Free Wanted by Her Lost Love by Maya Banks Page B

going to enjoy every minute.
    She didn’t bother with sandals since she wasn’t going far. The sand felt luxurious beneath her feet. So warm and soft. She sighed in contentment as she headed for one of the nearby umbrellas.
    The sound of the ocean filled her ears, beautiful and so peaceful. Here was a place where she could forget the pain of her past. It was a place made for being soothed. A vacation for the soul.
    It sounded ridiculous and a little corny but she liked it and quickly adopted it as her motto for this trip.
    She spread the towel out over the sand, positioned the umbrella just so and then sank down, drawing her knees up as she stared over the rolling waves.
    Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply and enjoyed the breeze dancing across her face. Her sleepless night quickly caught up to her as tight muscles relaxed and the tension she’d held for so long gradually fell away.
    Soon it was hard to keep her eyes open, so she stretched out on the towel and turned on her side to face the ocean. The umbrella provided plenty of shade. A nap was too tempting to pass up. She’d simply wait for Ryan here.
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    Shortly after noon, Ryan let himself into the room and looked around for Kelly. He called out to her but got no answer. He checked the bedroom in case she was napping, but found that the maid service had already come through to make the beds.
    He sighed, knowing she hadn’t paid the least bit ofattention to his concern over her going onto the beach without him. It wasn’t as if he thought anything would happen to her or that she was incapable of being alone, but her medical condition concerned him. And yeah, he was probably being a little overprotective, but he found with Kelly—just as he always had—he tended to overreact.
    He stepped out onto the patio and scanned the beach, looking for any sign of her. When he didn’t immediately spot her, he began walking toward the umbrellas that dotted the sand.
    When he got to the third, he saw her lying on her side, eyes closed and looking so damn beautiful—and vulnerable—that it made his chest ache.
    He watched the soft rise and fall of her chest. The mound of her belly moved in a ripple across the floral sarong she wore. Her feet were bare and he could still detect signs of swelling around her ankles.
    It wasn’t as bad as it had been, but it still concerned him a great deal.
    He eased down onto the towel beside her and stroked his hand through her silky blond hair. He slid his fingers down her arm, over the curve of her hip and then down to the tight ball of her belly.
    She sighed in her sleep and shifted closer to his hand. The urge to pull her into his arms was so strong that he jerked his hand away so he wouldn’t do just that.
    If only he could erase the past six months and have things back the way they were. But now he had to deal with not only Kelly’s betrayal, but the fact that she carried his child. Whether she admitted it or not he felt strongly that she carried his baby. He wouldn’t allow himself to think otherwise.
    Reaching out, he shook her, not wanting her to be exposed to the midday rays of sun, umbrella or not. Shecame awake slowly and blinked sleepily at him. Her soft smile of pleasure warmed him to his toes.
    â€œWhen did you get back?” she asked in a groggy, sleep filled voice.
    â€œA few minutes ago,” he said, smiling at her. “Are you ready to go eat?”
    She nodded and pushed herself up. He reached down to help her up, and she slid her fingers into his, allowing him to pull her to her feet. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he guided her back to the suite, enjoying the few moments of intimacy afforded him.
    While she showered and changed, he called Devon to give him an update on the construction schedule. The two men talked for a few minutes and Dev didn’t mention Kelly once. Something Ryan was glad for.
    No matter that his friends and his family thought he