Stranger In The Night Read online

  Table of Contents

  Cover Page

  Title Page

  Dear Reader

  About the Author

  Books by Roseanne Williams

  Prologue

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  Epilogue

  Copyright

  STRANGER IN

  THE NIGHT

  Roseanne Williams

  Dear Reader,

  Imagine a warm ocean breeze blowing gently over your skin…the heady scent of flowers mixing with the salty tang of the sea air.

  Imagine warm, sunny days filled with love, passion and excitement…strong, sexy heroes, beautiful and spirited heroines. And you are ready to step into the romantic world of Bride’s Bay.

  Created by seven authors and a team of eight wonderful editors led by Marsha Zinberg, Bride’s Bay Resort is located on a fictional island off the coast of South Carolina. Working together, we strove to create a romantic world you would never want to forget and, indeed, would want to visit again and again.

  We hope you all enjoy reading the Bride’s Bay books as much as we enjoyed writing them for you.

  With best wishes,

  Roseanne Williams

  Roseanne Williams was “discovered” by Harlequin Temptation in 1988, when her first book, the charming, funny How Sweet It Is! emerged as the winner of that year’s Golden Heart Award. Since then, she has proved over and over that she has the right touch, the right tone, the right stuff for our readers. Critics love her, too, and Roseanne’s ten Temptation novels have garnered rave reviews and awards. That’s why we chose her to represent Temptation in the special cross-line series, BRIDE’S BAY.

  For those of you who don’t know this talented author, we’re pleased to introduce you to Roseanne Williams with Stranger in the Night. For those who know her already, simply enjoy!

  Books by Roseanne Williams

  HARLEQUIN TEMPTATION

  237—HOW SWEET IT IS!

  306—THE MAGIC TOUCH

  350—LOVE CONQUERS ALL

  384—UNDER THE COVERS

  401—THE BAD BOY

  431—SEEING RED

  443—MAIL ORDER MAN

  460—HOT DATE

  504—A TRUE BLUE KNIGHT

  531—SECONDHAND BRIDE

  Don’t miss any of our special offers. Write to us at the following address for information on our newest releases.

  Harlequin Reader Service

  U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

  Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

  Prologue

  “SO, ARE WE GOING to the boat party, the pool party and the beach party tonight?” Jilly asked.

  “None of the above,” Terra Camden muttered from where she was flopped on the bed in the Myrtle Beach motel room she had shared with her friends, Jilly and Fallon, for three days.

  Tomorrow, they’d fly home from South Carolina, and she would be glad to return to San Francisco where she and her roommates were college students. Spring break had sounded like great fun at the start, but Terra had found it more exhausting than exciting.

  Watching her two exhilarated roommates prepare for a fourth night of spring revelry made her all the more homesick. She even missed her natural hair color, having bleached it from brown to surfer blond for the occasion.

  “Party pooper,” Fallon taunted with a puckish smile, while she put on mascara. “As if you’ve OD’d on having a wild and crazy time.”

  “Not,” Jilly drawled, polishing her toenails.

  Terra pretended to snore. “Marathon beer parties and recreational sex aren’t my things, it turns out. Yours, yes, but not mine.”

  Fallon rolled her eyes. “They’re what spring break is all about—letting loose, pulling out all the stops.”

  “I know, I know, but—”

  “No buts,” Jilly countered. “This is our last night, for heaven’s sake. Get up, get with it and give it your best.”

  Fallon chimed in, “Think of the thousands of stud muffins out there, hard up and willing to be yours to-night. Take your pick.”

  “I just want to go home.” Terra groaned, painfully aware that she was the only virgin in the room. Jilly and Fallon were vastly experienced and never minced words about it.

  For sure, the condoms they’d brought hadn’t gone unused, whereas the package in Terra’s beach bag still had an unbroken seal. So far, virginity still hounded her, and not even spring break had changed it.

  “Get up.” Jilly prodded. “Get your act together. Get a move on.”

  To put them off her case, Terra dragged along to the three parties they’d gotten invited to. First, the beach party, where Jilly and Fallon paired up with two guys. Terra stayed busy sipping one beer and fending off amorous advances from several young then. From there, she went with her friends and their friends to a pool party at someone’s house, and finally to a raucous boat party in Charleston Harbor.

  It was a split-level houseboat, with music and dancing, and a chug-a-lug contest was in full swing when they arrived. Terra was relieved to be asked to dance by a Duke University senior who seemed nice enough. He stuck around after that, flirting and making small talk. She didn’t mind, since Greg was polite, amusing and his attention kept other guys at bay.

  Jilly passed by, slightly tipsy, and drew her aside. “Terra, he’s perfect. Cute, great build, all the right stuff for a fling to remember.”

  “No, I don’t think so. I mean, granted he’s good-looking, but having a fling with him isn’t on my agenda.”

  “Terra, if you don’t lighten up you’re going to be a virgin forever. You know?”

  “The time just isn’t right,” Terra replied. “And the mood is definitely wrong.”

  “Think sexy thoughts, men. Fantasize to the max. It’s all in your head, anyway.”

  “Jilly, no offense but you live your life and I’ll live mine, okay?”

  “Sure, but in my humble opinion you’re missing the time of your life with this guy.” Jilly gave Greg an appraising glance, smiled knowingly and sauntered away.

  Greg stepped in again. “What was that all about?”

  “Nothing much.” Terra’s head started pounding to the bass beat of the blaring music and the repetitive chants accompanying thebeer-drinking contest. “I need some fresh air.”

  “Follow me,” he said.

  He took her hand and guided her through a sliding-glass door to an open deck. The door slid closed, shutting in the party and leaving them alone. Terra went to the railing and drew in a deep gulp of air.

  “Too much to drink?” Greg asked.

  “Probably.” She was reluctant to let on how uncool she was. Practically a teetotaler. Positively a virgin. Homesick, too, not to mention jet lagged. Even her own friends were shaking their heads about her.

  Greg smiled and tipped up her chin. “You know what you need?”

  “What?”

  “Some Southern comfort.”

  Terra saw that he wanted to kiss her, and she didn’t discourage it. Instead, she hoped that it would be en-joyable, possibly exciting. Besides, she wasn’t so in-experienced that she didn’t know how to make out within her own limits. And this might be the only pleasant memory she’d take home with her.

  Greg’s lips settled on hers, a bit too greedily perhaps, though not enough to make her recoil with distaste. Not at first. But before very long, his arms were locked around her in an iron grip, pinning her elbows to her sides, and then his tongue snaked into her mouth. Backed up against the deck rail by
his hard, insistent body, Terra was dismayed to find herself imprisoned by his strength and silenced by his voracious mouth.

  She struggled to break out of his control, to tear her mouth free and yell for him to stop. Or yell for help. But who would hear her above the pounding music? Panic set in as he cut short the coarse, crude kiss and covered her mouth with his hand.

  “C’mon, blondie,” he panted, grinding his pelvis against her. “Cooperate.”

  Gagged by his palm, she could only make muffled sounds of fright and outrage. Her desperate efforts to kick his shins were hampered by the rail behind her.

  He grunted. “Like it rough, do you?”

  She bared her teeth and sank them into his sweaty palm.

  “Damn!” His face contorted with pain, he jerked his hand away.

  Terra screamed, even though she knew she couldn’t be heard inside. She squirmed and kicked, worked one hand free and clawed at him.

  She heard a male voice shout from somewhere across the water, “Hey! Knock it off!”

  There was a splash, and at the same time there was Greg snarling at her, “Goddamned hellcat!”

  Catching a fistful of her waist-length hair, he yanked her head back and ground against her again.

  “No!” she screamed.

  Revolted and desperate to escape, Terra brought up one knee hard into his crotch. He let go of her hair to clutch both hands over his fly in pained surprise.

  Disoriented, terrorized, trembling with fear, Terra saw only one way to escape him. Without hesitation, she climbed over the rail and jumped off the boat.

  It didn’t matter that she couldn’t swim….

  Holding her breath, she sank in deep and then thrashed back up to the surface. She glimpsed the boat before sinking a second time, and saw Greg lean over the rail. Flailing her arms and legs, she broke the surface once more.

  “Help,” she gasped.

  “Help yourself,” Greg snarled. He turned and went inside.

  Never in her life had Terra imagined she’d die by drowning. But now it seemed inevitable as she went under again.

  Suddenly, when it seemed that her lungs would burst, something—someone—took hold of her and stopped her descent. She felt herself being buoyed upward and then her head cleared the waterline. She sucked in deep, choking breaths.

  “Keep calm,” a voice said in her ear—not Greg’s voice, but the same male voice she’d heard shouting across the water a few minutes earlier.

  “C-can’t swim,” she gasped.

  “I’ve got you. You’re safe.” The voice was confident, comforting. The arm curled around her middle was strong, unfailing.

  Faceup in the dark, chill water, she felt herself being towed away from the houseboat. It came to her that the splash she’d heard earlier must have been this man diving in. She didn’t know him, couldn’t see what he looked like. All she could see was the star-spangled night sky as he powered her through the water. Still, she could feel how tall and sleek and strong his body was, for it was aligned against her own body as he swam.

  She had to trust him, for he was saving her life and taking her, it seemed, to safety.

  “Thank you,” she got out through her chattering teeth. They wouldn’t stop, nor would her body stop shivering.

  “Nothing to it. Relax.”

  She closed her eyes and tried to do as he said. Tried not to think of how close she had come to drowning, or of how foolish she had been to leave San Francisco. This wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t traipsed along with Jilly and Fallon. But then, they weren’t at fault. Her life was her own responsibility, and now she owed it to a stranger in the night.

  “Here’s my boat,” he said, slowing to a gradual stop. Supported in his arms, she came upright and saw that he’d brought her to a sizable sailboat anchored a short distance offshore from the marina. Dim interior lights were on, giving out a glow through the cabin windows.

  “Your boat,” she murmured, thinking she’d never seen a more welcome sight. The light from inside gave her a look at the man’s face. It was square-jawed…and handsome, she discovered with a shivery thrill. His hair, brows and lashes were dark, spiked with droplets of seawater.

  He smiled, a gleam of white in the night. “All aboard, mermaid.”

  He boosted her up a short rope ladder to the deck of his sailboat and kept a steadying hand on her as he ascended behind her. Then-he scooped her up in his powerful arms and carried her below into the cabin.

  With her cheek pillowed against the dark hair on his broad chest, Terra became acutely aware that he wore nothing more than his briefs.

  “There,” he said, setting her down dripping wet in a maple captain’s chair. “Catch your breath.”

  He opened an overhead bin and brought out towels and blankets. Terra wanted to say she was sorry to be a bother, but she couldn’t shiver and speak at the same time.

  The water had been so shockingly cold, almost paralyzing. However, the sight of her hero’s tall, muscular, nearly nude body started an instant warming trend deep inside her. He seemed unaware that his white underwear was almost transparent from being soaked, or that it molded his virile contours and dimensions like a second skin.

  He glanced over, caught her eyes on him and gave her a teasing grin. “You like my lifeguard uniform?”

  Terra would normally have been mortified to be caught staring in that way, but his casual, disarming sense of humor surprised her into smiling at herself, along with him.

  She even came up with a droll reply. “Outstanding.”

  “I only wear it to rescue mermaids. You’re my first,” he said as he knelt in front of her chair and tucked a heavy wool blanket around her. Next, he wrapped a thick towel around her head.

  When he finished, Terra looked into his eyes and saw that they were a deep, compelling sea blue. His expression was a mixture of concern, amusement and male interest.

  “You’re my first lifeguard,” she murmured, relieved to get her chattering teeth under control. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “You don’t have to.” He stayed kneeling there, gazing at her. Then he frowned. “Did he hurt you?”

  Her nasty experience with Greg came back in a rush. “Nothing serious.”

  “Your boyfriend?”

  “No, we met at the party. I never thought a simple kiss would send the wrong message.” She shook her head. “He seemed so nice at first.”

  “Good thing I heard you scream.”

  She agreed, “I would have drowned if you hadn’t come. I owe you my life, and I don’t even know your name.”

  He hesitated a moment. “I don’t know yours, either. But I do know something about you.”

  “Such as, I can’t swim,” she said, rolling her eyes in self-mockery.

  He smiled. “That, and you’re beautiful. Simply beautiful.”

  Terra caught her breath. She saw absolute sincerity in his eyes, and heard not a trace of false flattery in his tone. What he said sounded so genuine. So very romantic.

  She didn’t think twice about responding, “Why, thank you. Would you believe you’re the most handsome, helpful man I’ve ever met?”

  “Only if you say so.” He looked pleased by her compliment, without any hint of vanity. “What say you take off your wet clothes?”

  Terra hesitated, unsure whether to take his question at face value. On the one hand, he might be as upfront as he sounded, solely concerned about her well-being. On the other, he might be expecting more than verbal gratitude for his rescue effort.

  “Hypothermia can be deadly,” he prompted. “The same goes for pneumonia. Why risk your life again?”

  Terra searched his face for signs of ulterior motives, but saw none. Or was she just letting his good looks and sex appeal override her good judgment?

  “You’ll have total privacy, of course.”

  “Promise?”

  He crossed his heart. “On my honor as a Southern gentleman. I’ll go up top while you change.”

 
“All right.” Somehow, she couldn’t disbelieve him. “But I’ll need some dry clothes.”

  “No problem.” He returned to the bin and took out a sweatshirt as well as two pairs of sweatpants. “When you’re ready, I’ll fix you something hot to drink.”

  He went topside, taking a pair of the sweatpants with him. Terra hurried through the process of peeling off her waterlogged jeans, T-shirt and underwear.

  She dried off, then put on the fleece-lined sweats. They had a subtle, intriguing male scent and dwarfed her figure, reminding her of her lifeguard’s manly physique.

  Rolling up the sleeves and trouser legs made them wearable, however, and something about the garments being his made her feel extrawarm and ultrafeminine.

  She went to the cabin door and let him know the coast was clear. He came below, bare chested, wearing the other sweatpants. Once there, he paused to look her up and down.

  “Beautiful,” he murmured again. Then he blinked, as if shaking himself out of a daze. “Would you like some coffee, tea, cocoa? You name it.”

  “Cocoa, if it’s not too much trouble.”

  “No trouble.” He gestured at the captain’s chair. “Have a ringside seat.”

  Terra curled into the chair, tucked her legs up under her and watched him set water to boil on a two-burner stove. He put instant mix into heavy mugs and added a splash of brandy to each one.

  “You haven’t told me your name,” he said.

  She decided that she wasn’t really herself right then, and under the circumstances, her name was far more earthly and earthbound than she felt. Something about him made her feel as if she had suddenly become someone she’d never been before, someone she’d been saving within herself for a special occasion.

  “I like the name you already gave me,” she told him impulsively. “Mermaid.”

  He looked surprised and pleased, then intrigued. “Okay. So what’s my name?”

  “That’s easy, Sailor.”

  “Fair enough.” He grinned. “Sailor and Mermaid, the long-awaited sequel to Splash!”