His pulse kept beat to the sway of her hips as she effortlessly glided along in front of him. The Gardenia in her hair inner-woven with her dewy perspiration gliding off her forehead, created a sensory experience he was not prepared for. Every waft of her sent his senses reeling.

She was never the kind to empty all the thoughts on the table. She was more the type that held on to every word as if it were a deeply lush mystery to be unravelled. She did not need a man to quench her thirst for adventure. Adventure gravitated to her like bees to honey. But this one, he was different.

Now, he unequivocally needed her. A mere touch from her washed over him like a tsunami of unrequited longing that gave way to a vulnerability he had never felt. His desire superseded any insecurities. For her, he was willing embraced the unsteadiness.

And she? She surrendered to the knowing of her beckoning heart. This adventure brought her to a place she never imagined, feeling safely at home, in his arms.