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Apprehension raced through her. “Wait. What are you doing?”
“I’m going to bed.” He tumbled her onto the mattress and followed her down. “To be exact, I’m going to bed with you.”
A thrilling excitement vied with alarm. “We can’t.”
“Oh, but we can.” He swept her hair from her eyes and studied her with a serious expression. “I’m not asking you to make love to me.”
“You’re not?” Good Lord, was that disappointment in her voice? “I mean, of course you’re not.”
For the first time, a spark of amusement filtered through the grimness. “This isn’t the right time. And it wouldn’t be for the right reason.” A whisper of vulnerability reappeared. “Stay with me, Grace. I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
Her heart went out to him. “What if I just stay for a little while?”
He rested his forehead against hers. “I’ll take whatever I can get.”
Going to bed with Luc shouldn’t feel this natural. She should experience some awkwardness removing her robe and slipping beneath the covers, especially when he wore nothing more than a pair of sweatpants. Where was the hesitation in allowing him to scoop her into his arms and cradle her against his bare chest? Why didn’t she stiffen and pull away when he fit her curves to the hard angles of his body? Instead, a sense of rightness settled over her and his warmth blanketed her, comforted her the way she meant to comfort him.
“Good night, Grace,” he murmured against her hair.
“Good night, Luc.”
“This feels nice. Better than nice.” His breath escaped in a long, drawn out sigh. “In fact, it feels right.”
He’d echoed her own thoughts. She didn’t dare respond. Or move. Or even breathe. If she did, he’d know how much she wanted him. How much she hoped he’d do more than hold her. That rather than sleep, he’d make love to her, despite her protests to the contrary. She waited to see what he’d do next.
“Luc?” she whispered after endless minutes of waiting.
The only answer was the tightening of his arms and the calm, steady beat of his heart against hers. She should be relieved.
Instead she fell asleep, regret haunting her dreams.
The phonewoke her a few hours later, just as dawn lightened the sky. Grace froze for a split second, awareness filtering through her exhaustion. Luc. She turned her head to find him gone. His warmth remained within the cozy embrace of the mattress and before she could stop herself, she curled into that warmth, soaking it up. His scent lingered, as well, a tantalizing feast of masculine spice. It tempted her beyond reason, sparking a combination of longing and hunger. With an exclamation of irritation, she forced herself to crawl out of bed, before she did something utterly stupid, like hug his pillow. She turned her back on the one place she desperately wanted to remain and pulled on her robe, hastening toward the study.
“Brand!” she heard Luc exclaim. “Where are you? What?Epazzo!What the hell are you doing back in Italy?”
“What’s going on?” she asked. Concern over whatever latest crisis had developed overcame her shyness at seeing Luc after an illicit night in his arms. “What’s Brand doing in Italy?”
Luc covered the mouthpiece. “Trying my patience.” He spoke into the phone again. “Listen up, it’s gotten serious here. The police came last night and took Toni.”
She winced, able to hear Brand’s furious protests clear across the room. “Tell him we need a custody statement,” she urged.
“Shut up and listen,” Luc snapped.
She couldn’t hide her hurt. “I was just trying to help.”
“No, not you, Grace. Brand. Come again? Never mind what she’s doing here at this hour. You have more important issues requiring your attention.”
Grace closed her eyes and groaned. Just when she’d thought matters couldn’t get any worse. Fate or, in this case, Luc Salvatore proved her wrong.
“You know that if it’s within my powers I’ll get Toni back, but we need a signed custody statement from Carina and a medical permission slip. Can you get her to give them to you?”
Grace crossed to Luc’s side. “Don’t forget the birth certificate,” she reminded him.
“Right. And a copy of Toni’s birth certificate. You fax or email me the documents as soon as possible, is that clear? Otherwise, they’ll put your daughter in a foster home and you’ll have a hell of a time getting custody again.”
Grace tugged at Luc’s arm. He glanced at her, exhaustion lining his face, and her heart went out to him. “Tell him it’ll be okay,” she said. “Tell him to take care of Carina and we’ll take care of Toni. Reassure him.”
He nodded briefly, gratitude vying with his exhaustion. He skimmed her cheek with a tender hand before resuming his conversation. “Don’t worry, Brand. You know I’ll take care of everything. Just get home as soon as you can.” After exchanging a few more words, he hung up.
