Seduced (Surrender #3)(17)
Author: Melody Anne

“It sounds like you’ve been stranded before,” she murmured after she chewed and swallowed, being careful to take only small sips of water.

“I haven’t ever been shipwrecked, but I’ve…” he trailed off.

“You’ve what?”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said, clearly wanting to change the subject.

Now Lia had to know. She couldn’t stand mysteries; she refused to read anything that had suspense in it. If she did accidentally pick up a book like that, then she’d flip to the last chapter to find how it ended before going back and reading it from the beginning.

The stress of suspense was just too much for her. It wasn’t pleasant in the least.

“Please tell me.” See, she could ask nicely.

“Maybe sometime,” he said.

She knew that was all she was going to get out of him for now. Dang it!

“Let me pack this up and then we’ll be on our way,” he said and began taking down the tent.

“Why are you taking it down?”

“We don’t want a creature taking off with it, or a freak wave dragging it into the ocean. This is our bedroom for the next day or so. Hopefully only that long,” he said, looking out across the water. Not a boat in sight.

“I’m glad I’m with you, Shane. I would never think of any of this,” she said. Their eyes connected as he stuffed the tent into the pack and hefted it onto his shoulders.

“I’m glad to be here with you,” he replied, grateful that she’d forgotten that it was his fault they were stuck on the island in the first place.

The heat in his eyes had her stomach tensing. Why did he have to decide to give her his full charm now? She’d wanted him forever without it being reciprocal, and now when she’d decided to not have him be a part of her life, he was giving her his full arsenal of charm.

Men!

“We’re losing daylight, Grayson,” she said as she began moving, having no idea where she was supposed to go.

“We just woke up, Lia. There’s plenty of light left,” he said with a laugh, but he didn’t complain as she began moving.

She must have been on the right path because Shane pushed ahead of her with a long stick as he moved bushes and they wove their way a bit deeper into the island. If she had to be trapped, at least she had a fantastic view, she thought as she watched the muscles in his butt flex with each step he took, and the twist of his upper torso while he worked on the brush.

“The good news is that this island isn’t too big or too dense. I think it would be very difficult for us to get lost,” he said as they moved along. After walking for about an hour, they both heard a noise and stopped.

“Is that a…?”

“Yes, I think it is,” he said with a smile as he moved forward.

Now elated, both of them quickened their pace. Coming over a small rise, Lia stopped, her breath being taken from her.

“That’s stunning,” she whispered.

In front of them stood a pristine body of water with a twenty-foot waterfall flowing into it. Lia rushed forward, excited at the thought of washing the layer of salt water from her skin. She had no thoughts of safety, just pure refreshment.

“Lia, let me check the area first,” Shane said as he gripped her arm.

“I’m itchy, Shane. I need to bathe,” she said as she looked at the crystal-clear water.

After a few moments of looking around, he deemed it safe, which made her roll her eyes. Yes, she’d led an easy existence, cosseted and cared for, but she was capable of ensuring her own safety. However, it would take longer to argue with him than to just let him do a small security scan. As soon as she got the green light, Lia ran to the edge, where she discarded her clothes without a thought of modesty and smoothly dived into the water.

Shane stood back watching the enticing curve of her backside, feeling his body’s natural reaction. She wasn’t trying to injure him, he didn’t think, but she was surely causing permanent damage anyway.

Well, if he couldn’t beat her, he sure as hell was going to join her. Without any further pause, he moved down to where she’d thrown off her clothes, and stripped off his own, then dived into the water and came up right in front of her.

Without giving her time to react, he pulled her close to his na**d body and kissed her. He was done with letting her thrust him away.

Chapter Ten

Adriane

Prince Adriano of Corythia, or Adriane, as he called himself in the States, or even Ian Graziani when he wanted fewer people to figure out who he was, turned the corner before pausing. Taking a deep breath, he heard his trusted adviser approaching and quickly masked his face, knowing what was coming.

Adriane was never truly alone. There were bodyguards following him, his assistant right there, and when he was in public, cameras. So many cameras. Since this visit wasn’t announced, at least the paparazzi weren’t present, but he could never ditch his bodyguards. They’d have a heart attack.

At least they gave him the semblance of privacy, though, standing out of the way, not making their presence known, but they were always close.

“Your Majesty, should you really be entertaining this American?”

With a deep sigh, Adriane turned toward Amedeo, giving him a look that made the man back down immediately. “I am only having dinner with the woman, Amedeo. It’s nothing for you to concern yourself about.”

“Of course, Sire. It’s just that we need to get back home. You know your brother is causing many problems.”

“Yes, and the problems will still be there next week. I promised my mother I would return home, and I will. I just need this time. The American girl is nothing more than a distraction. Do not assume it is more than that.”

Adriane had no difficulty whatsoever reminding the man who he was. Since age seventeen, he had been the crown prince of Corythia, knowing he would one day ascend the throne. That day had just come sooner than he’d planned. He wanted to be free a while longer, build something in this world before he settled down, married and ruled his country.

His father had passed away too soon, only a month ago, leaving a world of burdens on Adriane’s shoulders. His mother, an American actress his father had fallen in love with, shocking the country when he’d brought home his foreign bride, had adapted amazingly well to his father’s country. The people revered her, would even die for her. She knew his need for freedom, but even she was pressuring him to return home.

He’d been thrown so much at once, and had needed escape. Yes, it was selfish on his part, but soon the people would own him, and he needed this time to himself — needed it to accept the reality of what his life would be like now.