Harbour of Refuge (3 page)

One song merged into another, yet he moved them to the door, side by side. His silence ended outside as the night breeze cooled her heated skin. She shoved her hand through her hair before lifting it off her neck.

“You could have said you wanted to dance.” Enzo’s voice was deep and rasped along her skin.

“Didn’t know I did until you danced with me.”

She watched him in the lights as he tucked some hair behind her ear, his knuckles skimming her cheek—the move so profoundly intimate her breath caught.

“You’re beautiful.”

Words she wasn’t inclined to believe, coming from a player. “And you hand out compliments like candy.”

“So you don’t believe me?”

“Can’t say that I do.”

His expression seemed oddly perplexed as he led her down the street. They paused by a bench overlooking the harbour. He brushed close when he encouraged her to sit and she blew out a breath as she strove to rein in her out-of-control sexual impulses.

“Your first time?”

“Excuse me?” She glanced at him. Sure, she might be nervous but surely he didn’t think she was some untried virgin.

A lazy, sensuous smile lifted his entirely too kissable lips. Damn it all, why couldn’t she stop imagining what it would be like spending a night in his arms?

“To Monte Carlo.”

Grateful for the night, which kept her flushed cheeks better hidden, she nodded. “Yes. Mila has always wanted to come for the race. She’s fascinated by powerboats, so when she got her tickets she said I was accompanying her.”

He leant back, stretching his legs out, keeping his stare upon her. “Not into powerboats then?”

“Never really paid them any mind.” Her response was honest.

“Would you like to see one up close and personal?”

He was talking about the boat, right?

Chapter Two

Enzo observed Halyn as she thought about his question. Rarely did a woman hold his attention so thoroughly. They were typically nothing more than a momentary distraction. Not her.

From the first moment he’d run into her it had been different. He’d felt a spark between them, despite her not fawning over him as the other woman did. Yes, she’d found him attractive, he’d seen that in her gaze, but that was it. No coy looks, no silent—or verbal—invites and no asking him to sign body parts.

Okay, so the last one was a bit of a shame. He could have had a lot of fun signing her body.

Right now, she was sitting beside him, staring out at the water that reflected the marina’s lights. Since her attention had been taken by the stunning display before them, he utilised the opportunity to memorise her.

She was the classic girl next door—not smoking hot at the first glance, but that was because she downplayed her appearance. There was something about her which made him want more than a first glance. He wanted to stare and stare, then touch.

Her curls were a devilish temptation to him, he wanted nothing more than to feel them, test their springiness and discover what it was like to have them in his hands as he kissed her.

She wore a white T-shirt that had a black dragon on both front and back, and her shorts looked like they used to be jeans, cut off so they barely covered her ass. The frayed edges and lack of material had him stiffening in his pants.

Lots here wore skimpy outfits. None of them affected him like this woman. Haughty cheekbones, a flatter nose and full plump lips complemented her large, thickly lashed eyes.

“Well?” he prompted, needing not to focus on what he wanted to do to her.

“You sure you want to take me there?”

Oh hell yeah, he was sure. “Scared?”

“No.” She looked at him, an impish smile on her lips. “Are you?”

Christ, could he get any harder? He laughed instead of kissing her. “Should I be?”

“Could be a ploy.”

“I think I’m safe. You’re not like the others. They usually chase me. I’ve been after you.” Even he couldn’t ignore how deep his voice dropped on that last sentence.

She stood. “Perhaps I’m just that good and made you think that.” The wind ruffled her hair and he was jealous it had the chance to do so. “I could be evil and conniving.”

Right
. He got to his feet and stepped in close to her. “I find it hard to believe you’re evil. You don’t have the look about you.”

Her white teeth flashed briefly with her smile. “Neither did Lucifer. Either way, I’m not that innocent.”

Her throaty voice covered his shaft with titanium and it threatened to punch free of his jeans. “Is that so?” He settled his hands along her waist.

He watched her pupils dilate as she swallowed. “That’s right.”

There was no more resisting his desire to kiss her. He cupped the nape of her neck, drawing her close. Despite the pulse-pounding need to rush his claim on her mouth, Enzo took his time.

Her breath was minty and he groaned in pleasure at the first touch of her lips, soft and pliant. He dragged his tongue along the seam of her mouth. She opened for him and he explored.

A cool, sugared mint. That was her taste and it was addicting and intoxicating.

She wasn’t shy. Halyn pressed tight to him, her breasts flattening against his chest. All lushness and curves. His blood segued straight to his groin. He felt lightheaded. He slid his other hand around to palm her denim-clad ass, caressing her silken skin just below the frayed hem.

His cock throbbed and he tightened his grip on her, almost afraid of what would happen if he let her go. Their kiss deepened and the rumble that tore up from his throat was a shock. He’d always been in control with a woman—until now.

All he could think of was stripping her naked and…well, that wasn’t hard to finish. She writhed closer and released a tiny mewl, one which jacked up his arousal another hundredfold.

Damn, she’s responsive.
Imagining all her fire beneath him, in private, drove him to distraction. Her nails dug into his skin and he bucked his hips, pleased when she acted in kind.

“Come on,” he rasped, after reluctantly ending the kiss.

She moved back and stared at him. No coy expression, only one filled with straightforward lust and desire. Seconds ticked by before she flashed a charming grin.

“You have to lead the way. I don’t know where your boat is.”

Honestly, he wasn’t sure
he
knew the way after that kiss. He was so focused on her. She curved into his side and he draped an arm around her waist, anchoring her there. This…this felt right.

They strolled slowly and he couldn’t help but to compare her to the others he’d walked back to his boat with. Not Lexy—but she wasn’t a potential bed partner. Anyway, the other women had chatted incessantly and had filled his nose with overly sweet or musky, cloying perfumes. Not Halyn.

Her scent was soft, almost non-existent, yet powerful enough to evoke deep-rooted emotions within him. He wanted to know what it was, and whether the scent lingered all over her skin or whether it only existed in certain areas.

She fitted against him and kept pace as they strode to where his powerboat waited. He stepped on it, then reached back for her hand.

“You sure this is okay?”

He smiled. She’d asked that when they’d passed security to get on the pier, too, but this time he wondered if he detected fear in her voice. “Of course.”

When her hand—with a remarkably strong grip—settled in his, he released a breath he’d not been aware he was holding. The moon peeked out from behind a cloud and shone upon them. It danced along her hair, showing off the multi-hues. He was going to have fantasies of her hair and the way it would feel against his skin. Hell, he already was.

He opened the top of his boat, pausing at the sound of his name being called. Halyn stiffened and he moved beside her, arm slipping comfortably around her waist.

“Enzo!”

“Luke, what are you doing here?”

The lithe man jumped on and joined them. “I could ask you the same thing but”—he cut his gaze to Halyn—“I get the idea.”

Enzo bristled. “It’s not like that.”

“Of course not.” Luke looked at Halyn and gave her the typical flirtatious grin. “Aren’t you gorgeous. Name’s Luke. Luke Conlan.”

“Halyn.”

She didn’t make a move to distance herself from Enzo and it pleased him greatly. Luke was a handsome man. His tall, dark looks drew many an eye.

“Luke here handles the throttles,” Enzo said, moving his fingers in circles on her hip.

“And you’re the driver?”

Hmm. She didn’t seem impressed at all. Most women fawned over him for that alone. He was the one who handled the catamaran at high speeds. Luke smacked him on the arm and flashed a smile that told him he’d picked up on Halyn’s lack of being impressed.

“I forgot my good luck charm.” That explained why Luke had come down. He rarely went anywhere without the coin his great-grandfather had given him.

Enzo tugged Halyn down beside him and they leaned against the windshield. Silence hung comfortably between them until Luke left with a short farewell. Drawing her closer, Enzo rested his other arm on his propped-up knee.

“What do you think?”

“I think I was crazy to believe you brought women here to get in their pants.”

The way she said it made him realise she was more talking to herself than him, so he didn’t respond. He knew she thought it would be too small inside but if she wanted to find out first-hand, he would be more than happy to show her how exactly it could—and would—work.

He touched her hair and nearly groaned. It was so soft, he wanted to shove his hand deep into the curls and hold her close while he…damn, he really had to stay focused.

“Why is that?”

He watched her in the light of the moon and the few lit poles around the pier.

“Not much room in there, so unless you’re into exhibitionism I fail to see how it would work.”

“Care to test your theory?”

“Sex with a stranger in a cramped space…let me think. Hmm. Perhaps it would be better if we just stripped and did it out here, so my ass can be flashed all around the papers.”

“Can’t really call me a stranger, sweetheart.”

“Why not?”

He leaned close and breathed deep at the graceful curve of her neck. “You wouldn’t go off with a stranger.”

She gave a snort of laughter before rotating her ankles. Her really adorable ankles. He’d bet even her feet were sexy. She hid her true beauty, but he could see it.

“I have a feeling you could get a woman to ignore most of her common sense and go off with you.”

“But not you?”

“Didn’t say that, I’m here aren’t I?”

So she was. “Tell me about you.”

“Not much to tell, my life is rather quiet and mundane. Unlike your fast lifestyle.”

“You think that’s all I like? Flash and dash?”

“Yes. Granted, I see what you show the public with their cameras, the practised smiles, models, fancy cars. I can honestly say I didn’t think to be sitting here in the moonlight with you.”

He hadn’t thought either, but he was content to just be with her. The sex would come later, right now he wanted to know her as a person.

“So you
do
follow me.”

“Not hardly.”

Ouch
. “Very cut-to-the-chase and candid there.” He watched her expression as she seemed to realise what she’d said. Part of him expected a fawning apology—he wasn’t sure why—for her statement. It never came. Not a fawning one, anyway.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I just read up on you on the flight here. Mila didn’t want me to embarrass her by asking some dumb question.” A slight shrug. “This just isn’t my thing.”

He wondered if he could change her mind, but he admired her straightforwardness. “What is your thing then, Halyn Jennings? Do you like sports?”

“I do, I like football.”

“NFC or AFC?”

“MLS and the EPL.”

It took him a few moments for her comment to register. “Soccer?”

She sighed. “Football, yes.”

Halyn moved towards the bow and he missed her body beside him, her hair in his hand. He stared at her and subtly shifted his rigid length to a more comfortable position in his jeans.

“Do you ever go out at night and enjoy the beauty?”

He pushed up and walked to stand behind her. “Not often. If I’m on the water, I’m usually racing.”

“Shame,” she muttered.

He agreed it was beautiful.

“This…what you’re doing is offshore racing?”

“Absolutely. I’m going to Dubai next to participate in the XCat race. Then we’re heading back to the States.”

“East or West Coast?”

“West.” He rested his chin on the bouncy springs of her hair. Their bodies moved easily with the gentle rocking of the boat. “Where do you live?”

What in the hell was he doing? He’d not even slept with her and he wanted to know where she called home.

“Small town in Oregon.”

He turned her to him and began to move them to music only he heard. Perhaps she heard it as well, for she never hesitated before following his lead.

“My brother and sister-in-law live in Oregon with their children. Triplets.”

“Oh my, that’s a handful.”

“I told her she’s always been an overachiever.”

Halyn rested her head against his chest as they fell silent and continued to dance. The only word he could find to describe the situation was ‘right’.

“Is this something you do with everyone or am I just special?”

Halyn tilted her head so she could see the man who currently held her. He did so as if she were a priceless commodity he never wanted to relinquish. This was her first time dancing in the moonlight with a handsome—extremely handsome—man on a boat.

He watched her with intensity, a singular focus she’d seen a few times before.

“Definitely special.” The words came out raspy, as if he’d tried to strip them of emotion.

She really liked being in his arms. They didn’t cover much ground, but she’d never had a more intimate dance. Yes, inside the party had been hot and erotic, people grinding together, pulses accelerating and the pounding urge to do the same with one minor adjustment—no clothes.