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Brax follows me around, his fingers hooked casually into the loops on his shorts. He watches me but stays quiet, letting me explore as if he were a scientist trying to understand my every move.
I glance quickly at a few other rooms: a dining room that boasts the same kind of raw edge table as the living room; a large balcony covered against the elements and filled with soft chairs and dozens of plants. Another room stacked high with more books, a desk, and what appears to be lab equipment.
“Are you a scientist?” I ask, intrigued by Brax’s odd assortment of tools and books.
He gives me another infuriating shrugs. “I like to learn about all kinds of things, including the ocean,” he says in a cryptic tone.
The next door leads to Brax’s bedroom, which is lit with soft lamps and smells faintly of salt and campfire. I glance toward the open double doors that lead to an attached balcony, stunned by the sea view below.
“That’s not a bad view to wake up to,” I murmur.
Brax takes my hand in his. “I can think of better ones,” he says with a wink.
“Cheeseball!” I giggle, delighted by his silly comment.
He merely grins. “I had to say it because you set me up perfectly.” Brax’s blue eyes shine, full of mischief, and I’m stunned by how handsome this man is, and how at ease I feel too. I want to jump into his arms but manage to restrain myself somehow.
“You’ll find the bathroom through this door,” Brax says, his tone turning business-like without warning. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. You look adorable with sand on your chin, but I know it can’t be comfortable.”
I giggle.
“I have sand in my swimsuit! Imagine how uncomfortable that is!”
He shoots me a smoldering look.
“Icanimagine,” he growls. “In fact, I’d love to check it out.”
With another laugh, I follow Brax into the bathroom.
Like the rest of his apartment, the en suite is modern but filled with reminders of the sea, including dried starfish decorations and another collection of shells. The tub is a deep, white porcelain and the counters are smooth, glossy wood. The steam shower is large enough to hold several people, its glass walls promising a peep show for anyone else in the room.
“You can have a shower or a bath, your choice,” Brax growls, interrupting my thoughts. “Or both.”
I gesture to the shower. “That’ll do,” I say with equal equanimity. “And then I’ll get out of your hair—I can just take a taxi back to the resort.”
But to my surprise, Brax shakes his head. “You’ll do no such thing,” he states. I stare at him.
“I’m not staying the night with you,” I retort. “Why, do you think I’m a slut of some kind?” Of course, that wouldn’t exactly bewrong, seeing that I just hooked up with him without knowing his name. He glares right back at me.
“I’m not asking you to stay, and I’m not trying to upset you,” he says after taking a deep breath. He folds his arms over his chest, emphasizing the sheer power of his biceps. “But we have to be somewhere within the next hour. You don’t have to shower but I figured you might want to, just as a courtesy.”
I raise an eyebrow. “And where exactly dowehave to go? I’m just hearing the first of this.”
Brax nods. “I know. There’s a council meeting tonight, so I’m taking you to meet my community’s leaders. We need to discuss what happened on the beach today.”
My face flushes crimson. “I amnotabout to go discuss my sex life with a bunch of strangers!” I nearly shout. I reach for the door handle but Brax steps between me and the exit.
“That’s not what I’m saying,” he says in even tone. Still, something slightly dangerous lurks below just below that equanimity, as if he’s having trouble controlling himself.
“Well, what then?” I demand, breathing heavily. I’m completely enthralled with this strange man and wish he’d stop running hot and cold. Does he want me here? Or did I royally screw up by visiting his home?
I want to scream. Instead, I return his glower.
“You crossed into community land,” Brax explains. “And I let you stay on the land, which means that we need to go to the council tonight and make sure that the others are aware that a non-resident is on the island.”
I form my lips into a pout, certain that I look like a child, but I don’t care.
“I still don’t see how any of this is anyone else’s business,” I huff. “I’ll just go back to the hotel. It’s not like I stole seashells from the beach. You can check my bag if you’d like,” I say haughtily.
