No, thank you.

Lizzie pushed her way out from under him, and he moved so she could get to her feet. Meanwhile, the maid in the hall kept talking.

Im good. Thanks, he said roughly.

His eyes tracked Lizzies hands as they yanked her shirt back down and finger brushed her hair.

Lizzie, he whispered.

She just shook her head as she paced around, looking as if she were considering a leap- out- the- window strategy for escape.

More talk from the maid, and he just lost it. Exploding up to his feet, he stalked over and ripped open the door, blocking the way into his room. The blond twenty- five- year- old on the other side was the same one whod been in the hallway when he and Chantal had been arguing.

{ 190 }.

Oh, hi. She smiled up at him. How are you?

I dont need anything. Thanks, he said roughly.

As he turned away, she reached out and took his arm. Im Tiphanii"

thats with a ph and a double i at the end.

Nice to meet you. If youll excuse"

I was just going to come in and check your bathroom.

That smile of hers gave her away. That and the little change in po- sition where her pelvis tilted toward him and one of her legs got ex- tended like she was wearing stilettos instead of Crocs.

Lane rolled his eyes" he couldnt help it. The woman he really wanted had just gotten out from under him, and this piece of taffy was thinking she had anything to offer?

Make that taphii.

Thanks, but no. Im not interested.

He closed the door on her because he didnt have the energy to be pleasant, and he didnt want to say something he was going to regret.

Pivoting around, he found Lizzie across the room by the window.

She was deliberately standing off to the side, as if she didnt want to be seen from down below, and her arms were crossed over her chest.

You sounded so sincere, she said roughly.

When Im with you, I am"

With that maid just now.

Why wouldnt I be?

You know what I really hate?

I can only imagine, he muttered.

How she just propositioned you . . . and still, all I can think of is taking your clothes off. Like youre some kind of toy Im fighting with her over.

His erection twitched in his pants. There is no fight" Im yours. If you want, here and now. Or later. A week, a month, years from now.

Shut up, his arousal said. Just shut up, buddy, with that timeline stuff.

Im not falling back into you, Lane. Im just not.

You said that over the phone.

Lizzie nodded and unplugged from the view of the garden. As the { 191 }.

light began to fade from the sky, she marched across the room, clearly heading for the door.

Damn it"

Not the door.

She did not, in fact, go to the door.

Lizzie stopped at him and let her fingers do the walking, taking his face, bringing his mouth back to hers.

Lizzie, he groaned, licking into her mouth.

The kiss got out of control fast, and he was not going to lose the chance with her. Spinning her around, he pushed her against the wall, the oil painting next to them bouncing so hard, the thing threw itself off its hook and splintered to the floor. He didnt care. His hands shot under her clothes, finding skin, riding upward to feel her breasts.

He never thought hed get this again, and though he would have liked to do a slow- and- sweet, he couldnt. Too desperate.

He was rough with the waistband of her shorts, tearing at the but- ton, the zipper, ripping them down her legs. And then he slid his hand between her thighs, pushing her cotton panties out of the"

Lizzie called out his name in a hoarse voice that nearly made him come right then and there. And as her fingers bit into his shoulders, he stroked her harder.

Hurt me, he growled as she dug into him. Make me bleed . . .

He wanted the pain along with the pleasure, everything that was going on with his father and his family making him raw and dark on the inside"to the point where he wondered dimly if maybe this was what drove his brother Max. Hed heard about those things Maxwell did" or rumors about them.

Maybe this was why. He felt like he had to get the darkness out or it was going to consume him.

Lifting Lizzie up off the floor, he relished the way she locked on to him with her powerful arms. One tearing jerk of the zipper on his slacks and his arousal was ready to go. He split her underwear in two, and then"

The roar he let out into her neck was like that of an animal, but he paid no attention to the sound. The slick hold of her sex was a sensation { 192 }.

he felt over his entire body, and he orgasmed immediately. So long . . .

so long, that he had dreamed of her, and regretted what had happened, and wanted to do things differently. And now he was where he had prayed to be: With every pumping release into her, he was rewinding time, putting things back to rights, repairing the wrongs.

Hed wanted to get with her to briefly take himself out of the present, but it turned out that the experience was more than that. So much more.

But that had always been true about Lizzie. Hed had sex many times in his life.

None of it had ever mattered, though . . . until hed been with her.

L izzie hadnt meant to take things this far.

As Lane orgasmed inside of her, she was swept up along with him, her release echoing his. Fast, so fast, it was all so fast and furious, the deed done and over within moments, the pair of them remain- ing locked together as the initial wave passed.

Had they just done this? she wondered.

Well . . . yeah, she thought as he twitched inside of her.

And then she noticed . . . oh, God, he smelled the same. And his hair was still impossibly soft.

And his body was every bit as powerful as she remembered.

Tears speared into her eyes, and she hid her face in his shoulder. She didnt want him to know about the emotions" she was having a hard enough time acknowledging the confusing jumble to herself.

Just sex, she told herself. This had been only about a physical crav- ing on both sides. And God knew, the lust thing had never been a prob- lem for them"from the instant shed seen him yesterday, that connection of theirs had simmered under the surface of her skin.

Under his, too.

Okay. Fine. She hadnt been able to say no in this single, discrete instance" even though she should have.

Whether or not it was a mistake was going to depend on how she handled things from here.

{ 193 }.

Pulling herself together, she eased back in his hold, acutely aware that they were still linked where it mattered most.

The expression on his face made her catch her breath. As did the way he reached up and brushed her cheek.

He seemed so vulnerable.

But before she could make some calm, reasonable, comment, he started moving deep inside of her once more. Slowly, oh, so slowly, up and out, up and out. In response, she closed her eyes and went limp, his arms supporting her, the hard wall against her back buttressing her against him. Part of her was utterly present, every movement register- ing with the vividness of a lightning strike, all the panting tightness of her chest and the sizzle in her blood taking over everything.

The other half of her was on the run.

Oh, God, the feel of his hand in her hair, his mouth kissing hers so deep, his hips curling up and retreating. It was coming home in all the ways that her body had wanted for so long.

And it was also bad news.

Lizzie, he said in a voice that cracked. I missed you, Lizzie. So bad it hurts.

Dont think about it, she told herself. Dont listen"

His name broke out of her once again, the snap of pleasure making her sex contract around his erection as he jerked into her, pumping her against that wall, banging her until her head hit.

When they fell still but for the breathing, she collapsed against him.

This cant be the last time, he groaned, as if he knew what she was thinking. It just cant.

How did you know . . .

I dont blame you. He eased back and his heavy- lidded eyes burned.

I just dont want this to be"

Lane"

The knock on the door made her jump. And him curse.

Fucking hell! he spat.

And considering he wasnt a big curse man, she had to smile a little.

{ 194 }.

What! he bit out.

Mr. Baldwine, the butlers voice cut in. Mr. Lodge is here for you.

Lane frowned. Tell him Im busy"

He says its urgent.

Lizzie shook her head and pushed herself out of his arms for a sec- ond time. As her feet hit the floor in silence, she got a visceral reminder that they hadnt used a condom.

And yup, everything got very, very real as she yanked up her shorts and hustled to the bathroom. She took care of everything the best she could as Lane talked to the Englishman through the door"and when she came back out, hed pulled his pants back up and was pacing around.

She put her palm out before he could say anything. Go see him.

Lizzie"

If even a quarter of what youre worried about is true? Youre going to need him.

Where are you going?

I dont know. I think were basically done until first thing tomorrow.

In so many more ways than one.

Can you stay? he blurted.

Her brows lifted. Stay as . . . you dont mean in here for the night.

Thats insane.