by Erika Wilde
Oh, she was sorely tempted to tell him she needed his assistance, just because she wanted to feel his hands on her naked flesh as he undressed her. And she certainly wouldn’t mind having him scrub her back or wash the rest of her body while he was at it. She shivered at the sensual thought.
But while he seemed concerned for her welfare, there was a sudden reserve about him that puzzled her, and she didn’t push the issue. “Don’t worry about me, Noah. I’ll be fine.”
“Leave the door open,” he said, grabbing a pair of gray cotton sweatpants for himself. “I’ll be downstairs in my office, so just call me if you need anything.”
And then he was gone, making her wonder why he didn’t change in front of her if they lived together. Shrugging her shoulders and refusing to let such an inconsequential thought hurt her already tired brain, she stepped into the bathroom. She was greeted by a fragrant cloud of steam and a large tub brimming with water and bubbles. She spotted her floral body wash beside the tub, knowing that Noah had thoughtfully added it to the water.
After stripping off her clothes, she rummaged through the drawers, recognizing her stuff and finding a scrunchie for her hair. She rubbed a spot clean on the fogged mirror and proceeded to pull the shoulder-length strands into a high ponytail so they wouldn’t get wet.
She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror, her gaze drawn to the lush curves of her body. Absently, she cupped her large breasts in her palms and grazed her fingers over the tips. She shivered as her nipples puckered tight and tingled. Closing her eyes, she touched elsewhere, skimming her hands over intimate dips and hollows.
She imagined it was Noah caressing her, and her heart thumped hard in her chest as her body came vibrantly alive, as if something deep inside of her was gradually awakening, demanding attention and release. Her skin grew damp from the moisture in the bathroom and her own arousal, her nerves strung tight, and the provocative sensations grew stronger with every slick slide of her hands, along with a carnal craving that stole her breath.
She felt sexual and sensual, her response wrapped up in illicit fantasies of Noah. He was the only connection she had to the past and present and the burning, aching need consuming her. She needed him in ways even she didn’t understand, but she trusted him, with her body and even her lost soul. And while there were still so many gaps in her mind, there was one thing she knew for certain.
The erotic hunger within her wouldn’t be denied much longer.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Noah yanked off his clothes, flung them onto the small leather couch in his downstairs office and pulled on his cotton sweatpants, forgoing a shirt as he always did at night. Sitting behind his desk, he pulled up the photo he’d taken at the hospital earlier with the florist’s information, intent on focusing his restless energy on business.
Instead, sinful, brazen thoughts ruthlessly intruded, of Natalie upstairs in the bathtub, naked and wet, her skin soft, sleek, and fragrant. The vivid mental image of touching all that feminine flesh with his hands and tasting it with slow, leisurely licks of his tongue gave him a thick, rampant hard-on, which was becoming a too frequent occurrence when it came to her. One that was getting more and more difficult to control.
He shifted in his seat, which did nothing to help ease his throbbing discomfort. He groaned and scrubbed a hand along his taut jaw. Being chivalrous was killing him in excruciatingly slow degrees, and Natalie wasn’t helping matters by sending out tempting sexual vibes that were doing a damn good job of weakening his resolve.
Her uninhibited behavior was understandable in her amnesiac state because she had no clear recollection of her reserved response to him before the accident. Yet he found it hard to reconcile the trusting, sensual creature she was now with the self-contained woman she’d been around him before the accident. The two were complete opposites, but both were enigmas with secrets he wanted to unearth and explore.
He suspected her current open mindset had a lot to do with the fact that she believed they were engaged and living together. That sense of security gave her more freedom to be affectionate and flirtatious, daring even. It was a playful side to her that he enjoyed, yet the contrast made him even more curious as to what had kept her so reserved and private before the accident. What had been so devastating that she’d kept herself at arm’s length and lived such a solitary life? Obviously, it had something to do with the haunting fear he’d witnessed right before and after she’d kissed him in that dark shop alcove.
He had every intention of discovering the answer to that particular question. Her past obviously affected the present and her future…as well as any chance he might have with her. But along with his determination to make sense of the mystery she’d become, he couldn’t help but wonder, and worry, that once all her memories returned, would she retreat from him yet again?
The possibility made his gut twist. He knew his time with her was limited, and that meant using their current situation to cement an emotional bond between them that would last beyond finding the guy who was stalking her. And during their time together, he had to resist her newfound femininity and sexy overtures. He wasn’t about to take advantage of her mind’s current inability to remember their prior platonic relationship.
His still-hard dick mocked him. He was a man with a healthy sexual drive, and he’d been celibate too long because he hadn’t wanted any other woman except for Natalie for months now. Having her in his house, in his bed, was going to be pure torture.
With a harsh breath, he attempted to clear his mind of his aroused state and reached for the phone. He dialed Bobby’s cell phone number, and his friend answered on the second ring.
“Malone here,” he said, his tone curt and businesslike.
“Hey, it’s Noah. I need to ask a favor.”
“You got it.” Bobby’s reply was automatic. As good friends who worked in the same investigative field, they often traded professional favors. “What’s up?”
“I need you to do a check on something for me.” Leaning back in his chair, Noah explained about the bouquet of flowers that had been delivered to Natalie at the hospital and the ominous note attached. “Could you stop at the florist shop, flash your badge and find out who sent the arrangement? I want a name and address and a credit card number if the person used one.”
“Consider it done. In fact, I was just heading out to get a bite to eat and I’ll swing by the florist afterward.”
“Great.” Noah gave him the address of the place. “I’d do it myself, but I don’t want to leave Natalie alone.” And he obviously didn’t want her going with him, since she believed he’d been the one to send the arrangement.
“By the way, how is she doing?” Bobby asked.
“Pretty good. She’s accepted the situation, which makes things easier for me.”
Bobby chuckled. “As opposed to harder?” he joked.
Noah winced at Bobby’s well-aimed innuendo. His friend knew him too well. “Call me when you have the information, wise guy.” He disconnected the call before Bobby could give him any more flack.
He glanced at the clock—thirty minutes had passed since he’d left Natalie upstairs. Figuring he’d check on her before Bobby called back, he headed up to his room. She hadn’t completely shut the bathroom door, and he didn’t care for the silence that greeted him.
Slowly, he pushed open the door. “Natalie?” he called softly, not wanting to frighten her but concerned about her not responding.
No answer, so he stepped inside, his gaze immediately drawn to the woman who’d fallen asleep in his tub. She was submerged to her neck, her head resting against the rim, and there were just enough bubbles to keep her decently covered—and to preserve his sanity. Thank God.
He hunkered down next to the tub and gently skimmed his fingers over her warm, flushed cheek. “Natalie, honey, wake up.”
Her lashes fluttered open, and she smiled up at him drowsily. “I fell asleep,” she murmured.
“You most certainly did.” Standing, h
e grabbed the big fluffy towel hanging over the brass rod so he could leave it within reaching distance for her before he bolted back out of the bathroom. “You need to get out of the tub, get dressed and into bed.”
Just as he turned back around to face her she stood up, without wearing an ounce of timidity, or anything else for that matter. His breath left his lungs painfully and the last bit of his fortitude fled as he stared in pure male fascination at the rivulets of water sluicing down her centerfold body.
Mouth dry, his avid gaze followed the sleek trail of moisture, taking in her plump, full breasts tipped with dusky pink areolas and nipples as hard as pebbles that all but begged for him to nibble, lick, and suck. He was certain he could span her waist with his big hands, and she had the sexiest navel he’d ever seen. The dewy thatch of dark curls between her thighs teased his imagination of what lay beyond, and those endlessly long legs of hers were made to bring a man to his knees and tempt him to sin.
He was the furthest thing to a saint when it came to her, and his cock twitched, throbbed, and swelled full to bursting. She was every hot, lascivious fantasy he’d ever envisioned. Every carnal thought that had passed through his mind. Every erotic daydream he’d ever had.
And reality, in all its breathtaking glory, beckoned…
“Noah?” She shivered, and goose bumps dotted her smooth, wet flesh. “You’re looking at me as if you’ve never seen me naked before.”
Oh, hell. Shaking himself out of his lustful stupor, he summoned a playful grin. “Honey, that’s just the kind of effect you have on me.” That much was the truth.
Her fingers fluttered along her belly, and her breasts quivered at the brief, absentminded touch. “You have that kind of effect on me, too, and you’re not even naked.”
He swallowed a groan. Resigned to remaining in the bathroom with her, he kept his eyes safely above her shoulders and opened the towel for her. “Step out of the tub so we can get you dried off.”
She did as he requested, and he briskly swiped her dry from neck to toes, ignoring her pleasurable moans while reciting baseball stats in his mind to keep himself distracted from the task at hand. Finding the shirt he’d given her earlier, he yanked it over her head and waited for her to push her arms through the sleeves, then handed over her panties for her to slip into.
Once she was decently covered and she’d unclipped her hair, he led her back into the adjoining room. His movements were quick, efficient, and economical, with no room for anything sexual to intervene. He pulled down the covers on the bed, patted the cool sheet, and she obediently crawled up onto the mattress.
Despite the magnitude of his longing for her, his actions were as honorable as the oath he’d made to protect and serve his country when he’d joined the Marines. He pulled the covers up to her chest, and just when he thought he was in the clear and would escape the room without further incident, Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at him with a sultry invitation in her gaze.
She drew his head down and skimmed her lips along the corner of his mouth and across his cheek, her breath warm and sweet. “Come to bed with me,” she whispered.
Every cell in his body screamed yes. Heat flashed through him, making him ache with raw desire, and he clutched the bedspread in his fists to keep him grounded, physically and mentally. He knew without a doubt she didn’t have sleeping on her mind, and he also knew he was precariously close to giving in to what they both wanted so badly. It would be so, so easy to crawl under the covers with her and sink deep into her willing body. To lose himself in her heat and softness and finally quench the feverish hunger burning inside him.
He couldn’t be so selfish with his needs, not when there was so much more at stake—foremost the risk of her regretting having sex with him once she regained her memory. With his hormones rallying in protest of his decision, he strove to let her down gently, in a way she wouldn’t construe as an outright rejection.
“I’m expecting a call from Bobby.” Unwinding her arms from his neck, he placed a kiss in each of her palms. “You get some rest and I’ll be back up in a little while, okay?”
An adorable pout puffed out her bottom lip, but she issued no argument, just sought for a kernel of reassurance. “Promise?”
He nodded, unable to refuse her simple request. “Yeah, I promise,” he said, sealing his own fate when he’d originally intended to crash on the couch downstairs for the night.
Satisfied that he’d return later, she snuggled deeper beneath the blankets, sighed and let her lashes drift shut.
Noah went back to his office, knowing it would be hours until he joined Natalie in his bed. He wanted her deep asleep and unaware of him before he dared to slip under the covers with her.
Ten minutes later Bobby called back with the information Noah was waiting for.
“This guy isn’t stupid,” Bobby said, a thread of disgust in his voice. “He paid cash for the flowers and gave the cashier what I highly suspect is a bogus name and an address that isn’t his.”
Surprised, Noah asked, “You ran a check already?”
“Yep, and you’re not going to like what I’m about to tell you.”
Feeling distinctly uneasy, he stabbed his fingers through his already mussed hair. “Give it to me straight, Malone.” The request was unnecessary. Bobby wasn’t one to bullshit around with something so serious.
“The guy who placed the order used the name Richard Haynes, who just happens to be a prominent surgeon in San Francisco who is squeaky clean, so I’m fairly certain that isn’t the perp’s real name, though I’ll follow up on that tomorrow.” He paused for a moment, then revealed, “And the contact address he used on the form came up as none other than Natalie’s apartment.”
Noah’s stomach cramped as though he’d been sucker punched. “He used her address?” he asked incredulously.
“Appears so. How’s that for being ballsy?”
Noah rubbed his fingers across his forehead. “It’s fucking unbelievable.”
The guy, whoever he was, knew where Natalie lived. The knowledge stunned and infuriated Noah, and while he hated the helpless feeling of not knowing the true identity of the stalker, he was grateful that she was safe with him at his house.
“Thanks for the info, Bobby,” he said, grateful, too, for his friend’s connections and support. “I owe you one.”
“Buy me a beer once all this blows over and we’ll call it even. In the meantime, watch your back. And Natalie’s.”
“I plan to.” He hung up the phone, and turned his attention to the Reno, Nevada, address he’d confiscated from Natalie’s place earlier that day.
He opened up his laptop, jumped on the Internet and did an extensive search on an online database and a private network he belonged to that narrowed down her old address to an apartment complex. He scribbled down the manager’s name and phone number to call on Monday, then spent the next few hours making notes on the various sources he wanted to contact to get a lead on her background, as well as information on the kind of life she led in Reno—where she worked, who she dated and what had prompted her to move.
It was after midnight when he finally dragged himself back upstairs to his bedroom. He slipped into the darkened room quietly, squinting to see his way to the opposite side of the bed where Natalie had fallen asleep. He felt his blood chill when he realized the covers were thrown back and the bed was empty. The light in the bathroom wasn’t on, either, and a dozen unpleasant scenarios flew through his head before he could stop them.
There was a movement by the window, a flash of white that captured his attention. His muscles tensed, ready for action, his mind already contemplating the short distance to his gun tucked away in his dresser.
“Noah?”
Natalie’s soft, husky voice reached him just as she stepped out of the shadows by the window and came into better focus. He relaxed a fraction, bewitched by the moonlight streaming into the room that silhouetted her body beneath his white T-shirt. Her dark hair was
tousled around her shoulders, and a silvery, shimmering light haloed her head. She looked ethereal, and too damned sexy for his peace of mind.
He cleared his throat and stepped deeper into the room. “Yeah, it’s me. Are you okay?”
Her shoulders lifted in a shrug. “As good as can be expected, I suppose. I was just going to come looking for you.”
“You should be in bed.” Stopping in front of her, he narrowed his gaze to better take in her features, wondering if she was in any pain. “Do you need another Motrin for your muscle aches and your head?”
“No, I’m fine physically.” A small smile touched her lips and her eyes shone with uncertainty. “It’s the mental stuff that keeps throwing me for a loop.”
He gently rubbed his hands up and down her arms, warming her skin, causing his own to tighten in response to touching her. “Give it time,” he said softly. “You’re not going to regain all your memory overnight.”
Her brows puckered in frustration. “I know that, but when I try to sleep, my dreams are fragmented and confusing, and there’s so much I don’t understand. I see shadows and I feel like I’m running from something or someone, but I can’t grasp what the threat is, or if it’s even real.”
Her voice quivered, and he suspected her subconscious was trying to break through with the truth. Her big blue eyes stared up at him as if he held the answers to her secrets and the key to all her hidden depths. He wished he did, but he was learning about her past right along with her.
“I know it’s difficult, but the doctor said not to force yourself to remember, because that can possibly suppress your memories deeper.”
“I can’t help it.” Moisture glittered in her eyes, and her voice caught with emotion. “I feel so lost, and there’s only one thing I’m sure of at this moment.”
