Much too early, Derrick, the Elven male on the security crew who was crossing over, walked through the corridors and knocked on doors, waking everybody up. Breakfast was a quick, simple affair of hot coffee, Danish pastries and cranky people, several of whom appeared to be hung over.
Sebastian remained absent. Olivia’s excited, nervous anticipation dimmed into a rather queasy feeling. Surely she must have imagined that raw, wide-open highway they had raced along together.
She escaped the breakfast table and took her coffee up to the deck where cold, bright sunshine pierced the air. Contemplating an affair with one’s immediate supervisor was a recipe for disaster, anyway. If this job had been a permanent position, she would never even consider the possibility.
Time sped up in a flurry of activity as the crossover team donned their wetsuits. Everyone’s mood improved drastically and a ragged cheer went up when the yacht pulled away from the dock. As people moved up to the deck, Sebastian appeared.
He wore his sunglasses again. His wetsuit molded the trim, powerful lines of his compact body, and a fitful wind ruffled his white-and-sable-flecked hair as he stepped light as a dancer between team members until he stood in front of Olivia.
Her hands had started to shake as he approached. She pushed her fists against her upper thighs as he looked down at her, his hard expression intent.
Then she noticed the taut lines bracketing the corners of his mouth. She asked very quietly, “Is everything all right?”
He replied in the same low voice, “Just another headache. I missed you last night.”
Her breath turned choppy. She grew aware that a few of the others had turned to look at them. Bailey watched them, arms crossed and face expressionless. Steve stared too, and the distaste on his thin face was anything but expressionless.
Suddenly she didn’t care. The tension between her and Sebastian’s bodies vibrated like a strong, golden wire, urging her closer. Licking her lips, she whispered, “I missed you too.”
He bent his head toward her, slowly, and realization sank in. He was giving her time to find some way to stop him or turn him away. It would be entirely her choice whether or not they let their budding connection become public.
But she could not imagine turning away from him in that moment.
Insane though it sounded, she could not imagine ever turning away from him.
Whoa, Nelly. Don’t panic, it was just a thought. Of course they hardly knew each other, and falling in love that fast with a (near) total stranger was inconceivable, and…
Blah blah blah…
She let the supposedly calm, logical part of her mind babble away. In the meantime, she had more important things to do. Stepping forward, she raised her face and met his kiss halfway.
His firm lips settled over hers. Compared to the crazed escalation from the previous night, this kiss was positively tame, just nestling their lips together in a gesture that was more affectionate than anything else. He rested his hands on her hips, and she covered them with her own. The most intimate thing about it all was that it was so public.
Except that his hot, male Power wrapped around her, invisible and possessive, and the fire that he had started in her last night flared up again, hectic and out of control.
She managed not to reach out and clutch him to her in a totally inappropriate embrace, but her body shook with the effort. He held back too, but standing so close to him, she could feel the tension vibrating off his taut body. His fingers dug into the soft flesh of her hips. She knew he would leave marks on her pale skin. She didn’t mind. She wanted to egg him on.
So the crazed creature that had taken over her body was still in residence, alive and well. She drew back, mouth trembling.