Private 02 - Private Paradise

Carla could see the hint of a flush under his tan. “After you,” he said indicating for Carla and Kayla to go first.
    Carla started down the stairs, flushed too, all over, and not just from embarrassment. The skin of her neck tingled from where his thumb had brushed it earlier this morning. Unlike Kayla, she didn't have to imagine how it felt to have Sam's strong, long-fingered hands touching her, running up the bare skin of her back, cupping her breasts, sliding inside the waistband of her panties...
    She stepped outside, jolted back to reality as the rain hit her face. Sam cursed as he struggled to get the trunk loaded onto the golf cart, and they all squeezed under the awning as best they could. Even so, in the five minutes it took to reach the dock all four were drenched.
    Bryce greeted them at the bottom of the ferry's ramp, relief visible in his face. He hurried over to escort the girls up the ramp. He was bone dry under a massive umbrella emblazoned with the Holley Cay logo. “We were this close to leaving without you.” he said to the girls in a scolding tone as they sauntered up the ramp without so much as an apology.
    “ I can't believe you wasted half a goddamn hour packing all their shit up,” Sam snarled at her as he handed over the trunk to two of Holley Cay's bellmen. “We'll be lucky to make it in time to miss the storm.”
    Carla's hackles went up immediately. “What the hell was I supposed to do? They wouldn't go without their stuff, and unlike you, I'm not built like the incredible hulk. I can't go walking in all burly man and start throwing people around.”
    “ You can't get so caught up in ass kissing a couple of spoiled brats that you put everyone in danger!” he said, pointing an accusing finger at her nose.
    Carla slapped the finger out of the way. “And you have no idea what it takes to do this job. I'm doing the best I can, so get off of my fucking case!”
    “ Uh, guys?” Bryce's voice called over the whooshing of the wind. “We really need to get going.”
    Carla shot Sam one last glare and marched up the ramp and felt the metal walkway vibrate as Sam stomped up after her.
    She stepped into the ferry's enclosed cabin, her nose wrinkling at the mingled smells of expensive perfume and nervous sweat. The cabin was crammed full, the resort guests and staff members packed tight as sardines as over fifty people sought refuge on a boat never meant to carry more than twenty-five.
    Sam came in behind her and closed the door, so close she could feel the rise and fall of his chest against her back.
    “ I'm sorry,” he breathed into her ear. “I didn't mean to get on your case.”
    “ It's fine,” she said, not bothering to keep the snippy tone from her voice.
    “ I didn't mean to criticize you, it's just that when you were gone for so long I started to worry about you.”
    She turned to look at him, craning her neck to meet his eyes. “You knew where I was. Why were you so worried?”
    His lips pulled tight in a grimace. “The wind was kicking up, the rain started. I started wondering if maybe a branch had broken off and hit the cart, or maybe you slipped on the stairs to the villa, whacked your head on that concrete―”
    Carla's lips quivered as she tried to hold back her smile. “I never realized you were such a worrywart.”
    “ I'm not, usually,” he said tightly. “But when you've been through enough natural and man made disasters it's easy for your brain to go to worst case scenario.”
    His hand came up to cup her cheek, and even that slight contact was enough to raise her core temperature several degrees. “Anyway, I'm glad you're okay. I'll feel even better when you're a safe distance from the storm.”
    Carla tried not to notice the way he said “you're” not “we're,” or even “everyone,” as though he was especially worried about her in particular.
    She couldn't afford to entertain the idea of Sam morphing into a nice guy. If she even entertained the idea that he might approach relationship material, she'd be lost in a heartbeat. Especially when even now, in the middle of a catastrophe, it was almost impossible for her to keep her mind on anything but how good he smelled, how warm his body was pressed up against her. Her nipples tightened into throbbing peaks as every inhale caused her chest to brush his.
    Could he feel it, she wondered, the thought making her cheeks burn hotter.
    She had to get away from him. “I should probably say something to the