ever since moving to London for her studies.
He had called her beautiful, though, and her vanity and pride battled as she searched for the right reply. Her pride prevailed, and she glanced back into his arrogant face. ‘I’m not a child. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.’
‘And that’s exactly the problem .’ Unfazed, he looked back, his powerful shoulders shrugging under the thin fabric of his black t-shirt. ‘Around here, women don’t really go places alone very often. If you do and are as pretty as you, it sends the wrong signals. An invitation to something more, if you get my meaning…’
She would be damned if she admitted that she didn’t feel quite as comfortable on her own as she was trying to make him believe. She had noticed the groups of young men hanging around the town and the beaches. She’d felt their assessing looks as they eagerly hoped for any kind of encouraging response in her face or body language. They were harmless, yet obviously interested in starting a conversation with a single woman. And she couldn’t deny that lots of female tourists were looking for exactly that kind of an adventure, eager to spice up their stay under the Andalusian sun with the embrace of a local Casanova.
‘I can handle men very well, thank you ,’ she responded crisply, giving him a challenging expression.
Hi s gaze softened as it lingered on her proud face and the rebellious pout of her full mouth. ‘I didn’t mean it as an affront. I’m sorry if I came across as being bossy.’ He dipped his dark head in a short apology before returning his attention to her foot. ‘I think we should get you to a doctor, though. It looks to me that the needle got really deep into your foot, and the wounds from an encounter with a sea urchin heal slowly, even in the best of cases. This has the potential to turn really nasty, unless you are taken care of real soon, Kate.’
H er foot pulsated with a dull ache even when she as much as twitched. She felt horrible realizing that her mishap would put an end to this outing, which both her friends had looked forward to with much enthusiasm. Their plans to spend a whole day at the beach and finish it off with a nice dinner at the local shellfish restaurant would have to be postponed. Finding a local doctor had become her immediate priority.
She sighed, realizing he waited for her answer. ‘If you would be so kind as to help me get to my friends, I think we can sort it out as soon as possible.’
He nodded in response, and she waited for him to offer her his arm so they could cover the distance to the bar. Instead, he surprised her yet again by putting his long arms around her and picking her up with one swift movement. Kate found herself nestled against his chest, the warmth and fragrance of his skin assaulting her senses with its potency. She had no time to object to this drastic measure before he started walking toward the bar, his steady, smooth stride at odds with the whirlwind of emotions that twisted inside her.
‘Hold on to me, will you ?’ he ordered calmly.
Her arms wrapped obediently around his neck before she made the conscious decision to follow his command. To her utter bewilderment, it felt right; the safety of his arms was as natural and easy as breathing. She felt as if that was the only place in the world where she belonged, and her body curved into the haven of his chest with an absolute, unjustified trust.
‘I did not mean to impose on you, Raoul,’ she said, finding the silence unbearable. ‘I’m sure that if you’d helped me a bit, I could have gotten to the bar on my own two feet.’
‘Certainly.’ All her senses attuned to his magnificent presence, she could feel the vibrations in his chest as he spoke. His breath fanned her face, and she had to make a conscious effort to breathe. ‘But it will be faster this way, and you’re as light as a feather, Kate.’
He was right about the speed, and the expressions on her
He had called her beautiful, though, and her vanity and pride battled as she searched for the right reply. Her pride prevailed, and she glanced back into his arrogant face. ‘I’m not a child. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.’
‘And that’s exactly the problem .’ Unfazed, he looked back, his powerful shoulders shrugging under the thin fabric of his black t-shirt. ‘Around here, women don’t really go places alone very often. If you do and are as pretty as you, it sends the wrong signals. An invitation to something more, if you get my meaning…’
She would be damned if she admitted that she didn’t feel quite as comfortable on her own as she was trying to make him believe. She had noticed the groups of young men hanging around the town and the beaches. She’d felt their assessing looks as they eagerly hoped for any kind of encouraging response in her face or body language. They were harmless, yet obviously interested in starting a conversation with a single woman. And she couldn’t deny that lots of female tourists were looking for exactly that kind of an adventure, eager to spice up their stay under the Andalusian sun with the embrace of a local Casanova.
‘I can handle men very well, thank you ,’ she responded crisply, giving him a challenging expression.
Hi s gaze softened as it lingered on her proud face and the rebellious pout of her full mouth. ‘I didn’t mean it as an affront. I’m sorry if I came across as being bossy.’ He dipped his dark head in a short apology before returning his attention to her foot. ‘I think we should get you to a doctor, though. It looks to me that the needle got really deep into your foot, and the wounds from an encounter with a sea urchin heal slowly, even in the best of cases. This has the potential to turn really nasty, unless you are taken care of real soon, Kate.’
H er foot pulsated with a dull ache even when she as much as twitched. She felt horrible realizing that her mishap would put an end to this outing, which both her friends had looked forward to with much enthusiasm. Their plans to spend a whole day at the beach and finish it off with a nice dinner at the local shellfish restaurant would have to be postponed. Finding a local doctor had become her immediate priority.
She sighed, realizing he waited for her answer. ‘If you would be so kind as to help me get to my friends, I think we can sort it out as soon as possible.’
He nodded in response, and she waited for him to offer her his arm so they could cover the distance to the bar. Instead, he surprised her yet again by putting his long arms around her and picking her up with one swift movement. Kate found herself nestled against his chest, the warmth and fragrance of his skin assaulting her senses with its potency. She had no time to object to this drastic measure before he started walking toward the bar, his steady, smooth stride at odds with the whirlwind of emotions that twisted inside her.
‘Hold on to me, will you ?’ he ordered calmly.
Her arms wrapped obediently around his neck before she made the conscious decision to follow his command. To her utter bewilderment, it felt right; the safety of his arms was as natural and easy as breathing. She felt as if that was the only place in the world where she belonged, and her body curved into the haven of his chest with an absolute, unjustified trust.
‘I did not mean to impose on you, Raoul,’ she said, finding the silence unbearable. ‘I’m sure that if you’d helped me a bit, I could have gotten to the bar on my own two feet.’
‘Certainly.’ All her senses attuned to his magnificent presence, she could feel the vibrations in his chest as he spoke. His breath fanned her face, and she had to make a conscious effort to breathe. ‘But it will be faster this way, and you’re as light as a feather, Kate.’
He was right about the speed, and the expressions on her
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