He grasped her shoulder and turned her to face him. “I came to this island to be by myself. To have quiet time to think some things through.” His amber gaze locked with hers. “When I said you were unwelcome, I just meant I wasn’t sure how to deal with you and my own shit at the same time. But what I did… I was running on instinct, but it felt like what you needed.”
He tucked his finger under her chin and lifted, locking gazes with her. “I do give a shit about you and…” He stroked her cheek with his finger. “If you weren’t in love with another man…”
“I’m… not in love with Rip. I mean, I thought I was. There’s definitely an attraction between us, but…” She searched her heart and realized it was true. “It’s not love.”
“You’re not in love with him?” He looked doubtful.
She shook her head. “And he’s not in love with me. In fact, he’s with another woman.”
Suddenly, she found herself crushed against his body, her lips devoured by his, his tongue gliding into her. Her breath caught and she melted against him.
“I thought the two of you would reconcile out there on the beach, then he’d steal you away, back into his life. The two of you would ride off into the sunset and live out your happily-ever-after.”
She gazed at him. “There’s no happily-ever-after for Rip and I. We just weren’t meant to be.”
“What about you and me?” he asked, his fiery gaze searing her.
“You and me?” She shook her head, confusion pummeling through her.
His lips compressed, but he scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom. He made love to her, fast and furious, driving her to a sudden, explosive climax.
Afterward, he drew her close to his body. She barely moved, wanting to savor the closeness of his body, but not wanting to think too much. The emotional rollercoaster of this day had left her exhausted, so she allowed herself to fade into a deep sleep.
* * *
Killer awoke to a soft hand stroking his face. He opened his eyes to see Marissa’s lovely, heart-shaped face on the pillow beside him, kissably close. A smile curled her lips and her soft brown eyes shone brightly.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi.”
The intimacy of the situation unnerved him a little. Here he was, face-to-face with the woman he was falling in love with.
Hell, that ship had sailed. He was head-over-heels for the woman. But he didn’t know how she felt about him.
He wanted to start a conversation. To find out her feelings for him. To see if there was a chance for them. But he didn’t know how to have a relationship talk.
“Killer, can we talk.”
Aw, fuck. Even though she had voiced exactly what he wanted to do, the fact that she started the conversation left him at a disadvantage. His first thought was that she wanted to end it. That she’d ask him to take her back to the resort, then she would disappear from his life. He’d just be a vacation fling for her.
She, on the other hand, would leave an ache in his heart that would never fade.
The desire to distract her by taking control and turning this into a marathon fuck session was nearly overwhelming, but he pulled up his courage to face this head on.
He pushed himself to a sitting position. “Sure.”
“Rip told me you and he were in rival gangs.”
“But you know he was working undercover.”
She nodded. “But you… ride with a criminal gang.”
“What’s your point?” he asked, a hard edge creeping into his voice.
He gritted his teeth, not sure why he didn’t tell her the whole truth. Maybe because he wanted her to accept him no matter what.
“I guess that means you and I don’t really have a future together,” she said, staring at her hands.
“Because you don’t trust me.”
She gazed at him. “No, it’s not that.” She turned to him and stroked his cheek. The tender touch send tremors through him. “I trust you totally. I just…” Her lips compressed. “I just don’t think I could live that life. I need stability. I want to meet someone. To settle down, have kids one day.” She bit her lip. “I realize hearing this probably wants to make you run for the hills, but I have to be honest. I really want to keep seeing you. You’re really good for me in so many ways, and I love being with you, but… I need a relationship that at least has a chance at leading to something stable and long-term.”
He stared at her wide brown eyes. Images of him walking through the door of a home in the country, Marissa waiting for him with dinner on the stove, her belly swollen with his child, sent his heart thumping.