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Her swift change of tack threw him somewhat, his head drawing back while his eyes narrowed with suspicion. 'Such as where?'
'Don't you have a company suite at the Regency?'
Byron stood up straight, his arms swinging back to his sides as he took a backward step. 'How do you know that?' he asked sharply.
'I know everything about Whitmore's.'
He gave a sarcastic snort. 'You never did fight fair, did you? Your coming into the billiard-room that day in that minuscule bikini was downright wicked. When you actually kissed me, I had no chance, did I?'
Celeste let out a ragged sigh. 'You might not believe this, Byron, but seduction was the last thing on my mind that day. I was trying to make up my mind about something. I kissed you because I wanted to find out if I was over you.'
He laughed. 'You got more that you bargained for, then, didn't you?'
'I certainly did,' she said bitterly. 'For someone who proclaimed that he didn't want to rake over old coals, you have a habit of doing so.'
'I guess I like to keep reminding myself of the type of woman I'm dealing with.'
'Oh? And what type is that?'
‘Ruthless. Conscienceless. Vindictive.'
'Vindictive ?'
'Do you think I don't know why you revived that old feud between the Campbells and the Whitmores? It had nothing to do with what happened between our fathers. It was because of you and me, Celeste. I rejected you and you couldn't take it. You were the classic woman scorned. You set out to make me pay any way you could. And you succeeded. You succeeded very well. You almost brought Whitmore's to its financial knees. You also worked damned hard to make sure I never forgot what you were like to make love to. You flaunted your sexuality for all the world to see, but you didn't want the world to see it, did you? You only wanted me to see it.'
A wry lop-sided smile curved her scarlet-glossed mouth as she rose from the chair. Byron stood his ground as she pressed herself against him, but Celeste had the immense satisfaction of feeling his shoulders square back, seeing the flash of near panic in his eyes. Oh, how easily she could turn the tables on him. How very easily.
'You could be right, darling,' she purred, snaking her arms up around his neck and standing up on tiptoe to run her tongue-tip over his stiffly held mouth. 'You see, I've never found a man who can do for me what you do. You're the best, Byron. The very best. I don't think I will ever get tired of making love to you ... '
His groan as he crushed her to him echoed in her ears, his impassioned kiss going some way to blocking the unbearable pain he had unwittingly evoked again. When he finally tore his mouth away he sounded as if he'd run a very long, very hard race. She was merely in a daze. Their power over each other was getting worse, she realized. Where would it all end?
'Be there at one,' he muttered thickly into her hair. He didn't wait for an answer. He gave her one last impassioned glance then strode from the room, leaving the door open behind him. She walked over and shut it, shuddering as she leant with her back against it.
She lay naked in his arms, her head lying in the crook of his left arm, his free hand lazily tracing patterns over her very relaxed body.
Celeste opened heavy eyes to glance idly around the hotel bedroom. Their clothes lay tidily folded up on adjacent chairs, the sight of them bringing a rueful smile to her lips.
She had insisted on undressing him herself, doing it slowly and methodically, then making him climb into the bed while she undressed herself. There had been no attempt at any erotic striptease. Celeste had been desperately trying to keep control over what was becoming more and more an uncontrollable situation for her. She hadn't been able to work all morning, her thoughts on nothing but being with Byron again.
By the time she had climbed into that bed with him she'd wanted him immediately. Fortunately, his need had been similar and they had come together without any preliminaries. Now they lay together, two spent forces, waiting for the wanting to begin again. Celeste didn't think it would be long.
'You haven't asked me to use anything,' Byron murmured as he stroked her. 'Is that wise?'
Celeste cringed at the implication he was making. It was a perfectly understandable question, considering her reputation, but she still reacted badly to it.
'For you or for me?' came her stiff reply.
'Just answer the question, Celeste. I always used protection with Catherine. Have you been practicing safe sex as well?'
