each other so desperately, yet knowing they dared not succumb to the attraction.
The smell of coffee drew her from her bed, just as it had the previous morning. This time, she carefully entered the galley area, making sure she didn't collide with his hard, male body. Still, he pinned her with a probing gaze that made her heart stutter. She offered a tentative smile, and he offered a caffeine fix. By mutual agreement, they carried it to the upper deck.
After a few minutes to appreciate another new day, Kyle decided he wanted grilled fish for breakfast.
"I hate to sound negative," she reminded, hiding her grin, "but so far, the fish seem to have eluded capture."
He flashed her a very male frown before his eyes lit with challenge. "Maybe you think you can do better?"
Rianna chuckled, shaking her head. "I know my limitations, and I know absolutely nothing about catching fish."
"Any reasonable, intelligent person can learn," he taunted.
Never one to resist a challenge, she took him up on it. Then he hauled out the fishing gear and began coaching her in the basics of freshwater fishing.
The lesson involved a lot of detailed instruction, concentrated effort and good-natured banter. The attraction between them heightened with each touch of a hand, brush of a shoulder or shared laugh, yet they didn't allow it to sabotage their pleasure.
"The fish aren't cooperating very well, and I'm starved," she said after an hour without success. "How about I fix some breakfast, and we put fish on the lunch menu?"
He sighed and shook his head in disgust, then offered her a rare grin. It stole her breath. His eyes were as blue as the morning sky, his expression softer than she'd ever seen it, and her stomach did a crazy little flip-flop.
Hunger. It had to be hunger, she argued to herself. A man's eyes and smile couldn't really make a woman's stomach do somersaults. That only happened in the fictional world, never in real life. She'd just gone too long without food.
Her voice sounded rusty when she spoke. "How about milk, cookies and a banana or two to hold us until we catch some unsuspecting little fishes?"
"Okay by me."
She quickly made her exit and collected some food from the galley, all the while breathing deeply and lecturing herself on the idiocy of their attraction. When she returned on deck, she was calmer and managed to ignore the tension while they shared a snack.
Shortly after they'd eaten, the fish started biting. Rianna caught two nice-size bass, and couldn't believe how much she enjoyed the small success. She caught a third one, then turned the pole over to Kyle, who caught a couple more.
Once they had enough for a meal, they decided to call it quits. The traffic on the lake had increased, and they'd been on deck long enough. She went to the galley to get a pan of water while Kyle cleaned the fish.
When she returned, he surprised her by scooping her into his arms. "Hold your breath," he commanded.
Not again, she thought. Sensing his tension, she didn't bother to argue, just wrapped her arms around his neck and clung. Then they were whizzing down the slide. This time she gulped some air and prepared herself for the chilly depths. Instead of trying to fight her way free of Kyle's grasp, she clung to him and they surfaced together.
The first thing she did after catching her breath was pound on his chest. "What the hell was that for?"
"Helicopter," he warned as he urged her toward the shadows at the back of the boat.
They each grabbed a rung of the swim ladder and ducked out of sight. Arms and legs tangled, then they went as still as possible, making no visible waves. They watched, barely breathing, as a helicopter slowly made its way along the main body of the lake, from east to west.
"It has some sort of logo on it," she whispered.
"It could be a television news crew. Or some kind of law enforcement 'copter."
The helicopter flew over the center of the lake without veering from its straightforward path or coming too
The smell of coffee drew her from her bed, just as it had the previous morning. This time, she carefully entered the galley area, making sure she didn't collide with his hard, male body. Still, he pinned her with a probing gaze that made her heart stutter. She offered a tentative smile, and he offered a caffeine fix. By mutual agreement, they carried it to the upper deck.
After a few minutes to appreciate another new day, Kyle decided he wanted grilled fish for breakfast.
"I hate to sound negative," she reminded, hiding her grin, "but so far, the fish seem to have eluded capture."
He flashed her a very male frown before his eyes lit with challenge. "Maybe you think you can do better?"
Rianna chuckled, shaking her head. "I know my limitations, and I know absolutely nothing about catching fish."
"Any reasonable, intelligent person can learn," he taunted.
Never one to resist a challenge, she took him up on it. Then he hauled out the fishing gear and began coaching her in the basics of freshwater fishing.
The lesson involved a lot of detailed instruction, concentrated effort and good-natured banter. The attraction between them heightened with each touch of a hand, brush of a shoulder or shared laugh, yet they didn't allow it to sabotage their pleasure.
"The fish aren't cooperating very well, and I'm starved," she said after an hour without success. "How about I fix some breakfast, and we put fish on the lunch menu?"
He sighed and shook his head in disgust, then offered her a rare grin. It stole her breath. His eyes were as blue as the morning sky, his expression softer than she'd ever seen it, and her stomach did a crazy little flip-flop.
Hunger. It had to be hunger, she argued to herself. A man's eyes and smile couldn't really make a woman's stomach do somersaults. That only happened in the fictional world, never in real life. She'd just gone too long without food.
Her voice sounded rusty when she spoke. "How about milk, cookies and a banana or two to hold us until we catch some unsuspecting little fishes?"
"Okay by me."
She quickly made her exit and collected some food from the galley, all the while breathing deeply and lecturing herself on the idiocy of their attraction. When she returned on deck, she was calmer and managed to ignore the tension while they shared a snack.
Shortly after they'd eaten, the fish started biting. Rianna caught two nice-size bass, and couldn't believe how much she enjoyed the small success. She caught a third one, then turned the pole over to Kyle, who caught a couple more.
Once they had enough for a meal, they decided to call it quits. The traffic on the lake had increased, and they'd been on deck long enough. She went to the galley to get a pan of water while Kyle cleaned the fish.
When she returned, he surprised her by scooping her into his arms. "Hold your breath," he commanded.
Not again, she thought. Sensing his tension, she didn't bother to argue, just wrapped her arms around his neck and clung. Then they were whizzing down the slide. This time she gulped some air and prepared herself for the chilly depths. Instead of trying to fight her way free of Kyle's grasp, she clung to him and they surfaced together.
The first thing she did after catching her breath was pound on his chest. "What the hell was that for?"
"Helicopter," he warned as he urged her toward the shadows at the back of the boat.
They each grabbed a rung of the swim ladder and ducked out of sight. Arms and legs tangled, then they went as still as possible, making no visible waves. They watched, barely breathing, as a helicopter slowly made its way along the main body of the lake, from east to west.
"It has some sort of logo on it," she whispered.
"It could be a television news crew. Or some kind of law enforcement 'copter."
The helicopter flew over the center of the lake without veering from its straightforward path or coming too
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