Letting Go!

His eyes gleamed and he put her at ease by saying, “I hope so, because I won’t be able to stop thinking about you.”

“It’s very flattering of you to say so.”

“I’m not flattering you. I find you fascinating. You have a cool blond beauty, but I see flickers of fire in those mysterious eyes. I find the contradiction exciting.”

Her eyes were mysterious? Probably because they were crossing from too much alcohol. How many shots were in these drinks anyway? Obviously enough to liberate the licentious lady inside. Or was it the way Andres looked at her?

He picked up her hand and held it.

Her stomach flip-flopped and then an ache settled a little lower than her stomach. She rubbed her legs together. She wanted him fiercely.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

But he knew. His look was equally ravenous.

Emma leaned in. It didn’t matter that they were in public. She just wanted a taste—

“Hey, Em?”

Tina approached the table with her long-legged stride and her beautiful confident smile, and Emma’s heart sank.

3

“EM, WE SHOULD get going. We have to get ready for the captain’s reception.” She held out an elegant hand, “Hi, I’m Emma’s friend, Tina.”

“I know we have to be back and I’ve been watching the time.” Emma looked at her watch. Then she introduced them. “This is Andres.”

Andres gave Tina a very casual look that allowed Emma to breathe again. Tina usually got the attention. Not that she could help it. But tonight it mattered to Emma.

Tina gave Andres a quizzical look.

“Don’t I know you?”

“Where would you know me from? Do you come here often?”

“I don’t know. You just look familiar. And I’m good at faces.”

He grinned. “Maybe I just have one of those faces.”

“Maybe.”

“What happened to the guy you were with?” Emma asked.

Tina shook her head. “We’re going to meet up after the reception. So I won’t be in the room tonight. But I thought we would go back to the ship together and get ready. Are you sure you’re okay to come alone?”

The old Emma would have hesitated; in fact she probably would have been back at the boat an hour ago, feeling deflated that Tina would be gone their first night on the ship.

But tonight she was definitely different. “I just want to stay a little longer. I won’t be late.”

“I’ll take good care of her.” Andres tipped his head at Tina in a very old-style way that must have caught her interest because she hesitated and started to pull out one of the chairs as if she intended to join them.

Abruptly Andres rose to his feet, pulling Emma up with him. “There’s a way to go along the beach. I’d like to take Emma that way to show her some of the beauty of our island before she sails away.”

“Okay.” Did Tina actually look stunned? She just stood there as they left the bar. Emma tried to turn around and say goodbye, but Andres grabbed both of her hands and pulled her along.

“If you give her any encouragement, she’ll offer to walk along with us and that’s not what I had in mind.”

“What do you have in mind?” Alarm bells were going off. She knew she shouldn’t go anywhere with a total stranger.

“There’s a full moon tonight and I wanted to be with you on the beach.”

She just nodded. The thought of walking on the beach sounded too enticing to resist. Like the exotic bar and those drinks. And now the pale sand stretched endlessly before them. Restless, dark water rumbled on the horizon, while lacy froth teased the sand at their feet.

Andres’s shoulder felt warm beneath her hands as she let him steady her while she took off her high-heeled sandals. He offered to carry them for her. His sandals appeared to be waterproof.

Emma’s mind filled with exhilarating images of tasting the cocoa concoction on his perfectly shaped lips. She floated along at his side with the warm water sucking gently at her toes.

“It’s nice of you to escort me to the docks.”

He pulled her around to face him. They’d already left the bar behind. They were totally alone. Shadows lent urgency to his features. “It’s not nice at all. It’s a matter of need.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “I’ve been dying to touch you. Your hair’s like moonlight. And your eyes are like the midnight sky.”

His words caressed her. How could such a masculine man say such tender things? “I love the way you talk to me.”

“Come on.” He pulled her along to the edge of the plunging surf, his eyes more on her than the beautiful view.

“What are you looking at?”

He looked down at her. “You’re like some mystical creature from the sea sent to ensnare the poor fisherman. How can I resist you?”

Was that a little grimace of embarrassment on his face? Was it hard for a man to speak in such tender terms? “How romantic you are in the moonlight.”

“I’m glad you think so, chula.”

The foreign word reverberated through her, “And if I were to ensnare you, then what would happen next?”

“I’d follow you wherever you went.”

He sounded so sure of himself. It made her nervous and she shivered with anticipation at the same time. “Oh, but you can’t follow me onto the ship.”

“What if I were to surprise you? Would you be angry or glad? Would you forgive me for wanting to be with you no matter what the cost?”

“I don’t know. I think I’d be glad to see you again under any circumstances.”

Had he really meant what he’d said about the role-playing fantasy? The image of him taking her as his captive had her tightening her hold on his arm.

“We could explore our fantasies,” she said tentatively.

“I would like very much to do so.”