Since their sunset stroll on the beach, something had changed between them. What had begun as a physical relationship was quickly turning into something more. She’d grown desperate to feel him inside her, without anything between them, and not just because it brought physical pleasure. She had wanted him to bury himself deep during his release so that they could share something they hadn’t yet experienced, something that would be theirs alone.

It was foolish, Sophie knew. She’d never allowed such an emotional attachment to any other man. But her feelings had somehow become tangled up in all of this and she couldn’t help herself. For just a little while, she wanted to believe what she and Trey had was more than just sex.

Ever since her parents’ divorce, Sophie’s heart had been left nearly paralyzed. It still beat every day, but she’d been unable to feel anything deeper than mild affection for anyone. She couldn’t trust herself with emotions that might end up wounding her even more deeply.

Yet the moment she and Trey had faced possible death, the moment they’d stumbled out of the plane and into each other’s arms, she’d felt her heart begin to come alive again. Sophie had tried to tell herself it was just the adrenaline rush of landing safely. But the adrenaline had worn off long ago and she realized she was falling for her fellow castaway.

Sophie drew a ragged breath and moaned softly. Sexual attraction and mutual desire had somehow transformed into trust and affection. And though it was dangerous to even explore such emotions, perhaps it might be worth the risk. Maybe this was just a first step, a way for her to find herself. How much could he possibly hurt her in such a short time? She was stronger now and more able to recover. Why not take a chance?

Reaching up, Sophie touched her lips, still bruised from his kiss. No man had ever made her feel this way. Every moment with Trey was like a carnival ride, a mixture of thrills and fear and exhilaration. She wanted to get off, yet she felt compelled to stay for just a little longer, to see what wonderful experience might be next.

“That’s the problem,” Sophie murmured to herself. “Knowing when to get off.”

She bent down and picked up her pareu, then wrapped it around her naked body and knotted it under her arm. When she reached the door, she stepped out onto the porch. Trey was bent over the fire he’d built earlier, trying to coax a flame to life while shielding it from the rain.

Sophie wrapped her arms around the porch post and watched him, wondering what he was thinking. “It’s raining too hard,” she called. “It won’t last.”

He glanced over his shoulder. “If it’s big enough, I can keep it going,” he said. “Besides, your father is going to know something is wrong by now. He might send out a search plane. If they see the fire, it may give him cause to hope.”

Sophie smiled, grateful that he understood her father’s worries. But she suspected he was working on the fire to avoid talking to her. “In the dark, they could miss the island by miles. They’re not likely to see a fire that small.”

“Then I’ll make it bigger,” he snapped. Trey grabbed another branch and tossed it onto the feeble flames, the muscles across his back tight, his fists clenched.

He was angry, Sophie mused. They had let their desire get the better of them, both of them enjoying the feel of each other without a barrier between them. But they’d stopped in time. And it wasn’t as if she were trying to trap him with some surprise pregnancy. “You don’t have to take it out on me,” she replied. “What’s your problem?”

He straightened, as if he were about to turn around and face her. But then, he must have thought better of it, as he continued to stare into the fire. “I don’t have a problem.”

“Why are you angry with me?”

He drew a deep breath, his shoulders rising. “Sophie, just go back inside.”

She didn’t like being dismissed. And she didn’t like being blamed for something she wasn’t even sure she’d done. With a muttered curse, she hurried down the porch steps and crossed the short distance to Trey, then grabbed his arm and spun him around to face her.

“You can’t just ignore me,” she said. “We’re stuck on this island together.”

“I’m not trying to ignore you. I-I just need some space right now.”

“If you didn’t want to have sex, you could have just said so.”

His sharp laugh split the damp night air. “That’s not the problem. All I want to do is make love to you. It’s all I think about. I can’t get enough of you. The moment I touch you, I lose all capacity to resist.” He stopped himself, drawing a deep breath. “I don’t like that feeling. It scares me.”

“It’s just sex,” Sophie said.

“No, it isn’t. And I’m not sure it ever was.”

She took a step back. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Trey shrugged. “It means I’m not sure we can just walk away from this when it comes time to leave this island. I’m not sure I want to. And I don’t think you do, either.”

Sophie shook her head. “I’m not going to talk about this,” she muttered. “We were just having some fun. There’s no need to make a big deal out of it.”

“Come on,” Trey countered. “It’s more than fun. I feel it. You feel it. I know you do.”

Sophie avoided his gaze, as if one look would reveal the truth. Of course she felt it. But that didn’t mean it was anything more than just infatuation.

He grabbed her chin and turned her face up to his. “Go ahead. Admit it.”

“What? You want me to say I love you? No, I’m not in love with you, Trey. We’ve spent a day together. No one falls in love in a day.”

“I didn’t say love.” He paused. “You did.”

Thunder rumbled in the sky and she felt her temper rise. Was this all a game to him? “What were you going to say?”

He opened his mouth, then closed it again as he measured his words. “I’ve never felt this way about any woman,” he replied. “There’s something there. It’s…different.”

“Right. Different. Oh, that tells me a lot.” She spun on her heel and stalked back to the porch, cursing to herself in French. “That something is lust, pure and simple,” she said, shouting through the rain.

She stepped through the door and slammed it behind her, but the moisture had made the wood swell and it refused to close. With a frustrated growl, Sophie shut it, then leaned back against it, her breath coming in tiny gasps, her heart slamming in her chest.

She hadn’t meant to say it out loud. All along, from the moment they’d first kissed, Sophie had warned herself against just this moment. She’d been a fool to believe either one of them could keep emotion from creeping into their relationship. And now that it had, everything was ruined.

She wanted to run away, to hide until all these feelings evaporated. But she was trapped here with him, at least until morning…and maybe even longer.

A knock sounded on the door. “Sophie?” He tried the doorknob, then gave the door a push, but she braced her shoulder against it.

“Go away,” she called.

“Let me in.”

“I just want to be alone for a while.” She closed her eyes, trying to stem a flood of tears. Great. Now she was crying over him. What was wrong with her? “I need some space.”

“All right,” he finally said. “But we are going to talk about this again.”

Sophie slid down along the rough wood door until she was sitting on the floor, her knees tucked under her chin. It had been so simple to avoid attachments. Trey had been right, she could have left her father and found a place for herself in the world. But instead, she’d hidden from her future, from love, in one of the remotest places she could find. Was it any wonder she had no one to love?

In her mind, she rewound the memories of her previous relationships and Sophie recognized a disturbing pattern. Whenever her feelings became too intense, she’d walk away. Her motives weren’t difficult to interpret. Her father had been a notorious philanderer and though she loved him, she’d never really trusted him. But all men weren’t like her father, were they?

There were people in the world who had wonderful marriages, people who loved the same person for their whole life without infidelity ever entering the picture. Had she already found a love like that and carelessly tossed it aside because of her fears? Or was that man here, on this island, with her?

Sophie covered her face with her hands, trying to restore a sense of order to her crazy thoughts. Someday, she’d have to face all her doubts and insecurities about love. But now wasn’t that time. How could she afford to risk her heart with a man she didn’t even know? Though they’d shared the most incredible intimacy, Trey was a complete stranger. She knew nothing of him beyond what she’d learned on this island.

Sophie silently cataloged the things that she did know. He cared about her and in more than just a sexual way. He wanted to protect her. He found her interesting and amusing and attractive. And when he touched her, he made her feel as if she were the only woman in the world he could ever want.

Inside the cottage, it was now dark and she could barely see any light coming through the windows. It would be a long, lonely night with Trey outside and her alone inside. But right now, facing Trey meant facing her feelings. And she just wasn’t ready to deal with that. Not yet.

TREY HEARD THE HINGES SQUEAK and the soft footsteps on the porch floor. He lay in the hammock, his arm thrown over his eyes, blocking his view. He slowed his breathing, wondering if she intended to speak first or reach out and touch him.

He felt her fingertips brush his shoulder and he pulled his arm back. He could just barely see her as his eyes adjusted to the dark. Trey held out his hand and she wove her fingers through his, repairing the break between them in that single instant.