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“You think I‟m
capable
of jumping from your bed to his? That I‟m so

insatiable, what we did last night and this morning wasn‟t enough?”

Luc didn‟t say anything for a long moment, just stared with blazing

eyes. “I don‟t want to think that. God, woman. You singed my skin off. It

was amazing. I looked forward to waking up this morning and having you

again. But you never slept next to me, did you? I rolled over a few minutes

ago, and you were gone. Now I find out now you‟ve been with Tyler for the

last . . .” He glanced at his watch. “Three hours. I walk in, and he‟s holding

you. He kissed you, for fuck‟s sake.”

“A friendly peck!” she argued.

“Friendly, yeah,” Luc grunted. “I‟m sure everything on his mind is

platonic.”

“I don‟t control his thoughts, just mine. What‟s on my mind
is
platonic,

whether you believe it or not.”

“Give me a reason to believe it.” His dark eyes beseeched her. “You

look exhausted. The first words I hear out of his mouth are a plea for you to

give him
more
because he‟s dying. Which implies that you were giving him

something in the first place.”

Alyssa closed her eyes. Maybe it was Luc‟s jealousy talking—at least

in part. The other part . . . He was just never going to change his opinion of

her, and no matter how much she cared, how sincere she was in

expressing her feelings, how chaste she was with every other man, he‟d

never believe she was anything but a whore.

“I can stand here in perfect honesty and say that in the last three

months, I‟ve had sex twice, both times with you. Can you say the same?”

Luc paused, swallowed. His dark eyes flashed with guilt. His silent

answer gouged her with pain. Bitterness flooded her mouth.

“Three months ago, I was in a relationship.”

Helping his cousin fuck the man‟s pretty wife. It burned her to know

that Luc had jumped from her bed to Kimber‟s and never looked back until

Deke had cut Luc from the action.

Suddenly, Luc paused, then frowned. “Are you and Tyler . . . dating?”

It didn‟t matter what she told him. He‟d never believe the truth. “Tell

you what—you give me all the details about your relationship with Kimber,

then I‟ll spill my secrets. Deal?”

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His face closed up. “There‟s nothing to tell.”

Alyssa didn‟t have to know the whole story to know he was lying

through his teeth.

“So you didn‟t fuck her after you left my bed?”

Luc closed his eyes, the uneasy tightening of his face making her

insides bleed.

“This isn‟t about what I did or didn‟t do with Kimber.”

“Then why is it about what I did or didn‟t do with Tyler?”

“Three months ago, we didn‟t make any promises or demands,” he

pointed out.

“We didn‟t make any last night, either,” Alyssa flung back at him. “A

night of sex doesn‟t entitle you to the details of my relationship with Tyler.

And after this chat, spending last night with you was a mistake I won‟t be

repeating.”

His eyes flared with fury, and he stomped across the room. “Like hell.

For whatever reason, you went to a lot of trouble to seduce me. Mission

accomplished. Just because last night is over doesn‟t mean we‟re done.”

Luc‟s words were spoken like a vow, and Alyssa‟s insides quivered. As

much as she still wanted him, they couldn‟t continue like this. Even last

night she‟d realized that the longer she stayed in his arms, the more likely

he would break her heart.

For months, she‟d been romanticizing the connection between them.

She wanted him for more than sex. Now she knew beyond all doubt that

the yearning didn‟t run both ways.

“Wrong, Romeo. Last night was great, but you‟re already in another

relationship and I don‟t „fit into your future.‟” She shrugged. “Itch scratched.

Moving on.”

“No way in hell,” he snarled. “Are you saying that you have a new itch,

this one for Tyler? Is that what this morning was about?”

Alyssa got how he might think that. If a man had disappeared so

quickly out of her bed and she‟d found him in another woman‟s arms, even

if it was to be consoled, she‟d be confused and hurt. Despite Luc‟s jealousy

and whatever feeling he had for her, it didn‟t add up to anything lasting.

And if she kept sharing her body with him, she‟d never get her heart back.

Anything less than full reciprocation on his part would crush her.

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“This isn‟t about Tyler. Yes, I spent a lot of effort to seduce you, but

you said when you arrived that sex between us wasn‟t smart. Allow me to

admit that you were right.” She checked her watch. “Misa will be here in

five minutes and she‟ll be expecting direction. The rest of the staff will

arrive in an hour. You‟ll need every minute to prepare. We‟re expecting a

full house tonight.”

A moment later, she heard a car door slam. Tyler was back in record

time. She breezed past Luc, headed for the restaurant‟s front door.

He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close. “Where are you

going?”

She jerked free and lunged for the door. Luc didn‟t want her . . . but he

didn‟t want anyone else to have her. Alyssa refused to play that game.

Hopefully, dishing back some of his own medicine would put some distance

between them.

Smiling tightly, she quipped, “Maybe it
is
time I let someone else

scratch me.”

THE mock dinner service was winding to a merciful end. The evening

had been flawless. The muggy afternoon had given way to a cooler

evening, and Alyssa had thrown open the doors to the patio, bringing the

outside in. The food had been impeccable, the help she‟d hired perfect. Not

a hint of an undercooked steak or overcooked vegetables. The waitstaff

had been deferential and efficient. Patrons all around smiled—and Bonheur

had secured lots of future reservations.

Professionally, Luc couldn‟t be happier.

Personally, swallowing nails would be less painful than forcing down

the fury inside him.

He stood just outside the kitchen, loitering in the hall, looking for a

certain gorgeous blonde . . .
There
. She drifted from one table to the next in a graceful sway, her elegant black dress tastefully draping her gorgeous

body. She‟d swept up her hair in something classic and feminine.

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Understated diamonds winked at her ears and her wrist. Sophisticated,

refined. A perfect match for her atmosphere.

And she still gave him a raging erection.

Smiling graciously, Alyssa paused at the next table, visited with

guests, accepted a hug from a couple. Their toddler fisted her hands into

the long sway of Alyssa‟s hair, and she smiled, kissing the little girl‟s

forehead.

The sight of her affectionate gesture jolted Luc. He swallowed down a

sensation he could term only pure longing. God, what an impossible wish.

Just because Alyssa liked that child didn‟t mean she wanted any of her

own. Or would be the sort of dedicated mother his own had been. Besides,

even if she ended up having a huge maternal streak, she wasn‟t what he

needed, and the road to parenthood with him wouldn‟t be easy.

Besides, Tyler was scratching her itch now. And Luc was alone—trying

not to feel the confusion and pain crushing his guts.

A moment later, Alyssa drifted outside, under the external lighting,

pausing to greet an older couple. Not five feet from her, Tyler watched her

unblinkingly.

What had they spent the afternoon doing? If it was what Luc feared,

that was his fault. Had he pushed her away with his accusations and

behavior? Why the hell hadn‟t they just enjoyed their time together and had

a week of uncomplicated sex?

Because nothing between them was uncomplicated. He couldn‟t touch

Alyssa and feel nothing.

That scared the shit out of him.

Someone waving caught his attention, and he looked up to see Kimber

standing with a hesitant smile and an upraised hand.

Pregnant.

Resentment jabbed him. Deke was living the life Luc wanted with a

wonderful wife who would never refuse him her body or tell him that she

had someone else to scratch her itch. She understood Deke‟s hang-ups

and been patient until he learned to overcome them. Alyssa . . . What

would she think if she knew he could not father children? Would she

shrug—or think him less of a man?

With a sigh, Luc made his way over to Kimber and his cousin.

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Deke stood and held out a hand. “Good work. Food was incredible.

You always cooked fine meals when you lived with me, but you outdid

yourself on this.”

“Super delicious,” Kimber added with a dimpled smile.

Luc shook Deke‟s hand, then slipped an arm around Kimber. “Thank

you. And congratulations.”

He forced himself to look at Kimber and mean the words. He
was

happy for her. For Deke. Somehow, someway, he‟d find this ideal future for

himself, and maybe he could get over the choking envy.

“Thanks,” she murmured. “We‟re thrilled.”

“As you should be.”

Deke beamed with joy.

“I‟ll do my best to be a very committed uncle and spoil the tyke like

mad.”

Kimber smiled and hugged Luc close. “You‟re such a wonderful

person, I have no doubt you‟ll succeed.”

“Are you done cooking?” Deke asked.

Luc nodded. “The last ticket went out about ten minutes ago.”

“Good. Sit. We‟ve got hardware to discuss.”

“On that note, I‟ll run to the ladies‟ room. I already spent three hours

looking at the equipment on the trip over. Nice stuff. I hope Alyssa will be

okay.”

Without thought, Luc‟s gaze sought the woman in question. She was

winding her way across the patio, the night breeze stirring the pale tendrils

at her neck. Making him ache for her.

But he had to get his mind back on the present.

As if their sex life wasn‟t fucked-up enough, Alyssa had some prick

threatening her. In that respect, Luc was glad Tyler was doing his job so

diligently, even if he didn‟t like that the other man watched her as if she

were dinner and dessert all in one.

Deke looked at him, then Alyssa. He brought his gaze back. “What‟s

up with you two?”

Luc started to evade the question. But he stopped. Avoiding this . . .

thing between him and Alyssa wasn‟t making it go away. And it needed to;

he knew that. Why couldn‟t he work it out?

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“I don‟t know. She‟s . . .” He rubbed his forehead, searching for the

right words. “Under my skin.”

“That guy her bodyguard?” Deke nodded at Tyler.

“Of sorts, yes.”

Deke raised his brows. “He looks like he‟d like to do more to her body

than guard it.”

“I‟m pretty sure Tyler already does.” Why else would she allow him to

kiss her? Have a house key? See her naked? Touch her in public?

Leaning in, Deke stared at Luc long and hard. He swallowed, certain

his cousin could see right through him.

“Unless I miss my guess, you‟ve had an encore performance with

Alyssa recently.”

That obvious? “So?”

“So you don‟t care if she fucks him, too?”

Luc fisted his hands in the tablecloth. He knew it was telling, but hell,

Deke saw through him anyway. “It infuriates the hell out of me. I‟ve had

moments lately where I wanted to break every bone in his miserable body.”

“She‟s more than a fuck to you?” Deke sounded surprised.

As much as Luc wanted to avoid answering the question, he couldn‟t.

In fact, he‟d been asking himself the same thing.

“I don‟t understand it. She‟s everything I don‟t need. Shady profession,

total lack of modesty, so damn independent. Probably multiple lovers,” he

snarled. “I can‟t see her being happy with a rock on her hand, kids in tow,