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Remembering Fiona’s advice, he swallowed back an incredulous response. Instead, he pretended to consider Micheline’s words.
“I’m not sure that would work,” he finally allowed. “I’d become their enemy. I want power and influence, as well as money. That can only be gotten if I’m part of them, not against them.”
She narrowed her eyes at him before sipping again on her drink. “That takes time, which is the one thing I don’t have an overabundance of. I need to get my hands on a lot of cash fast.”
“Why?”
The disgusted look she shot him made him want to smile, though he managed not to.
“Because I don’t have long to live,” she snapped. “Are you honestly that stupid?”
He locked his jaw, breathing deeply, summoning up enough self-control so he didn’t snarl something equally rude back at her. Old habits apparently died hard. Instead, he arranged his features into what he hoped would be a suitably abashed expression. “Sorry. I guess I just don’t like to even imagine the possibility of you being gone.”
Instantly gratified, Micheline preened. “I knew you hid your attachment to me,” she gloated. “I never could understand how you made yourself stay away so long. You must have missed me terribly.”
Talk about wanting to gag. He managed to make himself nod.
“You may be right,” she admitted, jingling multiple bracelets on one of her arms in a repetitive motion that set his teeth on edge. “I’ll need to think on it. Now that we’re working together, if any good plans occur to you, be sure and discuss them with me immediately.”
“Of course I will.”
“Good.” She pushed to her feet, finally stopping the noise. “I’ll be working mostly out of here the next week. Let Leigh know if you need to see me.”
“Will do.” He held back his sigh of relief until she was actually gone.
At the doorway, she spun around so fast, she s
taggered. For one awful second, he thought she might go down. Instinctively, he moved to catch her, but she managed to grab on to the door frame and catch herself right before he reached her. Her coffee, however, slipped from her grasp and spilled all over the floor.
“Are you all right?”
She lifted her head and met his gaze, her lips pulling back from her teeth in what he supposed she thought was a smile. “I’m fine.” With that final lie, she shook her head and pointed to the spilled coffee. “Make sure you clean that up.”
Once she’d gone, he grabbed one of the extra bath towels and mopped up the mess. Luckily, the AAG center provided maid service, so he knew someone would change the towel out later that day.
Wow. Eyeing his own coffee cup, he carried it over to the sink and poured the rest of it out. Quite simply, he’d lost his taste for Micheline’s expensive coffee. In fact, he wasn’t even sure he could eat breakfast.
One thing was for sure—he now had a newfound respect for Fiona and her ability to do her job and somehow manage to maintain her sanity.
He decided he’d go across the hall and see if Fiona needed some help waking up.
Just the thought had his body instantly hard.
The soft tap on his door startled him. Had Micheline come back? He swore under his breath and went to the door.
Fiona stood there, barefoot, wearing a T-shirt and tiny shorts, her eyes huge. “Mornin’,” she said, her husky voice stirring up all kinds of trouble inside him. “May I come in?”
Instantly, he stepped aside. Barely had the door clicked shut behind him than they were wrapped up in each other’s arms.
They shed what little clothing they had on quickly, still kissing. Skin to skin, they fell together onto his bed. One thrust and he buried himself deep inside her. Instantly, she convulsed, her body caressing his. So warm, so tight, enough to drive him mad.
Somehow, he managed to hang on to his rapidly shredding self-control. Once her shudders had subsided, he began to move. Slowly at first, but as momentum built, he abandoned all attempt at restraint.
Each time they came together, it was fireworks and trumpets: crazy stuff he’d never really believed in. They fit perfectly, and though they hadn’t known each other very long, lovemaking felt instinctive. Somehow, he felt he knew just what to do and how to do it to take her to the edge of the cliff and beyond. And as for her...just one touch, one look, one kiss and she sent him over the moon.
After, sated and content, they lay in each other’s arms. He propped himself up on one elbow and looked at her.
“What?” she asked, peering up at him through drowsy eyes.
