A/N: aGirl_aDroid used the word "usage" in an email to me. I nearly proposed right there.

Chapter 2

It was strange how comfortable she felt with him. Normally, she would never allow a strange man to hold her hand. She thought maybe it was the excitement of being away alone, but deep down she knew it was due to the man holding it. Once he was satisfied that she was well, he offered to walk her back to her room, except they never quite made it there and were currently strolling along the beach, shoes in hand, talking.

Eduardo felt certain that Isabella was his other half. Nothing else could explain these feelings of rightness and belonging. However, his 'other half' wore a wedding ring. Neither of them had approached that subject yet. He wanted to get to know her, to learn about Isabella the woman before he learned who she was. He hoped she felt the same about him.

As the sun sank lower in the sky, it was with unspoken agreement that they made their way to one of the resort restaurants. Eduardo whispered to the hostess, and they were seated outside with a view of the sun setting over the Caribbean. She took a moment to admire him while he ordered their food. He was heartbreakingly handsome with smooth, tanned skin and scruff she had to work very hard to keep herself from reaching out to touch. His eyes changed color like the sea, and she felt she could get lost in them just as easily. Then there was his crown of wild hair, which was dark blonde with highlights from the sun that were golden in the early evening light. As much as he ran his fingers through it, it never seemed to be any more tame.

"Why do you look at me this way, Isabella? Do you like what you see?" His smile was wide as he teased her. Oops. She averted her eyes and smiled in embarrassment. Her blush rose quickly to her cheeks. It was beautiful; he hoped to make her blush like that many, many times.

ooooo

They lingered in the restaurant after dinner, finishing a bottle of wine and talking about anything and everything. She told him about her hopes to complete a novel, and he told her about his plan to work his way up to head manager of the resort, just as his father had done.

As they were leaving, he had what he thought was a marvelous idea, grabbed her hand, and led her to one of the resort's dance clubs. This one was playing Salsa music. She resisted when she realized he was trying to take her inside. "Eduardo, no. I-," she hesitated, "I can't dance... and I'm dressed for the pool."

"Isabella, all these people are here on holiday. No one cares what you are wearing. As for the other, well, you will have to trust me. Come." He held out his hand to her.

Unable to deny the sparkle in his eyes, she took it. "I trust you."

On the dance floor, he took her hands and laid them on his shoulders, then placed his own firmly on her hips. "Now, keep your eyes on mine and move your feet the way I move your hips." After a few failed tries, he stopped and lifted her drooped chin with his fingers. "Look at me, please, not at your feet. You can do this. Try to feel." His hands covered hers on his shoulders. "Feel my shoulders move." They moved back to her hips. "Feel my hands guide you." She definitely felt that. "Feel the music like a heartbeat." Her heart was beating for sure. "Do not think, just feel. Okay?" She nodded and they began again. This time his gaze kept her mind calm, and she felt his hands move her in time with the music. After a couple minutes, he grinned. She was doing it. Soon they were moving around the dance floor. He started adding in twists and turns. She could hardly believe she was dancing this way. When he spun her around, she threw her head back in delight. They were having so much fun. He had a fleeting fantasy of carrying her off the dance floor with her legs wrapped around his waist and making her throw her head back for a different reason, but no. Not yet. He needed to know what was in her heart first.

After several songs, the DJ put on something slow, and Eduardo pulled her into his arms. Her mind was swirling, but she remembered his words, "Do not think, just feel." She relished the feeling of his arms around her as they swayed to the music together, of her head resting against his solid chest, of his heart racing under her cheek, of her hands on his back, of his lips pressed to the top of her head, and of his slow whispered, "Isabella."

ooooo

They had a great time laughing and dancing far past midnight. When she was tired and wanted some fresh air, they left. He asked her to wait for him for a moment, and when he returned, he had a blanket similar to one in her room under his arm. They were headed for the beach until he pulled off the sidewalk onto a little path through some bushes that she would have never noticed. "Where are we going?" She asked.

"You will see," was all he would say. They walked up over a little hill, then down, and suddenly the brush cleared, and there was the deep blue Caribbean, a tiny strip of sand between the jetty and a rock outcropping before them. Their own quiet little cove. The full moon was big and low on the horizon making the calm water shimmer. She stood there mesmerized. Edward spread out the blanket on the sand and reached for her, "Isabella?"

"How did you know about this?" She asked as she sat beside him.

"I grew up here. The island is my home. I know it very well, including this resort."

She wished he could show her all the secret places on the island tourists never get to visit. Unfortunately, her stay there was nearly over. She pushed the thought away quickly and smiled at Eduardo.

"Tell me what you are thinking," he said.

She shrugged, "I'm wishing I could freeze time, I guess."

"I see. I suppose we have to enjoy what we have while we have it."

"Yes," was all she could say. She started looking straight up at the stars, awkwardly trying to find a constellation.

He laid back and touched her arm. When she turned to him, he patted the spot just beneath his shoulder and stretched his arm out to the side. "Here." She laid down beside him and rested her head where he had shown her. He began pointing out all the stars and planets he knew and then started telling her stories about growing up on the island. He smiled when he noticed she had fallen asleep against him. Beautiful Isabella. He curled his arm around her a little and closed his eyes.

o