Page 29 of Filthy Rich

But I can’t. I can’t stay here and think straight. Not after that. And will he be doing that tomorrow night with Viking Goddess? The thought makes me want to smash something. I know I said I’d be mature about this whole thing, but now I don’t know if I can.

“I need to get back,” I add.

“Tamsyn. You can stay a little longer.”

“I need to walk the dog and make sure Mrs. Hooper’s okay.”

There’s a long pause before he finally relents.

“You’re freaked out,” he says, rubbing his hands over the top of his head as he goes to the door. “You need a little space. So I’m giving you a little space.” He pauses, shooting me a pointed look. “But only a little.”

I blink, my heart sinking. I didn’t expect him to read me quite that well. Believe me when I say it’s not good for the old equilibrium on top of everything else that’s happened tonight. I tug my bra back into place without responding. Hastily retie the scarf with much less finesse than I used earlier. Put on my sandals, find my purse and head for the door, which he opens for me without a word. He keeps his head down, his expression shadowed.

Now that I’m there, I find that I don’t want to leave. Not really.

But this is all new to me, and I can’t figure out how to stay. Turns out I’m no good at pretending to be sophisticated.

“Lucien,” I begin, struggling to put some of this into words.

He startles me by reaching for my face and covering my mouth with his. His kisses are gentle this time. Surprisingly tender. And that only increases my turmoil as he lets me up for air and nuzzles my temple.

There are so many sides to this man. I feel like a lifetime would never be enough to discover them all.

“Tell me something,” I say.

“Yes?” he says, his lips now sliding to my forehead.

“Was that…normal?”

He stiffens. Those lips withdraw. He drops his hands and backs up a step, meeting my eye with what seems like all the reluctance in the world. “No,” he says quietly. “I just didn’t expect you to be so spectacular.”

“I just followed your lead,” I say, blushing.

“It was more than that.”

I nod and take the compliment I don’t deserve, because the admission, perversely, makes me feel better. What just happened was a lot, yeah, but it was a lot for him, too.

So…what now?

I have no idea, but this doesn’t feel like the moment to figure it out.

He opens his mouth. Hesitates. “Don’t be afraid of what happens between us, Tamsyn. Okay?”

“Okay,” I say, but it’s easier said than done. I truly don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into with him. I just know that I’m in it now. Deep in it.

“Good night, Lucien,” I say as I cross into the corridor.

“Good night, Ms. Scott,” he says, staring after me as I go.

CHAPTER EIGHT

LUCIEN

I’m somewhere in the middle of my seventh mile around the ship’s track before I put a dent in my adrenaline level and begin to wear myself out. I keep going, pumping my legs harder because I don’t plan to spend another night like last one, alternately tossing, turning and prowling around my cabin like some godforsaken zoo animal. Maybe if I get my pulse rate up high enough, I’ll keel over from a heart attack and be evacuated back to land, thereby sparing myself any more of this self-inflicted torment.

I don’t know how I can stay here. The ship is nowhere near big enough for me and the mind-blowing Ms. Scott.

“On your left,” I bark as I overtake and pass a dad with his toddler in a baby stroller all but standing still in the middle of the busy track.

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