs have gotten to most of them. And some thorny blackberries.”

He dropped the fruit in the sand by her feet, then went around to lever himself into the front door again. Watching Adam climb wearing no more than form-fitting Skivvies was a unique experience. Muscles and tendons flexed and pulled tight across his back and shoulders. His thighs were long, athletic. She crept closer to the house to peek inside.

It had obviously been no more than a functional fishing cabin. There were no separate rooms, just a few dividing walls. At the back of the house were an old porcelain tub and toilet, a broken mirror still on the wall. Various broken tools, dishes and garbage littered the inside.

“It’s not exactly cozy.”

Adam snorted. “If it rains again, and it will, at least we’ll be able to keep dry. And I think I might be able to drag that tub outside to collect the rainwater.”

The tub was dirty, chipped and rusted. “Pray, for what?”

“To drink and bathe, sweetheart. Unfortunately, there’s no catering service here, no ice machine right around the corner, no hot showers. Or haven’t you accepted yet that we’re stuck here?”

She really wanted to smack him. “We’ll be rescued soon.”

“Dream on.” He began heaving at the tub. A large slithery snake glided from beneath and slipped across the dusty floor to disappear into a crack between the wall and the baseboard. It moved so quickly, neither of them had time to react. Adam turned to her, one brow raised, and she quickly ducked out of sight.

Sometimes, she thought, life was hardly fair. She’d come on this stupid trip to get away from meddling friends and family, stress and pressure. She’d wanted peace and quiet, but instead she’d gotten stranded on a damn bug-and-snake infested island with the one man who’d always made her crazy. Now it seemed that so many things she’d thought about Adam were wrong, but it didn’t matter, because he still despised her inherited wealth.

“Come here and give me a hand.”

Melanie turned, saw Adam struggling to lower the tub to the ground through the open doorway and applauded. “Bravo, Stone. Anything else I can do for you?”

He mumbled something she didn’t hear and let the tub drop with a thud. After jumping off the doorstep, he dragged the tub straight past her and right into the ocean.

“Adam! What are you doing?” She envisioned him climbing inside the tub and somehow sailing away—without her.

But the tub immediately sank, and he only went out knee deep, just enough to swish the salty sea water inside it.

“I’m washing it. Something’s been nesting inside it.”

Shuddering in distaste, Melanie stood fretfully just outside the touch of the foaming tide and watched, praying no sharks would eat Adam, because she really didn’t think she could stand being stranded alone.

But when he waded out and she saw that his snug boxer briefs were once again soaked and clinging to his very male body parts, she began to wonder if being stranded alone might be safer than being with Adam Stone.

* * *

The sun was nearly down, the air cooler, and Adam felt ready to burn up. On every imaginable level, he was painfully aware of Melanie. He could smell her warm, female scent, could hear her occasional movement, feel the touch of her gaze on his body. In a burst of frustration, he growled, “Stop ogling me.”

Affronted, Melanie exclaimed, “I’m not!”

“Ha.” He wanted an argument, a way to vent. When he’d kissed her, he’d nearly lost his mind, she tasted so good. He’d wanted nothing more than to lay her down in the sand and make love to her. Then she’d offered him money, and he’d gone cold inside. She couldn’t know what it was like to take charity, to be dependent on others to get by. But he knew. And that was one more major difference between them.

She had spunk, he’d give her that. Most women would be carping and crying and complaining right about now. Their prospects for the coming night did not look good. But not Mel. No, she didn’t complain, she just went on insisting everything was dandy in that damn annoying Pollyanna way she had of looking at everything. Even with bedraggled clothes and ruined makeup, she managed to appear regal and in control. She sat before him, her legs crossed just so, her shoulders straight.

She was staring at him again.

“Damn it, Mel.” He dropped to his knees in front of her, at the end of his control. “Do you want me to pick up where we left off?”

She looked at his mouth, then slowly shook her head. “I want to talk to you.”

“That again?” He plopped down, feeling the gritty sand on the back of his thighs, his palms. Damn sand everywhere. “All right. Let’s get it over with.”

She drew her knees up to her chest and carefully arranged her skirt over them. “Whether you deliberately jumped in to save me or not, the result was the same. You did get me to dry land, and I do owe you.”

“That attitude ought to at least make our stay here interesting.”

She drew a deep breath, and he had the feeling she was reaching for calm. “I intend to buy your resort, whether you like it or not.”

He eyed her militant expression and shook his head. “No. Now would you like to wash all that paint off your face? It’s pretty much a mess.”

“Oh.” She pressed her palms to her cheeks and looked a little embarrassed. He hoped that would be the end of it, that she’d get sidetracked with appearances and quit poking holes in his self-esteem.

Not Mel.

“I can wash up later.”

“Not unless it rains again tonight. Already the puddles of fresh water are starting to disappear.”

She blinked slowly, as if barely comprehending his words. “You expect me to wash my face in a puddle?”

“Well, honey, your options are somewhat limited right about now. It’s either salt water, which is pretty sticky when it’s drying, or a fresh rainwater puddle. The sand is clean, so the water is, too. And I can even loan you some of my soap—for a fee.”

In the fading light, her pale blue eyes looked almost iridescent. He’d always thought she had the sexiest and most expressive eyes he’d ever seen. She didn’t need makeup.

“What fee?”