The Ultimate Seduction

he finally found him.

'But what bothered me the most is that he acted as though he knew me, or like I should know him.'

As casually as he could manage, he asked, 'Did he look at all familiar to you?'

'I honestly don't know. I felt like I instinctively knew him somehow, but I definitely didn't feel comfortable around him. It was a weird contradiction I haven't been able to resolve in my mind.' She sighed, the sound rife with uncertainties. 'Then again, I think I've developed a case of paranoia along with this temporary amnesia.'

He had proof that her apprehension was based in reality, so there was no way he was going to downplay the situation. Reaching across the console, he placed his hand over hers, giving it a comforting squeeze. 'Do me a favor. If you ever see this guy again, let me know immediately.'

She smiled at him. 'You'll be the first to know.'

Satisfied with that reassurance, Noah exited the freeway on the off-ramp and, after making certain they hadn't been followed, he headed toward home. They arrived minutes later, and he flicked on the house lights as they walked into the entryway.

'Boy, am I ever tense.' Natalie raised her hands above her head and stretched her body like a lithe cat. 'I think I'm going to go upstairs and take a bath before going to bed.'

He clearly heard the invitation in her tone. 'Go ahead. I need to check messages and give Bobby a call to discuss a case with him.' Her lip puffed out in an adorable pout, and he knew the reason was because he wasn't following her upstairs. 'I won't be long.'

Closing the distance between them, she entwined her arms around his neck and aligned her curves to him in all the right, responsive places. 'Promise?' she asked huskily, her gaze locked with his in a way he couldn't escape.

Not that he wanted to. She was a temptress, one he could no longer refuse. He knew what would happen once he climbed the stairs to his bedroom tonight, and he couldn't fight his feelings for her, or their mutual desire. The need to be an intrinsic part of her, emotionally and physically, was too strong to deny.

Especially after everything he'd learned today about her and her past.

'Yeah, I promise,' he said, and lowered his head, capturing her mouth in a long, hot, deep kiss to back up his vow.

Once it was over, she gave him a triumphant smile and sashayed her way up the stairs. Halfway there, she glanced back down at him and caught him mesmerized by the slow, sexy sway of her hips.

She blew him a sweet kiss that found its way directly into his heart. 'I'll be waiting for you.'

It took monumental effort for him not to bound up the stairs and take her right then and there. Reminding himself that anticipation made for the best kind of sex, he headed to his office and settled behind his desk with Natalie's case file. He gave his notes a cursory glance once again because he wanted to memorize every single fact he'd unearthed of Natalie's past. The details would be useful in his investigation, and with Natalie, as well, when she finally regained her memory.

What threw him the most were the three very different, distinct personalities he'd discovered of Natalie over the past few days. He'd originally met a reserved woman at Murphy's, one who worked and studied hard, and didn't allow anyone to get too close. Now he understood why.

Today, he learned about the vulnerable woman caught up in a mentally abusive relationship that had undoubtedly cut down her self-esteem and made her more wary with men. A woman who'd chosen a solitary lifestyle over the warmth and passion that another intimate relationship could have provided. All because she feared her past would eventually catch up to her.

And now, at this very moment, waiting for him upstairs was a woman with incredible internal strength who was coping with the loss of her memory and making the best of an uncertain situation. Bypassing all the guarded caution she'd shown him before the accident, she now wore her emotions on her sleeve, openly trusting and believing in him. She didn't hold back her desire for him, either. She'd turned into a seductress, a blossoming woman giving into her sensuality and focusing it all on him.

Which was the real Natalie? The answer came easier than he expected. She was a fascinating combination of all three, yet there was still one facet of her personality left to reveal-the woman she would become when her memory returned and her life was no longer in danger. What kind of woman would she be when she finally realized that being with him was a lie, despite his honorable intentions to keep her safe from harm?

Closing her case file, he scrubbed a hand along his jaw, knowing that eventually the truth would surface. And when it finally did, he hoped she'd forgive him for not only fabricating their relationship, but for trampling across boundaries of appropriate behavior and falling headlong into deep personal waters.

Knowing there was nothing he could do about his growing feelings for Natalie but to accept them for the moment, he focused on business. It took him nearly an hour to return a few calls clients had left on his answering machine, and to talk to Bobby. He brought his 'friend' up to date on Chad Freeman, and made a personal request to see if Bobby could find out any additional info on the man stalking Natalie. Specifically, a criminal record.

When he finally made his way upstairs and into his bedroom, he was stunned by the sexy vision that greeted him. He'd known from their conversation down in the foyer that she wanted to make love, and tonight he wasn't going to play hard to get or try to protect her virtue.

The damage had been done-she was his, and there was something to be said for the kind of intimate bond that developed between a man and woman during sex. He was ruthless enough to use carnal pleasures to touch her emotions, to steal her heart and make sure she realized how much he cared for her before the truth interfered with this idyllic relationship of theirs.

The woman lying on the bed, dressed in a silky nightgown that draped along her voluptuous curves and with a come-hither look in her eyes, had every intention of seducing him. Her hair spilled around her shoulders, beckoning him to sink his fingers into the textured softness, and a sexy, irresistible smile lifted the corners of her mouth. His groin tightened at the thought of making love to this gorgeous, sensual creature, to hear his name on her lips when she came-and he knew he'd sell his soul to be deep inside her body again.

Unstrapping the gun holster he was still wearing, he set his revolver and leather holder on his dresser, his gaze never leaving her stretched-out form on the bed. 'You look incredible,' he said huskily.

She looked immensely pleased with his compliment. 'I did some shopping of my own today, and I thought of you when I tried this on. I couldn't resist.'

Neither could he. Her nipples jutted against the silky material, the tips as diamond hard as the erection straining the fly of his jeans. 'I like it, but you do know you won't be wearing it for long, don't you? I want skin-on- skin contact.'

'You'll get that,' she said, and caressed a hand over her silk-clad hip to her bare thigh, seemingly enjoying the sensation she created-while driving him crazy with curiosity about what she wore beneath the skimpy negligee. 'First, though, we play.'

He lifted a brow, falling hard for this spirited, shameless side to Natalie. He'd play with her any way she wanted. 'What did you have in mind?'

'Something-erotic,' she whispered naughtily as her lashes fell half mast over her slumberous gaze. 'See that chair next to you?'

He finally broke eye contact with her and found the armless chair he usually kept in the far corner to toss his clothes over. Now it sat prominently in the middle of the room. 'Yes, I see it.'

She smiled. 'I want you to take off your shoes and shirt and sit down on it.'

He did as she asked, toeing off his sneakers, removing his socks and peeling his shirt over his head. Leaving his jeans on as directed, he lowered himself to the chair and waited for her to choreograph the next move.

She scooted off the bed and slowly strolled toward him, the hem of her gown flirting around her slender thighs, teasing his senses. Lust rippled through him, heightening to an excruciating hunger when she came to a stop a few feet away from him, prolonging his need to touch her.

She wet her lips with her tongue. 'Can you see the closet mirrors and the mirror over the dresser?' she asked.

He glanced from the closet to the dresser, realizing just how strategically she'd placed his chair. He had an unobstructed view of the two of them, at different angles. 'I see the mirrors.' He swallowed thickly, in near pain at the throbbing pressure taking up residence in his pants. 'And I see you and me reflected in them, too.'

She smiled in satisfaction. 'Perfect.'