Background noise. The real action was here, on the shadow side of the plane.
He plundered her. A pirate taking over a listing ship.
Glory!
She welcomed it. Hungered for more. Wanted to go on kissing him until the end of time and beyond. She opened her mouth wider, tilted her head back farther, urging him on. She flicked her tongue, doing creative things that occurred to her spontaneously. Things she'd not tried before.
He groaned, tugged his mouth from hers, breathing heavily. "Woman," he croaked. "You're a hazard."
Doubt zipped through her. She put a hand to her mouth. What had she done wrong? "Did I . . . um . . . did I mess up?"
A chuckle slipped from his lips and his eyes softened. "No way, sweetheart. The last thing you did was mess up. You've just got me cocked and ready and no way to relieve the tension."
"Oh," she said, dissolving into the murkiness of his dark eyes. "I thought I was doing a bad job of kissing."
"No, ma'am. Quite the opposite." He glanced down and she followed his gaze, showing her how aroused he was.
Her cheeks flushed. "I didn't mean to . . ."
"You are freaking adorable, you know that, Kaia Alzate? You make me forget all about my troubles."
"What troubles are those?"
He gestured toward the mansion. "Family drama. But let's not talk about that."
This time when he kissed her, he was incredibly gentle. Taking it soft and slow. Tender raindrop kisses that sent ripples of sensation surfing over her body.
"We really have to stop this now," he said.
She moaned and leaned against his shoulder. "I know."
"We have to get up early tomorrow. All this wedding stuff."
"I know, I know." The humming was ebbing, receding, soft echoes inside her head.
"If it was another time, another place, things would not be ending here."
His words gave her heart wings. Oh how she wished it was another time and another place.
"You gotta go home now," he said. "And I have to go to Archer's place. Otherwise, I can't be held accountable for my actions."
"One more kiss?" she pleaded, and ran a hand over his chest. She wanted to stir the humming. Make sure it was still there. That it was real.
He swore under his breath. "Kaia, don't."
"Please . . ."
"Home, woman." He took her by the shoulders and turned her so she was facing away from him. "Go home before I forget all my scruples."
"Kaia?" Ember's voice called out into the night. "Where are you?"
She glanced over her shoulder at him.
"Your cue to go." His face was unreadable. "Good night, Kaia." Then he pivoted and walked off into the night.
Chapter 11
Her phone went off before dawn, playing barnyard noises, jerking Kaia awake. A cow mooed. Loudly. Followed by a braying donkey.
"Gotta change that ringtone," she mumbled, fumbling on her nightstand for the cell.
Judging how dark it was outside her window and how groggy she felt, Kaia doubted she'd slept more than a couple of hours. She hadn't fallen asleep until well after three o'clock, obsessed with the humming she'd heard when Ridge kissed her.
She blinked at the phone-five twenty-five a.m. Archer's name on the caller ID.
"S'up?" she answered, stifling a yawn.
"Are you hungover?" her brother asked.
"Are you?"
"Were you sleeping?"
"Kinda."
"Is Ridge with you?"
"Why would you even ask that? Why on earth would you assume Ridge was with me?"
"I dunno. He likes you."
"A lot of people like me. That doesn't mean they're in my bed."
"He never turned up at my house last night."
"Ridge is missing?"
"I'm getting married today. I need my best man. Ridge better not pull a disappearing act."
"Well, he's not in my pocket."
"Last night was a disaster. What if he left town for good? Do you think he left town for good?" Archer asked on an extended exhale.
"Is his plane still there?"
"Yes."
"Settle down, Groomszilla. If the plane is there, Ridge is around," she said logically. Normally Archer wasn't one to freak out easily, but this was his wedding day. "Don't panic. Ridge won't let you down. He will turn up. Did you check his house?"
"Yes. He's not there either, and none of the beds have been slept in. Where else could he be?"
"Did you try calling him?"
"Duh. He's not answering. I left a bazillion voice mails."