She went deep, letting the water cool her heated skin. It hadn’t occurred to her that such a thing could happen. She’d never been physically attracted before. Jesse certainly wasn’t attracted to her, nor had she been attracted to him. She hadn’t been prepared at all for the explosive chemistry between Nicolas and her and she handled it all wrong. She’d actually kissed him back. Not just kissed him, she’d practically eaten him for dinner. The thought of facing him was more than she could bear.
Dahlia surfaced a distance from the boat, treading water while she fumbled for the buttons on her shirt. She was still so sensitive even brushing against her skin sent shock waves through her body. She didn’t want to think how he’d be feeling. The boat was headed her way, and he didn’t look very happy. She waved him off. “Go., Get away from here, Nicolas. Take the boat and go.” She was trying hard to save him, but she could see from the harshness on his face that he didn’t want to be saved.
Nicolas stopped the boat beside her. There was no ice at all in his eyes, rather a raging fury. “Get in the boat,” he said, his voice grim.
“Get away from me. Do you think it’s going to stop?” Angry, she hit the water, sending a plume splashing over him. He didn’t even wince as the droplets settled over his head and chest and ran down to the waistband of his jeans.
She ducked her head beneath the water on the pretense of slicking back her hair. Dahlia used the brief moment to force her mind away from where those drops were heading. What the droplets would touch as they raced down his belly to his groin. She broke the surface, her heart pounding. “I know the bayou. I’ll be fine. Take the boat and get out of here.”
“Damn it, Dahlia, I’m not asking you again. Get in the damned boat. I’m not a filthy rapist. You were right there along with me, feeling the same thing.”
She saw it then, his shame at his lack of control. His fear that he’d frightened her. His sexual frustration that must be every bit as bad or worse than her own. She reached for the rim of the boat and held herself there, tightening her fingers until her knuckles turned white. “Nicolas, it wasn’t you or me. Not like you’re thinking. I’m all about energy. Even sexual energy. You were throwing it out there. I was too. We were both feeding it, and it swallowed us. We can’t be together. We just can’t take the chance.”
Nicolas sat very still just watching her. What he wanted to do was yank her back into the boat and weld their mouths together. Their bodies. He craved her like he would a drug. He made himself breathe. In and out. He could read the desperation in her eyes, the fear. Not of him, but for him. The tight coil in his belly began to relax. Not giving her time to argue or think, he simply caught her small wrists and lifted her into the boat. “We’re adults, remember? Now that we know it can happen, we’ll be more careful.” He managed a quick, teasing grin. “Until we don’t want to be careful.”
Dahlia swallowed hard. She had courage, he had to give her that. Respect for her grew with every moment in her company. She didn’t back away from him, but held her ground. They were both standing up, and she had a long way to look up. “It could happen, Nicolas. You’ve never seen what pure energy can do, but I have. I generate heat when it happens and fires start. People get hurt.”
“Have you ever made love to someone, Dahlia?”
His voice was so low she had to strain to hear him. She felt the surge of darkness, of danger, something lethal and deadly emanating from him.
“No, I’ve never wanted to get that close to anyone.”
“Until now.” He wanted to hear her say it. At least give him that much. He needed that much.
“Until now,” she agreed.
Nicolas stepped away from her, sank back into position. “Thanks for not pushing me into the water. You must have thought about it.”