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Amusement flickered lazily in his eyes “You’ve been a strain on ”

In her opinion the conversation was going nowhere “I think I’ll go in the water for a swim,” Rachel announced and rolled to her feet

“That’s always your solution, isn’t it?” Gard taunted, and Rachel paused to look back at hiets too hot and uncomfortable for you, you walk away You knoant to make love to you” He said it as casually as if he were talking about the weather

There was a haughty arch of one eyebrow as her eyes turned iron-gray and cool “You aren’t the first” She saw the flare of anger, but she turned and walked to the sea, wading in, then diving into the curl of an oncoer at the idea that simply because he had expressed a desire for her, she was supposed to fall into his ar, his remark had driven her away from him

Rachel sith energy, going against the surf the saainst her own natural inclination Eventually she tired and let the tide float her back to shore where Gard waited But the tense scene that had passed before had created a strain between them that wasn’t easily relieved

Chapter Seven

Alone, Rachel strolled along a street in don Puerto Vallarta, the second port of call of the Pacific Princess As it had yesterday, the ship had berthed early in theThis time Rachel settled for the continental breakfast served on the Sun Deck and disembarked as soon as the formalities with the Mexican port authorities were observed and pero ashore

To herself she claimed it was a desire to explore the picturesque city on her own It was merely a side benefit that she hadn’t seen Gard before she’d left the ship Common sense told her the coolness that had co She needed time to step back and look at the relationship to see whether she’d been swept along by a strong eht in a maelstrom of physical desire

Few of the shops were open before nine, so Rachel idled away the ti the architecture of the buildings At intersections she had views of the surrounding hills where the city had sprawled high onto their sides, creating streets that were San Francisco steep

Soainst the skyline When Rachel looked to see what it was, a breath was indrawn in awed appreciation The old crown of a steeple and ht

With this landht Rachel steered a course toward it for a closer look Two blocks farther she reached the source It was the cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe The doors of the church stood invitingly open at the top of concrete steps, but it continued to be the crown that drew Rachel’s gaze as she stood near the church’s base with her head tipped back to stare adly at it

“It’s a replica of the croorn by the Virgin in the Basilica at Mexico City”

At the sound of Gard’s voice, Rachel jerked her gaze doard and found hiainst a concrete side of the church steps and sarette She felt the sudden rush of her pulse under the lazy and knowing inspection of his dark eyes The cigarette was dropped beneath his heel and crushed out as he pushed away and cah her senses at his malely lean physique clad in butternut-brown slacks and a cream-yellow shirt

“I’ve been waiting for you to turn up,” Gard said calmly

The certainty in his tone implied that he had known she would It broke her silence “How could you possibly knoould coer “I didn’t even know it”