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Authors: Alexandra Benedict
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mind.
Evelyn maintained her steady backward march into the ocean. She still trained her wide eyes on the distant cottage, searching for the devil. But he remained elusive.
I won’t let you take me , she thought. I won’t suffer my sister’s fate!
Evelyn screamed as two thick arms circled her waist from behind and all but crushed her bones.
The sea roared, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Adam!
He hoisted her out of the water and climbed the steady ascent to land. He set her on the sand with unceremonious roughness before he grabbed her shoulders.
“Are you mad, Evie?!”
She gasped for breath, bemused. He was like a merman from the water, soaked and near nude. Only a set of drawers protected him from immodesty.
But Evelyn was too overcome with delight at the sight of him to notice the man’s lack of attire. “You’re alive.”
“Of course, I’m alive.” Adam’s stone blue eyes pierced her with a hard stare. “Why the devil would I be dead?”
“You’d disappeared.” She couldn’t see him very well through her tears, and blinked to clear away the moisture. “I saw your clothes tossed everywhere.”
“I went for a swim.”
“But I thought he had killed you.”
He cupped her cheeks in a firm hold. “Why would you think that?”
“Because he’s here !”
Adam bristled. “Where?”
“I don’t know; he’s hiding somewhere. But I saw him dash through the garden a minute ago.”
“Wait here.”
Adam started for the cottage.
She grabbed him by the forearm. “You can’t go back there! He’ll kill you!”
In a moment of panic, she didn’t think Adam might actually defeat him . All she could think about was being alone—again—if anything hap pened to Adam.
“Don’t worry about me.” He pressed a finger against her nose. “And don’t wade in the water again.”
Evelyn watched him bound across the beach. As he neared the cottage, he hunkered and moved across the terrain with more stealth before he van ished behind a cluster of bushes.
She dropped to her knees, muscles weak. Her heart thumped wildly, every beat a sharp pang. She pressed her fingers to her lips to keep the sobs away.
And then the crushing pressure squeezing her breast lifted.
Adam appeared. He sauntered across the beach with a confident gait . . . a stray dog at his heels.
At first Evelyn didn’t understand the appear ance of the animal, her mind still gripped with images of him . But as Adam and the beast ap proached, her thoughts scrambled and formed a new conclusion: she had witnessed the dog dart across the garden.
Evelyn dropped her head in bewilderment. Was it right to laugh at her own folly? Or should she weep? She did both.
The lost mutt was spooked by her cries and choking laughter, and soon wandered off again. But Adam maintained a steady advance.
With the threat to her person no more, Evelyn took a moment to reflect upon the movement of muscle heading straight for her. With little attire to cloak his masculine form, Adam was like his namesake coming from the garden in glorious virtue.
Evelyn wiped the tears from her eyes. She had never observed a man in an improper way. The impulse to do so had never crossed her mind. In truth, she had done her best to avoid the male sex for most of her life.
And yet she was struck by Adam’s virility. Her heart beat at a swift tempo, though the panic in her breast was gone. It beat now for another, more sensuous, reason.
Adam dropped to his knees in front of her and took her cheeks between the large palms of his hands. “You are mad, aren’t you, woman?”
“No, I thought . . .”
Words deserted her. The energy, the sinewy strength thrumming through him was potent and easy to feel, and it stirred her senses and scram bled her wits.
“I know what you thought, Evie.”
He leaned in.
The proximity to his lips was intoxicating; she could not take her eyes off his sensual mouth.
“But if you ever go near the water again, I’ll drown
Evelyn maintained her steady backward march into the ocean. She still trained her wide eyes on the distant cottage, searching for the devil. But he remained elusive.
I won’t let you take me , she thought. I won’t suffer my sister’s fate!
Evelyn screamed as two thick arms circled her waist from behind and all but crushed her bones.
The sea roared, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Adam!
He hoisted her out of the water and climbed the steady ascent to land. He set her on the sand with unceremonious roughness before he grabbed her shoulders.
“Are you mad, Evie?!”
She gasped for breath, bemused. He was like a merman from the water, soaked and near nude. Only a set of drawers protected him from immodesty.
But Evelyn was too overcome with delight at the sight of him to notice the man’s lack of attire. “You’re alive.”
“Of course, I’m alive.” Adam’s stone blue eyes pierced her with a hard stare. “Why the devil would I be dead?”
“You’d disappeared.” She couldn’t see him very well through her tears, and blinked to clear away the moisture. “I saw your clothes tossed everywhere.”
“I went for a swim.”
“But I thought he had killed you.”
He cupped her cheeks in a firm hold. “Why would you think that?”
“Because he’s here !”
Adam bristled. “Where?”
“I don’t know; he’s hiding somewhere. But I saw him dash through the garden a minute ago.”
“Wait here.”
Adam started for the cottage.
She grabbed him by the forearm. “You can’t go back there! He’ll kill you!”
In a moment of panic, she didn’t think Adam might actually defeat him . All she could think about was being alone—again—if anything hap pened to Adam.
“Don’t worry about me.” He pressed a finger against her nose. “And don’t wade in the water again.”
Evelyn watched him bound across the beach. As he neared the cottage, he hunkered and moved across the terrain with more stealth before he van ished behind a cluster of bushes.
She dropped to her knees, muscles weak. Her heart thumped wildly, every beat a sharp pang. She pressed her fingers to her lips to keep the sobs away.
And then the crushing pressure squeezing her breast lifted.
Adam appeared. He sauntered across the beach with a confident gait . . . a stray dog at his heels.
At first Evelyn didn’t understand the appear ance of the animal, her mind still gripped with images of him . But as Adam and the beast ap proached, her thoughts scrambled and formed a new conclusion: she had witnessed the dog dart across the garden.
Evelyn dropped her head in bewilderment. Was it right to laugh at her own folly? Or should she weep? She did both.
The lost mutt was spooked by her cries and choking laughter, and soon wandered off again. But Adam maintained a steady advance.
With the threat to her person no more, Evelyn took a moment to reflect upon the movement of muscle heading straight for her. With little attire to cloak his masculine form, Adam was like his namesake coming from the garden in glorious virtue.
Evelyn wiped the tears from her eyes. She had never observed a man in an improper way. The impulse to do so had never crossed her mind. In truth, she had done her best to avoid the male sex for most of her life.
And yet she was struck by Adam’s virility. Her heart beat at a swift tempo, though the panic in her breast was gone. It beat now for another, more sensuous, reason.
Adam dropped to his knees in front of her and took her cheeks between the large palms of his hands. “You are mad, aren’t you, woman?”
“No, I thought . . .”
Words deserted her. The energy, the sinewy strength thrumming through him was potent and easy to feel, and it stirred her senses and scram bled her wits.
“I know what you thought, Evie.”
He leaned in.
The proximity to his lips was intoxicating; she could not take her eyes off his sensual mouth.
“But if you ever go near the water again, I’ll drown
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