His breathing ragged, he fought the need to drag her back into his arms. Adiona’s eyes fluttered open. In a blink, her wistful gaze changed to one of confusion. “Did I do something wrong?” Desperate for greater distance between him and temptation, he sidestepped her, careful not to fall back into the pool, although a plunge in the cold water might be good for him. “No,” he choked. “You did nothing wrong. I did.” “What do you mean?” He raked his fingers through his hair. Her scent of cinnamon and sea air teased his senses. Every instinct he possessed clamored with a riotous need to claim her as his own. “I shouldn’t have touched you.” “I kissed you,” she said. “You’ve rejected me often enough. I should have saved us both this uncomfortable situation and just accepted you don’t want me.” His gaze shot to her face. What game was she playing at? Want was a ridiculous, tepid feeling when compared to how much he craved her. “I understand.” She took a step backward.
