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what am I staring at?” she exclaimed in dazed exasperation. “You would think I’ve never seen a good-looking male body before.” And what really bothered her was the fact the body she was ogling belonged to Clayton.
    She forced her gaze to move from the pool area back to the view of the ocean. But as if they had a will of their own, her eyes strayed back to Clayton time and time again, and each time she felt a flutter deep in the pit of her stomach. He might be downstairs swimming in the pool, but she was upstairs swimming through a haze of feelings and desires that were almost drowning her.
    Knowing the only way she would be able to stay above water and stop looking at him was to move from her present spot, she walked over to stretch out on the lounger to take a nap.
    Syneda had nearly dozed off to sleep when she heard Clayton return. She opened her eyes to find him standing next to the lounger. She couldn’t help but let her gaze settle on the line of body hair that tapered from his navel into the waistband of his swim trunks.
    “Did I wake you?” he asked, stretching down in the lounger opposite hers.
    She pulled herself into a sitting position. “Not really. How was your swim?”
    “Super. It relaxed me tremendously,” he replied.
    And it unsettled me, Syneda thought.
    “What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” he asked.
    Biting her lower lip, she looked away. “I thought I would give you a break and make it a do-your-own-thing day. That way you can be free of me for a while.” And I can be free of you to sort through all these strange feelings I’m beginning to have, she thought.
    “I like having you around.”
    “Oh,” she replied. Her eyes were again drawn to the thick mat of hair on his chest. Awkwardly, she cleared her throat. Her eyes met his. “Well, then, let’s not make any plans. We’ll let it be a whatever-happens sort of day.”
    “All right.”
    They spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the terrace enjoying the ocean view and trying not to let it be obvious that they were also enjoying the view of each other.
    Later that evening after enjoying a superb lobster dinner, they sat around on the floor drinking the remainder of the wine.
    “You have butter on your nose.”
    Syneda twitched her nose. “I do?”
    Clayton laughed. “Yes, you do.”
    When Clayton reached over to wipe it off, their gazes locked and held for several seconds. A mite too long to be at ease.
    “Thanks, Clayton,” Syneda said awkwardly, taking another sip of wine. Her mind was clouded with uneasiness. For crying out loud, Syneda Tremain Walters, pull yourself together. You’re acting like a bimbo. The man is Clayton, for Pete’s sake. You know, Lorren’s brother-in-law, the one who changes women as often as he changes socks, the one who has a case of condoms in his closet, and the one who is definitely not your type.
    “Here’s something we can do tomorrow night.”
    Syneda glanced up to find Clayton looking in the entertainment brochure. “What?”
    “Take a cruise around Anastasia Island aboard the Rivership Romance.”
    Syneda almost choked on her drink. “A romance ship?”
    “Yes.”
    “Why would you want to do something like that?” she asked. A shadow of caution touched her.
    Clayton shrugged. “Because it sounds like fun, and we are here to have fun, aren’t we?” he asked, his voice carefully colored in neutral shades.
    “Yes, but we’ll be out of place aboard that ship.”
    “Why?”
    “Because most of the people there will either be married or lovers.”
    “And you’ll feel out of place because we’re not either of those things?” he asked, regarding her quizzically for a moment.
    “Won’t you?”
    “Nope. It wouldn’t bother me at all. But since it evidently will bother you, forget I suggested it.”
    Although her misgivings were increasing by the minute, Syneda felt like a complete heel. The last thing she wanted was to be a bore, especially after he had been nice enough