Fire in the Blood

s. Exactly what had happened during the night? He had been in bed with her, naked, touching her...for how long? And was that all that had happened? Her dream came back to her in terrifying fragments. Sean kissing her. Sean's mouth on her nipples. Sean... Oh, God, she thought with a pang of rage and distress. Was I dreaming, or did it happen?

He smiled crookedly at her. 'Just like old times!' he drawled, and she lost her temper and flew at him, her hands curled into fists.

'You... you...' She tried to hit him but he caught her wrists and held her at arm's length, struggling and trying to kick him.

'Temper, temper!' It made her even angrier to see the amused satisfaction in his eyes.

'How dared you... how dared you... ?' she hissed, trembling with fury.

'How dared I what?' he asked, pretending to be puzzled. 'Share your bed? What else could I do? I wasn't sleeping on that marble floor. It was a hot night but nobody could sleep on marble. And the chairs were impossible. I suppose I could have slept in the bath, but somehow that didn't occur to me.'

'Of course, it wouldn't!' she snapped.

He ignored that, calmly going on, 'Your bed was kingsize, there was plenty of room, and I was so shattered after travelling all day to get here that I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.'

She was tense, watching him like a mouse watching a cat outside its mousehole.

He watched her back, his hard mouth curling in that mocking smile she knew only too well. It warned her. Sean was enjoying himself. But she needed to know. Precisely what had happened last night in that bed?

'Until you woke me up,' he murmured. 'In that very interesting way!'

'What interesting way...?' she began, then swallowed and wished she hadn't asked, scalding colour rushing up her throat and face.

'Don't you remember?' He was having a lot of fun, tantalising her with hints, his eyes gleaming. 'Don't pretend you've forgotten, Nadine!'

Suddenly Nadine decided she didn't want to know after all. The way he was looking at her made the hairs stand up on the back of her neck.

'Oh, get dressed and get out of here!' she yelled at him, and Sean took the long stride needed to cover the space between them, his hand clamping down over her mouth again.

'Ssh,' he murmured. 'You don't want the manager coming up here because other guests have rung him to complain, do you?'

'Leggo!' she mumbled into his hand. She couldn't even bite him because he was being too clever: she couldn't get her teeth apart while his fingers gripped her cheekbones.

'What?'

'Let go!' she managed at last, and Sean took his hand away, too suddenly for her to have a chance to bite it.

She snapped at him instead. 'And get dressed!' Looking around desperately, she saw the open door of her bathroom and, hanging on it, a white towelling robe. She gestured. 'Put that on!'

Sean gave her a wry look, but obeyed without haste, strolling over to the door and taking down the robe, sliding his arms into it, tying the belt casually around his slim, firm waist before he turned back suddenly, catching her staring.

His eyes mocked her. 'Reminding yourself what you're missing, darling?'

Nadine had never been so angry. Well, not since the last time they'd had a monumental row, anyway. She could feel the blood rushing round her body, singing in her ears, making her pulses jump and leap.

'I'm going to complain to the manager about all this!' she promised hoarsely, snatching up the telephone from her bedside table.

'Of course, that's up to you,' drawled Sean, smiling that silky smile. 'But I wouldn't in your shoes.'

'Don't threaten me!'

'It's not a threat,' he said, opening his blue eyes and looking hurt. 'I was just trying to point out that you hadn't really thought this thing through.'

She waited, eyes needle-sharp, knowing that he was about to detonate some bomb right underneath her. She knew that expression on Sean's face and it always meant trouble for someone. Usually her.

'After all,' he said softly, 'If you tell the manager that we're divorced, and complain about having me in your bed last night, there is no chance... no chance whatever, I'd say... that you're going to keep that little item out of the gossip columns.'

She registered that, biting her lip. 'She wouldn't tell the Press!'