And there was his problem. The Jasmine he’d spent the day with today was the woman he’d been attracted to in the beginning.
In the research he’d done in the last couple of days, he’d read that some amnesia sufferers reinvented themselves because they couldn’t remember the events that made up their past. That couldn’t be said for Jasmine. She’d only lost the time they’d spent together. Those few months when life had seemed perfect to him. He should’ve insisted they catch the same flight back, not travel separately. If they’d done that then they wouldn’t be in the situation they were in.
Or would they?
Would she still have gone through with the termination or would he have talked her out of it?
“Enough,” he said out loud. He was going around in circles. He never did that in business and he wasn’t going to start in his personal life.
Tonight there would be no games, no tests, no accusations. Tonight would be a casual affair. Tonight he’d let Jasmine lead the way.
Jasmine arrived back from the beach, gritty with sand but clearer in her mind. There was no point asking ‘what ifs’ in her mind, no one was going to answer them, she had to ask them out loud. Tonight over dinner she’d ask Lukas questions about their past and how they met. Maybe something, anything, would trigger a full memory return and then she could decide what she would do.
“Lukas? I’m back?” she called out.
“I’m on the balcony,” he replied.
As she walked out she focussed on the man lying casually on the sun lounger. To the average person he appeared relaxed, but she could see the underlying tension in the way his hands were laced together.
“Where are we going for dinner tonight?” she asked.
“We’re staying in. I thought we’d order room service and eat here.” He pointed to the small table on the balcony.
“Oh, okay.”
“You’d prefer to eat out?”
“No, no it’s fine. In fact I’d really like it. I don’t feel up to being in a roomful of people.”
He rose from the lounger with the grace of a lion and walked over to her. “I’ll order dinner now.”
He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, leaving her incapable of any answer. His actions confounded her again. He’d gone from being combative to being charming and considerate. All the features she’d hoped to find in her ultimate life partner.
Hearing Lukas’s muted tones as he spoke on the phone geared her into action. She rushed into the bathroom and turned the shower on. As she undressed it registered if they were eating in the suite she could question him and not worry about being overheard by wait-staff and other guests.
Her shower was quick and she was giving herself one last look in the mirror when a knock sounded.
“Dinner is here.”
“I’ll be right out.” She finished slicking on some lip gloss and went to meet Lukas on the balcony.
Whilst she’d been in the shower she’d rehearsed all the questions she wanted to ask.
The sun was sitting low on the horizon and a soft breeze gently lifted the edges of the table cloth. The table was sparsely set but whether it was the fact it was on the balcony or because of the closeness they’d achieved today, the setting was a lot more romantic than last night’s elaborate dinner on the beach.
A bottle of champagne was resting in a glass ice bucket by the table.
“What are we celebrating?” she asked as, if reading her mind, Lukas lifted the bottle and began pouring it into the delicate crystal flutes.
“New beginnings?”
New beginnings. Where had that come from? Was he saying he too wanted to put the past behind them and start afresh? In that instant she lost her nerve to ask her questions. It was clear to her Lukas was making an effort and she didn’t want to spoil it by asking questions about a past he was clearly unhappy to talk about. She wanted an uncomplicated meal; enjoy his company, as if this was their first date.
“To new beginnings and first dates.” She clinked her glass with his, the melodic tune of two crystal glass colliding rang out over the balcony.
“So how was your walk and swim?” asked Lukas as they sat down to their meal.
“It was what I needed to blow the cobwebs away. What did you do while I was out?”
“Spoke to the office and sorted a few things out.”
She gave a soft laugh. “You didn’t give anybody too hard a time I hope.”
An answering glint entered his eyes. “No, I was quite calm in my dealings.”
Jasmine put her fork down and laughed. “Oh no, you being calm probably had whoever you spoke to quaking in their boots. I think they’d prefer the fiery Italian to a composed one.”
He quirked his eyebrow. “Are you suggesting that I’m not a reasonable boss?”
She held up her arms in mock surrender. “No, not at all, all I’m saying is that when my father spoke to me in a calm, monotone voice, I knew I was in far deeper trouble than if he ranted and raved at me.”
Jasmine saw his features tighten momentarily at the mention of her father and she could’ve kicked herself. When would she ever learn to control her thought processes before speaking out loud.
“I’ll bear that in mind,” he said mildly.
As he leaned forward, she could still see traces of his early humour. Maybe the night wasn’t lost after all.
“So tell me, Jasmine, which one do you prefer?”
Gooseflesh broke out over her arms and as she looked down she could see the fine hairs on her arm standing to attention. She’d experienced the passionate Italian Lukas, yesterday evening. His kisses and caresses had had her aching for more.
Today she’d seen the consummate professional, and she’d remembered his business practices. Tonight he was relaxed and good company. The man was a chameleon and she was attracted to each and every one of the faces Lukas had shown her.
“All of them.” It was the only way she could answer without letting Lukas know her attraction towards him was growing with every passing minute they spent together.
“Hmm, I’ll have to remember that,” he murmured and took a sip of his champagne. “More champagne?”
Jasmine shook her head, asking instead. “What’s for dessert?”
“Something truly decadent.” Lukas stood and walked back into the suite, lifting a single plate from the tray that rested on the room service trolley.
“One plate?” she enquired as he returned to the table.
He lifted the lid off with a flourish. “I thought we’d share.”
Jasmine looked at the plate and couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry. “You remembered, oh scrap that, of course you remember.”
The green jelly wobbled lightly on the plate, as if it too, were giggling at her. She was unbelievably touched that Lukas had thought to order her favourite dessert.
“You start,” he held out a spoon to her.
As she took it, she let her fingers brush gently against his. Electricity sparked between them and the cool metal of the spoon, warmed from the contact.
She kept her eyes firmly focussed on Lukas as she spooned a small portion into her mouth, the jelly slid down her throat. She repeated the action and held out the spoon to Lukas who took the offering.
The atmosphere surrounding them rapidly changed with each mouthful she fed to Lukas. Each time his mouth closed over the spoon she imagined those lips closing over hers. Soon the plate was empty and she didn’t know what to do next.
“Do you want to have coffee inside?” Lukas’s question was so casual she wondered whether it had been just her experiencing a gamut of sensual emotions while eating dessert.
Giving what she hoped was a casual shrug of her shoulders she answered. “Sounds good. I wonder if there are any decent movies showing on the in-house movie channel?”
“I’ll organise the coffees and someone to come and take these dishes. You can organise the movie.”
It was as if the last fifteen minutes hadn’t happened
. Their conversation was that of a normal couple who’d been together a long, long time. And if she was honest, Jasmine had to admit she was enjoying herself.
“Anything in particular you want to watch?”
He shook his head as he picked up the phone to order the coffee. “You decide.”
“Now that is asking for trouble. What if I pick a chick flick?”
He gave an over the top sigh. “Then a chick flick it is.”
She laughed again as she walked over to the suite’s entertainment unit. Opening a drawer to try and find the remote she discovered an array of DVD’s. Sorting through them she settled on recent release that satisfied both her romantic side and the action side for Lukas.
She had just settled on the couch when Lukas came over with a tray holding coffee, liqueurs and chocolates.
“So what’s my punishment?” he asked as he laid the tray down.
She held up the cover. “They’ve supplied us with DVD’s so I chose this one, figured it would satisfy both our needs.”
“Perhaps not all our needs,” he replied cryptically.
She was saved from any reply as the opening credits sounded loud on the screen. Tension emanated around the room, and it wasn’t anger, it was something far more dangerous.
She reached over and hesitated briefly before picking up the small liqueur glass instead of the coffee, she couldn’t help but notice Lukas doing the same.
He took a seat in the corner of the couch and she wanted nothing more than to curl up into his side. As if reading her thoughts, he patted the cushion next to him.
“Come here,” his tone was sexy and husky and she melted with the knowledge that he too was aware of the sexual tension which had cloaked its way around them.
She replaced her glass and scooted over to him, snuggling into the warmth and strength of his body.
She didn’t know if it was the liqueur or the champagne or the heat of Lukas’s body but as the movie progressed Jasmine slowly allowed the tendrils of sleep to wrap her tightly in their embrace. When the dream started, she wished the bands weren’t so tight.
She stepped out into the sunshine and it took her eyes a few seconds to adjust after the dimness of the airport terminal. She looked down at the rings on her left hand, still getting accustomed to their heavy weight. She couldn’t believe that she and Lukas had gotten married while away.
She made her way to her car, trying not to think about the meeting she was about to go to. She dreaded thinking what her father’s reaction would be. He had suspected something was going on with her and Lukas, but she’d kept denying it. She knew, for some reason, he didn’t approve. Her father’s reluctance to tell her why annoyed her too. But that was about to stop. She was on her way to tell him she was married and if he didn’t accept Lukas and their marriage, then he didn’t accept her. He’d lose his daughter. Would he risk that?
The dream went into fast forward and Jasmine didn’t know how it happened.
One minute she had been smiling and walking out of the airport and now she was caught up in the vortex of being in the car driving, tears blurring her vision.
She tried to wake up but couldn’t. She was totally under the dream’s control.
Jasmine turned the radio up to drown out the memory of her father’s voice yelling at her for being so stupid. For marrying a man like Lukas.
She didn’t know what was wrong with her father. It wasn’t like Lukas was after her money he had his own. He didn’t need to take any of hers. If her father opened his mind he’d realise that Lukas could buy them out ten times over.
She dashed at the tears that continued to trickle over the top of her lids. She needed her wits about her. A storm had broken and the roads were slick and slippery.
The storm matched her mood. How could her father be so unreasonable?
The traffic lights in front of her turned green, so she made her way through. She heard the screech of brakes and blaring of a horn and looked towards the sounds.
She pulled her wheel hard to the right to miss the car that was sliding through the intersection.
It was a stupid move.
Everything morphed into slow motion.
Her wheels lost their purchase on the slippery pavement. Her fingers clenched around the steering wheel in a vain attempt to control the spin. Her nails pierced the soft flesh of her palm. She welcomed the pain. She was still alive.
For the moment.
There was nothing more she could do.
As the car careened towards the immovable force of a light pole she screamed.
The last word she spoke before she succumbed to the call of the dark depths of unconsciousness.
“Lukas.”
Strong hands gripped her shoulders, “Jasmine cara, wake up. I’m here.”
Jasmine swam towards the surface of consciousness again, reaching out towards Lukas’s soothing and comforting and strong voice.
Her eyes fluttered open. “Lukas?” She reached out and touched his face, running her fingertips down his cheeks, scraping over the evidence of his end of day growth. “You’re here?”
“Yes tesoro mio, I’m here. You are safe.”
Relief poured through her and, like in her dream, tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks.
Luciano gathered her close, tightening his arms around her. He never wanted to live through the last few minutes again. To watch as Jasmine thrashed about, fighting the demons in her dream. To be unable to wake her. To be unable to help her. To be unable to keep her safe tore at his very soul.
Her tortured cry of his name still resounded loudly in his ears. He didn’t think he’d ever forget the anguished sound of his name as it was wrenched from her lips.
Finally the tears subsided, but he didn’t loosen his hold. He cupped her face and lifted it slightly until her eyes met his. The remnants of her tears sparkled like the diamonds they’d seen today.
The hollow feeling in his stomach increased.
“What happened just then, cara?”
Emotions flickered across her face as she fought with her mind.
“A dream. It was just a dream,” she whispered and shook her head as if trying to dispel it.
“Perhaps sharing it might ease your burden.”
He felt the shudder as it wracked her body and the tension that filled her muscles. He held her tighter in his embrace.
“I think I just relived my car accident.”
“You haven’t had this dream before?”
He didn’t want to but he let his arms fall as she broke out of his embrace. She stood and paced the room, her agitation seeped slowly towards him. He found himself standing and walking over to her.
“Jasmine, tesoro mio, if it hurts too much then don’t tell me. But I want to help. I need to help.”
She stopped. “I haven’t dreamt about the accident before. Even now I’m not sure I can remember clearly everything that happened. It all happened so fast.” She looked up at him with beseeching eyes. “I don’t want to dream about it again.”
He took her by the hand and led her back to the couch. Sitting her down he handed her, her liqueur glass. “Drink this; it will soothe your nerves.”
Her hands shook as she lifted the glass to her lips. Luciano clenched his fists at his side, cursing himself for bringing this nightmare on. For causing her the pain of reliving what could only be the most traumatic experience of her life.
He took the glass from her lifeless fingers and replaced it on the table. He then gathered her up and sat down so that she was sitting on his lap.
“It was awful, Lukas. I was spinning out of control and the lamppost was coming closer and closer. All I could think about was never seeing you again. Never being held by you again. Never being happy again.”
The feel of her arms closing about him, had him shutting his eyes against the anguish filling him. He should’ve insisted she accompany him on his trip to Sydney and not fly home by herself.
The need to reinforce she was alive a
nd well engulfed him. As she snuggled closer he lowered his head, feathering kisses over her face until he found her lips.
He wanted to be gentle but he couldn’t. His need for her was too great. But she answered his passion with a passion of her own, her lips meeting his and answering his every call.
His fingers entwined around the soft strands of her hair, feeling the curve of her skull and pulling her closer still.
His hands roamed down her back and found the hem of her top. He lifted it enough to brush his fingers across her soft skin.
“Yes, Lukas, yes.”
Her answer to his silent question was all he needed and he lifted her top over her head. In the muted light of the room her flesh glowed with the luminance of the pearls of the region. He couldn’t fight it any longer. His desire for her had flared to life with an intensity he’d never known before.
He needed to lose himself within her.
Luciano didn’t want to rush, he wanted to take the time to reacquaint himself with her every curve. Find the places again that made her sigh with longing.
He stood with her still in his arms. Her face burrowing into his neck had his desire reaching a fever pitch. He knew there would be no turning back.
As Lukas shouldered his way through the bedroom door Jasmine’s heart started to beat double time.
With one touch, one kiss, one whispered word the memories from her nightmare had been extinguished like a candle’s flame.
The feeling of crisp cotton welcomed her bare back and her head sunk slightly into the downy pillow.
The rustling of clothes had her watching as Lukas undressed. Her blood heated with every delicious inch of skin he exposed. She ran her tongue over her dry lips at the evidence of his desire for her. Her fingers longed to reach out and trace its powerful length.
All her thought processes shut down as he lay on the bed beside her. Her breasts ached to be touched but his fingers skimmed past as they made their way to the waist band of her jeans.
With deliberate movements he undid the button and worked the tab of her zipper down. The metallic sound of the teeth as they parted heightened her already alert senses. With deft hands her jeans we removed and all she wore were her matching lace bra and panties.
Bound By Her Ring Page 10
