“Pleasantly surprised.” His fingers slipped from her neck to her shoulder, laying a path of sensation as they went.

All too soon, the song ended, and Luke drew back from her. “I could use some air,” he said. “Care to join me?”

Even though she knew it would be all over the island by morning that they’d gone off together, Sydney took his outstretched hand and went with him to the hotel’s dark porch. They stood looking down at the busy street as well as the breakwater that formed the harbor and the ferry landing where a lone boat waited to make the first trip to the mainland in the morning.

The air coming in off the water was warm, but Sydney’s skin prickled with goose bumps that had nothing to do with the temperature and everything to do with the man standing beside her.

“I missed you this week, Syd.”

She turned to him, about to take a step she wasn’t entirely sure she was ready for. “I missed you, too.” Running her tongue over her lips, she ventured a glance up at him. “I thought a lot about what you said.”

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, he said, “And?”

“I have no idea what I’m doing right now. I’m a bad bet.”

He put his arms around her. “So you’ve said.”

How did he manage to do that so smoothly? How did he manage to make her feel surrounded by him yet totally safe?

Almost as if he couldn’t resist, he dipped his head and kissed her.

“Luke—”

“Hmm?” He kissed her again. “Did I mention how gorgeous you look tonight?”

Sure enough, her knees went weak, and she reached for him. At first he just pressed his lips softly to hers, letting her know the next move was up to her. When she realized what he was doing, that he was giving her the power to decide for both of them, she couldn’t resist running her tongue gently over his bottom lip.

That drew a tortured groan from deep inside him.

Encouraged, she did it again, this time letting her tongue venture a little farther into his mouth. Everything about his embrace was familiar, yet new, too. His taste, the texture of his lips, the way he held her so close. She tempted and teased, but still he held back.

“Luke,” she gasped.

“What, honey?”

“Kiss me back. Will you please kiss me back?”

“Gladly.”

While Syd waited breathlessly to see what he would do, he sprinkled soft kisses on her face before returning his attention to her mouth. Once again he began softly, gently, as if he was making sure she was with him before he went any further.