Excerpt

[Ella]

Hands clutched her waist and yanked her into a hard, wet body. Naked. Reef Bayard was most definitely naked. With eyes squeezed shut, she was unprepared when his nose found the crook of her neck and inhaled, long and deep. For an insane moment, she understood the impulse, drawing in his scent of salt and man, like a fresh breeze off the ocean, clean but wild, sensual and delicious.

Her sanity didn’t return but rather, stubbornly deserted her. Reef caught her tight around the middle, one hand leisurely caressing her backside while her own hands snaked around his chest and stroked his back. For scant seconds she memorized the decadent movement of his muscles rippling beneath her touch. His skin was warm and inviting.

Temptation rocked through her, his closeness and wordless invitation enough to make her eyes cross and set her teeth on edge like she’d just bit into a cold, sweet, delicious hot fudge sundae. That’s what he was—a confectionery goody that was as irresistible as it was dangerous for a woman’s health. A treat the body craved but was against all the rules.

“I’m on a diet,” she murmured and stepped to the side, careful of the edge of the scaffolding.

Only five-five, she had to look up to his towering height, probably six-four, defined and toned with sun kissed skin. Big, like a dark pagan warrior. The confused look on his face gave her some satisfaction, but no way was she explaining that comment, even if he thought she was off her rocker. Besides, maybe that would be best, and she was insane to think for one moment that a man who hung with starlets would find her dowdy figure, leaning toward dumpy despite the hours in the gym and the pool, to be attractive in the least.

Except, he had been palming her ass.

“You don’t need to diet.” He grinned and moved toward her as if to bring her back into his embrace.

She stumbled away, careful to stay close to the tank and looked for the ladder with desperation, heart fluttering wildly. As soon as she saw the proof of his reaction to her, or at least of holding a woman against his naked flesh, she wished she hadn’t looked. Heat rushed over her face, she had trouble breathing, and her pulse rate rocketed. Reef Bayard was a large man. Everywhere.