Page 103 of Her Reluctant Hero
He pushed back the folding chair, the legs scraping over the rough wood. “Go ahead. Just remember there’s several thousand dollars’ worth of equipment down there.”
He eased around her in the close space, holding his breath so not to graze against her, to no avail. His body came to swift attention as her bottom brushed his groin, and he hung suspended after she took his place in the chair. He stepped behind her, trying not to breathe in the scent of sunscreen and fruity shampoo, resisting the urge to lower his nose to her hair.
“Adrian,” she murmured after a few moments of trying to maneuver the camera where she wanted it to go. “How do I—?”
He leaned forward, unable to avoid contact. Effectively embracing her, he folded his hands around hers on the controller, his chest against her back, where he felt the catch of her breath. He wouldn’t think about how soft and fragile her hands felt beneath his as he guided them on the control. He wouldn’t think about how her hands had once glided over his body.
He couldn’t think of anything else.
Did he have to be so close, so warm, so male? Every breath he took, labored though it was, rushed past Mallory’s ear, sending goose bumps over her skin. A wave rolled under the barge and he gripped her shoulder a minute for balance. He smelled of coffee and his own scent, his own flavor that she could taste without even trying, though their last kiss had been over three years ago. If she turned her head…
But she couldn’t. Whatever heat remained between them had to be buried. That was why she’d been so eager to get out of here.
Damn her curiosity.
“Look!” Dr. Vigil’s voice made them both jump. He leaned into the space that had just been the two of them.
Adrian drew away. Mallory was swamped with a sense of loss that had her wanting to shove away from the computer and jump into the water. Maybe she’d find her wits down there.
She focused on the screen, at what Dr. Vigil had pointed out. Adrian edged closer to make room for the older man. He pressed a button to zoom the camera in. The unmistakable glint of metal showed through the silt and seaweed, and as Mallory maneuvered the camera closer, she could see the curve of a portal.
Ship window? Or oar bank?
The familiar old zing of discovery went through her. This camera wasn’t doing it for her. She had to get a closer look. She looked at Adrian, pushing her hair out of her face.
“So,” she asked, excitement trembling in her voice. “When are we going in?”
