She was down for the count.
The total abandon of her position made his stomach muscles clench. Her slim, pale arms were flung, spread-eagle, across the mattress. A wedge of creamy skin was exposed at the small of her back. Her jeans-clad rump was slightly elevated, and he had an insane urge to crawl into bed and wake her with caresses.
"Whoa, boy."
He issued the soft, urgent warning to his body as blood began to pool in his groin. An unexpected arousal burgeoned against the zipper of his jeans, pulsing to life and sucking the air from his lungs.
Heat crept up his neck as he fought the temptation to slide his body over hers and wake her with greedy hands and mouth. He wanted to explore every dip and curve of her feminine form, and lose himself in her softness. The urge was so primitive and shocking in its force that he shuddered. What the hell had prompted the sudden, intense hunger?
It was the ultimate in stupidity—a risk neither of them could afford. Kyle shook his head to rid it of lecherous thoughts. As tempting as he found his sexy partner, he couldn't afford to get any more involved with her.
Instead, he slowly slipped her shoes off her feet and eased her more fully onto the bed. She didn't so much as flinch, testimony to how soundly she slept.
He soothed himself with a cold beer, and then another, as he tried to shove Rianna from his thoughts. She'd probably sleep through the night, so he was left to his own devices. Normally, he preferred his own company, but her proximity kept him restless.
After slapping together a couple of sandwiches, he washed the meal down with a third beer, his personal limit, then went back to the helm. He found a cove to anchor in for the evening, where he could do some fishing. By the time dark had fallen, he was ready to call it a night himself.
He secured the front and back doors, and then carried his bag to the small compartment opposite the one Rianna had chosen. The bathroom was smaller than a phone booth, but Kyle showered, brushed his teeth and donned a pair of clean sweatpants.
After steeling himself to check on his companion again, he grabbed a blanket and covered her lightly, then quickly retreated to his own full-size bunk. He didn't expect to drop off easily, but the soothing sounds of the country night and gentle rocking of the boat soon lulled him to sleep.
* * *
The rising sun coaxed him out of bed the next morning, and Kyle quickly checked on Rianna. She was still fast asleep, but she'd apparently been up during the night. She'd shed her jeans and crawled under the covers, leaving only one long, bare leg exposed. The sight of the slim calf and thigh caused his blood pressure to rise, so he swiftly shifted his attention to her upper body.
His eyes widened a little as he studied her head. The red hair, obviously another a wig, was gone, tossed aside like lifeless vermin. In its place was a cap of light brown hair that parted down the middle and curved across her cheek. It looked as soft and shiny as corn silk.
Something inside him went soft, too, as he glimpsed yet another layer of the woman. Both the elegant blonde and the brassy redhead had been fascinating, but easily abandoned. Now Rianna looked sweet and natural and so desirable that he had to fight another fierce shaft of desire.
The real woman was slowly being revealed, like a flower opening its petals, and each new revelation intrigued him more. He wondered if her personality would undergo a similar transformation. She'd be experiencing an emotional letdown, so it would be a while before she even recognized her own personality. Not much use in speculating.
With that thought, he moved into the kitchen area and brewed a pot of coffee. While it was perking, he watched the early sunshine glisten on the water. A light morning haze hung on the air, but there were no other watercraft to disturb the view—just soothing, unblemished isolation.
It looked as though they'd have another warm, calm day on the lake.
The total abandon of her position made his stomach muscles clench. Her slim, pale arms were flung, spread-eagle, across the mattress. A wedge of creamy skin was exposed at the small of her back. Her jeans-clad rump was slightly elevated, and he had an insane urge to crawl into bed and wake her with caresses.
"Whoa, boy."
He issued the soft, urgent warning to his body as blood began to pool in his groin. An unexpected arousal burgeoned against the zipper of his jeans, pulsing to life and sucking the air from his lungs.
Heat crept up his neck as he fought the temptation to slide his body over hers and wake her with greedy hands and mouth. He wanted to explore every dip and curve of her feminine form, and lose himself in her softness. The urge was so primitive and shocking in its force that he shuddered. What the hell had prompted the sudden, intense hunger?
It was the ultimate in stupidity—a risk neither of them could afford. Kyle shook his head to rid it of lecherous thoughts. As tempting as he found his sexy partner, he couldn't afford to get any more involved with her.
Instead, he slowly slipped her shoes off her feet and eased her more fully onto the bed. She didn't so much as flinch, testimony to how soundly she slept.
He soothed himself with a cold beer, and then another, as he tried to shove Rianna from his thoughts. She'd probably sleep through the night, so he was left to his own devices. Normally, he preferred his own company, but her proximity kept him restless.
After slapping together a couple of sandwiches, he washed the meal down with a third beer, his personal limit, then went back to the helm. He found a cove to anchor in for the evening, where he could do some fishing. By the time dark had fallen, he was ready to call it a night himself.
He secured the front and back doors, and then carried his bag to the small compartment opposite the one Rianna had chosen. The bathroom was smaller than a phone booth, but Kyle showered, brushed his teeth and donned a pair of clean sweatpants.
After steeling himself to check on his companion again, he grabbed a blanket and covered her lightly, then quickly retreated to his own full-size bunk. He didn't expect to drop off easily, but the soothing sounds of the country night and gentle rocking of the boat soon lulled him to sleep.
* * *
The rising sun coaxed him out of bed the next morning, and Kyle quickly checked on Rianna. She was still fast asleep, but she'd apparently been up during the night. She'd shed her jeans and crawled under the covers, leaving only one long, bare leg exposed. The sight of the slim calf and thigh caused his blood pressure to rise, so he swiftly shifted his attention to her upper body.
His eyes widened a little as he studied her head. The red hair, obviously another a wig, was gone, tossed aside like lifeless vermin. In its place was a cap of light brown hair that parted down the middle and curved across her cheek. It looked as soft and shiny as corn silk.
Something inside him went soft, too, as he glimpsed yet another layer of the woman. Both the elegant blonde and the brassy redhead had been fascinating, but easily abandoned. Now Rianna looked sweet and natural and so desirable that he had to fight another fierce shaft of desire.
The real woman was slowly being revealed, like a flower opening its petals, and each new revelation intrigued him more. He wondered if her personality would undergo a similar transformation. She'd be experiencing an emotional letdown, so it would be a while before she even recognized her own personality. Not much use in speculating.
With that thought, he moved into the kitchen area and brewed a pot of coffee. While it was perking, he watched the early sunshine glisten on the water. A light morning haze hung on the air, but there were no other watercraft to disturb the view—just soothing, unblemished isolation.
It looked as though they'd have another warm, calm day on the lake.
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