“No, thanks,” she said again, pushing them away. The pounding beat of the music had begun to make her head ache. Once again, she surveyed the room, feeling out of place and unsettled. More and more she had come to realize that trying to meet someone in a scene like this didn’t work for her.
This was the third time in as many weeks that she’d come to this place. Maybe she should give up and move on. Though she’d danced with many, there hadn’t been a single man who’d generated even the faintest flicker of interest, and she knew all too well the rules governing the task ahead of her.
One last look around the bar, and she’d knock back her drink and go home. Failure, again. Though, as a consolation prize, she felt quite sure she could find something interesting to watch on television.
And then, as her gaze swept through the packed room, she saw him. Everything else—the music, the noise, the crowd, faded away.
Gorgeous, ruggedly handsome, devilishly sexy—a hundred superlatives couldn’t even begin to do him justice.
Tall and athletic, with muscles rippling under his T-shirt, the sight of him quickened her pulse. He walked with a nonchalant kind of self-confidence that drew her like a magnet. She let her gaze roam hungrily over him. Hair so dark it almost seemed black. Shaggy, a bit longer than currently fashionable. His hawk-like features, for whatever reason, seemed vaguely familiar, though she knew she hadn’t met him. A man like him would not easily be forgotten.
Just like in a romance novel or a sappy movie, their eyes met. Locked. And held. She sucked in her breath, her entire body tingling.
Then she noticed the bevy of women hanging on to his side. And more, lined up three deep behind him.
Popular, wasn’t he? She couldn’t say she blamed them.
Lips curling, she glanced to her left and her right, and at the unwanted drinks the bartender kept depositing in front of her. If she were to drink them all she wouldn’t be able to walk.
They were an equal match. Fate. It had to be fate. A shiver snaked up her spine. Finally. The one she’d been searching for had finally appeared.
The mysterious stranger noted the drinks and her smile, and dipped his chin in agreement. Then he shook off his entourage and strode across the crowded room toward her.
Heart pounding faster than the bass beat, she stood, cutting through the men who vied for a chance to talk to her or dance with her, and smiled her welcome at him as he approached.
“Have we met?” he asked, the thick Texas drawl in his sexy voice curling her toes in her four-inch heels.
“No.” Leaning away from him, she took a small sip of the drink she’d purchased. “I don’t think so.”
One of the men who’d tried to corner her earlier sauntered up, brazenly attempting to push himself between her and her new friend.
“She’s with me,” he growled, giving the newcomer a back-off glare. “Don’t interrupt us again.”
Muttering a curse, the intruder went away.
“Well done, sir,” she said. “Maria Miranda.”
Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome smiled at her, sending a swirl of guppies swimming in her stomach. He held out his hand.
She took it, noting the long, elegant fingers. Even the shape of his hand turned her on, though the noise made it difficult to hear.
“I can’t believe it,” he murmured, leaning in close, his breath tickling her ear. “Until I saw you, I was bored. I’d just decided to leave when I took one last look around. Packed dance floor, check. Bodies gyrating to music played at a decibel rivaling that of a jet taking off, check. And then...you.”
She laughed, a bit shaky, hoping he didn’t realize that even the husky timbre of his voice turned her on. She also noticed he hadn’t mentioned the bevy of beautiful women who even now intently watched his every move.
A slow song began to play. At least, without the loud thumping of the bass, hearing became slightly easier.
“This is my third time here,” she said, resisting the urge to lean even closer. “And I have to say, probably my last. This place is all too familiar and rapidly growing old.”
He nodded. “I wasn’t exactly sure what drew me to this bar, especially since I could easily find a hundred just like it in any number of cities.” He shrugged. “In fact, I’m not clear how what had started as an evening stroll on the beach led to this.”
His gaze slid over her, as intimate as a caress. “But I’m glad it did. You’re quite possibly the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. Tall and graceful, curved in all the right places, and enticingly spicy.”
Though her mouth had gone dry, she managed to smile back at him. “You’re awfully good at flirting.”
He laughed. “Only when I see something I want.” Every time his gaze met hers, her heart did a flip-flop. “And I want you.”
Her entire body burned. If he kept looking at her like that, she’d go up in smoke. Hello, Destiny.
“My head’s beginning to hurt,” she told him, lightly touching his arm. “Do you want to get out of here?”
Another slow song came on. “Let’s dance instead,” he said, leading her out onto the dance floor. The instant he took her in his arms, she knew. This man. Him. Relief warred with arousal. Finally, after years of searching. She’d found him. Or he’d found her. Fate had finally tossed her a bone.
Of course she said none of those things. Men, she’d learned, sometimes took longer to reach conclusions based on instinct or intuition. Right now, with her head spinning, relishing the way his muscular body fit against hers, she didn’t really care. Life had a way of sorting things out, and being held in his arms, her curves tucked up against his hard contours, her body melting against his, pushed everything else from her mind.
He looked down at her and smiled once more. The intensity of his gaze and the beauty of his smile sent a shudder through her. Her knees went weak and she stumbled. Only his strong arms kept her on her feet. And then she felt the force of his arousal jutting against her belly as they swayed to the music. A hot ache grew inside her, nearly unbearable in its intensity.
“We need to get out of here,” she managed, weak with need.
To her relief, he jerked his head toward the door. “Sure. Lead the way.”
The instant the cooler air hit her overheated body, she shivered. With anyone else, the scent of salt in the breeze would have brought her back to reality. Always, the sea grounded her.
Yet with him, her body still throbbed. This was right. This was what had been foretold for her, meant to be.
She nearly pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
“Are you all right?” He made no attempt to hide the fact that he wanted her. Desire echoed in his stance, the darkness of his eyes, in every shadow of his perfectly chiseled face.
“Yes.”
In unspoken accord, they crossed the parking lot, finding the stone steps down the seawall, to walk along the beach. The instant they reached the sand, Maria slipped off her high heels and carried them, so she could walk barefoot in the sand.
“Are you sure that’s safe?” he asked.
Tilting her head up at him, she smiled. “I love the way sand feels between my toes. You should try it.”
To her amazement, he did exactly that, removing his boat shoes. “Nice.”
When he took her hand, she couldn’t suppress a tiny