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But his eyes, it was the strangest thing how they had
 Come on, you re here for a walk, aren t you? He had stopped and looked over his
shoulder.  It wasn t Ada s idea that you take the dog to the beach, or was it?
 Yes, she said she s busy today, and I was happy to help her out.
 I see, he said dryly.
She closed the gap between them.  Would you mind giving me the leash back, I
want to return with Lucky. She tried to snatch the leash out of his hand, but he held
tight.
 Later. He walked on and she followed, careful to keep some distance because she
couldn t handle him right then with her heart beating in her chest like mad.
Walking along the surf, she watched seagulls diving in and out of the waves in their
hunt for fish. Her shoulders relaxed and she enjoyed how the water licked at her ankles.
She craned her neck to see seagulls flying high overhead and imagined soaring with
them in the blue skies, floating in the wind and feeling free.
Lucky ran back and forth, thoroughly enjoying himself in the water. She wished she
could be just as carefree, living in the moment without a second thought.
Step by step, she calmed down. She might as well test if she could handle polite
small talk. She closed the distance between them and matched his fast pace.
 So, what do you do in the real world?
 Ada hasn t filled you in with my entire life yet? How unusual.
She could hear that he didn t mean it harshly and waited for an answer. After a
minute, it became clear that he was choosing to ignore her attempt to chat.
Whatever.
She wondered if he had forgotten about their argument over the house.
Unlikely.
She fell a few steps back again and splashed her feet through the shallow surf. This
is fun. The cool seawater was bliss. She should have come to the beach earlier.
She shot a look at him walking in front of her. Why did she allow him to get under
her skin, why take him so seriously? She closed the gap between them again and shot
him a glance.  Hey, McGregor, you up for a challenge?
 Always, Yankee.
For a few seconds she drowned in his dark, smiling eyes. She coolly observed how
her body reacted to him, the chills on her back, the way her breasts pebbled. She looked
away from his face, away from the curve of his mouth. How, how did he do it?
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Amy Redwood
 You see the dunes? She pointed over his shoulder to a small stretch of sand
dunes, scattered with grass and yellow flowers. When he nodded, she said,  Let s race
there, and if I win you have to answer me a question truthfully.
 No, he said, looking at her thoughtfully.
 Afraid to lose? She splashed water until his legs were wet with salty drops.
 I never lose. He drew a start line in the soft sand.  On three, whenever you re
ready. And remember whose idea it was.
She counted to three, watching him out the corner of her eye. The moment he
dashed forward, she put her leg in his way. She didn t turn to watch him fall but heard
him swearing in surprise.
Grinning, she ran over the hot sand, not caring that the sharp shells hurt her feet.
She ran as if all hell were behind her. Just a few yards separated her from the dunes
when she heard him catching up, and with two long strides he overtook her.
 First, he breathed, and dropped down in the sand.  Have I already told you that I
always win?
Damn, how can he be so fast? She arrived at the dunes a second after him. Panting, she
dropped next to him on the sand, ignoring the seagulls above her, their screeching
sounding too close to laughter. She had been absolutely sure she would outrun him
with her maneuver.
 We haven t discussed yet what happens after I ve won, he said, and leaned back
on his elbows, squinting up at her, his eyes two black slits.  Any ideas?
She felt her heart skip a beat and she turned away from his smug smile. So much for
living in the moment. She must have had too much sun.
His hand came around her shoulder, turned her back to him. He brushed his hand
over her arm, and she held her breath.  Look at you. You re covered in sand.
 I m sure you can think of a question to ask me, she said, knowing it was too late
to run away.
 A question? I wasn t aware that was my only option.
When her arm was free of his hand again, she resumed breathing.
 Sorry, at the moment I can t think of any questions, he said.  Can I save that for
another time? He brushed sand from his legs.
 Sure. Happy to change the subject, she watched his hands. He brushed over his
calf and up his thigh, and she noticed a deep scrape on one of his knees. She really must
have had too much sun, because a few seconds later the scrape was all but gone.
She must have imagined it in the first place.
Strange.
He brushed sand from his arms and the tiny grains flew around the air, a few
settling on her shoulder. She picked a grain up and rolled it between her fingers, still
following the swiftness of his hands.
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Sinful Intentions [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]