Their argument before his fall had taken on a life of its own, and she still couldn’t get that kiss from her mind. Of course, if her lips weren’t still tingling, maybe she could focus on something else. Such as the fact that the man was suffering from memory loss and was scared and angry over this sudden lack of control with his own mind.
Still, between the toe-curling kiss and the fact she was about to slide between the sheets with her boss, Kate didn’t know how to act at this point. What was the proper protocol?
After applying some lotion on her legs and shoulders, Kate hung up her towel and faced the inevitable: she was going to have to go out into the bedroom and get in that bed. The sooner she moved beyond the awkward, uncomfortable stage, the sooner she could breathe easily. All she needed to do was go in there, lie beside Luc and wait for him to fall asleep. Then she could get up and go to the sofa or something. No way could she lie nestled next to him all night. The temptation to pick up where their kiss had left off would be too strong.
But the doctor had been adamant about not saying too much, to allow the memories to return on their own. Kate didn’t want to do anything that would cause Luc more damage.
Somehow she had to abide by his no-fraternization rule and still manage to play the doting fiancée. Was that combination even possible?
Taking a deep breath, she opened the bathroom door. The darkened room was a welcome sight. At least this way she wouldn’t have to look him in the eye and lie. Now the only light spilled from the bathroom, slashing directly across the bed in the center of the room as if putting all the focus on Luc and his bare chest. The covers were up to his waist; his arms were crossed and resting on his forehead.
“Turn off the light and get in bed.”
The memory loss didn’t affect his commanding ways. The man demanded, he never asked, and he expected people to obey. Still, the low, powerful tone he used was enough to have her toes curling on the hardwood. This was her fantasy come to life, though when she’d envisioned Luc ordering her into bed, she never imagined quite this scenario.
What a way for fate to really stick it to her and mock her every dream with this false one.
“Is your head still hurting?” she asked, remaining in the bathroom doorway.
“It’s a dull pain, but better than it was.”
Kate tapped the switch, sending the room into darkness, save for the soft moonlight sweeping through the balcony doors. The pale tile floor combined with the moon was enough to light her path to the bed.
Pulling the covers back, she eased down as gently as possible and lay on her back. On the edge. As stiff as a board. And the ache for him only grew as his masculine scent surrounded her and his body heat warmed the minuscule space between them.
The bed dipped as Luc rolled toward her. “Are you okay?”
His body fitted perfectly against hers. Just the brush of the coarse hair on his legs against her smooth ones had her senses on alert...as if they needed to be heightened.
Was she okay? Not really. On one hand she was terrified. On the other she was completely intrigued...and spiraling headfirst into arousal. And arousal was taking the lead over so many emotions. With his breath tickling her skin, she was fully consumed by the one man she’d wanted for so long. It would be so easy, yet so wrong, to roll over and take what she wanted.
“I’m fine,” she assured him.
With the darkness surrounding them, the intimacy level seemed to soar. She should’ve insisted on a small light or something. But then she would see his face. Honestly, she had no clue what was more torturous.
“You’re tense.”
Understatement of the year.
Luc’s hand tr
ailed up her arm, moving to rest on her stomach. If he thought she was tense before, he should just keep touching her. She was about to turn to stone.
She needed to regain control of her body, her hormones. Unfortunately, her mind and her girlie parts were not corresponding very well right now, because she was getting hot, restless, as if she needed to shift toward him for more of that delicate touching he was offering.
No. This was wrong. Her even thinking of wanting more was wrong. Just because he’d kissed her earlier didn’t mean a thing. He’d done so to shut her up, to prove a point and to take charge as he always did.
Yet given the way he’d masterfully taken over and kissed her with such force and passion, there was no way he’d been unmoved. And she would’ve called him on it, but now she was dealing with a new set of issues surrounding her desires.
“If you’re worried about me, I’m fine,” he assured her. “I just want to lie here and hold you. Scoot over against me. I feel like you’re about ready to fall out of the bed.”
Just as she started to shift, her knee brushed against him. His unmistakable arousal had her stopping short.
“Ignore it,” he said with a laugh. “I’m trying like hell.”
Squeezing her eyes shut, Kate sighed. “I can’t do this.”
Five