Currents Run Deep

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An Excerpt From: CURRENTS RUN DEEP

Copyright © SHELLEY MUNRO, 2009

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

"Here we are." Asia pulled away from Roman to rifle through her bag for her keys.

"You look very sexy tonight," he murmured, his smoky voice sending shivers of delight through her. "It´s a pity I´m feeling so tired. Perhaps we can discuss how sexy you look again tomorrow morning?"

The keys slipped from her hands and landed on the tiled floor with a metallic clang. Asia stooped to pick them up.

"What do you say? We on a promise?"

Asia felt her jaw go slack and hurriedly clamped her lips together. She hadn´t heard wrong! "Um...okay." He´d probably forget his words by the morning.

After opening the door, she directed Roman inside. She flicked on the hall light, paused to lock the door and guided him toward the bedroom-her bedroom. Asia concentrated on swallowing the nerves that leapt up from her stomach to combine in a knot at the back of her throat. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips.

"I´m gonna shower before hitting the sack. Okay with you, sweetheart?"

"Um, sure." The idea of him naked in her shower pushed her libido a notch higher. This wasn´t fair. He´d remember everything tomorrow and head back to his island kingdom without another word of sex or bed or anything resembling horizontal. That´s if he deigned to speak to her. For some unfathomable reason she wasn´t concerned with her safety, but he didn´t strike her as a bad man. She hoped she wasn´t wrong.

"You going to shower with me?"

Asia felt herself blink. Oh man, he tempted her, but it wasn´t right to take advantage of a man in this condition. "You need to sleep. If I shower with you we´ll get sidetracked."

Roman´s dark gaze moved slowly down her body and back up to her face. A sexy smile bloomed on his battered face. "That is true," he acknowledged. "Maybe you´re right. It´ll be quicker if I shower on my own." He slipped the ripped and bloody suit jacket off and let it drop to the floor.

When he started to undo his shirt, Asia decided it was time to flee. "I´ll grab you a clean towel." She shot from her bedroom as if a pack of Resident Orcas were after her. Her breathing had turned choppy and her palms were moist. She felt as if she´d swum across the Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand in record time. Asia wiped the dampness from her palms and took a deep breath. This couldn´t continue. She was an adult, for goodness sake! With trembling hands, she tugged open the cupboard and seized several towels.

The pipes clanked, indicating Roman had found the shower and turned on the water. Just the image of his naked body made her break into a cold sweat. Asia scowled. All she could think of was sex. The rush of pleasure at the moment of orgasm. Doing it with Roman. Her steps slowed. She heard the shower door open and close and imagined his naked body. Muscled. Tanned. Very touchable.

Oh boy.

Asia fanned her flushed face. Sucking in a deep breath, she headed for the bathroom and temptation. "He´s injured," she whispered. "You shouldn´t be thinking about him like this." Besides, he´s a sworn enemy of our tribe.

Asia stepped into the bathroom, her gaze shooting to the shower. Despite the fragrant steam filling the room, she could see his body without difficulty. And it was just as spectacular as she imagined.

The water shut off and the shower door opened. Asia thrust the towels at Roman, trying hard not to stare. It was all of two seconds before her resolve weakened and she sneaked a peek. Powerful shoulders gave way to a tight, trim waist and slim hips. Muscles. Oh yeah...muscles! Tight, toned and sexy. Asia craved a touch. The only trouble was that strangers had just pummeled him like a punching bag. She shouldn´t have sex on the brain. This crush she had on Roman Anderson was bad news. A quick roll in the sack and a few hasty kisses were one thing, but this insidious craving for more had to stop before someone got hurt. Before she got hurt.

A relationship between members of opposing tribes was out of the question. Her family would never speak to her again, and Asia freely admitted that would hurt. Despite their faults, she loved her family members and couldn´t imagine going through the rest of her life never seeing them. In isolation. A male wasn´t worth that kind of sacrifice, not even an orca who made her hot and needy.

"You´re going to feel sore tomorrow," she muttered after catching his dark gaze on her face. Damn, that was masculine interest she saw in his eyes. This had to stop.