Nothing else mattered. She had to go to him—just one last time.
As she came to the landing and the top of the elegant staircase she saw him. Like a vision conjured up from her dreams, dressed only in his jeans, the look on his face so distant. Traces of vulnerability lingered in his eyes and she could hardly believe it was the same man she’d said goodnight to earlier.
‘Tilly?’ The question lingered in the syllables of her name.
She took a deep breath. Now was a time to be bold. ‘I want to be someone different, Xavier, to live in a world of complete fantasy and be the woman I was last night—just once more.’
Before she had a chance to register his reaction, he’d come to her, his fingers brushing down her face as he stood half-naked in front of her. Her pulse leapt and she looked up into his dark eyes, wondering if he felt it too, this passion that had taken her over. It was so intense she trembled like a leaf in the summer breeze.
‘You are tempting me so much I can’t resist.’ His voice held a faint tremor, as if he did feel it.
He lowered his head and brushed his lips lightly over hers and she closed her eyes as pleasure swept away any lingering doubts about what she was doing. Her body leaned towards him, but he didn’t take her in his arms, didn’t pull her against his body.
She opened her eyes and looked into the fathomless depths of his. They had only one more night left in this strange world where rules and barriers were being eroded. ‘Xavier?’
‘Shhh. Forget the world exists, just for tonight.’ His breath whispered across her lips and she knew it was too late, she was already his.
‘Yes,’ she whispered, and then pressed her lips to his briefly. ‘Just for tonight.’
Somewhere deep inside her she was screaming—no, shouting—that one night would never be enough, not now she’d fallen in love with him, but sense prevailed. She knew not to expect any kind of commitment from him.
As doubts rose again he kissed her passionately, pulling her against his bare chest, making further thought impossible as the desire they’d shared the previous night erupted once more. Then he swept her up in his arms and made his way to his bedroom. She could feel each stride taking her past the point of no return, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was to love him, one last time.
CHAPTER TEN
XAVIER WOKE WITH a start, his bare shoulders cold, but the warmth of Tilly’s body curled against his was a stark reminder of what had happened last night. Once again they’d spent the night in each other’s arms.
He’d experienced how loving could be and had wanted to be loved by her, and not just physically. But Tilly had made it clear it was only one more night, the last time before they returned to their normal lives. This was just a fling to her.
He reminded himself again that he didn’t deserve anything remotely like love. Not when he’d broken a family apart as easily as his bike had smashed. He dragged his thoughts back to Tilly. Had she been sent to punish him?
She’d been distant as she’d left the lounge last night and he still didn’t understand what had compelled him to go to her room. He’d known it was wrong to want her and he’d turned away, remembering how she’d told him the previous night had been a mistake. But there had been moments today when she couldn’t deny what had exploded to life between them. Or was it merely her damn list?
He’d wanted her again but had turned back, accepting if she had wanted to be with him she wouldn’t have made her excuses and gone so early to her room. But at the top of the stairs he’d sensed her, had felt her gaze on him. She too must have been drawn by the same need. Although this time he’d had no darkness to conceal how underserving of such a moment he was. But it hadn’t mattered.
He relaxed a little, the curtains at the corner of the big four-poster bed partially cocooning them, and he watched her sleep, felt every breath she took and inhaled the scent that was uniquely Tilly. Her claims of yesterday morning burned into his mind. He had been nothing more than a challenge to banish demons from her past, to rid herself of Jason. Had last night been to make sure she had achieved that?
He moved away from her, the soft sigh as she stirred making him drag in a deep breath against the rise of desire. Whatever her reaction was going to be when she woke up, he didn’t want to deal with it—not yet. He needed to steel himself against the moment she would turn her back on him.