Moonlight cast a pale, shimmering light onto the water as the pilot edged the launch into the resort’s private dock. Katie dropped her head back to take in the luxury villas adding pale speckles to the greenery above them.
A bird of prey hovered above the bay as the launch slotted expertly into its berth, and then the hunting bird’s dark silhouette swooped down and disappeared into the water as it captured some unsuspecting fish. Katie’s stomach swooped with it as Caine stepped closer, his dark hair given an unearthly glow in the bright moonlight.
“You okay to walk?” he said, his deep voice radiating skepticism.
“Yes,” she said, her soles now as numb as the rest of her in the soft woolen socks.
“You sure about that?” he asked.
“Positive,” she said, and braced herself for an argument. But to her surprise it didn’t come.
She stepped down the gangplank gingerly and
onto the dock, ignoring her juddering pulse and rubbery legs.
Matteo was already tying off the boat’s line.
He tipped his cap at her. Jared had a brief conversation with him in Italian before the young man disappeared up the gangplank.
“Oh, I forgot my stuff,” she said. “I should go...”
Jared halted her attempts to return to the boat by putting a large hand firmly on her arm. “What’s in it? Do you need it tonight?”
“No, I...I—” She stuttered to a halt. Mentioning the contents seemed strangely intimate, as if she would be telling him a secret about herself. “It’s my art equipment. Paints, charcoal, that sort of thing.”
“I’ll make sure the staff bring it up to our villa tomorrow.”
Our villa? Her mind snagged on the single syllable again and she forgot about the art box. The trapped feeling made her breath lurch in her lungs.
“Let’s go,” he said. “As soon as we get there, you can wash up and then crash out.”
The thought of a shower was welcome, until his large palm settled on her spine to direct her down the dock. Warm pressure sizzled through the thin cotton and she stiffened, the trapped feeling intensifying the rush of heat.
A monstrous black motorcycle stood on the dock, the silver logo catching the light from the moon. Once they reached it, Caine lifted the only helmet off the handlebars, fitted it over her head then fastened the strap.
He swung his leg over the huge machine, kicked it off its stand then glanced over his shoulder. “Climb aboard.”
She contemplated the bike.
Just get on. He’s not bothered—why should you be?
But she was bothered as she placed trembling fingers on his shoulders and felt the muscles tense. Finding a foothold above the gleaming silver exhaust pipe, she breathed through her mouth and clambered onto the machine.
The two-tiered seat forced her legs wide, positioning her bottom so that her knees gripped his waist. The seam of her shorts rubbed the aching spot between her legs as she tried to push her sock-covered feet down and ease away from him. The salty air tinged with the musk of pine soap filled her lungs. Standing on the ignition pedal, he kicked down and the engine roared to life, the powerful purr sending sensation shimmering up through her buttocks.
His wrist twisted to adjust the throttle and the engine roared louder.
“You’re gonna have to hold on tighter,” he shouted over his shoulder. “I don’t want you falling off on the ride up.”
Forced to agree, she edged along the seat and leaned into him. She pressed her face into the solid muscles of his spine and spread her legs even wider to reach far enough around him to flatten her hands on his abdomen. Washboard abs rippled like velvet-covered steel.
The bare skin of her inner thighs absorbed the subtle rasp of his suit pants.
The bike lurched forward and she tightened her grip reflexively. Tension rippled through his abs. Her breath shuddered out then jerked in again, filling her tortured lungs with a heady burst of his scent—the combination of soap and musk now mixed with the intoxicating scent of motor oil.
Every single one of her pulse points throbbed in unison as he weaved the motorbike down the deserted dock and then hit the single-track tarmac road etched into the cliff face.
The dock dropped away as they climbed the switchbacks at a steady speed. She noticed the canopy of stars above their heads, remarkably clear and bright in the night sky. And, despite her mind screaming at her not to, her body couldn’t seem to stop itself from relaxing into the hard line of his.