Falling for a Stranger (21 page)

He smiled. "I think you would."

"So where's that salad you were bragging about?"

"It's in the galley. Do you want to eat down there or up here?"

"Up here. It's a beautiful night. And the stars are just coming out." Besides that, close proximity to the sleeping berth below was only going to put ideas in her head that she didn't want to think about right now.

While Drew pulled dinner together, she gazed out at the water, thinking of a different sea on the other side of the world, of how many miles she'd traveled, how many lies she'd told, how lonely and scared she'd felt. But tonight, back in the city where she was born, and with a man who had freed her soul once before, she felt like she'd finally come all the way home again.

Drew came up the stairs, juggling a couple of plates. While she set up a picnic on the bench, he went back down for the rest of the items.

The crab salad was delicious and flavorful, and the freshly baked bread made a nice accompaniment to the meal. They ate quickly and quietly and finished off with a fresh fruit medley of berries, melon and orange slices.

"That was perfect," she said, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"I picked it up at Giancomo's on Fisherman's Wharf."

"Then I guess you weren't bragging when you said you do good take-out."

"I know what I'm good at." He gave her at thoughtful look. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you."

"What's that?" she asked, feeling wary about his tone.

"Where are your friends, Ria?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's not a difficult question. You must have had friends in your life."

"I've lost track of most people, but sure, I have friends. They're around."

"Not around here that I've seen."

"No, most of them are still working on boats at various ports around the world. And now I don't have time for friends, and even if I did what would I have in common with other twenty-eight-year-olds when I'm raising a teenager? They're hitting up clubs on the weekends, and I'm helping Megan get ready for the prom."

"You're sacrificing a lot for her."

"It's not a sacrifice. I love her. She's my family. And I'd give up on a lot more than friends for her."

He nodded. "I know you would." He looked up at the stars. "It's a clear night."

"And this is a great view," she said. "Although, we'd see more stars if we were further away from the city."

"Did you ever get scared out in the middle of the ocean?"

"I've been through some bad storms, and I have a healthy respect for Mother Nature, but I never came close to being in real trouble."

"I guess you're not counting the boat that blew up."

She stared back at him. "Do you want to talk about that now?"

"No. Not tonight." He took a breath. "I don't want to talk anymore at all."

"Neither do I."

"I want to kiss you, Ria. And I don't want to stop there."

"Neither do I," she repeated, smiling.

He smiled back at her. "You're beautiful."

"Thank you. But I thought we weren't going to talk." She'd barely gotten words out when he bridged the space between them and crushed his mouth against hers.

Chapter Fifteen

The remnants of their dinner fell to the floor as Drew pushed her back against the cushioned bench. She went willingly, wanting everything he had to give. His tongue tangled with hers as he angled his head, making the kiss deeper, hotter, and hungrier. His passion set off the sparks that had been smoldering for weeks, months, more than a year. Every one of her nerve endings was on fire, each one calling out for a touch, a kiss, a caress. The time apart faded away. There was no yesterday, no tomorrow, just now. And now was all she needed.

She thought she could kiss him for hours and still want more, so when Drew raised his head to look at her, she uttered a small protest.

"Downstairs. Bed."

"Up here. Stars," she countered. She liked looking at him in the moonlight, the beams throwing shadows on his strong and handsome face, the desire sparking like gold in his brown eyes. "There's no one else around. Just you and me and the night sky."

She put a hand on the back of his neck and pulled him back to her. She took the initiative this time, sliding her tongue across the seam of his lips, nipping at the corners of his mouth until he groaned with pleasure and urged her inside. He tasted like wine and strawberries, a delicious mix of heat and sweet.

"You're killing me," he said, with a gasp for air.

"Are you complaining?" she teased.

"Not for a second. But let's get more comfortable."

He grabbed the cushions off the opposite seat and laid them on the deck of the boat, making a soft bed between the benches. Then he pulled her down next to him. She fell on to her knees, facing him. The look he gave her was dark, intense, filled with need, and it was all for her. She'd never felt so wanted.

She took off her jacket and tossed it aside, then pulled her shirt over her head and placed it over the jacket.

Drew's gaze moved to her breasts and the lacy black bra that barely covered them. Her nipples hardened, calling out for a touch, a stroke, and Drew answered that call, cupping both of her breasts with his hands, as he kissed her neck and slid his mouth down along her collarbone and the valley of her breasts. It seemed to take forever for his fingers to flick aside the scrap of lace. And then his tongue touched her nipple, and a shot of desire ran through her body. He lifted his head and looked into her eyes.

She answered his silent question by unhooking her bra and taking it off. There might be secrets between them, but at least some of the barriers were coming down. She might not be able to give him the truth of her life, but she could give her body and maybe what was left of her heart.

"Beautiful Ria," he murmured. "I've dreamed about this moment for a long time."

"You don't have to dream anymore." She reached for the hem of his shirt and helped him pull it over his head. His chest was broad with a smattering of dark hair that tapered down his muscled abs. She caught her breath at the male perfection. "Now, I'm the one who's dreaming."

He laughed. "I like your chest better."

She smiled as they fell onto the cushions of their makeshift bed. It wasn't long before they stripped off the rest of their clothes and there, under a starry sky, they kissed and caressed and drove each other into a frenzy of need that could only be satisfied by the other. Drew filled the empty spaces in her heart and her soul, making her whole again, and when the climax came, she felt like she'd finally found what she'd searched the globe for, the place that was home. It wasn't a city or a country or a house. It wasn't even the sea. It was Drew. And she was going to hang on to him as long as she could.

* * *

An hour later, the breeze kicked up a notch and Drew went downstairs to grab some blankets. When he came back, he stretched out next to Ria and pulled her into his arms, wrapping the blankets around both of them.

Ria put her head on his chest, and he could smell the shampoo in her hair, the scent that had haunted him for over a year. "Orange blossoms," he said.

"What?" she asked lazily, tracing circles on his chest with her finger.

"Your hair smells like orange blossoms. When I woke up on the island, I could smell it on my pillow.

She lifted her head. "I didn't know it was that strong. Sorry."

"Don't apologize. It's enticing—seductive. It suits you."

"I like enticing and seductive."

"So do I," he replied with a smile.

"You look happy right now, Drew."

"Well, that's because I
am
happy. How about you?"

"Deliciously exhausted."

"It was better than the last time," he said. "Better than all the memories."

"Was it? It seems good every time to me." She paused. "When I'm with you, I'm myself. I felt like that on the island, and I feel like that tonight. Somehow you strip away all my barriers, all my fears. In your arms, I'm young, fun, and free. It's like you release something inside of me."

Her words touched him deeply and scared him a little, too, because he felt much the same way. With Ria, he didn't seem to have his usual defenses in place. And he wasn't quite sure how to handle something serious. But he was going to have to learn quickly, because what he felt for Ria was serious and intense. He might bring out her fun side, but she brought out the side of him that wanted more than just a fling.

"Nothing to say?" she teased. "I can hardly believe I've rendered you speechless."

"Just thinking," he said. "When I first met you on the island, I felt like I'd just walked into the sun after a long time in the dark."

"That's because I was blond then."

"It wasn't just your hair color. It was you. Your sparkling eyes, teasing smile, your smart mouth—"

"What?" she interrupted.

"You gave me a hard time, Ria."

"You asked me to go to bed with you, and I didn't even know you."

"But I wanted to know you. I
had
to know you," he corrected. "That night, a feeling of desperation ran through me. I was afraid I would have to leave the island before I had a chance to talk to you, to touch you. Thank God you came to my cottage."

"I'm not sure you should be grateful about that." She sighed and put her head back down on his chest.

He tightened his arm around her shoulders, loving her soft curves alongside his body. "It was the best night of my life."

"Mine, too," she murmured.

She'd no sooner finished speaking when a spray of water hit him in the face. "What was that?" he sputtered.

Ria sat up, wiping water off of her face. She glanced at the tall ship passing not too far away from them and smiled. "We caught some of the wake. Maybe it's a sign that we should go back to the harbor."

"It's gone now."

"But the wind is picking up."

"That's a good thing," he said.

"Why?"

"Because I'm in the mood for a wild ride. What about you?"

"Absolutely," she said, throwing one leg over his hips. "And this time I'm going to be on top."

"Honey, you can be wherever you want to be."

* * *

Ria woke up to the early morning sun on her face. A glance at her watch said it was just after six. She wrapped the blanket around her as she stood up, knowing there would be fishing boats going out for the day. Then she grabbed her clothes and went downstairs to use the restroom and get dressed.

There were no supplies in the galley, so coffee would have to wait until they got back to the harbor.

Drew came down the stairs with a blanket wrapped loosely around his hips. "There you are," he said, swooping in for a kiss. "I was getting lonely."

"You were asleep when I left."

"Yeah, and you really have to stop leaving before I wake up."

Despite his smile, there was an edge to his words, and she realized that he was thinking about the first time she'd left him.

"I never wanted to hurt you, Drew. If you can't believe anything else I say, I hope you'll believe that."

"I know you didn't leave because of me. I just can't forget the ground moving beneath my feet when your boat blew up and the terror that followed me all the way out there. You weren't supposed to mean anything to me, Ria. I was shocked at how shattered I felt."

"You weren't supposed to mean anything to me, either." She put her hand on his face, caressing the rough stubble along his jawline. "But you do—mean something. I just don't know what I have to offer you."

He put his finger against her lips. "Hush. It's too early for this conversation."

She wondered if it wasn't too late.

"I need coffee," he added.

"We should get back," she agreed. "Megan will be home in a few hours. I'll get the boat going while you get dressed."

Twenty minutes later, the
Eleanor
was back in dock. Ria felt sorry that the night was over, but as the sun moved higher in the sky, she could no longer live in the world of beautiful illusion that she'd felt the night before. Her real life was about to get started again.

When they got back to her apartment, Ria made coffee and pancakes while Drew flipped through the Sunday morning news programs. She knew she should tell him to leave, but she kept putting it off. They wouldn't have too many more minutes together, and she wanted to make the most of each one.

As she flipped pancakes on to a plate, she got a text from Megan.

"Eric's dad's car got a flat tire. We're waiting for roadside service. Home soon. Had a great time!"

Ria blew out a breath of relief. Megan was fine. The prom was over, and so was the all-night party—one less problem to worry about.

"Everything all right?" Drew asked, as he turned off the television and joined her at the table.

"Megan is running late. Eric's father's car got a flat tire."

"But she's safe."

"Yeah. I'll be happy when I see her face though. She said the prom was great."

"You both had a good night," he said with a grin.

"Well, I hope she wasn't doing what I was doing," she said dryly. "I don't even want to think about that."

"She's sixteen and quite the romantic."

"She's smart, too," Ria said. "And we've been open with each other. I guess I have to trust her."

"Trust is hard for you."

"Yes," she admitted.

"And not just because of this situation," he added. "I think your trust issues go back to your father and maybe your mother, too."

"Are you my shrink now?"

"Sorry. Those pancakes smell good."

"Sit down. They're ready."

"Wonderful," he said between mouthfuls. "There's no end to your talents."

She smiled. "Don’t I know it."

"There's that smart mouth I like so much." He leaned across the table and kissed her. "Maple syrup," he said, licking his lips. "I like it. I could think of a few other places I might like to drizzle that syrup."

Her face warmed at his sexy words. "Stop that, Drew. Megan is going to be home any second, and I don't need either one of us to be hot and bothered."