from the sudden suction of blood from her extremities into her torso, as though her vital organs were under direct threat.
‘Do you seriously think you’re in a position to cast stones? A man who’s put his life on hold for the father he’s frightened of? Who lives in the past because it’s better than the present?’ Honor pushed on, desperate to escape the reality that he was painting. ‘You’re living a double life rather than being true to what you want. You’re burying yourself in a world you despise rather than facing the reality of the man you are. Being authentic. How is that any—’
‘Don’t make this about me, Honor,’ he said through tight lips. ‘Avoiding the topic will not make it go away.’
‘I don’t owe you anything, Rob. A few hot and heavy nights doesn’t buy you any part of my soul. Of me.’
‘Is that all we’ve shared?’ His eyes were bleak.
She held his dull glare. ‘As far as I’m concerned.’ Awful silence glittered. Or was that just the tears welling in her eyes?
‘You’ve got nothing inside you, have you?’
Honor held her tongue. If she spoke he’d hear the pain slicing at her vocal cords. She was hurting. He was hurting. She never should have let him get close. Opened them both up to this kind of sorrow. This was her fault.
‘I think you should go now.’ The high-pitched whine of agony vibrated in her words. ‘Before either of us says anything else we don’t mean.’
Dark eyes held hers. ‘You think I didn’t mean that?’
Razors lacerated her heart. Her voice was low and tight. ‘Then you should go before you say anything else you do mean.’
His chest rose and fell just once—deep, slow. Awful. Then he turned and did as she’d asked.
CHAPTER TWELVE
ROB faked sleep as he heard Honor fumble at the tent flap. He wasn’t sure she’d even come back here after the scene on the beach. After the agony of his words. He’d left her to be alone with her thoughts and her turtles.
As usual.
He was sure she’d find anywhere else to sleep today. The beach. The turtle clearing. Even his boat. Or go without rest altogether. But she didn’t. Instead, she silently let herself into the tent, shrugged off a few outer layers and then crawled right in beside him. Under the covers for the first time. He wasn’t stupid enough to think that was a come-on.
He knew goodbye when he saw it.
Her whole body still trembled. Was still icy-cold. He felt sick that his words had caused her such pain. He’d meant them to have impact but not the impact of live munitions.
She kept her body stiff and separate from his. She was intent on pushing him away but an unconscious part brought her here, back to him. A part that had power. He reached out and hooked one arm around her waist. To let her know he wasn’t still angry; that some things mattered more than what you said. She didn’t move—in either direction. He pulled silently, gently and twisted his body forward to meet hers. She let herself be pulled backwards and curled around his arm as he slid it up across her chest to grip her shoulder. He didn’t stop pulling until her whole frigid body tucked into the warm length of his, her convex curves fitting everywhere he was concave.
As if she was made to fit him.
She didn’t care that he was naked. He didn’t care that she wasn’t. The two of them lay together, his heat soaking into her skin, not speaking a word. Just letting their bodies commune. Her tearless trembles amplified for a few minutes but, eventually, they merged into a series of hard shudders that, in turn, finally turned into regular breathing as she fell asleep.
Rob lowered his head until his lips found her nape. He pressed them there hard, and held them against her as he squeezed his eyes closed.
This could only go two ways.
And he knew which way was most likely.
* * *
Honor stopped in her tracks coming back from her nature-call as she heard the noises coming from her tent. The only mammals on this island were human but it sounded like a grizzly bear was having a fine old time fossicking through her stuff.
Rob was snoring.
Her heart lurched like a reef-fish at low tide. On anyone else, she would have found the guttural growling irritating. On him...it was adorable.
Oh, Honor, you’re screwed! Guilt poured in hot on the tails of that thought and