And then the devil took hold of him as he realized another opportunity that had him holding back a laugh at the thought of it. Moving stealthily and using the faint light of the moon to guide him, he found her pile of clothes in the sand and gathered them, her shoes and purse, retreating toward the dunes about a hundred feet from where she’d left her stuff. He sat to wait, holding back the need to laugh so he wouldn’t alert her to his presence.

Maybe it wasn’t very nice to play a practical joke on her, but it wasn’t nice of her to disappear for hours without a word to him when they’d made tentative plans. It served her right, or so he told himself. His conscience was being a real pain in the ass where she was concerned.

He didn’t have to wait long for her to emerge from the water and venture up the beach looking for her stuff. He’d bet everything he had that she was now regretting her impulsive swim when it dawned on her that she didn’t have a towel or any way to dry off before getting dressed. She had bigger problems than that, not that she’d realized it yet.

Adam could just barely see her from where he sat, but he could tell she was looking for her stuff and becoming increasingly nervous, which made him feel extra guilty. Time to make his presence known.

“Looking for something?” he called out to her.

She let out a squawk of surprise. “Adam? What’re you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“Did you take my clothes?”

“Maybe.”

“Oh my God! What are you, twelve?”

“Apparently.”

“Give them back. This instant!”

Smiling, Adam held back a laugh that would get him into even more trouble. “Come get them.”

“I am not doing that.”

“Since you need what I’ve got, I think you’d better do what you’re told.”

“This is not funny.” She might be getting madder, but she was also getting closer.

“Yes, it is.” His eyes adjusted to the dark and feasted on the sight of creamy white skin, sweet nipples and a thatch of dark hair at the juncture of her thighs. His mouth went dry as she stopped a foot from him and held out her hand.

“Give me my clothes.”

“Make me.”

“Adam!”

Leaving her clothes in a neat pile on the sand, he got up, brushed the sand from his hands and stepped closer to her. “You’re lucky it was me who found you here and not some creep.”

“I’m not entirely sure you aren’t a creep.”

“I’m not,” he said as his hands landed on her shoulders to draw her into his embrace.

“Don’t touch me. I’m mad at you.” Her words and actions didn’t jibe as she snuggled against him.

It was all he could do not to caress every inch of bare skin. “Cold?”

“What do you think? How did you find me anyway?”