Sam woke to the sun streaming in on he and Delanie for the second time in a week. How the hell had he gotten to this point? Two nights in bed with a beautiful woman with nothing happening. It was a record for him.



He rolled to sitting, ignoring the stiffy up front. If Delanie woke up and saw him now she would probably toss him out. Hell, he probably deserved being tossed out with the way his thoughts bent.



After the storm had stopped, he had gone around and opened a few of the shutters so they could get a good cross breeze. The cool night air had caressed his skin, leaving him feeling needy. Now was not the time to stake a claim to relieve his need.



Delanie had trust issues. They had talked about them last night. She'd never said what she did, but he got the feeling that she was rather famous. If he climbed up on her, kissed her awake and started making love to her, she would probably freak out.



He made his way to the shower and tossed off his clothes. He turned the water to cold and stepped in. The biting cold water stung his skin. He scrubbed at his hair, loving the feeling of taking yet another shower this week. Usually he dipped into the ocean to keep clean. The luxury of fresh water and soap almost made him forget he was on an island and clean water really was a luxury. He turned off the water as he lathered up, only letting the water run when he needed to wash off.



He turned the knob, shutting off the shower. Water dripped off his body, echoing in the small enclosure. Maybe Delanie would still be his friend after he left the island. Would he be able to give up the sailboat and reenter society for her? He couldn't go back to what he'd been doing before.



His team didn't need him, or want him, and hell, he had to change. Going back to the same office with the same people would set him back. Never again did he want to be the kind of ass-hole who took advantage of people on a regular basis.



He pushed open the shower door to find Delanie. She squeaked out a scream and whipped around. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were in here."



He grabbed a towel from the rack and tried pulling it around his waist. It took him three tries before he got the thing secure. By that time his face was hot with embarrassment. No way could he ever fully apologize. "Dang, I'm sorry. I woke early and...I guess I wasn't being loud enough."



"It's ok. I should have–"



"No, I lost track of time." He looked down to see that his chest was dry, only his hair remained damp. "I needed some time to think. I guess I've been in her for about a half hour or more."



"Really?"



He yanked another towel from the rack and ran it over his hair. "Lot's to think about."



"Like what?" Delanie started to turn around but stopped. "Are you covered?"



"Yeah, I've got a towel."



She slid a glance before turning fully to face him. He was impressed, her eyes stayed on his face, never once dipping to check out his chest or abs. He knew he wouldn't be that disciplined. If she were standing there in a towel, he would be looking at every inch of her that he could.



"So what were you thinking about?" Delanie asked.



"Last night. Our talk. It was good. I haven't been honest like that in a while."



"Honest?"



"I haven't lied to you." He held her gaze, hoping that he made his point. She already had enough issues. She didn't need to worry about him lying. "It's not that I've been dishonest with you. I just don't like to share. Sharing is scary."



"Tell me about it."



"Listen, do you think I could get my clothes and we could talk about this later?"



Her eyes dipped to his chest, red colored her cheeks. She looked away then back once more. "I'm sorry, I forgot."



"Sure, make me feel good."



"It's not–Hell, there's nothing I could say that would come out right."



"No, there isn't."



She stepped out of the bathroom and looked back over her shoulder. "You do have nice abs though."



Now it was his turn to feel the heat rush up his chest to his neck. She shut the door, giving him some privacy. He'd heard the comments on his body before, but this time the words meant more.



The good feeling spread, giving him a boost of energy. Who cared what his board said, for Delanie he would change everything.



Of course telling her how he felt would scare her away. He saw that look of distrust in her eyes more often than not. Only when distracted did she relax. Maybe they could just hang out for a while. He wouldn't push for any obligation on her part.



Eventually he would have to go check out his sailboat. That would remind her that he was going to leave. And any reminder could push her over the edge and then she would ask him to leave. Ugh, it was too much.



But what if Delanie didn't want him sticking around. What if she asked him to leave today? She had every right to ask, but he hopped that she wouldn't.



"Hey, you still in there?" Delanie knocked on the door.



"Sorry, just finishing up." He pulled open the door, surprised to find her only inches from him. If he were a true gentleman he would step back and give her some room, but that was the last thing on his mind. Pulling her into his arms was what he wanted to do. Then he could fill the time with things like running his fingers through her hair. Tasting the curve of her neck. Seeing if she would mould perfectly to his body.



She was striking. He couldn't imagine never seeing her again. Hope for a future that included her ate away at him. Should he say something to her?



The undercurrent of sex flowed between them. Her tongue flicked across her lips and she leaned in. His breathing grew shallow as he searched her face for some indication that she wanted him to stop.



He was about to reach out and slid his finger down her arm when she cleared her throat and stepped back.



"How about some breakfast?"



The tension in the room deflated. His shoulders sagged, knowing that the perfect opportunity had just passed them by.



"I am kind of hungry. I'll help."



He followed her to the kitchen and couldn't help but smirk as she pulled a frying pan out from the cabinet.



"What's so funny?"



"It would sound bad."



"Spill it."



"I've never shared breakfast with any of the women I've dated. I find it funny that I've not even kissed you, and here we are like two domesticated homebodies making breakfast."



"Hmmm, that doesn't sound so bad. No one's a saint."



He opened the fridge and found some bacon. "Not proud of my past, but I'm trying to change."



She handed him the frying pan. "How long have you been on that sailboat?"



"Two years."



"Any women in that time?"



"No."



Delanie leaned against the counter beside him. Her gaze connected with his and held. "Sounds like you have changed."



He stared at her for a few beats, wondering what she would think if she could hear his thoughts right now. He watched her pupils dilate, her chest raise slowly up and down. She felt it. Primal urges were pulsing through her body too.



The moment passed without either of them making a move. She crossed the kitchen to the fridge and began pulling out fruit and bread. "We can eat out on the patio."



"Sure, sounds great." He threw a few strips of bacon into the hot pan. They sizzled and cracked, breaking the silence that had descended in the kitchen. Somehow, before he left this island, he needed to tell her how he felt.



Not that he wanted to force a commitment out of her, but he wanted her to know he was interested. It might not change anything. The protective shell she had up around her heart was evident, but maybe he could break through and make a difference.

Copyright Sara Thacker 2011