The Texan's Contract Marriage - By Sara Orwig Page 0,39

prettier when you snorkel. I have all-new equipment on the beach.”

“Then, Mr. Expert Swimmer, I’ll race you back to it,” she said, starting to swim as vigorously as possible. For a few seconds, he let her lead and then he passed her. When she walked out of the water, he waited, and she could feel his gaze drifting slowly over her in a long, leisurely look that became almost a caress. She tingled from head to toe. Desire ignited, a flame deep inside. Her awareness heightened of the skimpiness of her two-piece red suit.

“Where’s the snorkel equipment?”

“Maybe we should just stay out here and enjoy the scenery,” he drawled, still studying her.

“I think that’s the way to complications. We discussed this earlier,” she said without moving. She tried to keep her gaze on his face, to keep from looking him over as he was her. He was breathtaking, masculine, sexy.

“Marek, where did you put the equipment?”

“Camille, the best equipment on this beach is what I’m looking at,” he said, walking to her. “You’re gorgeous. I can’t stop looking,” he added.

“Yes, you can,” she said, her words sounding distant to her. “Snorkel equipment or I go inside and dress.”

He walked up to place his hands on her shoulders and she was riveted, her threat of leaving impossible to carry out. His light touch burned as if it had been a brand. Aware of him only inches away, she tingled. Could he hear her pounding heart?

His arm slipped around her waist. “You’re bringing me back to life. I didn’t think it was possible.”

“For that, I’m glad,” she said, meaning it, but barely able to focus on conversation. His hands were on her, his body only inches away and both of them wore very little. All her cool reserve had shattered, and the look in his eyes was something new in their relationship, yet age-old, blatantly sexy. She was breathless, too aware of his body, his arm around her and his mouth so close. She looked up into dark eyes with fire in their depths.

“For the first time in over a year I feel alive,” he whispered. He drew her closer and leaned down to kiss her. His mouth was on hers, his tongue stroking her with slow deliberation that made her pounding heart race.

She slid her hands over his smooth back, pressed against him and felt his arousal. Her arms tightened as she returned his kiss eagerly, unable to resist, knowing they both had just crossed a line.

There would be no going back from this fiery kiss to an occasional peck on the cheek. She closed her eyes tightly, relishing the feel of his hard muscles, his strength, the deepening passion in his kisses.

His hands ran over her back and bottom, down along her bare thighs.

She finally ended the kisses. “Slow down, Marek. This changes everything far too fast. Let’s cool down before our lives take another turn and complications beset us.”

Breathing hard, he gazed at her with longing in his expression. With a pounding heart, she tried to cling to the sensible speech she had just made, but that wasn’t what her heart wanted. She stepped back. “We should swim,” she whispered. She passed him, heading to the water to cool down and to put some distance between them. Their lives had just taken another major turn. Was it already out of her control?

He showed her how to wear her goggles. His casual touches were even more disturbing than before. She had always had a reaction to him, but not as intense as it had now become. Desire was a constant, a hot, running need that she hoped to control.

In minutes, the fascinating sea creatures swimming around her captured her attention. Finally, Marek tugged on her arm and motioned to get out.

As they surfaced, she took off the breathing tube. Marek was beside her. Tall, muscular, appealing—how could she return to being casual, unaffected? Close to shore, they could easily stand in water that was only a little over four feet deep.

“It’s later than you think. Let’s have a drink and then dinner so I can release the staff for this evening.”

“Certainly. That was fascinating. I want to come back in the morning,” she said, thinking Marek was far more fascinating.

He looked amused. “You can snorkel all day if you’d like. The fish won’t mind.”

“When was the first time you came here?”

“I’ve never been to this particular villa, but the Caymans, probably when I was five or six. I don’t even