Alicia's Folly by C A Vincent Read Free Book Online

regret his earlier offer. He was too happy to be worried, though. Not only was he going to be able to spend more time with her, but they’d reached the end of the beach and she was just about to stumble backwards onto the first step up to the boardwalk. Far be it from him to keep the chips from falling where they may. Or the Alicia, for that matter.  
    Just as he’d anticipated, she started to fall backward when her heel snagged on the first wooden step. Nate caught her easily and brought her gently up against him. Her sweet, clean scent was intoxicating and the startled gasp she let loose as his arms wrapped around her made him want to nuzzle her neck, just so he could hear it again. He held back, barely, as an embarrassed blush blossomed over her face.  
    “You said – ” she began in a ragged whisper, her color deepening.  
    “I would make an honest effort to respect your wishes. I didn’t say I’d let you fall and get hurt,” he cut in. Then, because he just couldn’t help himself, he brushed a soft kiss over her mouth. Before she could react, he lifted her bodily onto the next step, catching her off balance yet again. Then he turned her away from him. Forced to continue up the stairs or risk looking foolish, Alicia started moving.  
    * *  
    When she reached the top of the stairs, Alicia turned to look into Nate’s face. Unsurprisingly, he looked more than a little pleased with himself. He gestured toward a row of shopping stalls, saying, “After you”.  
    Suddenly, she realized she was completely uninterested in shopping after being held in his arms. And the kiss… It was so brief, so sweet, yet promised a world of – more . Once again, the voice of reason screamed at her to run. Like nearly every other time before, she ignored it. How could she not, when the feel of his arms around her was so fresh in her mind? And his scent… It was all she could do to keep from turning and leaning into him, just so she could take a deep, intoxicating breath.  
    Who the hell am I kidding? she thought, walking slightly ahead of him. I wouldn’t be able to resist, even if he pulls back and starts behaving like the perfect gentleman. Maybe I need to not be such a “good girl” and have wild, monkey sex with him. Then he’ll be out of my system and I’ll be out of his and we can go our separate ways all the sooner. Without really seeing, she stopped at the first booth they came to, knowing damn well things weren’t going to play out that way. She just wasn’t built that way.  
    With a frustrated sigh, Alicia tried to focus on the beaded jewellery in front of her. It was damn near impossible to do, what with his being right behind her. At one point, he placed his hand in the small of her back and leaned around her to finger a particularly ugly necklace. The desire to turn into his arms and have him hold her was so strong she had to grip the table to resist.  
    “No?” he asked innocently, a hungry fire burning in his eyes. Add to it the almost feral smile turning up the corners of his mouth and she realized that though he would “respect” her wishes, he would likely do everything in his power to change her mind as to what those wishes were. Nate saw the moment this realization dawned and his smile widened. It became something primal and made her heart race. Need blossomed deep down in her belly.  
    Alicia knew she should just walk away, but the pull of his gaze as it roamed slowly over her face, as though he were considering all the spots upon which to brush more soft kisses, kept her where she was. Then, before her lust-addled brain could put more than a couple of syllables together, he turned her gently toward the next stall. His hands, big and strong, were placed innocently on her lower back and on her arm.  
    With a desperation which scared her, Alicia wanted them elsewhere. This was a bad thing. A very bad thing. Did she run though? No. Despite the insistent voice in her head telling her she