But, oh, how I craved any risk the man offered – including the danger of love.“I think last night was good for us, Blue Eyes.” He stroked the curve of my jaw with the back of a single finger, and I wondered if he knew how much it felt like fire on my skin – how it kindled my lust, how it ignited my dread.I swallowed and took a step onto ground that could be quicksand. “I think last night was good for us too.”Maybe too good.“I’m having a hard time concentrating on work this morning because I keep thinking about it. I wish I had time in my schedule – I’d spank your ass red to punish you for being such a distraction.”“Reeve,” I giggled.“I love it when I make you blush.” He moved his hands to my ass, pulling me closer so I could feel the hard ridge of his erection. “Almost as much as I love it when I make you come.”My breath quickened. “You’re so charming today. It’s throwing me off.”“I’m warming you up so that the next part of our conversation will be productive.” The timbre of h

I stood and crossed to the sink to get a washcloth to wipe her mouth, but also to busy myself because I didn’t know how to respond to her comment. Such a good nurse. I knew what it really alluded to – that I was good at being attentive. Good at pleasing.I was good at it, and I loved that it was what she’d thought of when she’d thought of me. But there was so much baggage attached to the role I’d played with her, and dwelling on it would only make it more difficult to separate the person I’d been then from the person I was now. The line had already blurred so much since Reeve had rekindled my old desires. One poker in the fire was all I could handle.Her eyes stayed fixed on me. “I missed lots of things about you,” she said, misreading my retreat. “Not just that.”I forced my gaze to hers. “I missed a lot of things about you, too.”She smiled, and I noticed she could do that now without grimacing in pain. “Anyway,” she said, “I only got hooked on the oxy because Micha fed them to me l

Conversation was casual and easy – easier than I’d expected between Joe and Reeve. They chatted about the land and the ins and outs of ranching and the luxury hotels that Reeve owned. Though, while each question from the investigator seemed in line with typical small talk, I could practically hear the gears turning in his head, processing each of Reeve’s answers and filing it away for later in categories with labels like Suspicious, Follow-up, and Miscellaneous.It was hard to guess whether Reeve caught it as well. He didn’t give any indication that he was on guard any more than usual, but that was the thing about Reeve – he was subtle in the way he held his cards. So subtle, it was almost impossible to discern whether he was even playing the game.As had been the case in Palm Springs, dinner was served from a warming cart, our plates having already been dished up in the kitchen so a staff member could place them in front of us still piping hot. Another server poured wine for each of

I’d just set down my fork when Amber jutted out her chin and declared, “I have something to say.” She cleared her throat. “This might not be the best moment for this, but who knows when I’ll be feeling this good again, and with your busy schedule, Reeve, it might be the only chance I get.”I bristled at her use of his name, as if it were mine to use and she had no right to it. Which of course was ridiculous.Reeve placed his napkin over his empty plate and cocked his head. “I’m listening.”“I want to say that…” Her lip quivered, and it hit me that she was nervous, that she’d been nervous through the entire meal. And why wouldn’t she be? This was the first time she’d spent any time with her former love at length.She cleared her throat again, then plunged forward with slightly more confidence. “I want to say I’m sorry for how I left things between us.” She paused, and my pulse jolted up in speed. “And about how I reacted. Running to Micha—to Michelis – was one of the worst decisions I’

Hoping I would be better equipped to handle the situation after a good night’s sleep, I retreated to my own room with a sigh of resignation.Though it was late enough to go to bed, my emotions were too frazzled for sleep. And I was cold. My evening walk had set a chill in my bones that lingered even in the warm house. While I wished it was Reeve warming me up, a hot shower would be just as effective at raising my body temperature and would also calm my nerves.I stripped, tossing my clothes onto the chair in the corner of my room, then went to start the shower. I turned the water on without getting in, sticking my hand under the stream until it was hot enough. Then I crossed to the linen closet at the other end of the bathroom and picked out a couple of towels. When I shut the door, I turned back toward the shower and nearly jumped out of my skin.“Reeve!” I patted my breastbone, trying to calm the thudding in my chest. “Goddammit, you scared the hell out of me.” Between his sneaky ar