‘Check the perimeter,’ he shouted, as another flash of lightning slammed through the air around them. ‘Make sure the roof is secure.’
‘Then I’m coming with you.’
‘Dio! For once can you just not argue with me?’
She crossed her arms. ‘Which way?’
‘No!’ He reached for the door of the cabin and held it open, waiting for her to go inside.
But Tilly was stubborn—especially when she was right. And even more so when she was in love.
‘I will work quicker if I am not making sure you don’t fall over or bang your head. Go inside.’
She stared at him, her temper spiking. Sure, she was accident-prone, but he didn’t need to be so unkind about it!
The memory of the day before—the way she’d crashed out of the boat and into the water—was at the top of her mind.
‘I want to help,’ she said loudly, but the words were uncertain.
‘Then go inside. I will be five minutes.’
She glared at him angrily, her chin tilted defiantly. ‘Unless you physically push me inside, then I’m going to follow you.’
He muttered something under his breath—something she didn’t quite catch.
‘What?’
‘I said, don’t tempt me!’
Thunder crashed, breathing urgency into the situation. Apparently thinking better of arguing with her, he shook his head and stormed off down the steps. She followed, bracing herself for the rain a micro-second before it began to hammer against her head.
Rio was so fit—so strong. She marvelled at the way he reached up and pushed at the windows, then overturned an old crate and stood on it, pushing a thick piece of wood into the gutter and freeing clogged leaves. He moved around the back of the cabin then, still checking windows.
When they’d almost looped back to the front, he sent her a look that was fulminating with anger. Tilly didn’t understand it—though that was perhaps because she hadn’t realised that her skin was white and her teeth were shaking in her mouth as she shivered unstoppably.
He stood abruptly and moved towards her, putting a hand in the small of her back and propelling her towards the deck. She turned to face him, but one look at his profile kept her silent.
At least it did until they were on the deck, with the rain lashing in sideways.
‘What is it?’ she shouted. ‘Why do you seem so angry with me?’
‘Angry with you?’ He pulled the door to the cabin inwards. ‘You think I’m angry with you?’
‘You’re shouting at me!’ she yelled back. ‘Why?’
He shook his head; water droplets fanned out, splashing against the walls. ‘Because!’
‘That’s not an answer. What is it? I’ve already... I said I was sorry about yesterday.’
He closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them she felt as if he was trying to get a grip on his temper. His eyes were a storm that raged as intensely as the one outside. He swore sharply—a sound that tore through the house as he moved towards her quickly, crushing her body with his far bigger one, pushing her back until she connected with the wall.
His kiss had the strength of an ocean. His tongue drove into her mouth, clashing with hers, his hands pushed at her shoulders and his legs kept her pinned to the wall.
‘I am not angry with you, cara,’ he muttered into her mouth.
The words came to her from a long way away. Her senses weren’t capable of absorbing anything but this—this feeling that was tearing her body apart with a need she had never known possible.
Her fingers pushed at his wet clothes; they stuck to his body stubbornly and she groaned into his mouth, pushing her body forward, needing closeness, wanting more. So badly wanting more.